Author: Kurt Philip Behm

I am a lifelong author with 21 books published to date—one best seller. Much of my writing is about the deception of time and its many disguises. My Poetry 'An Anthology Of Perception,' is now available in four volumes. In addition I have a 175 page Poem 'After Midnight,' that was published in 2014. My Historical Fiction series, 'The Sword Of Ichiban' is now up to volume 8 which is being published this Spring ... Vol #1- The Sword Of Ichiban Vol #2- Darkening Sun Vol #3- Revenge Along The War Trail Vol #4- Death From The Sky Vol #5- Jumping Into the Darkness Vol #6- The Fall City Mandate. Vol #7- Approaching Storm Vol #8- Brothers In Blood One autobiographical novel, 'The Death Of The Playground' a Best Seller, published in 2007. One travel novel, 'Searching For Crazy Horse,' published in 2005, recapping my forty years of motorcycle touring in the American Rocky Mountain West. I have written one Children's Book, 'Sammy & Bumpers' that was published in 2016. All of my books are available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and better Book Stores world wide. Kurt Philip Behm

Cognitive Orphans

You don’t have

to write them all

but thoughts

deserve a chance

To live beyond

this time and place

in words reborn

to dance

You don’t have

to set them free

but guilt

will curse your ink

For thoughts unread

trapped in your head

to wander

— indistinct

(The New Room: July, 2025)

A Welcoming Stillness

We all search

for prescience

the future

on hold

As each

dying moment

forever

unfolds

We all crave

the silence

preparing

for death

Its welcoming

stillness

a last

— final breath

(The New Room: July, 2025)

To Uncle Walt

If you are

vacant of hope

Hope is vacant

of you

If you are

distant of spirit

Spirit

distant of you

If you are

absent of feeling

Feeling

absent of you

If you are

left without love

Love is left

— without you

(Rereading ‘Leaves Of Grass’: July, 2025)

Memory …

The joker

in the deck

The jester

holding court

The witness

at my trial

The voice

— of time itself

(Dreamsleep: July, 2025)

Beyond The Divide

Downwind of the

Halal Cart

my stomach

starts to growl

Foreign smells

have filled the air

my appetite

to prowl

Those places

I have yet to go

but memory

knows so well

Another life

another time

where Heaven

— sleeps with Hell

(The Corner Of 34^th & Market Streets: July, 2025)

Demon Time

Perpetual moments

the key

to existence

Memory

your biggest

foe

Blocking

the path

to future promise

Lapsing

forgetfulness

grows

Time an illusion

a crutch

for the weak

To hobble

and stumble

in constant retreat

This instant

recurring

when chosen at will

Where Poets

and Prophets

— forever instill

(Villanova University: July, 2025)

Ex Essentia

Kill the spark

the fire dies

Mute one voice

and Poets cry

Kill the larva

kill the host

Burn your bridges

— post by post

(Dreamsleep: July, 2025)

Just One Look

There’s gray

in my beard

but no gray

in my soul

Where Peter Pan

flies

Cherub’s wings

in control

My edges

though silver

my center

of gold

One glance

never tells you

what prescience

— beholds

(Dreamsleep: July, 2025)

Water Into Wine — Ink Into Rhyme

Writers write

everyone else

— just talks

(Dreamsleep: July, 2025)

Voices That Follow

Keeping

memories close

pushing

people away

I live in

the safety

of what’s held

at bay

Trading

the future

retreading

the past

Living

nostalgic

for what

cannot last

Each

invitation

each corner

unturned

Calls to me

distant

calls to me

spurned

But I keep

on running

retracing

old steps

As voices

still follow

in search

— of me yet

(Dreamsleep: July, 2025)