Best Lay Down The Law Poems


Premium Member Old Tom

Old Tom was wrinkled
His face full of care
A military blazer 
He'd always wear

Tom was a fighter
He'd boxed in the ring
He had gone to war
He'd fought for his King

His medals with pride 
He always wore
In the pub of an evening
He'd lay down the law

Every November
He went on parade
He remembered his comrades
As a green wreath he laid

He talked about them
With a tear in his eye
Though he held it all back
He'd not openly cry

But last November he wasn't there
In the pub where he sat just an empty chair
So we will hear his stories no more
Of the battles he fought in the great war

Though he was always cadging a drink
We'll miss that stubborn old fellow I think
Though his outside was hard he was soft inside
And his chair has stayed empty
Since the day that he died

Nature of the Beast: : the Black Panther Speaks

As the only large cat with a voice I roar from within my solitude
 Prowling with swagga and a side of attitude
 My voice is wild game's command
 Order in the kingdom is my superior demand
 Backed clearly by my teeth and claws
 They call me Wisdom and I'm here to lay down the law
 I stalk the cantelope
 Terrorize the antelope
 "Why in the world..." you may ask
 Feeding my cubs is my task
 I roam from Argentina to the African Safari
 My name is bigger than the historical Atari 
 To mankind I am a beast 
 In my pack I am a leader at the very least
 Upon my hunters i seek revenge
 Upon these lands I shall avenge
 Less fortunate creatures line the shore of the creek
 Stir not as this black panther speaks
 For I am the most fierce of all
 Disobedience shall be their death call

Premium Member The F-Bomb Has Been Replaced

The F-Bomb has been replaced

As the naughtiest word in the english language

By this new extremely naughty four letter word

Yup! You guessed it... SNOW!!!

The notorious S-Bomb!

Parents shudder when their wee one utters it in public

Oh the shame of it all

The parents try so hard to bring their kids up

As upstanding, polite, law abiding little fellows

And then this... they feel like total failures

“I don't give an S-Bomb!” the little guy shouts out at the mall

The parents cringed with embarrassment

Another time he was heard to yell out at McDonald's

“I hate these S-Bombing Chicken McNuggets”

So now you see, punishment is definitely in order

The parents had to lay down the law...

“Go to your S-Bombing room!

You are not allowed to play on your X-Box

For a whole S-Bombing week”!



© Jack Ellison 2014


Premium Member Twentieth Century Oz - For the Wiz

Mr Wiz, Munchkin Land
Be so kind to lend a hand...

Cartwheeling cottage? how daft is that
Landed quite safely, all level and flat
Some midget fellow said, who else heard that
I think ‘Wicked Westie’ might just have gone splat

Tin men and lions and blokes full of straw
Red shoes and rainbows and bricks on the floor
Witches determined to lay down the law
Little dog yapping and blue birds galore

Lion so scared he’s effectively tame
Geezer wants ticker inside his tin frame
The chap with a head full of straw wants a brain
Dorothy wants to go home... shame

Old men and wizards, one and the same
Thinks Dottie’s plight is a bit of a game
hidden away in a small secret room
Tells her, ‘Go forth and fetch me a broom’

But Dot knows a half decent witch from up north
This tale’s full of witches and she’s third or fourth
With witches from east and west done up like kippers
The North witch gives Dottie the west witch’s slippers

Dimwit companions, each a good fellow
Prancing about on a road painted yellow
Keep Dottie safe from that nasty grim reaper
Present to the wizard the requisite sweeper

And lo, he's impressed and he loudly applauds her
But this dodgy wizard’s a bit of a fraudster
Spouts loads of stuff about going home soon
But then he clears off in his hot air balloon

The lion got brave and the scarecrow got clever
The tin man’s new heart might well beat forever
Ain’t no pleasing Dottie, she can’t go home, never
Them slippers, said Northy, click em together

So she clicked them together, those slippers in red
There’s no place like home she repeatedly said
Sounds like she might have been right off her head
But then she wakes up and shes home in her bed

And so, Mr Wiz, this may be remiss
But what do you think...
Could you film this?


                                              16 November 2018

Premium Member Good Eggs

I feel like I’m blessed in this life by good eggs
But, of course, on occasion one’s rotten,
A good egg compares to a wine that has legs
The rare bad one is quickly forgotten.

A good egg just seems to slide down oh so nice
While a bad one will stick in your craw,
A good egg may offer some friendly advice
But a bad one will lay down the law.

A good egg departs just as smooth as it came
While a bad one can leave stomach churning,
Good eggs make you feel you’re on top of your game
While the bad make you doubt all your learning.

Yes nature and nurture both count it is true
But if you’re a “good egg,” count me grateful,
Good eggness depends on good choices by you
And it’s lack in the world can be fateful.

There’s really no way to forecast what you get
The “real proof” as they say “in the pudding,”
But luck comes most often to those who won’t quit
And who manage the time spent in brooding.

Long Tooth
July 3, 2016

Queen For a Day

Queen for a day what will I say to my subjects who are far away
Queen for a day people are waiting your majesty is saying where is she
Queen for a day I will be polite yet lay down the law 
Queen for a day that's all 
Queen for day it's almost over now 
Queen for day take a bow   





Copy@written June 2013


Premium Member Pontification

pontification
plus narcissism ~whoa mule....
self-forgetfulness   



pontification
[-'kaSH?n]
DEFINITION
noun form of pontificate
pontificate
[pontificate]
VERB
express one's opinions in a way considered annoyingly pompous and dogmatic.
"he was pontificating about art and history"
synonyms:
hold forth · expound · declaim · preach · lay down the law · [more]
(in the Roman Catholic Church) officiate as bishop, especially at Mass.
NOUN
(in the Roman Catholic Church) the office or tenure of pope or bishop.

