Best Frigates Poems
A CASTLE OF TEMPTATION
Proudly standing amidst three lochs, verdant hills
a Castle enciente breathing beauty but sadly chants
passed feuds sparking battles having harried their foe
and it's demise caused by Frigates cannonball screams.
Colonel MacRae-Gilstrap rebuilds now redeemed:
stoned arch bridge supersede the sea highway flow,
circular stairs and ceilings with coat of arms grants
changes made but its history today remains still
Tourists not deterred by ghost tales scary extreme
But await they exercise for imaginations to show
the setting, a romantic reincarnation that enchants
attracted lovers to celebrate their matrimonial thrill
Eilean Donan Castle in its stunning reachable location
pose the Western Highlands of Scotland a temptation.
Written by: Olive Eloisa Guillermo and James Andrew Fraser
8:46 pm; August 18, 2015
Only silence dresses her rigging now
To the call of the bosun’s whistle
Her hatches now stand locked and secure
Where long past sailors once lingered
She is the last of the old frigates
Moored in the shallows of Charlestown
Board her and hear her echoes of valor
Haughtily anchored her colors humbly fly
No blemishes on her hull show her battles
Her carronades still sit silently waiting
As she floats mythically at ease
For a moment I can hear the great moans
Her keel and sailors cresting Atlantic waves
To Captain Hulls orders to come about
And charge on the enemy ship Guerriere
On her decks I feel the plight of her dead
Hearing stories of centuries old bulkheads
Astounding feats of a morose pride
To have brought their foe to capitulate
Now she stands tacit though ever grand
And still on her decks and deep in the bowels
The mighty spirit of U.S.S. Constitution dwells
A monument of endurance softly whispering
“Lest we remember long forgotten sacrifices…”
my friend,
beacon, bright ...
how you have bewitched my years,
dancing on the wall of my room since my first memory,
a warm sweep of security and steadiness,
never failing - ever true ...
blinking me to sleep each night like a prayer -
"I'm here! - I watch! - You're safe!"
I wonder ...
are you really a warning?
Or do you wink your sparkling eye
only to taunt the unwary prey at sea?
Schooners, barques, cutters, and frigates,
wagging their masts like bony fingers,
admonishing you for your questionable intent.
How many have fallen for your treachery in ages past,
turned to driftwood and terror by your crimped and craggy skirt?
Not even Neptune's raging ire can affect your flicker,
for you have stood, steadfast and bold,
through the wickedest of gales ...
splitting the beastly billows with dire disregard,
and turning the tempest's tides
to naught but foam and spray.
But your days are numbered, old friend,
the world spins far too fast these days for your kind ...
your lights being snuffed by digits and dials,
and the indifference of technology.
But I shall remember you ...
your pulse will live on in my mind,
and in the hearts of all those who knew you -
all those who survived for your sake ...
and numbered your glinting gaze.
i wander these winter beaches
where autumn's storms
have removed the footfalls of summer
believing in spring
here i am alone listening
to the waves mellifluously remind
yet never recalling
floating the river Lethe
alone where the frigates soar above
pelicans traversing the waves
the terns work the receding water
i am the intruder
waves erasing my past
placing before me rearranging sands
paths never worn
only the belief in spring
with each step forward
i wonder if the gulls see
my past being removed, the future
dependent upon some wave
fortune or contretemps
i wonder if the gulls feel
this surreal gull glides, turns, drift
upon grateful wings
grateful to those who long ago
gave freedom to thought from hunger
the plight of thought
the flight of thought
freeing this surreal gull to wander in wonder
i wander here keeping the dream alive
faith it will evolve into more
some empyreal dictate
some Newtonian machine
there is a numen to winter beaches
here i can laugh with humanity, smile
the hubris belief this can be destroyed
changed yes, but so may volcanoes, asteroids
none of which has a brain
here i can believe that dreams
will be given to reason, logic
and end to war and peace on earth
that there is nothing fatal
even science cannot deny
these rearranging sands and time
will produce another poet wandering, wondering
i wander these winter beaches
where autumn's storms
have removed the footfalls of summer
knowing sunrise, sunset, and spring returns
i am alone, yet far from alone
i am home
where dreams glide, turn, drift
soaring in the thermals of thought
the flight of belief
terminus ad quem
terminus a quo
Playa Del Rey 91 The Patient Stones
is this then my fate
watching the scurrying crabs
rearranging sands, counting the waves
the wary eyes of the magnificent frigates above
your eyes were to me
exotic birds of aquamarine
whose free flight
stole my thoughts
my breath
my heart
now i have a horizon
where the world disappears
the universe begins
azure is more than a color
how ironic
how often said
love is blue
herein are only remembrances
of shared happiness
a gentleman never tastes bitterness
in what was not meant to be
i had a professor once, well more than once
who explained that we needed
to reach into the depth of being
to write poetry
that sentiment was to be avoided
as some shunned member of society
a useless masked whore
this poem is my gift to you
not to impress a world i could care less about
but to validate the point
sentiment is the foundation of poetry
innate to the heart's wings in the quill
that fills the dreams within
or walks in mourning upon the beach
Fergus Falls 2000
on Youtube:
Tom Waits - "The One That Got Away"
Underwater where sound
carries much farther
the bustling of fish feeding
awakens the whales
tis morning above
frigates are moving
their noise like fright rising
all the sea's creatures
suffer it's passage
from shore into deep water
filling the oceans and seas
noise pollution is deafening
the whales by nature
swim towards the quietus
mass strandings before them
dolphins lead the way
facing an unheard of escape
frigates grow larger
and the new are born to it
the bewailing
that ear splitting deprivation
our cloud of disquiet
at sea level up on it
above the drone of ships
onboard under Cetus
no hue or cry is made of it
the devastating consequences
of 1087 feet per second
beating soundly to extinction
all that lives below
while humans draw power from it.
A CASTLE OF TEMPTATION - collab with JA Fraser
A CASTLE OF TEMPTATION
Proudly standing amidst three lochs, verdant hills
a Castle enciente breathing beauty but sadly chants
passed feuds sparking battles having harried their foe
and it's demise caused by Frigates cannonball screams.
Colonel MacRae-Gilstrap rebuilds now redeemed:
stoned arch bridge supersede the sea highway flow,
circular stairs and ceilings with coat of arms grants
changes made but its history today remains still
Tourists not deterred by ghost tales scary extreme
But await they exercise for imaginations to show
the setting, a romantic reincarnation that enchants
attracted lovers to celebrate their matrimonial thrill
Eilean Donan Castle in its stunning reachable location
pose the Western Highlands of Scotland a temptation.
Written by: Olive Eloisa Guillermo and James Andrew Fraser
8:46 pm; August 18, 2015
Sinbad and Columbus nautical
Miles from home
Their flotilla of frigates
Sea sailed flags, flown
Compulsorily becalmed
Roped to steadfast bollards
Wharf bound
Red, green marine, sea blue scene
Maritime, party time, home time
Shore leave, can't leave, must leave
When the ship horn sounds
Sirens and mermaids waiting
Can't stand too long on
Unwaving ground
Ask the pilot, for the plot
Cards for money lost the lot
Ladies with port light windows
Sailor's take comfort
What happens, stays on land
Red, green marine, sea blue scene
Maritime, party time, home time
Shore leave, can't leave, must leave
When the ship horn sounds
Sirens and mermaids waiting
she knew all the moves
Queen's Gambit
Sicilian Defense
Bura's Desperado Sacrifice
with her arms wrapping me
we barreled the freeway
racing headlong into the wind
balanced on two wheels below
as free as mustangs in the mountains
abandoned in the moment with the herd
where the only destination
was in the hooves desires
when emotions move beyond
any resemblance of logic and reason
my arms began to leave
their grip upon the handlebars
wings were birthed, expanding in flight
soaring in a vision of Magnificent Frigates
liberty in the thermals, gracing the air
ecstatic and free of gravity
casting fate into another paradise
look, mom, no hands
when came the scream
the slap to my back
what are you doing command
as my hands returned
slowly to the handlebars
i returned the conversation
the universe was out of balance
i put it back, time to think quick
not every move is in a book
of chess
later over lunch, there was the lecture
where bad boys are brought to heel
those stern warnings
you will never do that again
there could be a rock in the path
there could be
there could be
one of those times
they will never know why
or will you really, the stars align
the anger in her face
telling you in large measure
how much she loves you
not in any chess book
it is secret men keep, silence is golden
because sometimes a woman's anger
is her most adorable moment
when you fall in love yet more
where every upbraid becomes a rose
reminding you how precious she is
one of those ways fruition luckily forms
and you get attention, a bonehead move
pays in dividends
like pulling ponytails
not in any chess book
but what is, a most arduous trial
never mentioned in the books
of chess defenses
when the king takes the queen
OKC 7/22
"Midnight Pearl"
There is none faster to traverse the seas
Or stirring terror in hearts 'round the world.
Her sails as black as midnight steal the breeze.
This envy of the deep is called the Pearl.
She lies in wait near trade routes of the East
For loaded frigates bound to England's coast.
With Calcutta to Canton's cargoed feast,
They're pillaged, plundered, raped and put to roast!
Though, East India Trading Company,
Enraged by constant smuggling and the rut,
Fights harsh without success relentlessly,
The Pearl takes spoil and always doubled up.
It's midnight, Pearl, your hatches all dogged tight...
Horizon bound, more frigates yearn to fight!
by~deborah burch©
4/19/2012
_______________________
English/Shakespearian Sonnet
she is running down the staircase
que pasa, que pasa, echoes before her
i am on the front balcony
watching the butterflies wander
from one miniature rose to the next
having my third cup of coffee
cream, Kahlua, a tad of rum
as Beethoven's Fifth drifts out
escaping into the verdant
she too is enveloped in escape
her piece of resistance
the taxi waiting below
a week ago they arrived
love abounding everywhere
i had checked them into the hotel
i am the resident poet
fill in for a drunk night manager
the brotherhood of the inebriated
they had met on acid
true love, fate, destiny, you know the routine
Leary would have been proud
the first day they were a ballet
dancing down the beach
romantic eateries watching the ocean
tumble continuously in
as pelicans and magnificent frigates
filled the sky in an aerial choreography
then the acid ran out and tequila waltzed in
by the third day, doors began slamming
the iguanas could not bear it anymore
retreated to the din of the jungle
by weeks end the mosquitos
pleaded to be let out
screams became crescendos thru the hotel
now he comes to the balcony
she and luggage are loaded
into the waiting taxi, the que pasa
now a raucous cacophony
of stick it up yours
slowly fading into the neotropical jungle
she is off to another piece of resistance
of that i am sure
i ask him, think she will write
he ignores me, returns to his room
where for three days no one sees him
the bottles pile up outside, he is alive
the fifth day he is gone
Play Hermosa 91
i become lost in these lazy days
the ones i have learned to allow
sitting here on the balcony
watching the frigates glide to Bolero
below a content ocean, empty beach
my attention was broken by a Tropical Queen
butterflies in pursuit of drams
vases rose, yellow, orange, purple
a squirrel scampers across the banana tree
below, kittens in ludic behavior
practicing top dog, the sun bears down
iguanas abandon the roof's pinnacles
for the trees and the shade therein
it is time for siesta, i am tired
this morning the children and i
were playing warfare in the yard
my cane magically transformed into a rifle
i am learning again
what i was once an expert in
a child amok in the fields of imagination
tomorrow i may take out the beach towels
and supermen will fly the patio
or stealth ninjas having hidden in the bamboo
till at last mother calls and it is time for siesta
and as does the wise old iguana
back we crawl to the nature of dozing
there was something i had to do
however, the myoclonic jerk has begun
lay down and drift away
even clark kent needs a respite
from the chores laden world
marbles
i forgot to buy marbles
Miramar 94 The Patient Stones
and this begins my first year of sobriety....playing marbles in the streets, learning the basics of the language...
Legend Of The Black Dove
(Part 6) "Peril At Sea"
The Black Dove whilst trapped under the water, uses his amazing strength
to break the chains that bind his body, he then swims under the ship and
climbs up the rigging then climbing on deck. He discards his mask and clothing
and assumes the role of John Norrington. He looks for an opportunity
to obtain dry clothing. Finding a storage locker he puts on a sailor's outfit.
He then goes in search of Bill Jenkins, he notices him inside of the galley
where he is working as a cook. He is alone as Norrington goes in to talk to
him. On the main deck the pirate captain observes two American frigates
heading towards them. He orders his men to open fire on the vessels, the
two ships fire back and prepare to board 'Raven'. The pirates are ready to
do battle. As 'Raven' picks up speed and is pulling away from the slower
frigates, the other ships keep firing all cannons at the fleeing ship,
while whereas down below Norrington and Jenkins arm themselves with
the intention of stopping the pirates somehow, they charge on deck with
swords in hands. Norrington manages to fight off most of the men using his
super strength and speed. Jenkins holds with two loaded pistols in his hand
holding the pirates at bay, while Norrington and the pirate Captain are
fighting a duel to the death with swords. While all this is going on the ship
in the meantime, the ship is hit twice by cannon fire and the third blast
hits the main mast at the bow of the ship, causing it to fall where Norrington
and the captain are fighting. The other men run for their lives as the huge
mast collapses with a loud thud.
Can these men survive the onslaught of the falling mast ?.....
Will Bill Jenkins be rescued by the opposing enemy sailors ?......
These questions and more will be answered
in Part 7 "Civil Unrest".
Posted Here at the beginning of each month
If Emily—Ms. Dickinson—could pen
fresh lines of verse today; what, I wonder,
would she say? Where would she even begin?
How will today change her verse—I ponder?
Would the Lady in White still write of books, —
those “frigates” of the rich imagination
that find their way in the grooves and the nooks
of her most literary creation?
Would she still ponder the tried relevance
of Life and Dying—of Mortality?
Or what of the strange nearness of distance
imposed by our hi-tech? —what Irony!
No doubt, she’d pen that though Facebook’s fresh Faces
seem happy, they’re still empty in some places—.
Select the right alternative
Despite rigours of states of nature
Electing to sweep aside your initiative
In the midst of shocks and blocks that determine to fracture
Well meant decisions to break free of the past
Draped in darkness, wrapped in coats and votes of despair
Freaking out at your attempts to cast
Doubt, to diminish and finish strangleholds of disrepair
Twitted, broadcast with fanfare and pomp
To proclaim your downfall
In a marsh, in a swamp
Where foes in their frigates call
To compromise your desire
Accentuated detours and contours
That set your life and aspiration on fire
To blight and slight your duty tours
Despite God proclaiming victory
On your behalf as he hands over the staff
That strengthens your shaking hands in the territory
Where God decrees enough is enough
No more tears should you pour
At home, at work, at church
Where detractors shout and pout galore
Vowing to leave you in the lurch
Weeping, creeping, reeling in tears
Disbelieving the grace God grants on the mission
He assigns without fanfare signs to wipe away fears
That clutch and snatch the ferment of the permission
God has poured into the new adventure
He blesses in your earthen vessel
Stressing access and success, guaranteeing certainty to the venture
Designed from above as faith and strength pervade and invade your every cell.