Place to Stay Forever

Dear Reader,

Before you lies a collection of thirty poems by Canadian poet Vladmir Angelblazer, a writer of Russian heritage. These works are not imagined but gifted from above, woven into the real life of their author. Within these verses, you will find profound revelations, evoking the spirit of great Russian poets like Pushkin, Pasternak, Lermontov, and Yesenin. Yet, crafted in the finest English, Angelblazer’s verse achieves a remarkable mastery of language, elevating it to a unique place in contemporary English literature. Themes of love, children, the force of nature, existential search, friendship, and physical suffering find expression in these compact yet powerful poetic pieces. We trust that you will recognize their depth and discover in them true sustenance for reflection.

The Publisher



                Place to Stay Forever
          By Vladmir Angelblazer, Penticton, March 2004.



Sunday Morning to You

1.

I watch the morning sky,
Soft clouds in quiet sweep.
From my balcony on high,
Santana’s rhythms steep.

The boys lie still in dreams below,
Though it's nearing ten o'clock.
And Sunday rises, pure and slow—
A day of peace, a chance to walk.

I wonder if you’re happy, love,
In this soft hour of grace,
Curled within your quiet world—
Your hidden heart, your sacred place.

With hair like sunlight, flowing free,
Gray-green eyes in gentle light,
A beauty mark upon your shoulder,
Hands that play with poised delight.

Today, I drift on words,
Through endless realms and time,
Where verses rise, and dreams take flight—
Is this my path, my climb?

I send my warmth, my hope, my light—
A kiss, as soft as dawn’s first ray,
My gift to you, serene and bright,
This calm, unending Sunday.

*******

2.

Early morning,
Light fills the sky.
Penticton sleeping,
Dreaming am I?

I feel your smile,
Dreams so true,
Penticton’s blue sky,
Birds passing through.

Children laughing,
Mountains play;
Lakes reflecting,
Come here, and stay.

You live in Quebec,
I’m here in B.C.
Springtime in Penticton—
Come here, and see.

*******

3.

Ne dites pas :
L’amour est perdu.
Je viens la chercher,
Je la trouverai, j’en suis sur.

Mon Ange descend,
Et dans un murmure,
Je lui confie :
Apporte-moi la fleur d’amour,
Un souffle d’eternite pure.

Un jour, ou peut-etre un autre,
Au bord du lac,
Okanagan,
M’offrira :

La fraicheur limpide des eaux,
Le mystere profond de la vie,
Des espoirs en floraison,
Des reves – et Toi.

De ma main –
Je te tiens fermement…
Mes ailes –
Te guident tendrement.

Je te vois, volant dans les cieux,
Avec courage et une douceur infinie.
Je serai ton ange fidele,
Ta lumiere, ton abri.

*******

4.

A kiss for the night,
The moon in the sky—
See, they’re beautiful,
Aren't they?

Stars drift above,
Dreams coming true,
See, they’re beautiful,
Aren't they too?

Soft whispers in air,
The night’s gentle sighs—
A moment to linger,
As dawn nears the skies.

Now the sun ascends,
Life's warmth fills the air;
The joy of living—
A gift beyond compare.

*******

5.

From Time to Time on Internet


From time to time,
From stars to sky,
They drift as spirits passing by.

Across the stars,
Through fate’s embrace,
Their journeys cross in boundless space.

One fleeting touch—
A spark, a flame,
Igniting love beyond a name.

Who knows what’s real?
Who dares to tell?
A rain-soaked night, a sunlit spell.

I found you there,
Through boundless streams,
Two souls entwined in shared, bright dreams.

What brought us here,
This love surreal,
Whole in life, pure, and real.

*******
6.

To Lise Leroux, Skydiver

One hand—
You hold on...
My wings—
You reach, drawn.

Your back,
Once broken,
Yet now,
Your spirit unspoken.

I see you, skybound,
With courage and grace.
I’ll be your angel,
Your light, your embrace.

You’ll heal—
Strong as ever,
And I’ll lift
Your soul forever.

*******

7.

The Clouds


The clouds unfurl their sails on high,
Bound for realms beyond the sky.
Like ships adrift on seas of air,
They float to shores we cannot share.

In awe we watch from fields below,
As silver vessels ebb and flow—
In rhythmic rows, they slide and lean,
A silent choir, serene, unseen.

