They all wanted to be
“Real men”
So off into the cruel seas they go
In a big scrap of metal..
Might as well be going to their coffins..
And so they did, i never saw them again..
And when i think of them,
all i can see is the pain and
suffering they had been experiencing
I wanted to be a real man too.
So off into the fields of sand I go..
The skies were a dark indigo.
And i look down at the ground below
My feet
And I see
A small blue forget me not..
Lying dead on the sand..
And then I too, lie on the sand..
I have fought wars in my head
And wars with my gun
I have buried my friends
Because they wanted to be
“Real men”
Forget me not solider.
For i am your dearest friend
There's a buzz in the forest tonight
I can see shapes in the dark of night
hurrying along the various paths
they seem to be going to a clearing.
I carefully follow them and see
what's causing the excitement
a new born fawn that will be king
his mother and father so proud
Interduce him to the forest animals
who one by one greet him with wonder
the moon sends down a ray of light
marking the spot where he lies.
Just like the fawn, was born Jesus
sent to guild in the Lords ways
this fawn will grow up to lead
all the creatures of the forest
Her eyes filled up the way they do when she is predicting madness
We try not to take her words literally, for she is theatrically over-the-top
Armageddon, she told us, the armies are gathering now for end of times
Who to tell first? The father who abandoned her at eight.
She scoffed, thinking how strange it was that she thought of him first.
He was maybe her least favorite person in the world.
She almost picked up the phone to call her mother
When she realized that she would be pooh-poohed and chastised.
Who to tell? She wailed in a lamenting way to her kitchen clock.
The clock was no help, but her journal was.
She wrote a little note “I wailed in a lamenting way”.
She could use that someday.
Her sister would be going to bed about this time; she worked nights.
What about strangers? It would be fun to alert strangers.
She put on her most colorful outfit and left her home.
Running from house to house, she screamed and yelled and shrieked.
“Armageddon is here! Armageddon is here! Save yourselves!”
The neighbors were accustomed to her;
They did not open their doors or look out. They knew who it was.
My life’s turned around
Where once, I was weak
I’ve felt strength from somewhere
Now I’ve hit my peak
Rising from the depths of nowhere
I've started to find my feet
No more drowning in self pity
No more anger like a beast
I won’t be going to go back
To that person I used to be
I'm my real self again
I feel so alive, so free
I possess new energy inside
No more pain, I shall seek
With my head held high
A clearer path I can now see
I'm now standing on top of the world
Reaching up thousands of feet
I can reach the clouds,
The moon, the sun and the stars
To which I now greet
The sense of freedom
I have gained and I have won
Positivity now rains on me
I’m now whole, I’m now as one
I won't be hiding anymore
I will never turn and run.
It's now my time to live life
It's my time to have some fun
Constipated onions
Immaculate cantaloupe
Collard, mustard, turnip greens
crabgrass eating artichoke distant
Are the carrots potatoes fried display?
But the watermelon
Praise on the tomato mustard says
We be going to have ketchup today
6/17/ 24
written words by James Edward Lee Sr.
Dodging one here, dodging one there,
Riding along without a care.
Three in a row, which way do I go,
I close my eyes and curse the so and so.
Oh! what a bang, the old van shook,
But at least it is still going and not in a ruck.
What is that noise? that cannot be right,
I, giving a gasp of utter fright.
Must stop, foot pedal goes straight to the floor,
And the hand brake does not belong to the van anymore.
Coast to a stop, must pull onto the verge,
The engine roars but no longer gives the van any urge.
Beneath the van the axle is in two,
With the stout half shaft plainly in view.
Side to side the rear wheel wobbles,
Not what I expected for all of my troubles.
Beware of those holes, the pot holes I mean,
Especially those that cannot be seen.
Old NED has finally been brought to a stop,
Everything seems to be going to pot.
At least I escaped the indignity,
Of watching that wheel coming off and overtaking me.
Oh! what utter strife,
It is for sure, ONE HELL OF A LIFE !!!
Sausage Mannnn super Hero to the people
Protector of his city
Was happy…. yet something was just lacking
That being …..His love life was not so pretty!
It had been quite some time now
Since he had a lady by his side
Feeling somewhat lonely
It was time for cupid to be his guide
One morning while in his favourite cafe
Sausage Mannnn met the girl of his dreams
Romance and love happened quickly
Destined to be together it seemed
“Sausage Mannnn” fought the bad guys
Knocking them right off their feet
Then wrapping his weapon tightly around them
Taking the bad guys of the street
He had never shared with her his super hero status
Or the size of his weapons entity
Afraid of how she may react
To knowing his true identity
The day had come to confess his truth
As a proposal was on the cards
His sausage heart was pounding
Hoping she would still hold him in high regard
He mustered up his courage and told his beloved his truth
Nervously asking “ Are we still be going to be life partners”
With a grin from ear to ear, she replied
“Oh Absolutely!!…. and we will make lots and lots of chipolattas!!”
Someday we will be in that place,
Where we can say our vows and promises.
Family, friends and the whole world will witness,
As we both say "yes" with that magical kiss.
Someday I will be walking on that aisle,
Wearing a white gown with a beautiful smile.
Looking at you without a blink of an eye,
It will be a great day that will surely make us cry.
Someday we will be going to stay,
In one house where we can start our journey.
We will be filled with laughter from our baby,
The fruit of our love as what they say.
Someday we will be going to fight,
About those stuffs that will give us sleepless night.
Our love for each other must be strong and tight,
'Cause for every darkness there is always a light.
Someday we might meet temptation,
Bear in mind to be loyal and faithful to our relation.
