Best Elbow Room Poems
...for my sons Keir and Evan
Truth is a two-edged sword,
you will be cut by nonsense,
not by circumstance, my son,
and blinded to its darker side
you'll drift in seas of innocence,
carefree as a neophyte
with all the answers pending,
daft and delirious, your youth is fully spent,
and dreams are never-ending,
immerse yourself in fantasies
as long as you are able,
and nestle, tightly held in heaven's tending.
The twin deceits will wriggle as you learn,
and even good will bring you sorrow,
as the ways of evil cause you strife;
differentiate, discern
that which you can beg or borrow
to lend a sweet contentment to your life.
Everyone will aggravate and meddle,
good and bad will jostle for attention,
the guilty and the innocent,
whatever they can camouflage or peddle
to cheat on their redemption,
(beware the sly recalcitrant!)
The glory of the earth is set before you,
flora, fauna, the duplicity of man,
the dust of stars, the rubble of creation,
the planets slowly spinning into view.
Amidst the whirl, the waste, do what you can,
identify the source of inspiration,
the sounds of summer singing in the grass,
birdsong, and the bliss of flowers in bloom,
the unity of things, below, above.
You'll make a difference in the days that pass,
as you give your fellow seekers elbow room,
uncompromising in your search for love.
Oh mothers of the world stand before your mirrors of
Self-reflections, now gather all kindred near, now just
For one moment imagine them disappearing, vaporizing into
The thinnest of air?
This realization is the future fate of the polar bear,
Look into the eyes of this beautiful creature of nature,
Behold she is completely unaware of the meaning of
Extension, this mother only knows her cubs
Are hunger, and there is not enough food to feed them?
The season of the ice grows shorter, the seal
Population has grown less and less every year,
And the Arctic Tundra of her youth has faded away?
The wilderness is vanishing, as man kind enters
This frozen arena of ice and snow, these creatures
Are running out of elbow room.
The mother bears cubs may soon become just
A numbered statistic, or even worse,
To the bitter reality of certain death, it’s time
We do something about it before it’s too late?
Many other species face the same finality,
Yet humanity turns a blind eye to this truth of realism,
What if in the future that mirror is fact not fiction for
Are kind as well!
Again mothers look deeply into the eyes of this
She mother Polar Bear, than again face this reflections
View at yourself, can you not hear the cries of her young,
As their bellies grumble for food substance!
Soon she this proud beast of artic freedom,
This wild symbol of Alaskan wilderness,
May have to choose which cub shall live or
Must die, so that at least one survives,
Which cub of humanity would you so close?
It is up to us the children of humanity,
To make some kind of difference in this world,
Or the only place the Polar Bears will be seen
Is in an inter-city zoo, but even their these
Creatures are in trouble, for the breeding
Programs have run out of fresh bloods DNA,
To produce heathy mating stock?
The future is becoming uncertain for many
Species, it’s all up to us now to make the
World at large a better place to co-exist,
With others on this big blue world of ours?
Until than don’t forget it’s their planet two,
The Polar Bears, tigers, lions, and so many
Others of God’s divine creation!
BY: CHERYL ANNA DUNN
Hold and veer revolved career, the way by man alone on trails unknown, across
trackless stone, to follow where? across prairie’s bare! traveling light with bellies
tight, on rocky shores its lore was sure, to follow, follow across crag across hollow
your roads were strung as songs were sung.
To the moonlights gleam your face a'sheen within an allegorical necklace of emerald green,
over the lush deep pile of grassy miles
in shades of juniper deep in a darkling sleep,
to the rising of suns and a compass point all journey's run.
the tales untold of companies bold
that (you without) had much to doubt, for you've
shown the trail helped set the sails, the Mayflower
knew your north point true, in part America is! Because of you!
Jim Bridger held you in his hand as he mapped
a path to the Rio Grande, George Washington, Sam Houston,
Davy Crocket and Daniel Boone, stood for
Liberty, Truth and elbow room.
