Best Clifford Poems
In the spring of 1880 young Clifford Griffin immigrated from England to Colorado.
The death of his fiancee left him bereft and he was searchin' for his El Dorado.
He settled in Silver Plume where he and his brother bought the Seven Thirty Mine.
Clifford and his brother Heneage became very rich from ore that assayed very fine!
With all his riches, Clifford chose to live in his lonely cabin above the town.
His only companion was his treasured violin which he played with some renown!
His melancholy melodies wafted down from his mountain aerie 'most every night,
To be heard by the whiskey-guzzlin' hard-scrabble miners to their delight!
Clifford always dressed in black, enjoyed fine cigars and was quite the dashin' bloke!
He seemed content with his solitary life and in business was as solid as an oak!
Alas, death cast its gloomy pall high above Silver Plume one moonlit night.
Instead of sweet violin music, a single shot was heard that left the town affright!
Next morn his mortal remains were found in a grave he'd dug for himself alone.
His heart-broken brother found the pistol with which his brains he had blown.
A grand monument was erected atop the mountain just above Silver Plume,
At the very spot where Clifford lay midst the ponderosa and Columbine bloom!
Mysterious events now occur on that lonely mountainside accordin' to local lore!
'Tis said on moonlit nights sad violin music is heard below on the valley floor!
Folks have seen a black-clad phantom smokin' a cigar and drawin' a bow,
Playin' melancholy music and a wraith in Clifford's likeness a-swayin' to and fro!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
(c) All Rights Reserved
Entry for Carol Eastman's "Story Poem" Contest
It’s a lovely casket, my grandmother said
With tears in my eyes, I nodded my head
I did not want her to see me cry,
But seeing him there, I knew there was no use to try
To hold back the tears, so they started to flow
As I started the process of letting you go
I cried two tears that fell onto your sleeve
At the bittersweet thought of letting you leave
I took hold of your hand in mine once again
And I remembered how warm it once had been
With this thought, the tears began to pour
Until I saw something I had not noticed before
My eyes had been cloudy for such a long while
That I hadn’t noticed, your mouth was turned up in a smile
And as I looked at your face, my tears no longer streaming,
I suddenly understood why you were beaming
Your body is here, but your spirit has gone
Ascended to the heavens, your journey goes on
I picture you entering through the golden gate
Anxious to see the wonderful things that await
Cliff Jr. appears, your long departed son
You feel no more pain, your battle is won
In the place you are now, suffering does not exist
I feel such comfort as I realize this
It’s nine o’clock now, and it’s time to go
I love you so much, and I know that you know
I know that one day I will see you again
My heart at peace, I wait until then
In loving memory of Clifford Morgan Evans
This poem is very long overdue
The words or things to say I just never knew
You had so much faith in me when I had none
Just a student waiting for the school year to be done
But because of you I am who I am today
A writer publisher and poet proud to say
You are the definition of a dream come true
I wouldn't be where I am today without you
You were the best teacher I ever had
I wish there was a way I could reach you so bad
Once I graduated your words of encouragement and belief never left my mind
Ms.Clifford you are truly my hero and one of a kind
You helped me succeed and be all I can be
It was your passion that you carried with you that inspired me
You are no longer a teacher at the school but please know I have searched for you
Because I never got to say thank you for everything you do
It has been decades now but I will never forget how I got to where I am right now
So wherever you are it's your turn to take a bow
Pat yourself on the back or give a speech or simply take a stand
As I applaud you for giving me a dream and lending me a tremendous hand
Caring enough about your students and going out of your way
Helping me with the present but preparing us for success in the future every day
Making sure the foundation of my dreams would some day come true
I am so blessed and grateful that I was taught by you
You are truly my hero and my creative writing teacher throughout high school
The critiques, feedback, criticism was never to hurt me and I found that super cool
The manuscripts I wrote, never knew it would turn into a published book
Wherever you are I hope that you will take a look
You really made a difference in my life and definitely helped me grow
Your name should be on the wall of fame or on the honor roll
I wish you the very most happiness in the life that you live
I hope you accept the trophy for the Best teacher award that if I ever saw you I would give
The Tragic Story of Rosamund Clifford
By some urge to learn more, beckoned,
I read up the life of Henry the Second.
With Thomas Becket he picked a bone.
This well known fact I'll leave alone.
Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine
became his wife and brought much gain,
but in one matter not enough.
The lack was relieved by a piece of fluff.
In charm and beauty sans pareille
was Rosamund, a bloom in May.
Lest her appearance eyebrows raise
he hid his love in a secret maze,
Or so he thought but his wife got wind
that he and someone else had sinned.
Thus it was that the wily queen
found her way to the hideaway scene.
