“You must stop this ruling of me,
Please let me go, I must be free.”
Smiling, Ego said mockingly,
“It’s you who chooses what you’ll be.
It’s quite simple for all to see,
All my power doth come from thee.
In myself, that’s where I invest.
I have no say in your request.
You’re free to go, to rule your own ship,
Give to me the old pink slip.
Find the passion that’s within you.
Do whatever you love to do.
Make life an adventure, a quest.
Earn an “A” on life’s biggest test,
Live everyday as if your last,
Show your real self, take off the mask.”
fruit extravaganza
dream vacation
dinner bell
a word of caution
while time waits for no one
[using titles of my 5 recent poems]
AP: 1st place 2025
Freedom is not carte blanche
knowing right from wrong comes with responsibility
~ karma will be ever watchful
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 3rd palce 2025
The feel of a touch,
the sound of a cry,
the joy of hello,
the sorrow of
goodbye.
We entangle, we combine
we fall apart -
but in the end,
we get up and
we try, try, try,
to form a connection
that doesn't end in absence.
It all ends
for those already absent.
Be present,
if not for others,
then for yourself.
the moment
is now
live it
with
intensity
and
passion
His future was assured. I’ll tell you why.
His father owned “Repairs and Parts Supply”.
Though only twelve, already Markie could
your median income at a glance descry
and whistle as he raised your engine’s hood.
With me, he mastered nothing. Didn’t try.
What need had he for Treaties of Versailles?
Before he came to school he’d greet the crew
he knew he would inherit, by and by,
and sell a solenoid – or maybe two.
My classroom, in those days, happened to lie
across the schoolyard. Out of habit, I
arrived before the others. There I’d sit
completely unobserved by prying eye,
and grade some papers, daydream how to quit.
Young Markie would approach me on the sly,
just me and him, alone at Fleetwood High:
his head appeared around my door to shout
(it never varied – what a funny guy)
“Just sort your life out, sir!” and then run out.
Some jokes are full-on funny, some are wry:
and humour sometimes makes us want to cry:
our choices, often hard to justify.
My friends all wish, and say so with a sigh,
I’d followed Markie’s counsel. So do I.
I would have clobbered him, one said.
you should have smashed his face in said another
two violent women who have never wed
More advice for the young bride, Terry.
You should have pulverized him, I would have.
Expert advice from two women who would never marry.
The legend read...Futures advice.. Bonds and stocks traded; Hourly..' Experts in many ( in-securitys?) . decades indeed, centuries
Of experience..' References available from God.' We come to you...Many options to choose from.' Digitally literate.'
Don't think any further.' Get started today.' We'll
Take your cares away.' All souls welcome.' Just remember
Our word is your bond.'
(We are equal oppertunity recognised and fully compliant with world climate initiatives) as recognised by the un, wef, and various n g o bodies.'
Son of Man, pause before judgment's seat,
Lest haste consume your soul's retreat.
Do what's right, yet don't waste precious time,
For pleasing all is a futile rhyme.
In seeking validation, you may lose your way,
And those you please will mock you on your final day.
Marry with wisdom, don't borrow to impress,
For pleasing others can lead to financial distress.
You can't please all, not even those you love,
Do little things that bring joy from above.
Take care of yourself, find happiness true,
For in your joy, others will find joy anew.
Beware of three: the young, the old, the weak,
For lies can bind you, and freedom you may seek.
Heed this advice, a treasure rare and true,
Worth more than gold, and wisdom shining through.
you can be considerate and kind or snarly and mean
choices every day that are quickly made and rapidly seen.
Whatever you choose to do and say can bring happiness or hurt
So, think before you speak, said my Uncle Kurt.
He was a super nice man, who always thought of others.
Had been raised by a mother and sisters who thought they were mothers.
His compassion is still talked about; his advice books, high up on a shelf.
Whatever you do he told us, be true to your soul, always be yourself.
If it is a sunny day,
why not while the hours away?
Take a peaceful walk or stroll.
You might find a friendly soul.
If you spy a dog or horse,
you should say "hello" of course.
i text dead people for advice.
not because they answer—
they don’t—
but because they never interrupt.
i tell my grandfather
about the boy who left mid-winter
and how my ribcage still
clicks shut like a locket
when someone new gets close.
he was buried in silk,
but i like to imagine
he’d wear combat boots now
and tell me to run before love
swallowed me whole.
i ask Sylvia
what to do
with the hurt that has no name,
the ache that sits like a houseguest
i never invited.
i send her my poems at 3 a.m.—
the ones with too much blood
and not enough metaphor.
she doesn’t reply.
but somehow, i feel seen.
sometimes i text
my childhood self.
she’s dead too,
in a way.
i ask her if the monster
was really under the bed
or if it slept in a room that never unlocked.
she sends back
a drawing of a girl
with no mouth.
i know what she means.
my inbox is a graveyard.
a collection of ghosts
who hold more kindness
than most living hands.
they never leave me on read.
they never ask me
to explain my sadness
in bullet points.
i text dead people for advice
because the living
tend to offer solutions
when all i want
is for someone
to hold the question.
Celebrate life! Love, laugh, live it up,
and never have to explain,
because this is the oldest you've been
and the youngest you'll ever be again.
If You Don't
Wanna' Deal
With A Buncha'
Clowns -
Stay Outta'
The Circus...
-Gray Squirrel
06-03-2025
"Wake up!" I said to the grizzly, "it's almost June",
as I whistled a lively tune.
It's important to mention that one must take care
when addressing this kind of bear.
Indeed, it's wisdom like this that I impart
that may keep you in a single part.
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