Best Focuses Poems
I wonder . . . do you know where poets go
whenever they sit down and start to write?
I think the answer’s easy. We should know
it’s where one’s thoughts and feelings can take flight!
The poet focuses on a small space
inside his mind. Distractions fall away.
Imagination is this lovely place
where magic happens as words start to play!
For some the words with rhyme may come dancing.
For others, verse flows free. Words fall like rain.
In Fancy’s Space live dreaming and romancing.
But there may also dwell there gloom or pain.
The poet who can make us think and feel
is he who makes imagination real!
Nov. 27, 2020 for Silent One's 'Where do we poets go?' Poetry Contest
You say: Wrong place—wrong time,
Maybe: Wrong place—not right time,
Not right place—but wrong time?
I say: This's right place—right time,
In times and places,
What is the time?
Where is the place
For right not wrong?
Is this like signs
Tearing up the scenery;
What about my mind?
Don't what? I can read the sign!
Oh—Signs of the time?
What’s wrong is not right,
Lord, I will sing this song!
Fight for what’s right
Correct what's wrong!
In all times and places
Oh, salvation!
Please, be alright,
And make it—
On time!
~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~
© Joseph S. Spence, Sr., (Epulaeryu Master) 109/11/08
All Rights Reserved, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Senior Advisor, to Founder of Motivational Strips
Ambassador De Literature
Noble Star of Literature 2018
Living Legend of the 21st Century
Pentasiv B World Friendship Poetry Featured Poet 2019
~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~
Joseph S. Spence, Sr., is the author of "The Awakened One Poetics" (2009), which is
published in seven different languages. He invented the Epulaeryu poetry form, which
focuses on succulent cuisines and drinks. He is published in various forums, including the
World Haiku Association; Poetinis Druskininku, Milwaukee Area College, Phoenix Magazine;
Möbius Poetry, and Taj Mahal Review to name a few. Joseph is a Goodwill Ambassador for
the state of Arkansas, USA, a college faculty, and a military veteran.
~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~
“The finest poetry
is the most feigning.”
—William Shakespeare
Smelling scent soothe my soul
Sits in sleek oven
Simmering Jack-O-Lantern
Smile so nicely
Saliva pours for
Sweet pumpkin
Pie!
~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~
© Joseph, November 2, 2008
© All Rights Reserved
~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~
Semi finalist contestant
292 out of 887 submissions
June 1, 2009 International Contest
~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~
Joseph S. Spence, Sr., is the author of "The Awakened One Poetics" (2009), which is
published in seven different languages. He invented the Epulaeryu poetry form, which
focuses on succulent cuisines and drinks. He is published in various forums, including the
World Haiku Association; Poetinis Druskininku, Milwaukee Area College, Phoenix Magazine;
Möbius Poetry, and Taj Mahal Review to name a few. Joseph is a Goodwill Ambassador for
the state of Arkansas, USA, a college faculty, and a military veteran.
~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~
negativity
peel away layers
behold emptiness
~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~
© Joseph S. Spence, Sr., (Epulaeryu Master) 5/15/09
All Rights Reserved, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Senior Advisor, to Founder of Motivational Strips
Ambassador De Literature
Noble Star of Literature 2018
Living Legend of the 21st Century
Pentasiv B World Friendship Poetry Featured Poet 2019
~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~
Joseph S. Spence, Sr., is the author of "The Awakened One Poetics" (2009), which is
published in seven different languages. He invented the Epulaeryu poetry form, which
focuses on succulent cuisines and drinks. He is published in various forums, including the
World Haiku Association; Poetinis Druskininku, Milwaukee Area College, Phoenix Magazine;
Möbius Poetry, and Taj Mahal Review to name a few. Joseph is a Goodwill Ambassador for
the state of Arkansas, USA, a college faculty, and a military veteran.
~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~
The hideous wrinkles and folds
unmistakingly reveal the damage
that the harsh years had wrought,
all the battles waged and fought,
won and lost.
I look at her now sunken face,
beaten and badly weathered,
and there is no mistaking
a perfect beauty she was
not that many years ago.
She smiles, a hint of a dimple
peeking through the loose skin,
faint signs of high cheekbones
desperately wanting to be seen,
strong jaws chiseled on a face
that must have been stunning
when she was younger.
Alas, all her enviable perfections
the passage of the years wasted,
disfigured, marred beyond repair
by the envious hands of time.
While this ugly observer focuses
on her now terribly faded image,
with a smile I sigh without envy,
listening to a voice whispering:
the more beauty one possesses,
the greater is the loss in the end.
