Best Country(A) Poems
Surrounded by tranquil turquoise waters,
Guarded on sides by oceans three,
In the east by the Pacific,
On the south by the Celebes Sea,
And on the west by the south China Sea,
There is an archipelago on the blue water crescent,
A group of islands, called Philippines,
Encircled by a girdle of gleaming silver,
With its shores of stretching sandy swell
That lulls the restless waves to sleep;
A land of green vegetation and terraced terrain!
It houses picturesque and breath-taking views.
Vast beaches of ivory sand sprawl before our eyes
Dolphins leap over seafoam, palm fronds wink
Soft breezes waft and cotton clouds float above.
Anyone will fall in love with these tiny strips of land,
Of rugged hills and meandering rivers
Of placid backwaters and blue skies
Of gibbering monkeys and celestial monarch birds,
Of strutting peacocks, pigeons, pheasants, and parrots.
The powdery white sand of Boracay
The Chocolate Hills of Bohol
The Caraballo Mountain ranges,
And the Cordillera Mountain chain of Luzon,
The Rice Terraces of Philippine Cordilleras
All these give the country a solemn investiture.
Volcanic peaks, standing mighty and tall,
Proudly line the landscape, dotted with dense forests
Where birds sing melodies and Tarsiers with bug eyes
The tiny primates, endemic to the Philippines roam and jump
Amid the slumbering hills, there is fecund soil,
Turned into orchards and plantations,
Its population with perseverance and patience
Work in the soil relentlessly and in unison.
Well known for their hospitality, they receive tourists,
And outsiders with warmth and camaraderie.
In this paradise of mixed fortunes, tragedy comes unforeseen,
In the form of natural calamities like typhoons and cyclones,
But nothing can tear the people apart and they prosper,
With resilience, bent on sustaining their tradition,
Adding value to it each day and proud of an identity of their own
This beautiful land of velvet waves and crystal sands
Lying as a pendant in a crescent of emerald cluster
Rightly deserves the title- the 'Pearl of the Orient'
Without a Doubt
I’ve seen your yellow underbelly now
and there’s no denying or going back
a solid moral compass is what you lack
this country torn, breaking bodies bough
with deaths and sorrows piled upon your brow
lying and cheating is what you are about
it’s putting our people into the ground
a civil war is brewing to bring you down
we must fight back with you to end this bout
it’s time to vote for sanity without a doubt
It’s not so hard to do your smallest part
just wear the mask so you and I can pass
would certainly make you less of an ass
and show you have some care kept in your heart
to give your country a bit of a kick start
in sadness and anger I feel ashamed
to watch your racism - hatreds disdain
as white men’s greed carries its ugly stain
I’m glad we’re rising up to stand inflamed
no longer can we heal the wrongs restrained
Take my hand, walk with me.
I'll show you fragments from my life.
Its broken sidewalks,silently paved by broken souls,
their anger pent up from a world war.
I'll show you soft winters of a child and his sled.
The burden and frustrations of being a teenager,
in the sixties.
A President murdered,water fountains with signs,
blacks only,whites only.
Cities burning, gas rationing, fear of nuclear annihilation.
My shattered dream and short stint as a professional athlete.
My years on an aircraft carrier that sent pilots to war,
to the old man I am today.
I hitch-hiked across the country,a year lost, or a year spent
and asked nothing from any one, except truth.
I care little for those who think themselves important,
it's a waste of energy and it becomes folly.
I built a business and retired from it,
to hold my grand-children close.
If this poem gives you pause,
then writing it claims its purpose.
4/8/15 contest..bio of a poet
12 BROTHERS BEARING GIFTS
A Mother weeps, her child is born,
A Father poor sits all forlorn,
The wind howls through their shelter rough,
The wood for their fire is not enough.
And though no gifts can they bestow,
Of riches and of jewels that glow,
12 brothers bearing gifts of joy,
Arrive for the poverty stricken little boy.
The first comes, gliding down the panes,
So fresh, so quiet to fill the lanes,
The tiny babe’s cheeks are pink, and bright,
The air is cold, and all is so white.
The next seeps through the crack in the door,
And fills the hut in a might roar,
The little boy giggles, he thinks it’s fun,
His folks light the fire their day’s work done.
The third brings winds that cloud the sky,
And all around migrant birds begin to fly,
And the fourth heralds the April showers
Preparing for May and Spring-time flowers.
And with June days, the Summer starts,
Cold, rain and snow now all departs,
The sun is smiling, its rays spread about
Children playing happy to be out!
October brings Autumn, which in it’s height,
Is out in the country a magnificent sight,
The wool is woven, the crops are in store,
When will Winter, come knocking at the door?
The 10th makes the heavens open wide,
So all the animals scurry to hide,
Leaving behind a child full of thought,
That the richest of parents couldn’t have bought.
And the next leaves the trees looking so bare,
But the child doesn’t worry or give it a care,
For the woods look so pretty in their Winter glory,
And the wind whistles gently whispering its story.
