Best Beaters Poems
Stripped into auspicious
Feeding on vacuous
Tongue tied inversion
Masterful assimilation
Befuddled into coercion
The ******** on creation
A fortress in distinction
Disentangled from catipulation
Disemburdened from aberration
Digression from complaisant
Dispensation of prerogative
Perfunctory of repurchase
Mosquito Beaters
2016
by Franklin Price
1/102016
We gather each year, the mosquitoes to beat
We come to this place our old friends to meet
To talk of good times, of the orange groves that grew,
Of the life we had then and the things that are new
To get sand in our feet, salt wind in our hair,
Reminisce of our youth when we hadn't a care
When we left our doors open; did not bother to lock
We did not have TV's or a digital clock
Trees lined the causeway and it was two lane
The bridges swung open, for the boats, what a pain
The cars had to wait until they passed through
We shut off our engines. What else could we do?
We had to save gas. The high cost made us weep.
Eighteen cents a gallon was not very cheap
Made a dollar an hour at the old five and dime
To the drive-ins we went to have a good time
One had good burgers with an order of fries
The other had movies to entertain eyes
Stayed in the car when to them we would go
A few still exist, but not here, that I know
The Space Center came and it was very soon
We sent rockets to space and a man to the moon
Built big tall bridges and four laned the roads
Got rid of the orange groves to make more abodes
Through these times came more people to retire or work
That this place has now changed is not really a quirk
So we meet and recall from our memory's log
When mosquito trucks sprayed and we ran through the fog
Mosquito Beaters Luncheon
Class of '64
By Franklin Price
03/17/2022
It was only just a week ago
That we met at Island Time
Older now and maybe wiser
Than when young and in our prime
The faces looked familiar
As the years were wiped away
We were the class of '64
Who had come to lunch that day
I exchanged hugs with ladies
With a light kiss on the cheek
Put my arm around the men folk
Shook their hands, I'm not a geek
We enjoyed each others' company
It had been too long, too far
Reminisced a lot of history
Got a few beers from the bar
When the lunch was over
And we went our separate ways
We had smiles on all our faces
From remembering the days
Wealth Beaters
Why?
Because of the hospitals they
built?
Or the many scholarships they fund?
Is it the millions they sink, so
vaccines can be found?
Why?
The alumni funds that keep colleges afloat?
That they personally fund artists and their works?
Why?
Are we just jealous, so jealous that we thrive on
class warfare?
That makes us an unhappy lot, judging others
is no joy.
Look into your own heart.
What do you do weekly financially to help others?
Do you volunteer at all?
Or sit an home, doing a daily judgement call?
Why?
Have you built a corporation that employs thousands?
Do you volunteer in rough areas to help others?
Money or lack thereof is no way to judge our fellow man.
Best we look into our own mirrors and ask:
"Am I doing all that I can?"
That old saying so very true." Judge not, lest you be
judged also."
To a compassionate world!
May 10, 2020
10:30am PST
I fear that we must put all our political eggs in one bastard