Best Hard Poems
When hard times come they sit a spell,
Like kin folk come to stay
A-packin' troubles, pets an' kids
That always get ‘n your way.
It's drought an' flood, an' flood an' drought,
There ain't much in-between.
You work like hell to make ’em good,
But still they’re sorta lean.
The ranch went under late last year,
The drought got mighty tough.
The boss held-out a long, long time,
But finally said, "enough!"
So here I am dispatchin’ cops
An’ watchin’ felons sleep,
In Junction, at the county jail,
A job I’ll prob’ly keep.
The wife, she works at Leisure Lodge,
Where older people stay,
A-makin’ beds an’ moppin’ floors
To earn some ‘extra’ pay.
Though “extra pay‘s” the term I used,
It goes to payin’ rent,
An’ after all the bills are paid,
We wonder where it went.
We hocked my saddle, guns an' chaps,
An' then our weddin' rings;
Then when we couldn't pay the loan,
They sold the 'dad-blamed' things.
We felt real bad a day or two
But then we let it go,
Cause it got Christmas for the kids
When money got real slow.
When hard times come they sit a spell,
Don't matter who you are;
They'll cost ya things you've set aside,
An' clean your cookie jar.
You'll loose some sleep an' worry some,
Won't pay to moan an' groan;
But hang on to your happiness,
They'll finally leave ya 'lone.
`
I have so many friends on soup,
it’s hard to pick just one
To narrow down to just a few,
it just cannot be done
Heidi always brings a smile
Brenda tempts my heart
Sandy posts poetic dreams
Connie’s whispered art
Gershon really makes me laugh
Maureen, she can write
Hello There and Andrea
make my mornings bright
John, who makes the soupers sing
Nina, she’s a hoot
Kim can pen most anything
Pixie’s words so cute
Sunlite you are number one
you’ve always been my friend
I’m sorry I omitted you
it won’t happen again
Anne-lise always makes me think
Ilene sure can rhyme
Brandy’s thoughts are beautiful
Eve makes poems shine
Limericks are Jan’s forte
Affection is Cay Cay
Alexis, Chantelle, Carolyn
take my breath away
A warrior who floats on wings
A very Silent One
Bobby May bring happiness
and Spock, no wait, his son
Disco, Beth and Jeanne are new
at least they are to me
Janice, Tania, Sandra Weiss
much talent in these three
Line and LuLoo and Dear Heart
well, what more can I say
So many poets I call friend
on any given day
There are a few from long ago
when I first found this site
I can’t forget to mention them,
it just would not be right
Charmaine, I miss her the most
Paloma just as much
White Wolf wrote some crazy stuff
Darren had the touch
Agnes, Leanna, Anne-Marie
all were friends of mine
Becca, Dale, Lisa, Sue
Poetry so fine
Christy, Daniel, Freddy, Lin
so many from the past
Forever doesn’t happen now
it seems some things don’t last
But back to what I’m trying to say,
before this poems’ done
So many here that I admire,
it’s hard to pick just one
So, thank you all for all you do,
the kindness that you show
I’m blessed by every one of you
and wanted you to know
Inspired by but not written for Bobby May’s Pick A friend on Soup poetry contest
Oh hell, I going to enter it anyway. I know it won't win because it doesn't follow the rules but rules are meant to be broken, right?
On Christmas day before he died,
I went home to visit my dad.
The house was full of family,
our mood was quite somber and sad.
We drifted in and out the room,
where he lay dying in his bed.,
Each of us sharing memories,
saying the words that needed said.
Those last days perhaps the hardest,
as death became reality.
We made the promise to ourselves,
to hold on to his memories.
We were grasping for any hope,
all my brothers, sisters, and me.
We had not yet convinced ourselves,
it was time to let him be free.
Be free to hunt that long coon hunt,
that will never come to an end.
To dance his jig among his friends,
to lie beside his wife again.
Goodbye my beloved father,
in my heart you will always be.
Place a kiss on my mother’s cheek,
and tell her that it is from me.
