Best House Guest Poems
OLD HOUSE
built in 1905
before i was born
i wonder
what were the owners like?
shadows are quick to reply
some nights
as i watch the tube
quick shadows tell
i am not the owner
am but a house guest an intruder
winter wearies
with the same old view
out my kitchen window
how many others before
how winter weary?
Dave Austi
Categories:
house guest, mystery,
Form:
Tanka
There he sat trembling, cowering in fright,
Twilight's pall submerging shadowy form;
His green eyes distinctive, piercing the night,
Body arching with each drop of the storm.
My wife signaled me: "Let's help keep him warm."
She scooped him up, took him to our small dorm.
Cats like to drink milk; he lapped up his bowl.
Contentedly purring, stretching out s-l-o-w,
The milk and the warmth restoring his soul.
Smiling peacefully, our hearts aglow,
We turned in for the evening, lights down low---
Our house guest all snuggly, from head to toe.
Came the morn, bad news perched at our front door,
The cat had vanished, no trace anywhere;
Left us there crying, heartsick and heartsore.
My wife looked at me: "It's too much to bear!"
She fell to her knees, voice soft and so fair:
"If it's all meant to be, why should I care?"
Then as we gave up our last ounce of hope,
In pranced the cat with a mate: He'd eloped!
February 16, 2018
Categories:
house guest, cat, hope, loss, urban,
Form:
Sonnet
My sisters were coming for a visit for the very first time,
Heading to New Hampshire, leaving the Georgia heat behind.
Our friend Charlie was a house guest before they arrived.
My husband, Charlie, and I all hatched a plan brilliantly contrived.
We decided to impress my lovely sisters, and hired a limousine,
To greet them with champagne, and treat them like queens!
The surprise was going as planned as we met them at the gate.
Barbara and Lisa were unaware of the limo that did await.
However, the surprise was on us as we got to the limousine.
The hood was up, and it was the saddest sight we had ever seen.
My sister Barbara said, “Those poor people are broken down.”
We were chagrined, and could have crawled in the first hole around.
We had to admit that limo was our broken-down ride.
Their hysterical laughter then eased our bruised pride.
My eighty-year-old father-in-law gave instructions to the driver,
While we were hoping the chauffeur was another MacGyver.
Eventually we were in luck, and we were homeward bound.
We broke out the champagne, and the laughter was profound.
The driver is the one that made out like a bandit.
My husband, Charlie, and father-in-law all tipped him in private.
6/6/17
Categories:
house guest, family, funny, humorous, sister,
Form:
Narrative
it starts underneath a small table
near the entrance to a motel lobby
and grows with great speed and sprite
quieting the house-guest at the counter
as it flows - muted down the hallway
glass doors opened with dampened yawn
and it streams across the parking lot
as sedans and pickups suppress
carbon-laden coughs to sit sedately as
breezily it blows stilly past the
man mowing his lawn, now silent
to a Parish church down a block
with its burked* spire bells
silently it presses over covered acres
of rural pasture and time-laden wood
a great enlargement of un-din
no bovine low, or snap of twig
creeking waters without gurgle
flowing past, and around, and over
people, individually and whole crowds
without even a whisper of apprisal
covering vast space at un-supersonic speed
oceans without roll or roil of waves
still, it moves on over island and isthmus
continents languishing on quiet molten
their ridges and troughs without groan
as the entirety of sphere becomes hush
no noise, no sound around, surrounded
without the slightest sound instilled
in ear, in mind, in thought - in me
in my own near-deafness, I wonder
is it to be peaceful, tranquil, or
silence too vast without coo or cry?
