Best Budged Poems
our wedding day portrait
two made one
misted by years
masked by smoke-filled skies
bobby, gina—two of our three
days seared with sun and a child’s scuffed knee
through spelling tests piano recitals saturday games
kneeling together strokes of unquestioned belief
caps and gowns, crystal and dented brass
degrees in business and medicine
marriages grandchildren colors filling the sassafras
then job losses metastasis scares hospital gowns
loneliness
values smudged
quibbles spatter pigment
no one budged
boredom drowned in tanqueray the glass smelled of pine
blue smoke, screens, two strangers behind painted glass
lost in a bell jar of belladonna
two martini glasses, an untouched olive
the letter’s paper like granite, vows sun-washed away
body mind and spirit—desaturated
a torn canvas split along jagged lines
no reconciliation
reimagining life with unfamiliar faces
a torn canvas becomes two paintings
no masking tape or super glue
can ever repair a canvas torn in two
=======
Since I began reading God's word
I've come to a definite conclusion
It doesn't matter what I've heard
It puts and end to all confusion
Everyone reads every now and then
For current events or just a good story line
Man has an insatiable appetite for sin
And such an ignorance of the Divine
The bible is mans handbook to godly living
It states his beginning as well as his end
Showing him blessings in the art of giving
As well as the price paid for his sin
It gives him a peace the world doesn't know
Shows him life from a godly perspective
Carries him places the flesh dare not go
In serving God who's jealous and protective
The bible shows man those things he's entitled to
Placing power in his hands
Man learns what he's assigned to do
And how to follow God's commands
It holds the answers to creation and death
Along with sin and salvation
How the soul was born from God's breath
And the establishment of the Earth's foundation
Let's us know what we must do to be saved
By pointing to Jesus the human sacrifice
It satisfies what the soul always craved
As well as the methods Satan uses to entice
The day when all isms are put to rest
A reward for those who have not budged
Though some set out in complete protest
They set themselves up to be judged
Read the bible for your own enrichment
You can't hold others liable
For God has a definite intent
And all this is in the bible
In some circles, I’m like that comedian
Rodney Dangerfield, whose catchphrase
was, “I don’t get no respect.”
I can’t say scorn doesn’t faze me.
I’ve always been terribly misunderstood
and misjudged.
Some just made up their stubborn minds
and haven’t budged!
For being persistent and hardy
I’ve been described as a pest.
For not being as pretty as the rest
of my family, I’m called an eyesore.
Sometimes I think I can’t take much more!
Then I think of how I’ve been blessed.
Over time, I’ve been put to the test.
I am prolific, and my roots go deep,
but my youth is brief.
For all of us, time is a thief.
When my yellow “hair” turns white and wispy,
it scatters wildly far and wide,
flying in the wind, who is my friend.
To some I’m a symbol of positive feelings,
of hope and healing.
They acknowledge my practicality
and strenuously disagree with my enemies
who call me a—I can’t bear to say it.
The misnomer they utter is “WEED”!
There’s another name I much prefer.
I think my cousin Daisy would concur
that I am a FLOWER.
April 13, 2022
entered in Angela Tune's Lighten the Load Poetry Contest
The day drags its feet, despite my efforts to speed up its pace. I got up late, so that I could sleep away the morning hours, aiming for a shorter day. Yet it’s only half past ten and I’ve already eaten breakfast and put my dishes in the sink. Glaring at the clock for the umpteenth time, doesn’t help, it just keeps on ticking away; yet I swear that it hasn’t budged since the last time I looked. I already tidied up my room, and picked up last years toys. And I’ve even put some milk and cookies out, hung my stocking up over the fireplace and wrote a note to Santa; yet it’s only noon, now what? What am I going to do for the next eight hours? Why does it always take forever for sleep to come, when Christmas day is the next day?
Cloudy skies explode into puffs of snowy flakes,
Harbingers of excitement and sweet sugar cakes.
Ringing bells peal and chime, blessing this joyous day,
Invitations to celebrate Jesus's birthday.
Santa's reindeer are all set for their flight tonight
To deliver presents; to every child's delight.
Mommies and daddies are all smiles and hugs of love,
As youngsters eagerly search the skies above.
