Best Jellies Poems
(co-written with Linda-Marie Bariana, "Sweetheart" of Poetry Soup)
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He to She ...
Angelic chocolate candy so divine,
The only kind to send my valentine,
Each one is filled with sensual delight,
Tasty treats, my senses, to ignite.
My valentine is an angel from above,
As beautiful as a snow white dove,
She fits me as a soft warm glove,
And she gives me sweet exotic love.
Angels are known for their classic beauty,
Mine gives me love, not out of duty,
With wings of warmth she is my cutie,
She's always sweet and never snooty.
* * * *** *** ***
She to He ...
You are my specialty confection,
With caramel charms and constant protection,
Loving me with angelic direction,
Memories ever flow reflection.
Chocolate kisses from passion's lips,
Nougat centers and cremes sweet sips,
Nuts and jellies like emotional dips,
Embraces so gentle my heart flips.
Pretty box of chocolates on Valentine's Day,
Gifts of love as the angels play
Their harps, with cords of atmosphere sway,
In love with you I will always stay.
* * * *** *** ***
You are alone on a deserted island that has been filled with overgrown fruit
and bare essentials. The water is so clear you can use it as an honest mirror
of truth. Over in the distance you spot a lovely hammock that has been hung
between two sturdy cypress trees. You decide to walk over and give it a try.(b)
Its soft material hugs you and before you know it, you are fast asleep in that
lovely makeshift hammock. The sound of the ocean rocks your ears in tranquil
motion to and fro. (b)
Passing clouds glide over your head without making a sound. They are watching
you breathe as they go by. Breathe from your diaphragm, your chest, your throat,
Breathe in and out.
You smile cuz you are in a place of inner contentment. A little green turtle trundles
along moving side by side close in , circling your little soft hammock.
She is heading for the ocean for some seaweed, jellies or tunicates. The little rosy
seashells are sitting at the edge. They call you over for a barefoot walk. You smile
as you rise and go to the edge of the water wetting your feet and holding spaced
with the dolphins and the fish (b)
You are going to live here for a little while. Long enough to receive your fitful rest
You are going to stay her for a little while, cuz you know it is the best place to be(b)
The End.
Of blues, woven through green threads of water
Layered into a tapestry of wavy depths
Of swirling flashes of silver darting
Between golden sunlit ribbons
Of jellies floating serenely drifting by
Seemingly without whim or care
Of seagull cry near seashore’s beginning
Froth bringing memories of far away
Of stormy skies tormenting the rising sea
With lightening flashes crashing against the dark
Of wild winds blowing boats like rocks skipping
And lighthouses fortitude in waves furious handshake
Of reefs built of coral houses shrouded in green
amazing in their beauty and diversity
Of the sea all the beauty of the oceans can be found
Of water, earth, sky, air and living creatures
Devotion to the Ocean contest--2nd place
Germ-free Mason jars, hot from the pot of boiling water, gurgling on the cast iron wood stove, stood ready to receive the fruits and vegetables, fresh from the fields and orchards. Lids and sealing rings locked in the freshness. Mama, in her apron skillfully flavored the veggies as she prepared for meals months ahead. The old pressure cooker hissed as it played its part in preserving the bounty of the family farm. Preserves, jams and jellies, sealed in wax, filled the cupboard just waiting for future hot buttered biscuits.
Peeling, dicing, chopping, pickling were all part of the process that brought kin from far away to socialize and join in preserving food for times when the land rested and awaited the start of a new season.
Outside, Sauerkraut (layer of shredded cabbage, layer of salt,) repeated and compressed, awaiting fermentation filled the depth of a Crock on the front porch.
These glimpses of the times that are all but gone will remain with me forever. Life was tough at times but love was the balm that treated the abrasions of near poverty. And the tender touch of those who came for “Canning Days” was felt until the last jar was consumed. God’s bounty awaited, and next year’s promises stood always before us.
Written by: John Posey 10/21/13
Inspired by Canning Colors,
A poem by Donna Jones
The bright sun was scourging hot
Under the blue beach
I craved for sugared dessert
Of cold milk, fruits, beans
Jellies, on top of
My sweet ice
Cream!
Pick & Mix
Oh Frank. W. Woolworths what have you done,
You have taken away all of the fun.
Buying the traditional Pick & Mix,
Was a yearly ritual like the turkey and stuffing mix,
Trying to cram as many as you could
Into the large cardboard tub.
Trying to be canny
and fill every nook and cranny,
Toffees, chocs, jellies, dolly mixtures, shrimps & white mice,
They all tasted really nice.
