Best Encumbrance Poems
I don't know of anyone who's been successful
in an attempt to capture the encumbrance
of a love pledged and then withdrawn,
nor how to heal a heart from its fallibility.
So, I'm left wondering...
when did the shallow waters of intense love
become too deep to tread?
When did the waves thrash so powerfully
that I was unable to keep my head above them?
I was drowning in the chaos churning in my heart.
Tearful were my eyes in a state of mourning.
Weeping while bereaved and casting a silent plea.
Desperate in the need to escape the captive prison
when my heart was found guilty of gullibility.
Imprisoned by love's bars, unable to take flight,
I was the swan who had lost her mate,
without hope of ever wanting to fly again.
Broken vows are like wounded wings,
and therein was my heart's pitiable plight.
Is it never to be relieved of the agonizing ache?
In gloom of anguish, I gasped one last breath
before crossing the chasm between love and hate.
Too late to beseech my heart for help.
Spurned, it was lamenting over love's death.
Disconsolate, emotions in disarray,
I held a pressed rose he'd lovingly offered,
crushed it in my hand as if I were the flower.
With the power of penance, I reprimanded myself
for having trusted in the pledge of love.
I sacrificed the withered petals,
tossed them on the wind's wayward whims.
Niggled by the feeling of emptiness and loss,
I felt as if I'd just laid them on my own grave.
Categories:
encumbrance, lost love,
Form:
Free verse
A fuddled mind surfs through tides.
Harboured, she sits by the sea doing nothing.
Her toes make electric touch with the water
Restless currents ... spark the sand.
She could see the ocean break into two parts.
Did the Ocean have a heart?
She had salt in her tears..
She had pepper in her eyes..
The briny breeze..why was it so bitter?...
She knew... she was a Cheater.
He had a heart of ocean.
A treasure of glowing pearls within.
She had pushed him off the coast of Trust.
He was shipwrecked by her deceit.
The tail of the Mermaid was hidden.
He could see only half her face.
Tranquil in innocence and ignorance..
He was blind to the treacherous disgrace.
Etched by the smouldering Tsunami
An island imprisoned her stranded.
The Mermaid drowned and drowned..
in the sea of encumbrance...
she thought...
Is there a second chance?
3rd November 2018
Tell me a story 2 poetry contest
Sponsor Brenda Chiri
PLACED SIXTH IN CONTEST
Categories:
encumbrance, beach, feelings, forgiveness, heartbreak,
Form:
Free verse
Sorrow does the grave not know
nor bitterness or greed
In the darkness of the grave
lies no fear or inequality
The grave knows not of cloudy days
nor humid moonlit
summer nights
or the way the bluejays sang to me
nor the way my child gazed at me
And little does it know at all
of passageways through heavens door
The grave is but a benefactor
offering sweet clemency
Restoring my soul from transgressions
of the world above
Easing the encumbrance
of my mind
The grave surely is a friend to me
Craddeling me far below
the springtime daffodils
never disappointing me
nor leaving me behind
Categories:
encumbrance, death, life, sad, grave,
Form:
He unexpectedly lost the other half
of his soul. Now he's merely
an empty shell, crushed under
the elephantine encumbrance
of unimaginable grief.
The hours are miserably long;
nights are infinitely longer.
He's a thousand shards of glass;
crushed coarse and fine
in equal measure.
The coarse pieces of himself
he's picked up from the asphalt.
The fine remnants remain
perpetually scattered
every which way.
He'll never be the same
Crushed by grief yet he still
soldiers on with life. Slowly, a smile
is returning to his face and eyes.
His wife's memory, his consolation.
CRUSHED Poetry Contest (Winner: 4th Place)
Sponsored by Anthony Biaanco
Date written: 06/16/2020
Categories:
encumbrance, dark, death, grief, husband,
Form:
Free verse
I'm a girl
But i'm the princess of this society
Just after birth i was crowned
The crown of their pride & dignity
Like any Royal princess
I have also many encumbrance
Which are set only by them
"Don't talk much,Don't laugh much
At this time, Don't go outside
Don't wear dresses- short & tight"
They don't know
This crown is too heavy & spiky
How hard to handle on the head
Which is soft & delicate
They don't know
How suffocating it is
to wrap up myself
in full sleeves & long dress
Why Don't they understand
I'm a girl, just a girl
Don't wanna be such Royal princess
Let me move my head
Up-Down, Right & Left
Without any load of Crown
Let me see this whole world
With my naked eyes
Without any pall of Veils
Let me breath & feel
Pure air & the cool breeze
Without any envelope of burkha & nakab
Let me live my life, On my rules & Laws
Let me live my life, On my rules & Laws
Categories:
encumbrance, anger, angst, dark, death,
Form:
Free verse
Posed such, in its formidable array
would guess that all protection in refer
not deem my soul respectively, relay
but from some archway's character of serve!
