Best Espy Poems
"Sweet child in time,
you'll see the line
the line that's drawn between
good and bad"
Having cold sweats again in this godforsaken ninety degree heat. Shivering uncontrollably. God, what I'd do for a warm comforter right now. Zombies all around me mumbling incoherent poetry no one understands or even cares to hear. Young people half my age or less without souls, without heart, without vision.
Nam 1968. The nightmares won't stop even now, fifty-six years later. Nineteen years old. Just a kid. What did I know about good and bad, right from wrong? I did what I was told just like everyone else. When I was young, I used to dream of Eden.
"See the blind man
shooting at the world
bullets flying
taking toll"
Deep in the jungle, trying to rest but sleep is elusive. Out of the corner of my eye I espy a young child, a girl I think. Or is it just a dream? She looks ragged, hungry, sad. Tears are streaming down her cheeks as she stumbles through the brush toward us. The air is suffocating, a train is rolling through my head when suddenly I hear a blast from an M16. Sarge yells "Everyone down!" Then an explosion, but this time I can't hear a thing, just debris flying everywhere. And then the child is no more. When I open my eyes, a tiny hand lay two feet away. So delicate, so precious. What the hell am I doing here?
"You'd better close your eyes
bow your head
wait for the ricochet"
Kensington avenue is hell in the real world. It is here I exist and it is here I will die, homeless, sick and alone. The needle is my one last and true friend, for when I am high I am free. It is then that the dreams of Eden reappear, if but for a moment. I am seventy-five years old now, but I never really got to grow up. For you see, back there, in '68, I was just a child in time.
dreams are illusions
white lady offers solace
forgiveness denied
*Kensington Ave, Philadelphia PA
**Song lyrics from Child in Time by Deep Purple
Categories:
espy, emotions,
Form:
Haibun
I watch a golden sun slowly rise above the eastern sea and my thoughts naturally drift to her. I wonder what she is doing, and if she ever dreams of me.
A southern breeze gently caresses my skin and fills my lungs with salty sea air. The tide ebbs back and forth, relaxing me and at the same time stirring my curiosity. Does each incoming tide bring back the same water that ebbed away, or has it been renewed? And I wonder what it means to be truly born again
About twenty yards to my right a drifter rolls up his sleeping bag. His well-worn knapsack is stuffed with everything he owns in this life. I ponder: Has he ever been in love?
Ever felt warmth from the tiny hand of a child?
Ever beheld big brown orbs staring back at him whispering "I love you?"
For a moment our eyes lock. His are deep-set and steely blue, like the sea before me. Wrinkles are etched into his face from years of hard living, I guessed.
My thoughts once again turn inward. It is safe here on my side of the ocean. But have I really learned what it means to live, to swim in unchartered waters, to bathe in crystal streams heretofore hidden from my heart?
From a distance I espy the returning tide. Maybe I'll go out with the next. See where it takes me. Maybe, just maybe, I will learn how to swim for the first time,
again.
Melancholy thoughts
transport me across the sea
where the dream begins
* photo quote: "And so you see I have come to doubt all that I once held as true. I stand alone without beliefs, the only truth I know is you..." - Kathy's Song (Simon and Garfunkel)
Categories:
espy, confusion, desire,
Form:
Haibun
Okay, okay, I confess. We stole the only hyperdrive ship that wasn't destroyed in the war. But what choice did we have? Our world is on the brink of annihilation. For hundreds of years my species has polluted the air, soil and water. Global wars have decimated once thriving metropolises. Crime and pandemics are rampant. Our only hope was the construction of spaceships capable of interstellar travel so that we might locate a new world, a new home. But the bombs took them all out, save one. After seizing control of the space station, we did what we must to survive. And so here we are, travelling through the void of space, searching for a suitable planet to make our new start.
Ours was once a proud race whose cultural achievements were of the highest order. Surely, we can reach that pinnacle once more if given the chance. Our sensors have located what appears to be a living planet in a solar system beyond our own. We have engaged the hyperdrive engines and expect to reach our destination momentarily. The excitement among the crew is palpable. We enter the atmosphere and achieve a perfect, soft landing atop a large promontory. Eureka! Our new home, a paradise. The sea is vast and pristine, the skies are azure blue, the air sweet with the scent of the local flora. No more wars. No more pollution. Never again will guns and bombs and disease plague us. Just as we are contemplating this glorious future, we espy a message being written in the sky by some type of primitive aircraft and in an alien tongue.
WELCOME TO PLANET EARTH
the search is over
new start for a dying race
hell is for dreamers
Categories:
espy, destiny, hope,
Form:
Free verse
NOCTURNAL MESSAGE
I must say
This, my dream, now seems
Not a series of unrelated happenings
In course of a night’s sleep
But were surrealistically constructed
From life’s timeless values lay
Hidden in my invisible keep
Various dream parts such as
Love decay old age and death are
Called up in metaphor –
A hand reaching muddy floor
Noise confusion and
Knocks on a door
I left for the city on foot
Clear and bright the day
Straight and sure the way
Within though Giganticus is
Misty and dark
Many buildings in decay
I’m lost
In a maze of winding streets
With nary a friendly face to greet
I wander through buildings
In and out in and out
Too numerous to count
Till at last through one door
I espy a counter section
With a sign – “We give directions”
“Oh thank heaven,” I cry – reach out –
“There is a God
And he is good.”
