Best Ensembles Poems
Ballet of the Stars
Breath of the galaxy spins the night sky
Over the magic of midsummer dreams
Legends, lovers, pirouette through the night
Sculptures of fire carved with airy light beams
Dances l’etoile sparkle winter rondeaus
Gossamer nebulas leave stardust veils
Ensembles of stars in stellar tableaus
Costumed in lightness made of starry faille
Astral ballets dance on ebony stage
Patterns of stars in place in this dark space
Stage left then stage right arrangements change place
Celestial performance – rotating grace
Star-spangled glitter on star twinkle toes
Scrim curtain rises on nighttime’s light show.
5-18-23
Contest: Sonnet Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Sotto Poet
Syllables checked with www.howmanysyllables
Celestial – 3 syllables
Performance – 3 syllables
Categories:
ensembles, dance, night, stars,
Form:
Sonnet
Winter Sonata 11-29-23
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Winter Sonata
In grave allegro solo grey gathers,
Strings of winter fantasias
Brewing staccatos of frozen fall remnants,
Downbeats for the first movement
As shivering sleet wipes away bucolic barcarolles
Rocking on sapphire barges,
Harbingers of hoarfrost and hibernation,
When leafless boughs conduct the opening motif
To summon deepening darkness
From restrained shadows of turbulence
To beat warnings on frosted windows
Of snug dens – sheltered hallows.
Sweet solstice flutes sing adagio
Then scatter crystalline mists across snow packed paths
In the movement pathetique when sunglow
Glides between aspen,
Ankle deep in fleecy billows,
Sugar flakes flutter in Heaven’s perfect pitch
Rhythmic silent rests hypnotize crisp midnights
When fluttering flakes of dreamy andantes
Ride on melodic cantabile whispers
In flurries of fleecy decrescendos
Spells of codas, enthralled by idle snowfall,
Glitter in lyric tinsel of sparkling crystal beads on twigs.
Movement presto crescendos in frenzied storms
Snowfall pizzicatos fall in descending measures
When rondos of wind song ensembles
Ascend in frigid notes of icy scales
That pirouette in pulsing beats with resonate strings
Plucked by boreas in thundersnows percussions,
Vivace mistrals whirl in powdery ghosts
That spin in tremolo trills of icicles,
And in whiteout scherzos of blizzard sonatas,
Dizzy with solstice frosty fevers
As winter’s thundering cadence modulates
Into vernal sighs of resolution.
Categories:
ensembles, song, winter,
Form:
Free verse
Applauding an Acrostic Aria
Bopping to a Ballade Ballet and Blank verse Berceuse
Clapping to a Cinquain Cantata and Couplet Chorale
Dancing to a Dizain Duet
Exalting in Etheree Etudes and Elegy Ensembles
Frolicking to Free verse Folk songs and Footle Foxtrots
Galavanting to Ghazal Gavottes
Humming harmonies to a Haiku Hip Hop
Inhaling Italian sonnet Instrumentals
Jiving to a Jueje Jig
Keeping time to a Kyrielle Khaliji*
Lolling to a Limerick Lullaby
Marching to a Monorhyme Minuet
Napping to a Narrative Nocturne
Ovations for an Ottava Rima Overture and Ode Opera
Praising a Pantoum Polonaise
Quieting my quarters with a Quatrain Quadrille
Rollicking to Rondeau Rondos and Rhyme Royal Rhapsodies
Singing to Sonnet Sonatas and Sapphic Stanza Symphonies
Tapping toes to a Triolet Trio and a Tanka Tango
Unwinding to an Urban Sonnet Unison
Vocalizing a Villanelle Villanella
Whistling with a Waltz Wave Waltz
eXulting in Yaltos and Zikets
// Lines consist of a verb, a poetry form, and a musical form //
*Khaliji = modern contemporary music of Central and Eastern Arabia
Categories:
ensembles, music, poetry,
Form:
Abecedarian
Tuneful preludes play on whoosh of spring wind
as flowers spread their kaleidoscopic wings
Two quartets daze in awe while celebrating
a reunion with picnic and ballroom dancing.