Time, the great equalizer!
Ugly from birth and ugly till death,
I can take it all with a hearty laugh
as there is not much I will give up,
for the years cannot take away
what from the start I never had.
Ah, ugly is much more preferable
and perfectly beautiful after all.
A selfish man protects his family
like a guard,he contemplates the welfare
of his beloved family members,endures pain happily
THEY ARE A HAPPY FAMILY
A self obsessed labor focuses
on his work,pays no heed to others
accomplish task,within a given time, to grab bonus
HIS WORK IS FLAWLESS
A selfish teacher persuades his students
to assimilate the tough chapters,and make them
fathom the subject, to gain self esteem and improvement
STUDENTS BECOME KNOWLEDGABLE
A selfish politician indoctrinates his followers
by his bewitching words to procure their full support
and intentionally resolve their problem to retain his power
THE COUNTRY FLOURISHES
The selfish soldiers possess patriotism,sustain
in the inconsistent weathers,tolerate rain and heat
to fortify their nation,never allow the opponents to win
PEOPLE ARE PROTECTED
We are all inherently selfish,no doubt in that
Showing concern for our family,friends,pets,nation,
But,in fact we need to become the selfish human beings
to take care of the beautiful planet we live, to halt
the wars between the countries,rationing the food
with our fellow beings and to share resources
After all,we all belong to one planet.We are already the selfish men,politicians,soldiers and why don't we become selfish human beings?
This is my hundredth poem.
I honestly never thought,I would reach 100. I am so glad to be here.It is all because of the poetry soup members.So many talented poets are here and I am learning a lot from you. More than anything else,it's your encouragement that made me write.Thank you so much for your encouragement and support...
My Signature Poem:
Rhyme and Romance that I employ so often.
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/cinder_girl_203924
Nature with a Chilling Message:
Shows my love for story-telling and personification.
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/in_stranglers_wood_204456
Early Free Verse:
When I had so few poems, I actually would read my own poems again and again.
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/my_poems_are_children_to_me_198023
Lyrical Romance:
This one flowed to me. Later, a musician gave it a tune!
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/honeymoon_serenade__370181
Humorous Poem:
This is my personal favorite of my LOL poetry!
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/that_potent_urge_-gotta_go_gotta_go_right_now_208916
Terzanelle on my birth month:
My predilection for writing about fall's melancholy and using classic forms.
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/september_333645
Italian Sonnet on Friendship:
Of my many sonnets, it focuses on something most precious to me.
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/goodbye_old_friends_383428
Recent Free verse:
The influence of love on my later life as a poet. One of my few I recorded.
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/it_was_in_september_-_five_words_796374
Tribute to beloved pet dog Ollyver:
On an experience I consider spiritual. More of narrative style I do so often.
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/ollyver_my_beloved_1193617
Tribute to my dearly departed brother Dale:
Of the many I wrote, this is my favorite.
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/a_collage_for_dale_511047
May 22, 2020 Note to Sponsor: Sorry, even with your directions at the contest area and those of my friend, I just don't get how to make the links. I really wanted to know it too!!
If only it were so simple,
to cruise through life smelling roses;
but the obstacles blacken the countryside,
and we unwittingly crush them beneath our boots.
Dreams sustain us through the madness;
goals give a finish line to our race.
Yet they change with every turn, around every wall,
and remain elusive throughout the quest.
Mistakes are made, and regrets are our luggage;
we will drag them with us to slow us down.
The victories are flashes of light, sudden and unlasting, which allow us
to glimpse the road ahead before darkness descends.
Love is bitter, yet it is the bread that keeps us.
Over and over it fills us up, only to starve us.
The people whom we love shape our destinies and our strengths,
yet leave us cold and alone in the darkness.
There are others trying to race to the end;
occasionally, we bump into one or two.
The bonds we form help us down the path less lonely
but eventually, we lose each other in the darkness.
Alone is not a bad way to be;
it clears your head and focuses you on the journey.
Cherish the short intervals during the quest you have with others,
but be prepared to walk alone in the darkness.
Poetry is my photographer's way of taking a picture,
my way of capturing the moments our hearts envelope
and need to express. It's a snap shot
of the before, in between and after seen now...
NOW, RIGHT NOW!...
...What - I - felt,
What - she- thinks,
What - he - will - do...
...It encapsulates the heart of each poet's under-
standing for how to bring everything into words,
and focuses the listener into a sure way of receiving
what others mean to roll into your camera.
The seconds passing can now embrace the all
of life AND time for you to have now...