"By dagger or poison, take your choice,"
said the queen with rasping voice.
No true event but a pure invention
was this encounter, let me mention.
To Hereford this rose they sent
there in a convent to repent.
Still young and fair, alas she died.
For shame once more, she had to hide.
Far from any royal palace
in stone were written words of malice:
"In life her scent was sweet to smell,
but not so now, the truth to tell."
Hic jacet in tumba Rosamundi non Rosamunda, non redolet sed olet, quae redolere solet.
Met him at a strange time in my shaky life. I was facing heartache and pain, I was in so much need for love. Being a misfits bad girl, I needed to feel something real, someone by my side to feel validated. He was so beautiful an ever so charming. Importantly, broken.
Never realized, just how damaged he was as me when we met, but thats what made us click, isn't it? Got so messed up by this boy and didn't realize, it was him messing people up. He was my type. I fell so hard when he said, he loved me. Come to find out, he didn't mean it.
He became so anxious when he said it. He put his head in his knees for a minute, and god, I fell in love with him that night. Looking back, he never was. How can he love someone when his chest is empty an there's a space where his heart should be.
I was in his corner and believed in him when no one else did. I was in his every sense, expect I never was. He refused to see I was always there when his girlfriend wasn't. He told me all his fears and regrets, yet, he refused to hear mine.
What hurts the most is, he didn't wait to hear he was saving my life, but maybe that wouldn't be good enough for him. I tried real hard to be everything he needed. I wanted him to see, I loved him, an it still bothers me to my core that he still doesn't know.
I have a girl who thinks I'm more than enough. She loves every part of me, the parts he never could.
Lately, it's been killing me that I miss him. I lay in bed at night an want him next to me so we can talk the night away.
Is it possible to miss him an not want him back?
Just want to know, does he miss me back?
I WILL NEVER EVER FEAR TERRORISTS THREATS ON LICENSE PLATES FROM JAMAICAN DRUG DEALERS OPERATION BRAITHEWAITE JOHNSON THE FBI INSTALLED WIRES ON MY UNBORN CHILD 1988 THIS DANGEROUS DRUG CARTEL IN NORTH CHICAGO ILLINOIS MY CHILDREN AND I SEATED WITH SPECIAL AGENT LEROY HEIMBACH SPECIAL AGENT PAULA BRAND ARLINGTON HEIGHTS FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ARLINGTON CHICAGO I WORE WIRES PREGNANT FOR THE FBI BUYING WEAPONS AND DRUGS 988 CRISIS RIGHT 988 TO 989 TAKING DOWN CLIFFORD JONES OVER 20 DEALERS AND 30 ISLANDERS FROM JAMAICAN I SIGNED OFF ON THE DRUG BUYS EUTH THE STATE DEPARTMENT TO MY HORRID SURPRISE THE JAMAICAN DEALERS NIECES BEGAN PERPUTRATING FRAUD UPON ME IN ORDER TO HAVE ALL THE CASES OVERTURNED UNDER SPECIAL AGENT PAULA BRAND AND SPECIAL AGENT LEROY HEIMBACH CORRUPTION ABUSE OF POWER IMPERSONATING MY IDENTITY WITH THE DRUG DEALERS NIECES FALSIFYING FBI INFORMANT FILES IN ORDER TO LAUNDER THE JAMAICAN CARTEL OF DEALERS DRUG OPERATION UNDER MY TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CLAIM THIS IS HUGE THE EXTREME IDENTITY FRAUD THEE IMPERSONATING OF AN FBI INFORMANT ACTUALLY OVERTURNS EVERY CONVICTION CARRIED OUT BY SPECIAL AGENT LEROY HEIMBACH SPECIAL AGENT PAULA BRAND BREACH HORRID OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE EXPOSING ME TO DEATH EXPOSING MY IDENTITY AS AN FBI INFORMANT TO HUNDREDS MAYBEY THOUSANDS CONVICTED FROM 1988 TO 1989 THRU 1995 ONGOING 2025 EVERYONE ARRESTED CONVICTED AS A RESULT OF MY WEARING WIRES PREGNANT FOR THE FBI BUYING WEAPONS AND DRUGS ARE INDEED APART OF THE IDENTITY FRAUD OF AN FBI INFORMANT EXPOSING ME TO BE MURDERED THIS CREATED A SEVERE BREACH IN ALL THOSE CONVICTIONS THAT MEANS MANY PEOPLE SERVED 20 YEARS UNDER SPECIAL AGENT BRAND FALSE INFORMANTS FALSE CONVICTIONS ABUSE OF POWER
Written by YOLANDA JOY NICHOLSEN
INTERNATIONAL POET