DAVID I MAYERHOFF - POEMS

David I Mayerhoff is an emerging writer while being a practicing physician and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry. His areas of specialty are in Graduate Medical Education, the chronic mentally ill, and academic research with a focus on the heterogeneity of schizophrenia disorders. 

Selected poetry of his can be found at drsyke.wordpress.com, allpoetry.com, as well as published selections at PoetryBay/ Long Island Quarterly, the Paragon Journal, GNU and elsewhere. 

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​The Dalliance Of Night

Soft castles of merry
rush past
lights of sparkle
 
All in elegant best
speaking nothings
into candlelight
of potential
 
Small talk
tunnels to offer
the musings of today
into industry of tomorrow
 
Pastel colored cloth
matching decor
of background unnoticed
but peopled by all
 
Far away
from politics of the day
distant from
daily mundane
and yesterday's boring
 
A place
where all
seeking directions to
 

​Countercurrents

​Moving with the wind
natural and effortless
Moving against the grain
painful and laborious
 
All laugh
at folly of interloper
His bravado unappreciated
initiative seen as foolishness
 
Sheep herded
into cattle car of despair
following what they feel
ignoring what they see
 
Time for jelled pudding
mushed over
into kitchen
of addiction
 
Grazing on
fanfare of the day
and mass hysteria
of night
 
Herd brushes
against other wool
of garments
confused why
the one
is not eating their fare
and dancing
to the rhythm
of their music
 
Unity of purpose
stronger with
diversity of voices
speaking as one
 
Weakened by
speaking as one
when only one voice
is found

​Standing For Something 

Standing for nothing
is quite the something
It is so pervasive
that it appears to be the only thing
 
Standing for something
is like nothing
for that is how
you will be made to feel
 
Rewards of
a nice pie
drive merriment
to distraction
 
As the engines
of production
grind to a halt
in the joke
of non- substance
 
Bring meat
to the table
the vegetarian
will not eat
 
Bring substance
to the discourse
all will help themselves
and gorge
on the calories
of depth and advancement
 
 

​The Library

​Loud hoots
punctuated by burps
and bellows of colonic air
suffused the library
 
Everyone looked at his fellow
for approbation
and found it
except for one by the table
who obeyed decorum alone
 
Collectively they perceived
him as extremely rude