NOW, RIGHT NOW!...
...NOW can have more than the speaker standing
and the now that is spoken, but can release
the imagination to discover the realness of what
connects us all and en frame the totality of
existence into this moment...
As the shutter shuts, you impress into the world ideas...
Ideas like love lost, or an oak tree in mid-autumn...
You can engage your heart to feel united to a teenager
who lived 350 years ago and bring her back to life...
as well as unlock and set free your terminal uniqueness
and end loneliness forever now,
NOW, RIGHT NOW!...
...All you have to do is read and listen
and we can connect to each other....
maybe not this poem, maybe not the next...
let the shares become the film developing,
staying tuned in...
and everything you've ever been waiting to hear
can reach you!
...You can feel oneness with others,
ease the pillar of your soul,
comprehend your inhibitions,
put to rest your cravings,
or set loose your laughter...
...Time can angle your lens and catch what everything
looks like, but a poet can capture and increase
the moods and tones of the photo so you can
FEEL what the picture looks like with one flash...
and cause a picture to breathe....
So......take a deep breathe...
rub yourselves into your clothes....
...feel the texture of all the material,
maybe on your thighs or your shoulders...
..........smile...
go ahead and feel the texture of your own smile...
...SAY CHEESE...
and welcome to the now, NOW...
right now.
Like the autumn weaves warmth
With hope and grace,
Inspirations in temptations of laughing scarlet,
Blazing tangerine and glorious gold,
Soothing away the darkness as beautiful
Casts its shadow over my spirit,
A dream reflecting peace that rouses me to remember
Where there was a choice, reserved for joy,
Light was the sustaining power –
Arriving in my unwritten absence,
When bold flames of passionate bronze
Faded into the summer and reminded me why,
Why I was like the dwindling moon, sliding beneath
Stardust dreams, coloring the night
In ebony history – grimly waning ways,
Soothing away the fog of yesterday and creating
Intimacy in the bonds of laughter and compassion,
The seclusion so liberating, smiling into the moments,
Erasing the black and putting away the smallest tasks
Excusing melancholy and blaming dusk
For its exasperating way of giving in to doubt,
Listening to the enchantress, lunation
Who boldly praises the nocturnal memories,
Roaring and seeking temptations,
So wise and wonderful they cling to the flesh,
Like sweat shimmering and sliding,
Sticking to the moments in an abiding grace –
Is memory so brave as the reflection it gave,
The intimacy between two echoes,
Night and day, yesterday, the past – weaved
Into the present moment, erasing the wistful wish
Who dreams light yet focuses on the night
And remembers only to agree with autumn’s brave kindness,
The memory like a taunting of two thoughts,
One of love and one of sorrow, each with their own fears
Their very own tears and so many trusted years
When everywhere there was light
Poured out on endless stirrings of what it is
To give in to the past and its spirit,
The blessings rising like a mist across the mountains,
The moments when life fades in sterling sands
Visions of kindness when life is truth
And life binds the days with praise,
An aching praise who restores and renews,
Invites the beautiful to breathe
And the sadness to grieve…
This is the past and it’s healing will give hope
To the ones who remember
A clinging ache, meant to break…
Yes, there is victory in the faith who believes
God wins – in the end, GOD WINS!
watching anime, she feigns
a high scream of glee, seeing
where a mushroom cloud should be. . . .
a flower rises
*Kawaii means “Cute.” Japan has become the
culture of “cuteness” and “Kawaii” is often uttered,
especially by young girls, on seeing anything they
deem adorable or pretty. It is seen in anime - the
Japanese cartoons - and in mascots such as Hello
Kitty and focuses on “otaku” which is a kind of
“pop cult fanaticism“ which some see as an escape
from the reality of the horrible trauma of WWII.
"Poetry is a way of
taking life by the throat."
--Robert-Frost
~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~
Heart broken torn apart like scrambl’d eggs;
As the weak link snapp’d momentum slow’d—stopp’d
Love wherest art thou? Torment’d now begs,
This cup of scourge, drink or not—spill’d—now mopp’d.
Et tu Brute? Whisper’d from Caesar’s lips;
Yet Romeo and Juliet once lov’d,
Like Macbeth’s witches brew—don’t drink nor sip:
Fate or faith shatter’d, vulture pick’d bones—cross’d.
Heart pleadeth upward—greater is thy love,
Open Heaven’s gate with thy purest light;
Hearest thou not the meek? Awaiting thy dove!