So what of now! the why when & how? Can the trail point of a nation, validate its creation?
in these days pitch dark can you strike a spark
are there men like Kennedy or Martin Luther King, women,
like Amelia Earhart whose spirits point forward in adversity, and continue to sing.
Two brothers named Mischa and Sam
Collided elbows with a bam
Both jumped in the air
Said, “This isn’t fair”
Then switched seats to eat eggs and ham
Well, aren’t you a sight for sore EYES
Off the top of my HEAD its been nearly two years
Yes ,I have been keeping busy
A FINGER in every pie that’s me
It has been a bit of a struggle
I did put my NECK on the line
Many times I cried my HEART out
Then would dust myself off and say “ok girl CHIN up”
And FACE the music
Yes we were away for a while
We had really itchy FEET
Though we were BACK before we knew it
I've kept an EAR out to see if anyone had heard from you
I did hear you started your own confectionary business
You’ve always had a sweet TOOTH
It’s on… “Now what’s the name of that street “?
It’s on the tip of my TONGUE….
It is something like KNEE
Kneetson No Kneedham thats it!
You’ll have a lot of ELBOW room there
If you ever need help
I can always lend a HAND
Oh ,you heard about that incident did you
She really put her FOOT in it this time
She has a such CHEEK
I told her to get off my BACK
To stop looking down her NOSE at me
I’ve always been upfront with her
Worn my HEART on my sleeve
Though getting the truth from her
Is like pulling TEETH
She is a royal pain in the NECK
I ARMED myself for the next encounter
My HEART was in my MOUTH
To be honest I got cold FEET
Best I keep her at ARMS length
So last time I saw her ,I said
I hope you are all EARS
I need to get something off my CHEST
I politely wished her good luck
Told her to break a LEG
And kiss my ****!!
(A Body Idiom Poem)
Grandma, look I am flying on your broom.
Where would you be going on such a fine
Afternoon?
Be careful that's an heirloom.
To your bedroom
To get my costume.
Grandma, look I am flying on your broom.
Well! One thing is for sure you have plenty of
Elbow room.
Did you find your black pantaloons?
Be careful that's an heirloom.
Before we go trick or treating you will need to
Use the powder room.
Once your outfit is on there won't be another
Opportune.
Grandma, look I am flying on your broom.
I assume
You bought your walkie talkies so we can
Commune.
Be careful that's an heirloom.
Grandma, why does daddy fume?
Never you mind. Halloween will be over soon.
Grandma, look I am flying on your broom
Be careful that's an heirloom.
Allow the mind
Afford its need to conjure
Profound:
If exaltation and majesty
Require a bit of provocation and amnesty today
Humor:
As remedy and coagulation
From the bleeding of
Pain, stress and anger
Affection:
To reach out from solitary
Disconnectedness and remind
Ourselves that human beings exist
For purposes greater than commerce,
Ridicule and acceptance (approval?)
Bizarre:
Lifting the veneer of earth-toned normality
To discover colors and shapes
Radiant with black dissonance
Thorny embrace
Begging for elbow room among the
Forbidden and unforgiven
Slow dancing to rapacious cadences
That salute unspoken, unthinkable
Luscious folly
Melancholy:
For no reason
Sans the blame of others
Spite of self
Grasping sadness leased
By absentee owners
Themselves insipid to the
Context of sorrow they predispose
And so empathy
Created by that
Ancient historian with his grandiose
Visions of humanity's
Zero sum pain
Reflection:
In, out
Distinctive and plagiarized
To give depth where blank existence
Stands naked, cold
And in need of decency
Reacting to the homogenous assumptions
That fill our tomes of daily dread
Momentary answers to eternal questions
Before the rain and incessant gray tender
Cover the need to be alive
Brilliance:
Where our grasp of knowledge
Tangled inquiry
Defines
Yields bouquets fresh enough
To place in the corner
For whomever looks our way
Kernels of cerebral popcorn
Gushing with flavor
Vengeance:
Arbitrary
Yet sometimes predestined
Stimuli and caricatures resembling
Organic matter
Causality reckoning from their
Intentional, dark motives
Resulting in your personal disgrace
And corresponding focus
Of their demise
Satisfaction:
At the end of journey
Short and sweet
Long and dreary
Each the test of mettle
From quandaries and dilemmas
Begging to be solved
Or merely maintained
Where we find ourselves
At the summit
Top of the heap
With broken smile
Tacit laughter
And the sigh of a lifetime.