The golden showers radiate and incandesce…
Tulips and jasmine nearby bloom so fresh.
Like utopia where ensembles are veritable
Birds of paradise hung their notes to warble.
Music plays…. in graceful moves…smiles scintillate
a luncheon together - each one will never forget.
Memories are all in photos with red roses
Big sunflowers are captured…jutting our faces.
I hold tenaciously an album in a bright clip
of families in garden party for close friendship.
July 7, 2014 11.10pm
Third Place
Contest: Garden Party: Verb-alized Noun-sense with floral accents
Judged: 7/15/2014
Sponsor: Poet Cyndi MacMillan
Categories:
ensembles, nature,
Form:
Sonnet
"My First Instrument"
Bassoon baby so special to me
The first thing I really took care of
Instrumental to my growth
I cleaned it every day
Woodwind wonder
Of stained sycamore maple
A glossy fine finish
For someone just beginning
Sleeping with my jazz filled fantasies
I was a double reed romantic
Leading hit ensembles
For the restaurant down the street
Practiced awkwardly were sheets of music
Letting out so many terrible sounds
Repulsive to even the neighbors
Cementing my ineptitude
I had a case for a device I could not handle
It was black and lightly gilded
For containing a cacophonous weapon
Most threatening
But caring parents blocked their ears
With cotton balls packed inside
While my idiotic iterations went on upstairs
For all those many months
And after some time had passed
Rejection from the band
And looks from the neighbors
Playing I was on a musical beast of burden
When I put it all together
A sensation of madness evolved
That no one could tell me the truth
I stunk worse than burning rubber
So I used it to get my way
A sort of give me what I want
Asking for more desert or staying up late
'Cause I'll play, believe me, I'll play!
Eventually I went to my parents and told them "I quit"
They removed the cotton and responded in turn
With smiles galore and threats from the community no more
Everybody was nice to me again
Categories:
ensembles, life, music, me, parents,
Form:
Free verse
There was a time when tennis players
Had to dress in white.
Appearing on the court in colors
Wouldn’t have been right.
But rules have changed and now we see
A medley of attire.
In fact, to be a fashion plate
Some players do aspire.
Both men and women choose to wear
Ensembles bright and bold.
A few stroll out in outfits
Rather shocking to behold.
Though some may yearn for former times
When whites were de rigueur,
To me, the freedom from those rules
Improves the court’s décor.
Categories:
ensembles, clothes, sports,
Form:
Rhyme
From river to the sea, an ocean of blood, filled with cries of children;
peace is broken, homes destroyed, lives shattered, a sea of refugees fleeing torrential bombs, under the ether of Western civilization resisting a ceasefire.
From river to the sea, Palestine is on the brink, like an express train to unspeakable tragedy befalling a whole nation, slated for extinction.
History's marching backward, to Rwanda and Auschwitz, a clever strategem for land without its original people, invaded by European settlers citing holy book to lay their claims, like Spanish conquistadors, proclaiming an "empty continent."
From river to the sea, a nation rises and put down like new Spartacus, mutinous against their slavery, and the new King Cnut desperately summoning the waves for Eretz Israel, with no more checkpoints and separation walls; they're only needed for an apartheid state.
From river to the sea, priceless treasures, highlighting architectural ensembles of centuries, buried under the chorus 'finish them,' finish them all, old, young, women, children, their animals too. The magic of land that spawned world religions suddenly has dwindled to a trickle of humanity, the catharsis of a crisis of spirit, shutting down conscience, and soon new settler homes shall be built on tower of skulls, with Gaza's unwelcome beaches available to western tourists again, offering kayakers great thrills at discounted prices, with its banks lined with daffodils and new palm trees, so the pleasure boats can anchor for a day to take advantage of the whirlpools of new resorts with a big sign, no Palestinian allowed.
