Smoke Alarm
The smoke alarm must be defective like an old thermometer
Even though it is neither daily or monthly mor even weekly
It tends to go off when there is neither smoke or fire – does it
have a short wire?
It is so irritating that I feel like throwing it away
As far as it can possibly go without a hurricane
By which it could go to the middle of Maine
Where it can never again annoy me for free
i dunno why
but have you ever come across a Somersetshire mob?
i'm talking squalls and screams in the night
sister of Satan stuff
i'm looking for people with a reputation for learning
and sobriety
will i find them?
i look through other alarms on my phone to see what they are called.
one reads, 'pretend to celebrate St. Crispian's Day'
i was intending to get in tons of balloons and pie
i saw the F1 movie and have recreated the press conference scene
in the kitchen. i am getting cheekier by the day.
the alarm clock loves to be set
she shrieks at me right on time
I press her snooze button
I am not ready yet
She is always ready, but she is patient
She does not argue with me or slap my hand
She does not jump up and down on my bed like my mother
She does not remind me that setting her was my idea
The next day we repeat the performance
Not the tell tale heart under the floorus
nor Edgar Allan Poe's thesaurus
can convey the nightmare that disturbs my sleep
when my smoke alarm goes "beep".
a shrill tweet from bird
sounds through open window
morning alarm clock
Sometimes the messages are subtle.
Sometimes the cues are underground and silent.
Waiting may be too late.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
My alarm clock wails
I bury under covers
Then work buries me
loudest house alarm
triggered by hundreds of things
hoarsest cough warning
gruff rough barking dogs
announce intruders
and deliveries
Like to stay up late
Brutal mornings always roll around too soon
So desperately need more Zzzz's
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
It begins before dawn
a groan beneath the sheets,
a crack of bone and will,
the clock tells you….
“Hey, Get up. Be a man.”
The floor is cold,
so is the coffee, chill!
but there’s work
always work to do
Oh,my dear Red wattled lapwing bird, Are you a naughty, noisy little bird, When I tried to catch a butterfly, You made a did-you-do-it , lullaby, No one escape from your vigilant eye , Your cry is an alarm for creatures, not a lie.
An alarm clock.
On the edge of the nightstand.
No one came after me the whole night.
Except the skin of my thoughts.
Shaking but nothing.
It’s like I woke up and ate gravity and passed out again.
It’s all about time.
Wrappers crinkling underfoot.
More and more trash scattered.
Warping.
The sound of the garbage truck is blending into everything…
And no one calls me anymore!
An alarm clock.
Which cooks up seconds for us.
And burns us.
Feeling unwieldy when I stand.
Getting up even though I’ll be late anyway.
Being strong is doing things to make yourself later and later.
Uncooking the toast.
Unbrushing your teeth.
Creating more places to be.
Places which are just outlines.
There’s still that alarm clock.
That goes on.
Beddy bye beddy bye
cuddled up in here I lie
Tickity tickity tock-tock
goes the alarm clock
With a blanky on my tummy
I feel kinda' woozy
Dingy dingy dong-dong,
anka wanka I am cozy
Beddy bye beddy bye
think I'll sleep til' noonzy!
alarm bells
unheeded
no hurry
no scurry
damn jury
damn bells
ring yet
falcon
hawk
vulture
eagle?
no matter
rooster sounds the alarm
chickens scatter
clucking up a storm
uh-oh
I note the red head
turkey buzzard
something is dead
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