Best Indications Poems
AFFLICTION?
It is said of young physicians when they first set out to learn
All the symptoms and conditions that known illnesses convey
They perceive these indications each one causing more concern
‘Til they make the diagnosis to their shock and their dismay
They arrive at the conviction
They themselves have the affliction
Now when learned academics write a thesis that proclaims
All white people are infected with a racism endemic
Filled with symptom and with signs supporting dogma that defames
Fragile folk are then persuaded by this plausible polemic
And arrive at the conviction
We’re all guilty of affliction
What could be more direful to survival of this blessed sphere
Than wild nature, once benign, by human feckless acts betrayed!
“See the wild fires, melting icebergs and the hurricanes!”- we hear
Computer forecasts yet sole factors we can truly call ‘man made’
Should we therefore have conviction
Of a terminal affliction?
Data now in a profusion never seen before these times
Flood our eyes and ears and minds in ‘monu-mental’ mind-bate range
Those with focussed strong agenda choose a menu that defines
And steers us, if undiscerning and from reason then estranged
To unquestioning conviction
THAT in truth would be affliction
Open your eyes
What’s the world to be
All indications
Points to misery
Pain and heartache
Destruction of atmosphere
All for money
One day man would sell you air
Open your mind
This system cannot work
No well intended leader
Can rule to save our souls
If we’re not together
Choosing to live in peace
Adhere to justice
A World of Unity
Then it’s obvious
Stars be our only hope
We’ll be space gypsies
Who once lived on the Earth
Space Gypsies
The search will be our home
Folks avoid that spooky place 'specially on dark and stormy nights!
Heard are eerie moans and shrieks and seen are mysterious lights!
A driftin' hoss thief by the unlikely name of One-Eyed Buck LaHore,
Was strung up on the 'hangin' tree' way back in '72, accordin' to local lore!
Now, ol' Jedge Stern, renowned as the 'hangin' jedge' in them there parts,
Owned the hoss that Buck stole, showin' no respect and lack of smarts!
Buck vanished in the night a-high-tailin' it fer the Mexican border,
Trailed by a posse to bring 'im back dead er alive upon the jedge's order!
He was found carousin' in an El Paso cantina havin' a grand ol' spree!
The sheriff said, "Son, come with me! You've got a date with the 'hangin' tree'!"
There was little Buck could do with a dozen forty-fours starin' 'im in the face!
"Boys, you got me! Don't make a scene! Let's git outta this here place!"
Hauled before the jedge, Buck admitted he'd been a hell-raiser all his life.
"But, jedge" he pled, "I didn't cause no harm like molestin' a feller's wife!"
Judge Stern saw things diff'runt 'specially since 'twas his hoss he stole!
"Son, you're to be strung up on a tree and may God save yer rotten soul!"
To this very day on moonlit nights Buck can be seen swingin' in the breeze,
Clawin' at the noose about his neck yellin', "Jedge, have mercy on me please!"
That stern ol' jedge has shown no mercy as is evident from all indications.
Alas, the ghost of that wily thief will haunt local folks for many generations!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
The wave-
Crushing dreams
Swallowing hopes
The storm-
Influencing pain
Sleeting fear
The wind-
Rushing anger
Twisting fate
The calm-
Momentary silence
Vision of light
The rainbow-
Indications of ease
Glimpses of ardor…
Written: July 18, 2025, for contest Sponsored by: Tom Woody
Walking around the edge of a massive crater that seemed to beckon her with all sorts of bizarre things, Alice—now an adult but still not quite—felt a strong pull. She still had an insatiable need to travel, even if it had been a long time since she had done things such as dancing with white rabbits or drinking morning tea. She discovered a mirror encircled by shimmering stardust while searching the enigmatic Moonrock for indications of madness.
The mirror flickered and changed, as a beauteous glass serpent, opening doors to wormholes from another galaxy. She touched its surface with her fingertips, but they went right through it like it was liquid light. The aromas of cardamom oil and starlight were so powerful that they flooded her whole body. It was an amalgam that savored such as the core of time. Her body parts swayed and twirled bizarrely, as she was in an intense nightmare. The nebulae above laughed with joy as they opened up. Comets spun around a celestial chessboard, making a symphony of clicks that echoed through the universe.
Alice traveled through planets ruled by quantum queens. Their eyes were as deep as black holes, and their lips formed the language of math. A drink infused with the essence of auburn was handed to her, while another crafted melody defied convention and pushed boundaries. The atmosphere in the room was warm and inviting, reminiscent of an expanded Wonderland, now adorned with an enchanting layer of twinkling stars.
She met a dark matter cat along the way. Its smile had the power to break apart galaxies. "Tell me," Alice asked as she drank the delicious essence of entropy, "is this a memory or a wonder?"
