Life is far from easy breezy
We work we toil we suffer
We dream we climb we fall
Happiness measured in moments
is gathered as precious gems
to be cherished in our mind
AP: 3rd place 2026
Fractal Fluidity-:-
paisley
patterns
infinite
geometric
recursion
in a FLOWING STATE OF MIND
inner
mandalas
symmetry
mindful
moment
entering ZENTANGLE ZONE
evolution
formation
surrounds
sensory
soother
"A false balance is abomination to the Lord:
but a just weight is his delight."*
Thus props my steps as faith propels
treading endeavors of priorities' bliss
bouncing-up with gratitude
then slowing down midst prayer-stance
to rest before God for instructions
upon steadfast fortitude
ready to overcome downfalls
by divine triumphant service.
*Proverbs 11:1
July 14, 2026
2nd place, "ZODIAC SIGNS AS INSPIRATION" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Nette Onclaud; judged on 7/18/2026
Standing one foot on boat, one on shore,
spasmodically the current twists,
dark green bouncing water pulls.
Quickly choose which way to turn,
avoid the vacuum of delay;
familiar land and sheltering home
or enticing adventure on the waves.
Decide before equilibrium shifts
and lands me where all options break
in regrettable sea of sad mistakes.
Zodiac Signs as Inspiration Poetry Contest
Nette Onclaud, Sponsor
Date of Poem: 7-8-2026
Balancing life is an impossible
Goal, she says, it’s far fetched at best!
She says life follows not the easy path
Leading to golden fields and meadows
Filled with colorful flowers and riches
Found at the end of a rainbow
Or an enchanted fairytale ball.
Life is discovering Prince Charming
Is not a saint, but he does love you
To the uttermost ends of the earth!
They say I am full of air,
as I sit here wearing blue.
In the seventh house,
I love to see and smell roses.
Social circles is where I am,
as I am balancing life.
This is not my zodiac sign,
I know I am not under this spell.
Loyal but opinionated
Wise, but at times naive
Entertainer prone to vanity
Confident, attention-seeking
Oft big-hearted, but stubborn
Passionate, yet can be arrogant
Strong-minded, but fears critics
Natural leader, still feels ignored
Full of strengths, with weaknesses-
LEO needs to balance a full life well.
he was hanging from the charcoal rafters
doing push-ups thinking cap dangling loosely
by his side like a detached trouser stripe
time for emotions and mindful assonance
for when reason fails feelings surpass
the limbo of a lost soul yet to be found
Let's be fair meet in the middle
Let's each do our share
Do like in any other real partnership
AP: 1st place 2025
Building something in the water is so difficult
And when you remember that the moon pulls the tides, it becomes a game of time and chance
It's fickle and it's tiring fighting the salty waves that lap the skin off of your ankles
And you build anyway because you've been walking through forests of rocks for the past few years and the water seemed the safer bet the closer you got to it
And what you build is strong, but is going to be ripped apart by the sea spray and kelp anyway
And you know that
But you build anyway
And then, when you die, there will be nothing left of your structures or yourself and no one will remember you and that's ok
Because water has memory
And she may not speak, but the ocean can tell the difference between your tears and her depths
And building on the water is so difficult, but you do it anyway because you miss your rock forests
And hopefully, one day, you'll go back to them
But you'll return smelling like the sea
Balancing cat could balance three things on his head.
He was a creature of habit, and so aptly suitablly fed.
I don’t know what he is doing, but I like it said Fred.
Balancing cat dove into a bucket of kibble, his face all red.
Why does he do these things? Asked his great Uncle Ned.
He takes after me, said his fluffy oldster grandpa, Ted.
And me too said his wife, she was a kitten well-fed.
They were a porky crew for sure, said the storyteller named Ed.
she sings a song no one else knows
reveling in her own worth
praising herself in honesty
not bragging, but balancing
Her love for herself
with her love for others
Balancing a stone on its edge
is an art, a test for the spirit
as much as it is to a steady hand.
You must have a will to listen
to stones, to know their voice
and hear them speak
to be able to balance
a stone.
A stone will tell you
where its equilibrium is,
the zero point you must find
to have it sit in perfect peace.
Each stone has such a place
where force is focussed
into a still,
drawn in a line through
the center of its soul.
When the earth calls,
let one stone find its foot
atop of another, its sides
whispering to your hands
until it reaches that moment
when it stands free,
a wonder held by gravity
on a narrow tip. Withdraw slowly
and look in awe,
then let a breath of air
or a passing butterfly
brush it with a wing
to bring it down and return it
to where it was before.
Note.
Search "Stone Balancing Art" on You Tube
to see some remarkable examples
of this art form.
Love and hate
are not so far apart,
different sides of the
same coin – a wrong flip
can turn most anyone.
I have known some
that seem to have spent
an entire life on the edges
swaying back and forth...
never committing to anything
for long
more inclined toward
balancing,
thinking that they
can fool God while making
peace with the devil.
The tree
balancing the
branches and fruits
so alluringly
You are in
tremendous glee
no wrinkles anywhere
dimples so prominent
those jingling ankles
I will wait for gondolas
under the stars
tonight
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