Best Animate Poems
I wonder about her
as I shave suet and place thistle seed down -
once again
she reveals herself to the corner of my eye
a slight movement caught in the slant of a sunray
just enough to separate her shy form
from leaf litter camouflage
I turn to look at her
demure and just out of reach - yet
she seems to know I feel for her..
I regard her presence for a handful of heartbeats
before she hastens away in a certain way
head moving forward first then feet catching up
..rustling the earthy rust of gold;
fallen maple stars strewn beneath an arborvitae row..
a wing hanging down by her side
like a gate with a broken hinge
her gateway to freedom gone
she’s become a body bound to soft soil -
flesh and bones destined to feed the trees of life
soon her feathers - like thistle down - will animate aloft
weightless in soulful breaths of a swirled November wind..
pearls of muted beauty lost in innocence
given back to the skies
I wonder about the tender fragility of a tomorrow
in an air where mourning coos
are watered down by whimsical tears of gods
and stirred by a mortal’s yearn for return to natural flight
I commiserate with her silently —
for I am broken too
Susan Ashley
November 17, 2020
~ First Place ~
Premiere Contest: Brian Strand No 1175
Sponsor: Brian Strand
~ Second Place ~
Premiere Contest: 2022 Poetry Marathon Mile 17
Sponsor: Mark Toney
I want to ride a zebra
and race the rays of radiance
through heat-waves’ sailing gradients -
a folly wild - a mood untamed
elated hands in bristled mane
unbridled veins uncorked champagne...
yes! elevate sedate heart rate
I WANT to ride a zebra
stripes yin yang oasis sweet and
whimsy rules a drumroll beat as
gallop sways euphoric roughness
crossing plains of dreamy lushness -
steed’s exotic tender toughness
pacing thrills in state of luscious...
yes! animate to sate my wait
I want to RIDE a zebra
savanna grass a grand expanse
a lion’s roar - hyena's rant
amuse myself with peril’s speed
adventure sows romantic’s seed... so
gestate date with fancy’s fate
YES! I want to ride a Z E B R A !
Poet's ink portrays wonders so profound,
as the last crimson rose of summer fades,
verdant leaves gently float to soggy ground,
weaving a pattern of saffron, beige shades.
Autumn's theatre parades vibrant hues,
as misty fog covers frozen meadows.
Haunting pastels animate artist's muse.
as poetic palettes splash glowing prose.
Lampposts ignite with cold midnight moonlight,
as snow flakes embrace trees in a white fleece.
Astral blooms inspire the soul to recite
in a rhythmic aesthetic masterpiece.
Lost in the elegance of nature's call,
art is adored in the grandeur of fall.
In silence we admire the splendor of our universe,
surrounded by breathtaking scenery ever so diverse.
Golden Sun, pale moon and silver stars animate an artist's mind,
whilst a poet creates imagery pleasing eyes that are blind.
Whispers of serene stars echo like a melodic lullaby,
but some dark minds serenade in lyrics we can't identify.
We all become fragile reflecting a mourning butterfly,
but some souls adopt envious eyes clouded in ebony skies.
In a dream world of charm, jealousy is an undying misery,
resentment is regretful with fake tales veiled in mystery.
Some ink is invisible when scribbled across a canvas of tragedy,
especially when the tongue paints an image of insanity.
Sincerity is a charm of elegance only pure hearts emanate,
immune to fabricated falsehoods a storyteller will narrate.
Tongues of solar flare writhe in combat kiss
—flame-throwers unleashed
iron words h a m m e r e d in fire
ferrous words melt-morph into heart-welts
once under skin
hear the fevered air burn with cheers;
c a c k l e s of c r a c k l e s and h -i -s -s -s
bellies of tears full of fire; fire feeds on gasoline tears
fire-eaters’ —bellies full of flames
turn inside-out; fire-breathers shape-shift
from love doves to squawk hawks
bonfire of marital bliss consumed by wildfire
desolation burns holes in lacy i n* t i* m a* c y
ashes
fall
from
s o l o
cigarettes
—nuclear winter in summer
t h r o a t s of songbirds c h a r r e d
. . . silence
follows blaring —w h o o s h— of serpent fire
purification in cremation of all OratiOn sound
liability and liberation
animate to dissipate in snaky smoke of HeLL-wraiths
apathy clouds form they rain on red heat
smother a smolder mother a cease fire
ember-ice; scalds freezes t–h–a–w–s
whets flesh — and wets fire extinguished flower bed
ashes laid down
—passion’s quiet confetti paves a path—
w. a. i. t. s
— s l e e p w a l k s
… d r e a m s
She lures every body’s attention with her sunny charm
and her radiant skin that dazzles bright like golden rays.