No
A small little word
And yet so hard to say
It tempts me to say
Maybe
Maybe I can make it work
I so desperately want to say yes
It hurts
Crushes me
To see you disappointed
Those times when I have no time
When I am stretched to the limit
Commitments
Piled
One on top of the other
The important less important things in my life
When I have no energy
No extra to give
No way of knowing if I'm making a mistake
I say no to give myself a break
Some space to breathe
Sometimes no
Is meant to protect
No you can't go
To that party
Spend time with that girl
Hang out with that guy
No I won't change my mind
Even though I have to be the bad guy
No is a declaration
That I care for you
I want only the best
I want no harm to come to you
No is a tool I use to strengthen you
No you can't quit
You must finish what you start
There is no better feeling
Than seeing you succeed
Those times I said
"No, you can do it on your own."
Even though I desperately wanted to help
No meant I trusted and believed in you
You can do more than you think you can
No one is more proud of you
I wish you to know
The power of no
When it comes to a girl
No really does mean no
When you are put in an awkward place
You don't have to say yes
Choose your no wisely
No I don't want to go
No I don't want another drink
No I have somewhere else to be
No I will not let you treat her that way
No you cannot cross that line
No I deserve better than that
Yes, no is a small little word
It can change your path
Give you time to breathe
No, opens up possibilities
To choose
The yes
That is right for you
Yes or no
I believe you will choose wisely
Even though no
Can be a hard word to say
I let up the shade, as the sun has gone down
watching evening come in at the end of the day
It brings with it colors of umber and rust
while earth swallows dusk, which is fading to grey
From the living room window, I am hoping to see
geese flying back to their warm winter homes
All nature seems normal, routine, once again
whatever normal we can find after rain
Winter is coming and a new year begins
How will it be now, this journey, untried?
As we travel new miles, fresh grief on our sleeves,
with a tremulous smile, and with anguish and pride
Cold days arrive....There is talk on the hill
where tall pine trees have whispered
reminding the creek, and the ash trees are shedding
and katydids will not call out condolences in the dark
Soon enough, when the lark sings, wet grass will need tending
stacks of shutters will need painting,
and snow will yet need to be pushed aside
How will they cope..?
He's not here to do it...but somehow we hope
they will wade their way through it..
But for now , at a kitchen table
for these brief moments, they are able
to laugh, argue, and have fun...
Someone shouts out, "I won!"..
Joy is hard work...but it needs to be done
_________________________________________________________
I know that I’m not perfect, just go and ask me wife.
At times she’s kind of said - I’m the bane of her life,
but on her better days she wouldn’t trade me for a thing,
and sometimes she has even thanked me for the ring.
Sometimes I overlook a mite and pile clothes on the floor;
leave a beer can in the lounge room or forget to shut a draw.
The toilet seat might be left up; grease in the bathroom sink,
and of course I cop a barrage - “Don’t you ever bloody think!”
I put up a slight defence I s’pose to save me on the skids,
I reminded her I’m not as bad as either of our kids,
but remarks like that cause suffering; the vote goes three to one,
so I had to do some crawling for the damage that I done.
The crawling that I had to do is behind their Mother’s back,
but once again a big mistake saw her leading an attack.
In a request for gaining brownie points I should have chose a cat,
but the kids insist they wanted me - to buy them a pet rat.
We snuck this rat into the shed and they both named it Brad,
but our female ‘Sergeant Major’ went completely bloody mad.
She really stuck the boots in; especially into me …
making promise of a firing squad if neglect soon came to be.
But both the kids then promised to satisfy their Mother’s rage,
that Brad will be looked after; well fed in the cleanest cage.
They pampered Brad for two months - treated like a king,
then the novelty wore off - Mum was doing everything.
So at the dinner table Mum declared she’d had enough.
Maintaining to our children that it has got too tough.
He’s too much work for one and because that one is me,
he’s going to have to leave and the kids did half agree.
Then Mother added furthermore, “I’m sick of his daily mess,
and right now I note he’s eating, and drinking to excess.”