© Goode Guy 2013-03-17
* http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/burke #2
Categories:
house guest, change, imagination, introspection, senses,
Form:
Narrative
I wear blinders of my own ignorant
Creation I stumble aimlessly albeit
Backwards into a pile heaped with
The stench of her own devilish lust
To feast upon my immortal weaknesses
I am but a moth still wrapped in a cocoon
Of my immorality drawn to the chalky
Silhouette of her naked flame sacrificed
Before her twin idols those mounds of
Tasteless rosy flesh I pray to daily an
Ancient Goddess between her thighs
She grants all desires with guilt ridden
Ecstasy while I languish her honour
With songs of praise in my own foreign
Tongue or she has me use my hands and
I build her wet sand castles my words
Leap from the lips of her tower wrapped
In a grey blanket of frozen mist my angel
Wings flap uselessly feathers have withered
Away into nothing but bony scars and they
Litter my descent into rainbow coloured
Oblivion bad dreams of butterflies and they
Gorge themselves of my soul death is a
Welcomed house guest my new exciting
Lover and I lust for her body each moment
She does not let me come into her presence
An emotional abortion of our love child before
I sire death’s bastard I shall hang myself from
The threads of the lover she does not want
Me to become the man of her dreams is
A faceless jester me in the court of a
King a Queen mine she is not
Categories:
house guest, lost loveme, lust, me,
Form:
I used to have a house guest
And he never helps me get
Things arranged, didn't clean
Up behind his mess
of hopelessness, depressions, variances and stifles
Live before up on a shelf
Didn't care about others nor anyone else
Didn't have a previous address
Life in shambles what a mess
Was homeless until I found him
Didn't' contribute but I forgave him
No positive things abut him but he's one of God's children
so I had to evict him
Cause all he did was noting positive
Everything was negative
He did nothing to contribute but
Bring him and me down so he thought
He had to go
Depression doesn't live here anymore
He had to go
Depression left and he didn't close the door
I am not sad now, I am glad wow
And the pains of sorrow are left outside
I'm a better person now that I've kicked him to the curb
Depression doesn't live here anymore
Hurt, loss non compassion is out the door
Depression doesn't live here anymore
Git your sad sack non glad rags git'em packed and go on out the door
Hurts, pains poverty skeleton remains none of that lives here anymore
Wrath, strive, confused life none of that lives here anymore
Depression, obsessions, confusion, rebellion none of that lives here anymore
I kicked them all to the curb and gave them a map to the door
I said get out, get out, get out, stay out in Jesus name none of them lives here anymore
No amount of monies, no honey or cute little baby bunnies
Can let me house you as guest here anymore
I kicked them all to the curb and gave them a map to the door
I said get out , get out get out, stay out in Jesus name
None of them live here anymore
Life in shambles what a mess
Was homeless until I found him
Didn't' contribute but I forgave him
No positive things abut him but he's one of God's children
so I had to evict him
Cause all he did was noting positive
Everything was negative
He did nothing to contribute but
Bring him and me down so he thought
He had to go
Depression doesn't live here anymore
written by James Edward Lee Sr.
from anthology " Open Up Your Heart" & "Strong Faith"
04/12/2011
Categories:
house guest, adventure, analogy, bereavement, blue,
Form:
Lyric
The House Guest
You found yourself in a bind
and ask me if I would mind
You say you need a place to stay
it would only be for one day
The day turned into nights
the nights turned into days
Your entire family is here
and drama is all that I hear
No room left for my thoughts
my stomaches tied up in knots
Kids screaming they want fed
and you never put them to bed
You show up with your brood
didn't even bring your own food
I run out to the store
but you want even more
Fighting you are up until dawn
oh how you carry on and on
No offer has yet been made
I am the only one who has paid
Before it was just me
now it's me and you times three
The place is such a mess
I don't need this distress
Expenses explode once more times four
Let me show you to the door
Dysfunctional you are with your spouse
Just get your family out of my house
Categories:
house guest, anger, break up, character,
Form:
It’s not really there
So I’ve decided I’m
Giving up hope
Cold turkey
All it does is yield disappointment
An unwelcome house guest
Something is always wrong
There is always something to hope for
And hope- it serves up so much at one time
It gies you dreams all full of holes
Hopes are like empty promises
Mirages and artificial energy
It’s not really there
It’s not lasting
And it’s not worth having
But we all want it anyway
It’s the ultimate high
The sublime, irrational escape.
Categories:
house guest, introspection, sad,
Form:
The poor little boy who cries in the night
His stomach is giving him pain
I wish I could make him all better right now
But now my stomach’s feeling the same.
A bug, it has entered into my home
And seems to have hit us all hard
Oh, I can’t wait until we’re all better
Because we can’t even leave our own yard
Staying close to the house is what we do now
Running…oh, yes, that is what we do
This stomach bug’s got its claws in us
And is making us sit here and stew
The image, I know, it isn’t that pretty
Nor is it happy or pleasant at all
But I’m only sharing so you’ll lock your door
When that bug comes to your house to call.
