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This Week's Featured Poems

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Tangible Dreams

You caused me to dream
again.
Dreams are no longer a
thing of the past.
They are tangible and ready
for me to grab,
You make me feel like super-
girl.
And there's no dream too big or
small.
As long as I believe I can achieve,
and that I must not be afraid
to fail.
Because failures lead to victories
as long I get back up and try again.
You said by doing this my dreams
become clearer and clearer,
Next, the dreams will be my reality.
Thank you for believing in me.
I believe in you right back.

Dedicated to anyone who has encouraged
to me follow my dreams.

2-25-16

Copyright © Alexis Y. | Year Posted 2016

The Fly

NOTE: Some of you seemed to enjoy my stories from the past. Of course, posting this in the story folder is tantamount to burying it six feet under, as you know, so I'm posting it here. I understand that some will see the length and move on and that's okay. But for those who stay, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Storytelling is what I think I do best. This one is new to Poetry Soup. If you like your Rod Serling with a dash of Mel Brooks, you might like this little tale...

The old woman had lost everything. A ramshackle one room flat in Hackney was all she could afford since the fire destroyed her little cottage in the English countryside, along with her hubby and cat. The only thing left for her to do now was to die alone and in peace. Musing on her ill fortune left her rather tired on this rainy, bleak Monday afternoon, so she flopped down on her musty recliner for a short nap. Just as she began to doze off, there was a tickle on the end of her nose. Now, her nose was no ordinary one but a rather large promontory with a decided point to it. It was precisely on this point that a fly had comfortably perched. She glared at it. It seemed to stare back somewhat menacingly, she thought. She swatted it away with a wave of her hand and fell back to sleep. Within a minute or so a tickle on the end of her nose roused her from her nap once again. "That's it," she cried aloud. "Is it not enough that I am living in sheer misery without you bothering me to no end?" She got up, fly swatter in hand, and chased it around and around without success. As she stood there panting in the middle of the room, she thought she heard a whiny, tiny screech. 
"Over here, Snaggletooth!" She stopped panting and listened more intently. "Hey, Snaggy, over here!" Was it possible the little demon was taunting her? She let out a loud cry that shook the room as any sanity that she had managed to retain up till now was all but lost. She pulled a loose wooden plank from the floor and started swinging. There it was on the window - SWAT! The glass shattered into a thousand shards. There it was on the lampshade - SWAT! The lamp lay broken in two. There it was on her nicely stacked dishes - SWAT! Seven dishes (one had been lost to the fire) now broken into pieces. She was sure she got it this time. She listened for what seemed like an eternity and then let out a sigh of relief. "The bloody thing is dead," she screamed. Utterly exhausted, she returned to her sleeping chair and did her best to forget about her brief encounter with hell and was soon fast asleep, until that familiar tickle roused her once again. To her great surprise the thing spoke: "O Snaggletooth, why doth thou hateth me so?" A devil on the end of her nose and speaking Shakespearean at that! Well, she wasn't having it. With a shriek she got up to chase down her nemesis once more but tripped on the hole in the floor that resulted from her removal of the floorboard earlier. She tried her best to twist her body around and catch herself but fell face upward to the floor, her skull splitting down the back and center from the impact. The old hag was dead. The fly cautiously circled but was careful not to land lest the crazy wench was only feigning it. Finally satisfied that she was gone, it landed on that very same tip of her nose that had so intrigued it previously. 
"So, this is victory. Ahh, it has a sweet taste," it boasted. "I'm feeling rather hungry after all of this inanity. I think I'll get myself a tasty snack."
It surveyed the room and decided that its best opportunity was to be had atop the kitchen cabinet where scrumptious crumbs can almost always be found. Upward it flew, higher and higher when suddenly - it couldn't move! Something was restraining it. Before long it was tangled up in an evil web of thin strands unlike anything it had ever encountered before. In a word, it was stuck. And then a voice: 
"Welcome, welcome to my lair, my friend. Would you care for a cup of tea before dinner? Buwahaha. Forgive me, I find a little humor makes things less tense. Hold on, don't move, I'll fetch the dinnerware and be right back. Buwahaha." The spider soon disappeared, but unbeknownst to him and, I dare say, to the dead old woman and the helpless fly, a scorpion had just made its way through the busted window. As it was, the scorpion was rather hungry and had a peculiar taste for arachnids...

Copyright © Tom Woody | Year Posted 2023

Forgetful

FORGETFUL

Have you got to the top of the stair?
And wondered why you went up there
Come back down again
And you're searching your brain
Then you find what you want on the chair

Copyright © Leslie Wilson | Year Posted 2018



Computer Shell Game

Digital life discourages thinking,
Laptops encourage time sinking,
Really surfing-the-net,
Is indulging a pet,
For PC’s are pet squirrels chewing nuts who are linking.

Copyright © Chaim Wilson | Year Posted 2014

Thank You My Love

The days go by, each hour and each minute, 
Sometimes I neglect to say certain things, but you know that I mean it. 
In light of this special occasion, I wanted to share a thought with you. 
So often I pass you by with only a gentle tug or two. 
Even without words, you know my feelings, 
Today is one day that has special meaning. 
I want to tell you that one thing you hardly ever hear, 
With passion from me to you, my dear. 
A whisper in the darkness and you look to see who. 
I want to say "THANK YOU" for all that you do.

Copyright © Donald Williams | Year Posted 2013

Shadows Densley Cast

Listen to poem:
Shadows Densely Cast
David J Walker

How soon the night begins to call
Fall is falling fast

Shadows thinly passing all 
Daylight dwindles past 

A crusted moon 
a ragged ball

auric emblems last 
Hold your breath 

against a death
shadows densely cast

Copyright © David Walker | Year Posted 2021

Hibiscus

You're a Flower in My Garden 8 to 12 lines
Sponsored by: Tania Kitchin

3rd place


Red in colour, trumpet-shaped,
Showy and conspicuous,
I’m known by the name Hibiscus.
I adorn your garden like Eden,
Birds, bees and butterflies
Fondly come to me 
For a deep drink of nectar.
A variety of wildlife amidst you,
What a kaleidoscope to watch!				
I fall right after I bloom,
But my life doesn’t end then;
I’m a remedy for diseases many.

Copyright © Srinivas Veepuri | Year Posted 2024

Impress Me

Meditation

Meditation 
Is all about 
Focus

If you cannot focus
Your mind,
You will get nowhere

It is 
Like an SLR camera—
You have to keep adjusting
The focusing ring
On the range finder
Till the subject
Comes into focus

Then,
You have to 
Focus further
Till the subject 
Is in sharp focus

That is what 
Meditation
Is all about!

Copyright © Vincent Van Ross | Year Posted 2018

Lunacy

what can i see -- but that which my eyes let me?
what can i hear -- but that which my ears let me?
what can i feel -- but that which my skin lets me?

and within my very sanity;
what can i think -- but that which my language lets me?

and that which is beyond my eyes, my ears, and my skin?
and beyond my language?
what of It?
bubbles rippling through pure noise.

can anything grasp?

i crave so much.
but nothing holds.
like sand through a sieve.

Copyright © Sam Toil | Year Posted 2014

Bantu

A single shot while hunting ruffed grouse soaked my socks a deep sanguine against the snow.
A kiss to your broken lips glossed over the fine-looking lies we let slip onto the story of your indiscretion.

Copyright © Jaymee Thomas | Year Posted 2023

The Blues

     The Blues © 

Blues moaning and sad
Wail out over the bayou 
a song of heartbreak

Copyright © Trisha Sugarek | Year Posted 2024

Soar Now

"Soar Now"
                   Soar now among angels and rest in God's arms,
                           free from this world, suffer no more .
                Walk in the light and feel the warmth of God's love.
                    No pain, no worry, you are truly free of earth's bonds.
                                                Soar Now
                   Your spirit is one with God, and from on high,
                                      may angels comfort you.
                       Because of you, this world is a better place.
                                      You made life better, 
                                   You made people better.
                         You were a special blessing on this earth . 
                     You brought happiness, joy, love and laughter
                                      as only you could bring.
                         We look up and we see you in the heavens!
                         Your face, your smile..... God is beside you.
                               Your spirit and soul are at peace,
                                and you are forever free to soar.
                                                  SOAR NOW!

Copyright © Tj Silba | Year Posted 2018

Ghost

I am cold and I drive myself away
From a grave made of clay
With yellow-colored edges,
And the earth as its lid.
	
I am cursed to accept myself...
A ghost with eyes and bones,
I am walking weak among the graves
While crying out some words.
		
Like a field holds a scarecrow,
The cemetery holds me in its arms
To drive away from the sacred graves
The old women from the crosses.

The priest scolds me in distress
For wandering at night through the city
With just my linen shirt
And a candle like a thread.
	
I am guilty of my sad night
That weighs upon my non-existence...
I am a ghost created from the rain
That washed my grave away.

Copyright © Vasile Serban | Year Posted 2024

Wounds

Words I cannot say, 

I feel as if I am buried up to my neck in clay. 

A door that I cannot see, 

Despite having the key. 

The devastation is much too real, 

I see your hand in things that you are about to reveal. 

People are in so much pain, 

But it’s only by Your hand that You sustain. 

Tears have stained my face, 

In my unworthiness You have extended Your grace. 

Wounds, people say that only time can heal, 

But no, Jesus did on that Golgotha Hill. 

© Deborah Seale Schnadelbach

Copyright © Deborah Seale | Year Posted 2023

Time Heals

It seems I've not laughed for quite awhile.
When did my face last smile?
Sadness and grief now fill my day
When will it go away?

Time heals the loss. I know that's true
I just wish I didn't feel so blue
Heavy my heart feels now that you're gone
But I must trust that you live on
Somewhere beyond our mother Earth
Are we recycled through rebirth?