And now that Christmas is almost due,
All poverty is forgotten, it’s the parents cue,
So out, come small savings in bright colored coffers,
To celebrate the goodwill that this brother offers.
THIS IS A RE-POST FROM 2018
"Franklin, why do you want such a fat, ugly bird?
Are you getting senile, or just being absurd?"
"Clearly, Mr. Adams, you are not being a friend.
My dove, not the turkey, will win in the end.
Though Franklin's turkey may be our most native bird,
your eagle, as well, will not be the final word.
A sign of Peace is what we need,
to show other nations of what we heed."
"Are you nuts, Thomas, for saying such?
Only my turkey can represent what we need so much!"
"Have both of you gone so daft in the head,
not to see that my eagle should be the one instead?
It has power and majesty that our nation new,
can be ascribed to the birds advocated by you.
We want Peace, but must remember this war,
so how can we petition a dove to complete this chore?
As for the turkey, I know the pride it shows,
but I just can't get over that thing on its nose.
So my Eagle is the one without a ruse,
and the best bird for the Congress to choose.
It can show our intent for Peace with an olive branch,
is native as the turkey, with a prideful stance.
Freedom will come and be represented by
my Eagle's unlimited flight in the sky.
Ever watchful for both Peace and War,
and without the turkey's nasal sore."
"We both know, Thomas, that Adams is correct.
His bird is beyond the circumspect."
"Yes, Franklin, I have always known
that my dove and your turkey would not have flown."
"Then are we agreed, gentlemen, that we three as one,
my Eagle is the bird that has hatched and won?"
Just thinking about this conversation made me weak,
especially when I had to give it a tweak.
But the Eagle has represented us well,
both in Peace and War, as history will tell.
I have obviously voted with Adams on his choice,
It has given our country a singular voice.
It is strong, majestic, and watchful to be sure,
and stood the test of time with great enure.
One more thing I'll say about the symbol we branded,
What would we have thought if Armstrong had said, " The Turkey has landed"?
ATHENS DECEMBER 1983
COSMOS COLOURED KALEIDOSCOPE
A world so full of people,
Yet so empty,
Its vacuum is unbelievably painful,
Our cosmos surrounds us
In it’s infinite greatness,
But within, lies only selfishness.
A planet, a continent
A country, a town,
What does it matter if there
Is no meaning to
It’s very existence,
If for what we are looking
For, lies hidden beneath a
Lifetime’s experimentation?
A vision for a lust
Of living suddenly
Flashes past,
And as thirsty as we are to
Fulfil our innermost desires,
Grasp out and clutch,
At an unfinished dream,
Only to find that this illusion
Is not tangible,
Only imaginable!
I found myself shedding a tear at a train seat upon seeing the sights leaving the Wellington city train port to Woburn.
I don't mind being called a sentimental freak, if I could just have any describe more than I can the beauty that leaves
one more than enamored, bewildered and perplexed. How is it possible for nature to marry humanity and vice versa?
How does it happen when the city buildings lay backdrop to the turquoise waters of the pacific ocean and vice versa?
How does its waves recognize no rules to follow on where it comes and goes or the wind for that matter? How does the
birds play so freely as if happily almost touching the great body of water, back to air, then back again to the base
surface of the waters? How does the water vessels cruise peacefully with some other ships finding their places like
home amidst the many other small boats around? How does the sun give off its summer heat amidst the windy air?
How did I end up being in that rugged train witnessing all the massive spectacle of beauty in a country a million miles
away from my homeland? Tell me why I should help myself to a silent tear.
Years have passed, but still you stay,
In quiet thoughts throughout my day.
Your laugh, your touch, your gentle grace—
I still can see your smiling face.
The world kept turning, time moved on,
But not a day feels like you’re gone.
You're in the wind, the evening air,
The empty seat, the silent chair.
You loved so true, with open arms,
Our fur babies safe in your warm charms.
You whispered hope when I felt low,
You were the light I came to know.
You'd light up when the TV played—
Dukes of Hazzard or when Sam and Dean stayed
One step ahead of fate and fear,
You loved that world—it felt so near.
The Impala’s hum, the rebel ride,
Matched that strong spark you had inside.
A little country, a little wild,
A loving heart, a playful child.
We made a life, we built our own,
And now I walk this path alone.
But every step, you walk with me,
In every star, in every tree.
I never thought we’d be apart,
But you still live within my heart.
Some days I break, some days I bend,
But each new dawn, I try to mend.
I miss you more than words can show,
Yet still, you’d smile and tell me so:
"Keep going, love, you’re doing fine—
Just carry me in heart and mind.”
And I have tried, and I still do,
To build a life that honors you.
You’d be so proud of who I’ve grown—
Your strength still echoes in my own.
So here’s to you, my sweetest song,
Though gone in flesh, in soul you’re strong.
Forever missed, forever seen—
My love, my life, my dear Darlene.
Scott W.