Slumber fuels dreams of elves and a flying sleigh,
Dozing off to sleep, while awaiting Christmas day.
All the months of waiting will soon be at an end,
Yuletide spirits filling hearts as fun and faith blend.
(Haibun/Acrostic/Rhyming Couplet)
This summer, different from any other
I watched two girls to help out their mother
My kids, a job and a half
My family shared a good laugh
As my quiet time, they knew, would smother
As always, I refused to listen
Their clear, blue eyes would glisten
Accepting the challenge
A work load benge
Now that their gone, I find myself missing
Before long, I learned, it was me
I was right where God wanted me to be
I helped a friend
Meet her ends
Helping myself unknowingly
An angel, disguised as a ten year old
Oh at the scenarios that would unfold
A precious punk
With fiery *****
In my heart, she quickly strolled
She taught me things, my aged eyes couldn't see
Imagination, excitement, to her, came easily
With every pinch
I budged an inch
Before long, I was on a fun living spree
I spent half my life buzzed
pulling stings with my cuz
day dreamed of being kings but our status never budged
mainly because we was rarely sober
drinking E&J with soda
trying to sneak a toaster in the Ponderosa (local club)
I been in bar brawl where chairs are thrust and bottles busted
if cut with an adrenaline rush it makes the blood gush
it was all fun and games
till I lost my cousin Dwayne
clouds form over my life and under my eyes it rained
intoxicated for months, planning retaliation
listened to the Lord for once,searching for salvation
I quick drinking cold turkey, cant stomach the taste now
I trusted the Lord and its working, I cant believe my lifestyle
I went from stereotypical thug life risking my freedom
to client representation, suit and tie meetings
went from nightmarish hell to heavenly dreamer
stop straddling the fence and landed where the grass was really greener
WAS IT WHAT IT WAS?
It was a time of temperance for a temper tamed
It was a time when, on beauty, was mournfulness and belligerence blamed
It was a time when a recently birthed masterpiece was smudged
It was a time for a liar to finally be judged
While a man jousted with a beast who would not be budged
A deity who held power in her hand with which that self-same deity gave the man a nudge
That nudge was to advise the man of meekness not to hold even the grain of a grudge
It was a time when torment meant meaningless embraces and unkind kisses
It was a time someone with more insight than I intentionally misses
As God and Satan are both taking pisses
While the Pope put the pious in a confessional booth bastardized by all the sacrilegiously self-possessed
Sinners all and all sinners self-confessed
As I was sent by Satan his most sordid and grievous guest
A woman who suckled at the breast of duplicity
A lady lacking a scintilla of pity
It was a time when that woman drained me of blood drop by dreary drop
It was a time when I wished time would stop
© 2012 copyright PHREEPOETREE…~free cee!~
W
I never sought your money, never sought your gold
all I ever asked, was for the truth to be told
while time has passed, my hope has faded
G-d only knows, how long I had waited
Memories I have as a little boy, once happy just to play with my toy
but as I grew up my mind did ponder, if truth really existed over yonder
reaching adulthood I saw for myself, the lies which my soul had been fed
only by the grace of G-d was I prevented, my steps to purgatory from being led
Now I am older, being blessed with a family of my own
left with so many questions, and still very very much alone
perhaps if only I could make sense, to understand who you really are
a chance to at least to be able, with hope to remove this scar
And you my forebearer, although you brought me into being
you gave me my strength, but my faith gave me my seeing
but now your are old, and you can no longer pretend
despite our relationship, gone is the ability for me to mend
Those missed opportunities, now my mother is no longer
only after her death, did I realize she made me stronger
my internal tears how inconsolable, when this truth set in
oh how much I failed to honor her while alive, this my sin
"Honor thy father and thy mother", have we been commanded
for no other reason or purpose, other than He has demanded
no matter how much grief or anger, you feel from you they deserve
avoid bringing punishment upon your soul, your anger do not preserve
Lessons of a lifetime, skeletons in the closet we all do hide
varying durations of time we have been pained, in whom to confide
there can be no escape, for our actions will we be judged
how difficult to overcome our ego, to this we can't be budged
While we cannot go back, stopping those hands from turning time
but we can seek to redirect ourselves, focusing toward the sublime
charity starts at home, therefore it's for our own ultimate good
eternal bliss really does await us, if we but only understood
To Hellie's credit, she had rightly judged...
for, all told- the young man was quite shady
so from her guard-post she would not be budged
for she was most loyal to her lady
And when he cooed and whined to survey
Bronwyn's hide-out with treasures galore
(and blinded by love, the lady obeyed)
Hellie let out a terrible roar!
Before he could pilfer a single rare item
our Hellie put Beau on the run
snapping and snarling, she'd viciously bite him
her fun had only begun
He squealed sissy screams and kicked out at her
but she got the better of him
he called her a “hideous, scurrilous cur”
she pursued him with vigor and vim
Rapidly round all the high piles of loot
she chased him with eyes bright and shiny
while he scuffled (and occasionally gave her the boot)
and she snapped at his delicate hiney
At length, he shot out of the mouth of the cave
in a desperate dash to break free
but he'd nowhere to go- and wasn't quite brave
so he threw himself into the sea
As Bronwyn looked down with an irritated frown
(she was actually becoming quite peeved)
old Hellion beamed up, and drooled on her gown
her ultimate mission achieved
Her lady turned to face her, and warmly embraced her
while Hellie soaked it up with a smirk
soft fingers stroking and fluffing her fur
for dispatching the devious jerk
They spied the poor devil as he met his sad fate-
and they watched from their perch high above
a bold pirate queen and her canine first mate
the next-best thing to true love!
____
This is the swashbuckling sequel to my "Barefoot Buccaneer" poem... ;D
Note: This poem is also in the point of view of a character dedicated to another character in a writing my friend Laura and I are doing
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While walking through the dark I saw a light
It was small a distant but lovely and bright
As I made my way through obstacles and sludge
It seemed to take forever and I feared the light would leave-but it never budged
For all my time alive I was never quite so surprised
As when I reached the end and the light was you
Everything now is for you, everything I do
To make you happy and make you smile
For you make my life worth while
I thought I'd be lost in darkness forever
But alas you came and showed me something better
I love you
I do
I love you with all my heart
I love you so, I don't know where to start
You saved me from grave uncertainty
Gave me meaning, belief and certainty
My dear beloved for you I lay down my life
And ask you fondly to become my wife
To spend the rest of time with you
Is all I want to do
Sweetly dreaming peacefully of you in slumber
I can only merely say things from my heart
I cannot bring you gifts of light
Like you did me
But I can give you
My life
My love
My heart
Forever and always yours
I thee, cherish...
and love.
Walking on this green grassy path
In the far spread fields of flowery mustards
Provides a priceless relief to my oh! Tired soul;
Better than the meditating monks feel
In solitude, in the stupas on the Himalayan hilltops;
Where light winds blow continual,
And duck-birds dive in and dance.
And it at first saddens a bit, later making me smile,
When I find it, at places, often,
How my old innocent farmer neighbor
Has secretly budged the stony boundary marks.
Fierce fighting raged, but surprise was gone,
the Americans rallied and pushed hard,
the Indians fell back, out of the ravine,
the patriots driving them that far.
Hand-to-hand combat broke out brutally,
with knives, clubs, and rifle-stocks,
Iroquois would wait until patriots fired,
then while they reloaded, charge with tomahawk.
Herkimer saw his people being killed,
so he ordered them all to pair off,
one man would fire, the other would load,
now It was the Indians who felt sharp loss.
The killing continued, on through to morn,
until a thunder storm broke over the field,
the fighting quieted but neither side budged,
neither side put down powder or steel.
But as the storm passed, back at Stanwix,
the garrison heard of Herkimer’s plight,
they charged out into the near empty camps,
putting the few British still there to flight.
They plundered and pillage all that they could,
ransacking and stealing their supplies,
when word reached the battle, the Indians turned,
now it was their turn to be surprised.
The broke from the field, ran for the camps,
but when they arrived they saw it was too late,
the garrison had retreated back to the fort,
with their spoils behind a barred gate.
At Oriskany, Herkimer held the field,
so by the standards of the day he had won,
but neither side had gained that much from it,
despite all the bloody work that was done.
