The flawless Nebraskan sky hummed her blue tunes as I drove to work along that silent gravel road. Elegant white clouds wept as they gazed upon the chaos and dead innocence unfolding across the country.
I stared ahead as adrenaline carried me toward town and the need to begin again. The sounds of screams that had jolted me from my television still jolted my heart. Fireballs of horror exploded within my frightened soul.
Hours passed as I tortured my mind with gruesome details no one should ever have to know. Falling bodies and broiled flesh were too horrifying to imagine. The thought of a looming war was beyond my comprehension.
One quarter of a century has passed since that unimaginable Day.
If you don't remember that Day, then I envy you.
If you do remember that Day, then I hope Peace has adopted you.
The Lonely Weed Poetry Contest
Craig Cornish
I set out across the country,
hitching a ride on boxcars
to wherever the wind takes me.
I tumble here, and I tumble there,
across the steel of eyes,
voices of condemnation,
and the hands of fate.
Yet some days are better than others.
For I bask in the green grass.
Other days, I hide through the cracks,
lonely, dark, and cold.
When I'm hungry,
I take the soil from crying babies
and disrupt the lawn.
Along every stop,
I ward off the pesticides of life,
teetering and tottering with the pull of the wind.
It could be windier ... it could be sunnier
It all started on a whim.
January 13, 2026: 'Help is on the way,' Donald Trump says as he urges Iranians to 'keep protesting'
January 30, 2026: Reuters: Thousands detained in Iran as part of large-scale preemptive arrest operation. IRGC personnel and plainclothes intelligence agents are raiding homes across the country and transferring those detained to secret prison facilities in order to prevent any attempts to restart the protests.
Betray me once, deceive me twice
Forsake Ukraine, Iran - on ice
When you are Trump, your honor's dreck
You give your word to take it back
Six besties had agreed
at graduation,
pinky swore,
to meet ten years later
no matter where they'd be,
come what may.
And here they were finally:
Gayle, Suzie, Diane, Donna, Lucy, Michelle,
together at last from across the country.
They had kept in touch through facebook
as much as their busy schedules allowed.
All had gone off to university or college.
Some had since married, some had children.
But now it was all about girls weekend:
time to let loose and catch up,
time to reminisce about the ol' days,
time to extract confidences face to face.
Ten years had passed as in a flash ~
they vowed to turn girls weekend
into a much cherished tradition.
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
"Lingering leaves of gold frolic / frolicked in the autumn wind"
Quote by the sponsor
A crisp chill in the air, not being warmed by the sun.
I hear rustling, a sure sign that autumn has begun.
"Lingering leaves of gold frolic / frolicked in the autumn wind"
My love of Autumn and its gold leaves will never rescind.
Green turning golden far and wide across the country side.
Autumn’s beauty is truly Mother nature’s glorious pride.
As tangerine and bright ochre leaves, gracefully dance,
The carpet they form as they come to rest will enhance.
The pleasure they bring floating through the crisp air,
A kaleidoscope of colour is forming most everywhere.
Tiny leaves joyfully twisting and turning to do an arabesque,
As if they are performing a choreographed seasonal quest.
As the Autumn wind strengthens the performance takes flight.
Leaves dashing and dancing and spiraling, it’s a wonderful sight.
Caught by a whirlwind, small leaves rise and flutter about.
Larger Autumn leaves soar as if with wings, not to be left out.
Q: What would Roy Rogers have been called if he had been a singing farmer?
A: King of the Plowboys.
Q: In the Beowulf saga, who was a male child of the hag Grendel?
A: A real sonofawitch.
Q: What's the slogan for an ad campaign for a certain fabric in Copenhagen?
A: "Something is cotton in the state of Denmark".
Q: What is fear of joining a fitness club?
A: Gymtimidation.
Q: When she worked onstage in a comedy, what could actress Elaine do for an audience?
A: Keep it in Stritches.
Q: What might you call the LGBT version of the glass slipper story?
A: "Transgenderella".
Q: Also for theatre and film buffs--What would you call public transportation in a ghost town?
A: A streetcar named Bizarre.
Q: Why did the man tell the 911 operator to please send help quickly when his spouse appeared to be choking?
A: It was a matter of wife or death.
Q: What is someone who hitchhikes across the country studying different dialects?
A: A roads scholar.
Q: How did the Glasgow "Evening Times" reporter headline the story of the party boat that sank after hitting an iceberg?
A: Scots on the rocks!
