Writing and painting in New Jersey, Manny Beltran infuses his art with emotion. Read On this night I am alone and then click on his previous work to get a sense for his style. In case you missed it, you can hear him read this poem on 15 Minutes of Poetry.
Promise
By Manny Beltran
I promise that I will wake tomorrow
That I will face another day
That I will put behind me what they say
And that I will not give in to my sorrow
I promise I will try to see the world anew
That I will not dwell on my forgotten past
Or the little things that could not last
And to try and forget all that I once knew
I promise I won’t give myself to the night
Or let my hurt smother my breath
Or ponder fondly the many faces of death
I will not let my demons take wing and flight
I promise to do my very best
That I will be the man you once saw
And know that all perfection comes from flaw
That I will finally find peace with what I confess
I have been waiting for so long for you to write these words for me kind stranger. Now I have a promise to keep to myself…”I promise I won’t give myself to the night
Or let my hurt smother my breath
Or ponder fondly the many faces of death
I will not let my demons take wing and flight”…Thank you
Great reading on 15 Minutes! “Infused with emotion” is definitely an appropriate way to describe Manny’s work.
Good work, Manny. I enjoyed hearing you on the poetry show.