Best Garlanded Poems
On wings of scarlet, radiance takes flight
as leaves, like cardinals, soar overhead.
They twirl, then tumble, beautiful and bright,
beneath September’s sun, which spills deep red
onto the valley’s floor. In dying light,
the peaks of distant mountains garlanded
by clouds still gleam into this autumn night.
For Brian Strand's 'ALL YOURS (Jan 30)' Contest
Categories:
garlanded, autumn,
Form:
Rhyme
Synthetic is the world we’re living in.
Plastic’s life seems timeless; it can’t replace
nature’s portraits: skies that leave us breathless,
bright swirling leaves, and rustic scenes of grace.
To see gold fields - a rainbow overhead -
how can any person not feel enthralled?
I think of high peaks garlanded by clouds
and wild flowers over our landscapes sprawled.
Technology offers us illusion.
The sham of it I'm often forced to see.
Land, air and waters untouched now seem rare.
Where peace can emanate I long to be!
I want to be where silence reigns over me,
so I close my eyes and imagine this:
a blossom on an unpolluted pond,
I float, unclothed and free, in lotus bliss.
Categories:
garlanded, nature,
Form:
Rhyme
Glowing orange, cloud coals burn
reflections into low tide evening surf,
slap lapping against scattered shells,
ripe fruits for hungry sea tramp's picking.
Itinerant thoughts, aimless as seaweed drift,
scatter like bands of sandpiper strays
on endless quest for burrowing crabs.
Peace rolling off the water, a liquid aura,
brings surcease to the day's anxious plight.
Cavorting light rays pirouette in prismatic play,
unfettered children of earth's weary sun
who slips to rest upon night's graying breast.
Carefree scenes surround, seashore treats,
delectable as holiday sweets displayed on Christmas Eve:
ribbon candy colored cabanas,
verdigris beach poles rope garlanded,
soft stained seashell ornament display.
Almost as good as Christmas, this evening on the beach,
stretched out upon the sand
my back against bleached driftwood band.
Faye Lanham Gibson
Copyright, January 31, 2016
Categories:
garlanded, beach, peace, sea,
Form:
Free verse
Floral expanse
Roses in vivid colours that smiled in glamour,
Red blood to be garlanded at valour,
White lilies bunching hearty and serene,
Catching lovers' fancy to the extreme,
Lavenders at the crest of mountains,
Challenging beauties of the terrains,
Merrigolds shining bright with sunrise,
Worshipping aroma to no surprise,
Dahlia, orange and yellow poppies dance,
Oleander with their pink flowers put us in stance,
Irises swayed taller on their stalks,
Bougainville like trumpets' melody outlast,
Bluebells borrowed colour from the sky,
Yellow dandelions woke up in golden bright light,
Tulips were as bright as showers,
Their beds flamed like throbbing rings of fire,
Forming shadows were rows of white flowers,
On azure coloured ground like trails of shooting stars,
Tiny wildflowers illuminated the grass,
Like jewels in the dust to nature's sarcast !
Written November 27th, 2014
For contest 'Encounter with flowers' by Anthony Slausen
Awarded HM
Entered into contest "Theme #2- Flowers- Old poems" by SKAT A
Awarded 9th place win
Categories:
garlanded, beauty, flower, nature,
Form:
Couplet
I was a runner
fleeing from homespun horrors that
wrapped around my delicacy like a tourniquet
Only a child attempting to bestir
the warrior dormant within;
having no idea the enthrallment
she reveled in,
I learned to accost my demons
Nigh, even at the wide-eyed age of eight,
scarred
shattered
broken
I found, in a hand-crafted cardboard crate,
my only chance at freedom
Every Saturday I'd sneak away
to my makeshift universe
that gave life to dreams unspoken --
I would crouch and crawl
through thorn-encrusted branches
enclosed in a thicket,
sunbeams cutting into the tangles
alighting my face, piercing my eyes
The oceans breath
cascaded over the brush,
and everything, suppressed,
would fall into a hush
until I breached the winding path
Amongst the jungle of weeds/rose garlanded structures,
high above the jagged rocks
and wide open mouth of the watery abyss,
my hideaway centered --
flimsy cardboard walls,
brightly painted bold brazen symbols protecting all who entered,
tightly sealed with an invisible lock
opening only when voices of forgotten children fluttered through the air
I'd stand silent beneath the incandescent sky,
for just a moment,
breathing deep the silken salty breeze
and thrust my arms out to the sides
like the seagulls hovering over the loud, fathomless cavern of the sea,
Losing myself in the mist
Categories:
garlanded, abuse, beach, deep, feelings,
Form:
Free verse
~
~
~
[ ||||| ]
[ ||||| ]
My Quaint Cottage
The quaintness of my cottage
Is idyllic in my sweet resting thoughts.
My miniature garden rarely noticed by one
Is garlanded with fenced shrubs and flowery visions.
