Best Diverted Poems
PORTRAIT OF SUSAN C.
If you glance at Susan
Three days in a row
same pose
same tilt of head
same diverted eyes
brows raised
firm round lips
She says something different
Each ardent flip
I suppose it’s the passionate red dress –
how it hangs in perfect V
only a suggestion of feminine property
how it further urges her tinted ivory skin
Oh! And the long sleeves –
how they paint those meaningful
finger slims
Yes!
The dress –
It quite overcomes
Well Susan is blond
Really blond –
long-hair-hanging blond –
It sweeps round her ears
To frame a coquettish-near smile
She’s fair enough for movie fame
Yet?
Take the expression away
And…well…
It’s back to the dress for a while
Oh there’s so much movement
In those hanging folds –
none the same –
So much suggestion
Even softness
satin flame
Ummm humm… hmmmm
To end though
The whole is T-Susan
The ever notorious tease –
the come-on
slight show of flesh
those white clear eyes
of kidney pool blue
Damn! lady!
Pity the poor sap
Runs into you
Dave Austin
Categories:
diverted, humorous,
Form:
Free verse
It amazes me how much man has evolved
Yet, How little he has learned
All around the globe
Millions die of disease and starvation
While the ever so intelligent creature known as man
Spends millions upon millions of dollars every single day
Killing each other
Instead of finding cures for the ill or feeding starving children
Oh sure, we dabble in those efforts
But we are committed to killing each other
Governments all around the globe
Spend most of their money
On their armies
Either to defend or attack
Their enemies
Supposedly, the most intelligent creature on earth
The intellectual creature known as man
If I may go so far
Mans commitment to war and killing
Goes far beyond any one mans term in office
It goes far beyond any one mans lifetime
It goes far beyond any century or any one era
From beginning to end, top to bottom
East to west, north to south
Red, yellow, brown, black or white
Our commitment to killing each other
Is undeniable
How can a species that is smart enough to split atoms
Creating weapons that will kill millions
Still be stupid enough to do it?
And now I see on the science channel
That man has now devised the Platonic beam
A beam of light that just disintegrates the target in an instant
At what price you ask?
Well I don’t know but I reckon if we diverted that money
To say solar energy projects
They could probably put a solar energy system
On every home in the world for free
Thus solving the energy crisis
Not to mention food in the icebox and medicine in the cabinet
Because of course when you create such an amazing new weapon
You need an entire new type of ship to deploy it from
Thus is born the next generation of war birds
They jettison into space
Then go into super afterburner (A jet engine minus oxygen)
Which they said would reach like 20,000 miles an hour
So you could shoot halfway around the world
Disintegrate your enemy
And be home in time for supper
I believe when speaking of politics
It’s not a National Crisis
It’s a Global Epidemic
Categories:
diverted, history, life, loss, people,
Form:
Free verse
Natural rainbow
Sunlight's spectrum of color
Diverted water droplets
Circle rainbow aglow
God's love exposed this wonder
Mankind reaps beauty's assets
There's a rainbow true
When gray darkens the blue sky
Light shines through the massive clouds
Promises anew
God's presence will amplify
Doubt's hold lifted love unshroud
Inspired by Laura Loo's Contest
Written: January 06, 2016
Categories:
diverted, art,
Form:
Rhyme
Slither
me slips me beasty heart
beneath a piece of guise,
and pens some page of wisdoms
to place before they's eyes,
and with they's gaze diverted,
me dons me cloak of thief's,
and slithers in and steals they's love,
and leaves thems only griefs.
me slimeys up the way theys moves
about they's drudgy lifes,
and causes thems to kicks like bugs,
all caught in stuffs and strifes.
me sees this murky-mucky,
and glees it close to breast;
me knows me must continue thus,
or becomes like alls the rest.
but me sorrowfuls am becoming,
as guise weighs heart likes lead;
it darkens up me seeings in,
and fouls insides me head.
now me greeny eyes does leakings
with only leastest nudge,
and from me slitty portals
comes oozing weeps of sludge.
Categories:
diverted, fantasy,
Form:
Rhyme
The wizened hunter had but one cartridge
remaining this was no trifle matter.
For he’d been attacked by a hungry horde
of rats when he took shelter in this cave.
And now a mordacious wind was morphing
into a severe storm and he was scared.
Yet he had to layover until dawn
for the blizzard’s wrath had imprisoned him.
The mere thought of his starving family
elicited nightmares and pangs of guilt.
For he felt shackled to this loathsome cave
unable to hunt and provide them food.
Setting the horizon afire Sol rose
as dawn's first light pierced the black of night.
And with one shot starvation was diverted
for a buck stood dead center in his sights.
