Best Any Theme Poems
Grim fog, I praise the shelter of your drear,
the sundown ghost morose not grandiose,
I walk alone - but, no -- with my despair;
a bittern bids a bitter adiós.
The breakers so in agony they gnash
and gnaw the strand with thrash of foamy green,
the tempest witch brings ironfisted lash
alas, the eye-of-storm epiphany unseen.
Free, free! The tern who flies in Gemini
above beloved peak and shore and wave,
sun-painted wings, away you went -- so spry,
so fierce! Bluebird pierced and buried in your grave,
..and the stars understand; a fateful fall into the sea --
Damn the deep! It’s jostle docile.. my scream to meet the scree!
Susan Ashley
June 29, 2021
~ Fourth Place ~
Premiere Contest: 2022 Poetry Marathon Mille 11
Sponsor: Mark Toney
~ First Place ~
Premiere Contest: Contemporary Sonnet
Sponsor: Charlotte Puddifoot
*bittern: any of several tawny brown herons
*scree: an accumulation of weathered rock fragments at the foot of a cliff
*a Modern / Contemporary Sonnet is a poem of 14 lines addressing any theme of the poet's choosing. It does not need to adhere to any set rhyme scheme, syllable count or meter, nor does it need to include a volta. The only true requirement of a modern sonnet is that it consists of 14 lines*
the raspy whisper
finally
gets my full attention -
wistfully I smile
..for its persistence reminds me of you..
the crisp red leaf
scuttles scrapingly
across the gray pavement
to and fro
like a dancing crab
moving with the whims of the winds
chasing me
as it seemed like I had once chased my dreams;
blown in directions left up to chance
..until I met you..
..is it now, as it was then
Destiny?
for in this instant, my sense of direction
seems predestined..
a smoky scent
spices the chilled blue air
reminding me of our cozy nights
curled with the fire
..entranced
as we were
with our warmth
and our flame..
could it be
love signals from the hearth
calling me home..?
..my soul
feels akin to the red leaf,
the wafting smoke
and I am ready to follow..
Would the cold atmosphere be so cruel
as to play capricious tricks upon my eyes... or
..is that really
YOU
standing there..?
Oh!
my beloved,
how my broken spirit
has suffered
in my pining desire to be with you -
I run to you!
years of yearning prayers answered
fingertips straining - stretching further
reaching out to touch you,
the whole of my being aching
to hold you and enfold you
..ah, I feel your heat
so very close to me..
Alas!
I fall to my knees,
my arms empty
but for the loss I carry..
your warm breath
on the nape of my neck
only my hot want
brewed with a cool wisp of the breeze
..Oh, God! Please!
just let it be
let me go..!
my forsaken flame less than a dying ember;
I but ashes in my grief
withered
in my autumn season
without you
still...
I’m slow to realize...
that your fading glow just the sun slanting low
blurring wicked whimsy with my wild sorrow
in the burning of these bitter tears.
Susan Ashley
December 2, 2018
~ First Place ~
Contest: NA the day away
Sponsor: Lu Loo
*N/A’d: Best Free Verse 2019 Poetry Contest*
~ Honorable Mention ~
Contest: Your Choice (2) Any Theme, Form
Sponsor: Brian Strand
~ Poem Of The Day ~
December 4, 2018
Colors daubed for seasons' scenes
I sift through life for what it means
In spite of chaos, shades and flings
It comes down to the simple things
The mountain tops, the dark abyss'
Have ground my egos down to this
Of all the chance and spheres I'm of
Life's worth and essence is ... but LOVE
Indeed, I've lived big moments, too
The raptures and sweet rendezvous
Moving mountains - burning skies
Bright lilting lashes, soft lullabies
Shedding poisons like second skin
Too few dreams to wear them in
I dared the devil, danced with death
Swore for mercy's whisp'ring breath
So just when ends seemed all to be
This extra chance was proffered me
Don't take for granted or yet waste
That vigor gained from rigors faced
Don't tend concerns to end or start
It's what's between that fills a heart
True meaning - love's enduring kiss
A life's no less or more ... than THIS.
~ 2nd Place ~ in the "Strand Select, Any Form, Any Theme" Poetry Contest, Brian Strand, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 7th Place ~ in the "Favourite Poem From May, 2019" Poetry Contest, Julia Ward, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 1st Place ~ in the "The Meaning of Life" Poetry Contest, Chantelle Anne Cooke, Judge & Sponsor.
Autumn Afterglow
As halcyon summer days
wave goodbye
Bucolic trees seen from
an autumn sky
Become a cynosure
of colored bliss
So heat of summer days
we will not miss.
