Best Bristling Poems
I ride the vibrant crests
Of a tangerine moon
Glowing across stardust ridges
Where inspiration tickles
My heart with laughing dewdrops
I drift on the edge of a smiling
Emerald forest filled with
Whispery pines and strong oaks
All the trees remind me why
The birds make a home on branches
With their bristling, dancing leaves
I walk through a thriving garden
Alive with scarlet and cobalt
Rare colors in the choiciest purples
Mauves, sunset yellow and lavender
Hastening to create a sweet fantasy
I breathe in the crisp, cool air
Of an autumn night, a summer light
Feeling the freedom of a heart
Gentle and warm, feeling forlorn
For the tender caress of rainfall
Caressing my shoulders lightly
I kiss the silence with hope
For moments poured full of joy
While my heart whispers
Recklessly thrilling in the vitality
Of a dream that fulfills me
I ache for these days of simplicity
When light plays with the shadows
Echoing through the longings
With cries resembling poetry
Lingering on the edge of sanity
I dream, I imagine, I praise
With a prayer of faith
Believing in the God who reigns
High above my thoughts
In a heaven where I will hope
Love continues to abide, eternally
Inner Child Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Chantelle Anne Cooke
September 1, 2021
I shiver beneath a frozen sky of milky gray and white
and like a little rabbit whos barely grown into his coat
I linger in the forest bristling like a dry piece of wood
I was detached from my father like a youngling discomfit
I come from a prideful bush of green but its not who I am
settling down under, on a large tuft of mulch
I am the last living acorn settled no longer in the air
but when Autumn sings her song of mellifluous swell
I seem to outlast every flower of her time
Life is but a series of spurts, growths, windy dances
let it be said, " the apple doesn't fall far from the tree"
but neither does the acorn as far as the eye can see
I shiver beneath a frozen sky of milky gray and white
I'm not a blade of grass, nor an eagle, nor an elk
I am an acorn with a little french beret, …
April 17, 2020
perched on a high tree
a blue jay lookout screeches ~
swift bristling of crests
[when blue jays feed in peace, their crests are lowered, but
become raised when danger is sensed.]
https://www.howmanysyllables.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bird Haiku Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Tania Kitchin
Placed 3rd
© 16th March 2022
The wind is crisp when clouds cover the
sun, what passes for warm when clouds
disappear.
Great oak trees, maple and elm, in full
bare-branched display, before the bud.
Red norway pine, just outside my window,
enrobed in rich, cinnamon bark,
still smiles with long green needles,
bristling with resin-dipped cones.
A great fascination I pursue, binoculars in
tow, discovering many-generational
squirrel nests, high in the trees; twigs,
paper refuse, any and all acquired detritus,
salvaged to create beautiful sanctuaries, to
call home-
I'm
Truly
Envious
04/26/14
© All Rights Reserved
MUSTANGS
The ground shudders, and shakes,
Under pounding hooves.
Echoing against canyon walls.
Fast and furious wild hearts beat,
Keeping equal pace, with the prairies,
Wide divide.
From within hell's fiery furnace,
Tempered muscle drives motions sinew.
Behold evolution's die hard breed,
Built for no other purpose except,
Excessive Speed.
Racing along at razors edge,
Accelerating testing endurance's,
Brute strength.
Mustangs roam god's vast expanse,
Deserts devils burning blazing trails.
Encounters ghostly figures, dwelling amongst,
Forbidden territories reservations.
Dust clouds shadow creatures alluding,
Humanities intensive detection.
Harnessing destiny's forgotten beasts,
Freedom's native horses challenging,
Limitless domain.
Blackened pitch melting seamlessly,
Mixing with hewed grays.
Heaven's canvas erupts.
Storms rage splits lightening’s,
Aftershock,
Herding horse flesh towards,
Maximum Resolution.
Divine specters haunting thunders,
boarder lands, slick footed range warriors.
Traveling hidden roads ancient paths.
Natures raw power hardens brutalities
Magnificence.
Rival Arabians fight to prove dominates.
One lone stallion stands, dark bristling mane,
Brushed by evenings cooling breeze.
The leader takes cliffs highest plateau.
As silences experienced guardian,
He watches cautiously.