From river to the sea, the light glows within the dispossessed, and with each martyr, their spirit of resistance blooms, and the saga lingers: Palestine will be free, and Jews and Muslims shall live together in peace.
Categories:
ensembles, anger,
Form:
Free verse
Humble,
Rudimentary,
Comfortable clutter to abate fears of agoraphobic stumbles,
A 4x4 white-washed landscape provides the perfect artistic study.
Claustrophobic,
Artificial,
The clean floors become lava so I've practiced my aerobics,
Ugh my artistic inspiration is siphoned by this unfortunately accurate description, an obstinate mockery of my work, look at it sitting there all pompous yet still so superficial.
Blank canvas,
Infinite utensils,
Every little "mess" perfectly fills settles in its stanza,
Of graceful brushstrokes and triumphant crescendos to form my easel.
Insufferable antithesis,
Genocidal doctrine,
Insidiously contagious and unbearably loquacious,
Infecting homes content in their mediocrity and ensembles' sheik rebellious fashion.
A standoff at high noon,
Between libertarian creativity and authoritarian germophobia,
Both sides claiming a fair fight between equal rivals yet they both undermine each other through sabotage and flaunt their charm like geisha,
Who shall I choose?
Eh, I'll figure it out in the morning.
Categories:
ensembles, self,
Form:
Rhyme
Autumn presents her fall fashion lineup
beginning early September
and running through late October
the leaves of summer will present
their collection of Maples, Ash, Poplar
Birch, Elm and Oak
in spectacular dress and ensembles
of rust, gold, amber, yellow, scarlet
and amethyst
be sure to get your ticket early
as this presentation of 2008
will not be seen again until late next year...
Categories:
ensembles, seasons
Form:
With random movements but organized steps
the Universe shimmers like a diva,
caped with luminescent wings,
as, unexcelled,
she soars through the spotlight brilliance
of her own production.
She is the stars
and lights the stage
yet provides a level of mystery
and noir matter to her performance
that manages to bemuse her reviewers.
Eluding description, much less review,
her choreography, based on
simple laws of gravitation,
achieves complexity with spin and grouping.
As patterns emerge
in this cosmic kaleidoscope,
the already spectacular e x p a n d s
with impossible speed
into the unknowable infinite.
Ensembles troupe across the stage of space.
Whole galaxies dance and merge in embrace.
Categories:
ensembles, nature, universe,
Form:
Free verse
And blondes whistle (mightily)
Groove and rhythm supplied
By their accidental guardians
Feigning lock-down on these
Rancid, insipid rugged shores
It's what's expected
The triumphant stasis
The settling down of
Benign expectations
Mixed coarsely with the
Vinegar-garnished
Toxic waves disguised as hope
Fame and glamor
The settling in of those
Who (plead) their mere existence
Laconic persistence
To roam and dare
And acquiesce to forms
Much disparate from themselves
Where and who were they
Before the fall
Their (coerced) lament
Wrapped and pressed
By an indignant Creator
Lie your amble shamble
Down square
With the cracks which
Suckle the (greasy) heat
No scars to spare
Envelopes with deranged matriculation
Puncture the remaining pores
Now everyone, even them
Can wade (deep) into December
Without barometric shift
Gastronomic rift
Or the means to remind yourself
Where the days have hidden
Somewhere plain yet hard to find
Wake me once if your pleasure
Grinds the senses weakly
Wake me twice if all's redeemed
The pageant gone
And once again the blondes
Tune their vacant chords
Hustling into naked ensembles
Flush with gravitas
Conduct the many
Swollen from the vagaries
Of plucking
One too many strings.
(9/6/06)
Categories:
ensembles, beauty, lust, sensual, sexy,
Form:
Free verse
Let’s sail away to Acapella,
A celebrity haunt owned by Penn and Teller.
I shall act as your prince, you’ll be Cinderella
When we’re sat on a beach in Acapella.
It’s not as sexy as Cannes or as dowdy as Rhyl
But their choirs and ensembles will give you a thrill,
Acapella compares well to old Casablanca,
As you will observe once we have dropped anchor.
