Best Contending Poems
The Challenge
By Franklin Price
5/12/2015
The challenge of a rhyming poem
Having rhythm to it too
Is much like living daily life
In everything we do
The Ebb and flow of words on page
Contemplation for each phrase
Planning for our lives tomorrow
Contending with remaining days
Don't think too hard to find the word
That makes sense and will belong
Live your life with no regret
By doing right and never wrong
Think about the story
How the reader it will touch
Give of yourself to others
Don't think of yourself so much
The words will come if meant to be
As will the rhythm and the rhyme
The challenge of the life we live
Will resolve itself in time
"Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future"
-Oscar Wilde
Saints aren’t always saints, sinners aren’t always sinners,
freedom comes with a price even when you’re ready-
Life can be a rummage of contending losers and winners,
yet aloof in the assessment of what is worthy or petty.
Saints are also sinners, sinners are also saints,
who are we to separate them from each other?
Many can take advantage of free will, others show restraint,
then just tell me, who are we to judge one another?
Saints can be saints, just as sinners can be sinners,
forget who we are let’s move past this comparison-
It’s like adjudicating who is fat and who is thinner,
when in reality we should all try to be good Samaritans.
There is a fine line between deeming whose better or worse,
after all, weren’t we all created with the choice of free will?
Yes, there is much evil in the world, but also good of course,
yet, society is unfortunately judged upon ineptness and skill.
To fill this world with notions of superiority or of trespassing-
is like saying there is no difference between hell and the everlasting.
October 28, 2016
In a Faded Photo:
sitting delicately on that cushion couch
brothers snuggled at either shoulder
jealously contending for her affection
little sister happily squirming on daddy’s lap
dreamlike calm:
stone fireplace
crackling, popping
spitting sparks
everything in place
all as it should be
as it should have been
so long ago...
knock knock on the door
don’t answer, daddy warns
it’s her again, daddy warns
you’ll be sorry, daddy warns
little sister squirming
little sister sweating
pathologic curiosity:
irresistible impulse
to answer the door...
something out there
who are you I ask
it’s me son.
told you not to answer daddy says
told you it was her daddy says
they cut off her breast
she turned yellow
it spread to her liver
she's dead.
little sister squirming
little sister screaming
in a faded photo...
Fort Clatsop is up and true,
50 feet square, with a smokehouse, pallisades, barracks and two gateways
furnished from the aromatic and reliable wood of the great Fir trees,
we keep busy by scraping elk hides for clothes, making moccasins, hunting
and boiling sea water in kettles to manufacture a nutritious salt,
the Clatsop Indians are not the onery thieves that the Chinook are,
in fact, they are merry hustlers with fine things to trade,
the Clatsop chief, Coboway was in fort today, smoking and learning how we leather stitch
when I began negotiating for his sea otter robe,
a fur of extraordinary waterproof warmth and deep colored beauty
several layers ringed, overlapping one another like roof tiles
with a thin elk hide underneath
the length of a knee cloak with the incandescence of morning mountains
snowy whites, granite greys and cool browns,
I believe that is why Clark and I are contending for it,
that rare robe reminds us of the Rockies, the rugged majesty,
Coboway isn't being simple though, actually he's being a prick about it,
refusing all sorts of neat and valuable things
and then Sacagawea comes into the room shakin her meaty hips around
and the chief comes to life and says he'll trade for her beaded belt,
Clark looks at me like hey, not fair
because he knows I can get Janey, Sacagawea's American name,
to give it up for my blue velvet coat that she just purrs for,
J.A.B.
The new millenia has delivered a genesis
of global corporate government,
a religion of salvation through submission to the State,
politicians as priest, as pest,
collection plates around every corner,
confession rooms in community centers, communion with false currency,
tax code as Bible, Commander in Chief as Christ,
the man or woman arousing their neighbor's suspicion that private property
is being stealthily seized,
that sovereignty is not just for nations but for individuals,
vigilantes of enlightenment engaged in martyrdom to be their own,
not strawman accounts,
contending to keep their wages, defending "Due Process" with dignity,
these frontiersmen of freedom pouncing on the pall
of political sorcery,
being met with scorn & scoff
not by officers and officials
but from the bellows of fellows -
J.A.B.
Why is life so complex?
Why am I feeling vexed?