Resting at sunsets twilight hour,
Quenching thirsts, unyielding desires.
Next to waters crystal streams they ease.
Gently relieving tension's strains
Beside one another.
Comforts unity beneath reflective,
Moonlight's softness.
Mares and colts whinny in graduates,
Thanks.
Soon it shall come upon them,
Once more.
Dawn's rays cross horizons palette,
Under universal skies.
BY: CHERYL ANNA DUNN
We write to you, your elfin crew,
To wish you joy and cheer!
For Christmas is upon us now -
The climax of our year.
We've toiled together - unified,
In our allotted crews.
And now we're stuck in training,
With barely time to schmooze.
The toys are wrapped, the sleigh is packed,
And Rudolph's fidgety.
Soon you will be making rounds,
As is the policy.
But though this yule is almost nigh,
Our merry Christmas vibe,
Is tempered by the memory,
Of those whom we survive.
Let's not forget the bristling sprite,
From northern twinkle-land.
Who's wisdom and composure,
Helped our vision to expand.
And over waves, across the sea,
The imp with shiny pate.
A knowledge store of rare repute,
And empathy, innate.
We can't forget the trollish clown,
Our western-most remote.
Who's antics in the darkest hours,
Kept our hearts afloat,
The reindeer trainers will be missed!
So poised and capable...
Were they in their instructions -
Irreplaceable!
So Santa, sir, we write to you,
That you may not forget.
The legacy of our brother elves,
And the hole which they have left.
Please strive to know our jobs' detail,
With depth and clarity.
And leave us not unbalanced,
Chasing prosperity.
Enjoy your well deserved respite,
As you rest and sip your brew,
We wish you Merry Christmas,
Your wearied elfin crew.
The sun glitters on the seas smooth surface viewed high from a hilltop
Light blue and pink wrinkles shimmer irredescently on the ocean's skin.
Cinnamon sugar sand lapped and soaked by effervescent lemonade froth
Purple fairy floss sponges entwine with different size orange cone shells
With outgoing waves Bubbles stream from the crab holes like champagne
A symphony of ocean sounds rumbling thunderlike echoing hissing foam
crashing waves to the splishing , splashing, fizzing sounds of dissipating
froth incoming and outgoing the translucent blue sea like a fresh soda.
On the pier the tangerine sunset reflects on the deep green glassy water...
Sea breezes blowing a cooling wind Bristling breeze Murmmering ocean
The cliffy hillsides carve a steep stairway to yet another hidden beach..
Like jewels dotted on the sand , these beautiful sea-rocks and shells
sit, it seems untouched , lay softly embedded in the damp sand.
This beach also yeilds thick, green seaweed and fossilised sponges .
Every beach has its own special seaweed , unique shells and rock shapes.
From the roadway the dusk descends a cat on the beachside curb
As the light fades two more cats quietly emerge from the shadows..
Quickly slinking out from the hollows, nooks and crannies more cats appear..
In the space of a few minutes the beach road is teeming with felines
Out of the darkness a car approaches to join this mysterious meeting.
A woman steps out of the car with parcels and the cats crowd around her..
Nature's, anesthetizing beauty held
tightly in escrow
'Til on tendered form its heavenly
charm can bestow
Fair maiden strides through
manicured meadow
In her lovely essence, the enchanted
flora doth wallow
Overhead, azure canvas paints a
regal halo
Her satin cheeks radiant in Helios's
afterglow
Beneath, green clover spreads its
downy pillow
Her dainty feet tenderly the svelte
blades furrow
Lilac strands their fragrant
essence strew
As her ebony locks in soothing
breeze flow
White, silken lillies fringe the
bristling undertow
Roon paps gild voluptuous, damsel's,
milky tallow
Twirling dandelions their feathery
dander billow
Maiden's silted bosom takes a
respite under fawning willow
Creamy buttercups in the noonday
heat their hearth's mellow
In their steamy shadow, frothy
maiden spreads her umbrella
Nocturnal nerds now Priests of Power
Crank out the code grim and dour
Grimace and groan, grind it like stone
O, you miserable dim ones and zeroes
Bite your nails and pull out your hair
Finish that program ere the sun can stare
At your flushed cheeks and ghastly complexion
At the look on your face of utter dejection
Pop some speed, another amphetamine
Tap out binary digits, massage that machine
Pent up in your cubicle tight as a knot
The screen bristling with tension, electronic rot
Your brain's slowing down, your mind's in a fog
Your heart pounds ever-louder as onward you slog
Curse your damn curser and slam down your mouse
Your soul fairly screams: "Get out of this house!"
