Best Behind The Times Poems
I found a notebook in blowing trash
left by an elder moving away.
Did she not want to keep it, I asked
Won't fit, one room, is all she would say.
She was bidding farewell to her home
of sixty-five years: she was too old
to live among ghosts she said would roam
I saved book to see what would unfold.
Opening the book, enchantment poured:
watercolors on each wind-torn page.
children, garden blossoms fondly stored,
ladies, beads in hair: the Flapper Age!
I was enthralled. An artist she was!
Beside each drawing, a note left, too.
She was a treasure living near us
I feel ashamed that none of us knew.
We tend to equate old with past tense,
behind the times, so we hesitate.
Of distant years, and her added sense
tales she could tell if we would relate.
Yellow flowers I took in blue bowl,
and visited with her a long while
I said, to hear her tales was my goal,
and saw the beginning of her smile.
March 22, 2023
for "Writing Challenge--N Words"
by Constance La France
a First
Nor ahead of
Nor behind the times ~
The bell-tower floats her chimes
being still,makes me ill.the feel i get when girls are wet and wild,is ooh child,things are gonna get easier.the theme park crossed my mind.so did your behind.your behind the times if you think im perverted.we worried?the poet laureate thing,its a total mess,and unblessed.we confess,lest,we take the place.love the lower case.
There is a fifth season as real as rain.
It storms the earth with rash incivility.
What time has held as decent and sane,
Its loud voices now disown acceptability.
Putting hand on heart as the flag passes by
Is damning proof you're behind the times.
And having faith in God is an act to decry.
In fact it counts as the worst of crimes.
Relying on Uncle Sam to do what you could
Is a fashionable practice by millions today.
To do differently it is commonly understood
Reveals you're naïve about a wiser way.
Breaking marriage vows is absent of shame.
Some even celebrate their acted-out lust.
"Just being human—nothing worthy of blame."
Thus, they mock the foundation of marital trust.
Some quickly say it has always been this way.
Honest history suggests they have a point.
But the past can't excuse a fifth season today.
Otherwise our learning curve is out of joint.
Oh, there's lots of talk about the sad end
Of what we call the American dream;
About the fast decline of our morals
And that we're not all we once were or seem.
Yes, the enemy is outside and in
And most are betting that we're about through;
It seems religion just keeps withering
And that patriots are too far and few.
Not long ago leaders were respected--
They told us the truth and they were not stealth;
Now we doubt their word and their intentions
With smiles and slick phrases like “spread the wealth.”
Oh, they slowly take away liberties--
Tell us what to eat and how we should talk;
Call us fuddy-duddies and out of touch--
It's our traditions and culture they mock.
Yet, nothing is sadder than old liberals
When they go and wrap themselves in the flag;
Make those empty red, white and blue gestures
And say hollow things and put on false brag.
We know that they're just all so full of it
And we never believe a single word;
Leaving unintended consequences
While behind our backs they flip us the bird.
And if we should oppose same-sex marriage--
We're old and just behind the times, you know;
Seems our constitution and God's own book
Aren't enough to stop our nation's garbage flow.
So now they say police are the bad guys
And that they're too brutal and leave folks dead;
But if there's a robbery or riot--
You never call a criminal instead.
Yes, they keep saying our economy
Is just dandy and really quite a pip;
As they still lie about unemployment--
It's just mostly lives and burgers we flip.
Oh, there is no real war on our women
But there is a long one on the unborn;
And we're told transgenders now have their rights
While our own rights are met with stone cold scorn.
Our borders have become a suggestion
And illegals glut our land and just laugh;
We're told there's no such thing as terrorists
And we can't separate wheat from the chaff.
Oh, say we can see by dawn's early light
That we have fell down and long lost our way;
Heroes are now villains and wrong is right--
But cowboys aren't gone and will have their day.
Last night I had an American dream
About our hopes and not just our demise--
Yes... our America will never die
As long as freedom shines in one child's eyes.
Behind the times
My heart was looking for a place
Behind homelands
My soul was looking for safety
Behind sorrows
My tears were looking for a smile
And behind your heart
I was looking for my self...
Carpe diem? sweet, yet meet?… whimsical? smart? how do I start?…
On a birthday, it’s worth saying something special from the heart.
While I’ve penned all kinds of rhymes— ahead, behind the times, a range—
Some in verse that’s terse, some florid, others horrid, stanzas strange…
Here are couplets spare, to share a word about aesthetic voice
And tell of those who, heaven knows, feel impelled. These have no choice.
