Best Doldrums Poems
The day is dull, almost
shadowless. I am alone; shadow
would have given me comfort.
Pages of ancient tomes,
full of must, call me;
there is always comfort here.
I light lamps
damning the florescent pall.
When bathed in the flicker
florescent lit walls become
blue-tinged harbingers of death.
I worship beneath the
shadow-casting gold of incandescence.
The 300-watt glow of my love-gifted
torchiere soothes me.
I place thin-skinned cheek on
chill of plaster wall, wishing to submerge
myself in shadow, but I do not succumb.
Ah, the page that calls, the keys which click
when pen has gone unfound, are all I have.
Why leave, my heart cries out,
there is only the cold of the grave,
none to mourn your passing.
Only the sterile page,
the plaster walls, the shadowed-stage?
No, I argue with my weary self,
put aside this Keats-like gloom
poverty and tombs, and rise!
The sun will shine at winter's end
to daffodils.
First Published Inwood Indiana February 2014
Two cats are in my doggy bed.
The weather outside is cold.
My mistress is busy with all her chores,
As fall turns from cool to cold.
The rain continues pouring down.
There's nothing for me to do,
But sit here in my window seat
And watch the puddles, pool.
FedEx man at the doorbell.
Kids trudging home from school.
A dog being walked in front of the house,
Would make this boredom less cruel.
Oh for a foraging squirrel,
Or a stray cat passing by.
A reason for me to growl and howl,
Instead of just sit here and sigh.
It’s sad, but it gets even worse than this,
As the bitter cold days are born.
The monotony will grow with the falling snow,
While my doggy doldrums wear on.
no cell phone service
in most of the universe
may make you nervous
original sin
where building of guilt begins
doubts start to creep in
autonomy should
not require lobotomy
only common sense
factoring our roles
finding poverty of soul
digs very deep holes
claim open season
for attacks upon reason
let's untruth sneak in
based on pure meanness
or simple inconvenience
words come between us
a haiku a day
may chase the doldrums away
no bills will they pay
The holidays come so fast, then gone,
scarce time to enjoy just the moment.
Family waves ‘hello’ and ‘so long’
as they revel in that bestowment.
Hugs and kisses are memories’ song.
Days in rare flashes of time, standstill,
pass slowly before the Winter end.
Where are those days of gracious thrill,
of visits with family and friend?
Lost now–releasing a cold crisp chill.
Years pass faster, and wiser we feel
old friends and family our treasure.
Judged fairly by Nona’s spinning wheel,
Decima gives nod to her measure
and Morta warns of the bell’s last peal.
11/18/2020
Quintain-Sicilian Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Emile Pinet
https://www.rhymezone.com/
https://www.howmanysyllables.com
The Doldrums of 2020
Hullabaloo, nothing to do.
the doldrums latch on to you.
Rickity dink, slippery slimy slue.
We scheme, we plot, we fold and cry a lot ! ! ! !
We fan, we plan, exhausted, but not an also ran,
We heap accolades upon tarnished shards of hope.
Yet find our very best advice lies in
a good hot bath and plenty of soap.
And when night is nearly nigh,
He, gathers you and I Into a Paradise
where none will ever die. To sing the songs
of Isaac and of Abraham ! ! ! !
To polish halo’s all day long, because we can.
Trying to achieve the heart of a simple man
Failing to fall short the simple gist of it to
reward ourselves with a marmalade biscuit.
And in the end we sit and pray.....And though
no one can directly look Him in the eye,
We adulate the King, the He, the most high !
Thank you again God to give me just one
more rhyme before I die. I’m not worthy I know
But at least I take the time to honestly try.
Charles Grady Henderson, On the rampage again after a short Sabbatical cutting my crop of Florida betony, and repotting my Japanese Maples for the first time in over ten years. Along with a whole slew of Iris and day lilies which have multiplicity syndrome. I have run out of dirt, so now have a fair sized hole in my back yard to fill in, along with that horrible wet spot oozing up from the septic tank drain. Man my life has got to get better. And it will “The Lord willing and the creek don’t rise” ! !
All things were naught but quiet…
Quiet as a babies breath
Not a meandering breeze
Nor dragonfly sneeze
Could pierce the Autumn’s depth
Seasons caught …
twixt heat and cold
Juxtaposed, in deep repose
Seeming not to make so bold…
To decide ‘tween life and death
All things in a state of stasis
A thoughtful pause… (As it were)
When things with wings
And scaly things
And even things with fur
Seem to sink
into deep contemplation
As if to ponder, their fate…
In dark contempt…Or admiration
It matters not…It’s much too late
For Mother Nature…once rested
Will release the breeze to the waiting trees
Will bid Jack Frost hello…
Then clothe them flimsy
With an air of whimsy
In raiment of crystal snow…
Doldrums of death
Beat like drumrolls
That final breath
When the bell tolls
Doldrums of death
Shrouded in palls
Leads to Lethe
When the trump calls
Doldrums of death
Sound like headaches
Cry of Macbeth
When the cord* breaks
Doldrums of death
Stab like sharp spikes
Placing grave wreath
When the clock strikes
*silver cord
19th April 2023
A baseball team hard to follow
Failures really tough to swallow
Many problems from stem to stern
Fans' frustration in a slow burn
Managers don't know what to do
To get the Dodgers out of the blues
Too close to Hollywood it would seem
Many distractions bad for a team
Ahead by eight games in '62
Seemed just too good to be true
Sandy Koufax leading the way
Then bad luck came into play
Injury knocked Koufax out
Dodgers lost all games in a rout
With the Giants in a tie
Hard to accept the reason why
Fell to the Giants in a playoff
Series hopes sadly lost
After '62 the Dodgers were back
Won two Series with Sandy Koufax
In the '70s the Dodgers tanked
Dropped two Series to the hated Yanks
FOX bought team in '98
I'm now less certain about their fate
Team sold again in '04
How could a fan ask for more
Team again sold to folks in LA
Had big money with which to play
Tried to buy their way to the top
Bought three players from the Sox
One was named A. Gonzalez
A gifted player with great prowess
Two others were hurt and all done playin'
That's all about this I'm gonna' be sayin'
Astros beat Dodgers in '17
Houston cheated it would seem
Signs were stolen by that team
Oh my heavens that was mean
Lost to Boston in '18
Another Series left in waiting
It's true some Series the Dodgers have won
But with bad luck we had less fun
Hey what are their chances this year
Dodger front office says never fear
Same old story I frown and sneer
They're too short on pitching
I need a beer
Wait a minute
2020 Just happened
Dodgers won Series
I can't stop laughin'
Hurray, hurray
There's so much to cheer
My joy for this team
Now crystal clear
Faith in the Dodgers
Returns to this fan
Lots to celebrate
That's my plan
The Doldrums of 2020
Hullabaloo, nothing to do.