It only cost £2 99 for the lot
It was up to you how many you got,
Now it is to be no more
Having asked at several of your stores.
Gone now is the tub you could fill with as many as you like.
It’s A bag and weigh & pay, and on your bike.
Oh Frank. W. Woolworths what have you done,
You have taken away all of the fun.
I have many fond memories growin' up on the farm as a boy.
Such simple pleasures in times more sublime brought me great joy!
I knowed it was summer when in June Dad bought me a straw hat,
And in the pasture we'd form a diamond to swing ball and bat!
I knowed it was summer when I could go barefoot sheddin' my shoes,
And wade in the 'crick' and let the warm mud through my toes ooze!
I knowed it was summer 'cause I had to attend Vacation Bible School,
When I'd rather be feeshin' than learnin' to live by the Golden Rule!
My dog Spooks trailed me as I ambled to my favorite feeshin' hole,
With a can of worms, safety pin fer a hook and willow branch fer a pole!
I knowed it was summer when upon a lofty oak limb I'd stretch,
Gazin' at driftin' clouds and, Oh!, the many boyhood dreams I'd sketch!
I knowed it was summer when I saw the steam tractor comin' down the road,
With the threshin' machine in tow to reap the grains that my Father sowed!
I knowed it was summer when I picked wild blackberries as big as yer thumb,
And ate so much homemade ice cream until my poor brain was froze numb!
I knowed it was summer when in the gloamin' I'd catch fireflies in a jar,
And listen fer the hauntin' wail of freight trains travelin' from afar!
I knowed it was summer when relaxin' on the front porch at end of day,
Fightin' mus-skeeters, sippin' iced tea and savorin' scented new-mown hay!
I knowed it was summer when hoein' taters 'neath the hot Hoosier sun,
And pitchin' hay and swattin' sweatbees, neither of which was fun!
I knowed it was summer when lightnin' lit the sky like the Fourth of July,
Followed by rollin' thunder and rain as 'neath covers in terror I'd lie!
I knowed it was summer when Mom made preserves, jams and jellies,
That along with her homemade breads and biscuits would sate our bellies!
I have many fond memories growin' up on the farm as a boy!
Such simple pleasures in times more sublime brought me great joy!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
(c) All Rights Reserved
Nutritionist, diabetes or
dietician
All to be unheeded in my
sweet tooth's opinion.
For how can I abandon
That chocolate canyon?
And same goes for yummy
chocolate fudge
Eh to a trifle could I bear
any grudge?
Ah treacle or caramel pudding
And apple crumble needs no
bidding
The craving wishes to devour
the dessert
Few would desert a tasty jam
tart!
Not forgetting swiss rolls and
cup cakes
and whatever other
sweetmeats the baker bakes.
Ah custards, ice-creams,
muffins and jellies
the only deterrent perhaps, the
fear of rounded bellies
Only if the dietician would
recommend instead
to cut down on leafy grassy
veggie salad
For if there was for it a polling
booth
I'd vote in favour of my sweet
tooth!
Growing up in the Ozarks, for brother, sister and me
meant, for the most part, that we were totally free.
We had freedom to explore, to roam about at will,
there was no one to fear in those Arkansas hills.
We searched for wild plums, grapes and berries,
knowing Mother would make luscious jams and jellies.
We listened for the owls in the stillness of the night,
the call of the whippoorwill, waking us at first light.
The woods were calling, luring us farther each day,
eager to investigate, we did chores without delay.
We gathered mushrooms, springing up after a rain,
Mom would "fry them up," serve lunch fit for a king.
Terrapins and "tumblebugs" were fascinating to watch,
we spent time in stillness observing their steady march.
Wildflowers were abundant, struggling up through rocks,
signaling us that it was time to shed our shoes and socks.
We ran barefoot in summer, our soles tough as leather,
one pair of shoes per year, saved for cold weather.
We climbed over rail fences and through barbed wire too,
where persistent beggar's lice clung to clothes like glue.
We made our own toys, such as the "guide & wheel,"
keeping the wheel rolling took practice and skill.
We swept leaves away, hauled rocks till muscles burned,
built outdoor playhouses, impersonated adults by turn.
Fueling our imaginations and fostering dreams untold,
our play brought us together in a love we'd always hold.
This poem would go on and on if I named every pleasure,
suffice it to say instead we've many memories to treasure
All creatures great and small,
from the smallest microbe to the largest animal of all.
Our living planet provides life for a mass variety of species.
Marine life is full of massive numbers of species of great diversity.
Bacteria, crustaceans, fishes, mammals, amphibians and also jellies.