Watch what you eat and watch what you drink
Don’t step outside not properly dressed
Or you’ll get this bug like the rest of us
And be your own worst house guest.
Take my word, please, oh friend of mine,
Six of us are sick all at once
With only one bathroom in this whole house
Being sick just isn’t that fun.
Categories:
house guest, family, funny, health, house,
Form:
Quatrain
Startled by a rap on the door scurrying to open it
and discover who this uninvited guest might be
I peer out on the skyward live oak gracefully bowing
then rising; branch lying on the front porch,
floating autumn leaves...no one
Out back, bewildered yet impressed by
toasty puffed marshmallow clouds high in a race westward
as if shouting “Your guest is my friend!”
I turned and beheld the disheveled mess this stranger had made
and as I shut the doors my house guest was gone.
Categories:
house guest, imagination, mystery, nature, autumn,
Form:
You’re never more than six feet from a spider,
And this includes your car, beneath your seat.
Though you may find him an unwelcome rider,
It’s likely because there is stuff to eat.
They’re normally an easy-going house guest,
Though widows and recluses cause much harm.
My intellect says leaving them is best;
My spidey-sense still triggers the alarm.
I think it’s ‘cuz they seem so other-worldly,
Like some genetic freak from outer space.
I always feel like I’m being invaded
When they are scurrying about the place.
And if, upon your face, at night they crawl,
Then strip the bed and set fire to it all.
Categories:
house guest, scary,
Form:
Sonnet
Your set to get married,
No cold feet or regrets,
A house guest shows up,
Wishing you nothing but the best,
A kiss on the cheek,
A conratulations is in order,
But they want to play,
With you prior to anything before,
She goes upstairs,
Waiting for your arrival,
You forget in the car,
Your only protection,
As you walk outside,
You debate if you should,
You put it in your pocket,
Thinking "Lets just do it",
As you get inside,
A round of applause for you,
It's wifes family,
Saying "Thats what a real man would do",
He's surprised,
Yet glad he didn't do it,
Of course playing it safe,
Is always a good saying,
Thankful it was put in his pocket,
So nobody else saw,
But it could have been him out the door,
Because he was not thinking of playing it safe at all....
Categories:
house guest, betrayal, crazy,
Form:
ABC
What are you looking for?
I ask my house guest.
I’m not snooping, she replies, after jumping a foot.
What do you think you’ll find?
I ask her, as she cleans out my silverware drawer.
“I dropped a cup of coffee in here,” she informs me.
“I’m not cleaning.”
Today, as I sort through a junk drawer full of spoons, renegade Tupperware lids,
Gum, pencils, jewelry, rulers, tools, and discover a petrified piece of toast,
I ask myself
Couldn’t you have let your mother
stay a little longer last time?
Categories:
house guest, feelings, funny, humor, introspection,
Form:
Free verse
Taxied to the terminal. The fare paid,
vagrants begged for alms, some too drunk to care.
Shrunken faces, weather beaten, they played
a sad tune of which I was unaware.
Some had the means, even possessed the fare
to transport them to towns with better care.
I passed the huddled poor, stepped on the bus,
took my seat at a window facing west.
Soon, the highway’s open arms greeted us.
No longer stranger, a solemn house guest.
Believing the ride would force me to test
my endurance, I slept. I’m not a pest.
Vegas came, sponged every cent from my purse.
Should have listened to the driver. He knew
how slots are rigged; still, could’ve been much worse.
Could’ve sold my soul since winners are few.
Back on the bus, we zipped through burgs so new
to me, I ticked them off my map on cue.
Three days passed. Felt like a tree that was felled.
Then I saw my love. So nice to be held.
Urban Sonnet poetry contest: 5/17/19 by Emile Pinet
Categories:
house guest, adventure, america, city, journey,
Form:
Sonnet
For breakfast I had warmed up barbeque pork.
With a left over roll and honey butter.
Did I mention I also had baked beans
And a scrumptious sweet potato slathered with syrup?
It was one of my finest meals
It had been great last night.
This morning it was even better.
How is yours? I asked my house guest.
She was eating her left over prime rib,
Warmed up broccoli and baked potato
All from the same restaurant.
What are you eating? My husband asked.
I thought we were having that for lunch!
Guess he thought wrong.
Categories:
house guest, food,
Form:
Free verse