Best Gems Poems
A rainbow took my breath away
Whilst on a train one summers day
Her vibrant arc I was in awe
Though folk beside me never saw
With heads bowed low they missed the show
The screens their windows, don’t you know
All Mother Nature’s flawless gems
Score well below the latest trends
Written 28th December 2019
Lay poetry
8 lines ~ 8 syllables ~ AABBCCDD
POTD - 29 December 2019
Contest: LAY IT ON ME 8X8
Sponsor: Charles Messina
1st PLACE
Contest: Strand Select 6
Sponsor: Brian Strand
HONORABLE MENTION
1st PLACE in Best New Poems
16th - 27th January 2020
Published in a previous Poetry Soup Anthology 2020
As I stood in my garden amongst my flowers,
a parade of blue butterflies was drifting;
past my lovely brilliant primrose rock garden,
they kissed a purple cornflower growing.
They stopped and caressed rainbow painted daisy,
drifting over to drooping bleeding hearts;
resting on white campania with their trumpets,
like sparkling garden gems quietly hovering.
Blue larkspur and columbine called for them,
the tiny rubies twirled over in a waltzing dance;
and between yarrow, sage and yellow tick seed,
they spotted echinacea and came fluttering.
Floating on over they kissed orange scabiosa,
then the assemblage of sweet butterflies left;
just stopping for a quick sip of fountain water,
and gone this parade of fluttering blue gems.
__________________________
August 11, 2015
Poetry/Verse/"Fluttering Gems"
Copyright Protected, ID 15- 699-038-0
All Rights Reserved. Written Under Pseudonym.
Submitted to Late Summer Premier Contest
sponsor, Brian Strand
First Place
___________________________
Submitted to,Any Poem Written in 2015, Contest
sponsor, Julia Ward
Third Place
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Submitted to, Butterflies Among Us, Contest
sponsor, A Skat
Fourth Place
My life, like everybody else’s, is a treasure trove
with a mine from which one’s treasures are derived.
The familial bonds we form are platinum; our friendships gold.
These are precious ores that most souls are born to find with ease.
But all of us have other precious stones we need to mine.
They are the fruit of skills and talents put to their best use.
My treasure trove abounds with gems already -
ones that I discovered as a child.
Though rough in their natural form, most of them I opened
as I grew in understanding of God’s gifts for me.
Others not so easy to break open were able to be shaped,
for once I sought them out inside my mine
and cracked them open. . . their radiance was revealed to me.
Our precious gems, God-given, must not be squandered.
Once mined, they need to be shared.
Artists, teachers, scientists, tradesmen, leaders, even dreamers -
we all have different kinds of gemstones hidden in our mines.
Once, later on in my own life,
I came upon a silver tool used by many different types of artists.
I’d seen it in my youth but hardly used it.
Thousands of words lay embedded in that specific tool God gifted me.
I delved into the depths of my mine and learned
that I could tap and tap the silver worded tool upon each stone,
and finally a gem would then reveal itself to me.
The more I searched for stones to tap,
The more wondrous were the nuggets that appeared -
And there were more of them than I’d believed I could ever find -
buried there so deeply in my mine!
The art of crafting them and polishing them up
I was able to improve upon in time. . .
and found that even those less valuable could shine!
A poet’s gems need not be bought or sold.
Displaying them with love and pride alone can be fulfilling.
How I thrill to view a wide variety of gemstones
freely shown from others’ treasure troves.
From the rarest and the clearest multi-faceted
color-shifting Alexandrite and tanzanite,
and the most remarkable of diamonds, rubies,
sapphires, emeralds, amethyst and jade,
down to the lowliest of onyx, quartz, garnets, or agates,
each stone has something of the poet’s soul within it,
especially beautiful when polished to a brilliant sheen!
The more I open gemstones in my mine, the more of them I find,
and my silver-worded tool lies nearby at the ready.
They are most precious gems you can possess
They cannot be brought in any jewellers shop
They are more valuable than platinum
They are more rare than flawless D grade diamonds
They shine in your life like 18 carat gold
They are unique
They are special
They are priceless
They are …
True friends
11~18~14
Contest: Precious Stones and Gems
Sponsor: Anthony Slausen
The gems on October trees are dying.
Just as stained glass in evening fades, we know
Fallen leaves are no reason for crying.
Though their blazing colors leave us sighing;
In the frail season they soon lose their glow.
The gems on October trees are dying.
Heaving their last, the leaves are sent flying,
Grieving on their way, to decay they go.
But, fallen leaves are no reason for crying.
Those with blind eyes, their senses are vying
To understand, where in resting you flow
As the gems on October trees are dying.
Lamentable fate; there’s no defying
That your blaze in the light will end in woe.
Yet, fallen leaves are no reason for crying.
You, my lovely tree, keep on supplying
Good earths needs for forest anew to grow.
The gems on October trees are dying,
But, fallen leaves are no reason for crying.
Shall We Recall Gems Reaped From Our Love's Tree
Should small differences tear us apart
Bringing sorrows, upset our applecart
Will we open our eyes to truly see
How truth and love's growth can still set us free
Surely life should be more than seeking gain
More than just gathering bountiful grain
Shall we yet again, our souls truly search
On higher and higher mountaintops perch
Learn to give and love to the nth degree
Bathe ourselves in love's deep romantic sea
Should such differences rip us apart
Causing those rash actions not very smart
Shall we recall gems reaped from our love's tree
Wonderful bliss, love gifted unto we?
Robert J. Lindley, 6-13-2022
Sonnet
Be strong, no matter what!