Force driven, from a passion given or a pull linguistic,
They have to make their plea— to make us see— by means artistic.
To psyches nourish with a flourish to seek heights where dreams dare—
Souls entice through words’ device— takes more than mere inventive flair.
Although Joyce’s knack most lack or Molly Bloom’s, yes, claim to fame…
Still a spark might light that could ignite a literary flame.
When in dim creative burn, one struggles just to turn the page—
Push on to… and puzzle through… a painful poem’s final stage.
Midst seas of jocund companies, I would seek to speak from shore,
Hope to leave behind a line of mine that wasn’t there before…
Meantime delight in what is left, each strophe deft… to the end…
Where we blind may find someday someway unwinds beyond that bend…
I’ll stop the Harley parley now— sing appreciation ‘cheers’…
For encore add, ‘many more birthdays galore… and relished years!’
~ Harley White
[While this was initially written for the birthday of someone in particular, I have found it to be appropriate for my creative friends and acquaintances in general.]
If a book has footnotes, though it is fiction,
How do you classify it?
Historical fiction has made some inroads
To this chimera crossroads
But science fiction
Ironically, is behind the times
I’ve kept writing vigils like Virgil.
I muse ‘neath the stellar stars at night, I sure hope you do, too.
Perhaps a mix, writing while wundering under stars is next on my list To Do
I don’t mean to be egotistical
but I hope to revolutionize literature fictional
A melding of deep research and deep imagination is my objective.
Thank you for being part of this voluntary experiment. Collective.
To cross bloodlines of logic and creative
Though she personally likes them, this avocational teacher thinks
For students, textbooks and research papers can be dry
Entertainment is currently a current vapid like air
But rippling vibrant characters could add life and water
I’ve heard people say ‘no man is an island’
and ‘standing on the shoulders of giants.’
Reading and citing
giants’ thoughts are excellent.
You’ll tower among the peaks
And enjoy their “views.”
But you can create even
small things
with your equals, also.
Long distances of space and time are fine.
Someone who is dead- a slight seance
or someone on the other side of a screen.
But you can turn to the person next to you, also.
The “joyful burden” of creating does not solely fall on your shoulders.
If each “man is a universe unto himself,” two universes combining- how much larger are the infinities?
Yet, most celebrities’ songs are sing-ular singing.
Yet, most books have but a single author. I mourn for all the lost possibilities.
And as they yammer on with their plastic faces and artificial voice sounds
I can assure you, someone in your own classroom or neighborhood has written something more profound.
And, if you look, another person in reach could sing the pants off them, hands down.
Spawn beautiful ideas and solutions and skills and combinations of knowledge and rhyme.
Ideas spawn other ideas, ad infinitum down the line.
Chimeral caleidoscopic chords.
I am a teacher
Eager beaver
Full of beans
I build bridges
And burn the candle at both ends
I am a teacher
Cap in hand
Full of the milk of human kindness
I fight tooth and nail
To make my pupils see reason
I am a teacher
As hard as nails
Face like thunder
I resent cheap shots
And the breaking of every rule in the book
I am a teacher
With a carrot and a stick
I bring my pupils to heel
I reward who reach for the moon
I clip pupils’ wings
If they go far and off the rails
I am a teacher
Not a mouse potato
And not behind the times either
I am all ears
I bare my soul to my pupils
I make them explore all avenues
And go the extra mile
I am a teacher
I have my heart set on giving
It is a long row to hoe
I will make headway
Pull out all the stops
And hang in there
That’s what I have on the brain.
December 17th, 2015
A funny thing happened on the way to the market
I arrived in my Porsche, there was no where to park it
So I circled the village; and parked it in a side road
When I returned an hour later, my car was being towed!
I asked the traffic warden whatever was the matter
She said there’s no tax disc, boy that warden did natter
I said what planet are you on, you are so behind the times
Tax discs are not compulsory, and I’ve committed no crimes
She said I also saw you were parked on double yellow lines
And for those misdemeanours you’ll be getting huge fines
I said madam I have to totally disagree with you
There are no yellow lines, nor red white or blue
May I urgently suggest you arrange a sight test
and return my Porsche as I’m getting quite stressed
She admitted needing glasses , she had done so for years
And she then burst out crying - I had to mop up her tears
A phone call was made; my car was towed back to me
I drove the warden to Specsavers, then went home for my tea
A funny thing happened on ... Contest
Sponsored by Robert Haigh
6/25/18
Am I not An American?