Me eldest boy then quietly spoke, by adding “Mum you’re right,
if he didn’t eat and drink so much, he could stay is that right?”
Mum responded firmly, “Correct, he could stay for evermore,
if he had used better manners and cleaned his mess off the floor,
now go to the shed and grab the cage, and in the car put Brad …”
“Brad!” Me youngest ‘fella’ bawled - “We thought you said Dad.”
More interesting the way you wrestle
never meaning hurt..
flirting.., with a skillfull mind
and matching tongue.
Twice as agile your swift feet, gleeful toes,
play like little lady fingers, jabbing,
bobbing and weaving in the morning sun.
What a change I witness when the gloves come off..
colors raised in stormy impassioned eyes.
So many dimensions,
when you go hard..
even more uncovered..
when you go soft.
Light coral shaded lips,
paler still long neck, brimming in fire.
Oh, how the veins sing to me..
though quietly now,
grow insistent.
Getting close, like a creature
not used to light.
A waterfall effect lost
in finest peach hair fields, many
curves and valleys explored
in mosquito nets of night.
Endlessly curious to know,
what a fighter wants..
what a fighter needs,
in love.
Return now from the ropes-
to knock me off.
My eyes anxiously await a detente
when yours turn soft.
There's a breed of Aussie hero who has served this nation well
and they don a yellow uniform to face the fires of hell.
When day temperatures are soaring and the high winds blow a gust,
and our bushland is ignited it's in them we place our trust.
Yes, you're all somebody's daughter and you're all somebody's son;
you are mothers and you’re fathers. Hard hat heroes everyone.
When their mates are in the hot seat and they need a helping hand,
they will volunteer their services from stations 'cross this land.
Whether country towns or cities or a bush fire brigade;
they will gladly throw their hats in and will offer their mates aide.
Yes, you're all somebody's daughter and you're all somebody's son;
you are mothers and you’re fathers. Hard hat heroes everyone.
Do you owe your home or property, your very lives perhaps,
to the selfless, sincere efforts of these bold fire-fighting chaps?
Or still sadly you lost everything, but proudly can attest
to their fierce determination as each brave soul did their best.
Yes, you're all somebody's daughter and you're all somebody's son;
you are mothers and you’re fathers. Hard hat heroes everyone.
So I ask you all to join me as we stand and raise a glass
to the courage and the spirit of this fire fighting, class;
and I'm sure you'd love to join me as this message we impart,
"You're such true blue hard hat heroes and we thank you from the heart."
Yes, you're all somebody's daughter and you're all somebody's son;
you are mothers and you’re fathers. Hard hat heroes everyone.
Bully, the bull dog thought he was tough
He barked until his owner had enough
Bully went to the pound
A disgruntled old hound
He had a name change...now he's called "Scruff"
Blow Hard was a very ugly bullfrog
Sat in a pig sty on a rotten log
Boasted about his size
He was not very wise
Cuz the moron was eaten by a hog
There's an old geezer who has an ego
Told tales of his greatness for all to know
The haughty one cries
His tales were all lies
He's an old phony who has to eat crow
Bully, Blow Hard, and even that old Geezer dude
All three looked at life with eyes that were skewed
Moral of story...
There is no glory
In barking, boasting, or a haughty attitude
Between a rock and a hard place
I sigh
I cry
Between a rock and a hard place
unable to speak
growing weak
Between a rock and a hard place
Unable to move
stuck in this groove
Between a rock and a hard place
I am still here
you are still near
Between a rock and a hard place
just where you left me
wondering why
parched and dry
you watch
as I die
Between a rock and a hard place
It's so hard not to love you
Thinking back on life...
I think of you...
all my desires...
my dreams came true
Your innocence...
kept calling out to me
there was nothing else...
that I could do
Bridge
We were young, just trying to make memories...
with more ups and downs than on a trampoline
Chorus
And so you're gone!...
Now what should I think?
I'm living on the brink,
I'm on the ledge without you...
I can't go on...
It's too hard to go back
the wheels fell off the tracks
It's so hard not to love you!
