Best Anthology Poems
walking gracefully
with a pendulum movement ~
a herd of giraffes
the mass migration
crocodiles at the river~
food for the taking
gazelles are running
a hungry cheetah gives chase~
speed is the winner
a lone male lion
approaches a sleeping pride~
the battle begins
an elephant herd
arrive at the water hole~
use trunks to cool down
a swarm of locusts
devouring vegetation~
skeletal branches
army on the move
soldier ant battalion~
have left a scorched earth
vultures in the trees
animals weakened by thirst~
death is imminent
a downed buffalo
lions watch as herd returns~
bulls scatter the pride
basking in cool mud
the african river horse~
hippopotamus
laughing hyenas
find an unguarded carcass~
scavengers feasting
at the water hole
animals quenching their thirst~
alert for danger
a crash of rhino
hunted for their ivory~
extinction looming
a small antelope
found on the African plains~
cute looking dik dik
the baobab tree
silhouetted at sunset~
african icon
Written 13th May 2018
For best haiku poetry contest
Sponsored By Chantelle Ann Cooke.
Well, here is the truth for you all,
since you had no idea you are a
part of one big scam called Poetry Soup
which charges you for the anthology
just so you can see your own poem,
so that means don't be upset because
you were not accepted into Anthology that
has close to a 1000 poets in it and even more poems,
they take everything and anything and pretend
like they had to read all of the works and then decide,
it is a nonsense and be happy that you did not get accepted!
My poem got accepted and i cant read it, because they want me to buy
the book just so i can see my poem in it.
Now this whole place could be a scam,
because if they can scam us through Anthology
that means they do not give three s about what we write!
Diverse Voices is a scam, Poetry soup is a scam,
the whole internet is a scam, and the only way
you will be able to accept this fact is to stop posting here,
and for over 20 years this scam has been taking our poetry
in exchange for profit of which we get 0. How is this poem for a change?
Truth hurts that is why nobody wants to hear it.
DIVERSE VOICES MY ASS!
black and white landscape
a colony of penguins ~
standing and waddling
in the oceans depth
lives a black and white giant~
orca killer whale
seal on an ice flow
oblivious to danger ~
head butting whale strikes
egg laid by female
emperor penguin stands guard~
female goes hunting
not in Africa
elephant and leopard seals~
sea is their jungle
hourglass dolphins
smaller than a bottlenose~
keen bow wave riders
home is in the air
the wandering albatross~
a ten foot wingspan
in the frozen south
a species of royal bird~
the emperor penguin
the antarctic terns
fly over a silver dish~
krill is on the menu
thick and warm white coat
a camouflaged artic fox~
unseen in the snow
top of the food chain
carnivorous white giant~
fearsome polar bear
from three miles away
the unmistakable sounds~
of howlers chorus
a slithering snake.
crushing prey without mercy~
green anaconda
small eyed black caiman
twenty foot alligator ~
watching and waiting
waiting in the trees
unsuspecting deer walks by~
a jaguar strikes
through overlapping branches
laser beams of sunlight pierce ~
the dense canopy
worlds largest rodent
like a giant guinea pig~
capybara dives
painful insect sting
as painful as a gunshot~
the bullet ants bite
rainforest rivers
home to pods of pink mammals~
fresh water dolphins
jesus christ lizards
walking across the water~
miracles happen
hanging upside down
eating green vegetation~
slow moving sloths
native indians
rub poison on arrow tips~
from the green dart frog
a very short tail
long shaggy coat and red face~
bald vakari swings
face of a lion
now an endangered species~
lion tamarin
pygmy tribes food source
monkeys, pigs and antelope~
hunting to survive
Written 6th October 2018
Trouble, trouble stirs the wind
ghastly ghosts rise and ascend
warty toads croak
vile spells are spoke
witches’ covens evil intend
Burbling, gurgling cauldron hot
with purple vein, red blood clot
virgins hopeful eyes
fear and dread belies
throw them in and stir the pot
Screeching, screaming banshee songs
garish ghouls with pointy prongs
mulish mummies
reeking rummies
to evil spirits the night belongs
Trembling, tremoring witches fear
townsfolk are coming too near
sticks and stones
fire bemoans
the end becoming too clear
Freaking, shrieking their cry drums
slicing the air with its thrums
unwilling to face
they cut to the chase
quickly flee to save their bums
I struggle with electronic forms,
To this simpleton, a bag of worms.
