Three Poems by J. B. Hogan

 

She Had Blue Eyes

 

She had blue eyes, 

not deep nor dark 

but light, soft blue 

eyes that shone with 

intelligence, wit, joy. 

Laughing eyes, crinkling eyes 

that sparkled with gentle 

irony and humor, knowing 

eyes that understood, that 

examined, forgave. 

She had blue eyes, but 

sweet, sad eyes, with a sadness  

that was new, deep and dark,  

sadness not there before, but  

there now, sadness understood  

all too well, for I put it  

there myself, the sadness  

in those blue eyes –  

belongs to me.

 

 

 

Trying to Forget You

 

I’ve been trying to forget you 

by listening to sad songs, 

feeling sorry for myself, 

railing against the universe 

that allowed us to meet, 

that allowed us to get close 

myself for causing the end. 

I’ve been trying to get over you 

but it’s just not that easy, because 

anything of real value is hard to get 

anything of real value is harder to lose, 

so it’s hardly a surprise that while 

I’ve been trying to forget you, 

I may just not be up to the task.

 

 

 

Could Never Be

 

Constant, faithful, unwaveringly 

true, real, kind and fair, 

intelligent, charming,  

as lovely as the early dawn,  

moving with grace and style, 

a dream, yet down to earth as a 

farmer’s wife; calm, practical,  

caring and caring for, all reasons,  

among countless more,  

why the wanting 

made no sense, 

why the having 

could never be.

 

J. B. Hogan is a poet, fiction writer, and local historian. He has been published in a number of journals including the Blue Lake Review, Crack the Spine, Copperfield Review, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, Well Read Magazine, and Aphelion. His twelve books include Bar Harbor, Mexican Skies, Living Behind Time, Losing Cotton, The Apostate and, most recently, Forgotten Fayetteville and Washington County (local history). He lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas.