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African Plains

On these arid roasting plains, a virtual frying pan For beasts to live they must survive on anything they can Another bug collecting dung, enjoying foetid goodness May perhaps have much to teach my fellow starving man Often poop quickly rots so tastes uniquely vile It must be freshly dropped and not lay there for a while But when the grass is history and rain becomes a mystery The king of beast himself would eat a rancid crocodile But every year the rain on which we’re helplessly dependent Shall fill the empty river bed where hippos are attendant Herds of antelope come out where lush green grass again shall sprout Lions muster now on plains: quietly resplendent But there a shortage everywhere of places we can live Property developers do things we can’t forgive And builders can’t deny encouraging financial gain They can sell their houses here, if it doesn't rain 4 August 2021 For: Alpha Lines Poetry Contest Sponsor: Joseph May

Copyright © | Year Posted 2021




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Date: 8/3/2021 7:49:00 PM
Great write, Terry, I do love your poems. Good luck in the contest.
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Terry Flood
Date: 8/4/2021 12:27:00 AM
Thank you Eve. As I said to Milt, I looked at the contest a few times but my brain wouldn’t play ball. Suddenly with places running out something jyst pinged. Glad you enjoyed. Terry
Date: 8/3/2021 7:03:00 PM
Terry, you are a master poet!!! Your lines are so clear, and you have written some beauties here, including the ABC ones. I envy your gift. Good luck in the contest. This would be a perfect POTD or POTW!
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Terry Flood
Date: 8/4/2021 12:38:00 AM
A master poet?... with a gift?... you may call again young man. Thank you for such gracious compliments, Milt. I couldn’t tell you how many times I pondered this contest and drew a blank. So I pulled my thinking cap over my ears and had one more go. Once I had ‘bugs collecting dung’ I was on a roll. I was actually done at three stanzas, but that little fella sat on my shoulder cleared his throat and whispered, ‘They’ll build all over that one day.’ Well, it would have been rude to ignore him ;-) Terry

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