Best Blue Collar Poems
In the stillness of my room I lay in bed
arms snugged tightly around my pillow
turned side-ways facing moon and light
But it is not the burnt orange moon
but glowing embers in his eyes that warm my vacant night.
Tonight ,I see him just like on other nights
He is the vision in my last waking thought
He breathes within every breeze in my sleep
He rests right beside me holding my hand and dreams.
Tonight ,I recall his soft whisper in yesterdays'path
Sweet -nothings in my ear touched soft-spots of my heart.
I find him in mountains bathing in fresh rain
riding on horses in memory lane.
I watch him get closer calling out my name
Its there when I kissed him , then ran far away.
I see him on earlier days where He has found me
It was love at first sight and instant chemistry .
It was deep affection for a blue collar guy
with dirt on his shirt and an amorous smile.
I smelled poverty all over him ,and on his soaked fuel rag.
Smelled the soap on his skin , and books in his bag.
He passed one to me ,and said it is mine
I made him a pledge that I'd scribble a line.
One line followed others in chapters of time
Chapters of star spumes, sunrise , and sky
Chapters of novels about a blue collar guy.
Inspired by a book I read in my early teens .called 'Mysterious Mountain Man'
How does your part-crooked smile
Break out with such elegant style?
Subtle flaws modeled graceful and true
Like a gown woven just to fit you...
forty-four years after high school
before one can
retire and enjoy life
The work I do is not the most prestigious one,
from four to twelve thirty I drive...until my shift is done;
a forklift driver rarely takes a coffee-break,
and being courteous and helpful to customers means a lot.
My long-life dream was to be a songwriter like Andrew Lloyd Webber, but my songs
didn't click...they never made the Top Ten on the Billboard Charts;
and although they didn't sell well to make it my profession, I still hold my thumb up...
that if a famous recording artist performed them, I'd have a huge hit!
My free time is devoted to creating lyrics that I will set to music in late hours;
and I would never be a Mozart, Verdi, or Beethoven if didn't knock on doors
and expose my works to those who would be willing to listen without reluctance...
could one be old and succeed as the young ones with fresher, brighter ideas?
For now, I remain the same blue collar guy coloring more illusive dreams;
many approach me and say," Don't give up...you have plenty of chances!".
I do want to believe that and wear the deserved crown and be lauded as others...
'till my lucky day comes, I must make a living and have the faith of the achievers.
He’s exhausted, he just doesn’t know it. Trudging on, with wet feet he wears a groove into the same old places he goes every day. His cynicism distilled by pre-dawn alarm clocks, cold floors, sore joints and blistered hands; filtered through layers of work clothes he puts on in the dark as he kisses sleeping cheeks good-bye. His mug of black coffee sits in the cup holder as the defroster competes with the radio. His body driving on auto-pilot as he does the math in his head over what gets paid come payday.
I recently went to court to show
a supposed voice of reason
paperwork that had been falsified
by one within his own profession;
to my "If the glove don't fit, you must acquit" surprise,
the only real voice of reason was mine -
the pristine-looking image
of a con artist, theatrical profession
had to be more important than the truth.
We tell our children to strive to become
something bigger, better, and richer;
instead, we should be telling them to
become bigger, better, and life richer
than the superficial cheaters we usually
have them look up to while they are growing up.
For "The Voice Of Reason" contest sponsored by Paula Swanson.
I just got my paycheck,
when my workday was through,
saw how much was left after taxes,
I got the blue collar blues…
Maybe one day I'll go to college,
and get a white collar degree,
but by then I'll be too old,
to even go on a spending spree,
so I guess I'll have to make due
with my warehouse job for now,
at least I don't have to drive far,
or work late at night too,
I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons
of having a white collar
and making more dollars,
versus having a blue collar
and not bothering…
guess at my age I should
just be glad I have a job,
even though when I look
at my paycheck,
I feel like I've been robbed!
The blue-collar poet writes
of life in truth
Hard work long hours
Sometimes twelve or more
Spinning brief yarns about coworkers
Neighbors and friends and what
A pain The boss is
The blue color poet
shares good times and bad
Takes you on journeys to imaginary
Lands and fanciful places
you've never been
The blue-collar poet takes you
Again and again
I am a blue-collar poet
So many want only to decorate
Over life, dapple in shiny paint
From responsibility, they choose to excuse
Their delicate hands from such a bruise
They are irked, if asked to lurk
In the murk of work
They think they are owed a road
That is freely breezy
After all, it is easy
To do what is easy
To do what is hard
Takes more regard
Elbow grease ain't pretty
But you need nitty-gritty
To build a city
It is not the starry-eyed seeker of fame
Who is processing your insurance claim
Or unclogging your drains, or growing your grains
That sleek-cheeked, vainglorious movie star
Isn't down at the garage, fixing your car
Spare me the confetti and pompous flash
My admiration is for those picking up my trash
Let's cheer the truck driver and the cashier
The factories and taxis that bring jobs here
The blue-collar unions that creates careers
From lessons of concessions during depressions
A paycheck's a better bet
Than esoteric expressions.
