Best Famous Poems
If you can keep calm when all around you,
Are frustrated, and angry with you,
Always believe in yourself, and be true,
Don’t be too proud, be positive with others too,
All good things come to those who wait,
Don’t ever listen to lies, that’s a fact,
Try to avoid being hated, don’t ever hate,
Do not show off, and from yourself distract.
Dream, but do not let dreams absorb you,
Put all to thought, and exercise this through,
If you succeed, become befallen too,
And meet these dire opposites at their game,
Stand up to truths that you believe in,
They know not what they speak, they only shame,
So jealous of your hard earnings, a twin to sin,
They try to mimic, to no avail, they do not gain.
Put all you have achieved to one side,
Knowing who you are, believe in do or die,
You might lose, begin again, with it abide,
Tell no one of any loss, reach for the sky,
If you can use your strength, and soul,
To carry on, as grace helps you to become whole,
And try everything within, to reach your goal,
Tell them I’ll carry on, not dig myself a hole.
If you speak with others, to thy self be true,
Be proud, never lose sight of who you are,
If friend or foes have no ability to scar,
If they agree with what you say, but not with all,
Be forgiving, don’t think you're better, and then fall,
If all you say is sound within sixty seconds,
You have achieved your worth, which always beckons,
And - indeed more - you’ll be a man my son!
POTW - 8/12/2022
The other day, I was visiting the home page at Poetry Soup
and noticed a picture of a guy named Willie Shakespeare
His poems are okay but I found his plays a bit hard to follow
For example: “To be or not to not to be: That is the question”
Really Billy? I mean you either IS or you AIN’T right?
SO, I commented on some of his poems just to encourage him
and guess what? Not ONE-SINGLE-COMMENT in return!
I even tried Soup Mail offering kind, polite advice and critique
No dice! Zilch! Zero! Perhaps it was the style tips I suggested?
That collar's gotta go...Can you IMAGINE in the midst of summer?
I am now convinced that ego and resentment were involved
So I decided to try Eddie Poe and honestly? His stuff is WEIRD
and Ed, I hate to break this to you but: Ravens don't talk
Did the same with Bobby Frost, Benny Johnson and some others
Same old song and waltz, not a peep out of a single ONE of them
To top it off, I Souped Emmy Dickinson (I wanted to ask her out)
I suggested that she might want to edit the first line of her poem from:
“I dreaded that first robin so" to:
“I dreaded that first robin like you wouldn’t BELIEVE”
Her silence was deafening.
Just who do these people think the ARE?
Light bulb! Now I know why PS crams them all together on the right hand end.
They feel sorry for these poet wanna-be’s, but not ME. I will continue to mentor
STAND BY ME
Oh my darling the news is so bleak
I saw the consultant only last week
Think we better start making plans
See the vicar; hear the wedding banns
All I’ve ever wanted was to be your wife
For better for worse, through trouble and strife
The consultant confirmed I’ll not last the year
Oh kiss me my darling; just hold me so near
Wedding plans float around in my head
My dying wish is that we should wed
Time is running out so we mustn’t linger
I want your wedding ring upon my finger
A simple ceremony, just as quiet as can be
All I ask my darling is that you stand by me
SIDE BY SIDE
All I ask my darling is that you stand by me
My life is slowly ebbing away you see
We always dreamed that one day we’d wed
I don’t have long on this earth, and soon I’ll be dead
I know our hasty wedding is not the way we planned
Having spoken to the vicar, I know he understands
We talked about our future, but now our plans must change
Today we’ll be declared man and wife with gold rings exchanged
We had so many plans of how our lives would be
Sadly god has a very different plan for me
Tears flow down our cheeks, as we become man and wife
I will love you my darling for the rest of my life
My dying wish was to be your bride
Now I can face my fate with you close by my side
Contest: Famous Last Line: Sponsored by Laura Loo
02~28~16
There once was a poet called Jan
who took the Mick out of her fellow man
from the size of his ears
to the size of his wedding gear
she's the limerick writer from the Isle of Man.
comp entry 16082016
famous poets could have gone for a keats, kipling etc.
But Im not good enough, so went for a famous poetry soup poet
jan allison the limerick champion .
