The Kennedy Center is known to the world
For honoring those in the arts –
From Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Astaire,
Whose talents top all of the charts.
Sinatra, Gene Kelly, L. Bernstein, Kazan
And Benny and Lena and Merce,
Ray Charles, Lucille Ball, Isaac Stern and George Burns,
The list both profound and diverse.
Belafonte and Ailey and Hepburn and Peck,
Gillespie and Sondheim, the Who;
Aretha and Dylan and Kander and Ebb,
Judith Jamison, Chuck Berry, too.
Baryshnikov, Quincy, Paul Simon and Cash,
Warren Beatty, James Taylor and Cher;
Tina Turner and Spielberg and Barbra and Tharp,
Yo Yo Ma, Dustin Hoffman – all there.
Al Pacino and Elton, De Niro and Streep,
Lily Tomlin, Santana and Sting;
LL Cool J and Reba and Joni, Mel Brooks,
Lionel, Dick Van Dyke, Carole King.
There are more I’ve not mentioned, but going ahead,
It is going to be quite a shock
When the Kennedy Center will honor, perhaps,
Village People or maybe Kid Rock.
Oh, I fear for this country in so many ways
And it feels we’ve been stabbed in our hearts
With the Kennedy Center now being run
By a man with no stake in the arts.
Categories:
barbra, art,
Form: Rhyme
While I pondered weak and worn
I'm so weary broken bones. These
Battered bones could not roam
Because when bones are busted it's
Brutally bothersome. Now look,
Imagine images of imaginary
Inferior superiority with this fixation.
Simply sample this story.
With wondrous worldly words
Wendy wondered why Barbra, Brian
And Bobby Barrington bounced on
Beds broken by boisterous
Bouncing.
At this hour the creative constitutional
Connection continued with worth
While comprehension where
Everybody's effortlessly elated
Excellently enthusiastically
Exercising exultation etcetera
Etcetera etcetera
Categories:
barbra, angst, fun, growing up,
Form: Alliteration
Her confidence introduced her by walking into every room first.
Wearing lipstick and eye shadow like Barbra Streisand’s from the sixties.
It would have looked ridiculous on all the rest of us.
We would have looked like trailer trash hookers.
On her, it looked elegant, lovely, unique, and chic.
She could have walked in wearing a gunny sack
And we would have all run out to buy our own.
Sure there were haters, but she did not notice.
She was too busy engaging others in conversation.
The lucky ones who were too busy staring at her beauty to hate her.
Categories:
barbra, woman, women,
Form: Free verse
“Mem’ries light the corners of my mind…”
[a line from the song “The Way We Were”
made popular by Barbra Streisand]
Like the stars that twinkle, shining brightly
whose light emanates from light-years away
[from which star, we know, eons ago faltered and died]
our light, too, will someday be extinguished
to those around us who bathed in its glow.
But memories do not so easily expire,
and generations to come will see the light
of our memories.
They will know that once we shared our light
through our verses,
through our music,
through our drawings,
that we were once very much alive and well…
twinkling, shining brightly
and making memories to remember us by.
[on the theme of Death]
THIRD PLACE WINNER
Written February 23, 2022
Especially for “F Form – Free Verse -- New” Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Constance La France
Categories:
barbra, life, light, memory,
Form: Free verse
I remember well those eyes that sparkled every year on Valentines day
mom would adorn the dining area with red tablecloths and fresh flowers
A beloved Cupid kept vigil by the kitchen window as she shooed us away
from the melt in your mouth cupcake ganache, too soon to be devoured
Music streamed from an old radio, Barbra crooning to "The way Were"
dishes set side by side, while her Fleur De Rocaille wafted in like a blur
dad clean shirted and thankful bowed his head in prayer to St. Valentine,
Patron Saint Of Love, after all it was his day and so we drank a little wine
Years later she died but each Valentine's day dad brought home cupcakes
we'd sit around the table and recall the years she would bake up gems
it was a tradition we didn't have the heart to destroy, so we did partake
each year as if she were still here. When the rose died, I saved the stem
I recall her smile and the way she celebrated every moment of the day,
Cupid gets stored every year but he always returns, it was mom's way.