Should the coolness on the wings of
indifference blow your way.....
Stand on principals of goodness.
Do not to the crowd play!
You know how very well you write!
You are a poet not a puppet.
Many will not read you.
It's acceptable~you know how to
smilingly,rough it.
There are genuine loving poets
here, it is very hard to part.
You will find them like gems on
fresh vines, wrapped lovingly around
your most beautiful heart!
10/5/2020
Precious are the uncut stones God gifts us,
but their loveliness remains concealed
until we cut them open and polish them.
God's glory in their radiance is then revealed.
With gratitude, put your gems on display.
Increase in His favor; store them not away.
Bright stars shine in night skies
Like bangles, baubles and beads
Puts a twinkle in every girl's eyes
Like a gift of fine jewelry
A pair of sun stone earrings
Presented to the daughter I love
Some expensive fatherly bling
The price for her, one hug
Red copper reflecting inclusions
Dark middles fade to light edges
An adventurine feldspar illusion
Perfect for eternal love pledges
Turquoise blue or teal green schiller
Either one is an eye to heart thriller
October 21 2016
ladies ring size 7 1/2 color: teal green
I am standing in my garden amongst the beautiful flowers,
when a kaleidoscope of butterflies comes silently drifting.
Past my lovely primrose rockery, so bright and brilliant,
they find a purple cornflower by the fence just blooming.
All the colorful butterflies stop to kiss painted daisy,
then glide to the red bleeding hearts that are drooping.
They settle for a rest on the white campanula trumpets,
and give a gentle touch to the columbine just growing.
The blue larkspur called them over it seems to me,
so those tiny gems prance on over with joyful dancing.
Between yarrow, sage and yellow tick seed in bloom,
they spot purple echinacea and just came a flying.
The kaleidoscope of whirling wings is perfectly still,
then the parade of butterflies leave on wings fluttering.
But first- stop for a quick sip from my water fountain,
and then gone the colorful kaleidoscope of gems gliding.
_________________________
May 8, 2016
Poetry/Couplet/"Fly Gems"
Copyright Protected, ID 16-787-860-0
All Rights Reserved. Written under Pseudonym.
For the contest, A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies,
sponsor, Julia Ward
Third Place
True
friends are
so precious
like diamonds.
Always treasure them!
They’ll support you
every day
of your
life
Contest:-Ninette
Sponsored by Silent One
10~09~15
Lively words on tiptoes left,
Vanishing in the night.
In vain have I sought to find them,
Those precious prodigal words.
Did they slip away like mice
Through temples worn out by age?
Like jocks who rode the bench too long,
Have they quit for lack of play?
Or have they found me faithless,
Lusting after phrases
And daisy chains of impish words,
And in anger run away?
Fled they like southing swallows
Escaping Winter’s blight?
Will they come back to me one day
Like old Capistrano’s birds?
If a wordless king is a pauper;
And a well-spoken peasant rich;
And words are the gems we offer
To woo the ones we love,
Am I then to be destitute
When I wear the crown of years?
For if my wealth of words is gone,
I cannot beg at Heaven’s gate.
As I stood in my flower garden,
a gang of blue butterflies came drifting;
they kissed a tall purple corn flower,
then, stopped to caress my painted daisies.
Fluttering and twirling in a waltzing dance,
between my yarrow, sage and yellow thing growing;
they stopped for a quick sip of fountain water,
then, the assemblage of blue gems floated away.
_______________________
March 27, 2019
Gems Grandmother Gifts From Her Golden Word-Loom
Gems grandmother gifts from her golden word-loom
Hold those fast horses and keep clean your own room
If you work, be sure to fill your hungry tanks
If you are grateful, you have just me to thank
I wash your dirty laundry and cook your meals
Sell our extra eggs just to pay the high bills
Careful, watch your step, pains are great from deep falls
Color outside, do not mark on my clean walls
Think hard before you leap, doctors are not cheap
If you are playing for love, best play for keep
If you work real hard, you get money for town
Here we do not pay for you being a clown
We raise our chickens, goats, pigs and corn to eat
Know keeping this place afloat is quite a feat
Now go on, do your chores and we will be fine
Breakfast at six, come too late you do not dine
We do not burn our candles too late at night
Do not anger me, it's not a pretty sight
Enjoy the sun, God placed it there just for you
If you think me too hard, best you get a clue
Now hold your horses, God did not give me wings
I see you happy, my heart races and sings
Stop complaining, today is Sunday and clear
Now wash your hair and clean good behind each ear
No child, not everything I say is funny
What, you think we are rich and made of money
Dear child, listen to granny she tells you true
Even when mad, I love every one of you
So remember well your granny when she dies
Treasure each moment, you know how fast time flies
Now child heed well my wise words when you are grown
You reap no rich harvest if bad seeds are sown!
Robert J. Lindley. 3-16-2017
Syllables Per Line:
11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
Total # Syllables: 352
Total # Words: 303
Note- Dedicated to my loving, wise and honorable grandmother..
She was made of steel but loved us all dearly..
Reminded us that farm work was hard but would teach us to be responsible , honest and worthy to be respected in this life..
Would that I had a bracelet of starlight 'round my wrist.
A matching ring upon my hand, my earlobes starlight kissed.
I wish I had a neck chain of moonbeams 'round my neck,
To wear with robes of gossamer and be so fine bedecked;
But if I had such finery it wouldn't be so special.
I wouldn't value it so much if they were on my level;
But every night I'm bathed in them, the jewels of the night.
I bask in silver radiance as I walk beneath their light.