Remove these shadows of darkness and strife:
Greater art thou in Heaven than on Earth,
Creator of creation giveth now birth!
© Joseph, 9/4/08
© All Rights Reserved
~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~
Honorable Mentioned Finalist Certificate
Poetry Soup International Poetry Contest
Jan 2009.
~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~
Poetry Soup Weekly Featured Poem
Sunday, May 24, 2009, to May 31, 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~
Joseph S. Spence, Sr., is the author of "The Awakened One Poetics" (2009), which is
published in seven different languages. He invented the Epulaeryu poetry form, which
focuses on succulent cuisines and drinks. He is published in various forums, including the
World Haiku Association; Poetinis Druskininku, Milwaukee Area College, Phoenix Magazine;
Möbius Poetry, and Taj Mahal Review to name a few. Joseph is a Goodwill Ambassador for
the state of Arkansas, USA, a college faculty, and a military veteran.
~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~
As a Christian hope,
Beatitudes, the Magna Carta of faith;
teach us so many things,
that make us united to believe
and have trust in God's ways.
They show us like a mirror,
a reflection of what we share,
in a true and meaningful behavior
to human understanding.
There's a labyrinthine cycle
that focuses on Divine fulfillment.
to walk with God;
to look beyond the surface
of what life reveals.
As a challenge, a commitment,
God's love never ends
especially for the poor
with whom Christ identifies,
His love and compassion.
Having faith in Him,
and being part of His circle
His body, the Church.
One becomes holy and saint
in the language we profess.
Be happy attitude -
that's how it goes;
Remembering what lies ahead
a future filled with hope;
the beatitudes . . .
God's constant promises to keep.
People I used to know,
People I don’t want to know, who are
Not capable of creating life, yet—crushing
Its beauty like the road-raged driver of a
Loose truck driven over freshly fallen snow on
The landscape, where kids played, now cried.
Agonizing people, with so-called pure
Blood racing through their veins, like water
Over Niagara Falls—crushing,
Until resting in a disguised flow.
My heart is crying over life’s destructive beauty.
While dining with questionable royalty,
Giving meals to those who are hungry,
Helping indentured servants over the fences
Of plantations with repressive conditions.
Setting caged birds free from beating
Their breasts and scared wings against
The bars of subliminal captivity; mending
Souls from despair of political fear.
Hear the rising voices of Bradley, Garvey,
Marley, Delany, Kennedy, Turley, and
Inspiring students at USC Berkeley crying
For liberation. People I yet to know,
Whose touch will be like the beautiful
Butterfly with wings spread, floating
Upward in such harmony with melody.
People whose passion will let us
Know, like Harriet Stowe,
How high life is
Capable to grow!
~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~
© Joseph, November 9, 2008
© All Rights Reserved
~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~
Joseph S. Spence, Sr., is the author of "The Awakened One Poetics" (2009), which is
published in seven different languages. He invented the Epulaeryu poetry form, which
focuses on succulent cuisines and drinks. He is published in various forums, including the
World Haiku Association; Poetinis Druskininku, Milwaukee Area College, Phoenix Magazine;
Möbius Poetry, and Taj Mahal Review to name a few. Joseph is a Goodwill Ambassador for
the state of Arkansas, USA, a college faculty, and a military veteran.
~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~
“Heal The World” like in Heaven
A “Thriller” many believed he was too “Bad”
The King of Pops “Black or White”
Seven times he cried—“The Way You Make Me Feel”
Then he “Eased on Down the Road”
Singing: “Earth Songs” like “Beat It,” “Leave Me Alone”
Now “Ben,”—he is “Gone Too Soon!”
~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~
© Joseph Spence, Sr., 6/28/09
© All Rights Reserved
~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~
The form is 7/11/7/11/7/11/7. The total syllable count is 61. The first line has
seven syllables, second eleven, third seven, fourth eleven, fifth seven, sixth
eleven, and seventh seven. Rhyming is optional; however, it’s a plus. Any
variation of the words “seven” or “heaven” must appear in the poem.
Invented by Joseph Spence, Sr., 2007.
~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~
Joseph S. Spence, Sr., is the author of "The Awakened One Poetics" (2009), which is
published in seven different languages. He invented the Epulaeryu poetry form, which
focuses on succulent cuisines and drinks. He is published in various forums, including the
World Haiku Association; Poetinis Druskininku, Milwaukee Area College, Phoenix Magazine;
Möbius Poetry, and Taj Mahal Review to name a few. Joseph is a Goodwill Ambassador for
the state of Arkansas, USA, a college faculty, and a military veteran.