The cat looked back with knowing eyes and said, "Both." We never truly depart; we only shift.
spacetime came apart
curiosity sewed string~
mirrors still call out
All Actions Have Consequences
I make things only to destroy them
To build them up again
Repeat the action
A point in one direction, like a mirror, points back at you
To that end
A reflection on what once was
Looking up
Indications are
The swirl of stars
Other unknowns
Out there
In larger part
At their own peril
At your command
In degrees, objects form
Not just stories
By now
It must be time
To make something work
Perhaps this is the moment
Or something like it
To start again
With permanency
I make things only to destroy them
To build them up again
To what end
Maybe in another lifetime
There will be no classifications or
generalizations, nor discriminations.
Stereotypical consultations of
people with no limitations of racial
inclinations.
Shall external images forever
dominate?
With eliminating of faces who do
not pass on rankings.
God-forsaken souls trapped in
bodies with boundaries.
Bodies trapped in bordered
countries.
Why all these restrictions and secret
encriptions leading our lives as
fiction?
Will money forever define our
positions?
Situations now rely on taxation and
all other government operations.
Water, housing and education are
more complications.
Should politicians and officials be
making such conditions?
When will crime come to a stop?
As society live with their own
possessions fearsomely and
indelinquents carry on fiercely.
Fraudulent activities continue and
surprisingly the "supposed-to-be-
behind-bars" live freely.
How do the innocent live as
prisoners and criminals feel a full
force of Uhuru?
Perhaps in another lifetime will
there be no indications of such
implications.
Money, appearance and crime will
be nothing more than a waste of
time.
But not in this life, maybe in
another life time!
I love this woodland of togetherness, where the branches reach out, entwine
pull and lull me in. Where the sunlight bisects the canopy, falling in shards of
love, kissing each leaf in its effortless fall. The absorbent floor soaks of moss,
lichen and fern in a peace far from the chainsaw of reality. Indications of life
surround in a cloak of serenity, the bark of deer, the scampering of
cottontails, the gruff grunting of wild boar not always seen but their presence
felt in eerie shadows. I walk the glitters and glistens of cobweb lace, take the
quiet in eager gulps awash in the grace of growth. The watching eye of wise Owl
looks as if to say you lucky bastard, blinks and could not give a hoot. I parade
in happiness and content dismissal of the inane world outside natures blanket,
for I have seen the effects of of the two legged beast with his devouring heart,
full of greed and broken promises. No this is the pace I wish to bear, carry for
the rest of my natural days, where the seeds are scattered idyllic by a soft and
gentle hand. I will tread silently this woodland created by time and tranquillity
and try to avoid the guilt of disturbance.
Principal Participal Indications
Show No Especial Ingredient,
Relevant To Greatness.
On a night like this I scratch my head and try to type
It's hard and dark and my resources are running dry
But still my fingers dance to the rhythm inside my mind
I tap my feet against the hard floor
Searching hard with a mental flashlight of some kind
For letters, numbers, verbs and nouns that rhyme
And I hope like a river thoughts will begin to flow
Ideas coming with rage like rapids, it's a race and a waterfall
People from record labels dancing through my audition
Will throw their hands in the air in jubilation
Signing me up, rendering redundant the adjudication
I'll never be caught with my hands up, giving up
I am making the proverbial stitch in time to save nine
So hang tight in your place of comfort and watch me rise
I'll have to admit it's never easy
Competition is serious but I'm reaching for Sirius
Or other such dizzy heights in my effort to touch the sky
Night after night I've had dreams in which I was flying
Defying the odds stacked up against me and rising
Only to wake up with legs like lead, I swear, sometimes
I'm convinced my knees are made of jelly, refusing
To carry the day and take me to the place beyond the pines
Take it easy Mister Mister, because easy does it
I have this problem always with my audience
The critical mass who think I'm such a mess
Can't ever drop a lyric without someone catching feelings
But I say go ahead, negative words
Are not about to stop me from getting ahead
In the end you'll see the error of your ways and repent
Harsh words I guess, but better say it than live with regrets
I'm calling for a break, recess to sit back and regurgitate
If you thought my stars were not aligned, let this be a sign
I'm smiling in spite of all the strings of sighs
And all the indications of outrageous fortune left in my wake
It's not the past that matters but what lies ahead
So I'm looking straight ahead painting pictures in words
Fascinated with butterflies, he is charmed by these creatures' freedom-flight. My child, secured in his wheelchair delightfully grips yellow crayon. Along creativity challenge, he pursues artwork schedule while struggling against spastic restlessness... Soon with glee-filled countenance, championing his thumbs-up trademark devoid of bashful gesture he shows me his masterpiece: a glowing butterfly radiant in yellow he has painstakingly colored…
Witnessing his gracious achievement of gradual milestones, I'm thankful for God-wrought* remarkable changes, notable indications that he is “educable.” Why so? He was diagnosed to “progress toward retrogression” by his pediatrician more than a decade ago... (We then learned that she left earth, but that was another story.)