Pulling one way,
Not feeling one has any say,
Too much involved
For the problem to be solved,
Not wanting to disrupt,
Feeling all is corrupt,
Fire stations closing across the land,
Waving goodbye with a heavy hand,
Hospital consultants contending to be at the top,
All feeling scared they’ll be given the chop,
Large organisations forced to accept a ‘reshuffle’
Making history in one big kerfuffle,
Nostalgia plays heavy in many hearts,
Watching their lives torn into ‘parts’
Thinking of others afar,
With dilemmas of this kind not on a par,
Absent family over the deck,
Drowned children in a shipwreck,
And in war-torn lands, pulled apart
citizens with broken hearts,
Earthquake destroying land in one tear,
People losing hope in prayer,
Solace is not easy to find,
Throughout humankind,
Just a quiet acknowledgment,
That nothing in life is permanent.
Since the Time of Dawn,
The World Was Enriched with Nuclear Spawn,
For the Greatest Discoveries … are achieved at the Cost of Great Scientific Atrocities!
For the Enter the World of Fear,
It will consume all you hold so Dear,
For in this World there are Monsters …
Kaiju, the Prehistoric Ancient Horrors,
Children of the Palaeozoic,
Surviving Extinction long after the Mesozoic,
Years of Fighting,
And Demands of Surviving,
Yet only One be fit to Rule,
Of the Kaiju School…
The Child of Rivers of Radiation.
The World Shakes in Fear in Tension,
For Mutated and Towering … he is Full of Wrath!
The Streets and Buildings Only Crumble .. Victims in Despair in his Path…
Big-G Spreads a Message Warning the Weakness of Humanity,
Only Destructive Propensity!
Yet Always he Returns, Renewed and Ready for a Score,
The Biggest of the Wars,
The Radiation Currents … the Strong Powerful Presence,
For the Anger and the Evil,
Are you contending with a Devil?
For You be Mistaken,
For He is the Prehistoric Past,
The Rage and Destruction come yet so Fast!
The Environment and Corruption of Nature,
Unleashed a Nuclear Creature,
You could call him a Dinosaur,
Yet he be no mere Tyrannosaur,
Earth’s Greatest Challenge yet also Hero,
His Atomic Breath of Death makes him like Nero,
Yet the Kaiju King … for all Destruction He Sings,
Yet Peace Too He Can Bring…
Perhaps one could ask … is he also a Benevolent Creature?
Yet whilst he may be Atomic Fury,
He too can Protect Humanity,
Obstacles or Kaiju he can Defeat,
Alas! He shall NEVER RETREAT!
For he may be a Killer Gargantuan,
Against Common Enemies of Godzilla and Man,
For one must not test games with Nature,
For Nature’s Answer is a Great Power…
Alas – GODZILLA THE KAIJU KING … is THAT VERY POWER,
His Bellowing Skreeornk … Marked the Vital New Clear Hour …
The Sands of Time are
sinking,
foundation of peace
quaking,
Under the mountains of hatred
Peace finds itself
ransomed;
Human greed is overflowing,
thirst for Sapiens’ blood is growing;
Leaders on a whim are orchestrating
the wars that the nations are
fighting.
To help satisfy the egos of a few
Whole nations suffer,
as a consequence,
blame games continue;
Ambitions of a few lead to the
the folly of many;
Most wars are fought on
false pride,
A quality profuse among
Leaders of an ilk;
War is forged in leaders’ minds,
Peace takes its humble birth
in the hearts of the masses,
If peace is to survive
Past wrongs must remain
in the past.
It’s hard to imagine
A world without war,
the merchants of terror
have invested
Trillions of dollars in standing armies,
and weapons of mass destruction;
The same resources could be invested in
sprightly human development;
Countries could focus more on
Society and peace.
Wars have been prevalent
and history a
mute witness,
yet a world without war is not a
Utopian dream,
far from it, it could be a
real possibility.
A world without war
would be a great opportunity
for society to develop and flourish;
The immense loss of life,
property, and infrastructure
is saved from destruction;
No more war casualties,
no more families ruined,
no more refugees;
Countries would focus more on their development
Instead of contending with
hostile nations.
A thought,
there wouldn’t be hostile nations, to begin with;
Where there’s peace
there’s stability,
where there’s stability there’s all-round progress;
As a species humans are not violent,
a world without war is not a far-fetched dream
if only we could revisit our
beliefs, choices, and actions
in all honesty.
