Best 2Nd Poems
"what is this strange place, we find ourselves in
trapped in the open, we are free within"
in the darkest realm of desperation,
we find love and some hope for elation,
in swirling crowds, solace of solitude,
amongst stony hearts, pearl of gratitude,
in eddy currents of tears, hint of smile,
in scorching heat, shade to rest for a while,
a crack of lightning in gloom of clouds,
in violence of storms, beacons on grounds,
in chaos, anarchy, voice of reason,
a rose in full bloom, outside its season,
so ride on, ride on, ride on till sunset,
captain your life, ride on with no regrets,
sail with your dreams, with strong courage to win,
trapped in the open, we are free within!
I played quietly sometimes
With crayons, books and pictures
Creating crafts that only a child
Could enjoy or imagine with
Images of brilliant hues and hopes
I played silently sometimes
With animals that had taught me
Of the value of friendship
Listening and caring with the heart
Loving like there is only God
I played furiously sometimes
With footballs, skates and jump ropes
Knowing the heavy beat of feet
Skipping, darting, sprinting
Through dense grass and woods
I played joyously sometimes
With hues of passion whispering
Shooting stars surrounding me
Beckoning me to dream and believe
The miracles that embrace the soul
I played along the edge of rivers
With a hunger and thirst for the caress
Of liquid as it purges the flow
Echoes across smooth stones
Invaluable blessings of grace
I played, played and played some more
With delight, pleasure and insight
Knowing the meaning of God’s gift
Caressing me from every side
The sun, rain, clouds, flowers, birds
I play today with the promise of heaven
Awaiting me there in the skies
Like a gift too wonderful to open
It hangs above the sun and I anticipate
The joy that it will hold when I go there
STRAND COMPLETELY NEW (27) ,any form,any theme Poetry Contest
Sponsor – Brian Strand
August 26, 2020
Brody
I bought two new books for you today my sweet boy.
The Wizard of Oz and the Jungle book should bring joy.
I'm very proud of how wonderfully you read.
As an English scholar, I know you will succeed.
I see your picture in the morning when I rise
As I observe your dark hair and sparkling brown eyes
The thought and sight of you really makes me smile,
Although, when I saw you last, it's been quite a while.
I miss watching you laugh and play riding your bike.
I love photos sent of you and Dad on that hike.
You love to have fun in the sun I know, I know...
You race and ride that ATV just like a pro.
Your mommy sends me sweet pictures which makes my day
I would love to find a letter from you today.
You look so dashing in your boy scout livery
With badges bravely sought and won with chivalry.
Your Kung fu lessons have trained mind and body well
I'm proud of you my dear grandson and I can tell
The kind of compassionate soul you will one day be.
I pray to God you will be blessed eternally.
Sometimes tears fall because you live so far away
I long for your kisses and hugs most everyday.
Please don't ever forget how much your Gram loves you.
You have my heart, and with your smile I can't feel blue.
4-9-18
© Connie Marcum Wong
-Poem of the day April 11, 2018~
5th place in Emile Pinet's Non-Romantic Love Contest
I had an alien for two weeks before I realized how unusual she was.
I wish I could be a mouse in the corner, I had said, and I was.
My alien gave me a cracker, patted me on the head, and reminded me
Once again, how important it is to keep her earth-visit quiet from the masses.
I nibbled on the cracker nervously, wondering how long I would be stuck
Wearing this smelly fur suit, dragging this ugly super long tail?
Praying that Shark, my killer cat was out hunting somewhere else.
Poof! I was back in my normal body.
What other talents do you have? I asked my alien friend.
Not in words because aliens from the two-galaxies-over talk in thoughts.
I am a tripartite, she tele-pathed to me.
What’s that?
Her body immediately transmogrified into three separate, untouching-pieces.
Before I could close my shocked wide-open mouth, she had transmuted back into one complete alien.
Can you disappear? I asked her.
That was the last I ever saw of her.
Some days, however, I feel that she is here, invisible, watching me,
On those days, I wonder if I am going to find
Myself munching on a cracker.
That's not my elephant! my father said to me
Mine is pink with wings, funnily, he likes to eat spaghetti
I think I'll call him Ella, named after a girl I knew
We danced at the 2nd graders ball, her dress was so see through
My father was once a politician, until his marbles began to set
I visit him as often as I can, introducing as if we'd just met
But somewhere in his confusion, he can recite The Bill of Rights
And once he does he smiles, to me he can still delight
As I turn to leave, to wave goodbye, in his eyes I see a tear
Still reciting The Bill of Rights, smiling from ear to ear
With Ella from the 2nd graders, he smiles in self triumphant
As he points towards the window, it's not pink, that's not my elephant!
The witch and the tiger sat on opposite sides of the moon,
Starring at each other, wondering who would eat whom
The witch was cagey, wily and wicked,
And she had magic powers, so she was not afraid.
The moon shook the witch off.
She had a broom, which she grabbed at the last minute.
The tiger was fierce and majestic.
He had sun-like yellow eyes, and stripes that moved.
The moon was going to let the tiger stay,
But something weird happened.
The tiger gave the moon a little bite
Because that is what a tiger does.
So the moon shook the tiger off too
Luckily, the tiger had wings, and flew.
So you never know
How a story will end.
