Best Bottle Rockets Poems
I saw a child on a play yard swing
And my soul soared with fervent joy.
As precious memories came flooding back
To when I was just a boy.
When on a sweltering summer day
My shirt and shoes were often first to go.
Since nothing had a better feel
Than the cool grass between my toes.
The swing, the slide, the monkey bars
Where sweet Helen stole a kiss.
When at the time... seemed most unkind
But now has earned a storied bliss.
The many games of British Bulldog
We played to the edge of a summer light.
Till our Mother called a second time...
We were forced to bid our friends good night.
Blow pops, pop rocks and bottle rockets
Were the well earned cause of tooth decay.
While any nutrition laced with vitamins
Were still lost to future days.
My bumps and scrapes of minor wounds
Were left to heal on their own.
While the deeds that caused such battle scars
Were merrily born with sated groans.
But my mind can barely fathom
How such treasured times have gone.
But such is how the march of time
Keeps our memories safe where they belong.
I wish I had the bearing
To have made those moments last.
But sadly such is not the case
So they happily languish in my past.
The End
SUMMER MYSTERY--
Summer time wishes;
Ice cream cooks upon the grill;
Bags of ice in cooler;
Raw hot dogs in water;
Ants are all excited;
Summer mystery;
Just what does it mean?
Bottle rockets, fireworks 4th of July;
Summer time wishes;
Potato salad;
Watermelon brew;
Hamburgers made from pig, oink
Summer mystery;
Just what does it mean?
Bottle rockets, fireworks 4th of July;
Sack races in boxes;
Cats chasing frogs;
Dogs eating fries I’m excited;
Dirty lake water;
Children holler;
What’s the use?
Running to and fro up and down the hills they go..
Must be summer;
Summer mystery;
Just what does it mean?
Bottle rockets, fireworks 4th of July;
6/24/19
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2019©
chemo waiting room
patients eat saltines
from a candy dish
Published in Bottle Rockets #42 2020
AP: Honorable Mention 2021
Posted on October 25, 2018
After the Sunday service, searching back to her
For a date. He will soon be walking back to her.
Bottle rockets popping over the Sacre Coeur.
She suddenly kissed him; he then leaning back to her.
Leave ending, the soldier takes the Gare de l’Est train.
Just outside, from his window, waving back to her.
She travels east by train. He travels south by train.
A weekend in Strasbourg, him meeting back to her.
“Hey! You have another letter. What did he say?”
She reads aloud. He’s always writing back to her.
Five-mark coins clank in the West German phone.
“Je t’aime” heard at her “boulot”; calling back to her.
The Army okayed it. His mother flew over.
Her father was there for the wedding back to her.
First residence in Sohren. First of two munchkins,
Playing under a chair, then crawling back to her.
All night in the post’s delivery room,
Holding her hand. Love sending back to her.
TDYs learning Serbo-Croatian
Through Germany commuting back to her.
Yugoslavia dies as a nation -
U. N. Peace Keeper writing back to her
From Operation Iraqi Freedom
Telephoning, emailing back to her
Now a civilian, travels behind him,
He’s always nearby, staying back to her
Commuting between Monterey and Salinas,
Both approaching retirement, driving back to her.
The Warrior Poet and his wife walk the old dog.
“Hurry Bella.” “Come on girl.” Whistling back to her.
For all in this old world I've missed
this latter half is the sweetest I insist
For all I lost I gained the more
a family that's precious
beyond asking for
My step daughter she opens a kindest heart
her soul she gives as a work of art
her precious daughters
new grand-babies to spoil
beautiful, genuine with laughter truly joyful
Every day I'm living a dream
so perfect for me perhaps I'm asleep
I always wondered what this would be like
here in the latter half of life
A glassy lake on independence morn
the men frying fish we caught the night before
riding my buckskin on Pacific Crest Trail
with the family in tow tail to tail
Love and sweet adoration
fills the air of day
gone is the smell of bottle rockets
marking when independence came
Stars and Stripes
our freedom rings
in this heart and this life
Can you believe...? I finally grew wings
Ah the wonder and twists of fate
when you think your too old and it's much too late
when you wonder if God has turned his back
only to find he saved the best for last
Even if I had to do it all again
lovers lost and the loss of friends
painful as it was and sometimes still is
it was all worth the happy I'm starting to live
Never stop believing
your dreams will come true
though the search leaves your soul
battered and bruised
You never know what joy may come
though you hum to the beat of a solitary drum
not really knowing why something's wrong
but knowing when it's right come the dawn
A pallet of complimentary colors
of orange and purple phase, grays at the edge of night
a fog muffled melding of light like no other
behind the Golden Gate bridge between spans held tight,
seaside we wait for this fourth of July delight.
And as the tangerine dollop of day descends
the sparklers of children, and bright bottle rockets blend
with the cascading chrysanthemum fireworks
a surreal sunset baths the bay at day ending
highlighting all San Francisco's marvelous quirks.
Date: 5/15/14
midsummer sunset
dad's tractor
parked for the night
Published in Bottle Rockets Press #48
Posted on May 31, 2018
indian summer
first day of school
new hand me downs
Published in Bottle Rockets #39 2018
Posted on May 30, 2018
poolside
sunrays waterguns and
watermelon spears
Published in Bottle Rockets Press #45
There's no need for you to worry
No need for you to fret
I've been to see the doctor
And he says I'm not a threat
He says that I'm not dangerous
And I will be okay
And that the voices in my head
Will one day go away
If unhinged were bottle rockets
I might light up the night sky
I could snap at any moment
But I promise not to bite
Don't be nervous I'm not contagious
Though I'm not a betting man
My mind's just on hiatus
Out building castles in the sand
So you see there's no need to worry
Or call the authorities
But if non compos mentis came in Slurpees
I'm pretty sure my brain would freeze
Perhaps I see things differently
Than the normal side of town
Doesn't mean I'm pushing crazy
I'm just tugging on its hand
spa day
dad comes home
to a brunette
Published in Bottle Rockets #40 2019
august breeze
rustling poplar leaves
~ outdone by church bells
Published in Bottle Rockets #41 2019
AP: 3rd place 2022, Honorable Mention 2020
Posted on May 31, 2018
Better don your leather chaps it's going to be a rough one
Pack extra roll caps into your Six Gun
Ask for double shots to compliment your Starbucks
All that's left now is to wish you good luck
Bring an extra pack of Bottle Rockets if you have them
Monkey wrench and needle nose pliers if you can find some
This could read as the last page to the final chapter
In what we anticipate as the Happily Ever After
Do all you can do to bring the water balloons
A cassette if you could of your favorite Show Tunes
Add extra sugar in your Slurpee from the 7-11
This ain't going to be easy is what I am guessing
Get a tight grip on your Thingamajig
Loosen the top on the Pickle jar lid
We're about to go through another life lesson
Which ain't nothing new if I was a man betting
Pack your bags for another day in the life
Extra padding would help for the bumpy ride
Think we've thunk of it all there's no more to say
We're now more than ready for another day
Today is July the 4th and millions of Americans are celebrating.
We got independence in 1776 and that's something I'm not understating.
Many people will be shooting fireworks tonight.
When I light my bottle rockets, they will take flight.
I'm really looking forward to firing off Roman Candles.
But fireworks can be dangerous if they're mishandled.
Celebrating the fourth of July sure does make a lot of sense.
For two hundred and thirty-five years we've had independence.
backroads
of a summer joyride
~ a memory map
Published in Bottle Rockets #44 2021
AP: 3rd place 2020
Posted on July 18, 2018