Best Jam Poems
The Faded Garden Swing
If the flaked paint on the old swing
could speak, it would tell stories of
days long ago,
Of children's laughter and their bare,
muddy feet,
Of fireflies caught and imprisoned in
empty jam jars,
Like the fireflies, my memory flickers,
trying to recall who lived across the
street.
The faded swing’s rusty chains creaked
loudly under my weight, an old familiar
song,
And the scent in the air from the aged
honeysuckle, still going strong,
An old familiar perfume of yesteryear,
At this moment, suspended between
the then and now, time stands still.
Once the echoes of children’s giggles,
now a silent yard,
Images of scraped knees, loud cries
and a lemonade stall,
In the distance, the sound of an old
church bell rings,
Here, on this faded garden swing,
I sit in the past with the weight of
what was and of what can never be
again.
Now, shadows linger in silence,
Where children once soared with
dreams,
Oh, faded swing, a keeper of stories
of joy and pain,
You hold the essence where memories
remain,
At last, I am home, in the place where
time stands still.
The sound of thick bubbling,
with the smell of fresh blackberries.
The stains upon our fingers and clothes,
all part of my homemade jam memories.
Growing wild along the roads,
the brambles tall and thick.
Pails and buckets overflowing,
eating our fill as we would pick.
The kitchen, busy as a beehive,
those tasty berries getting mashed.
The "Women" all worked together,
young or old, we each had our tasks.
Four generations, making jam.
"Puttin' back" as it was called.
I still remember the stories told
and the laughter from us all.
Not just a smile does it bring,
a calmness pours soft over me.
A giggle will well up time to time,
at my homemade jam memories.
For the contest: Sounds and Smells
Hosted by: Frank Herrera
Placement: Honorable Mention
I’m stuck in traffic
Crawling like a slimy slug
Why call it rush hour?
4th April 2015
Quote used "I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.”
Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham
My mum says I’ve got to eat all my greens
They’ll help me grow strong, guess l know what she means
But why green eggs and ham, I just want to eat jam
For I like to eat jam whenever I can
Jam on potatoes, oh that’s simply delish
I spoon it on carrots and it covers my fish
I eat jam for breakfast and always on dinner
Mum says I’ll get fat and I need to be thinner
Why does mum always think that she’s right
I need to eat jam morning, noon and night!
Every night time I kneel by my bed and pray
I thank God for letting me eat jam every day
But why won’t he listen for he knows I don’t like greens
I’d put them in firework and blow them to smithereens
Sadly mum disagrees and still gives me green food
It makes me all grumpy and puts me in a mood
But I eat them all up as I don’t want to fight
I still tell mum I love her every single night
Jan Allison
7th August 2015
Contest – Dr Seuss Quote Prompt
Sponsor Casarah Nance
Wandering the virtual
green fields of home,
I open the farmyard gate
fall into a haze of retrospect.
I see a “LMS Black Five” Locomotive
bellowing upon a utilized line,
ghostly sparks tantalizing
the embankment.
Below a paddock ploughed,
sown with scattered seed
to germinate this memory
of that time past.
I stroll the hoary lane
beneath a pale cold eve,
discover soft mist stirring
upon the low moor, in warps
of time, giving in to modernization.
Mile high bracken upon the Beacon
under a clementine moonlight,
in shadows drifting to and fro
like the tide upon the silken sea.
At the old cottage
in Sugar Hill,
I see a cut glass vase, sitting supreme
upon the polished surface
with rose, carnation and dahlias,
near by a collection of love
in all those wonderful bluebells
from Nesfield.
“In the old Jam Jar”
Entered 2022 Poetry Marathon mile 14 contest
Sponsor Mark Toney
13/9/2022
Heckle and Jeckle, jellyroll jam,
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth.
Little kids like to eat green eggs and ham;
So do you – now tell me the truth!
One fish, two fish, red, white and blue fish,
Old glory is waving on high;
A moss-covered, three-handled family cradunza
Might suddenly take to the sky.
Tiddly-winkle little starfish,
In a show starring Bullwinkle Moose;
Rocky the Squirrel shares raspberry jam
With Old Mother Hubbardy Goose.
Goosey Lucy and old Turkey Lurkey
Hiding out in the Wise-acre Wood;
Lambchop takes tea with his jellyroll jam,
While jammin’ with Johnny B. Good.
Humpty Dumpty, coddleston pie,
Three little Pigletty pooh;
Jam up jelly tight hot cross buns,
Magpies eat jellybeans, too.