I like to think your spirit is free
To choose and create where you want to be
Maybe you're traveling through oceans of stars
Exploring planets like Venus or Mars
Or perhaps living beside a seaside
Watching the seagulls soar and glide
Wherever you are, I hope that you know
You're missed by your family, and we love you so


Written for my Mom who passed away this year 2023

Copyright © Anne E Sangster - K | Year Posted 2023

Dream World Down By the Sea

How was it that so many years ago 
     In a dream world down by the sea, 
That a beautiful young maiden that you may know 
     Went by the name of lovely Louannie. 
And this faithful young maiden, in her depth of thought 
     Was to love and be loved by me.

I was a boy, and she was a child, 
     In a dream world down by the sea. 
And she loved with a depth of love that was more than love 
     Me and my lovely Louannie; 
With a depth of love like the winged cherubim on high 
     Enveloped both her and me.

I give no reason to reason from so long ago 
     In a dream world down by the sea. 
A breath of God kissed our skin 
     Filled my sassenach, my lovely Louannie. 
So from that, her heavenly body was seeded 
     Giving birth to a star, just her and me,

Thus burst forth a beautiful big girl daughter 
     In our dream world down by the sea. 
The angels didst shout with joy in heaven, 
     They sounded their horns for her and me. 
Suddenly a second breath of God caressed our hair 
     In our dream world down by the sea. 

That breath carried a heavenly scent. 
     Whisking us another child just for my babe and me. 
That sprung forth a second beautiful daughter 
     In our dream world down by the sea.
Now our love and our family was stronger than the love 
     Of those who were more ancient than we; 

But certainly none more wiser or mightier than He 
     In a dream world down by the sea. 
For heaven’s river flowed once again 
     As a thought rushed in for my baby and me. 
A wellspring flowing our third daughter appeared 
     In our dream world down by the sea.

Now our love is much fuller; our quiver has grown. 
     A fountain of youth springs for her and me. 
Soon we will be 3x3 and perhaps x3x3x3. 
     Heaven has blessed where no one could imagine 
Neither the angels above or below nor anyone on earth, 
     In a dream world down by the sea.

For my soulmate has filled my soul with enduring love, 
     All from my beautiful Louannie. 
Pisces and Taurus, Gemini and Cancer rise, creating dreams,
     Of my beautiful Louannie;
And the stars always shine, and light sparkles in my eyes,
     All for my beautiful Louannie;

And so, all the night tide as I lay by her side,
     Oh, my Sassenach—my soulmate —my life and my bride,
     In our dream world down by the sea.
     My love endures forever and a day,
     In our dream world down by the sea.

Copyright © Daniel Henry Rodgers | Year Posted 2023

Should Have Been a Dolphin

...should have been a dolphin
not human with a torn dress on
with dawn upon the door
seized by freezing rain

i'm human for nothing
over and over and again
a captive in a torn dress
...should have been a dolphin

Shivering next my will
...should have been a dolphin
eyes closed warm the cloudburst
sound the surf and swim the waves

fallible and threadbare
streamlined beneath a deluge
....should have been a dolphin
stead of being human

Copyright © Thresha Reese | Year Posted 2018

Never Forgive Me

I am alone
                     I am bored
                     I had enough
                     I want more

Why can't I live without you
Why can't I forget loving you
I run through the night streets
I pick fights just to get beat
You think I won't forgive you
If it was only that simple to do
For what you can't seem to see
Is I can't... never forgive me

I have no friends
I have no family
I party without pity
Being in a glazed faze
Hell is all I raise

                     I am alone
                     I am bored
                     I had enough
                     I want more

Promises spoken only to deceive
Promises broken I foolishly believed
Nothing last forever nothing stays the same
True love ends when only one remains
People change People leave
People hate People bleed
People hurt People pain
Never never change

                      I am alone
                      I am bored
                      I had enough
                      I want more

I miss you terribly
I miss you miserably
I miss you more and more

                       Turn off the light
                       Turn on the night
                       Let me dwell in
                       My self pity skin

You think I won't forgive you
If it was only that simple to do
For what you can't seem to see
Is I can't...never forgive me

Copyright © Fritz Purdum | Year Posted 2013

Hidden

Look inside my pages
There you’ll find my soul
Read the underlined words
They fill a deep dark hole

If you understand me
The words shall light the way
You’ll enter into my world
Where magic comes to play

Hidden in the depths
You might just find my heart
And if you turn the page
Our chapter might just start.

Copyright © Pivotal Poetry | Year Posted 2022

Interconnected

802.11 I got it from,
the electro magnetic spectrum.

We can hash it all out and add speed & security,
AES, 3G, 4G, LTE.

Whatever smartphone is modular and popular,
wireless networks, triangulated towers. 

It's known to drain your power so you're charging, surfing,
try to find the combination to keep it working.

So we can watch twerking videos, and get spammed,
#twitter, facebook, pinterest, instagram.
 
TCP/IP and Multi-layered protocols,
7 is the magic number to understand it all.

Physical, datalink, network, transport, session, presentation, application layer,
The seven-layer OSI (Open Systems Interconnect) is the standard integrator.

Copyright © Derriziel Pierce | Year Posted 2019



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