My orange clustered tree
Showers } { its love
onto my } { cascade
of verses } { as I rest
against } { its sturdy
bark on } {a silent day
My green walled cottage is sewn intricately with ivy
Leaving an
Arched door
Open Fringed
With fresh roses
Attracting the
Honey suckles
Hanging in air
Fluttering
Their wings
For ## but # one ## sip
In ## my ##### garden
Of # b# l #o # o # m # s
FIRST
Balveen Cheema
October 24, 2015
Judged
Contest: Creative Layouts
Sponsor: Broken Wings
Categories:
garlanded, flower, house,
Form:
Concrete
Once upon a time... a child celebrated
Colorful lights of Crackers...
Fluorescence of Fireworks.
The black powder bonfires in sky
Illuminated his darkness ..
Sprinkling showers of acoustic pops.
And then...
Demons ignited black powder to enslave his mind.
His cranium was detonated with guns and bullets.
Blitz of Bombs ticked his reverberating Time.
His black powder infested blue vest
Now singed and scorched..
A belt of Bioluminescence garlanded his waist.
How smart he looked.. ready to blow up the Cafe.
Aha! That Black Coffee Powder
Was Exploding Love of Joy
Aha! That Black Gun Powder
Was Imploding Hate of Joy.
Soon there will be...
Scarlet blood spilling in smouldering slag.
Broken Glass and Bodies in pulverized roofs.
Screams of Resurrect Dreams...
He hears a faint whisper..'Son, please don't die'..
But wasn't he a Martyr.....a Superstar?
A Black Hole full of Black Powder...Near and Far...
The Supernova* waited.... to be a Dead Star...
*A Supernova Black Hole is an astronomical concept: They form when a very massive star (at least 25 times heavier than our Sun) runs out of nuclear fuel. The star then explodes as a supernova. A black hole is born when an object becomes unable to withstand the compressing force of its own gravity.
Dated 14th November,2018.
Submitted to the Black Powder Poetry Contest
Sponsor Anthony Slausen.
PLACED FIRST IN CONTEST
Categories:
garlanded, celebration, child, fear, hero,
Form:
Free verse
As school children scurry to school
like the multi-colored leaves that will soon
be hurried along the roads by October winds,
we feel and we know
that a new season is upon us.
Stifling summer’s ardor, autumn almost seems
to hum a melancholy tune
as its breezes caress a multitude of trees,
and peaks of distant mountains are garlanded
by fleecy clouds in dawn’s gleaming light.
A new ardor of its own is brought by autumn
as trees become ablaze
with a rhapsody of colors -
vermillion, amber, rust, gold.
Apples red and green adorn orchards’ trees.
Sometimes at dusk we can see
when persimmon skies might fuse with terrain
as the sun descends
on rows upon rows of orange pumpkins,
round and lying lonely beneath the glow
of a luminous full moon.
Days crawl a bit faster
into lengthening cooling nights.
About midway through October,
an Indian summer may appear
to fulfill my sun-drenched dreams
before the season proceeds into November -
floating those last glowing days
away.
Frost touches down, and radiant leaves,
like small yellow finches or cardinals.
soar through the air one last time
before settling and eventually crumbling
onto ground growing dull and brown.
Oh, lovely autumn, may your bright days linger
until they pale.
Please, autumn, let winter stall before we fall
into its cold clasp.
Categories:
garlanded, autumn,
Form:
Free verse
"Flowers, the emblems of beauty and fragrance proudly assert that loveliness can catch every eye and brighten even the gloomiest heart" ~ By Poet
look at these white blossoms,
attired in snow white velvety frocks,
unassuming and elegant
under the canopy of the starlit sky.
though tiny in size,
en masse they exude a hypnotic charm.
birthed in the stillness of night,
they proclaim their presence,
in dazzling white.
decked by dewy beads,
they dance freely unnoticed.
some perfume the air
with exotic scent,
permeating the nightly breeze.
during day, they wait to be garlanded,
by the amber beams of the sun,
longing to be hugged and kissed
by the amorous butterflies.
these simple beauties are the silent partakers,
of life’s most beautiful romance!
Categories:
garlanded, appreciation, beauty, flower,
Form:
Imagism
Coyly smiling at the sun
with brightly colored face,
a demeanor quietly homespun
garlanded with ruffled grace;
wherever planted, sheds crisp cheer
all about the garden plot,
sophisticated peers may proudly sneer;
bravely, she smiles on from her spot.
Determined through the winter cold
to continue blooming by the walk,
I love to see her shining there;
oh, if that simple face could talk!
There are others, I confess,
who possess more glorious flair;
but, to me, in all the world of flowers
to the pansy they cannot compare.
Copyright, August 11, 2016
Faye Lanham Gibson
Categories:
garlanded, flower,
Form:
Rhyme
Frosted white branches
garlanded in silver and
d r i p p i n g i c i c l e s. . . .
Crystalline lights are turned on.
My new tree shimmers cool blue.
(only new one not used in a Dec. contest yet)
Categories:
garlanded, holiday,
Form:
Tanka
I'm an orange monkey
in China I was made,
stitched with much affection
and garlanded with braid.