FILLY’S FAMOUS STORY
Although I am pink, don’t ever think
That this filly is just frilly and silly,
For I am a thorough bred filly who instead
Of eating just oats, for my owner dotes
On me, am fed in a pasture of my very own,
Whose green grass is a sight to be seen,
And oh, so pristine!
What is my mode of work you might ask,
It certainly does not involve any task,
For I am shown off to the rich and elite,
Who think it’s an absolute treat,
To be shown a beauty like me
I do sound vain but where else would
They find a pink filly to see!
My mane is brushed every day,
With a gold plated brush by Fay,
She is so proud, I always draw a crowd,
And is quick to explain, I’m a descendant
From the stables of the ex and late
Senator Nicholas Brady, I’m no ordinary lady!
Fay has desperately tried to find me a mate,
But am truly fussy, I know my destiny and fate
Is not from the regular horses around, but to be
Found amongst the Arabian horses abroad, for imagine
A local brown dowdy horse, I’d be fraught!
Yes I’m a snob, my mate must be a real heart throb,
For my vision and dreams are of never
Ending meadows, and flowers, and trees and streams
And a handsome horse of the same breeding as me,
Maybe even a Lipizzaner who has a reputed background,
They have been around for quite a while, Fay reads
My thoughts and gives me a smile, hey Frilly don’t
Stress pretty friend, for it is my eternal intent,
That you be matched one day with an aristocratic
Horse, and together you will take a romantic course,
And have little foals, of which one might be pink,
So never, ever think that your predominant,
Pink genetic line will become extinct, you re such a
Refined fine filly, nothing about you is silly,
You will go down in history and be recorded,
As the most beautiful pink horse ever born,
Have patience, you will be rewarded!
Frilly looked at Fay, and gave her a neigh,
She loved Fay so, would Fay ever know, Frilly
Hoped so, for if Fay looked deep into Frilly’s
Eyes, Fay would know that she had won
Frilly’s heart as first prize!
Entering contest "A Fairy Tale For Children"
Sponsored By EVE ROPER
2019/01/27
Original Poem - Dreams Still Grow
Once I felt the warmth of balmy spring...
breathed deep the scent of blossoms, fresh and pure...
I thrilled to sounds of songbirds in the air,
while sprouting blades of tender grass appeared.
Upon the dew, my seeds of hope were cast...
and dreams grew in the magic fling of spring.
Then later came the cold of winter's snow...
the scent of blossoms turned to musty dust.
Chant of restless wind soon filled my ears...
green tender grass, long grown, had gone to seed.
Still hopes lay buried deep in icy frost...
and bright, new dreams emerged to grow in snow.
Posted: 09/01/2015 for contest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Poem - Dreams Have Grown
And bright, new dreams emerged to grow in snow,
for winter days are numbers on a page.
If body bends and mind is still aglow,
no reason to lay dormant neath the frost.
New hours, new days, new months to fulfill dreams;
continue on, each one a precious gift.
And winter is no time to dwell on death,
when life still sparks in every newborn morn.
So much to see, so much to do until
the time has come to know when done is done.
My hopes seemed buried deep in icy frost,
but bright new dreams have thrived in winter snow.
Sandra M. Haight
~2nd Place~
Contest: Famous Last Line
Sponsor: Laura Loo
Judged: 03/17/2016
Rules: Looking for a new poem, with the starting line being the last line from a previous contest entry. The poem you choose does not have to be a winning poem, just any poem entered.
He lives upon a printed page,
marching golden in a dream.
His words described a brighter age --
which quaffed the milk and lapped the cream.
Fate brought him forth to love and live --
scion of a proud and noble race.
All he sacrificed and all he'd give
was deeply marked upon his face.
No gold survives the final frost:
in his prime death carried him away.
In wars, a nation's best are lost;
as then it happens still today.
His home was England, vale and hill;
across the years, he's with us still.
“No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar”
There are too many hypocrites caught with their pants on fire
There is one Honest Abe fan whose words are now gone
“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on”
“You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry”
His true colors will always show no matter how spangly
One’s temper can surely put you in an awful fix
Silence can be golden when your opinions don’t mix
“I would rather be a little nobody
then to be an evil somebody”
Never stand on stage to boast or brag
Hold on to your humility, don’t point fingers and nag
Organized religion, I no longer belong
I don’t need a fancy building and membership to keep my faith strong
God knows where my heart is simply by our pidgin
“When I do good I feel good When I do bad I feel bad that’s my religion”
I hate it that you don't like what I write
You'd think at least one time I'd get it right
I get first place with others, never you
Won't join another one, that's what I will do
Consistently put down, oh what a drain!
