Batten down the hatches!
Bar the doors!
For the storm looms above
boiling hot with natures wrath.
Stand tall men! Do not waiver!
Or run like the cowards you are
leaving me to tarry through the storm
wrecked by waves and rain
till I'm nothing but
splintered battered wood.
When winds are rough,
And tear at hopes and dreams
When days are dark, and nights are tough,
And over-long, it seems
When bitter clouds collect above,
And ache and break and pour
We'll batten down the hatches,
Just like we did before.
You see, to me - we're made to last;
To wait, contented, warm;
To stand and know the past has passed.
For now, it's just a storm.
If you should fray, or fall apart,
In any where or when
We’ll always try, with all our heart,
To make you whole again.
But if you do fall behind,
And break and shake to bits
The day will come where you will find,
The pieces still all fit.
That's quite enough of strain and strife,
And painful days, astray.
This isn't at all funny, life.
Enough for now, okay?
Lately my mantennae are twitching more than usual, folks.
The prophecies are surely uncloaking.
Time to batten down the hatches.
A potent darkness is approaching the front doorstep.
Clutch your loved ones to your sunken chest.
It's nearly midnight; the world is on full tilt.
Nuclear pinballs ricocheting off bent flippers.
Madmen will never lead anything into battle.
They'll just push a button to begin the cleanse,
The darkness wants to speed up the blender of Armageddon.
In the meantime, enjoy the day.
Have a lick of your favorite ice cream.
Kick back and watch the ultimate fireworks display.
(To be sang to the tune of
"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen)
Here's a wee warning.
Eowyn is on his way.
He'll blast round the UK.
So now batten down the hatches.
Lock up your house.
Close all curtains now
And hide!
We are just human.
They are the elements...
Dark clouded skies
Wind is strong
Rain will batter
All day long.
We need our shelter
Coz otherwise we'll all be blown away!
Like debris.
Warning!
There's a red alert.
All the gusts that travel past
May be a hundred miles fast.
Warning!
Pets need protection.
We don't want our animals to fly!
Hours!
That's how long.
There will be damage.
Be aware that fences aren't as rooted as trees!
Make sure you stay inside.
Any trips can wait.
Make sure you stay inside.
Snuggle up, keep cozy -
Stay safe!
I race toward my workspace, now battle station
Code Zebra, ASAP, batten down the hatches!
Ka-boom! Boom! Boom! A trance-like sensation
Shipmates scramble for smokes and matches
Ray, Dale, and Russ don’t show
I think: run, jump; if you die, die free
Not trapped and sealed in steel below
Not buried alive like me!
Kaboom! Overhead bolts shoot from the seams
Above is a warm Hawaiian autumn
I’m weak as blood from my neck streams
Where am I now? Of course, I remember
It’s noon, I have a date with a girl on the beach
She’s eighteen and a bit silly, like me
What a gorgeous sight, she’s now within reach
I’m so happy and complete, so free
7/12/22
Tears Of A Valiant Soldier Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Faraz Ajmal
Your voyage began in the summer of 69.
The adventures of life lay ahead.
Though you knew it would not all be plain sailing,
Your four years of prep put you in good stead.
At times, when your sea got quite choppy,
You'd batten down the hatches, as it were.
For both of you knew that after rocky waves
A storm was likely to occur...
After some time, the storm would abate.
In the calm you could recover.
And even though the storm was bad,
You'd grown closer, relied on each other.
As time has gone by it may feel
Like the unsettlement seems to lengthen,
But because you close ranks to wether these storms
Your trust, love and bond does strengthen.
Your ship is one of stability!
Wherever your journey may take you,
I wish you both a " Happy Anniversary! "
And long may your travels continue!
There’s a storm on the way, that will deliver a blow
No travel is advised, and it’s not because of snow
Visibility will be impacted so you better hunker down
It’s going to bring a flood, please try not to drown
You need to be prepared, so check your emergency kits
Replenish your batteries and make sure your life vest still fits
Batten down the hatches and furl your sail
Hold on tight, it’s going to be a fierce gale
You can weather this storm if you know what to do
Listen for the message that will help get you through
It’s going to hit really hard and it will hit very fast
This will not be the first and it won’t be the last
There are many storms of life that will cause a fuss
Pay attention to the exits and where you sit on the bus
If you choose the right captain, then you’ll make out alright
He will protect you from the storm and guide you through the night
Stop present time now!
Let us go no further.
Let's enjoy the now, somehow.
Muses and we, sisters and brothers.
Batten down the hatches on reality.
Only stars dance, we staunchly state.
Reality has no maternity,
We slammed it dead at the front gate.
Of only insignificance, can we pen?
Strange murmurings of only moons
and stars.