Tarturus's Rapture

Radiance, shining, illuminating translucency
sky's vast, expansive blue richoting and rivaling ocean views
loose limbs and bashful expression lay scattered across the placid sky
divinity fixed in a space unaffected by man
white clouds swirl, wrapping like ivy around golden gates.
 Ultraviolent inferno lay below while serine holy oceans 
of blue rain above. Raining fire and the rising phoenix of men collide 
as Ouranos opens up to lay down the law of God.
conflicting and drifting of worlds, un-consecrated and pure entities that 
will forever clash at the expense of humanity.

Authority

Authority
Authority is a privilege
It is power mixed with rule
It’s control and domination
Oftentimes misused as tool
And when orders are not followed
When instruction is ignored
Then the charge will be defiance
Which will soon be underscored
For authority wants order
Yes, it will lay down the law
And expect your acquiescence
Whether or not given in awe
The subservient will prosper
When authority is fair
There will be no need for conflict
No dissension, no despair
Still authority is bias
Though much needed
It’s much scorned
But he who dares to disrespect it
Do not try it, you are warned!

Wendy Nipas

Cliches Away

Three sheets in the wind
And rubbed the wrong way
By a fair weather friend
You must seize the day

Let your hair down 
And lay down the law
Be the talk of the town
With your last hurrah

With all your high hopes
Few and far in between
Up against the ropes
Taking one for the team

Play your cards right
No guts no glory
Still High as a kite
The same old story
© Pat Adams  Create an image from this poem.

Taboo

In life so much is such a taboo,
too many things you ought not to do.
Do them anyway, just for the thrill,
right from the heart,
your soul,
your will.
People may gasp,disgust, dismay.
That'll just increase the secrets we play.
Wont be told what's right or wrong,
the world's just singing to a different song.
So, lay down the law, judge, criticise,
with your narrow minds and tiny eyes.
I wont abide by your restricting law,
I'll live my life, 'till there is no more

Top of the Tree

There’s a charming woodland creature
reputed to be wise
With a knack for spotting problems
with their eager, clever eyes

Keen and daring to be different
Turning heads through all degrees
They love imparting knowledge
showing off their expertise

And in amongst their hunting
firmly grasped by bill and claw
they hold a sense of duty
and so, lay down the law

It’s a noisy messy process
full of screeching, piercing cries
Other creatures in the wood
watch on speechless with sad sighs

It can get a little rowdy
There’s ooos and aaas (and other vowels)
But in the end they get there
through a Parliament of Owls

And maybe they do know better
Maybe they have the brains
to get us through the problems
Either way - one fact remains:

You can’t ask them to be quiet -
to do so would be moot
For they couldn’t if they wanted
and they don’t - so let them hoot!

Premium Member So, Just Say It's So

It's your right to choose.
It's no love to lose.
Funny how life does go.
So, just say it's so.

Yes, she can't see it, 
so step up and be it.
For one tender moment...
go on, embrace her -
you need to face her.

Feelings that you know -
not afraid to show.
When light does enter
deep in your center
where all of us glow.

Two hearts walk away,
so sad to say...
neither will say it.
No sense can sway it.
Becomes a cliche...

You just gotta
lay down the law
tell her, that's all.
Set aside your fear,
you should be so clear.

Time to take a chance
to claim your romance.
You've found your mate!
What you ought to do...
must see it all through.

It's your right to choose.
It's no love to lose.
Funny how life does go.
So, just say it's so.
© Greg Gaul  Create an image from this poem.

Fiddy Cents


Raise up the oars,
get ready to row
Fiddy cents to a dollar,
start rocking the boat

Lay down the law,
be on the swivel scold
Fiddy cents to a dollar,
ropes are tightening throats

Don’t kill the messenger
bringing the bad news
Fiddy cents to a dollar,
you got nothing to lose

Night of the reaper,
death is on a grim prowl
Fiddy cents to a dollar,
your life has been sold out

Try to circle the square,
make bad geometry do good trig
Fiddy cents to a dollar,
Six feet ain’t deep enough to dig

Holla conspiracy loud,
as the cell door slams to your cage
Fiddy cents to a dollar,
new guineas be squealing with rage

Raise up the oars,
it’s a go on the freedom revolt
Fiddy cents to a dollar,
slaves are overturning the boat

Premium Member Double Talk

The gardener said once I’ve chopped down this tree
Perhaps I could tidy your bush for a fee 
Where the girl hit him is covered in bandage
He’s stood in the dock charged with suggestive language 

The gardener issued a not guilty plea
He said she had asked me to fell a big tree
But seemed to think I couldn't cope with just me 
So I told her I had a big tool she should see

The judge pointed out that misplaced sexual chatter
In these modern times is a serious matter
Besides said the judge, once the tree had been downed
She asked you to work, not just stand around 

But Judge, said the gardener, I’m not a linguist 
I can’t speak like you because I’m not distinguished
Besides, when she said there’s a sign she wants hanging
I only said that might mean screwing and banging

I told her that later (and I’m not a fibber)
I might sow my seed when I get out my dibber
Don’t know what possessed her to go get a copper
When I was just standing there holding my chopper

Epilogue...

The judge said I’m going to lay down the law
(A young police woman tried not to guffaw)
I’ll hand you a sentence for what you have done
The girl shouted give him a really stiff one

Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace