Best Franklin Poems
Benjamin Franklin was known for many a-things
Longing for reality to spring from his dreams
On a wild stormy night made a discovery
A dastardly magic called electricity!
However I would bet highly you didn't know
Of Benji's hauntingly beautiful crystal show
Victorian lasses died and went to heaven
The glass armonica swooned even his brethren
Benjamin Franklin was certainly a legend
To live without his gifts is hard to imagine
I see him now and then if I'm super lucky
His noble face glued to artificial money
And so they sat, this learned three
in full pursuit of liberty,
the turkey, eagle and the dove
looked down upon them from above.
The declaration almost writ
they rubbed their chins a little bit;
looked heavenward, and there espied
their feathered friends, as one they cried:
The perfect symbol he would be
to represent our great country!
His visage shall our seal adorn
To celebrate our new land born!
But harmony became dissent
as three ways now their discourse went;
voicing long as they were able -
till three bird splats hit the table.
Silenced now, the conversation
at this triple defecation,
the trio must now make a pact:
clean up the table, and their act.
Full focused now, the case was laid
for each bird, compliments were paid,
pausing only, eyes a-goggle
at the turkey’s goofus gobble.
Despite their eloquential might
they could not make their choice take flight;
just as they made their virtues soar
another splat would hit the floor.
The birds, enjoying now this game
attempt to calibrate their aim;
to make their mark and thus complete
the declaration at their feet.
The Dove, descending from his perch
aghast at our trio’s besmirch;
peppering poop across their stage
like little stars across the page.
The turkey, not to be outdone
slicked back his crop and took a run;
with several rather clumsy wipes
he bathed the document with stripes.
The Eagle watched with some disdain
his adversaries stock now wane;
their lust for glory now long gone -
he knew he was the chosen one.
The Eagle may have won the day
his image is still used today;
but Dove and Turkey may still brag -
they made the stars and stripes your flag.
I wished to improve on my character so,
I looked for a model to go by.
I studied the habits of men great and tall,
For one who seemed perfect in my eyes.
Men of fine profile and manly physique,
Were the first ones to cross my inspection.
First also dismissed for their physical charms,
Seemed all they had worth admiration;
And those who had money and power were wont,
To flaunt their importance and style.
An hour or two in this comp'ny could last,
A person a long, long while;
And so I explored yet another route,
The highway to high education.
Perhaps here I would find the virtuous man.
One worthy of my adulation.
I read through the tomes of scholars and scribes,
Philosophers, poets and statesmen,
And I never found a doctrine more sound,
Than the one left behind by Ben Franklin.
I wished to improve on my character so,
I looked for a model to go by.
I studied the habits of men great and tall,
For one who seemed perfect in my eyes.
Men of fine profile and manly physique,
Were the first ones to cross my inspection,
First also dismissed for their physical charms,
Seemed all they had worth admiration;
And those who had money and power were wont,
To flaunt their importance and style,
An hour or two in this comp'ny could last,
A person a long, long while;
And so I explored yet another route,
The highway to high education,
Perhaps here I would find the virtuous man,
One worthy of my adulation.
I read through the tomes of scholars and scribes,
Philosophers, poets and statesmen,
And I never found a doctrine more sound,
Than the one left behind by Ben Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin
1706 - 1790
A statesman and scientist he was also quite a philosopher.
He was considered to be one of the most important figures of his day having been given
the dubious honor of being asked to sign the Declaration of Independence along with many other great men of that era; making him one of our Founding Fathers.
In doing so he showed great courage because all who signed had a price placed on their
heads by the Crown of England for treason.
He spent his life in search of knowledge continuously trying to improve himself.
He had the ability to see and recognize his own faults and tried to do something about them. That is something not many people can do. It's also the reason he had few if any real enemies.
A person could do a whole lot worse than to try to imitate his style.