Land dwelling life also has many life specie variations
Bacteria, Insects, reptiles, birds, worms
and among the mammals are us humans,
and the last variety of other life species that are also important to mention
exist beneath our deepest oceans and seas
as well as far as on land one can see.
The millions of different species of vegetation.
We may think ourselves the specie most superior
but no life is worth more or less than any other.
All creatures great and small
have an unalienable right
to their one and only life
however great or small.
A picture that whets the appetite
Lightly browned toast standing upright
Hemmed in on each side by jarred jam
Glasses filled with honey thus far
Upon a wooden table sits
A treat fit for nobility
Alive with beauty sits the meal
Upon the table fair
The lightly browned toast bids welcome
As does the jam light as air
Mother could make poverty seem
Like grand six course dinners
Homemade bread, jams, and jellies
No chance of getting thinner
Sundays' meals were always special
There might be fresh peach jam
On buttered toast with honey
But never any lamb
Sponsor: Giorgio A.V.
Contest: Ekphrasis Contest 101
Written in April 2015
Finis'
Home is Where
Home is where
your first and lost loves linger
the scent of Cusson’s Imperial Leather
and lavender, like a silken scarf
curls and twines around your head,
her marshmallow touch,
teasing your memory.
Home is where
fresh baked bread and apple pie,
jams and jellies, all cooling
in the afternoon’s mellow light,
greet you coming there
when school is out
and saffron yellow butter melts
on a fresh cut welcome scone
Home is where
dreams are born
waking in the morning sun,
fresh and frisky,
brimming with light and hope,
unfettered by failure,
treachery or disappointment,
ripe and blooming with possibility.
Home is where
memories fragment,
like packing boxes,
broken, confused,
their contents lost
while you search for a thought,
a hook to hang a hat.
Home is where,
past follies, misdemeanours
and careless adventures
echo down the streets and lanes,
tip tap in your footsteps,
flit through the shadows,
in the corners, out of sight,
in your mind’s eye.
Home is where
brooding menace waits,
the bogeymen of childhood terror,
with menacing patience
until childhood play abates,
there, in the shadow under the bed
and behind the wardrobe door,
slightly ajar.
Home is where
the slap of tiny feet
on a kitchen floor,
telling you home
is where you’re happy,
but there’s no notch on your compass
to point you there.
A slow cooked roast with baked potato
Soft spread butter and sliced sourdough
Steamed baby carrots with peas
A-1 Steak Sauce and jellies
Apple pie, cooling by the window
Her way of letting me know, there was a sale at Macy's.
It always worked!
The bride looked so lovely
All dressed up in lace,
The groom by her side
In His rightful place.
Food in abundance,
A mountain at least,
Guests by the hundreds
Flock to the feast.
French bread and garlic
Prawns in clay pots,
Sweetmeats and jellies
And ice cream for tots.
Chopsticks provided
For eating the rice,
For those who can’t work ‘em
Fingers suffice.
Old Uncle Albert
Says “waste is a sin”
So proceeds with a smile
More food to force in.
Due to his greed
He’s not feeling so bright
But continues to eat
Just out of spite.
Children are running
All over the shop
Some are so tired
They’re ready to drop
People are dancing
The music is loud
Everyone’s happy
What a great crowd
The sun is still shining
It has from the start
The bride and the groom
Prepare to depart
Into the limo
All cute coy and chaste
The groom bids the driver
“Drive on and make haste”
I’ve been to some weddings
This wasn’t the worst
I have to go now
Old Albert has burst.
September 2011
Wind careless whisper, leads me to peer
To run... view: a play of cosmos dance
Feet - glued on this one enchanting trance
Momentum of crescendo
Filling me with all tempo
Awesome divertimento
On ocean blue, dolphins leap and hop
School of fish swims to form a line dance
Jellies jig and wave in modern pop
Gentle breeze sways leaves of trees
Lush leaves swing on teeming green
Bearing fruits of finest genes
Butterflies tango to petals bulbs
Bees waltz sucking nectarine from buds
Blossoms jazz bloomed on big pinky reds
Deer leads the flamenco band
Squired by birds tweeting on land
Mused fireflies mambo so grand
Fluffy clouds in cha-cha during day
Sunshine smiles in frug of golden rays
Bossa Nova rolls a soothing play
One-step day ends, night jives win
Moon and stars folk dance veils shin
Classic world in riant grin
(c) Olive Eloisa
7:14 pm
MAy 20, 2014
Sponsor Poet Destroyer A
Contest Name it's all about nature #3
9th place.. :D