When dawn's hoarfrost gleams
on gossamer seams,
As diamonds are bestowed
by sunlit beams
With pastiche of rainbow
hues in tall trees,
Leaves begin their dance
when cool zephyrs tease,
Imbued with beauty and
susurrus sound
A wayward wafture before
touching ground.
7-19-22
~7th Place Premiere Contest~
2022 Poetry Marathon Mile 8 Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Mark Toney
10-30-18
A Personal Favorite Poem Written in 2018~First Place~
Contest Judged: 12/12/2018 4:26:00 AM
Sponsored by: Carolyn Devonshire
EARLY NOVEMBER 2018,ANY FORM,ANY THEME,UPTO A MAX OF 20 LINES
Sponsored by: Brian Strand ~First Place~
SEASONAL OR UNSEASONAL Poetry Contest~5th Placement~
Sponsored by: Kim Rodrigues
I will be the stars
The moon will be my mum
The sun will be my dad
The rain will be my brother
The wind will be my sister
The rainbows will be my friends
The rocks will be my cousins
The fountains will be my happy tears
The waterfalls will be a nickname
Of an edifice I carved for you
Among the rocks and
That I have chosen just for you
The fields will be my attires
The paper and the ink
will be my parcels for you
I tell my mum to rule the nights
Take away sorrows of darkness from you
Caress away your insomnia
And clothe you With her cares
That her night gleams your attires
And I will be the stars
I tell my dad to shine on you,
sunbeam your countenance,
away your damp with his warmth,
and smile always at your hustle
And I will tell my brother to feed you
With the heavenly springs
Flow on your droughts
Feed your greens
I will tell my sister to cool you
With her tender breeze
See that you are bathed
With her oxygen
I tell the rainbows
Of how you wrote me
Many poems of love
And how we smile together
As co stars
And I will tell The Fields
To weave you coat of many colours
red, green, yellow, blue,
violet, orange and indigo coloured
The rainbows will lend a helping hand
I will be the Stars
I will tell the Fields to plant
In your garden multiple colours of roses
They will add a sunflower also
I will tell them to fit in berries,
red, blue, multiple berries
And I will be the stars
Up above among heavenly
Bodies, I will shine as the firmament
Daniel chapter twelve holding three
And brighten your tomorrow
Shining your prayers to God Almighty Alone
First PLACE WIN
STRAND NO 800 ,any theme,any form FINALE
https://youtu.be/ivsD7Er0a_o (it video on YouTube)
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my thankful heart goes to you
6/16/2020
Starlight
As sunset fades from pink to violet
And twilight skies show trees in silhouette
Our heaven's open vault of diamonds shine
In awestruck twinkling glimmers so divine.
Reflections from these stars upon the sea
Share a peaceful grace with humanity.
Moon with its companion Venus, not far
Displays bright light but neither are a star.
Oh Shooting star, though brief, how bright your tail
That blazes sparkling lights within your trail.
Star struck am I to view your awesome sight
Within deep dark indigo skies of night.
You bedazzle so my romantic heart
Though light years we may be so far apart.
You charge my ardent senses with delight.
I long to see a glimpse of you each night.
My star struck days I know will never end
As your glow and my passion for you blend.
Oh planetary wonders that you are
'Tis God that has created every star.
2-23-22
First posted 3-20-20
~Poem of the Day March 23, 2020~
Thank you Poetry Soup Team and PS members for this honor.
~Second Place~
The Night Sky Poetry Contest judged 4/30/2022
Sponsored by: Anna Marie Kaianah
~6th Place~
Premiere Contest: A Star's Heartbeat
Sponsored by: Chantelle Anne Cooke
~3rd Place~
STRAND CHOICE M,any form,any theme
Sponsor Brian Strand
oh precious, dulcet diva, ocean-tide
you, of sand and foam and spindrift -
all your moods and meanderings
speak deep my spirit, wistful and wan
musings captured, gist enraptured …
I listen, close ...
on those warm and windy days, your
voice cuts clear, carries with it the joy
of sun sprites alighting on wave tops
hopping crest-to-crest like so many
gold pieces tumbling from pockets, laden …
I listen, rapt ...
becalmed days, the lull of low tide ...
gentle swells reach their arms ashore -
the cold brine washing sand and shell
like breezes sweeping the grasslands
rolling, as imagination rolls in the mind …
I listen, soft ...
whispering in my ear of the secret
dark places in my heart, exquisite
shadowy realms where passion and
reverie hide, pulsing with urge, aphotic
warm, enigmatic feelings flow and ebb …
I listen, true ...
an ocean storm's raging beauty, thus -
somber clouds, splashed Payne's Gray
swirl cruelly as Neptune flits his tresses
sea sirens lament with angry screams as
their backs are broken on reef and rock …
I listen, soft ...
gentle swells lapping brief, the sand
moon rising to the lullaby of a bell buoy
its tender peals coaxing the moonlight to
shore, Luna's beams tiptoeing gently atop
to join the phosphorescent waterline
(not to wake the slumbering breezes) …
I listen, sad ...
the gulls and terns laugh at the folly -
a man strains his ageing ears to the song
of the tides that he loves so completely -
the most divine and elegant aria known
and a voice so immortal and pure, that
it will croon on, long after there is naught ...
left to listen.
