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Though born in New Jersey, John W. May has lived in Colorado all of his life. He currently works in the field of ophthalmology and loves to mountain bike and read history. John first became a lover of poetry in 2008 after having read a poem by John Milton. He has been reading and studying the works of various poets since. Among his favorite poets are Emily Dickinson, Fyodor Tyutchev and W. B. Yeats.

  August 2022     15 hours ago

Submitted Poems 36 total

The Witch of Aberdeen

She lived outside of Aberdeen
Where Scotland woods stood glum and gray
Above a cavern in between
The rising moon and setting day.
Her laughter seemed to plague the night—

    That is, as some would say;
And oft, through yonder crescent light,
...

– by John W. May

 1,271 Views
added 1 year ago
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On Beauty Untamed

“Poetry must have something in it that is
barbaric, vast and wild.” –Denis Diderot

The Falcon

In lovely light and lofty pose,
   It perched an autumn limb.
Rebalancing, a wing arose
   Revealing something grim ...

Though...

– by John W. May

 358 Views
added 5 months ago
Rating
On Dreaming

I often wonder with a grin
What imagery my dreams might show:
I blanket deep, pull covers in,
And ponder how my dreams will go ...

For in the haunt of last night's tale
A dreadful cavern opened wide,
And in a frenzy dogs of hell
Were...

– by John W. May

 342 Views
added 9 months ago
Rating
The Sculptor

With joy he set upon the stone
Releasing from its marble tomb
The likeness of a lovely maid
Whose grandeur filled the humble room.
What hapless rock this used to be,
Half-figured now, she seemed a god:
The more his chisel carved her shape,
...

– by John W. May

 170 Views
added 8 months ago
Rating
Candy Land

The swing that breaks the hanging bag
Sends candy bouncing all around:
The children rush, and pushing fuss,
And knock each other to the ground.
No thoughts of others—only self—
Where skewed desires all abound:
They rush and push and even kick...

– by John W. May

 127 Views
added 4 months ago
Rating

... and 31 more »

Favorite Poets 23 total

... and 18 more »

Voted Poems 249 total

... and 244 more »

Collection 220 total

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Latest Comments: 525 total

Poetry.com
Hahaha … indeed, indeed. This is a very clever poem and fun to read through. I’m always curious with how poets come up with or discover the topics they write about. I would love to know how the idea for this one came about. 

1 day ago

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Poetry.com
Beautiful poem. Its sentiment reminds me of a passage from Swedenborg’s “Arcana Colestia” (AC 8455):

“Peace holds within itself trust in the Lord, the trust that He governs all things and provides all things, and that He leads towards an end that is good.”

The allusion to Hebrews 4:12 was also a delightful add-in. Again, lovely piece. 

2 days ago

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Poetry.com
Nice poem. Who wouldn’t love the message?

5 days ago

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Poetry.com
Nicely done …

6 days ago

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Poetry.com
Nwafor! I could say the same of your poetry. Your flower poem—exquisite language. And “Crushed”, my God vivid (I like that Macbeth line).

Thanks for the comment and thanks for stopping by

6 days ago

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Poetry.com
Wow! The way you use language is fantastic! Gilded, dank darkness, forbidden creatures, swellings of ego … love your style and the way your mind thinks.

6 days ago

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Poetry.com
Love the beauty, simplicity and depth of this poem. I especially have a deep affinity for the message of the poem: God and our salvation. Nicely done …

6 days ago

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Poetry.com
I agree with Kim, the positive shift of the last stanza was delightful

6 days ago

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Poetry.com
I gather from this poem the complex state of our collective human condition: the negative and positive dynamics we all share with each other, and an overall desire and hope (throughout the poem) for respect and unity rather than division and antipathy. I read this poem three times—am I even close?

I particularly thought that the mystical language closing the poem was a unique touch which added a euphoric feeling to the work and ‘spiritualized’ the poem’s plea.

Yes. I enjoyed this piece very much. 

6 days ago

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Poetry.com
I had a blast working on this poem—so many possible directions I could have taken. Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with the result here …

Thanks for swinging by

7 days ago

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Poetry.com
Thank you, Sue! I’m really proud of this particular piece. I originally wrote it years ago, but recently revised it as I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the language and imagery used. I can now say I feel pretty good about this piece along with the unfolding of the story. Fun stuff … 

8 days ago

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Poetry.com
The language in this poem is pretty impressive. Based on some of the content, my guess is you are probably a fan of Friedrich Nietzsche—and if not Nietzsche, some of the other existentialists.

11 days ago

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Poetry.com
Hey, nice to see you here! Stopped by your page and enjoyed your work as well. Hope to see more!

11 days ago

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Poetry.com
Wow, Jessica! (Can I call you Jessica?) Completely agree with Ronald below. I love both of your bios: both the site’s bio you left and your amazing poetic bio.

I’m hoping hoping hoping that you will be leaving more of your works here. Excellent piece … 

11 days ago

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Poetry.com
That is way too kind an exaggeration, Randy, but thank you nonetheless. Like I said before, I’ve been a fan of your works for nearly two years. Can’t wait to see what you come up with in the next contest.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out this piece. 

11 days ago

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