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Vixility

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Vixility
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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     8 days ago

Submitted Poems 37 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

 1,284 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 Nature's...

– by John W. May

 370 Views
added 7 months ago
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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

 348 Views
added 11 months ago
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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

 171 Views
added 10 months ago
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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

 133 Views
added 6 months ago
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... and 32 more »

Favorite Poets 23 total

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Voted Poems 250 total

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Collection 220 total

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Latest Comments: 530 total

Poetry.com
Humorous though this may be, it is a serious subject in Colorado. It would break my heart if someone accused me of discrimination just because I uttered the wrong gender pronoun.

1 month ago

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Poetry.com
Interesting but unfortunate fact. Most big businesses in Colorado (hospitals, for example) adhere to strict gender identification laws—meaning, everyone has the right to be identified by whatever gender they wish. No problem.

BUT, it is considered a form of discrimination if you use the wrong gender pronoun when referring to someone. You can lose your job here if you use the wrong gender pronouns as it falls under laws of discrimination.

So the natural ease with which I use to use ‘he’ ‘his’ ‘him’ ‘she’ ‘her’ ‘hers’ etc has been thrown right out the window. And it becomes even more complicated when a single, individual person wishes their gender pronoun to be ‘they’.

“Officer! They’re getting away!”

“Where’d they run to?”

“She ran down that alley and they’re getting into that car.”

“Attention. We have a female suspect running south down the alleyway near”—

“No! It’s a guy, but he identifies as a she!”

“How many did you say were getting into the vehicle?”

“Just them!”

“I only see an individual. Where are the others?”

“I know! I know! There are no others. It’s just them! They don’t identify gender. Hurry before they get away!” 

1 month ago

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Poetry.com
Straight shooter!

Touchy subject these days, but this spear of a poem plunges right through the gender identity shield. I personally happen to agree with the point of your poem (many would be livid to hear of it).

That said—and this is going to sound like a politically correct, cliché offering—we are all individually responsible for the choices we make in our lives, and so long as those choices don’t cause harm to others, who am I to tell another person how to live their lives? I have no idea what path of development (whether good or ill) led this particular male to want to identify as female, but I will respect and even physically protect that choice.

It’s a strange—and for me, a new—balance: on the one hand I agree with your poem, but on the other hand respect each individual’s right to choose the life they wish to live. 

1 month ago

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Poetry.com
Nothing fascinates nor horrifies me more than the reality of warfare and the shedding of blood we impose upon each other. What I deeply appreciate about this poem—in addition to the stylized imagery and its concluding aphorism—is that the poem is (presumably) written by an individual who experienced this dark facet of our human nature. Allusions, of course, direct our attention to contemporary wars abroad, and no doubt an opinion of it is here hinted at. When an individual—especially a poet—who has experienced first hand the cruelty and consequences of war’s rapacious nature comes to me with something to say concerning it, my ears are open. 

1 month ago

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Poetry.com
I could never approach fathoming such a loss. My heart goes deeply out to you.

… and that you’re sharing your pain to help others heal is a deep and selfless and beautiful thing.

1 month ago

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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. 

2 months 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 months ago

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

2 months ago

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Poetry.com
Nicely done …

2 months 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

2 months 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.

2 months 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 …

2 months ago

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

2 months 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. 

2 months 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

2 months ago

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