Emblazoned with vibrant colors of fiery summer sun,
her gorgeous silhouette surges her grace and elegance.
Vivacious nature of her lights up every gathering
as she fully mirrors the pizzazz of a sunny day.
Everyone wants to playfully bask in her glowing warmth
while she gently sways with her inevitable presence.
She is abundantly gracious in spreading love and joy
as if she's in charge to animate life itself with fun.
A bright symbol of awakening for sharing the light
that she seeks out to be enriched with spiritual brilliance.
Flower of sun she is for dispelling the shades of grey
with her vibrancy fades away all clouds of depression.
Date: 04/02/2017
With my blue eyes
I watched you find the lost
The place that should have always been
That place absent of shame and sin
Colour separation was meant to be thin
Like a little girl
You found peace love and fun
You were able to be the free one
No fear of a police man with a gun
You twirled and giggled in the sun
It wasn’t fear that made you run
The richness of your colour
I marvelled at your state
A deep dark joy meant to animate
All I needed was to concentrate
and freely share from my own plate
When this world becomes one
Only then will we satiate
and begin to solve our prejudicial traits
Before it is to late
Through my flip flop view
I witnessed you
You sang poetic words so true
Grasping them I flew
Not away but towards you
I needed to immerse in your blue
For without being one people
This place will never renew
I admire your strength
Despite the worlds cruelty
For you occupy
a place of duality
Where to many brothers and sisters
Become another fatality
Yet you have a shared rich history
So faithfully cling to your ability
Even when others don’t provide civility
You are on the precipice of Victory.
Inspired by Olufunke Elizabeth Omolayo Ogunmodede and her poem “Through The Darkest Times” please read it, here is the link. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2650318775179582/permalink/3039494419595347/
Classical infusion Beethoven’s “ode to joy”
Playing on blaring audiophile speakers annoy
Purposely looped to destroy vagrants with electronic music
Blends of subversive elements and anxious acoustic
Solution to loitering the bodega doo dropping
Spicy Shiitake broth smelling pissy store front,
Jaded daily stunt, at midnight wino corks popping
Abruptly segwaying into a film from one music scene to
a melting hallway, a lipstick alley with animate occupants
Disconnected unmoored, appearing eerie and dormant
Fluorescent lights unleashing a hum buzz in duress
Hissing sizzling hornets’ nest of unsettling unrest
Levels of unease, an iniquitous den
Such madcap absurdity is beyond my ken
Not a shack, mall, nor a Holiday Inn
A queasy Quasi-Moto mood which lies within
Backrooms filled in with discarded filets of fishy maceral
that have no place,
Frolicking pixella’s in a glossy abyss of liminal space
Plump puce brushed lips affixed
Swollen browns and purple mixed
Deep maroon and dusky rose, make-up art is what they pose
I wish I may I wish away what is unreal with blinky eyes
I pray not to awaken one more inky surreal surprise
Crescent shaped moon portions mounted in pseudo walls
Mounted upon the glare in unpleasing patterned halls
Side by side quagmired half discs dawning a contorted face
In a half dazed-half-moon crest loon’s invisible phase
Not unconscious but in some in-between state
Bored while in transition and abandoned as they await
Whimsical moldings who see me try NOT to take a peek
An exit to this madness is what I and they seek
Maybe re-evaluate my sleep number, for gravity defying rest
What insight imports this encounter and what test?