Flowing
Flowing softly, the wind blows mild
searching the mountains touching the sky
Breezing across the horizon reborn
Sending a message to all, goodbye
Up on the horizon grow the great peaks
The hills grow hardy and strong
Across the country, doing no wrong
Deep blue sky spreads far and wide
Clear scenery with no where to hide
Destinations in mind, walking on the road
Carrying a time filled heavy load
Faith born courage within every step made
Seeking the light, while sitting in the shade
All that matters is continuing to try
Keeping positive thoughts from hanging out to dry
Knowing all the while, there is a purpose to fulfill
Learning from when flat ground turned to hill
Reflections of loss burn like flames in memory
Spread across the country, mountains and sea
Through all the dark valleys, lost and alone
There is always a light through everything shown
The light overpowers that which has gone wrong
If only a speck, a note to a beautiful song
This song is eternal life, playing now in each breath,
with reward of applause from the angels at death
Heidi Sands
6/15/24
(C)opyright
WAR HERO
My hero never walked in a Memorial Day parade
No doubt he was the bravest of the brave
And that is what I call a hero
No, what I meant he is my superhero
His military pension is low
And the mental state is uncontrollable
He is from a small town
His family spread across the country
His wife passed away when he was at war
She will always be the one he adores
His closest friends are no longer close
To him, he doesn't give a damm about his medals
And his life in the war zone
Any other soldier would have done what he accomplished
There have been a lot of years that have passed
And each day he looks for a reason
To figure out why he is still alive
Happy Solar Eclipse Day!
Today there will be a total solar eclipse across the country. Enjoy!
moon will block the light
as the sun will be hidden
with eyes on the sky
Heidi Sands
4/8/24
(C)opyright
"Magic can heal all wounds" by Poet
I got my friend a unicorn
but she doesn't know it yet
I'm gonna send her across the country
after she's checked out with the vet
she's surrounded with a lot of pixie dust
and other forms of magic
she's all about love and happiness
and nothing that is tragic
I don't have a name for this unicorn
my friend must give her one
I hope she has room to keep it
with her cat that's a lot of fun
so when she arrives
please give her lots of love
she comes down from the heavens
where magic is all above
I hope she makes you sway
in all sorts of glorious ways
she's sure to brighten your day
and let's hope she never goes away
I got my friend a unicorn
but she doesn't know it yet
I'm gonna send her across the country
after she's checked out with the vet
Extreme temperatures,
Melting of glaciers,
Rising sea level,
Wildfires,
Forests' obliteration,
Droughts,
Drying up of lakes and rivers,
Desertification,
Hurricanes,
Storms,
Flooding, and
Landslides,
Is the vocabulary Mother Nature uses to
Pen its stern warning to Man:
" Oh, you thoughtless being, mind your ways and revere
my eternal laws of harmonious cooperation and coexistence,
otherwise, I would not be able to provide for your subsistence."
-
© Demetrios Trifiatis
26 July 2023
-
For more than two weeks, the temperatures in Greece have been around
40 Celsius, sometimes, like today, it is 45.
During this period, wildfires are raging across the country. It comes on a day that
Our firefighters are trying to contain more than eighty fires.
-
The river that flows across the country side
There is always a tree for one to hide
From the sun burning down so bright
Across the meadow there on the right.
A bird loudly sings of own his delight
Somewhere ahead time waits for me
It'll take a minute cause there's so much to see
Look up to see a sky so blue
Quenched my thirst on the morning dew
Looking into the river I saw the sky
Time passes ,don't ask me why
Sitting on a stump where a tree was once grown
An empty nest speaks of birds already flown
Just shadows flickering by on their own way
God bless a beautiful day
There ahead time must of fell asleep but now towards me , it starts to creep
Shadows start stretching ,colors fill the sky
Like someone finger painting way up high
So slowly sets the sun
Another day is done
Bathing the world with the last of its light
The bird goes on singing of its own delight
It has becomes mine as well
Such a story to tell
Time now to face the night
Hello moon your shinning so bright.
I have never been to Kansas
But I’m grateful to the state
For allowing all its women
To take charge of their own fate.
Hopefully, across the country,
Other votes will follow suit.
Every female, on this issue,
Should be firm and resolute.
Health care issues should be handled
Without government control.
Forcing births that are unwanted’s
Guaranteed to take a toll.
So to all of those in Kansas
Who fought hard protecting rights,
Thanks for your determination,
Which we’ll match for future fights.
Colors of the sunset burst from behind the mountain range
Across the desert it looked like a fire blazing in the sky
I will never forget the miles traveled, to reach a sight like this
It still blazes in my memory after all these years
Sometimes, it’s that perfect moment, the timing is just right
When the world is suddenly seen in a different view
Struck with amazement, by all that this creation can be
Across the country, changes happen, realizations come about
Lessons learned by striking sights, through luring miles and time
While blazing new trails to travel, all in new frames of mind
Heidi Sands
1/21/22
Sub Categories
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