Alas as I step forth
There came a flood
Filling my way with blackest mud
Hindered thus in Giganticus
I tried cross the room to shout
“I’m lost want to go home which way out?”
But the relentless mud
Continued to flow
Doors now are locked no place to go
Past life flashed before my eyes
And to my horror
Came four knocks on the building door
Up! Up!
Wake up! Wake up!
Dave Austin
Categories:
espy, dream,
Form:
Free verse
Oh how I do love November,
that magic month that outshines September,
where I look upon the face,
of the Twinkle Fairy in all her grace,
as she blesses the leaves
falling from shivering trees
to dance in air and come to rest,
upon Gaia’s soon to be, blanketed breast.
She dances in her wispy blue coat,
and sends the crispy leaves to high afloat
upon the autumn breezes that roam
throughout the countryside by my home;
oh how I can hardly wait to espy,
Zerelda as she comes, twinkling by.
I saw her once, patch a deer’s nose,
it was chapped and swollen so,
her fairy dust on it, she sprayed,
it glistened in the sunlit rays,
like glitter sprinkled on the floor,
smoothing out the skin and pores.
My cat, Eleazer,
he will chase her
and as usual, there’s no doubt,
he won’t catch her but he’ll pout.
She’ll reward him for his game,
his frustrated feelings, she will tame;
Upon his upset brow she’ll thrust,
a wand-wave full of fairy dust.
Then she’ll turn to me and say,
I know you’ve watched me on this day;
but you are kind to fairies like me,
so here’s something for you, free.
With another wave she’ll gift;
a fairy song, she’ll set adrift.
11-13-19
November Twinkle Fairy Poetry Contest
Caren Krutsinger
Categories:
espy, autumn, fairy, nature, november,
Form:
Rhyme
Regardless of the scene, I, determined to stand tall
Wavering, bending slightly on breaths of breeze
Allowing pertness to show flaunting to thrall
My stem of strength tipped enlightening please
Petals prom in blood red, they peak to bloom
My curves of delight like silken sheets, splayed
Undulations tremble as they beautifully plume
Such an attraction so joyous in hungered display
Let my scents lure, tickle those nature tongues
Taste my nectar becoming entranced by I
For every dawn allures my stem to sprung
In stance I'm proud as wanting eyes espy
I, the garden jewel, the prime delicate Rose
Swelling whenever I'm warmed, boy see me grow
.
The beautiful Red Rose - meaning Passion & Love.
Categories:
espy, beautiful, beauty, flower, garden,
Form:
Sonnet
I turn to my girl highlighting Mayday is near
A day of spectacle that the whole village views
There's Jesters of folly and Knights without fear
Witnessing lances and jokes, always going askew
To view such we can venture along different ways
We can stroll by the river listening to many sounds
In awe as we walk amidst most wondrous displays
That on any given day beautiful vistas abound
Decisions, decisions, as we contemplate which way
It's such a special day wondering what to wear
Beauty personified will my Olive be on this day
Knights or Royal Princes, all they can do is stare
So tomorrow we've decided to be our chosen route
Two hearts in decision, declaring what's their suit
Mayday morn now greets as I turn next to me
She my guiding light as beautiful as the dawn
Excitement illuminates for into her eyes I see
Onto my back I lie, that feel she's now upon
Into this day we go heading along the river
Crystal clear translucent such serenity in it's flow
Under greened canopies cooled shaded deliver
Wafting leaved dress in delightful fanned throw
We sense the clearings near for scents we sense
Sporadic clusters in capture of welcoming eyes
Mayday games have started, distant heard suspense
Knights on horseback mounted, now in espy
Now we're in amidst encapsulated we now are
She's here to cheer, her Sir James, soon to spar
Balcony she now awaits, white steed he's now astride
Blinkered pairings gallop towards intended foe
To win this Mayday he, to fight for her his bride
Eliminate his enemy, witness his crimson flow
His lance in now connect, thrown metal disperses
Petals of beauty hurled of rainbows selected
Images of we, now thinking marital rehearses
To know on this day, her intended she's elected
Moments of their previous now in recent past
Knowing they're now free in kaleidoscopic stream
Spectrum of feelings now in view full cast
In colourful extremes, fight for your dreams
.
Categories:
espy, beauty, class, fear, history,
Form:
Sonnet
Bright colourful delicate orchid blooms
Enchant many gardens and living rooms
Alluring flowers in pretty hues, each one
Uplifts its perfect petals towards the sun
Tropical blossom for my visitors to see
Intense colours with such brilliant beauty
Foliage remains when the flowers die
Until rejuvenation happens and I espy
Lovely flower stems to captivate my eye
Contest: Beautiful Acrostic
Sponsor: John Hamilton
12~29~ 15
Categories:
espy, beautiful, flower,
Form:
Acrostic
Percy penguin tried to dance
Sadly he had two left feet
Waltz and Tango – he took his chance
But he couldn’t quite get the beat
Then one day he did espy
An advert with his beady eye
Dance Classes Starting TODAY
He began to smile it made his day
So off to the dance hall he did go
He found a lady penguin - her name was Flo
She had lost her dancing partner – he died at sea
Now she was as happy as can be
Percy took hold of her wing and tried to dance
Could this be the start of a beautiful romance?