The heavens hum their whispered lore,
A call from some eternal shore;
Each gust, each surge, a tale retold,
Of destinies the skies enfold.

They glide, they shift, in soft array;
Within their course, our dreams display—
The clouds, the ships, celestial rhyme,
Of journeys traced beyond all time.

*******

8.

"Monday with My Friend, the Honorable Canadian Politician Stockwell Day"


Monday, Monday —
Stock-well day?
Forks on the table,
Plates put away.

I met Mister
Stockwell Day,
In Penticton —
What a day!

Kids need sunshine,
Room to play,
Soccer, hockey —
All Monday!

Where is Peter?
Skating there!
And Vassili?
Splashing bare...

Monday, Monday —
Bright and fair!
You didn’t call me —
I was there...

*******

9.

Balance

Shelley and Shane,
Sunshine and Rain,
Music and laughter,
High on Mount Cain.

Angels and God,
Forest and sand,
Cooking up dreams—
What do they plan?

Balance and grace,
Life’s own true way,
With Paisley and Keenan,
Shelley and Shane.

Not strangers, but bound,
By sovereign call,
Free in our bodies,
In spirit, in all.

We rise from the earth,
We land from the sky—
Family woven by threads
None can untie.

*******

10.

Childhood Winter


As children, we held our breath in wait,
For winter’s veil, the year’s soft slate,
For Christmas mornings, snow-clad dreams,
And frost-draped fields, where memory gleams.

In sheepskin coats and bamboo poles in hand,
We’d skim on wooden skis, the brave and grand,
With flushed, bright cheeks, and spirits alight,
Breathing in snow’s cold, silver delight.

Ah, praise be to snow and frostbound air,
The tender keepers of joys so rare,
For though those childhood songs are past,
They live in winter’s spell, recast.

Winter’s symphony, pure and clear,
A sparkling world, to eye and ear—
A fleeting stroke of nature’s art,
A masterpiece etched in every heart.

*******

11.

Year’s End

The end of the year,
Angels lend me wings,
Doctors hand me the pills—
A life that still sings.

The end of the year,
My brothers bring hope,
Children’s laughter and smiles,
Help me to cope.

The end of the year,
In transition again,
I’m ready to fly,
To dive past the pain.

The end of the year,
Yet no end in sight,
Just new life, ocean winds,
And a soul taking flight.

*******

12.

In fragrant bloom the cherry tree
Announces spring's arrival,
And golden branches, wavy, free,
Dance with a graceful survival.
Around the tree, the dewdrops cling
And slide along its bark,
And underneath, the verdant green
Glistens like silver sparks.
Beside the tree, a little stream
Runs through the grassy floor,
Its silvery waters, a dream
That hums a soothing score.
The cherry tree in full array
Stands proud, in the shining sun,
Its golden leaves, a bright display
Of life that's just begun.
The stream that flows with gentle sound
Embraces every branch,
And sings a melody profound,
A lover's sweet romance.
Oh, cherry tree, so sweet and fair,
Your beauty fills my soul,
And in my heart, I'll always bear
The memories of this stroll.
Thus, let the world remember me
As one who loved and sung,
And let my ballad, wild and free,
Inspire the hearts of young.

*******

13.

Bear,
Invite me inside,
Where shadows linger,
And truth may hide.

In the cave of quiet,
Where silence lies,
The whispers of answers
On winds arise.

Beyond your den,
The tempest roars—
Fierce winds collide,
And nature wars.

Yet here, in stillness,
The storm won’t find
The quiet wisdom,
The peace of mind.

But Bear,
With rumbling growl, refused,
His gaze as ancient as the trees:

"The winds of fate are yours to face —
Your strength is forged in tempests' grace.

No shelter here, no place of ease,
The trials outside will set you free.

"But once you stand, the storm will sleep—
And peace, at last, you’ll learn to keep.

The wise do not seek solitude in vain,
Not for silence alone, nor escape from pain.
They walk a path where stillness calls,
A refuge built within reason’s walls.

They turn from crowds not out of fear,
But to find a place where thought rings clear.
Away from clamor, away from haste,
Where truth and wisdom leave no trace of waste.

In solitude, they find a space
To ponder life’s unhurried grace,
Not sealed off from the world’s embrace,
But shielded from its restless pace.

