Best Boardwalks Poems
sparkling dancing sea waves touch the shore with flowing magic
of cobalt blue filaments that reflect the sky above
oh endless the huge expanses of pristine shoreline
and the jagged seaward cliffs where cormants and auks nest
wild deep and cold oh restless the rising tide . . .
a cool wind whips off the sea and gulls call
the fishing pier lonely of fishermen this morn'
boardwalks a vast emptiness
foraging albotrosses glide then plunge into the sea
sea waves crashing on weathered rocks in an endless rolling
gentle foaming changes to wild thunder
and yet serene the sea shore view to me
I stayed with the crashing till the last rays of sunset
that fringed the horizon then dipped and fell . . .
and in the moonlight the shore is darkly elusive
with hidden life and I drink the tranquility
this mysterious vastness of endless sand and views
and always in the background those unending waves
caressing
the sea shore . . .
___________________________
February 1, 2016
Poetry/Free Verse/The Sea Shore
Copyright Protected, ID 16-750-997-0
All Rights Reserved. Written under Pseudonym.
For the contest, The Sea Shore
Sponsor, Craig Cornish
Honorable Mention
Barefoot on the paving slab chill, concrete
feet feel frostbite emanations in their callused souls;
rooftop mystique clamours silent slate triangles,
perched the stray cat observers, red-eyes smoking coals.
Down to the river's edge where swaying reeds
feed mongrel contemplations with moist whispered words;
rusty oil-slicked surfaces lick the muddy banks,
karma sutra assassins are the predatory birds.
Fixated upon a frozen traffic system, bolt-locked,
dumb-shocked by electric one way streets to dead ends;
barstool poets weep sleep-sozzled cabbage tears
for the closing-time tragedy of long-time absent friends.
Drunkards shamble on beer-stained coliseum floors, grumble,
mumble incomprehensible diatribes into thin air;
the memorial park benches flake skin and rot within,
white spirits rape the dreams that anyone should care.
Deserted boardwalks spool a crooked travel,
unravel with myopic glint and blink, cat's eyes dying, died,
and the desolated song from night's deflated lung
hums doggerel consolation with no meaning left inside.
Illegitimate offspring of fatherless daughters and sons,
buns in sceptic ovens, burnt baked black offerings;
sacrifices on toilet stall altars, to lie in state
no more than ether, aborted ghosts, empty superfluous things.
Saviours ride no pale horses, immaculate white stallions,
galleons never sail to where the sun pristinely sets,
for the purpose of this life resides in its conclusion,
deserve has nothing to do with it and nothing is all it begets
A mighty force lurks out of sight
Far out o'er the sea
About to bring a monstrous fight
Like none we've ever seen
The time winds by and on the air
The wind is first to show
It starts out as a breeze so fair
But endless is it's flow
It picks up strength and close behind
The waves march up in force
Starting small but larger still
They crash upon the shore
Sheets of rain pour in and bring
Lightning with thunder booms
The storm is here its clouded rings
Over the city looms
Stretching vastly north to south
It surges on full steam
A powerful force within its clouds
To flood the streets and streams
Abandoned towns lie in the path
As well as cities large
A war upon this nation hath
This storm declared its charge
It turns the day to black like night
Invades the cities holds
Upon the shore it bears its might
Reshapes it in the cold
Boardwalks fall into the waves
Their hungry mouths want more
It gouges harbors into caves
And floods the lower floors
The rains join in and now they lay
To waste the country land
Two northern storms join in to play
Snow is now at hand
Lakes are formed in valleys low
Where cattle used to graze
While higher spots are cold with snow
The world all in a haze
Hours pass and now the storm
Its strength starting to fade
A hope is seen and human forms
In streets now start to wade
A mighty cry goes up at last
The storm moves on its way
The time has come and now alas
The cleanup will take days
Surviving souls will always see
This storm in their minds eye
Though the hardest times are yet to be
The sun shines in the sky
A nation rises up to save
And help life start anew
For we are all one and the same
The red the white and blue
One Horse Town
The boardwalks full of people only two stood in the street.
The showdown of the century counting down to thirty feet.
Black Bart said this towns too small for you and I to both be in it.
Today's the day we found out which one of us will win it.
Handy Randy took a spit and looked up at the sun.
He said yep, the truth be known by the time this day is done.
A hush fell over the town folks mother's hid their children's faces.
The two men in the desert sun walked just a few more paces.
The sheriff called out that's close enough! I'm a countin down from three.
Who's the best in all the west this whole damn town will see.
When he called that magic number Barts face turned black as night.
Handy Randy drew his pencil and they both sat down to write.
Randy wrote of springtime rain and the sound of childrens laughter.
Bart penned a verse about Randy moving on to the hereafter.
Then Randy wrote another verse so quick he made it rhyme.
The sheriff said time is up Bart finished just in time.
They filed into the saloon and they ordered up a drink.
While the judges read their writings and told them what they think.
Again the crowd grew quiet as they eagerly watched the show.
Old Hank from the hardware store said he really liked Barts flow.
The blacksmith from the stable stood up and cleared his throat.