Reign of terror plays out
Endless nights as victims shout
So many good ones vanish
People must hide their anguish
Equality is a forbidden word
Community's voice tries to be heard
Together they stand and die
Say a little prayer - then cry
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In memory of Aretha Franklin, singer, songwriter, actress, pianist, and civil rights activist, who died 16 August 2018.
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Poetry Soup Featured Poem: November 1, 2020. In 2022, it was published in PS: It's Still Poetry.
Nation huddled in darkness
As a leader emerged
Promising a “New Deal”
Recovery from the Great Depression
Our thirty-second president
Wise, compassionate
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Beacon of hope for families
Warm Spring’s historic train, now rusty
Once carried people with polio
Visitors to FDR’s Little White House
Hoping tepid water would ease their plight
Touring the White House museum,
You can see the bed where he died
Beloved president of 12 years
During the harshest of times
Hungry and homeless Americans
Overcame the Great Depression
Only to enter a second World War
Upon the bombing of Pearl Harbor
His comprehensive programs
propelled a struggling nation to rebound
Created infrastructure jobs
Taught people new skills
Elected four times
Roosevelt was a born leader
With the problems we have today
We pray a new leader will show us the way
*January 16, 2021
For L. Milton Hankins’ “Your Favorite President” contest
Ben Franklin
Did not like shackling
He freed the slave from slavery
That tested his oath of bravery
6/28/2015
Ben Franklin was a multi-talented feller indeed,
Noted mainly for helpin' develop our nation's creed.
Perhaps lesser known for sufferin' a shockin' jolt
Foolin' around with an occasional lightin' bolt!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Entry for Nathan's "Yesterdays Clerihew" Contest
Ben Franklin
Master inventor;
a visionary genius,
used vulgar humor.
© 2010 Marie Harrison
Benjamin Franklin
He found electricity to be quite shockin'
But if we had taken Ben's word
The turkey would be our national bird!
Franklin Delano Roosevelt,
White House is where he dwelt.
He did three long terms,
“Set term limits” congress confirms!
January 23, 2019
Contest:Educate Me with Humor - Leader
Clerihew
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (/'ro?z?v?lt/,[1] /-v?lt/;[2] January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. A Democrat, he won a record four presidential elections and became a central figure in world events during the first half of the 20th century. Roosevelt directed the federal government during most of the Great Depression, implementing his New Deal domestic agenda in response to the worst economic crisis in U.S. history. As a dominant leader of his party, he built the New Deal Coalition, which realigned American politics into the Fifth Party System and defined American liberalism throughout the middle third of the 20th century. His third and fourth terms were dominated by World War II. He is often rated by scholars as one of the three greatest U.S. presidents, along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Old Ben Franklin
the printing business he was in
I wish he was alive so that he
could print his picture on more hundreds for me
Voice of an angel our wonderful queen of soul
sending out her amazing message of respect
to build a freeway of love her ultimate goal,
I knew you were waiting (for me), without neglect,
she'd say a little prayer, with amazing Grace
she thought Dr. Feelgood was young gifted and black
mend a bridge over troubled waters, or replace,
melodic vocal power showed in every track,
this is just my tribute, my small way of thanking
this natural woman, god bless Aretha Franklin.
You were much more than a man with a kite and a key.
By being a founding father of a new country,
your signature can be seen on some great documents.
Helping with the Declaration of independence,
in our history, you made an auspicious presence.
Your many accomplishments can be considered great.
You were seen on half-dollars from nineteen forty-eight
until fifteen years later in nineteen sixty-three
when they bumped you off in favor of John Kennedy.
However, your prominent image we can see still,
on the Federal Reserve’s one hundred dollar bill.
Ben Franklin was a multi-talented feller, yes indeed,
Noted mainly for helpin' develop our nation's creed!
Perhaps he is also known for sufferin' a shocking jolt,
Foolin' around with an occasional lightnin' bolt!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Entry for PDee's "Battle of the Clerihews # 2" Contest