I listen to the news
I hear all the political views
The analysts give numbers and statistics
This is all really, quite fantastic
They don’t even ask me
I don’t matter personally
I am just a statistic it seems
Insignificant in the larger scheme
I just don’t understand
Why do I live in this land?
Am I not an American?
We’re sixty five years behind the times
Our healtcare in the naiton is a crime
People die because insurance they cannot buy
Just as the politicians why
The have all kinds of excuses
To then you and I are useless
Unless of course they want our vote
Then suddenly we are in the same boat
Why do I live in the land?
I just don’t understand
Am I not an American?
The Supreme Court said Healthcare was constitutional
But politicians are just too damn institutional
Why should they get healthcare free?
It’s a conspiracy, don’t you see
It’s that that they’re against the law
Therein lies the Congressional flaw
The institution of politics
Play cheap partisan tricks
Why am I in this land?
I just don’t understand
Am I not an American?
It won’t matter when we die
They’ll just get a vote from some other guy
Why should they care?
It just isn’t fair
Why do I live in this land?
I just don’t understand
Am I not an American?
Time is elusive
Time flies - Tempus fugit
Where'd the time go?
Time is in short supply
There's not enough time
You're out of time
Time is epochal
Once upon a time
The time has come
Time has value
Time is of the essence
The time of my life
Time is criminal in a way
A devil of a time
Kill time
Time is futuristic
Ahead of the times
Except when it's not
Behind the times
In the end, time disappears
Time to fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Slashed and burnt to golden brown
Frowned upside down, prithee now
Come diagonally to get here clown
Romp in delight as you were never found
Wanting, were you?
Wanton greedy bastard, turn back now
Carry on then in your mortal sin, how
Do you do it darling? Tongue in cheek
Take a peek into your shadow, we'll
Not find you meek, will we?
Peasantry, just busy yourself elsewhere
For you are half the man you used to be
Half a sentence.
Just does not do you justice, betray me
For a dollar and a dime, walk behind the times
You spit on me as you past
Willows on the ridge in a hurricane, spent
More time with I, I implore you to look above
Before you too, find your wings lying there
On hallowed ground, soggy, muddy,
Halved
To Terry My True Friend
They always are nice people though
But just behind the times, you know;
Better then them would always be
But my way never seemed to see.
Went into Life Insurance for a while
Was not my thing or even style
Pay was poor and pocket hardly dented;
Many of them must have been demented.
Never would ever give me good guidance;
Can forget about trust and reliance;
Often people thought I was rather odd
Except someone whose name was God.
Been married and happy for many years;
Enjoyed hopes and afraid of my fears;
All of my spirits up high were lifted
When my wife June said I was gifted.
James Thomas Horn, Retired Veteran
It's about time:
Time out of mind, time capsule, time travel, time frame,
Time zone, time to get cracking, time will tell,
Time to spare, time out, time off, time apart,
Timetable, timeclock, timeline,
Time for bed, time on my hands, time has not been kind,
Time flies, time stood still, time marches on,
Time to go, time step, time to kill, time is up,
Time is of the essence, time is on my side,
Time to sow, time to reap, time bomb,
Time limit, time after time, time to grieve,
Time is my friend, time is against me,
Time waits for no one, time ran out,
Time to put up or shut up, this time, next time,
Once upon a time, once in a lifetime, the test of time,
The time of your life, the sands of time,
One more time, storytime, quitting time,
One time too many, payback time, on borrowed time,
The time has come, these are the times that try men's souls,
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country,
No time to lose, no time like the present, in no time,
In the nick of time, out of time, 'til the end of time,
Losing track of time, as time goes by, from time to time,
Now is not a good time, all in good time, for a good time call,
Let the good times roll, remember the time, take the time,
The arc of time, the best of times the worst of times,
Telling time, when I find the time, more time than money,
Lunchtime, launch time, high times, behind the times,
If I could put time in a bottle, in the meantime,
That time of the month, for the last time, in due time,
Daylight Savings Time, halftime, break time,
ETA, closing time, Central Standard Time,
Record time, spare time, timepiece, peacetime,
All the time in the world, most of the time, sometimes,
A time for everything, waiting time, doing time,
Greenwich Mean Time.
Time makes slaves of us all.
Time takes its victims without remorse or hesitation.
Time heals all wounds.
Nothing can hurt us the way time does.
It's show time!
Author's note: If any of you dear readers can think of other "timely" quips, I'll be happy to add them to my list.