Best Honorable Poems
I am very pleased to present a fourth collaboration, this time in rhyme
with my dear friend Lawrence Sharp, a truly exceptional poet.
.
Thank you, Lawrence, for your great inspiration
and ongoing fellowship.
Ancient Hero, Firm And Honorable Til Death
Twas not roses painted bright red upon his shield
he that with great courage refused to ever yield;
with beating heart and full faith in his saving God
slayed monstrous beasts, going where only heroes trod
with no complaint of hardest sacrifices made,
he gave back no ground and bright red-blood wet his blade.
Family crest of roses and red bird of prey.
Its motto, 'True to our beloved God we stay'.
Decades flown by, great battles fought under red sun
bravery gave strength to finish what was begun;
strongest spirit with true soul to match and hold true
to the solemn vows and painful costs surely due
his right arm, servant of Light, Truth and Divine God,
with love of family and his faith, his firm rod.
Family crest of roses and red bird of prey.
Its motto, 'True to our beloved God we stay.'
War's end, dusk of last decade under cloud's cover
would be pride and pain greatest to lifelong lover;
fiercest and most wicked was the very last foe,
The Serpent King blithely cast gods and angels low;
most prized the triumph or most abject the defeat,
in driving rain the greatest challenge he would meet.
Family crest of roses and red bird of prey.
Its motto, 'True to our beloved God we stay'.
Unclean was the battle and untold was its cost,
lives of men and monsters were sacrificed, not lost;
The Ancient Hero stood and faced The Serpent King,
final bloody battle he knew would bring death's sting;
perished with his bane, war's demons and gods destroyed,
mightiest foe with him he took into the void.
Family crest of roses and red bird of prey.
Its motto, 'True to our beloved God we stay'.
A collaboration with Lawrence Sharp
9th November 2018
On entering this contest I have to admit
The fame it will bring me when I push "submit"
Is all that I'm after - my name in bright lights
The kind of attention I earned with my writes.
I used to get noticed for walking in late
To school, then to jobs, and even for dates
My family picked up on my one loud defect
And thought they could fix me - no disrespect.
They told me that dinner would be served at five
When seven was really the time to arrive
Two hours they gave me to help cure the curse
But of course I found out and the problem got worse.
Right now I'm supposed to be cleaning my room
Instead, I am writing, ignoring the broom
My shrink says that tardiness is a cry for attention
I'll clean my room later for an honorable mention.
You are King of the Hill!
A full eight years done with teachers in a private school!
You are not foul-mouthed nor spoiled.
Everyone you meet, thinks the world of you, nobody recoils!
You are not going to an ordinary high school,
Where you have to apologize for being white nor step down
academically, too.
Nor will you study the destruction
of the American flag or be taught new, faux, history.
Nor is your sex a mystery, you know you are, a boy, to which I
I am ever grateful, there is no mystery!
An immense star in Little League you proved to be!
Not only for the a ball you throw at 80 miles per hour, we see.
But your amicability and friendships with many,as welcome as
fresh, Spring flowers be.
You will be no moron, Grandson, in a nutty high school.
But one of the best and brightest!
Why?
You only honor and play by God's rules.
The Bible, being your life's tool!
I miss that little boy I once held in my arms.
That's the blessing of being a Nana, who still feels your warmth..
The most blessed~experiencing her grandsons's Linfinite charms.
With all my respect and love, dearest Edward!
Nana Pangie
~Thank you for coming into my life~
A contest note- an honorable mention
It's nice to see...it received attention
Third or second or even last place
Remember- writing poetry...is not a race
Writing words from within your heart
To me, will always...top the chart
No matter what a judge might judge
It's not a race...don't hold a grudge
I've judged myself- so hard to do
I'll always, ever...appreciate you
It's just my mood, perhaps, that night
I don't always get it right
Right? ...right!
So, go ahead and write
Don't think your poetry does not belong
Perhaps, a judge just judged it wrong
My dad is a man
who is always there,
He wipes away my tears
and shows me he cares.
He is a man who
has about the biggest heart,
And an undying love
for those dear to his heart.
He says "what a Kawinkie dink"
to make me smile,
His smile shines farther
than a mile.
He has a special
place in my heart,
A place that no storm
could ever tear apart.
i love you with eye's that you cannot see
with lips that cannot speek it's hearts desire
with a poem that i dare not write
and a song that i cannot sing
i love you with hands that do not touch
a voice that will not tell how much
a presence so unworthy
and yet it seems it is for you i live
day and night i keep you in sight
for you are in my minds eye
and your beauty it requites
all the loyalty of my time
but by your mate is where you belong
you with me is something wrong
an oath to them has been sworn
yet to me , you are my adorn
They say my duty is to protect the lands
Defend it! Even with your bare hands
I train so hard in the sun and rain
To become stronger, something to gain
Task after task it gets tougher
My heart and skin become rougher
Learning how to become a predator
I was chosen for this, not just a visitor
Aim for your target's heart
Kill him, find another one, restart
Gradually, I lose all emotion
Combat is my only devotion
Suddenly terrors outbreak
Our country is at stake
What are we going to do?