Categories:
diverted, angst, emotions, fear, feelings,
Form:
Blank verse
in an
angst- saturated
moment i find you there in
my travel bag, injured by the neglect of
a poorly screwed-on sparkling water bottle cap:
my beloved poetry notebook of fifteen years. You are
now one-third soaked and stained at the top. I shudder to
think of throwing you away or burying you in the cemetery of
old college diaries and love letters. You were my faithful collector of
anxiety and pleasure, cleverness and drought, loneliness and victory;
oftentimes tucked away for months at a time as creative energies were
diverted to other outlets. Like a loyal dog whose master travels away, you
never gave up on me. How many times the tears stained your inky pages
long before I even knew that sparkling water was a thing! When friends
moved away, or betrayed me (how i wished THEY would move away), when loved ones died too young, or old ones lived too long (how they wished THEY could die instead), when my son was slaying dragons and my daughter was breaking up with an inattentive boyfriend; when my wife struggled with her sisters, or when I agonized through physical therapy or cancer surgery, you were patiently there for me. Even as my joints and stitches eventually healed, you continue to be my invaluable companion, both for my history you contain to the left, and for the blank, hope-filled pages to the right. Like me, you are aging, stained, lumpy, scarred, but two-thirds useful as i write under the stain.
///NOTE: the shape above roughly mirrors the unstained portion of my notebook, which I will continue to use in its deformed and lumpy new state!
Also, no poems were harmed in the making of this poem. I write in pencil, so the water didn't render any previous pages unreadable, thankfully!///
Categories:
diverted, poetry, sad,
Form:
Free verse
The Sonnet is my favored form;
with meter, rhyme, and feet, I do conform.
But what if I diverted, mixed
two meters with a couplet rhyme, affixed
with syllables of eight and ten
and feet of four and five, and then again,
repeat throughout the fourteen lines...
play silly mischief with old form's confines?
It seems to me this form is neat;
I like the freedom using mixed-up feet
and syllables that make lines long
or short to break up patterns of singsong.
This newest form, I now proclaim,
that 'Mixed-Feet-Couplet Sonnet' be its name!
Sandra M. Haight
~3rd Place~
Contest: A Form Of Mischief
Sponsor: Nina Parmenter
Judged: 10/04/2018
Rules: Creatively modify a standard poetry form
New Sonnet:
Couplet Rhymes
Seven 8-syllable lines of four feet (Tetrameter)
Seven 10-syllable lines of five feet (Pentameter)
Categories:
diverted, poetry,
Form:
Sonnet
We see but grey where once was green
As bulldozers now scrape,
Turning a joyful rural scene
Into joyless landscape.
The area was green-belt land
With forest and pasture
But as our numbers still expand
We will invade nature.
And so that farmland must give way
To high profit housing.
Farming that land has had its day.
Let the plunder begin.
First rip up each ancient hedgerow,
Take living loam away.
Make space for luxury homes to go.
The wildlife then must stray.
Nests and burrows can play no part
As man now owns this space.
The construction work now can start
And big profits then chase.
Soon building projects in full swing.
The stream that filled the pond
Diverted to concrete piping
In culvert underground.
Aquatic habitats destroyed.
Frogs, toads and newts homeless.
Many wildlife species now void.
But man could not care less.
Categories:
diverted, animal, environment, nature,
Form:
Ballad
You could have ripped out my eyes
You could have plucked at my heart strings
I’d have let you do all these things
Because you were worthy
You were my Queen
You were my ally
We were coalescing
Until our paths diverted
Down different routes
But I just want to say
I still think about you
No hard feelings
And no regrets
I wish you all my love
I wish you all the best
I don’t ever think ill find
Anyone like you
But I keep an open mind
And open eyes as well
Because what the future holds
We can never tell
But I wish you well
And I hope you find
Just what you’re looking for.
Categories:
diverted, farewell, future, leaving, lost
Form:
Free verse
A face pack guaranteed to make Miffy’s face look year’s younger.
She had never had enough suiters to add up to a husband, so she bought it.
She packed it on one Saturday night, and avoided church on Sunday.
For the face pack refused to come off.
For weeks she refused to go anywhere, thinking it would fade.
Nothing took it off, even the sun did not fade it. It was azure blue.
She started going to the market, and to other places, little by little.
She wore a large headscarf, and diverted her head but the kids saw her.
“Hey Mom! There is that Blue Lady!” they would yell.
People renamed her Blue Lady and she became popular.
People liked her better than they had ever liked her before.
She was nicer now, kinder, more empathetic.
She understood people with trauma a lot better now.
She was not as quick to judge.
A wonderful man decided to date her.
The night before their wedding her face pack fell off.
Fate in her best moment.
Categories:
diverted, 10th grade, 11th grade,
Form:
Monorhyme
My normal route diverted,
I walked north instead of south
And passed a man who looked like he
Existed hand to mouth.
He’d made a small encampment
Underneath a walking bridge,
Though of course he lacked a bathroom
Or a closet or a fridge.
But I had to give him credit
For I couldn’t help but look
As he knelt before a bookshelf
Picking out the perfect book.
There were maybe twenty volumes,
Neatly standing side by side,
Clearly adding to the ambiance
Of where he does reside.
We can make our living quarters
Cozy, if we are in luck,
But to do so when you’re homeless
Takes a little bit of pluck.