~ 1st Place ~ in the "Your Choice (9), Any Form, Any Theme" Poetry Contest, Brian Strand, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 3rd Place ~ in the "2019 Poetry Marathon Mile 7" Poetry Contest, Mark Toney, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 1st Place ~ in the "New Poems Only" Poetry Contest, Emile Pinet, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 2nd Place ~ in the "Voices" Poetry Contest, Silent One, Judge & Sponsor.
In Praise of God
I look to you for love and grace,
Trusting belief in you I place.
Please keep us safe within your sight.
I feel your presence day and night.
I try to follow golden rules.
Your precious words are my jewels.
My life I live within your light.
I feel your presence day and night.
The Ten Commandments are my guide,
To my children I did confide.
They know your truth to my delight,
I feel your presence day and night.
I’ve had my days of fears and woe
But feel protected and I know
The love you share is pure and right.
I feel your presence day and night.
It’s all about the love we share
That helps us to become aware
Of needs of others and their plight.
I feel your presence day and night.
I pray for peace, my worldly goal
That each and ev’ry sacred soul
Will feel the essence of your might,
To feel your presence day and night.
1-10-20
~First Place~
In Praise of God Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Kim Rodrigues
~Third Place~
STRAND SELECT 10,any form ,any theme
Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Brian Strand
My lady is the wind’s soft sigh through fields of marigolds in June,
A beach night stroll beneath the moon, a cloudless sky, a butterfly.
She waltzes to a rhapsody and lifts her voice soulfully.
My lady is. . .
A splendid sunset in July as two soared high in a balloon.
The bliss we tasted, you and I, against a bright sky streaked maroon,
is almost like a fantasy which lingers in my memory.
My lady is. . .
A tranquil August lullaby; the ocean’s sound along a dune,
A dragonfly, a blue jay’s cry, a lazy daisy afternoon
till Autumn brings new poetry; then long warm nights soon cease to be,
and months of Winter’s chill ensue.
My lady is the wind’s soft sigh through fields of marigolds in June;
a splendid sunset in July; a tranquil August lullaby.
She waltzes to a rhapsody which lingers in my memory.
When months of Winter’s chill ensue, I’ve bid my Lady Love adieu.
For Brian Strand's 'YOUR CHOICE (10)PERSONIFICATION ,any form,any theme'
He
may
not have
the perfect
face and body,
but I can see into a soul
radiant like the omniscient sun in azure skies.
In indigo nights, I press against his heart, longing to possess his perpetual light.
for Brian Strand's the 'COMPLETELY YOUR CHOICE (27)any form any theme' Poetry Contest
aye …
on such
divine evenings, thus,
are perfect odes not freely spun?
the Perseids, dancing their
jocund jigs -
capricious, evanescent stripes of
golden ire under a tapestry
of wonders …
watching rapt, ever-attentive,
streaking, burning ephemeral, as if the
gods themselves trace their
fingertips gently on
a phosphorescent brine …
but this, yet,
a sea of suns, amaranthine …
I wonder, could it be …
they are fleeting?
the hopes of idle angels, perhaps,
dying bright in the veil of Zion -
plunging to the earth
as if mortal …
perchance, they're pearls of Sol -
strands of liquid morning,
to adorn, pure, the breast of Heaven …
could be …
they're forsaken souls -
lost spirits, given one last chance to
burn their id on the firmament …
or even yet …
the wondrous wishes of children,
sparking to life in the midst of
their deepest dreaming,
and then … gone …
oh, surely,
it must be that,
their bright, momentary glory can
be meant for ONLY such
tender fancies,
the imaginings of youth,
the one fit and worthy vessel for
such runes …
and I, but their ever-willing caretaker …
picking each one from
the fiery vault like precious
gems from a parcel,
and plopping them, sweet,?
into the deep, soft pocket of my joys … thus,
on such divine evenings ...
aye!