That guard of my esteem, not turning gray
is from some inner peace, not just of nerve
the loyalty I've bridged by my own stay
now chances not its entry as conserve.
For naught the times, nor beckoning's concur
that shoulder decorated stood its ground,
some rite of passage, measures not impure
or guesses at my fancy, or my frowned!
How steady in some answer of reserve
would guarantee its effort, so unbound,
that resolution's comfort not deserve
or its entailment daily ne'er impound!
Is freedom such an answer, I not need
when life holds such encumbrance up her sleeve,
prescribe me not, in entities concede
but brave begot ~ a childhood of bereave!
The Sentry, grasp the plot ~ remit, receive
to bear it all, a blossom of Faith's core
that from behind, attacks are so conceive
the narrowing's remind, an open door!
The harrowing of purging not refined
a net of undeniable content,
the message straight from cowardly assign
and from its framework, instigates resent!
That Hell be guarded once, and so confined
the nature of the whore that so compels,
is tempting of man's nature, so inclined
and reconciles its effort, "all is well!"
And so it be, prerogative regress
is functioned only lightly to incline
to rob my thought, my enemies redress
and matter less, to only spend my time!
Forfeits agenda, reconciles, climbs
that merit of dissension leaves encore,
all but that host's dimension steeps unbind
revolving with ascension ~ perish more ~
And tumbles its direction ~ out of line!
To be continued ~ The Sentry Rhymes ~ Dangerous times.
Note ~ Guard duty is one of the most sensitive, and loyal of commitments.
Such as that of a noble entity, a queen, an endangered person, or even
a family, spouse, children. Today our protection needs to be more loving,
more personal & caring, not back turning, and avoiding. Our own National
Guard need to be here, at home, on board, with their reason intact, and not
forged from some idealistic, protectionist bourgeois ~ needing to be
everywhere else!
Categories:
encumbrance, caregiving, dedication, devotion, soldier,
Form:
Munajat
I am single, a blatant lie !
N o encumbrance, another lie !
T his is a confession, under oath.
H eart of the matter, is what you are.
E nslave you to my heart’s desire.
M uch treasures you possess, than I desire.
O ften misconstrued to be offbeat character.
O ver zealous in every aspect of life.
D esirious of love in every sense.
F aith in self, incomplete.
O bfuscated by love denied.
R einforced by my love sublime.
L oved, but only once.
O ften confused for lust
V engeance is mine sayeth my heart.
E ntwined tween passions of my heart and soul.
A ssigned so my passions don't go astray.
G one are the days that felt sane.
A lways in my mind your image stays.
I mpregnated by the love, of those tender days.
N ow I am just, begging you to stay…?
Categories:
encumbrance, lost love, love,
Form:
Acrostic
Where we are?
State undefined, engulfed in nebulous forms.
Clear Chaos veiling vision – the urge to see beyond.
Amidst life – unheard, unheralded, unadapted.
What are we doing here?
Supposedly seriously defining the dreams.
Disorderliness maintenance or may be paraphrasing togetherness.
Experimenting approaches: didactic, disciplined, distributed.
Why are we doing this?
Passion ignited urge has become a need.
Meaninglessness pinches, thankfully not-numb, 'us'.
Individually juggling – existence, expectations, encumbrance.
Where from here?
Nowhere or the apex.
Compromise undoubtedly cannot be the end-word
To anywhere – without- mediocrity, mid-life, mannequins.
…And so?
Bland paper needs meaningful lines.
Humane words have to rekindle the flow.
The show has begun: destined, determined, devouring.
