Juan Olivarez

Juan Olivarez Poems

Happiness is being home again,
Happiness is walking in the rain.
Happiness is waking with no pain.
...

After all is said and done,
What are we?
Are we gold or silver,
Or a sparkling diamond in the rough?
...

I hear your voice,
Anytime,
Of the day or night.
...

I had a dream, that I could fly,
On gossamer wings, in the clear blue skies.
Floating above the Earth below,
Going where the air currents chose to go.
...

A dream just died,
Wasted away.
A long time it cried,
It hoped to stay.
...

I saw God today, on a mountain high,
As the wind blew through my hair.
I saw God today in the clear blue sky,
I felt small and humble there.
...

I'd rather be fishing, Than talking to you,
At least when I'm fishing, I know what to do.
I'd rather hold a blue gill in my hand,
Than get hit on the head, with a frying pan.
...

It was a million years ago,
We walked on the beach at Padre.
Scattering the sand crabs as we went,
And dodging the blue jellyfish,
...

A vast endless sea of sand beyond
The blue grey hills, bathed in the sun
Creosote bushes dot the line
Of a bleak horizon, where heat waves shine
...

At first I couldn't get enough,
Now I just can't make it stop.
No rain in the desert that was rough,
Around here there's no dry spot.
...

A poet's words,
Are a vaccine,
For all the world's ills.
...

I've been in the desert for so long now,
I've missed my home and my only friend.
And now I sit here, asking myself how,
My heart can break, as my days here end.
...

He stretched his wings, then drank his fill.
From the earthen saucer on the stand.
I looked at him, with a joyous thrill,
He was just four feet, from my right hand.
...

A bottle of wine, and a moonlit night,
A little side table, on the sidewalks side,
Soft gentle music, filters through the air,
The breeze blowing gently, through your auburn hair.
...

A blue bottle landed on my nose,
While a poem I attempted to compose.
It wiggled it's legs and cleaned it's wings,
And did so many other things.
...

Every morning I wake I see you through my window,
Hot, unforgiving, mysterious, and so beautiful.
As I lie here in my bed, I hear your call in my head.
The call to the washes, and the canyons, and the creosote bushes,
...

Happiness to me, is sleep without dreams,
It's to lie lost to all and to the world
It's my internal alarm ringing on time
It's awakening refreshed and strong
...

I see faces
In the clouds.
I hear voices
In the wind.
...

19.

In 1961 I asked my dad,
Papi, when will 1961 come back?
He said'Juanito, please don't feel bad,
But 1961 won't ever come back.'
...

I just wanted to do some fishing,
Got some squid for bait, a good Penn rod and reel,
And a six pack and some sandwiches.
Turning in behind the last sand dunes,
...

Juan Olivarez Biography

I was born in Nyssa Oregon while my parents who were farm workers were picking cherries and working in the potato fields in Idaho.I grew up in Mission Texas and attended Mission High scool where I first attempted to write poetry. While in high school I had two poems published in Focus magazine, 'What is War in 1972' and The Clouds' IN 1973. I have been in public service in my home town of Alton Texas as city alderman, police commissioner and mayor pro tem, I love to play chess, play the guitar, cook and my other true love, fishing. My first love has and always will be my wife Elvira McAllen who against her better judgement decided to say yes when I asked her to marry me in 1973. We have six children Two marines two musicians a teacher an my youngest who still is undecided on what to do with his life he is currently goofing off in California in the place I love so much The Mojave Desert. I lived in California for a year and fell in love with the Mojave Desert that surrounded my sons home in Twenty Nine Palms, and I wrote a lot of poems about the desert, they are all my favorites, because they are all actual experiances. My favorite words are not from a poet they are from a band named named Diamond Rio, (one more day, one more time, one more sunset baby and I'd be satisfied) I love anything country. Recently I had a scare with my heart, and I realized life is so short. So I will try my hand at a few more things, including free verse and some haiku.)

The Best Poem Of Juan Olivarez

Happiness

Happiness is being home again,
Happiness is walking in the rain.
Happiness is waking with no pain.

Happiness to see my humble home,
Happiness at not being alone,
Happiness to sit, and not to roam.

Happiness is family to me,
Happiness in the faces, I longed to see,
Happiness is once more being free.

6/12/10 29 palms ca.

Juan Olivarez Comments

Smoky Hoss 31 August 2011

Juan is a poet of intense abilities, he seems to see so much in life's happenings, in the world's movement, and then best of all he so articulately and wonderfully translates it all to us through his poetic vision. And we therefore are blessed to receive the fruits of his gift for writing. Read as much of his poetry as you can, you will be glad you did!

17 6 Reply
Yuen Mei Ying 30 October 2011

I want to know why you write this poem(rain, rain, rain) And i enjoy your poem very much!

10 9 Reply
Haley Akin 29 June 2011

You a such a great poet! Very inspirational! I appriciate that you like my work! It means alot coming from someone who writes like you do!

11 5 Reply
Maria Segura 29 September 2011

Your poem was short this time, but I like it. I am used to your long poems

7 9 Reply
Cynthia Buhain-baello 02 February 2012

I read a lot of your poems and I think your poetry style is wonderfully natural. It just flows and unfolds beauty in words and meaning. I like the way you write them like you are just conversing the reader.

10 5 Reply
Cowboy Ron Williams 02 July 2021

I have just discovered Juan Olivarez, and I really like his style of poetry. He writes about things that I can relate to, such as mountains and wilderness and the wonders of God's creations. I will be reading more of his work!

0 0 Reply
Atasha Williams 08 June 2016

Great poet, Immaculate writer, Juan takes the reader into his words and flies with them to the end. Wonderful imagination when needed and he also uses vivid images when recalling a memory. One of my personal favorites is Juan, keep up the grand work my brother. Always a pleasure reading your work. Atasha :)

3 2 Reply
Gg Gg 18 March 2016

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2 2 Reply

itt is nice to ask and start life with new task wife is as important as destination and helps to build good relation

4 3 Reply

excellent poems. you are great in explaining your feels. i invite you to read my poem

8 3 Reply

Juan Olivarez Quotes

The Devil knows more because he is old Than because he is the Devil.

When a man, or a woman, can make you cry with the simplest of words, that being, is a poet.

It doesn't matter that the water is shallow you can't swim.

If the fire is blazing don't add gasoline.

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