So that our family will not be in commotion,
Staying together for life will be our greatest mission.
Someday our ages will get old,
We will serve as blanket to each other when one feels cold.
Our love story will be the greatest story which is never been told,
We will prove to them that forever exists as they never called.
Helena has been rambling for nearly twenty minutes.
I have her blathering on speaker.
I barely listen as I paint my canvas.
Some conversation about her neighbor Ruth
Ruth wants her sister Cookie’s life.
Ruth talks about Cookie’s husband.
Something is wrong with Ruth.
Maybe she is schizophrenic or something.
She has not been out of her house since Tuesday.
Maybe she is sick, I say. Maybe you should check on her.
Helena laughs. I’m not going to check on her!
She spies on me all the time.
Every time I go out, there she is, staring at me.
Hey wait! WHERE is SHE going?
Ruth?
Yes! She is leaving in her car. Right now.
She could be going to a store, I say.
She is obsessed with me! Helena tells me.
There is something wrong with her.
I think she is OBSESSED WITH ME! Helena's voice is rising.
I am barely listening, outlining a tree in green paints.
I think there might be an obsession I think
But I wisely keep this thought to myself.
HELP FROM ON HIGH
I’m a burglar by profession,
I work hard every night,
Robbing the rich to help the poor.
Well. I’m poor so that’s all right
You may believe I’m a sinner
And that, come the judgement day,
I won’t be going to heaven
But heading the other way.
Tonight I’m robbing a warehouse,
With electrical items galore.
And I’m doing it, quite confident
I’ve nothing to fear from the law
There’ll be no retribution
As I strip things from the shelves.
For I have it on good authority;
God helps those who help themselves
7th February 2023
Proverbial Poetry Contest
Sponsor - Margarita Lillico
Soon, I’ll be going to the county fair
Late in August, it makes its return
I’ll be showing my prize-winning mare.
Being an exhibitor, I don’t pay a fare,
Which, of course, is of no great concern
Soon I’ll be going to the county fair.
I’ll be showing her with plenty of flair
So, the judges will be able to discern,
I’ll be showing my prize-winning mare.
If there’s a stud, she will have an affair
If he’s a prize-winner, she cannot spurn
Soon I’ll be going to the county fair!
Her mane shines, its long-flowing hair
How to groom it well, I’ve had to learn
I’ll be showing my prize-winning mare.
I hope to make some new friends there
There’ll be some prize money to earn
Soon, I’ll be going to the county fair
I’ll be showing my prize-winning mare.
Written August 3, 2022
Submitted to "2022 Marathon Mile 13" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Mark Toney
working 12 straight days
she falls asleep on my thigh
no blood circulation, but i just smile anyway
my whole leg will soon be going to sleep with her
working 7 straight 12 hour shifts
my eyes are heavy as well
my heart has a strange rhythm
my temples tingle, and i see very bright spots
like a man, i try to wing it
like a man, i admit that the very exhausted, yet beautiful lady, is right again
sleepiness takes over, and i hear myself snore
next thing we know, it's 4:57am
we feel like we felt medusa's wrath
we decide to go back to sleep right where the lovely journey began
she dreams about winning the lottery
i dream about us taking a cross country trip in an RV
Have you seen what the hens and chicks have added? She asked me.
I had no idea, but I was going to be going to the succulent forest for tea.
When I arrived, I was amazed at what I found.
A mommy duck and her two ducklings swimming around.
Where did they come from? I asked the forest, but the wind laughed.
I want some too, I said to them. All I have is a stubborn giraffe!
The wind would not tell me, and the oak trees were numb.
The hens and the chicks pretended to be deaf and dumb.
Come on! I implored them. Please let me know where to find.
My own mommy duck, please have mercy; be kind.
We had her flown in from Iowa, they told me. it’s winter up there.
I asked them for the address, and boy did those hens and chicks stare.
You cannot say where you got it, they warned me with scorn.
Those farmers are tough in the land of the soybeans and corn.
They struck a hard bargain too, but I got rid of the giraffe.
So, in a way I got the very last laugh.
Trudging scorched in the wilderness of desiccated life
in the shifting maze of your deceptive shadow I wander,
enticed, I’m seduced by your flashing face on the mirage,
my broken heart is scattered as debris in your swathe.
I don’t know where I should be going to get belonged,
but try to sense the lure of oasis in your eluding love.
I crumble into drifting dust in the desolate wasteland,
and blow away to obscure horizon in the desert storm.
From the tree of yearning that grew in despondency,
I’m now dislodged and meander as a withered leaf,
rustle with the tormenting tune of melancholic music,
on its journey of despair to the realm of isolation void.
Under the sweltering sun burning the façade of desire,
as I lumber worn out across the dunes of deprivation
with shifting sands of time designing myriad of illusion,
in the fiery flicker of your eyes I see my kryptonite.
September 23, 2021
Contest : Your Kryptonite
Sponsor : Anthony Biaanco
Cinderella could never compete with Dorthea
Her skin so beautiful, I wanted to cry at her birth
We were all overcome because she was a rainbow baby
Today is her first prom, how did this happen?
I look at my wife. She’s just a baby! I say.
She can’t go to prom!
She is seventeen, my wife argues.
Dorthea comes down the stairs.
Awe catches in my throat.
I have to blink back tears.
She is no longer five.
Where is her Disney princess purse?
What happened to the giggling eight-year-old?
Where is my twelve-year-old tomboy?
I glare at the young man who comes to whisk her away.
She is a princess, too good for him and millions of others.
Get over it, my wife says.
She’ll be going to college next year.
I begin plotting our move to Columbia, Missouri.
She is not going without her daddy!
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