It’s not the world they turn aside,
But folly’s noise, life’s empty pride.
For fools create a ceaseless din,
A storm without, yet void within.

So, solitude they choose to keep—
Not as slumber, not as sleep—
But as the ground where roots run deep,
Where thoughts like ancient rivers seep.

In silence dwells a higher call,
Where wisdom speaks, and shadows fall;
They seek not loneliness nor end,
But peace where truth and spirit blend."

*******

14.

Driftwood, a yacht, her tale so clear,
With laughter and sorrow, both far and near.
She rests in the sand where the sea meets the shore,
A ship of dreams, in silence, she swore.

Once sails caught the winds, now memories fade,
Whispers of breezes where journeys were made.
Only the salt now sings to the mast,
Rocking in rhythms of voyages past.

From the sea, we gather wisdom's call,
While the earth gives strength to rise and stand tall.
Nourished by freedom's life-giving grace,
In harmony, where dreams find their place.

*******

15.

Law of attraction


Where the sky meets the sea in azure embrace,
And the lighthouse winks at the stars above,
I stroll along the shore, in solitary grace,
Bright in soul, at ease, with simple love.
       The breeze tousles a strand of hair with glee,
       And scatters thoughts like petals in its flight...
       I know routine will beckon, as it may be,
       But not tonight, not under this celestial light.
In distant realms where neither thou nor I reside,
I grasp the rules that in this game abide,
A tear of sorrow, softly, sweetly glides,
In gravity's embrace, its journey strides.
       Where heavens blend into the vast expanse of sea,
       Where sorrow shifts to joy, unfurls its wings to flee,
       Like a solitary, fading volcano's plea,
       For thee, my love, I breathe a wistful melody.
      
            Postscriptum

With moves as graceful as lunar beams,
The Queen weaves dreams in silver streams,
While Angelblazer, with ethereal might,
Paints stardust trails in the canvas of night.
Together they tread, in rhythm divine,
Crafting verses in the cosmic design,
In the shimmering glow of lunar embrace,
Their words interlace, leaving trails of grace.

*******

16.

Happiness

In blooms adorned, a scene beyond compare.
Happiness, a thread on glass, a delicate trace,
In cobweb's grasp, a moment's gentle embrace.

Happiness, the tranquil sky above,
And mother's arms, cradling with love,
Upon Red Square, a child's joyous grin,
Captured by father's lens, a memory within.

In family albums, these moments reside,
In laughter and love, happiness does abide.
Not in wealth or fame does true joy lie,
But in simple moments, beneath the sky.

*******

17.

My dog's unconditional love


Eyes aglow with tender grace,
In love's embrace, a steadfast trace.
Fondly gazing, tail held high,
A loyal friend beneath the sky.

In the realm of Angelblazer's delight,
Bravissima dances in the sunshine light.
A wizard's touch, a playful prance,
In their bond, an enchanting trance.

Waves of magic, a canine waltz,
With each step, a spell that exalts.
Labrador dreams and wizard's art,
A duet of love, where worlds depart.

*******

18.

Hostages to romance.


In the poetic night, the day fades away,
Longing wanders lost in the labyrinth's sway.
Nightingales sing, they won't set me free,
How can I endure, my love, a night without thee?

       Stars whisper tales,
       Bid farewell with melody.
       In the captive grip of desires,
       Emotions ablaze, like a fervent fire.

In a cosmic trance,
Hostages to romance.
Nightingales fall silent,
As the stanza begins its dance.

*******

19.

The wind


The wind, like a chained hound, on tether held,
Now fiercely pulls, then calms its frenzied swell.
It twirls and dances in wild, swirling flight,
Then curls up, cradled in the silent night.

       It stirs the road's dust with a restless might,
       Midst branches, wanders, lost in mystic light.
       A play, it seems, defies the grip of ennui,
       Enticed by the tempest's impassioned plea.

A spirit, rebellious in its fervent quest,
Awaits a sign, a manifest bequest.
Desperately yearning with each gust,
To unravel destiny, in trust it must.

*******

20.

Amidst green veils, the valleys rest,
Where murmuring brooks and forests transparent nest,
The sun, a vibrant mandarin, bestows its hue,
Upon the azure tablecloth of heavens' blue.

Each valley's hush, a sacred prose,
Whispers secrets only nature knows,
As brooks converse with gentle grace,
In tranquil rhythms, they embrace.