Start a war, come soldier, you!
Surely, the fight begins
But who are the villains?
I didn't have time to think
These dots to link
I was at war
Fighting like a wild boar
Killing as many enemies as I can
This terror, I will surely ban
An enemy tries to run
I kill him just for fun
Wait! Am I enjoying this?
What is this unholy bliss?
Feeling delight by making others suffer
What is it that I offer?
Wasn't it peace and tranquility?
How come I'm committing infidelity?
I look around, the seeds of hell
Have all come out of their shell
Pointless murdering
Me and my fleet are shouldering
Countless cases of rape
Committed by the heroes wearing the cape
The land we were supposed to protect
With corruption, it, We did infect
Following orders from above
All our humanity we had to shove
Why didn't we ask first?
Why, for blood, did we thirst?
The enemy I killed was just a kid
Going back to a place where he hid
To the world, I'm a hero
Personally, I'm just a zero
My humanity is back
Taking me to the right track
But I'm chained to my regret
A shame that I can't neglect
Although, I did quit the war
It’s not enough to pay back the score
I got a soul, yet I'm just a boulder
I am the honorable soldier
When just a child the poet's mom said "Son
Throughout your life beware the sin of pride
Remember this when every day is done
What counts the most is who you are inside"
At first he thought his mother's words unfair
For recognition surely has its place
In time he witnessed prideful thoughts can flare
When undue adulation supplants grace
The poet took to heart his mother's words
Too many accolades can turn your head
Vainglory flits away on wings of birds
What's left is mostly emptiness and dread
Life immersed in modest exhibition
Satisfied with honorable mention
DR. SHUSH'S POETRY CONTEST
This contest isn’t as easy as it looks
The topic is Dr. Shush, his life and books
Send in your un-rhymed senryu
Or enter your well-rhymed haiku
The judges won’t mind
Not that they are really kind or tough
Good rhythm is hard to find
And they never read your stuff
So let’s keep all this hush
Unless you ride a different train
(But in honor of the lively Dr. Shush –
We’d allow frenemies to submit Quatrain)
Next month we will compete with sonnets
The deadline, if I may say, is yesterday
Now, don’t get bees in your bonnets
For it’s not quite April Fool’s Day
Before I go (but not really go away)
May I run this by you, “Parrot Or Pet Poetry”?
For a zinger combo contest, Pet Poems for the next St. Shush’s Day:
Submit Pet Parrot or Pat Parrot, Pat Poetry or Pet Poetry
Tree Parrot or Free Parrot, Parrot Free and Poet Free
Any tree, really – so long as it’s free (ra ra ra! FREE EVERY TREE!)
Poet Tree and Parrotry, or Free Poetry and Tree Poetry;
Last but not least, submit Tree Pets, Three Pats, or Tree Pats and Three Pets
(Just to cover loopholes: allow Parrot pats, Poet Parrots, but no parrot pots)
Poets’ pets, or Poets’ pats, along with Pat Poets and Poet Pets are a hoot –
Petty Poets, Pet potty, plus Pet Pats and Pat Pets. I’m done – Don’t shoot!)
H A P P Y A P R I L F O O L’ S E V E
© Anil Deo 20170331
Honorable mention, a clever invention
To stifle "not good enough"s blow
An ego, conceited, though truly defeated
"So I am the champion?!" NO
It is never one’s intention
Earning “honorable mention”
When you’re entered in a contest or a race.
Yes, you’ve gotten some attention
So that listing, by extension,
Means approval that you really should embrace.
Still, it’s not exactly winning
And it will not leave you grinning
For it feels more like a pat upon the head,
‘Cause you know at the beginning
All your hopes were proudly pinning
On that very first or second place instead.
Since most judgment is subjective
You must know that one’s perspective
May not match or be divergent from your own,
So it’s best to be reflective
Which is rather more effective
Than reacting like you’ve just been tossed a bone.
for Jerry T. Curtis' Contest Contest
Throw away the thoughts that make
you sad, they will not exist if you leave
them behind, don't think of things
that will stop the light from shining
brighter.
Imagine how long it takes to hollow out a
log to make a vase out of bamboo shoots
in a corner of a dark cold room, surely
not worth the effort of making something
looking beautiful from the heart, but
the beauty of the effort is worth the beauty
that appears within.
Food for thought is food for the imagination
creator of majestic impossibilities possible
little bits of light to shine up a lonely spot
hiding away in your heart.
In case you stumble down the cliff of
memories you should have dismissed
many years back, now leave those
memories, the cliff is being worn down
by the waters of time.
It will now be perfect to give everything
and every one an honorable discharge
on command.
(Move on!)
Let's always be a winner!
Thinking of You Lyrics By Speaks Volumes
rewards
recompense,
await your best-
within literature's
harvest