Best Late Arrival Poems
So we all face the weepy songs, throat clogged
just because its blue month with the rain running down.
So our stomachs quiver and we can’t quite turn
the doorknob, enter in to the late arrival complaints.
We forget them, next morning when the sun is strong
and our legs move us and our heart soars to sky.
And the breaking times, all alone, no one who understands
when nothing fits and we can’t figure out what went wrong,
we all have them sometime in our life, when our closest
teddy bear is a pillow smashed and covered with tears.
We set aside those memories, never going there again,
parent or child who died, suicide on mind that we recognize
in seeing you and hold you against the time you will reject
because even when we forget, we remember, all the deaths
and paint them yellow, plant the daisies, turn on brass
joyous refrains because having endured, we are strong.
It was the night before Christmas
Not a sound was heard
Except for the sound of Mods
Discussing the Foxestalk message board.
The subject was a Christmas party
Which happened every year
There was always panic among them
As the dreaded day drew near.
Who should they invite?
Will there be fights a free for all.
Finally they decided
Sod it we'll ask them all.
It was to be fancy dress
And would cause much fun
They even hoped that a new fan
Cyril the squirrel would come.
At the mods headquarters
They were getting prepared
For what could be a complete disaster
So they were also getting scared.
In a long flowing Shirley Bassey dress
Moosebreath waltzed through the door
Moosebreath says I have finally come out
I'll wear dresses now for evermore.
TPH came as Bob Dylan
Trav La bleu was Elton John
Foxy was John Lennon
Captain Pancake Face Red Rum.
Mike Oxlong Father Christmas
Bellend as a xmas pud
Dangerous Tiger was Lenny The Lion
Which everyone thought was very good.
Lamby came as Nigel Pearson
Which was a big surprise
After five minutes he said
I have work I'll have to fly.
The guests arrived one after the other
Too many to name
Dressed in all types of costume
All willing to join the game.
Jordon travelled from the USA
With a mask of JFK
Spielberg was played by 21st Century Fox
The bloke in the kilt Orkney Fox
Zingari was next and looked weird
He said I am really an alien they do exist
You are in my power now
I have three eyes so do not resist.
Mattp was a late arrival
Dressed as a city gent
He said i stopped to tie a shoelace
And some tramp pissed on my face.
The party went into the night.
All full of Christmas Cheer
Thank you all for coming says Webbo
But next year someone bring some beer.
Summer
late arrival
cooler than usual
sun timidly peeking through clouds
soon gone
One small word to describe so vast a space.
Universe magnificent in each place.
Perfect creations adorning each room.
Each plant knows best time to open its bloom.
Every creature knows where he belongs.
No bird's distracted by the other songs.
Late arrival humans have changed things a bit,
Their egos convinced there is better fit.
So they tinkered and soon changed things around,
Even started taking oil from the ground.
Animals are dying as are some plants,
Because mankind got too big for its pants.
The problem is now ours, the climate change,
Because we were sure we could rearrange.
Written: July 2, 2019
Perhaps halfway to Bemidji we met a cleaning crew
Removing fallen trees but it helped us little
As they had only just started when we saw them.
The riverbed was much lower than fields it cut
So our vision was mostly of what lay ahead.
There must have been hidden springs though
For the water soon was deeper than our oars.
We really had no way to measure progress,
But pressed hard knowing Holly was waiting,
The evening of the third day, cooler ice intact,
And air temperatures over 40 Degrees,
Camped in pastures, no signs of human dwellings
Our propane stovetop making cooking easy,
With clouds of friendly gnats, shielding us from sun! (4)
Four and one half long days after departure
The first signs of ‘manfall' lessened guilt
As we crossed under a modern bridge,
My sister in beach front motel, called police.
Planes had been flying the river for two days
But the tree cover there hid us from view…
Food, baths, and bed capped perilous undertaking! (5)
Brian Johnston
October 21, 2014
Poet's Notes:
(4) This line reminds me of a letter I sent to my mother when I was teenager putting up hay stacks to feed cattle in the winter in South Dakota. I mentioned the friendly gnats in her letter too and talked about how much money I was saving on sun tan oil but complained that there were so many that they blocked out the sun completely so that I could not get a tan! But then I added that, in spite of this, I really didn't mind the gnats because they protected me from large flying red ants!
(5) My sister was so worried by our late arrival that search and rescue planes were sent out flying the river in search of our bodies! Ha!
AHA HAIKU 14
Old friend calls
How are you?
Song of long ago
~~~~~~~~~
Old condo ambience
Familiar faces converge;
Robot moods
~~~~~~~~~
Chinese tea
Aids digestion;
Sip fond brew
~~~~~~~~~
Cute boys charm
Innocence wakes up;
Naughty sparkles
~~~~~~~~~
Last journal entry
Some time ago;
Death punctuates
~~~~~~~~~
Illiterate old lady
Well-educated son;
Lovely finesse
~~~~~~~~~
In your eyes
Love tells;
Affair complete
~~~~~~~~~
Age comes clashing
Old bones brittle;
Mental meltdown
~~~~~~~~~
Cold morning wind
Wet warning sign;
Dark clouds cluster
~~~~~~~~~
In your fond smile
Love lingers long;
Sad farewell binds
~~~~~~~~~
Airport tarmac
Big birds fly;
Distant destinations
~~~~~~~~~
Blurry awareness
Early wake-up call;
Consciously sleepy
~~~~~~~~~
Poise of choice
Waiting game here;
Late arrival
~~~~~~~~~
Leon Enriquez
06 June 2016
Singapore
rain turned snow
late arrival
heavenly fall of flakes
delays spring
asks another time when
spring delays
flakes of fall heavenly
arrival late
snow turned rain
To Avalon! To Avalon! Twenty-six miles from door to door.