Purchased then on eBay
and wrapped to make a gift,
I was posted to a friend
who felt a little miffed.
I felt I wasn't wanted
when stuffed into a drawer,
would I be forgotten,
and nameless evermore?
From that home some months on
I was taken out with care,
taken on a journey,
though how could I know where?
It was in the Village Hall
as part of a display;
in company with others
we made a fine array.
People drank their coffee
accompanied by cake.
No one offered me a slice.
Oh how my tummy ached!
They paid for orange tickets
each with a lucky number;
and orange gave me hope
waiting there in wonder.
Standing close beside me
the caller said, "Be still."
The tickets duly stirred,
I felt an inner thrill.
He drew one folded tight
revealed as seventy-nine.
Forward came a woman
and chose a vintage wine.
Another one was drawn.
I was filled again with hope.
But the winner from the back
picked out a box of soap.
Ticket after ticket drawn
one by one the prizes went,
and I was left alone
all sad and discontent.
It was at the very end
that I was claimed at last.
Trailed behind by my left arm,
I felt all hope was past.
In a nearby village
I was offered up once more.
The prize that no one claimed,
squashed in another drawer.
I languished there with socks
all folded up and clean.
For such a sleepy friendship
I wasn't really keen.
On yet another venture,
out shopping I was taken
and left at AgeUK –
unless I am mistaken,
– displayed upon a shelf.
There customers looked round,
a few were glancing up
to see my sorry frown.
Then one day a child came in,
held close by his left arm.
Looking up he caught my eye.
Like me, had he suffered harm?
“That's my favourite colour,”
he called aloud and pointed.
“Please, oh please! give me! give me!"
At last his Mum relented.
There he held me oh so close,
now at last feeling safe
and wanted as a friend.
It was a long embrace.
And now I have a name
which makes me feel right special.
I thought I was a boy,
but no, he calls me Cheryl.
If you seek a moral
in this happy ending:
Do not bin unwanted gifts,
persist with fresh befriending.
Categories:
garlanded, child, fantasy, feelings, humorous,
Form:
Ballad
the joys of marriage become memorable with unforseen breakdowns
Late night frolicking and teasing continued
Dancing and music lasted till early hours
With a beating heart and ignited nerves
I lay nervously on bed wondering what lay ahead
My groom arrived with a garlanded brow
Our marriage was performed with religious fervour
While the priest read out our marriage obligations
We walked in tow four times around the holy book
Family pressures had made my groom suspicious
Whether it was really me or else behind the veil
He bent and peeped lifting the veil slightly
Much to the chagrin of the priest and mirth for family
After the family lunch we drove down to his home in another city
His car broke down for a breather on an isolated road
My groom romanced on the ground beneath his car in the summer heat
While I all decked and drenched, bent down to observe him in greasy repair
In final disparity of three breakdowns we ultimately reached home
Bathed and refreshed we were having a lovey-dovey talk
When there was a loud bang, we opened the door to find a smiling friend,
He was unable to reach the marriage venue as his car had broken down!
March 24, 2016
Contest: My Wedding Day Is Special
Sponsor: Olive Eloisa Guillermore
* reference to a Sikh marriage
Categories:
garlanded, car, celebration, friend, marriage,
Form:
Free verse
children growing up in a bewildering moral landscape
what is right, what is wrong, what is politically correct
with mindless amusements or habits they seek escape
the media, education, religion they all opposing direct
the parents fared no better, controlled and farmed by big corporation
forced to deny and reject healthy lifestyles for a media fairyland
fears of security used to control peoples and their co-operation
many disillusioned escape in drugs or simply bury their head in sand
The true God is rejected and must not interfere in education or morals
unborn are murdered, the sick, the old, the unproductive used as guinea pigs
manliness, bravery, patriotism are rejected garlanded with florals
out is male and female, in is all manner of sexual thingamajiggs
is it any wonder the young are confused
good is condemned and evil behaviour excused
brainwashed by legal lies that the real truth is refused
the future looking foggy and so none is enthused
What is truth asked once a ruler to Him who is the truth
What is truth, what is the meaning asks today's youth
Where will they get their truth in a morass of lies
Who will lead them to the truth, who will hear their cries
Categories:
garlanded, anxiety, youth,
Form:
"life is like a maypole", I heard him say through the cell bars
I knew his voice, unmistakeable, rasping (like a corncrake)
in a midnight field
now I had entered his world, his maelstrom, his sweetmeat-coated
world of pain, now I the sport, (a gladiator) no less
my bruised hands and swollen eyes, grown from their sockets
with heat of the Roman sun
waited their turn to step in to glory (or oblivion) wanting not wife,
nor hearth nor fearless hand
(the door opened) Alchimedes stood with trident in hand
multi-coloured like a sorcerer's wand:
"take your place at the arena door", he croaked
I took my sword put on my armour and stood ready at the side,
while the gods were drenched with worship from the dancing band
twirling,twirling garlanded ribbons round and round, dancers in the sand
Categories:
garlanded, dance, death,
Form:
Free verse