A fox was a kit and a dog was once a puppy.
Don’t throw a fit, but a fish was never a guppy.
A horse was a colt. And a hen was always a chick.
How about banana split’s scoop, could we call it a lick?
A butterfly was a caterpillar,
A green spotted frog was a polliwog.
A child was a well-loved neonate,
Piglet was once the name of a giant hog.
Fawn instantly tells you something of his age,
Pony is not an indicator at all.
Lamb gives you a wonderful clue so sage.
Animals are delightful to me, big and small.
Excitement echoed
In my heart
First experience
Of being a part
Now looking back to
Those times, thoughts
Flood like the cold rain
And ties me in knots
Enthusiastically
Grabbing the end
Of the crosscut saw
Helping hand to lend
He let me slowly pull
From my point of
View, I carried my
Weight, without gloves
At seven years old
I felt a superb
Job was done by me
Now grasped being disturbed
He said to momma
Grab the other handle
I'm tired of the weight
Having her to manhandle"
Just a few short words
Made me feel
Inadequate, small
At times now inside I reel
Camaraderie
At other times shared
Loaded down with firewood
I knew he cared
Bringing in buckets
Of water
Fire starter, or feed
The cows some fodder
Forgiven years ago
But memories still haunt
That's why I write
To ease thoughts that taunt
Squirrel’s friendly kisses,
Squirrel’s loving squeeze.
Squirrel’s touch just misses.
Squirrel, if you please!
We are playing surprise?
Squirrel’s paws on my eyes.
I am supposed to guess?
Up in this squirrel nest?
Squirrel of my dream,
You are making me beam.
You are a shining star,
I know which one you are.
EIGHT
A deliberate surprise
A shove from the back
while creating artwork
in my second-grade class
Perhaps an ocean scene
A distant angry memory
of my eight-year-old
consciousness
The broken waxy blue crayon
in my right hand
Before me the ripped orange
construction paper and
a scattered image
Girl bully momentarily
reigned behind me
her face encircled with
frantic spirals….
a golden mane
My neck flashed heat
and then a cold sweat
I challenged her to a fight
In the girl’s bathroom
that day
Pale turquoise tiled walls
screamed at me
as I entered the ring
Staring up I saw a field of wilting flowers….
wads of scrunched up soapy paper towels
hurled up at the ceiling where they clung and
appeared as corpses threatening to fall down
on me at any moment
The pungent thick air of girl
bodies surrounded me….
A hungry lion appeared with
open mouth ready to strike
Tightly wrapped around each other
A blur
A blow to my right side
A second to my stomach
Descending to my knees
catching my breath
Rising up I landed an efforted
blow on her left cheek
An explosion within her wild
starving eyes filled with
superpower magnetism
The pounce
The strike
My body collapsed…
the blue tiles hugging me
Sounds of silence
Distant voices of teacher adults
dispersing the crowd
Inside the small stall
crumpled body crying
on the toilet seat
head on my knees
salty tears cascading
Tasting them now
With armor and shield
bleeding …dented and broken
my heart and soul
rejoiced
A yawn went through the shop that day,
loudly and proudly, and I could not get away.
I watched it coming, flowing mouth to mouth,
first it went east, and then it turned south.
I tried to run, but it caught me as I turned a corner.
A little girl yawned big before I could warn her.
It is weird how powerful a yawn can be.
I believe it got all of us and there were at least twenty-three.
I tried to escape before it entered its second round,
but I did not get far as this is a very small town.
Jellyfish sandwiches delicately sliced.
Two or three on a plate, scrumptious and nice.
Eat them with pinkies, raised high and proud.
Please ignore the screaming; they are ridiculously loud.
I was a sitting duck when the tide came in.
No idea it would go past my chin.
I struggled and I flopped.
I bucked and I hopped.
It took me way out to sea.
I went under quickly, poor little me.
But a dolphin came along and gave me a push.
That old water threw me up in a whoosh.
I found myself all safe and sound.
To say thanks I looked all around.
But the dolphin was gone with a flip and a wink,
And I resumed washing dishes in our old kitchen sink.
Heddy, the eight-year-old hummingbird queen.
Often hiding out, rarely fully seen
Loves her hummingbirds more than the human race.
Her messy golden amber curls, rarely in place.
Her hazel eyes, giant orbs, that see more than they should.
She protects her hummingbirds as only a good mother would.
She is their go-to-place, their refuge from the ugliness in the world.
They love this angel, with her wild hair never fully curled.
Heddy, the eight-year-old hummingbird queen
Readily feels a human person's mean.
Has lips of the lightest pink, full of purity.
Being among hummingbirds, is her security.
She gives them wonderment, she gives them hope.
She is their rock, their heroine, their uphill slope.
Hummingbirds are flocking in now from forest and sea.
Being with her is where they all want to be!
There once was a silly raccoon
He slept in a tree until noon
He came down to play
He decided to stay
He danced a jig to a tune
Val the Cross-eyed Owl
She saw his jig and said-"WOW"!
The Owl and Raccoon
Then danced to the tune
She stepped on his tail then he "HOWLED"
The raccoons name is Harry
Miss Val lets you and I get married
The Owl and Raccoon
Were married in June
They lived in a tree near the prairie
7-21-19