Portrait of a View: One Hundred Poems, 1993-2004

By Daniel Ontengco Jr.

This book is a collection of poems that I have been compiling over the last twelve years. I began the book in 1993,and finally completed it in 2004. The poems are not entirely autobiographical but do include a large amount of myself in them. There is reality that is masked and fiction that is realized. The reader can judge which is which. The majority of the poems are one page creations with a focus more on originality rather than structure. Although many of the poems do experiment with differing rhyme sequences and poem types, the emphasis is on creating something that is different and in my own style.

Originally, I was just writing for my own pleasure and satisfaction. However, after several years, I started to feel that I would like to publish the poems as one book. I wrote a few at a time when I was feeling inspired. I never wrote unless I had the creative itch, and had what I thought was a good enough idea. I hope that the reader will enjoy at least some of these ideas and not judge the rest too harshly. I was never trying to impress anyone but myself.

The title for the book, Portrait of a View was inspired by a trip I made to the Salvador Dali Art Museum in Florida in 1993. However, the central concept of the book is that words and ideas can be used not just to paint a picture, but also to create something that is real and that has an existence all its own. I hope that at least in some small way, I have accomplished this in my portrait of a view.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 18, 2005
• ISBN: 9781463494827

Daniel Ontengco Jr.

The author is a social worker who deals with cases of child abuse and neglect. His work in this field has exposed him to both the very worst and best of human nature. In regard to his education, the author has a masters of public administration degree from the University of South Florida. The original idea for this science fiction adventure based in the future actually came from the author’s own past when he was a child. It was completed, however, many years later for his two children, Matthew and Nicholas. This book is dedicated to them. This is the author’s fourth book after having published Portrait of a View, The Heresy of Hearsay, and The Land Of Green Eyes.

Book preview

© 2005 Daniel Ontengco Jr. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 05/04/05

ISBN: 1-4208-4830-5 (sc)

ISBN: 9781463494728 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Contents

Portrait of a View

As If Then Could

Anticipation is a Liar

The Bed of Tomorrow

Open Windows Let in Fresh Air

What’s the Difference?

Angelove

Warning

As Close as Paper Can Get

This is the Title

Invisible Th

Hope of the Unknown

What Can You Say?

Don’t Concentrate on the Material

One Drop was all it Took

Pecking at the Surface

Look for The

Sitting in my Room

At the Moment

Shy

I am You

Striker

Words Back

Lower Me Down

Blame it on They

Alias Destination

From Now On

Quiet Alert

Out Person

The Man Who Loved

The Woman I Love

All Out

There

Simply Complex

The Dark Clouds of Controversy

Circus You Bottled Water

Almost There

The Ring and The Fly

One More Hour at 23

A Trip

A Little Bit Less

At None

Someone to Blame

It’s Not Original But it’s All Right

The Unflagging Idealist

One Two and Three Zeroes

Weeping Generalizations

(A Sense of Urgency)

Time for a new job, Baby

The Dream Catcher

Flection

Feeling a Bit

A Little Minute

The Beacha

Thirteen days until 30

Land of the Found

A Vow to Believe In

Directions (you are here*)

Quick Release

What is is

The Green Hole

Tales of an Impatient Man

Underground Resistance Blues

The Boys

The Party’s Under

Animals

A Piece of Now

Adjudication as to the Parents

Robert the Floor Man

Tales of the Atom

Nail the Answer

Anti-matter

Hurried Flood

However

Interpretation

Depends

Rack of Lies

I Won’t Ask Your Permission

I Was Waiting for You

So Long

She is Everything

Strange Ways

Coming Soon

The Noble Lie

Is Humility Conscious?

Endless but Thankful

Addition and Abstraction

Dextrocardia

Within You

Something To Look Forward To

It’s Possible

Insert Title Here

Not Always Enough

The Medium Man

Passion Igniters to Consider

Living Roam

That’s my Boy

In Conclusion

A Look See in Sight

Portrait of a View

Its existence treads tightly to a tied view.

A thought traced slightly through a moment in time.

The exact instant too tiny to touch, still remains true.

Torn away from like a birth, ripped from the mind.

It now stands alone, shined on a place of its own.

Turning and whirling in both freedom and tension.

For all to listen, and one for whomever to roam.

To where there are many windows to see the same tree.

Turning over dimensions, and keys, in every direction.

For in this trek, the world and life one can then measure.

To view its traits and lore; change time’s tired conventions.

Then created and built, no one can bury all of its treasure.

Once it is finally finished, find it to leave it alone.

And take comfort in the beauty of thought with life of its own.

As If Then Could

Where to find it is where it’s at.

Unmistakable beauty, perfect as love, would thrive here.

Wherever here may be, would not matter, only last.

Without critics nor cynics, passing judgments to serve their unknowing fear.

Somewhere fresh and new, where no boundaries is the rule-

There’s a place without words to tell you what to do.

Cares thrown away like the human nature to divide.

Mountains of worry bent like steel, at long last man-kindness would be real.

Unequal rights and greed left behind, knotted pride cast aside.

In it no darkness or evil, that love could not hide, only shield.

Somewhere so much more than great, where no pleasure is worth the wait-

There’s a place without weapons to instantly steal your fate.

Its direction is unknown, so just follow up your goodness.

A crib to crawl into, you’ve just been fed, no need to cry.

Safe as can be, only God is baring you witness.

Just lose your inhibitions, in here there’s no need to ask why.

Somewhere not too high or too less real for us to take it-

There’s a place to let ourselves go, I know we can make it.

A point coequal but connected, no property for contention.

No drowning in fear or sorrow, for here land is made shallow.

With many ruling opinions thrown in swaying inventions.

There’s only aimless wandering, with no straight path to follow.

Somewhere to strive for, a where to look and feel for-

There’s a place where love’s peacefulness makes waves to the shore.

Moderation and restraint is all that is needed.

It’s not hard to find, but it is a journey to be undertaken.

For without this foothold, toleration is cheated.

It’s an organ for the soul, a heart that can’t be shaken.

Somewhere it’s out there, if you glance but don’t stare-

There’s a place whose truth you won’t have to question or dare.

Open spaces as far as the mind can be.

Where you need only show love through acts not speech.

There would be nothing to look back at to see.

So enter both strong and meek, this is a wonderful paradise for all to seek.

But, it’s only through everyone that anyone would.

Somewhere there’s a place