Alas, Percy kept treading on her tiny toes
She needed them all to walk on the ice floes
They tried again; attempting a waltz and you could see
Percy was busily counting one two three one two three
Their dancing days continue, and to this day they carry on
You see them dance on the ice beneath the setting sun
18th June 2015
Categories:
espy, fantasy, fun, humorous,
Form:
Rhyme
Wistful weeping willow why do you cry,
did you espy your leaves falling from on high?
They can’t cling on when a breeze is around,
see them cartwheel as they float to the ground.
Watch how they are dancing now they are free,
see them waltz as they lose their grip on the tree.
Long leaves spiral down and they land in the stream,
they planned their escape; they’ve achieved their dream
Wistful weeping willow you have no reason to cry;
when the wind blows, wave your leaves a last goodbye.
10-06-17
It's the end of the forms series contest
Sponsored by Broken Wings
Entered into Couplet Contest
Sponsored by Laura Loo
Categories:
espy, nature, tree,
Form:
Couplet
Over by the corner the bandstand plays on
next to the cotton candy wagon and the clown
Its a circus act full of people and acrobats
and tallish men on walking wooden stilts
One tiny red balloon dots the sky as I espy
juggling acts leading to the garden path
it ain't over until the fat lady sings
so I better not dally, I need a glass ring
Fire eaters and sweet ladies that stretch
ventriloquists with two sided mouths
magicians that stage with props, and coins
cats on tight ropes, hawkers and escapists
Silver hoops and fast delivery guys
life is changing right before our very eyes
Give me the candy but don't tell me lies
of course I want the red balloon, untie!
February 12, 2023
Sponsor Anthony Biaanco
Contest Name Balloons
Categories:
espy, addiction, anxiety, future,
Form:
Quatrain
Charms of Nature
Noontide cordial sun immerse golden spheres
Birch and aspen leaves rhythmically quake
Susurrate deep in quietness appears
Timidly on soft earth shadow path wake
There, where nesting birds await safely perch,
While conceal sweet are their audible waft.
Cool breeze twine spider's web and bees who search
Stunning unadorned simple-ness echoes soft.
Lone senior British oak outstretch thick arm
Grasp weathered fraying pendulous tire swing;
Mid saffron blaze whilst it mingles off charm
Espy hushed cries for mortal yielding wings.
Lush meadow pigments an emerald green
Self quenching natures pulsing rapture scene.
2/9/2020
Categories:
espy, bird, nature,
Form:
Sonnet
Mine eyes espy thy golden hair
No crown of gilded jewels more fair
Wither you go, you go with grace
Sweet one, ye who are so fair of face
I beseech you, tarry here a bit
Canst thou come and by me sit
I come to ye on bended knee
Oh, thou art the very heart of me....
Categories:
espy, love,
Form:
Couplet
Thru a shadowed path, down a shadowed lane
Two lovers walk, the moonlight to gain.
The beauty of the walk is as beauteous as their love,
Shared thru a kindness, a reverence, and the touch of a hand.
A meadow comes into sight to eventually espy
Mists swirl in mystery as they begin to walk by.
But a fragrant rose pulls them, their attention drawn
Thru the gates of an old house they gently begin forth
Who in love lived here long ago, now unseen?
What trials, what future, had they seen?
Their love built a life, and of course this home
Would that their lives could be so generously strewn.
Two lovers that lived so very long ago
And thru the years were repeatedly, celebrated so.
Now, two more have come as the man goes on bended knee
He picks the rose and delivers it up with a ring
He has bought this old house, a glorious old thing
To inspire her to wife, to repeat once more, an old beautiful dream
May the tale of this house and the old love it has seen
Inspire a new couple to a great life once again.
Categories:
espy, devotion, family, history, house,
Form:
Free verse
My spirit is a fighter
determined, never-say-die
The devil tries to deter me
scoffs: Why even bother to try?
I see a mountain above me
towering over the clouds
A wee voice anxiously warns me
Only way to return -- in a shroud
But my spirit is a born climber
nothing if not courageous
Daring danger to defeat him
he maps out a climb for the ages...
I espy swirling waters below me
in which a young lad flails away
Can I swim? Does it matter? --
I've been selected to save the day
My spirit prods me to jump in
grab the boy and struggle to shore
Alive and happy, if exhausted
prepared for the coming encore...
Yes, my spirit is a fighter
determined, never-say-die
taking on every new challenge
looking it square in the eye
____________________________
Entry in 'The Human Spirit' contest
Sponsor: Mystic Rose Rose
~ September 13, 2022 ~
Categories:
espy, character, courage, humanity, inspirational,
Form:
Rhyme