(4/19/05)
I'm tired of talking,
I'm talking real tired,
I need to fly away from this,
but I can't get up any higher,
there's some kind of barricade,
it feels like an obstacle course,
I need to silence the constant static,
but, I just can't figure out the source,
I got no elbow room,
no space, i need some vacancy,
I write to discredit the invalidation,
and all the other negativity,
but, I can't help but having ups and downs,
it's not great but I somehow manage,
so I write now, instead of talking,
I learned to use this as an advantage.
...for my sons Keir and Evan
Truth is a two-edged sword,
you will be cut by nonsense
and by circumstance, my sons,
full blinded to its darker side
you'll drift in seas of innocence,
carefree as two neophytes
with all the answers pending,
daft and delirious, your youth is barely spent,
and dreams are never-ending,
immerse yourself in fantasies
as long as you are able,
and nestle, tightly held in heaven's tending.
The twin deceits will wriggle as you learn,
and even good will bring you sorrow,
as the ways of evil cause you strife;
differentiate, discern
that which you can beg or borrow
to lend a sweet contentment to your life.
Everyone will aggravate and meddle,
good and bad will jostle for attention,
the guilty and the innocent,
whatever they can camouflage or peddle
to cheat on their redemption,
beware the sly recalcitrant!
The glory of the earth is set before you,
flora, fauna, the duplicity of man,
the dust of stars, the rubble of creation,
the planets slowly spinning into view.
Amidst the whirl, the waste, do what you can,
identify the source of inspiration,
the sounds of summer singing in the grass,
birdsong, and the bliss of flowers in bloom,
the unity of things, below, above.
You'll make a difference in the days that pass,
as you give your fellow seekers elbow room,
uncompromising in your search for love.
...dedicated to my sons, Keir and Evan
Truth is a two-edged sword,
you will be cut by nonsense
and by circumstance, my sons,
full blinded to its darker side
you'll drift in seas of innocence,
carefree as two neophytes
with all the answers pending,
daft and delirious, your youth is barely spent,
and dreams are never-ending,
immerse yourself in fantasies
as long as you are able,
and nestle, tightly held in heaven's tending.
The twin deceits will wriggle as you learn,
and even good will bring you sorrow,
as the ways of evil cause you strife;
differentiate, discern
that which you can beg or borrow
to lend a sweet contentment to your life.
Everyone will aggravate and meddle,
good and bad will jostle for attention,
the guilty and the innocent,
whatever they can camouflage or peddle
to cheat on their redemption,
beware the sly recalcitrant!
The glory of the earth is set before you,
flora, fauna, the duplicity of man,
the dust of stars, the rubble of creation,
the planets slowly spinning into view.
Amidst the whirl, the waste, do what you can,
identify the source of inspiration,
the sounds of summer singing in the grass,
birdsong, and the bliss of flowers in bloom,
the unity of things, below, above.
You'll make a difference in the days that pass,
as you give your fellow seekers elbow room,
uncompromising in your search for love.
IN THE 3-D MOVIE THEATRE
In the thick warm darkness
Like rows of fishes moveless
Netted on the bottom of the black seas
Trapped in red velvet seats flipping down with ease
And fighting for elbow room lest
We lose our place on the arm rest
In mouthopen awe at the screen bright
Making seeming day from our night
Until the moment of freedom
Seat flipping will clear the net’s thralldom
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Anyone who has seen the photos of vast 3-D cinema audiences
in the 1950 s wearing the paper eyeglasses will know
what this poem is about.
A monday morning shopper -- and have been for many years
but recently the traffic queues have brought me close to tears
and not wishing to give up my favourite supermarket run
I realised at last that something simply must be done
Now, Tuesday is as good a day as any in the week
There was nowt much on the telly and the soaps were looking bleak
So I grabbed some bags, my keys, my phone, my wallet and my wife
I looked her in the eyes and said "I'm gonna change your life!"