Feb 19m 2021
Categories:
barbra, valentines day,
Form: Rhyme
Give me Mitch Miller and Mac Davis Songs Please
Disney songs and Christmas songs
Elvis and Johnny Cash
Liza with a Z
Barbra Streisand
Cher
I like these songs
Mac Davis could make any song into a masterpiece
in a matter of seconds, and they were clean.
Sing along with Mitch got us in the true singing mood.
I do not understand the lyrics of today's songs.
The words are fast and sound mean in some ways.
So I go back to the 40s, 50's, 60's and 70's for my songs.
Call me old school
Call me old fashion
I do not mind.
Just call me.
I do not appreciate these silly texts either
Too impersonal
Categories:
barbra, music, nostalgia,
Form: Free verse
Mermaids, sirens of the seven seas,
Guardians of Davey Joanne’s keys
Water babes, in rivers seen to swim
Young mermaids, now there’s a thing!
Kermit the frog, and miss Piggy too
Live shows, were all a joy to view
Donald Duck, weren’t he quackers
Scooby Doo, his mates all crackers
Bugs Bunny, always asking Doctors
Skippy one of Australia’s many hoppers
Elmer Fud, very strange character
Woody Woodpecker, his laughter
Speedy Gonzalez, a tiny little mouse
Sleeping Beauty found herself a spouse.
Robin Hood and his band of merry men,
Perhaps they were good way back then?
Bill and Ben and little weed, blib a blob
Pop Eye, loved his corn on the cob
Okay, I know, he loved his spinach
Oh yes, and Olive, both now vintage
Walt Disney, Hanna Barbra knew the score
Making children laugh, for them not a chore
Back now, in the land of the living
If you’ve spotted mistakes please be forgiving
Categories:
barbra, animal, celebrity, character, film,
Form: Lay
Love: soft and gentle, shared by two. Ageless, yet every day it starts anew.
"Evergreen"
Barbra Streisand ~ Artist
December 12th 2015
One Liner 7 ~ Favourite Song
Sponsor: Silent One
Categories:
barbra, love, song,
Form: Monoku
Sense voice profound as Barbra sings,
Touch a deep soul that grips your heart;
Rich echoes ground as music flings,
Etch a sure whole where passion arts;
Indulge fond strains in song and dance,
Sing "Funny Girl" in sad refrains;
Answer complain in flick of chance,
Notes that now swirl grand octaves plain;
Depth of pure voice soothe pristine highs,
Songstress of dreams with sparkling eyes;
In classic poise spread poignant sighs,
Now speak fond themes in endless skies;
Glimpse "Happy Days" now here again,
Sense knows "The Way We Were" in vain.
Leon Enriquez
04 May 2015
Singapore
Categories:
barbra, blessing,
Form: Sonnet
Barbra Streisand
As an entertainer, you are in demand.
As a recording artist, you sing quite well.
When you are an actress in movies, you are funny as hell.
Categories:
barbra, dedication,
Form: Clerihew
you in this lifetime to love
in this lifetime to love you
this lifetime to love you in
life time to love you in this
time to love you in this life
to love you in this lifetime
love you in this lifetime too
you in this lifetime to love
© Goode Guy 2011-09-12
for Alan and Marilyn and Barbra
Categories:
barbra, imagination, life, love, love,
Form: I do not know?
Grandma ever scence I heard you left us I have been crying and I can't stop all the
words in world can't say how much I love you and how much my heart is broken
knowing that you left and went to heaven and I wasn't able to say all things I
wanted to say and how I wanted to let you know how much I love you so......
Now that you are gone to your forever home I know you will be looking over all your
loved ones and I also know that you will be greatly missed exspeacialy by me.
R.I.P Barbra Cook 4/16/2011
Categories:
barbra, death, loss, love, i
Form: I do not know?