But fresh French coffee, and a smile.
May help me make this final mile.
The silvered stars behind we twinkle!
Do aid me, in removing ‘ mind wrinkles’!
9/20/2021
He lived in four little rooms
locked behind the door.
And the night shined through
where a light shined before.
A red flame burned ashen gray,
dying on the floor.
So you move yourself along.
And grind on down.
And scrape the path you drag around.
Stumblin’ on the way.
A new day with no grace to say,
starin’ down the ground.
They’re softer lies to swallow
when you’re drunk.
Or when you’re full of faith
and barely saved.
It’s only things that fade.
And leave impressions in the dark.
And demons in the haze.
Sunlight burns night away,
turns darkness into day.
So sing inside your walls.
And make the lamps low.
And watch the white screen glow,
black on grey.
The words that you say.
And drain yourself away.
Another night burned white by day.
Oh my Darkness, I beg you stay.
Are you fated?
Or are you led?
Well either way the moon will grow.
And spread out wide across the snow.
Piled high and ploughed.
Raised between the lines.
And layered across the years.
SHAZZ HAZZ JAZZ-
Come sup wit me, Come sup wit me
Come sit here under my tree
Come time wit me come dine wit me
Shhh! Smoken
Ahhh! Smoken waters , cooling brezze
flown, come here sir dance wit me
Come Tago in front of the ocean
Come fly away, in the skies with me
Just flowN, floating
We hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz in jubilee
We hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz
We hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz
We hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz in jubilee
We have it, we got it, we got this smokeN fire
We B jamming rhythm got ta beat, rhythm got tha beat for hours and hours and hours
We hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz
I am the Lady Jazz
Mine name is lovely as
I hazz jazz, we hazz jazz come rhythms wit me Shazz hazz jazz
SmokN fire, hearts desire
Music meaning I juz keep on singN
We hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz in jubilee
We hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz
We hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz
We hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz in jubilee
We have it, we got it, we got this smokeN fire
We B jamming rhythms got ta beat, rhythm got tha beat for hours and hours and hours
We hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz, we hazz jazz
We got it, come git the beat
We got it, come taste the sweet
We got it, we b come cool in the heat
They be sweeping at our feet
We B danceN like Cholly Atkins
We got it, we got this
Cool as it is, we got this
We got it we got this what we
Cause what we got we got is Jazz
We begot We hazz Shazz Jazz
3/31/25
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr.2025©
TalAngela JamIN
Dance in the early 19th century
There’s s a woman named TalAngela, complementary
She was a pretty woman she wears a crown
And she surely knows how to get down
TalAngela wore 10 inch heels
While out on the dance floor she would reel
Her step be on point
As the music lit the whole joint
Ragtime music began to gain mainstream respectability
Her desert on the floor the cakewalk, tippy-toe
TalAngela racket, quick foot cuts space
And sideways slides, performed in either place
Three-forth such a gallop in redowa, in the waltz
Ooh we we not getin lost in the Foxtrot
Ahh! Show them girl you can dance
Dancein cause got has a smooth gliding feeling frank
Tango Teas, reneasause got me on my tippy-toes
Ragtime begin to gain mainstream look at her go
Popularity around the late 19th century and into the 1910s.
Redowa triple time come on down girl friend
Spin around three times with me
Grizzly Bear growl at me
Run on them two legs luv
, Foxtrot, Duck Waddle, Bunny Hugs
What kind of gentleman is love?