~ 2nd Place ~ in the "Shooting Stars" Poetry Contest, Nayda Ivette Negron, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 1st Place ~ in the "Your Choice (5), Any Form, Any Theme" Poetry Contest, Brian Strand, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 1st Place ~ in the "2019 Poetry Marathon Mile One" Poetry Contest, Mark Toney, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 1st Place ~ in the "Cosmos" Poetry Contest, Thvia Shetley, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 4th Place ~ in the "Spring" Poetry Contest, Craig Cornish, Judge & Sponsor.
~ Poem of the Day ~ on Poetry Soup.com, awarded August 7, 2017.
Out of the burrows and hedges and dreys
Heads began bobbing and eyes were agaze.
Rumours were twittered and grunted and squealed:
‘The combine is coming to harvest the field!’
The moles and the voles and the rabbits and hares
All hurried and scurried and scattered in pairs.
The hedgehogs and ladybirds, pheasants and shrews
Did all that they could to distribute the news.
Then all made a dash for old wise badger’s sett;
The only safe refuge in face of the threat.
There, in the deep hollow they felt the vibration
They shivered and shuddered in great trepidation.
The thrumming and thundering monster machine
Soon passed overhead... and then all was serene.
And out of the hollow came heads, tails and paws
Another day safe from the harvester’s jaws!
Most recently entered into 'Your Best Rhyme Poem That Is Trophy Worthy Contest 3 Poetry Contest' sponsored by Tania Kitchin - 05.10.19
I chose this poem because not only is it one of my personal favourites, but to this day, I've no idea where all these little creatures came from! Written early on in my poetic endeavours, it made me appreciate fully the amazing powers of the imagination!
'A rattling rhyme contest' sponsored by Nina Parmenter
12/08/18
04/12/18
'I cannot believe I wrote that Poetry contest' : sponsored by Nina Parmenter
Your Choice,Any Form,Any Theme Poetry Contest : sponsored by Brian Strand
I'm inspired to open beauty's door
To step outside and let my mind explore,
To feel refreshing rain from skies above
To internalize nature's gifts of love.
Your poetry is what inspires so...
Such imagery that sets my heart aglow.
You capture life and love within your rhyme
In music of your words that's so sublime.
Enchantment swells from my impassioned heart
From glory that your wondrous words impart.
The depth of passion with coherent bliss
Lingers in my mind as a cherished kiss.
I long to be enfolded by your charms
With dreams of being held within your arms,
As your desires seem so real to me....
Yet, sure I know those dreams be poetry.
11-15-18
~First Place~
LATE NOVEMBER ,ANY FORM,ANY THEME,UPTO A MAX OF 20 lines
Contest Judged: 11/18/2018 12:08:00 AM
Sponsored by: Brian Strand
*Dedicated to all romantic Poetry Soup poets
Missing Family
Today I planted seedlings with my hand
In springtime's youth and wish to watch them bloom,
As verdant leaves now grow across the land,
In hopes the lovely blooms dispel the gloom
Of my sad melancholy heart that dwells
Within this lonely soul bereft of glee,
With a yearning in which sincerely swells,
Alone with tears of Fear's disparity.
Sweet loves of my life now in distance glow,
Whose loving faces I embraced each day,
Just as these seedlings that I hope will grow,
They live so close in thought, yet far away.
In missing them I pray again to see
Their sweet faces ensconced in memory.
5-24-20
~Third Place~
BRIAN'S CHOICE 11,any form,
any theme Poetry Contest
Sponsor Brian Strand
Mama says this is where
I was born on a stormy night
the benignant horn was where
she'd paused to breathe and reside
The bounteous hollow took her in
and echoed my cries and coos
spiralling down the springs
to protect me as if I were Zeus
I slide along the spirals
to quench my itching thirst
a joyous melody in the hollow
and palatable unceasing food
When it rains we glide to be dry
it shields us from the biting frost
when it snows and humans sing
of the ballads of festive days
At nights I crawl and climb
to the window of that horn
and watch the lavender starry sky
she recites stories of distant worlds
Sweet symphonies of chirping birds
wake me up on fragrant mornings
at times I step outside the door
to wander in some nearby forest
"Do you stay inside that cornucopia?"
A giant cub questioned me one day
I looked at Mama with my little black eyes
and wished to know the same
"Honey, this is our humble dwelling
that nurtures us, protects us, loves us
as if this was the great destiny
of a humble horn of spirals
This is our door to a beautiful heaven
with aromatic clouds and winged doors
this will be the blissful abode of tiny beetles
who lived happily in a divine cornucopia"
9th May 2020
For Cornucopia Poetry Contest
Sponsored By: Kai Michael Neumann
Premiere Contest Winner: First Place
BRIAN'S CHOICE 10,any form,any theme Contest
Winner: Honorable Mention