The Catalina Channel Isle: my destination off the shore.
We sail a wide and glassy sea, arriving Friday evening, late.
The Grand is seen from far away, guards the harbor, silent waits.
To stroll the boardwalk, drool as salted taffy’s pulled,
tour Zane Gray’s pueblo house, protect your lunch from diving gulls.
Catch a movie at the Grand’s mesmerizing, giant screen:
magical, this castle fort, not believed unless it’s seen.
Sleeping on the boat at night, rocked to sleep by gentle wakes,
row the dinghy in the morn, skindive for abalone steaks.
Journey back home Sunday night, late arrival into port.
Monday morning, foggy dreamland: school simply does not comport!
—————
(memories of childhood trips to Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island off the coast of California)
I.
Jilly's laugh is somewhere between
a hiccup and a sigh
teeth shimmering
little porcelain cups
like the ones
I used in
Victorian doll houses
when I was five
perfectly glazed and rounded.
II.
Her
late arrival
like a Picaso painting
brightly colored
flecks of roses and blues
all feet and limbs
flailing
simultaneously
in proportion to her belly.
III.
Yesterday
she flew
over a crack in the sidewalk.
We had been eating
wild strawberries,
her fingers were dyed with them
and her blood,
it fell to the sidewalk
in perfect red rain drops.
I think
my heart stumbled
in it's puddle.
Love Delayed
Who could have known?
The pattern of life was already here.
Hot and cold in its earthliness.
It only required us to find our willingness
On a simple classroom first-glance,
Even as neither was looking for the other.
There…
In a small learning room no one would remember,
Given its utility plainness,
That place where you might have lost your way,
Save for the invisible aura finding purchase
In my psyche that was to reveal itself
At a later date.
Perhaps…
It was then that we both heard synergism reaching,
The sound of muted longing,
Like an hourglass whose means of clocking intervals had halted,
The salty tears of lost time causing life to harden
Until that moment
When quiet arresting of awareness
Had no choice
But to chance another flow.
Later…
Between distant geographies of being,
We merged our words into visions of mutual respect
Forged later with touches of inner unity
Into an even later sunlit afternoon of bonding amidst friends,
Where we reached modestly for infinity,
Becoming independently one,
All while Love’s late arrival
Held tight our hands
As we made good
Our once invisible auras
Held invincible within.
The gym was decorated:
crepe draped and glittery.
Disquietude was partner
as I stood against the wall,
misrepresented hunger gnawing at my soul
and a misunderstood thirst.
The electric strumming died,
so the vehemence of a heart-throbbing
perpetual drum solo
and snare’s
shimmering effervescence
could ripple, rumble and shoot
as lightning through the air,
no reverence for my ears,
nor veneration for years.
Then he
stepped into the emptiness
of the full room,
alone,
a late arrival, early,
anticipated.
I heard my heart’s solo drumming
on my ribs resonating
until my misconstrued hunger and thirst turned keen
and translated
to amorousness.
My teen heart flamed.
Fervidness was defined.
And all music forever changed
its tune.
Feb. 9, 2019
Free Verse On Love- 10 Words- Pick A Prize Poetry Contest, Lu Loo
Stephanus Marcus Book 1
Canto 6
Verses 4 and 5
Now herald monarch's late arrival nigh.
From east his royal standard shows design.
A lion bold displays from pennant high -
courageous beast, a brave and noble sign.
King's escort knights are seen a riding line,
protective shield defending great their Sire.
Soon castle makes a feast of meat and wine,
Duke Morley's servants whole will never tire.
To please his Sovereign great is Morley's main desire.
Buffoons and jugglers, tumblers, actors make
King Richard’s stay that night a pleasant time.
Then day's new light brings jousting games that take
the stoutest knights that need must be in prime.
On mule clown rides, the winning knight doth mime,
and archer's contest made concludes the day.
A lutist plays a sweet song's tune of rhyme.
Soon priest chants prayer, an eve's melodic lay.
Forsooth, another night king's knights and he will stay
Into the earth
is our final fate,
the best we can hope for
is to be really late...
Damn, I'm always 10 minutes
early for everything!
~ sequence of haiku ~
late arrival
everyone asleep
quiet as can be
fat june bugs flutter
in the dark of night
all too excited
ignoring this swarm
of june bugs
we put up our tent
one of us filling
his pockets
for tomorrow’s bait
clear skies and waters
when sun rises
fishing lines are cast
AP: 1st place 2021, Honorable Mention 2021
Submitted on February 23, 2022 for contest THE NIGHT SKY sponsored by ANNA MARIE KAIANAH - RANKED 2ND
Benji the Bit-Bit Shire gardener,
had been following Blue Bell a horse.
He read that it was having a run,
Saturday at a local racecourse.
Blue Bell was in the field of race two;
a field that is considered quite slow,
so Benji predicted a killing,
once the starter released them to go.
Fifty bucks Benji put on the nose,
gleeful Blue Bell had great starting odds,
and as they raced along the back straight,
the race was in the lap of the Gods.
Blue Bell came home at twenty to one.
Benji was considerably dirty;
for he had watched the other horses,
canter home just after twelve-thirty.