It's so hard not to love you!
You and me together...
just felt right...
like a hand in glove...
when it was cold
How could you forget...
those tender nights
lying by the fire...
warming our toes
Bridge
We were young, just trying to make memories...
with more ups and downs than on a trampoline
Chorus
And so you're gone!...
Now what should I think?
I'm living on the brink,
I'm on the ledge without you...
I can't go on...
It's too hard to go back
the wheels fell off the tracks
It's so hard not to love you!
It's so hard not to love you!
I never thought that...
things could end this way
we were in love...
in a world so cold
I never thought that you...
could ever stray
our bond can't be broken...
or so I was told
Bridge
We were young, just trying to make memories...
with more ups and downs than on a trampoline
Chorus
And so you're gone!...
Now what should I think?
I'm living on the brink,
I'm on the ledge without you...
I can't go on...
It's too hard to go back
the wheels fell off the tracks
It's so hard not to love you!
It's so hard not to love you!
It's so hard not to love you!
It's so hard not to love you!
repeat and fade
John Derek Hamilton
October 03,2018
Cold Hard Steel
My mouth wide open, gasping for breath, splashing, gurgling
Hopelessly going nowhere, treading, losing the fight
I can’t hear the clanking or yelling anymore, today is the day I have succumbed to his cruelness, numb, no thoughts, no feelings just sinking, floating, slowly being dragged down below
His lack of love and affection has surrounded me like a cold hard steel chain bound around me.
The black oval links is evidence that evil is not part of the circle of life
I’m drowning. He’s not listening. Why won’t he help me? Doesn’t he care?
How did I let it go this far?
A light from above, an angel reaches out a hand, follow me
Bursting through the crashing waves I rise above the depth of darkness
To find that God will always love me
All my tears have faded. Joyful smiles every day.
He is still part of my life but the chain has been broken, I have been set free because God will always
love me.
Even on the days when he doesn’t show me love and kindness
I know I am not alone in this big old house. I kneel and take it to the throne.
And tell God about my day.
Inspirational song Chain Breaker by Zac Williams
Original poem 7/22/17
As I Walk Hard Narrow Path, Dust In My Mouth
I walk hard narrow path, dust in my mouth
Just a poor farm-boy, born in the dear South,
With edges slippery and turns so quick
Oft so weary, too often so damn sick.
Trudging on through, into midnight's dark cast
Praying my courage will forever last,
And in my dreams, I meet my angel here
She of sweetest heart and devoid of fear.
Each new sunset , I watch those red-burnt rays
Muttering words, as only poor boy prays,
In wind's soft blows, I hear, "patience rewards"
Step thee lively, avoid the broken shards!
I walk hard narrow path, dust in my mouth
Just a poor farm-boy, born in the dear South.
R.J. Lindley ,
July 11th, 1973
Sonnet, ( Working on the farm before sun-up until after sunset)
Note: I decided this morn, to bring this one right on out of my private journal.
Hope you may enjoy it, as I wrote it at age 19..
Any that worked on the farms in the 60-s, 70's, and 80's, will certainly get this..
Where Hard Rocky Crags Meet White Foamy Sea
Where hard rocky crags meet white foamy sea
rip-roaring splashes, sing softly to me.
Under starlit heavens, big yellow moon
Our fleeting lives vanish far, far too soon!
Where waiting sands absorb bold, mighty waves
further out lay, lost ships and lone sea graves.
Yet sadness can not diminish this view
Or hide the spot where I proposed to you!
I see again, star glow in your bright eyes
and hear that quick yes and your happy cries.
My darling, in this, our sweet tale lays bound
unbreakable vows, true love we both found!
Where hard rocky crags meet white foamy sea
rip-roaring splashes, remind me of thee!
Robert J. Lindley, 3-26-2017
It's not hard to love
Only love will set us free
Love thyself
Everything else will follow
Love, peace and harmony will shine bright
The way all humanity should be
God is within us
Stop turning your back on yourselves
And God's blessings appear more.