Categories:
encumbrance, brother, faith, hope, inspirational,
Form:
Dramatic Verse
GOODLUCK
Gutless muffled monarch wooed millions to the poll,
Our feeble lord enforced by pathetic speech of poverty (I once had no shoes)
On congruent grounds of pain we forced him, though we hated his coterie.
Disappointed, we wail waiting surrogate to lead to unending journey of relief
Lackluster, jejune as pervading rot lingers
Unvaried captain rocks our boat, gagged around by plunderers.
Circles of death, twinge, pauperdom and miseries mocks the reign of naivety.
Kleptocrat adorn self in regalia, loved the honor. lacks duty
EBELE
Embezzlers of collective trust bequeathed in hope,
Bandits as conniving ministers besmirched our obtuse scamp
Egregious, craven, shrieked at the sound of war (I am not a lion)
Laggard lumper loon left fanatical murderers at our doorsteps
Encumbrances from his delinquent clan divide the love for mother land
DAME
Damp squib's duchess of indecent tongue, never feels a vestige of restraint
Academic 'double misnomer' with licence to libel,
Merriment and intrigue feigned as obligations,
Edgy. encumbrance though ceaselessness forms their amity.
PATIENCE
Punk pretending and purloining to private vaults
Adventurous nerve for futile globe trot
Twitchy at the affairs of state, though Unemployed by sensible Poll
Intoxicated by serendipity, shaming all with activity
Euphemistic drama Usurps Scrappy literacy on cultured observers
Crude verbiages to amuse myriad of eggheads (my Fellow widows)
Encomium of Yesterday's approval turned sour and Tsar inept mode prevails
Jokers jostled in enthusiasm to rule, (politicking for 2015)
Onslaught from 'Boko-Haram' drove sleep from wearied countrymen
Numbed as "hoipolloi" echoed NO to mistimed removal,
Alas, the fraud, rapscallion looted the poor to a blindfold
Tyrannic cloaked his garb in power busted on the streets with the troop
Higgledy-piggledy bugled the travesty of Democracy
Amidst the rubble of a crumbling amalgam
Nigerian Lords watched the drama secured among a troop we die helpless
Categories:
encumbrance, corruption, crazy, culture, heartbroken,
Form:
Alliteration
The encumbrance of
life
Copious and
never-ending
A leaching
gangrenous wound
In need of
dismemberment
From his torpid soul
The medicinal
elixirs have raped
the mind
And replaced it with
a dense syrup
That makes
cognition, onerous
He cares for nothing
Feels nothing—is
nothing
A means to an end
Has him captivated
Fixated on the task
Relief is at hand
But he lacks the
strength and courage
Categories:
encumbrance, dark, depression, sad,
Form:
Free verse
Put forth, in some array, to just regroup
the Senior's left, advantages the soup,
that healing art, asunder, wages loop
sits idly by, while effort leads the coup!
Not merely mass destruction, pieces youth
some beauty, just assumption, wrath's uncouth
the topping of life's gumption, stilled to view
as war less, time is drifting, in a groove!
A court of trial, as often times the tread
is just a nod away, a smiled imbed
that recognition's foundling, further read
the stupor of forgetting, files with fret!
Is aging the encumbrance, or faith's dread
to see the children, numbered to exceed
and then the effort, slumbered to recede
some patronizing's drummer that repeats!
Our countryside a wonder, Spring's reprieve
as effort left to nature feels the beat
my soul's encounter jumbled by retreat
the golden years, so compromised to meet?
Would march my errors dunder to the street
in trust's consideration of my years,
the stumble, now the victor, if be sweet
the victories confirm, fear obsolete!
Ne'er ending, the encounter of entreat
what Kingly entourage, I would entail
the nourishment of fondness, so completes
my resolute encounters not assail!
O'er love, the vestige flounders with repeal
swear not the victim, scoundrel's filing scorn
to overcome the sound rolls not congeal
and liven beauties heart skoal . . . . moments stored!
Categories:
encumbrance, age, care, veterans day,
Form:
Monorhyme
I've reflected upon this year, now that it's nearly over,
and realized that my faith in God has not diminished.
How difficult it was to choose my best blessing in 2022,
when I've been given so many and must choose only one.
My decision came to rest on the blessing God bestowed
on me by removing the burden long carried in my heart.