And in almost a whisper said I loved what Randy wrote.
Bill that ran the old hotel said there ain't use denying.
My wife is a Randy fan but she always ends up crying.
The barber from on down the street trembled neath Barts gaze.
He said Barts poetry's kinda dark but he likes it anyways.
Some town folks started clapping you could hear the women sigh.
For the third year in a row the judges ruled a tie.
For some folks love the softer side while there's some that like it deep.
And not all men do their dreaming at night while fast asleep.
Once again the call was made the choice was handed down.
Black Bart and Handy Randy stay in this one horse town.
Edwin C Hofert
See the Victorian style homes of an earlier day.
There are plenty of them around Cape May.
The sea birds seem to laugh as they fly.
Ubiquitously, they fill the summer sky.
Frolic in the sand and the surf by the sea.
This is the southernmost tip of New Jersey.
Walk along the boardwalks and taste the salt water taffy.
This vacation spot is a place for the whole family.
Milton Bradly....
Condos castles etched in accretions dye along
The boardwalks flower made sorbitol scenes
Number twenty-twos scented sunrises, pastel piers
Neon lights enticing dreamscopes of, breathe....
The box-cars mundane roulette wheels
Spinning mirages of polyesters white gloved, hopes
Let it ride; everything I own upon, number twelve
Moonglow glazed margarita rainbows for, you and I
Cinderella, she folds....
"Games," lots and lots of, games!?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{...."Monopoly"....}
“Ice cream, ice cream
two for a quarter”
but we were already lining up
Mr. Softee’s* song beckoned
sultry vacation days in the suburbs
no air-conditioning back then
not one neighbor had a pool
so “Slip ‘N Slide was the way to keep cool
bedtime came before summer’s sunset
but only after Dad’s nightly stories
sometimes funny, sometimes scary
he made them up as he went along
weekends were wild at the Jersey Shore
sun, sand, surf and boardwalks
but it was the family time I loved most
as I dreaded that first school bell
*Mr. Softee was an ice cream truck similar to the Good Humor man.
Entry for the “Summer” Contest
Summer in the Suburbs and at the beach
Along the Shore
children playing by the score
thrashing, crashing waves endure
echoing power by the hour
The smell of salt is in the air
beach balls bouncing everywhere
seagulls drifting by the pair
boardwalks are the thorough fare
cool, crisp water relief
saving sweltering bodies grief
Marine life abundant feast
your tribulations are released
A pungent taste upon your lip
every time you take a dip
Oh yes, there's quite an allure
Along the quenching liquid sandy seashore
word count 82
Opened eyes see beyond horizons everything
Behind the dirty ears of crying babies in the bath
Look up to see the future through the galaxies
Go through red lights at 80 miles per second speeding
There is no time for tickets from the traffic cop
Impossible to stop
Blinking is a sin, a sign of weakness
So move on to boardwalks clearly visible
Capture every second in the instant lens
Pretty girls in Atlantic City on the beaches
Sport sunglasses to see glass hours darkly
Shy eyes hidden behind the frames
Body too blue to view from waters depth
Wearing a yellow polka dot bikini very thin and wet
She will never enter the shallows nearly naked
Eye candy you can watch and swim in with a smile
Tender to the touch but never fall in love
Brown eyes blink when they are thinking
Green is their favorite color while by the sea
Envying since they are in to neon reasoning
Never lose sight when viewing through the looking glass
Binoculars are better for sighting pretty birds
Hazel eyes are warm from our perspective
Perception, image is everything
Moving forward in the light of day when opened
Already on your way to seeing
Automobiles can take you there
Adjust your rear view mirror cautiously
When looking from behind with opened eyes
I will watch the sunrise and the moon set
I will taste oysters and reap mint
I will harvest vegetables from the farm stand
I will live as an orphan adopted
finding joy in rain and in snow
I will walk on many often peat-ed paths
my paths are dune bound
and stretch to a salted dark pea green sea
The songs of gulls and osprey decorate the sky
inner ear re-peating long after they are flown
I tiptoe where the plovers nest
challenges come
seem insurmountable
and then flow away ....on the trivial tides
My heart is broken today
Tomorrow
I will learn to worry only when asleep
I will ask humbly
for acceptance of the hard and cold .......like those 4 nails
embrace the bloom...but adore the fall
When the sun sets early
I will adjust my internal organs
wooing them
I will rejoice more having understood darkness's seasonal game
So when spring next year kisses me full on my pale waning lips
driving me closer to the close of my life
I remember that you loved me
I will remember that I loved you
I will not argue that we are not together
I will not rage against the almighty machine behind
the soft flowing velvet curtain
I will not ask
why I can't have everything I want!