What it means for a doomed generation Xer or a baby boomer,
tacked in stucco, Silly Putty it seems, in a warped sense of humor
I wish I may I wish away what is unreal with blinky eyes
I pray not to awaken one more inky surreal surprise
Two Words
Dream
Scheme
Beam
Team
Shout
Pout
Duel
Shot
Life
Death
Brain
Drain
Stupid
Cupid
Dumb
Numb
Rum
Thumb
Prosecute
Electrocute
Einstein
Infinity
Immigrant
Us
Atom
Bomb
Strength
Weakness
Love
Hurt
Fate
Destiny
God
Cosmos
Lucifer
Lost
Passion
Torpid
Feelings
Flatline
Politician
Huckster
Glorious
Despicable
Moon
Mars
Space
Race
Beguile
Style
Truth
Lie
Cake
Pie
Bicycle
Tricycle
Car
Jar
Balloon
Burst
First
Last
Lust
Like
Fist
Fight
Right
Write
Left
Deft
Genius
Idiot
Manners
Rude
Give
Take
Rate
Deflate
Washington
Jefferson
Hamilton
Burr
Trump
Nixon
Hitler
Wotan
Karloff
Lugosi
Frankenstein
Dracula
Foot
Fall
Think
Blink
Popcorn
Unicorn
Coffin
Fly
Fish
Fry
Good
Bad
Think
Drink
Smile
Scowl
Teeth
Towel
Grimace
Ace
Lash
Bash
Date
Hate
Hurry
Wait
Freeze
Animate
Brave
Wave
Holocaust
Heydrich
Fool
Drool
Slob
Blob
Dead
Undead
Alive
Thrive
Evolution
Revolution
Vampire
Umpire
Wire
Dire
Flour
Flower
Alien
Robot
Klaatu
Gort
Tower
Power
Rush
Hour
Talk
Walk
Hysterical
Empirical
Gary Bateman, Copyright © All Rights Reserved
July 8, 2018 (Short-Form Free Verse)
Pretty soon, night will fall upon the city,
And lives of crime animate spasmodically
As Gene Pitney croons “A Town Without Pity”
And the clubs and the gin joints open methodically.
Hepcat jazzmen smoke reefers, shoot junk,
The pimps clean their nails with switchblades laconically,
Fedoras pulled low as they mind-jive to funk,
And the neon lights crackle and buzz electronically,
Breast enhanced blondes catch the eyes of their johns,
Pouting and winking, the sale of depravity,
For a price any vice can be practiced upon
The surface of flesh, any crevice or cavity.
Cops pound the beat twirling nightsticks around,
Turning blind eyes for a bribe taken willingly,
Failure to pay brings the world crashing down,
“It just ain’t your day,” the cops whisper chillingly.
Wiseguys hold court in an old pizzeria,
Smoking and drinking and eating the scenery
Their empire of family governed through fear,
The rule of the gun and Sicilian ancestry.
Corporate needles pierce veins of the damned,
Chalk drawings map lines around death’s ideology
Cigarettes sparked and the siren howls slammed
Through the meanest of streets of pulp fiction mythology.
In the world of the scribe, this pulp writer hack
May exaggerate slightly for sake of the narrative,
Yet film noir seems grey when reality’s black,
At the end of the day everything is comparative.
One flower almost gray
but visibly not
Brushed by a breeze on
concrete wet
Emerged from a crevasse
along the corner
Forced to hold on to its
limited yellow
Open to suggestion
More than several
shapes take hold
On a distant wall of
wind emerged tornadoes
Spun in favor of the
days rotation
Coming in from the west
At a 90 degree
declination
Turns to be determined
left or right
Angles perpendicular to
the east
The eye wall wobbling
uncertain to reason
As gray turns to black
Rises with barometric
pressure
Collapsed on the
moments fragile flight
Palm trees hang
suspended, then animate
Fall like paragraphs
pinned down by wind
News wires bent on
facts lean in to learn
There to understand it
Hurricane begins,
uproots humanity
Removes them like tooth
decay
Electric lines freak
out, burn on orange red desires
Dangle in the wind in
pain without a smile
Touch puddles as
children walk by
Inclement weather does
strange things
Impacts
the storm track still intact
Leaves nothing behind
or to the imagination
Including its name
which is forgotten
Roads clear and are not
there
Traffic, trees,
people... Poof!..all gone
Storm warnings move on,
hunger for warmth
Looking for a tropical
paradise to wrong
Obsession Issues
Obsession in Yukon
Obsession in The Bronx
Even got obsession from
Mr. Flaunt what he wants
All these obsession issues
Don’t got time on my mind
So I’m throwin them tissues
Yukon likes number six
so I told him he’s buggin'
runnin' far away from this
The Bronx wants my time
but I told him he’s losin’ it
Must of bumped his head
cause he’s outta his mind
Mr. Flaunt what he wants
likes what he sees….pure intimidation
off the east and west breeze
but I can’t do nothin’ with him
I was just havin’ fun hun….now believe
I’m feelin’ smothered can’t breathe
get me outta here…..please
Imma’ charm baby boys…..what don’t you see?