Oh, let me wander in this verdant scene,
Where nature's magic makes the spirit keen,
A realm where beauty and truth reside,
In valleys green, where dreams abide.

*******

21.

Whisper to the children, no need to wait,
A brighter world's birth won't be from fate.
Let them embrace the baton, their mission aligned,
Carry the torch, destinies intertwined.
As it rises high, its glow intensifies,
Reveal to them this truth, open their eyes.

Speak to the young ones, with voices sincere,
No need for saviors, the future is near!
In this race they run, with purpose and pride,
Grasping the flame, hopes unified.

For as the torch ascends, brilliance profound,
This message echoes, in their hearts' resound...

*******

22.

In the depths of desolation's domain,
Where troubled souls silently wane,
I whisper, «Chaos shan't conquer this night!
For within, my spirit shall forever take flight! »

*******

23.

What’s the Illusion? What’s the Dream?


In darkest night, beneath the silver moon,
Stars blink bright, in timeless, mystic tune.
The wind breathes secrets soft against the ear,
While barren branches creak, then draw near.
    Leaves murmur grandly, whispers on the land,
    The dampened air takes its quiet stand.
    Fog blurs all borders—dream or seem?
    What’s the illusion? What’s the dream?

In night’s deep vault, the moonlight finds no way;
Rustles spark fear; shadows dance and sway.
A door clicks sharp; silence thickens fast,
Thoughts clot and loom in shadows vast.
    Is it simple? Can it be pure?
    Fog-bound thoughts, so unsure.
    No edge, no answer, just mist’s slow sweep—
    White-out awaits dawn’s fragile leap.

*******

24.

From Distant Shores


From distant shores, my heart takes flight,
Like a lark ascending in morning light,
Recalling tunes, pure, bright, and clear,
A symphony sweet that draws me near.

Of childhood friends and kin close by,
Like a steadfast choir beneath the sky,
And days when life was free from pain,
As true as sonnets’ unfeigned refrain.

But now I wonder where I'll go,
A ship bound for some distant show,
When life’s horizon meets the close,
Like sunset’s blush in calm repose.

Will my heart yet sing of love and pride,
Like a ballad strummed by fireside,
For country, kin, and all I’ve known,
A fervent ode, to call my own?

Let nature’s beauty be my guide,
Like verses vast and unsupplied,
And let my heart forever sing,
A hymn on high, on timeless wing.

*******

25.

The Rose


I gazed upon a rose at break of dawn,
Its petals soft, yet steadfastly drawn—
A symbol of love and beauty pure,
A silent wonder, destined to endure.

Yet as I pondered on this fragile grace,
I saw its thorns, its fierce and guarded face,
A reminder that beauty often lies
Veiled in a pain that pricks and stings and tries.

So it is with life, with love, with art,
The beauty that can mend also may smart;
For every joy that lifts our hearts in flight,
A shadow lingers close, just out of sight.

And still we seek this beauty, rich and rare,
In music, art, in every place laid bare;
For in the end, it's worth the wounds we take
To grasp the light that only beauty makes.

Though hearts may ache, may bleed, and quietly weep,
We hold to beauty’s cost, a price we keep,
For in its glow, a peace so rare, divine—
A fleeting glimpse of heaven's own design.

So let us cherish each rose we survey,
Embrace both thorn and bloom along the way;
In this world of light and shade, we know it true—
The beauty we behold is ever due.

*******


26.


I Am Russian


In taut embrace, the bowstring sings,
A note that throbs, in echo rings.
And like a comet, swift and bright,
The arrow soars to boundless light.

It journeys forth to foreign land,
Where soon, my steps will take their stand.
Where joy and love forever bloom,
I claim them as my rightful plume.

This melody ascends on high,
To sweep me to its grand ballet—
Within, my heart, a blazing sky,
Leads me on life’s eternal way.

Where breath and love entwine as one,
No other longing dares implore,
Unyielding, steadfast as the sun—
For I am Russian, evermore.

Russian, boldly cast, unchained by strife,
Russian, through my fathers’ line alive.
Russian, by fate’s prophetic light,
Russian, with will to shape and strive.
Russian—my essence, fierce and true,
Russian—in all I dream, in all I do.

*******

27.

Place to Stay Forever


Oh, golden fields and endless skies,
My heart is filled with wistful sighs,
As I walk the earth with bare feet.
And wonder where my fate shall meet?