The patriots were too savaged to continue on,
to damaged to hope to lift the siege,
they retreat back east, to Fort Dayton,
to see to their wounds and their needs.
St. Leger found himself in a terrible spot,
supplies dwindling, his camp ransacked,
to make matters worse, mad Indian allies
started slinking off, not to come back.
Not long after another relief column,
led by a general who’s name won’t be said,
marched for Stanwix, convincing the Brits
they had little chance of not being bested.
St. Leger ordered his forces to retreat,
back to Canada his troops did go,
and the British plan to split the colonies
suffered from its first heavy blow.
Herkimer didn’t live to see that day,
his wound quickly became infected,
when the time came to amputate his leg,
it was botched up, and quite freely bled.
At least the brave man got to die in his home,
and his name is recalled in glory,
he remains a hero in upstate New York,
for his courage at Oriskany.
Mimi McFudge was her name, and she wanted a tree
that would really make her Christmas glow
so, she cut one herself and decked it from head to toe
but when it started prancing with bells and whistles too
it began to talk like a chatterbox, it knew just what to do!
When bedtime rolled around it yawned, " Please shut the lights"
Articulate and bright it hummed all day and slept all night
Every day at noon he gave Mimi a little nudge
feed me feed me I'm hungry, then he'd shake and jiggle
but he never budged ...
It went on for quite some time first the fruit then the nuts
he even dared to ask for pouding and cold cuts.
What she didn't realize was that a squirrel was living there
and that the food wasn't just disappearing in thin air.
It was being chomped, buffed & eaten by a bushy tailed spry one
who loved to eat and photoshoot, he couldn't be undone
so when Santa came sliding down the chimney
he quickly took a snapshot then whispered, " Santa, its me "
On Learning To Become A Guru...
Unbeknownst to this unsuspecting witty mortal,
a reverberation attributed to butterfly effect
linkedin to hotmail twittering Facebook member,
who resides within Bhutan, his dignified volition
accorded me magnanimity titled sage without any
influential collusion from Russians bestowed yours
truly with said honorably distinguished appellation,
which humility of mine humbly accepted without a
protestation, though never would I brazenly adopt
spiritual holiness, yet flattered to share such rare
pronouncements, when unsolicited feedback lobbed
in my direction (way before advent of Information
Technology Revolution) often tendered, kindled, and
belittled this gentle human, sans when bullies slung
byte ting bit torrent loathsome scandalous red zingers
targeting personal vulnerabilities, asper being under
socially withdrawn, painfully shy, plagued with speech
impediment (severe nasality) caused by submucous
cleft client, plus weighing where needle budged from
absolute zero pounds, topped with passive demeanor
susceptibilities conveniently converging to establish
this bruised Earthling ideal choice as scapegoat, no
kidding with dread to endure endless days, weeks,
months...a lifetime channel of opprobrious, noxious,
malicious emotionally demonic, cannibalistic, barbaric
abominable, damnable, horrible diatribes chipping
(dale lee) at what measly self confidence shielded
fragile psyche fast crumbling into grist for hungry
caterpillar, unbeknownst that flight path randomly
followed by a representative of Lepidoptera order,
would ineluctably set very subtly infinitesimal
fluctuations within air (currently supplying biota
with requisite oxygen), also training perturbation.
Reacting to every stimulus
Passing judgments with every thought
This is good, I'll say
And that, well isn't so hot
Now words are coming back to me
So deep they haven't budged
And cliche til my eyes glaze over
Judge not lest yet ye be judged
But perhaps I've been too hasty
Reacting against my brainwashing
And maybe the true meaning was lost
To a consciousness in infancy
And if Einstein is indeed correct
With the Theory of Relativity
Then a strong case has to be made
That things are not as they seem
Always we think we know
With a label, judgment sets
Not taking into consideration
The million variables not thought of yet
As Copernicus proposed the radical theory
That the Earth orbits the Sun
Just one of infinite awakenings
And this journey has just begun
I remember my blazing insecurities
When adhering to popular beliefs
And the emptiness of talking parrots
Living the definition of insanity
This happiness I am now living
In the face of such disharmony
I propose a new dimension may await
For those preparing to release all beliefs