P - Philippines' archipelago: Pearl of the Orient Seas
H - Hospitable "Pinoys" will welcome you with smiling teeth!
I - Inhabited tranquil big or small mountainous to rocky islands
L - Luculent World class beaches: black, brown, pink to white sands
I - Inviting anyone for a wave ride: weight boarding or surfing
P - Party called fiestas on streets are colorful, spectacular and artful
P - Palette of it's cradle provides scenic man - made crafts for tourists
I - Its culture creates a rich gallery of four civilizations
N - Nature's diverse species of fauna, corals! sweetest tropical fruits!
E - Eating - a favorite "must do" for its native to modern delicacies
S - Sense of humor: a contagious alluring trait of Pinoys!
My home country: "a paradise of beauty and fun.."
Let's joyfully explore each islands one by one!
by
olive eloisa
9:02 pm.
April 07, 2014
Note: Pinoy - local common name for Filipinos
CONTEST: Tell Me About Where You're From
SPONSOR: Kim Merryman
4TH PLACE
TODAY'S CULTURE
Rhett Butler said to Scarlett O'Hara
Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn
The movie industry hurtled a barrier
And American culture took a slam
In today's language it is totally denoted
The word damn is preceded by God
Though against it, many Christians have voted
Their values have been greatly trod
Movies, with such blatant disregard
For the principles on which we were founded
Make movies that should be forever barred
And the voice of sanity be sounded
As a nation, America is falling
Like a meteor hurtling through space
Politicians are missing their calling
Many term our country a disgrace
But Scripture will point us to glory
If God's Word America would heed
Then all would know the end of the story
Eternal life in Heaven, indeed
Curtis Moorman
26 August 2013
Mary Jo's from the country, a real backwoods lass
Chops wood like a lumberjack they're not in her class
When Tot yells timber
You'd better be limber
Better run, don't stand there like a silly old ass
© Jack Ellison 2015
Along a country a dusty country road
There is a lot to explore
I see a large house on the field
Beside the home was a vegetable field
With a huge scarecrow at watch
To chase away all the birds
On the other side - I saw
A fence area with a white fence
In the coral were two creatures
A beautiful white horseI thought
Beside the horse was a donkey
They were standing side by side
No sound came from either one
They were staring at the road
I thought it the stranges thing
Let us celebrate
This is not time to denigrate
Nigerians rise and jubilate
Cause we are poised to rethink and meditate
Let us roll out the drums
This is not the time to keep mum
Let the air be filled with fun
To drown the wailings and guns
Democracy has come to stay in Nigeria history
Let us celebrate a hard- won victory
A milestone in the country's trajectory
Prophets of doom remain confounded and desultory
Nigeria the hope of the black race
Rise up and keep the pace
Exterminate corruption without trace
And give the country a new face
You are destined for Leadership
A rallying point for African Fellowship
Do not be deterred by the present hardship
From claiming your divine kingship
Let My Country Wake up and Bloom
On the Independence Day of India For 15th AUGUST 2010
O Almighty God,
I pray to you today on the auspicious occasion,
Of our country’s Independence Day.
Let my country wake-up and bloom,
Under the sky of freedom and prosperity,
While thinking, not only for the welfare of India,
But also for the well being of the entire world.
Let us show the world, that we not only believe,
In the theory of ‘The whole world is a family’
But we really care for it.
Make us more strong and benevolent,
Hard working, but generous,
Peace loving but strong enough to destroy those,
Who are trying to take the benefit of non-violence.
And are planning to spoil the peace of earth.
Give strength to my people to elect only those,
Who can show us a path of progress and humanity,
But not through the jungles of corruptions and absurdity.
Bless our people to elect only those,
Who are sincere and honest, brave and courageous?
Who may make my country a strong nation,
Give us strength to elect only those, who may
Save the Nature of this earth and may try
To make, the entire world a beautiful place,
To live with peace and love.
Ravindra
Kanpur India 14th August 2010
To start with, I desire, I were a dictator
If destiny were to decide at its leisure
Choose to crown me as a probationer
I would become a benevolent dictator.
I would in the first place announce to all
That there is no scope for nonsense at all
Those who obstruct the nation’s revival
At no cost be worthy of any mercy at all.
That serving the army by every one able
Shall be made mandatory for a year full
To inculcate discipline among the people
That helps the nation to remain watchful.
Health and hygiene of all the citizens
With special program for the old ones
And the disabled as well as the orphans
The basic aim to build a healthy nation.
With force would stop wasteful spending
On such things that affect nation building
Enforce through out the country a canon
Apply law of plain living and more action.
Literacy and education are basic for growth
None availing the help would attract wrath
Impose a firm ban on concessions forthwith
Make merit the standard, to build up strength.
No pampering of any community or section
Put down with firm footing all vivisection
Religious liberty granted to all and sundry
Severely deal with fanaticism and bigotry.
Implement free market economy and trade
Licenses and permits at a stroke removed
Every subsidy instantaneously abandoned
And tell the public to walk without a bend.
contd-part-2