Reality to die slowly in a dark house
of busy pens?
Of that, dare not your soul ever move
nor start.
This world of writing, utterly unreal.
Where imagery is some despotic
king?P
And long words you must look up
to somehow beauty reveal?
To then bow low and kiss a poet's
ring?
September 13, 2020
8:30 pm PST
Let me tell you a tale
Of a wild ride on the tail
Of a whale
So through the water he splashes
Hither and fro he dashes
Batten down the hatches
I never thought Id ride a whale anywhere
Its fun up in the air
But terrible under the water down there
So up and down I go
For how long I don't know
I just hope he doesn't blow
Rise to the occasion of the weather
Inform the storm of cruel intentions
Lift your eyes above tsunami fury
Take back the waves you came in on
Make earthquakes miracles that move
Shake hands with disaster for awhile
Love your neighbor as yourself in puddles
Play in the mud of love before it dries
Take that which you were born with
Leave volcanoes to their ashes gray
Stay quiet in the lava beds of dawn
Leave disasters to their own devices
Look at asteroids but do not touch
Take a twister with a turn of hurricane
Call in the morning if things should change
Tell the rain to come and go away
Listen to the laughter as it thunders
Watch clouds steal water from the lake
Evaporate before you take another breath
Use a light switch in the sky
Turn the sun off if it gets too high
Keep your distance as life rolls in
Take the next wave out of misery
Make a wish. It is your turn to hide
Die but only if you have to in the tide
Be smart and batten down the hatches
Be kind to lightning. It could strike back in kind.
God is The Captain
Gather up this new love
That was sent from above
Now it is ours to share
So to God send a thank you prayer
Give us inspiration to do for each other
What one could not do alone
Savor each moment as if it were the last
Live in the future, not in the past
Be prepared for sacrifice
Take heavenly advice
Don’t think once
Think twice
So batten down the hatches
Tie up the mast
God is here
To help us ride out the storm
Of love brewing in our hearts
God is the Captain of our love at last
When ever I turn to look at you
What could the difference be
Out of all the words that you spew
And a boat tossed on the sea
To say you have a hard time
Is to say the least
A rudder for your tongue you'll find
Might better suit your needs
How many raging forest fires
Come from out your mouth
In ignorance you're tossing gas on it
As flames come pouring out
And if they don't move fast enough
Your fanning of the flames
With destruction from the tongue
In all you have to say
Instead of holding higher standards
You're lowering the bar
If you have no need to reach
You'll never reach that far
So batten down the hatches
Put the lighter down
Set the ladder to the side
Until you figure out
How in the world you get it done
In this world in which we live
I can tell you from experience
With the tongue is where it all begins
Are we ready for what’s to come?
Will we know how to behave?
Never before in human history has there been such disruption. It was once a much simpler place. No more. The future is arriving faster than ever before.
Gia now has a neural net the brain is coming alive.
Things are changing at such a clip not like anything seen before. Things will never be the same.
Computers that once filled rooms are now held in the palm of our hands. Not too many years from now they’ll be cursing through our veins.
Nanotechnology, biotechnology, computer technology exploding at such a pace, soon enough, the internet will be connected to our face.
We’ll all be part of the global brain, have instant access to all the knowledge mankind has thus far obtained. Soon, artificial intelligence will join us where we live, things will never be the same. Machines will build machines smarter all the time. Where we go after all this may drive us insane.
Some say we’ll build virtual worlds every bit as real, and designed them to meet our every need, absolutely ideal. No one knows for sure which way all this will go.
I suggest you batten down the hatches though, it’s going to be quite the show.
It fills me with trepidation
To sail upon the sea,
A heaving green colossus
Of such immensity.
No fetters can restrain you,
Borders you have none,
There are cold dark depths within you
Where many ships have gone.
Your beguiling siren song,
Sighs softly on the waves,
Luring unsuspecting mariners,
Where many find their graves.
A halcyon day upon you,
The sea like polished glass,
But a brooding sky forewarning
This peace will surely pass.
From calm seas, to raging fury
In the blinking of an eye.
Like some dark avenging demon,
Wreaking havoc from the sky.
So when sailing it is tranquil,
And the current it runs slow,
The monster's only sleeping,
As any seadog knows.
So batten down the hatches.
And stow away the gear.
Don't take calm seas for granted,
For oblivion is near.
Hurricane Matthew is lurking like a message from the Devil.
It is sinister and daunting, putting millions in peril.
The forces of nature are giving us an ominous hello,
Putting on an enormous and frightening show.
This is a sobering reminder of our fragile mortality.
We pray that disaster won’t be a sad reality.
You have to respect the size of this monster storm.
Batten down the hatches, and watch it perform!
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