Best Breakneck Poems

She kept it all inside her
and never spoke a word,
though her thoughts flew and darted
like a trapped and frantic bird.

Inside her was a garden
that was hung with Spanish moss,
like the massive oaks were weeping
to remind her of her loss..

The spider wove at breakneck speed,
a perfect...

Continue reading...

See there! She flies about the moor
Upon her favoured mount.
The waving, flowing grassy shore
bears hoofprints all about.
The waves her steed surmounts.
Her hair is flying here and there;
She hasn't thought of care.

Her little sister, Margaret Rose
Thro' panelled glass observes
As Lilibet, the rider, goes
At breakneck turns and...

Continue reading...

A scientist pursuing research—
with disinterested curiosity,
Poets distancing themselves—
from personal emotions,
from ‘personality’ (in Eliot’s idiolect),
A sportsperson focusing on the event—
not obsessed with results,
demonstrating sporting spirit,
Anyone doing their karma—
regardless of results,
as characterized in Indian scriptures,
notably the Gita—
All these are instances of detachment—
Of varying degrees
And of course in...

Continue reading...

There is never an ending
		to the spending
	a world of paper
and plastic to collect
and horde
	clothes
	and cars
	and homes
	and jewelry
	and fine wine
	and paintings
	stocks and bonds
	vacations 
and expectations
entire vocations 
	devoted to 
disguising the numbers
the Caribbean masquerade
to volumes of recorded
purchases and voices 
of invoices
making
	discreet
choices 
all
to extend  
the accumulation
of dates
and...

Continue reading...

We rode out of Camelot, sun arising, 
five knights led by Galahad all bold and true, 
on a quest to slay a marauding dragon,
at Arthur's request.

T'was noon when we discovered the dragons lair, 
and kept a safe distance at the forests edge, 
then crept forward...

Continue reading...

Through shadowed forest glade she rode
'Midst grey and gloomy chill
No single thought of safety did
A moment stay her will

The mist clung to her nostrils as
She charged into the brush
The creatures of the forest paused
In terrifying hush

Foreboding seeped into her bones
Ghastly, from ages spent
Urging her mount...

Continue reading...

I remember summers past in the south 
and the sultry heat.
Iced tea and back porch confessions.


Making time with that first love.
The swing underneath  that old tree.
The radio playing softley in the background.

Thoose ways have long since died.
Replaced by a breakneck pace.
As were all to...

Continue reading...

I prepare myself for a deep relaxing bath
but that dratted spider was out to have a laugh

As I pour scented bubble bath into the water
Spidey climbs the wall  - he’d also bought his daughter*!

He raises a spindly leg as if to wave hello
that pesky...

Continue reading...

I saw the carefree youth racing, 
Racing their cars around the town.
And straight away I saw no one had 
Properly clipped their buckles down.

They raced at breakneck speeds, 
Irresponsibly, through a bright red light.
Lucky that time, not to hit anyone,
In the still of the cold...

Continue reading...

I gripped-
the edge of the sail    boat
sea spray    soaked me
the shore-
   was far away
a huge wave took the boat high
up
  to
   the
     sky
then into the pit of the rushing sea
...

Continue reading...

Charcoal grey, silver grey, shading to white,
Changing and shifting,
Pewter grey, ashy grey, darkness then light,
Trailing and lifting.

A quiet avalanche of melting clouds
In horizontal fall,
Covering distant hill tops like a shroud
Or funeral pall.

Shapes form, reform, then float away
In careful counterpoise,
Then balance, hover, shift and sway,
There is...

Continue reading...

when he spoke
words broke like glass between his teeth
14 minutes past 8PM 7 weeks after the red river
in his brain ran almost dry
he the acidic and sullen shadow of his youth
turned to me
(one side of his face a landslide of flesh
frozen into freefall 
thus i...

Continue reading...

In the realm of poppycock sidewalks sing
When stepping on melodies in the cracks,
You’ll enjoy the height of the smallest thing
The exotic ponies with pink-striped backs.
Beware the cows returning from the moon
Loving brown bears will cuddle with you,
The sweetest hymn is the song of the loon,
For...

Continue reading...

at breakneck speeds
escaping ourselves
in distress
avoiding voids
breaking silences
fearing motionlessness
afraid to be alone
with our feelings
with what’s inside
deep within
afraid it might engulf us
implode on us
realizing we’ve lived a lie
afraid to face the unknown
to fall into that abyss
as ominous as
the fear of finding
a tinsel of godliness



AP: 1st place 2022

Submitted...

Continue reading...

all noise comes to a crashing halt
stifled by the sound of silence.
it is not a boom. it is not a bang.
it is a dive downward into nothingness.
the feeling in the pit of your stomach at the fall 
on the edge of a waterslide.

the cars 
propelled...

Continue reading...