The sun had set behind us as we pulled up to the store,
The carpark all but empty - It was always full before.
We stepped out into peace and quiet, elbow room to spare,
No fear of dings in doors, we were relaxed – a carefree pair.
Inside, the store, so quiet – were they closed? I thought they might,
But a smiling worker answered “No, not till 10, Saturday night!”
And as it was only Tuesday ( and Tuesdays are not much fun )
We grabbed a trolley each and got the whole months shopping done.
We started at the top and swished serenely through the aisles,
No need to stop for traffic as we gobbled up the miles.
Alighting here and there to gather offers that were best,
Like worker bees with honey or birds feathering their nest.
The atmosphere, so calm, there simply was no need to race,
So we took our time and set a less than normal racing pace.
And by the time we reached the till we knew we’d won the fight,
Mondays were no more – we’d be back next Tuesday night!
Truth is a two-edged sword,
you will be cut by nonsense
and by circumstance, my sons,
full blinded to its darker side
you'll drift in seas of innocence,
carefree as two neophytes
with all the answers pending,
daft and delirious, your youth is barely spent,
and dreams are never-ending,
immerse yourself in fantasies
as long as you are able,
and nestle, tightly held in heaven's tending.
The twin deceits will wriggle as you learn,
and even good will bring you sorrow,
as the ways of evil cause you strife;
differentiate, discern
that which you can beg or borrow
to lend a sweet contentment to your life.
Everyone will aggravate and meddle,
good and bad will jostle for attention,
the guilty and the innocent,
whatever they can camouflage or peddle
to cheat on their redemption,
beware these sly recalcitrants!
The glory of the earth is set before you,
flora, fauna, the duplicity of man,
the dust of stars, the rubble of creation,
the planets slowly spinning into view.
Amidst the whirl, the waste, do what you can,
identify the source of inspiration,
the sounds of summer singing in the grass,
birdsong, and the bliss of flowers in bloom,
the unity of things, below, above.
You'll make a difference in the days that pass
as you give your fellow seekers elbow room,
uncompromising in your search for love.
Written: February 23, 2024
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If there are idiots in the room
Said the teacher, sarcasm in full bloom,
Silence stretched along,
Then a freshman stood strong,
To join you, sir, I'll hold elbow room.
The students all giggled and cheered,
As the freshman wit became premiered
With a smirk on his face,
He put him in his place,
A lesson in humor the class revered.
Amid a silent classroom,
A freshman broke through the gloom,
With a clever reply,
He caught everyone's eye,
A lesson in wit that made them all bloom.
The teacher, with a sneer on his face,
Asked the freshman to state his case,
Why not deem you a fool?
The kid said no hint school.
But hate to see you standing with no grace.
The class erupted in laughter and glee,
As the freshman words set them all free,
From the tension and stress,
Of the classroom's duress,
A lesson in wit that brought harmony.
Wheelman
This run is my swan song
After tonight
This smuggling is going to stop
Every headlight in my rearview mirror
Looks like it's a cop
All these kilos in back
They're weighing heavy on my mind
I can't get busted
Lord knows I'm too old
To do anymore time
I sleep with one eye open
I keep the other on my gun
I'm the only friend I've got
And I'm not sure, he's one I can trust
What you think is easy money
Cost far more than it's worth
I'm paid from people's broken dreams
It's stained with blood and I'm sure it's cursed
Running on borrowed luck and unanswered prayers
There's no contracts in this business
The only insurance you have
Is some criminal's word
I've used so many names
That I'm not sure mine is authentic or not
My alias changes every time a new wheel turns
Everyone I meet has to be somebody I forgot
The playing field has gotten so crowed
Their all fighting for elbow room
You can't tell the players even with a program
Who's on the take or talking out of school.
Don't judge this life of my mine
Don't put the blame on me
I wouldn't be a wheelman and smuggler
If you and you and everyone else didn't have the need