I find your selectivity a pain!
Most others think my writes are pretty cool
But when I write for you, I'm just a fool
Well, here's to let you know that I am done
Cause entering your contests sure ain't fun
I squeeze my brain in hopes to win your smile
But I get tossed right out on rubbish pile
I'll gloat and savor every winning place
From one to three are ones that light my face
From 4 on down, you freaking kidding me????
Dear contest sponsor, you are HISTORY!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear contest sponsor, you are HISTORY!
I bet you wonder at this mystery
You think you've judged me fair, and that's my place
I'm glad that you can't see my "murder" face!
I'll let you off the hook; here's one more chance
The genre I like the most is sweet romance
So, let me gush and flow and write a storm
You know my write will be above the norm!
If my write doesn't place in 1, 2, 3....
I'll tell you, sponsor dear, you've messed with me
In cyber world, I have my goons who check
They'll find your place and then, Oh...what the heck!
You'll get a pounding that you won't forget
You'll get your own N/A and that's a bet!
It stands for Nuked/Alright, and you'll be fried
So give me that first place, or run and hide!!!!!
For Famous Last Line Contest
March 11, 2016
Sponsor: Laura Loo
Original poem title: Confounded Contest
For Jerry's Contest Contest!
January 5, 2015
There’s many famous sayings I’ve heard
I’m sure you’ve heard them to,
So see if you remember
As I mention just a few.
There’s “Home is where the heart is”
Or “Little pictures have big ears”
And “It’s not how many years you spend
It’s how you spend your years”.
“God helps them that helps themselves”
“You can do it if you try”.
“Many hands make light work”
“There’s more to this than meets the eye”
“A mans home is his castle“
“You can‘t make a crab walk straight“
“A word to the wise is sufficient“
“It‘s always hurry-up and wait“.
“Birds of a feather flock together“
And another I recall
“It‘s better to have loved and lost
Than to never have loved at all“.
Well that‘ll do it for a while
I know there‘s many more
It‘s true it‘s me that brought them up
But I sure don‘t know what for!.
FAMOUS PEOPLE
she sings beautifully
is beautiful to look at
what’s she really like?
shhhhhhh!
you don’t want to know
the messiah
clear through
no intermission
coughs yawns
programs rattle
mister music
dead at 45
they say it was an od
a brown stain
on the record jacket
great musician
my violin teacher
i think he admired me
in spite of
the alarm clock on his piano
my famous teacher
i think he’s special different
my lesson is at ten
his studio door opens
at exactly ten
would you look
his home like the taj mahal
he donated a million
what’d he do
sell one of his persian rugs?
her home is incredible
she allows a look-through
at cristmas
joseph and mary
would sleep in the stable
inside his fish bowl
those dancing eyes
the swish
the dart
another drag of pot
Dave Austin
When He Kissed Me (Original Poem)
What a good night kiss! I think I've fallen in love.
Each time you take my hand and pull me close to you,
there's a trembling in my heart. I hope you feel it, too.
Something in me responded to the warmth of that kiss.
So gentle; I felt like a flower caressed by morning mist.
The touch of your lips on mine. Oh, the memory lingers.
Love the way you hold my hand and entwine our fingers.
It must be love! I want to sing words of passion's song.
Stay wrapped in your arms and dance all night long.
My dream tonight will be so sweet, for I will be with you.
And by the time night is over and the sky has turned blue,
I will have confessed my love with each whispered breath.
A love to pale the brightest diamond; to last beyond death.
If love is meant to be, meet me in the black velvet sky.
Close your eyes, take my hand, and away we will fly
through the light of golden stars and silver moonbeams.
Good night, Darling. I love you. I'll see you in my dream.
..............................................
His Kisses Still Make Me Tremble (Revisited)
"Good night, Darling. I love you. I'll see you in my dream."
Years ago I said those words; you still make my eyes gleam.
They sparkle with love for you that grows deeper every day.
No longer must I dream of you. You're in my arms to stay.
Each time you kiss me now I'm reminded of our first.
When you gently touch my lips you quench my thirst.