Categories:
diverted, home,
Form:
Rhyme
THE PARADOX OF PROGRESS
Communication has been around since the dawn of man,
It’s evolved from smoke signals and the beating of drums,
Hieroglyphics gave rise to alphabets and the written word,
Along came the inventions of the telephone, fax and intercom.
We had Morse code, the pony express and radio,
Which eventually gave rise to TV,
Homing pigeons used to carry messages,
And truckers would converse on their CB’s.
The world has gotten smaller and more connected since,
The phone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell,
But he never dreamed that one day,
You’d be able to access the internet and send a text on your cell.
Recently, I observed 5 people at a table, having lunch,
So it was quite obvious that they were not alone,
Yet those same 5 people were oblivious to each other,
Because all of them were using their cell phones.
With the continuous advancement of communication,
The population feels the need to always be in touch,
But when it interferes with face to face conversation,
When does texting, facebook and email become way too much?
These days, people bring their tablets and I-phones,
And other mobile devices wherever they go,
With the touch of a screen or the push of a button,
We’ve become addicted to sharing all sorts of info.
Quite often when someone is in the company of other people,
And their device prompts them for something to be viewed,
Their attention is diverted, and they ignore the people they’re with,
And most people would agree this is quite rude.
With the advent of social media technology,
Mobile devices have caught on like wildfire,
But at the same time, it seems that,
People’s social skills are lacking, and something to be desired.
Technology is certainly a marvelous thing,
And it is definitely here to stay.
But while we are in the company of others around us,
Let’s all be courteous and put our devices away.
Categories:
diverted, conflict, history, irony, people,
Form:
Rhyme
Every mind is painted on a separate canvas
Lines brushed to give edge to their scenes
With a multitude of colors peppered around
Bordered by abstruse and diverted memories
Categories:
diverted, history, introspection, life, social,
Form:
Rhyme
Fasting cleanses both body and soul
It breaks you only to make you whole
Its spiritual connection plays a vital role.
Now not only the wearer knows the shoe pinches
for you get the chance to be in the needy's shoes
A whole month to forget those addictive binges
A chance to comprehend the poor man's cues.
Donot complain if your tummy's rumbling grumbling
for the poor man has always been thus starving
Feel his hunger, feel for him
and side by side give your weight a trim
Everybody wants to be so slim.
Many religions do prescribe it
The fasting one will describe it
If you have never done it
you might want to try it.
A month of fortitude, forbearance is a month of fasting
intended to impart a self-control and patience that's everlasting.
We all need ketosis to get rid of the lipids, fat stores
And researcher Google just told me that's what fasting ensures!
Craving for eatables the belly though may be raging
yet scientists have proved that produces a substance for anti-aging!
So if you are interested in a healthier, longer life span
come join me and fast away this month of Ramazaan.
It's time you understood God's health plan.
Researchers say the fasting person diverts energy
from the digestive system to the immune system!
Every wajibat has been proven good for both soul and body
Scroll even Google for yourself to thank the fasting dictum.
Fasting's a perfect way of bodily detoxification
Researchers say it's notable how fasting detoxifies each organ!
So come one come all, fasting can be for any creed
It lowers the BP and lowers the greed
as attention is diverted from the self to those in need.
I hope a month of NO food yet gives some food for thought
For a fasting from pondering should never be sought!
Categories:
diverted, allah, islamic, uplifting,
Form:
Lanterne
SUMMER SOLSTICE
Queen Meabh stood beside the cairn, her velvet cape fluttered in the night air,
She called onto the Goddess Aine to return the moon safe to its hidden lair.
Braziers crackled as wood and turf warmed the dark hour before dawn’s light,
Na Fianna Warriors guarded against the savage unknown forces of the night.
A lone whistler’s haunting tune announced the Thuaith De Dannan clan’s arrival,
And Morganna smirked as frightened eyes diverted their gaze in self survival.
The heart beat of the bodhran was joined by the uilleann piper’s soothing soul,
As evil Balor shook with fear, banished safe within his watery hell hole.
Then moonlight sparkled the wild sea horses as the waves hissed onto the shore,
Aine slipped into the blue of the night as the clans stood in darkness once more.
Then Druids began to chant as queen Meabh raised her golden Torc and spear,
Excitement roused the gathered crowd as they sensed the magic drawing near.
The bodhran raced its primitive beat as chanting and music shook the world,
On the horizon the sun God Eatain loosed the false sun, as nature was unfurled.
The Druids entered the sacred cairn as outside the clans watched the true sun rise,
Its sunbeam flowed across the land about to unveil its most wondrous surprise.
Its beam lit up the chamber dais as golden ogham symbols glowed an amber hue,
Clapping and singing rose to the skies as new beginnings were ringing true.
The breakfast feast was shared to all and offerings were made to the mighty god,
Four thousand years later we still honour this festival and respect the sacred sod.
26th May 2016 S.de B.
Categories:
diverted, celebration, ireland,
Form:
Couplet