Guess you got me confused with those lil’ fast breeds
Well do yourself a favor
and clear the coast for me
Cause I need plenty of acres
Somebody call Johnny…
Then animate me on the S Blvd Beat
suntin nice and slow like Italy so sweet
I’m sorry you boys are lame
I need a challenge in my life….
So glad that it came sayin’
“Leo, take the limelight”
Right where I belong…
I’m not tryin’ to be wife
A lot to accomplish in so little time
Boys take the fast track…
That... you can reuse!
She might even help you with
your obsession issues.
By: Aleasha A. Martin
Broken Back
They use words like
Cold
And
Crossing
Sighs
To describe something romanticised
Obscured verbs
In which to hide
To hide
Romanticised
The suffering
Without a name
It asks you not to worry
A vacant voice
Verbalised
Tears
She cried
Lies
Nomenclature of disheartening
Hope
Borrowed between shadows
Between hearts
Flowers
And chocolates
At peace
At last
Unburdened
Released
Love
Child
Romanticised
To a field of waving poppies
Gently shook the rifles
And slow blood let
Picturesque
And before God
Such cruelty breathes animate
Stand
Brave
Courageous
Fool
Dancing in the rain
The paupers smile
Romanticised smile
Of a rich divide
To beggar belief
And it’s easy
So very easy
To explain away
How life
Is just made this way
They use words like
Freedom
Romanticised acceptance
Short words
Of description
To present an illusion
Of perfection
The good die young
It could happen to anyone
But only the good die young
Young
Children
Anyone
God
Space
Illusion
Nothing to prove
Romantic death
Of death
Who bides his time
In skeletal black cloth
And bargains away
In celluloid
The faces we can’t forget
Those who told us
We would never regret
Anything
The break scape
The big escape
A monumental world of landscape
And freedom
Beyond mountains
Beyond worlds
Beyond words
Romanticised
Leaderboard paradox
Bard, crank or chatterbox
Irreconcilable
Most undeniable
Two titles possible?
Can't have all three
Flourish and elegance
Meter and relevance
Grasp of the elements
Sensitive delicate
Post the best poetry
For all to see
Building community
Post with impunity
Dishing encouragements
Never discouragements
Attaboy lunacy
Nice job! Spondee
Magnitude, quantity
Content moronity
Quality suffering
Sputtering, stuttering
Faster through brevity
Haiku for me
Where is the paradox?
Chatter and atta-talks
Raising poetic stocks
Moving up leaderboards
Elevates all their scores
Best that you just ignore
All your competitors'
New poetry
Elegant, painstaking
Beautiful, time-taking
Longer time finishing
Numbers diminishing
Falling so rapidly
Not even on page three
Drop productivity
Maybe you finish a
Poem or three
Status? ridiculous
Leaders? superfluous
Seek to equilibrate
Advocate, animate
Irreconcilable
Paradox schmeradox
Sharing delightfully
Cranking productively
Poetry supersedes
All rivalry
—————
For the “This or That, Vol 10” Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Edward Ibeh
Title: Irreconcilable Paradox
Date written: 02/17/2022
"Nature is a joy in spring with fresh life and a wonder than at other seasons. The myriad animate and inanimate forms living in nature surprise and delight us. The sight of little creatures taking care of their offspring raises our curiosity and heightens our admiration to the point of emulating them"~ By Poet
The silent snowy winter days are gone.
Lively spring has come again.
The cool wind brushes past my face
Animals from their hide, come out in chain.
A mother hen with her happy brood
Of newly hatched chicks like balls of wool
Is out of her coop for an outdoor hunt,
To feed on termites under dry leaves, cool
The chicks in self-abandon run and play.
Some chase tiny bugs leaping from the grass.
Some climb on their mother’s sloppy back.
They enjoy the bright day’s cheer en masse.
On the other side, bunnies leap and hop,
In the hazy mist of the early morning light.
They nibble at fresh grass in the meadow.
Their sprightliness soaks my heart in delight.
.
My heartstrings are stretched out tight,
As pigeons coo and robins sing,
Adding a symphonic rhythm to the air,
By the avian ensemble of spring
I hear the whisper of fresh-grown leaves,
Interrupted by the sweet strains of a meadowlark.
On this lovely day, an urge to roam the countryside,
Is ignited deep in my heart as a blazing spark.