Before
beautiful heartbreak was dark chocolate's
burning bitterness
fraught with the bows and ties
flaming storms of mental confusion and conflagrations of desire
I no longer hold onto loss
You will die and there's nothing I can do about it
I will keep walking down these -bike tire and flip flop rutted paths
scanning the horizon for boardwalks ...that stretch out into the sea
What a gift it is to walk out deep past the cresting wave breaks
Without fear
Without sorrow
Without regret
Trusting the current to take me gently... insistently into the bliss
Ice cream and ices, ice cream and ices
Get your fudgywugies here is screamed
Heard clear emerging from the tunnels
Under the boardwalks promenade shadows
Loud and clear come good humor men in white
Ridiculous in their black shoes heavy like iron
Trudging through hot sand like mad men
Hunched over with the weight of Summer
Ready to huckster the kiddies for money
Already waiting with quarters in hand
Radios dial up Beatles for transistor sisters souls
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band plays on
Over sounds of ocean spray and cozy blankets
The surface of the sun smiles on happy afternoons
Cones melt chocolate droplets on wet bathing suits
Blue lips of children, their bodies shiver, after a dip
They toss peanuts at pigeons who leave droppings
As presents after target practice then continue cooing
Colorful kites fly with the seagulls and dollars
Waved to entice those who come out from the shadows
Sun lotions and potions of peace and love sold at a price
Not always a bargain
Pretty tan girls in stunning string things
Left to the imagination as clothing
Dotted bikinis in yellows and pinks on parade
Follow life guards into the surf for protection
Held together by muscles and love
Not only tides wave good-bye to Summer
Mobsters wear concrete shoes for a dip
Smoke their last cigarette before “falling in”
Go for a swim with the fishies
Sink to the depths of the city
We embarked on an adventure
That was quite quixotic
A scientific dream quencher
Searching for exotics
We started where we thought made sense
Out on the sunning docks
Where perhaps there’d be an immense
Native Great White Butt Ox
We packed all of our photo gear
And pursued the best sights
But only found local Striped Rear
Aglow in the moonlight
Before being tempted to browse
We jumped off those boardwalks
Since a Striped Rear cannot arouse
Like a Great White Butt Ox
Experts said to try the shore line
Where they lay out in clumps
Though fauna there with a nice shine
Were only Large Brown Rumps
Well we explored every ocean
Including the boondocks
Though nothing lathered in lotion
Were confirmed White Butt Ox
So then we probed the far back woods
Searching behind bushes
Yet the few things there any good
Were just Texas Tushes
Ah, in Texas everything’s big
So we went there to skirt
Rodeos, dance halls and oil rigs
Out on the bare desert
Where we met on a dusty road
A nice girl named Annie,
And her friend hauling a wide load
Fittingly called Fanny
Then we swore that on other routes
That we saw a Butt Ox
But it was only Fanny’s glutes
Displayed on their long walks
We studied scholarly writings
But were always flummoxed
Since so far there were no sightings
Of A Great White Butt Ox
I said let’s go try city streets
Where I am sure we’ll find
Assorted sized bums spanning seats
That are best seen behind
We investigated the parks
But findings there were sparse
Yet we frequently came across
A sleeping Spotted ****
But then I observed on the grass
Beside a pile of rocks
None other than a true first-class
Native Great White Butt Ox
It was surely of mature age
And of course very rare
And then ably, as if onstage
Strutted its derriere
It was a breathtaking female
That we tagged that autumn
And knew its gender without fail
When we checked her bottom
O, to dream of mythic trails, velvet underfoot
to float on whipped-cream waves of desire
To feel your soft contours sigh in sync with mine
mint vapors to inhale, on moonstruck wishes to dine
To saunter down sandy boardwalks and disappear
sans white buds or jeweled baubles in ageless ears
Missionaries unflinching, for unrepentant good
ere sunrise flickers out 'neath ashes of widowhood
Breezes on boardwalks
that carry its essence
Suntans are fragranced
by its very presence
Beach balls are bandied
within its cachet
Whitecaps that rush salted
flurries my way
Taffy that’s pulling my nose
to the door
Sugared delight
cotton candy galore
Coconut sandies that
flavor my eyes
One whiff of chocolate
I’m hooked, no surprise
Perfume of lemons
on girls strolling by
Peanuts’ aroma
by gift of the sky
French Fries and burgers
and hot dogs for you
Make everybody
know just what to do
Oh, how I long for
the scent of Summer’s day
Where will we meet again?
In snow, when the villages
Are buried in a whiteness
That only a polar bear,
Rolling in the fray of a midnight blizzard
Could match?
Or...
Rendezvous in mid summer
After the virus
Is decreased to a
Low hum
And only a handful of humanity will
Lie on hospital beds
Listening to the bees buzz as loud as miniature
Helicopters singing a one note song of
Hope,
Outside the open windows?
Well, perhaps we should meet in autumn
When the maple trees that adorn the street
Flare up and out
The leaves that shimmer like gold are
Oracles in themselves
As they receive the epiphany,
Instructions as to their time of seasonal
Brilliance
Until they too are weighed down by the thin
Paw if winter.
And yet,
There’s always next year
We can simply cycle back to another springtime
A new dawn when parks and boardwalks will call
Call us back,
Back to the time of misty wet light from
The Gods,
When we could still walk together,
Will you lead the way?
No, you said....
Let’s meet on the edge of all of it,
That shiny razor sharp place,
The grand confluence
Of mind matter spirit
Wrapped in a finale of today.
In the dwindling sunlight of approaching dusk.