Down in the white famed plains of Western Kentucky in the 19th century, Alpha Omega Latham was born. Days after his father was shot on the porch, was the beginning of being, and the pass of a torch. Now that his father was gone and bereaved, his ma took the duties, after pa’s life was thieved. A boy now in school confused of his route, the chants “go west young man” were dawning some doubt about the feudal trail that rendered much clout. Humble his beginnings, picking cotton for a living, snowball earned his name, being the only white kid in the game. Just 8 years old, a drive that once ran cold was burning from his hands that were yearning, he decided to up and hop west to Burley. Idaho he headed, decision imbedded, the lure of the west, assured a new life to invest. Alpha Omega began again, and ended a chapter, his life was in spin. Now was his chance, of success in the west, opportunities gleamed, held tight to his chest. A poker man, many cards he swapped, to scrounge and buy half of a sporting shop. With a mere chunk of change, a last ditch effort, his puzzle pieces to arrange. Snowballs sports shop, came to fruition in time, from the train ride alone, with barely a dime, now land and wealth, the ladder he climbed. Owned hotels and houses, made his mark on the land, now standing on top, he created a brand. A beautiful family, the American dream, he lived it and proved it, while swimming upstream. Make your own luck, the idea that he stressed, sink or swim, was life in the west. As the depression was sweeping the country abroad, Alpha had summoned the lightning rod; providing help to his kin in Burley, he helped the community, even when surly. Was known to help any poor old soul, altruism was his ultimate goal. From a bitter ending, blossomed a graceful beginning, just because he lost one fight, didn’t prevent his winning. Twas the life of Alpha Omega, his ending was much brighter, a hero in the eyes of many, a true american fighter. Beginning now is a different page, to snowball his vision in a different age, on west my friend; be brave, not afraid, flourish each and every stage. For one bad ending, cannot cage the transcending, of the flower contending to fend off the sour, bursting out in Spring.
(iambic pentameter, verse)
For a team to compete in a pennant chase,
they need quality at first, second, and third base.
Players are needed that can hit and field.
Three more are required to complete the outfield.
To field line drives or grounders on the hop,
any team also needs a quality shortstop.
No squad can ever be considered great
if they don’t have a good catcher behind the plate.
Any club needs four or five dependable starters.
To finish the game, a good corps of relievers.
A contending team has a fine pitching staff.
Anything less than that would be a laugh.
In order to reach the top position,
a team has to outscore the opposition.
They need more wins than the competition.
This is any team’s annual mission.
The team from Philadelphia is considered great.
They put it all together in 2008.
The season ended with a World Series victory.
That’s what meeting expectations means to me.
Silent and puzzled, even when a little boy,
I remember the monsignor after every Sunday sermon
have us pray for peace,
as contending against war;
a peace that rarely came or lasted
prayers that were rarely answered.
Technology ascending
Traditional religion ending
Robots comprehending
Life's secrets upending
Black holes extending
Cyber wars impending
Electronic devices contending
Wizard-like gurus pretending
Media noise unrelenting
Massive armament-spending
Extremism transcending
Holocausts never ending
How much better now, our enlightened Life --
Man's Progress measured in Death, Polarization and Strife
From my chair
Through the air
I want my info now
Truth or dare
I don’t care
Give me info now
Hip wired infolites
Something bout usage rights
Whereas my info wow
Flying flags ever knowing
Looking back never going
Here’s my info now
Meaning without content
Exists without it being sent
The contents meaning slowly dies
Contending feeds on sorefull eyes
Mercy typo pings brindle blogger
Immortal mention 2 NSA loggers
Wikimaster with google goggles
Seeks truthess acknak for boondoggle
Give me just a little push
My parental burning bush
Life lite the snippet deluxe
Youtube the world gone amuck
WAKE
Living in my dream to sell out my bail
Riding stately on my goals like a smooth sail
Am so sure of winning even when the scoreboard is red
My faith has brought me this far
Even when the tides is too high to fly
I will swim my breakthrough past the walls
And tell my playlet to the waiters on the other side
Losing is never a choice when contending with records
Only a big mistake i made again never to walk on water
To caution my fears of getting tired of being around
Drag my strength
I plea you ,my fate
Help my borrow and allow me lend
Now is the arrival i long waited
Finally my name will travel beyond the sky
Am i awake ?
Yes , am ready to live my dreams even with nightmares.
Good morning critics.
at the wall
of the corpus collosum
you might think
that you'd know some
things about what brings
together logic and art
and what sets them apart
sittin' before a splendid splenium
to see if it's possible for any to see 'em
and fire up a conversation perhaps
banter a debate, maybe birth innovation
the genu might kneed to genuflect
what the heck!?, it couldn't hurt
could it? - should it?
think how good it
might be fiddlin' middle ground
between the cortexes
'steada makin' things so damn complex
like relationships between the sexes
it feeeels so good but the gettin' there
is more than most thoughts care to bare
mosta ya know what i mean don't cha?
tellin' left from right - whadda scene!
doublin' back double-crossed schizophrenia
contending points of merited academia
versus some bucolic life bohemian
"on the other hand" tends the phrase
when truer to minds thought vortexes
it's back and forth between the cortexes
times added to divided houses
many times, times many thousands
© Goode Guy 2013-07-09
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_collosum