You come up for air and you shrink from the light
The daytime for you feels like darkness and blight
Back to your dungeon, where digits are heroes
Back to your miserable dim ones and zeroes
Submitted for "All Dim Ones and Zeros - Programming Contest"
Sponsor: Brahn Bailey
Blithe fools traipsing through bleary hollow
Airy sprites in hovering tents shadow
Brooding sylvan fringe shrouding light with her swaying willow
Jaded beams peep through the crenelated steeple's window
Sprouting thickets bristling with spiny tendrils each step harrow
Creepy vermin frenetically scurry under foot from burrow to
burrow
A musty dampness shivers intruders; beneath feet liken's slimy
residual doth grow
Whistling winds hauntingly whisper a doleful strain
Ominous portent overhead; hoot owls continuously bleet their eerie
refrain
Perilous pitfalls surround; ensnaring cracks, crevices unwitting lives
drain
Poisonous foliage ensconses the beaten path distilled with its
potion of pain
Jagged course nearly run; wayfarers enlightened by each
cumbersome travail
Weary itinerants seasoned on nature's, menacing plain
Pensively treading the last mile over the rough, foreboding terrain
A pair of eyes glowed in pitch darkness
Like two emeralds set on a black foil
My black cat paced across the doorway
Her tail, curled at her back like a coil
With soft steps, she crossed the aisle
And ventured out looking for a prey
She didn't meow or make any sound
Outside the house she opted out to stray
Our home with its premises was her domain
With glowing eyes that were cold as ice
She padded up and down the drive way
Looking for some unsuspecting mice
The night was still and not a leaf fluttered
The moon was a paling silver disc in the West
In her sharp ears, fell the faint sound
Of the nuzzling of fledglings in a nest
Sensing there was chance to spot a prey
Agile and alert she looked around
Down she slid along the steep wall
Following the trail of that faint sound
She arched her back into a curve
And moved closer and closer to the hedge
She saw three birdies like dressed chicken
Snuggling in an open nest at the edge
Bare of plumage, they were like pieces of flesh
And too young for fight or flight
Their mother had sadly flown away
Never expecting them to be in such a plight
The cat carefully raising itself on hind legs
Poised bristling for the measured kill
With claws sharp, she pounced upon her prey
And in a second all was silent and still
Unable to flap their wings or make a sound
They yielded to the needle claws of steel
When the mother bird alights with worms in her beak
Who can gauge the depth of pain she would feel!
Placed First
March.27. 2022
Black Cat Poetry Contest
Sponsor- Robert James Liguori
Gotta hate somebody;
someone's always wrong.
Gotta hate somebody;
we just can't get along.
If it ain't for the color,
it'll be for the creed.
We judge the deed by the doer
and not the man by the deed.
Well, draw the line and pick a side:
There's only black and white.
We both stand for peace and love;
but we can't both be right!
You gotta hate somebody.
Gotta hate somebody;
it's so much easier to do---
to put the blame on another
than put the blame on you.
Ain't no conversation
if it's just one side.
Can't be no education
with a heart of pride.
So draw the line and pick a side:
There's only black and white.
We both stand for justice;
but we can't both be right!
You gotta hate somebody.
Gotta hate somebody;
you can't reason with hate.
But if we don't come together
it'll be too late.
If we both want freedom,
it seems simple to me:
We'll have to find some middle ground
and agree to disagree.
Well, tolerance is harder
to practice than to preach;
but you can't have true diversity
if you control the speech.
You can't have equality
if one side has to kneel;
and you can't have compassion
if you don't know how they feel.
So if you hate somebody,
take some time to reflect:
Liberty is a two-way street;
and so are peace and respect.
What you hate in your neighbor
you oughta hate in yourself;
what you want from another
you gotta give someone else.