There's still a trembling in my heart when I look at you
from a bud in my dream, our love blossomed and grew.
I'm no longer alone when the morning sun begins to shine.
Waking next to you makes me grateful that you're mine.
I whisper in soft breath, "Good morning to you, my love,"
then we sing passion's song as tenderly as cooing doves.
That we were meant to be together, I knew from our first kiss,
and when we've both grown old, I will smile when I reminisce
about the sweet moment I found a love that will never die.
Darling, we will always soar together in the black velvet sky.
...............................................................................
2.29.2016 Famous Last Line Contest by Laura Loo
"Girl with a Pearl Earring" is an oil painting by Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer, dated c. 1665. Going by various names over the centuries, it became known by its present title towards the end of the 20th century after the earring worn by the girl portrayed there. Wikipedia
Artist: Johannes Vermeer
Dimensions: 44 cm x 39 cm
Location: Mauritshuis
Created: 1665
Period: Dutch Golden Age
Medium: Oil on canvas
What do you tell me, My Beauty?
You turn and stop..,
you look at me with your wistful eyes,
your luscious lips are apart, but you remain voiceless…
The pearl in your ear shines ~
light on your face shimmers mysteriously,
your eyes are calm ~ reflecting, refracting
the depth of your emotions…
those dove-like eyes are artist’s inspiration!
The topaz blueness of your headscarf
with which you have covered your sensuality,
surround your face with serenity of
the ocean, gleaming emerald green
of your dress evokes the unspoilt
beauty of your youth…..
You are not what you appear
to many souls in this mundane world…
they don’t see the painter’s Muse…
You are the nymph, who visited me
for a rare moment of tranquility,
the Pearl shone, an iridescent
gem sparkling, opening your heart~
You remain immortal in my creation...
my masterpiece?!
April 25, 2022
For Brian Strand Premiere Choice Poetry Contest
THIRD PLACE
Gustav Klimt adored for his murals and paintings
Turned life in poverty into art of awesome glory
Pioneering erotic paintings depicting female body
Moving boldly to shape pages of his artistic story.
Honored for murals painted in famous public places
Klimt became renowned at relatively young age,
Soon changing course of his creative endeavors
Crossing boundaries of norm to launch a new phase.
Paintings like Philosophy, Medicine, Jurisprudence
Quickly became symbolic of his early innovation,
Yet, he was shunned due to misplaced objections,
His trio was later destroyed by ignorant generation.
Moving boldly to declare freedom of expression
Painting Nuda Veritas to foretell his intentions
Achieving critical acclaim using gold in his portraits,
The Kiss raised his profile to yet higher dimension.
Exotic naked women became hallmark of his art,
Depicting Girlfriends in colors of nude confluence,
Drawing Adele Bloch-Bauer I as an elegant woman
Wrapped in a golden gown of rich Asian influence.
So many paintings became renowned masterpieces
As Death and Life won first prize in world exhibition
And Adele Bloch-Bauer sold for huge remuneration
Rejoicing art lovers who seek to own his creations.
The Apple Tree I, Birch Forest, Litzlberg am Attersee,
Adorned with nature, joining ranks of so many more,
Upon Klimt's death became tremendously valuable
As admirers of his art continue to cherish and adore.
November 28, 2017
Klimt
Sponsor: Anthony Slausen
My Brief Sweet Breath of Yesterday
You stole my breath away that day we met.
As dark clouds burst, you led me by my arm
inside a small café out of the wet,
but I could not escape your rain of charm!
With idle chat, you knew how to disarm
me. How you poured it on! I was a flower
that blossomed from your smile so soft and warm
as there we lingered for more than an hour.
I watched your moving lips and felt their power,
just thinking of them placed upon my own!
Then suddenly my reverie turned sour.
You reached into your wallet; I was shown
a photo of your lovely fiancé.
You were my brief sweet breath of yesterday!
You Were
You were my brief sweet breath of yesterday,
a fresh red rose too beautiful too last,
and I, the fool who let you slip away.
You were my brief sweet breath of yesterday.
Would love have withered had I made you stay?
Through poetry, I resurrect the past.
You were my brief sweet breath of yesterday -
a fresh red rose too beautiful too last.
Second Poem Written March 11,2016 for the Famous Last Line contest of Laura Loo
The first one a sonnet, but the second a triolet about a different situation