The weight of being unable to forgive was bringing me down,
A load I dared not share with anyone, not even the Lord.
But the encumbrance grew too heavy, and I was overcome
with sorrow, besieged by a troubled mind and an onerous spirit.
In humble prayers, I cried out for God to hear my plea,
and searched Bible pages for a scripture of His holy Word.
Prayers then answered when in the book of Matthew I found,
“Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down,
and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you
and learn from me, for I am mild tempered and lowly in heart,
and you will find refreshment for yourselves.
For my yoke is kindly, and my load is light."*
I poured out the grieving that pride caused me to forbear,
and so lifted the weight I carried inside my laden heart.
No more did I feel the threat of sullen days and nights,
for I forgave everyone who'd ever pointed a finger at me.
This blessing I received was given with God's divine love.
I thanked Him for His patience so that I no longer feel
the burden I once carried that weighed heavily on my heart.
Now, that I've forgiven others, I'm filled with a sense of peace
knowing that by doing so, my Father has forgiven me.
November 16, 2022
Best Blessing Contest ~ Sponsored by Regina McIntosh
*Matthew 11:28-30
Categories:
encumbrance, blessing, forgiveness,
Form:
Free verse
Milton and Adam, egocentric Narcissists
capitalized idea of freedom from pessimists
Freedman and Smith, associates seeing all
to the very end of their own proboscises
no one knows better, than self (and them)
what society needs to get fettered again
what you don't know can't hurt ya, right?
capitalism can take away eminent domain
they reasoned government wants to regulate
all manner of every individual's desires
only to get the citizenry to relegate
and fill out the few forms they'd require
they (the government) don't need to protect us
from poisons in foods, or usury rates
we can all make our own lifeline decisions
it's all for oneself and no more debates
the crock that you fill with substance
is the crock that holds your own water
eco-governance only makes for encumbrance
grinding individualism to earth as a pauper
rooms they wrote from were filled with words
of what Adam and Milt wrote and said
to balance others with self they maintained absurd
'course Freedman and Smith - they're both dead
© Goode Guy 2014-01-16
Categories:
encumbrance, america, money, philosophy, society,
Form:
Quatrain
Wildly, comes the drumming of frustration against my soul.
Dangerously is the fall into despair.
Mindless is the thoughts of repair.
Encumbrance are the hands that reach for me for declaration.
Severed is my heart with ruination.
Copyright under Labyrinth of Life
Categories:
encumbrance, depression,
Form:
Free verse
February 28 Relationship to God Bible Meditations Based on Joshua 7-9
Key Verse – Joshua 7:13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you..
LORD GOD, YOU ARE MY SANCTIFIER
Lord God, You are my Sanctifier against accursed trespass and unholiness
Thank You for forgiving my confessed conscience-smiting filthiness
As I repent from neglecting Your warning for unrighteousness…
Deliver me from corruption-destructiveness.
Lord God, You are my Sanctifier against backsliding
Thank You for correcting my wayward environ-treading
As I learn from Your Word, gaining biblical understanding…
Drive me toward prayer altar-building.
Lord God, You are my Sanctifier against sin-spoilage
Thank You for purging my self-inflicted trouble-bondage
As I come to You for freedom-flight, surpassing temptation-frontage…
Draw me away from covetousness-rampage.
Lord God, You are my Sanctifier against pursuit for vanity
Thank You for hindering my ascent to secularism-liberty
As I avoid craving for materialistic security…
Direct me to Your will of spirituality by Your reigning authority.
Lord God, You are my Sanctifier against pride’s destruction
Thank You for guarding my heart from arrogance-caused isolation
As I participate in the fulfillment of Your great commission…
Deter me along paths of haughtiness’ curse-abomination.
Lord God, You are my Sanctifier against false religion’s insight
Thank You for admonishing me to conquer pull of humanistic flight
As I journey upward stewardship-servanthood height…
Deal with me according to Your counsel delight.
Lord God, You are my Sanctifier against murmuring’s grievance
Thank You for reminding my oath of vow-perseverance
As I overcome tendency to succumb toward troubles’ disturbance…
Discipline me from engaging in carnal encumbrance.
February 28, 2023
Categories:
encumbrance, blessing, christian, faith, god,
Form:
Rhyme