Well, you may want division,
and you're bristling for a fight---
but we can't have the USA
without both left and right.
Gotta hate somebody?
We best decide what to do;
'cause whether this nation stands or falls
is up to me and you.
So I revel in being alive,
at the age of seventy four,
with no tangible boundary,
long and longer one does yearn,
for life’s garden of pure health,
my blossom, bloom, and bliss,
devoid of serious ailment,
that bristling spirit undimmed,
I still savour with such abandon,
verdant sights, scenes, sounds,
profuse vista, azure skyline,
wondrous rapids, bright streams,
tender love and human passion,
sheer late phase zest enduring,
my olden yet golden proud march,
year on year earthly nirvana
"Light Kissed"
Light kissed her through the veil
Come tempest on the beach of morning sun
With Gold on your naked feet
Life has again for you begun
Like waves to shore
You’ll meet my kiss
Slow and full
Wet succulent with salty bliss
And more my sweet
The Realm of Long Forgotten Love
Like Dark Green Ivy
Life has renewed growth
covers your ground stony,
it’s swift and powerful runs
o’er Wet Green Irish Moss
While Briny Blue and Amythest Periwinkles blink
and Emerald Green Abalone and Black Bearded Lips open
to sweet salt the wounds in
their pale then deepest darkest delectables
bristling Sea Urchin Pink
luring in Odin
And marbled Grey Geckos change their colours
From your spring to drink
Dragonflies lick Life's luscious lips of flame hungry fire
in the Gloaming mist
Lust and Desire
pressing urgency
LOVE
is let loose
held tight by the wrists
The Albatross has flown higher and higher
A great journey for you
both it and the Ancient Mariner have sung
Mornings kiss Twilight
Sleep brings dreams and delivers
Titania and Oberon
who watch over
Soul's solitary march
through Dark Night and it's wrath
To walk forever Aphrodite’s path?
A nightmare of a pardon,
Be blessed with Persephone’s heart
Athena’s wisdom, Demeter’s courage
All dance within your blood, you are whole
Life sings like a Lark
Walks with you through the mirrors
Long silk Alabaster curtains part
Warm Velvet uncovered at last
Come tempest on the beach of morning sun
With Gold on your naked feet
Life for you
my
Sweet of The Just
once elusive
now silently and swiftly
Light Kissed
LIFE
has
Begun
(Lovejoy-Burton/May 2018)
1.
Photography/Rex Dupain
http://www.rexdupain.com.au/
https://www.maxdupain.com.au/
2.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43997/the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-text-of-1834
(for V.C. never far from me, always close by me)
With flashing eyes she did enthral
as to the beat of drums she danced
a wild flamingo with clacking castanets
her wide hooped skirt was all a-swirl
Golden earrings sparkling and flashing
heels looking impossibly high as she twirls
her eyes flashing enticing messages
as the men flock to her a mocking laugh
Siren of the senses as well she knows
she taunts and teases as she grabs hold
only to push her admirer head over heels
leaving him stunned and dazed in the dirt
In a puff of smoke she vanishes from view
long rolls of drums call to her to come back
the men look in vain for her return
a soft voice enticingly calls from the shadows
Singing of long journeys to far away exotic places
of caravan wheels swishing and of horses gavotting
of smokey camp fires bristling with full cauldrons
no clue to what lies within just enticing smells
She tells of lovers she has known in distant past
entreating the men, who try their luck to no avail
she sits brushing her long raven black hair of curls
and the sparks fly giving her an ethereal appearance
The fires die low and still she has not yet chosen
it seems she is waiting for someone not now here
flashes of lightening fork across the sullen skies
and the skies open in deluges of rain and thunder
As her admirers scatter seeking shelter she laughs
spinning round and round hair flying out scattering
droplets that glisten and sparkle in pale light
at last she crumbles done to the sodden ground
A mighty flash of lightening rends the sky in half
highlighting a jet black horse rearing up high
she runs forward laughing he is here, he has come
her gypsy king, he swings her up before him and turns
As the summer storm fades the last fork shows
the two lovers high-lit on the rolling hill
then gone, gone to their secret place of tryst
she leaves lingering memories in men's minds of what might have been