7/06/20
There are many places in this world
where people tend to go,
to get a really good laugh
from a Great Comedy Show.
But My Friends I say to You
The Place to go is this,
Where you will hear The Famous Line,
"You Might be A Redneck If......."
Next on Stage there comes A Man,
and He Say's "Here's Your Sign",
He makes us laugh time and again,
He simply is Divine.
Then next We ROAR with laughter
From This Line, "GIT - R - DONE",
This Man is simply wonderful,
His Smile's Bright as The Sun.
Up Next there is a Gentleman
that fills Our Hearts with Glee,
He Says, "That Judge just TICKED ME OFF!!!
I was in the bar you see."
These four men are wonderful,
they ALL shine just like the sun,
they fill our homes with happiness,
with laughter and with fun.
And so My Friends I say to you
the next time you feel blue,
Just Think of these Four Shining Stars,
They'll bring A Smile to You.
Form:
An a show! Bravo we applauded. We
see past the befores' and look toward
the nextes': we thought it was one of
those nights. Durning the main attraction
most who were interested stopped and
went out and became audience, you know
regular guy's. I sat next to members of
the areana staff who were midway finshing up
cleaning. A couple of the guys there were
big fans. We sat queit for twenty nine
minutes watching. I remember jumping up
in excitment durning the match when the champ
seemed to be pinned.A queit came aross the
stadium of 25,000: it appeared the champ
had been pinned,the ref said no shoulder up.
The match restarted and wham, clothes line,
one, two, three! Again we thought new champ
the ref said no again shoulder up. Moments later
a fellow asked me if there was surposse to be a turnover
I said no, I doubt it I know whats going on and
the champ is in better shape thaan his opponet, I said
I think
they are hamming it up for the fans. And suddenly the
chmp is picked up on the shoulders and streched
we heard the guy say submit!, submit! Submit! The ref
said no and started the count for the champ to
be let go. Conversation with the ref, the champ pushes the ref
and the ref pushes him back: I'm like no way! Small package
and we see a three count but the ref said no: continue.
I checked my watch to see if we were close to a draw. No they had
plenty of time. Champ rallies back, and his signiture
manuver and we all said it's over. Challemger kicks out. Small package again surprises the champ, a clear thre count. And then it happened a queit and then a loud Boo! nd people began walking out. Fights on the floor and empty seats. The Promoter stops the match. And the next day I hear that
people were complaining. I can't even mention either champ or challengers name on air due to neogated interest by the three companies who
promoted the event. Well we haveman issue one company refuses to reogize the champ and award the championship to the challenger withdrawing from
the alliance. Within days we have Two champs. And the Promotion refuses
to show the tape to the fans!
it's over.
Home from work everyday covered in soot and grime,
Grit in his shoes; busts his gut to earn every last dime.
Your Best Rhyming Couplet #2 Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: L MILTON HANKINS
Date written: 09/29/2021
The wealthy seek company with your ten-acre heart and one-acre mind.
Groupies swarm beneath your haloed window even on rainy nights.
Tapping tambourines and triangles to poultice out those nuggets of life.
You slowly walk away from the frame and tiredly kiss them goodnight.
You try tempering pace, but the takers ripped the sundial from you.
Swarming like locusts- toting manuscripts, a photo shoot or two.
Who new babysitting the universe could be so damn exhausting.
Impossible to escape from the talons of a new age paparazzi.
All that you loved and lived for, has long ago withered and died.
You barricade from the gaze of a billion grasping green eyes.
Another golden chessboard gifted to you from an aging king.
Yet another bribe to pry from your palm the secret of eternity.
It all became to much; you've become the world's origami freak.
Folding and unfolding to appease the whirling maelstrom of greed.
You realize (to late) that the elixir is no blessing but a cutting curse.
You've been committed to an asylum called the song of dead birds.
Your 6006 years old, playing endless chess with moonbeams and ghosts,
dimming lights-drawing shades to drown out the mirror and the smoke.
You try explaining to Dr. Narcotic you're not a goblin,God or prophet
just a blue collar pawn who stumbled upon an elixir of misery and rot.
someone like you
someone like me
we can change the world
make our difference
it's up to you and me
AP: Honorable Mention 2021
Posted on March 20, 2021
Blue Collar T-shirt
Don’t be unfazed and wonder
When i say i have been there
Where everyone doesn’t at a time rise
And hold their head to create chaos
And doesn’t keep minds free
To fear not to disrespect the rule of law
Nor be perturbed and be surprised
When i say i have done that what
I should not have done as we all know
No one can get perfection yet I
Stretched my hand and get tired
Instead of doing my duty in my job
But i have done one thing right
I have bought a blue collar T-shirt. .