Yes, I’m beholding actual metamorphosis toward joyous fulfillment. With faith in the Sovereign’s miracle, I envision my boy in his functional zest like a butterfly that has surmounted infantile epilepsy --- now becoming triumphant over “global developmental delay.”
*Psalm 92:4 For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
July 3, 2020
Edited on October 2, 2022
2nd place, "Chapter 1" Narrative Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Matt Caliri; judged on 11/1/2022.
Off the case! Why am I off the Red Light case?
Not that Rodney, this Shadow killer case.
I am letting homicide head that one up, It's not Vice,
Captain, when a prostitute is attacked and her pimp gets
whacked, No pun intended, that makes id Vice doesn't it?
" Rodney, just what do you know about this case?
Captain, from the evidence I've seen, what we have here
is from all indications, a modern day Samuari Shogun
with a very sharp sword called a Katana. This person knows
how to use it, and so far only on bad guys who like hurtin
women. So far only at night, comes in quiet takes care of
business and goes out quiet very quiet and virtually unseen.
Anyway you slice it, their dead and bloody
" Just what in the name of Judas is a Samuari
Shogun person you are talking about Rodney"?
Well Cap'n a Samuari Shogun is from Japan, old Japan
Dresses all in black, with only the eyes visible and carries
a single edged sword. At night would appear to be a shadow
" How do you know all this Rodney"? Well I spoke to
the M.E. after he was done with the stiff and we looked
it up you know kinda like doin my job. Police work and all
Besides Cap'n, Homicide is short a couple of guys
and what they have left are well sort of green
they have only been here in homicide a couple years
Face it Cap'n they could use the help and we both know it,
I already got a leg or two up on this case anyway, ya know
" Rodney, I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll have a talk with
the Chief of Homicide and put in a word for you"
If he is ok with it, I'll let you go homicide on temporary
assignment, only temporary got it? we'll go from there"
Thanks Cap'n, can I go now I'm kinda bushed?
been up all night and all," Sure Rodney come in
in the morning and we'll see what homicide says
Brick went to his locker and put his things inside
everything but his weapon's and his shield.
Brick always carried a stow away on his right leg
After that Brick went to his desk to make sure
that his report was all in order so he could turn
it in, by this time it was one in the afternoon
Brick was ready to go home for some needed rest
as he walked out the front door he headed for the
subway, Brick didn't see the eyes watching him.
" Shogun"
It’s only ever games with you
each time we meet, more matches
and all I have to show for them
are these bandages and scratches.
Indications of the damage done
but only if you’re looking closely,
can you see just how far they spread?
Cuz I keep them hidden mostly.
Is it shame for what I have let you do?
Or fear that I am beginning to like
everything that you are doing
Each time you make a strike.
At night I batter myself for this show
that I am letting us put on each day
it’s all a dangerous game to partake in,
one misstep to ruin this harrowing ballet.
For I have broken all of these bones before
and still played all throughout the nights.
So now every time you toss me up I recall
how you forced me to my fear of heights,
for so easy is the fall back down
that even you can be caught unprepared.
So when I am free falling back to the ground
you find that you are likewise impaired
and I’ll leave with another cut, another bandage
another scar, one more broken bone or bruise
and I’ll ask those questions that have no answer,
repeat the words that are tired from how you abuse.
And I know that all of this is just another game,
but still I partake in our ballet. I take my place,
I re-tie the bandages and hide the scars,
I’ll get over my fear of those heights; embrace
the space between the stars and earth that
welcomes me when I come to visit where
no mortals may tread for long out of fear
that the descent will be filled with despair.
1/2/2017
Amazing to create so many creations
Dedicate more dedication
Elevate and reach elevation
Don't hesitate and have hesitations
Focus, meditate and become in a state of meditation
You actually might or might not need to medicate daily with medication
You could speculate and continue having speculations
Or investigate and have an investigation
Instead of trying to complicate any complications
Realize not all will appreciate and show appreciation
Running out of time, then think harder and accelerate with more acceleration
Areas that have a higher rate to precipitate into more precipitation
Try to relate with your close relations
And consider having more consideration
What a shame that some enjoy to discriminate and display discrimination
Not all affiliate with the same affiliations
Since way back when many things would indicate this with different indications
Even to this very day it's been difficult to translate all the translations
Eventually anything expires and has an expiration
In many ways you can illustrate the intended illustration
As objects deteriorate in a state of more deterioration
By: Dalton Ogletree
When danger comes,
Mind feels fear,
And sends attention to the nerves,
To protect a body.
This is natural process,
Internal nature gets this message,
From external nature,
And provides indications for safety.
A person can’t do so fast,
As mind does it for a life.
You can blame me or I can blame you,
Nature also blames a person.
When he does wrong.
Nature gave a punishment,
To its power controlling body,
A person is safe, until he co-operates nature,
He falls ill when he obeys natural system.
What a nature can do,
Rain, earthquake, cyclones, tsunamis,
Tornado is the anger of nature,
Nature delivers when a man refuses him.
Who protects him on the Earth?