Roses scented, petals red
Dropped in sugar fast,
Squeeze some lemon make them tough,
Let the syrup boil,
Add the sweet petals.
What a joy
Jam!
Cherries are delish
On top of a Banana Split
Topping on a Sundae center of whipped cream
Straight from the jar a tasty treat
They are so good by the pound
Fresh from the grocer
Get a bowl and bite around the pit
Or made into a jam_lickety split
But all those cherries have their pit
A lot like life
There's lot of good
But always some strife
We learn the best lessons
When we're in the pits
Somewhat like we get bowl of cherries but soon only have pits
But wasn't the good part wonderful
(Thoughts came on this one after remembering the line
"If life is a bowl of cherries, why am I in the pits"..
I think that Erma Bombeck said that but not sure..
Just not my line orginally.)
PEANUT BUTTER MARRIED JAM---
If peanut-butter married, Jam
Would that make them: Marmalade;
And if you were to throw seasoning out on to the dirt;
Would it then be…the SALT OF THE EARTH;
11/7/18
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2018©
tasty
strawberry
sticky sweetness
lovely delicious red
jam
I implore you a race to the top floor
where every other candidate has won.
The stairways and elevator jammed
with all the top placers, second sucks
and third place has passed out on the bottom floor.
(I jest, of course, having judged. My gavel plunged
as deep into the heart as any other. And yet I’ve loved
each read, deeply sipped the wordy tea.)
Traffic Jam Slam
Who dresses them up and puts them in cars
gives them their keys as they leave the bars
these drivers who sit at the red light and grin
preachers out practicing Sunday’s big sin.
Somehow they think we can’t see inside
as they dig in their noses and ogle with pride
something they found that they should probably hide.
She’s putting on make-up, He’s combing his hair
the kids in the back seat wish they weren’t there.
As the light changes they make that left –SLASH
while plucking the last of their graying eyelash.
They’re texting at red lights so they tend to linger
and when you disturb them they give you the finger.
Then there are those who ride on their bikes
who haven’t matured since they fell off their trykes,
riding on sidewalks and running stop signs
dressing in outfits that require fines.
Who leaves the slow people alone on the street
stuck in the crosswalk – rush hour - dead meat.
Now we have turkeys and the Canada Goose
invading the country, just plain running loose
crossing the highways, honking at us
and if you should hit one – oh what a fuss
PETA will come with a camera and crew,
let the whole world get a good look at you.
So put on your make-up and straighten that hair
your fifteen minutes of fame is frighteningly near.
For SKAT A slam the slam contest
John G. Lawless
5/31/2014
There are many different hearts
Hearts in love
A heart that is happy
Hearts that jumps in your chest
A heart that weeps
Broken hearts, we have all heard of
Hearts suffering in pain
Sweet and delicious chocolate hearts
Hearts showing us where the toilet door is
Hearts that are red or pink in our diary
Hearts may look cute and small
Those I like best is the waffle hearts
with strawberry jam on
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22.04.2012
A-L Andresen :)
Copyright © All Rights Reserved
Sitting on the soft cushion seat
Start of turtle movement
The advert on the bus
Is the only catchy appeal
The drumming of the engine
The grunting of the taxi
Dusk getting crisp
Dull glow of the sun
The glance at the sky
With a wish to fly
The buttocks begin to get sore
I see my finger nails
Then back to the next lane
I feel my eyes burn
A long ribbon of taillights flashing
The next lane is fast moving
Taxi driver snoring
The turtle movement
Develops anxiety
Feeling thirsty
Phone rings
Good news
Another party
Feeling oozy
Glazing outside the window
Another turtle movement
Nerves rest - feet asleep
With an effort
Feet wake up
Anxiety rising - start to walk
You're the jam in my jar
And you fill my sugar bowl
Candy kisses from afar
And the sweetness in your soul
You're the apple in my pie
You're the pecan in my tart
You’re the sparkle in my eye
And the pounding in my heart
Oh, you make my day complete
For your loving I would die
You're the one makes me sweet
All the others made me cry
You're my world, have you heard
One and only cherry blossom
Like the sky is to a bird
And the night time to a possum
You're the angel in my morning
Spreads her wings to start my day
You're the devil in my dream
Helps me pass the night away
You're the aim of my adore
You're the eye of my amaze
Couldn't love you anymore
You're the fancy of my craze
You're the one for my affection
You're the picture of perfection
Hand in hand, we'll hit the road
Don't much matter what direction
There'll be so much to explore
And together we'll go far
Gotta get me to your door
And my jam into your jar