How bout, it Turkey Trot stepin hard
Ooh, you stepping on the right spot time
Black Bottom move groove N rhythm rhyme
Combined shoulder and hip movements spin that dime
A modified national craze get them hips rotatin rhyme
The Texas Tommy
Swing dance in San Francisco African Follies
The Texas Tommy breakaway step
In an 8-count rhythm move your tummy breath
Ooh! Getting down swing like in African Follies
There was this woman named TalAngela Dolly
And she knew how to get down
TalAngela wore 10 inch heels she does
10/8/24
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2024©
Dedicated VERSE FOR SHASTA SIMMS ANTHOLOGY #2
a mass migration
heading west to farm the land ~
inexperienced
in the arid soil
ordinary crops planted ~
dry farming ignored
drought and poor farming
topsoil blowing in the wind ~
dust bowl created
deep rooted plains grass
taken out and wheat planted ~
devastation looms
across the great plains
a dusty black flag unfurled ~
the days become nights
in all the plains homes
dust blowing in through fine cracks ~
powdery cover
the deadly dust clouds
respiratory problems ~
cause of many deaths
clouds of fine red dust
settles all over the plains ~
a crimson carpet
new england winter
fine dust in the atmosphere ~
causes red snowfall
kansas city news
edward stanley editor ~
coined the term dust bowl
**********
my machine nature
possibilities untold
there for the taking
i seek... nature gives
i reciprocate... grateful
i recycle waste
human heartbeats
two hundred thousand years old
as one... would deafen
first life... single-cell
no inhibitions... freedom
ruled planet earth
communication
touch alone... we still suffer
bacteria
propagation
cell division... host dictates
perpetual motion
atmospheric life
living on pollutants
bacteria
life's an enigma
only for the human race
still self-destructing
spontaneity...
a human mistake...
acts without thinking
**********
Soul my soul in me
Black and white keys
Dominate, the Rapsody
Celestial Holy energy
I receive huggINGly
Abreast and believingly
Above all things,
Glorious harmonies, we sing
~
Ivory cares;
Level yes;
Heartbeats in chest;
Soul my soul breathe;
Rainbow colors black and white,
Embraced colors ivory black N white;
Lovers of melodies prominent
~
Lo! music love vocals of heart;
Rhapsody imparted elephants march;
She played the chords of voice;
The band levied the coarse;
Touching all the keys;
Melody
~
Black and white keys
Dominate, the Rapsody
Celestial Holy energy
I receive huggINGly
Abreast and believingly
Beautiful Aesthetics Oneness in
Matter oneness is spirit for we are
Above all things,
Glorious harmonies, we sing
Piano Keys
wildflower meadow
as tall as a muntjac
cuckoo cuckooing
-
farmers haymaking
grasshoppers stridulating
don't touch a stinkbug
-
wood admiral glides
honeysuckle its host plant
humid the hot nights
-
warm is the river
fish rising leaping for flies
life seeking cool shade
-
inverted swimmers
water boatmen taking in air
cygnets follow pen
-
as fall approaches
swifts are well on their way
second brood blackbirds
-
hungry mosquitoes
human siestas a nap
insect repellent
-
sunbathing insects
flowerflies hovering free
mowers thrashing lawns
-
farmers cutting hay
a smell not forgotten
wildlife be afraid
-
sunbathers warning
cream up or suffer sunburn
worse melanoma
-
swifts immature
three years on the wing
unbelievable
-
sand martins nesting
adorning soft sandy clifts
freshwater skimmers
-
dragonflies masters
watch them fly backwards a thrill
kingfishers posing
-
super hot weather
droughts not good for wildlife
reprieved... thunderstorms
-
climate warming
both poles can't take the heat
humans all sweating
-
a countryside walk
on a warm sunlit day
foxes sunbathing
calm days oceans fit
dress coastlines in white lace
treacherous... the storm
on the wind it glides
oceans of the south surveyed
albatrosses feed
penguins flighty birds
cross ice bellies down... feet push
water... flight masters
aquatic parrots
puffins come to land to breed
Icelanders eat them
oceans deep smokers
new life evolves... dies when stubbed
potential islands
iguanas
some vegetarians
dive oceans to feed
sea mammals... furry
all once murdered for their coats
babies clubbed to death
great auks... now extinct
flightless... netted then eaten
man still hasn't learnt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
brighter things in life
bioluminescence
woodlands singing
moonbeams dancing
clouds conducting rhythm
hedgehogs snuffling worms
the early bird sings
seagulls tap dancing
worms for breakfast
did you see
penguins flying over Wales
April fool
children having fun
hunting Easter eggs... their joy
bunnies job well done
rivers flooding
April showers... no... torrents
summer biding time
winter grey... its spring
fauna... flora.. begging
time waits for no man
moving on...
the North Atlantic
icebergs do
desert penguins
remember this very day
April fool
rapids frothing
dippers diving seeking food
lambs bleat for ewes
crazy moments
mom... mom... there's a ufo
one day of summer
looking
over shoulder
spring... just checking
~~~~~~