Their libraries don’t hold any musical score,
Acoustic folk singers are considered a bore,
All keyboards and trombones were sold overseas
And whistles restricted to football referees.
So you won’t hear the bagpipes of Kenneth McKellar
Or repetitive bass notes plucked by Paul Weller.
Your voice will entrance all the ladies and fellas
Once we’ve moored in the harbour of Acapella’s.
There fishermen bring ashore haddock and bream
Having sung shanties as a well-rehearsed team,
The salty sea breeze gives their voices a rasp
And the youngest amongst them let out a gasp!
Melodic and manly, the crews ride the waves,
Proud of their seamanship, masters not slaves,
They heed the advice of their mothers and aunties
But rarely acknowledge the source of their shanties.
Once a solitary busker was found in a yacht
And by all accounts he deserved what he got,
He was forced down the plank at the tip of a sword
Then his vintage viola was flung overboard!
On the pier you’ll find orators and callers at bingo,
But no jukebox is pumping out John, Paul or Ringo.
Pop or rock music gives locals the creeps,
It’s no wonder that George’s guitar gently weeps.
So, if Customs Control takes your squeezebox or trumpet
Don’t seek compensation, you’ll just have to lump it;
Those instruments go to a processing plant
Because singers are welcome but musicians aren’t.
We shall seek out the nightlife in numerous bars
Where the locals all sing without playing guitars,
Dodge the Lambrettas in quaint cobbled alleys,
Then stride across hills and along peaceful valleys.
So, if you’re tired of concertos or singles by Queen
Book a cruise to a place where they’re considered obscene,
It’s a magical island owned by Penn and by Teller -
The remote principality of Acapella.
So let us sail forth across the briny
In a luxury yacht - well furnished and shiny
To where your vocal range will be valued quite highly,
And you won’t have to sit through Baba O’Riley.
Categories:
ensembles, celebrity, fantasy, guitar, imagination,
Form:
Narrative
Ensembles of
Venomous thoughts invade
Every
Reasonable emotion I hold.
Your touch keeps my
Truth
Hidden. Your kiss keeps these monsters
Inside at bay. There is
No other way to catch. No other
Guide for my
Imagination.
No other
Safety net. My
Inner heart, you balance.
Destroying disturbing
Ensembles
Of cracked instruments playing in
Fortissississimo inside
My
Every haunted hope.
Categories:
ensembles, art, confusion, friendship, imagination,
Form:
Acrostic
Keep the linens, the wool blends, and tweeds,
no need for silk or pressed poplin shirts.
Give me coolmax or one hundred per cent cotton
Suit me up in a Speedo for laps in the pool.
Dress me in a matched sports bra and short ensemble for the temperate
weather
Or a gore-tex running suit with a pair of fleece mittens for cold weather running.
I much prefer my vibrant sporting ensembles
Outfit me for swimming or running or biking the trails,
This bright patterned, stretchy happiness costumes my personality better than
grays, browns and blues.
Categories:
ensembles, adventure, happiness, sports, me,
Form:
Free verse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyUebyqDCYg
In the absence of complication,
trials and tribulations become distant memories.
Above, sapphire skies delight sanguine eyes
and inspire forthcoming musings of the mind ***
Traverse with me oh blessed soul into a world of silence
together we can breach the Universal laws of order
and wrap our dreams with silver bows of mercy and love.....
Ensembles of beauty will ignite and claim our hearts
as we become students of the inner light ;
Place the spotlight onto heaven with ecumenical delight
recall the stars ablation as they blink and disappear
for sake of morns relinquish,she yields to sacred night;
Go ahead resign your tribulations and comply dear Mystic,
sing your cacophonic songs as miracles abound
beneath His tribal skies, new contracts await you,
so now that you know, go set the world on fire
with your afterglow and gait.
Nov. 16, 2019
Categories:
ensembles, devotion,
Form:
Free verse