the doldrums latch on to you.
Rickity dink, slippery slimy slue.
We scheme, we plot, we fold and cry a lot ! ! ! !
We fan, we plan, exhausted, but not an also ran,
We heap accolades upon tarnished shards of hope.
Yet find our very best advice lies in
a good hot bath and plenty of soap.
And when night is nearly nigh,
He, gathers you and I Into a Paradise
where none will ever die. To sing the songs
of Isaac and of Abraham ! ! ! !
To polish halo’s all day long, because we can.
Trying to achieve the heart of a simple man
Failing to fall short the simple gist of it to
reward ourselves with a marmalade biscuit.
And in the end we sit and pray.....And though
no one can directly look Him in the eye,
We adulate the King, the He, the most high !
Thank you again God to give me just one
more rhyme before I die. I’m not worthy I know
But at least I take the time to honestly try.
Charles Grady Henderson, On the rampage again after a short Sabbatical cutting my crop of Florida betony, and repotting my Japanese Maples for the first time in over ten years. Along with a whole slew of Iris and day lilies which have multiplicity syndrome. I have run out of dirt, so now have a fair sized hole in my back yard to fill in, along with that horrible wet spot oozing up from the septic tank drain. Man my life has got to get better. And it will “The Lord willing and the creek don’t rise” ! !
Depression is expression extinguished
It doesn't question and it doesn't distinguish
Through its progression hope is relinquished
For the "Depression is...a short poem" contest
12-4-2016
The Doldrums of 2020
Hullabaloo, nothing to do.
the doldrums latch on to you.
Rickity dink, slippery slimy slue.
We scheme, we plot, we fold and cry a lot ! ! ! !
We fan, we plan, exhausted, but not an also ran,
We heap accolades upon tarnished shards of hope.
Yet find our very best advice lies in
a good hot bath and plenty of soap.
And when night is nearly nigh,
He, gathers you and I Into a Paradise
where none will ever die. To sing the songs
of Isaac and of Abraham ! ! ! !
To polish halo’s all day long, because we can.
Trying to achieve the heart of a simple man
Failing to fall short the simple gist of it to
reward ourselves with a marmalade biscuit.
And in the end we sit and pray.....And though
no one can directly look Him in the eye,
We adulate the King, the He, the most high !
Thank you again God to give me just one
more rhyme before I die. I’m not worthy I know
But at least I take the time to honestly try.
Charles Grady Henderson, On the rampage again after a short Sabbatical cutting my crop of Florida betony, and repotting my Japanese Maples for the first time in over ten years. Along with a whole slew of Iris and day lilies which have multiplicity syndrome. I have run out of dirt, so now have a fair sized hole in my back yard to fill in, along with that horrible wet spot oozing up from the septic tank drain. Man my life has got to get better. And it will “The Lord willing and the creek don’t rise” ! !
Ho hum, the doldrums:
I twiddle my thumbs
and scratch my bum.
I bumble ‘round,
and when I’m done,
I murmur, mumble, humph and hum.
Ding-dong, the same old song:
I bang my drum
and clang my gong;
I even brought
my bell along.
Tinkle, ting, naw, that’s just wrong.
Tick tock, flip flop
My brain is oozing
gloopy glop.
That metered click:
where is my glock?
Bang! that clock and make it stop!
Pitter pat, what’s that you say?
Rin tin, rain on the roof today!
I’ll squish and splosh and dance and play
and splash those doldrums right away!
----------
for the Onomatopeia Poetry Contest
sponsored by Emile Pinet
written on 07/02/2022
I am slipping into winter doldrums again,
Though I know spring will soon appear
I long for blue skies and flowers to remain,
I am slipping into winter doldrums again
Give me the joys of a warm spring rain
I yearn for spring and summer all year
I am slipping into winter doldrums again,
Though I know spring will soon appear.
Written March 13, 2022
Being in a rut is driving me nuts.
I feel trapped in this doldrums.
In my mind, I am screaming …
Please, somebody! Get me out!
Writing is hard, nothing comes to mind.
Going out is tough, even to the market.
All I do is read, transporting me to Boston,
and Vermont, the settings of the stories.
Need to write, but my muse is not around.
Need to move, but cannot find my groove.
Breathe! Need to do something, do something …
Ahhh, put make up on, a leather mini skirt to
show sexy legs, a halter hot pink top and now
I feel hot, hot, hot … ole, ole … bye, doldrums!
Clouds
of grey
winter gloom-
days meld into
one.