The wind it whispers soft and low,
Through the fields where wildflowers grow,
And in my soul, I feel a fire,
A longing for a life much higher.

Oh, gentle river, flowing by,
Your waters calm my troubled mind,
And in your depths I see in the mirrors,
Reflecting all my sorrows and hopes.

The sun it sets in fiery blaze,
A sight that fills my heart with praise,
For in this world of endless strife,
It brings a glimmer of new life.

And as the stars come out to play,
And the moon illuminates my way,
I know that life is but a dream,
A fleeting moment, like a stream.

So let me walk this earth with grace,
And find my joy in every place,
For in the end, it's not the goal,
But the journey that makes us whole.

*******

28.

Mama…


When you sing your songs upon the earth,
The sky softly echoes your mirth.
Those who fell for our motherland’s worth
Forever soar, reborn in flight and birth.

We are not silent shadows without sound;
We are the wind, the cranes’ call all around.
The fallen, bound for homeland’s skies,
Now form the heavens, watching with wise eyes.

In midnight’s hush, we breathe, warming birds in nests,
Lulling children to dreams in soft, gentle rests.
You think it’s stars that gaze from above,
But it’s us, watching with infinite love.

We are the sky, the clouds drifting wide,
Touching you softly, like snow at your side.
Through the twentieth century, onward we hold,
Guiding you forward, resilient and bold.

In midnight’s hush, we breathe, warming birds in nests,
Lulling children to dreams in soft, gentle rests.
You think it’s stars that gaze from above,
But it’s us, watching with infinite love.

Those who rose for our motherland’s name
Are now the heavens, an eternal flame.
Hand in hand, their memory remains,
Guiding us forward, through joys and pains.

*******

29.

Your magic whisper, “I love you,”

In your eyes, like mirrors, I gaze deep,
Afraid my reflection I might not keep.
I don’t want you to be just a fleeting guest
In the twilight of my nights or my life’s unrest.
I love you as one loves but once in a lifetime,
As if no sun had ever graced the world’s skyline.
From petty worries and quarrels, we broke free,
And found the keys to happiness, you and me,
You and me.

A love that feels like a dream,
A crystal chime of hearts agleam.
Your magic whisper, “I love you,”
I’ll softly echo back to you.
A love that feels like a dream
Has made our home with joy agleam.
Yet, defying the laws of dreams,
Let it never end, so it seems.

I forgive the solitude and pain I knew,
You vowed they’d never again break through.
Such bliss belongs to dreams alone, they say,
But our love is real and here to stay.
In your eyes, I’ll never lose my way,
Our love won’t trade for parting’s sway.
With priceless dreams and my soul’s delight,
I’ve earned the gift to hold you tight,
Always by your side.

A love that feels like a dream,
A crystal chime of hearts agleam.
Your magic whisper, “I love you,”
I’ll softly echo back to you.
A love that feels like a dream
Has made our home with joy agleam.
Yet, defying the laws of dreams,
Let it never end, so it seems.

*******

30.

Stargazer


In city lights, the heavens hide,
Submerged beneath a ceaseless tide
Of restless glow that veils the stars,
Obscuring worlds from Earth afar.

Yet once, a boy in cadet array,
I stood at dusk, in quiet display,
In Silver Forest’s gentle fold,
Awaiting my name in the evening told.

Back then, the stars shone sharp and clear,
Dotting night’s vast, velvet sphere.
I gazed at them, a patient child,
Lost in their glow, both meek and mild.

Now, with sixty years in hand,
I walk alone by ocean sand,
Among the trees, the salted air,
The nighttime skies so rich, so rare.

When sleep evades, I step outside
To feed the raccoons by moon’s deep tide,
And lift my gaze to meet the sky,
With young eyes still that seek on high.

Though time has carved its weight and wear,
In fleeting strength and silvered hair,
The stars endure, serene and bright—
My steadfast guides through sleepless night.

Within their light, my spirit soars,
Free as a boy on distant shores,
Worn yet brimming still with awe,
Aligned with nature’s boundless law.

So here I stand beneath these skies,
Where memory and starlight rise,
And let my heart’s deep wonder roam,
For in the stars, I find my home.




By Vladmir Angelblazer from the book Place to Stay Forever, Penticton, 2004.