Laurence Overmire

Laurence Overmire Poems

i look into your eyes
and see the stars
burning quietly
in a midnight sky
...

Sleep.
Eat.
Sleep.
...

There need to be people
toiling on this Earth
for whom money
is not the Bottom Line
...

Have you ever flown
in a plane
and climbed above
the clouds?
...

Every day admit me
Please
Into the portal of the
Divine
...

Oh Father Boy, Oh Father Boy
You didn’t see the signs
You didn’t hear a thing did you
Oh Father Boy, my dear
...

a tear trickles down the side of a face
haphazardly
not knowing why it was shed
...

Every stone I cast
on water ripples

to the edge of an unknown
...

is like a bullet that goes
straight to the heart

life and death on the line
...

So few people understand
Or even care
The connection that holds us
Together
...

When she wakes up
She flings her fat out of bed
And rolls like thunder down the hall
Barreling through the kitchen door
...

12.

My pear are so
Delightful, I must speak now
With a fake French accent
...

Adam had just finished his corn flakes
Goat's milk and all

His briefcase was in his hand
...

Here I sit
Musing on the Muse
Oh glorious Muse
Muse-ic to my ears!
...

I lie on my back
Look up through the grate
Light streams in bars across the planks
The black and white reflection of an angry god
...

Shakespeare took poetry to the stage
And left her there
Singing songs
In the fire of footlight candles
...

He has an idea in his head
An idea that he knows the Truth
An idea that God believes in him
An idea the rest of us can never understand.
...

The timbers rise out of the bay
On a clouded, sunlit morning
Reflection’s pier in the water
An old weather-worn shack
...

The Prince was a stuffed-olive of a man
Beautifully proper and horribly dull
Little did she know that damn glass slipper
Would be her undoing
...

The artist born ahead of his time
Will see no reward, no glory, no fame
Alone with his demons
He wrestles to the death.
...

Laurence Overmire Biography

LAURENCE OVERMIRE, said to be a descendant of an uncle of the iconic Scottish poet Robert Burns, is a " true sennachie, a genealogist as well as a bard, " according to Scottish historian Ted Cowan (University of Glasgow) . Known to many for his work as Poet-In-Residence on The Jeff Farias Show, Overmire has had a multi-faceted career, not only as a poet and genealogist but also as an actor, director and educator. His award-winning poetry, eclectic in form, style, and subject matter, has been widely published in the U.S. and abroad in hundreds of magazines, journals, and anthologies. His most recent book of poetry and prose is " New York Minute: An Actor's Memoir" which recounts his experiences as a young actor in New York City. " The Ghost of Rabbie Burns: An American Poet's Journey Through Scotland, " traces Overmire's genealogical roots back into the old country. Part journal, part diary, part poetry, history and genealogy, the book captures the mood and spirit of Old Caledonia. The Duke of Argyll (Chief of Clan Campbell) calls it " a wonderful book... and a great asset if you are making a trip to Scotland." Overmire is also known as the author of " The One Idea That Saves The World: A Call to Conscience and A Call to Action" which has been widely praised for its inspiring message of hope despite the dire issues that now threaten humankind. Written in prose with a few poems interspersed, this book is speaking to people from all walks of life from all over the world by appealing to the common humanity that we all share. Overmire graduated summa cum laude as valedictorian of Muskingum University, Ohio, with a B.A. in theatre and a B.S. in psychology, and was awarded a Bush Fellowship to attend the University of Minnesota, where he earned his M.F.A. He won a second Bush Fellowship to become a professional actor with the world-renowned Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis where he worked with such prominent directors as Alan Schneider, Richard Foreman, Garland Wright and Liviu Ciulei. He then went on to a successful career on stage, film and television in New York, Hollywood and points-in-between including the Broadway production of Amadeus directed by Sir Peter Hall, the network television soap operas All My Children, As the World Turns, One Life to Live, and Loving, Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival, Charles Busch's zany Off-Broadway hits Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and Psycho Beach Party, Equity Library Theatre, Roy Brocksmith's California Cottage Theater, Alaska Repertory Theatre, Buffalo's Studio Arena Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company, Totem Pole Playhouse, and Yale Repertory Theatre. He also served as Executive Producer of the Writer’s Lab, a non-profit organization in Hollywood to promote quality writing in the entertainment industry, and has been involved in teaching in the arts for over 25 years, designing programs for Lincoln Center Institute of New York City, Manhattan Theatre Club, Meadow Brook Theatre, and Oregon Children's Theatre among others. Mr. Overmire began writing poetry as a way to document and reflect upon his experience, compiling what he refers to as a “diary in art.” Overmire's background in the arts, rather than in academia, gives him a decidedly different perspective on the writing of poetry, one that emphasizes a right-brain as opposed to a left-brain approach and advocates complete freedom within the art form, simplicity of language, and focus on the importance of what is being expressed. Like an actor taking on different roles, his poems take on many voices and run the gamut from beat to lyric to classical in style and tone. His work is at once accessible, yet multi-layered and quite complex upon further examination. As a result, he has gained quite a following among those who appreciate his down-to-earth musings on what he sees going on in our world today. Overmire is the author of 5 genealogy books including " Digging For Ancestral Gold: The Fun and Easy Way to Get Started on Your Genealogy Quest." He has also published several genealogical studies online, most notably “The Ancestry of Overmire, Tifft, Richardson, Bradford, Reed, ” which includes the family trees of many U. S. Presidents and European monarchs, and a host of famous statesmen, soldiers, artists, actors, writers, poets, musicians, scientists, inventors, and social reformers. His work has helped hundreds of thousands of people discover their family roots and find their intimate connections to the people and events that have shaped world history.)

The Best Poem Of Laurence Overmire

Quasimodo: To Esmeralda

i look into your eyes
and see the stars
burning quietly
in a midnight sky
and i am humbled.

what hope have i
to rein a winged foal
dancing on a distant cloud
chasing the maiden moon
as she scatters her delicate veils
of luminous dust
on the sleeping earth below.

what hope have i
disfigured and alone
who cannot speak
and dare not feel
you will not hear the silent voice
that clamors in a trembling heart
you will not see the man
imprisoned by the shackles of his soul
you will not know
me.

i leave you now
lift your voice to the wind
run free
brave spirit
we never meet again
but i have looked into your eyes
and glimpsed the stars.


(Previously published in Lynx Eye, Spring '99, Vol. VI, No.2)

Laurence Overmire Comments

nice poems. you are great in showing feels.that shows a good improvement. i invite you to read my poems at my poets page. that is a friendly invitation

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