Best Lay To Rest Poems
Mission of the Yellow Songbird
A long highway road stretched its legs before me,
In a place where tumble weeds were conceived,
December evening chasing daylight back to morning
Dusk robed in faded colors starving out the sunshine
Miles put themselves between me and home
With thickets of brier brambles cradled between north and south
Alive with vesper choruses of tiny songbirds.
A gentle tap on my front fender
Roused me from hypnotic highway stupor like popping thunder
I shuddered deeply as possibilities shook my soul;
Maybe one of those gigantic bugs – maybe? Maybe?
But when I stopped my heart seized to solve the mystery
A tiny yellow songbird plastered to my grill wings still open to flight.
Gentle spirit of eternal compassion touched, caressed, my wailing sorrow
Then guided me to a desert tree with perfect boughs,
That welcomed songs of matin mornings from a tiny bird,
To lay to rest God's tiny messenger beneath his favorite tree
Songbird with perfect pitch would no longer sing praise into Heaven's face.
Called to the road again, tears raced down my cheeks
As numb miles raced by with a litany of why in each drop
Time came to take a mountain road from fertile valley to foggy ocean crest -
Screaming round a sharp curve to a screeching stop
Accident, I thought, of two cars only six cars ahead of me –
No ordinary scene -two burned out fiery shells one atop the other!
Realization, like a candle in the darkness, sent out sharp beams
I would have been in that accident had not a precious songbird
Given me a second chance to sing in ministry and embrace this grief;
In the deepest part of my grieving heart, I know our precious God
Gathered to his heart the mission of this tiniest crushed warrior
Who now sings beneath God’s window in the eternal day.
5-17-22
Contest: Divine Intervention
Sponsor: Chantal Anne Cooke
12/14/22
Contest: Poetry Marathon Mile 23
Sponsor: Mark Toney
30 Lines of a 30 Line Limit
" Ship of Doom "
Ship of doom so sailed to sea ~
Dark her course... 'twas meant to be ~
Into seas this great ship sped ~
Her past... her history... of naught but dread ~
O'er those waves her bows did'st cleave ~
Her memories... but silken webs to weave ~
Thunder on her decks was heard ~
Yet sailors aboard spake no word ~
For ship such as she was doomed thus so~
Gone north into winds then fierce a'blow ~
Down her bows crept steadily then ~
None to know which verse thus then ~
For rime was abound on her decks those days ~
Yet aloft was fire seen from her stays ~
Off afar from crow's nest was hailed ~
As below in her belly that crew did bail ~
For her planks ridden with dark worm & rot ~
Such ship did'st sail from whence known not ~
Far corner o'globe she ran from ever ~
Home her port seen oft yet never ~
Equator her line of happenchance ~
Capricorn her thought yet not her stance ~
Now she sails a spars a'glisten ~
A'deck her men all a'listen ~
Now speaks thus such sorrowful ship ~
With voice akin to crackin' o'whip ~
Hail! Ye Lads.... heartily all ~
Sail we've had & such so a'ball ~
Now deep down Davy Jones' way ~
I'm thus bound this cold north day ~
My sprit I drive now into next wave ~
Darkness & silence I do now crave ~
Gone from me now pleazure o'sound aloft ~
For me hull is naught but now gone soft ~
I'll seek that bottom at sea's very depths ~
Were there I'll find my wager thus kept ~
With devil I’ve played throughout these years ~
Now I’ll so lay to rest all such fears ~
Sail with me now lads & lasses bold all ~
Into realms which di'dst us then enthrall ~
Gone only now our fine spark & fire ~
Quenched so by life's sodden quagmire ~
Off now go we & heads look a'forard ~
To see what 'twas behind & now not toward ~
Rocks... reefs... depth’s sandy shoals ~
These so now our woe begotten goals ~
So to break up these planks hath caused me to live ~
For as ship o'the main I was once known to give ~
Now all such gone with wild sea's winds ~
As now my time... mirrors death's sins ~
Down down down do I speed ~
In need o'sleep... dark do I need ~
Run now quickly from my decks so I say ~
Or with me in devil's depths ye shall play ~
Bouzouki in hand I now last am at rest ~
For with song always I have been best ~
Tsifteteli my dance so join me now so ~
For life is naught that which e'er we'll know ~
SeaWolf
©
i pass the days unsatisfied
thinking of you and i
questioning my path and pride
can we keep our love alive
its not easy
i will have to lay to rest
alone when i chose to sleep
on my own is best
my heart did say you know this well
i fell into a dizzy spell
perhaps its fast but whose to tell
it pained me when I had to yell
i dont want to be that to you
thats not me, not my love
so we had to say goodbye
i wish we shared a closer view
you ever need anything please ask
for no ones sake, its what i feel
i hope we both will grow and heal
to sip spirits pure from leaden flask
the faintly playing of sade
eager for the autumn rain
sullen in a hardened way
ill meet you in a stronger wane
lend me a kiss of rosy cheek
this love was surely tried
assured of me, feeling speaks
parting ways is wise
As Jesus steps onto the earth
Into the frost, above the dirt
Where he first walked
As all else lay to rest
Once again to proclaim his test
Turned his pain into passion
To be heard
As spoken first sacred words:
"Tis better to have lost than to
have been loved, when what hit
me twice as hard, hurt them
twice as much"
Lessons lived must be earned
Taught to forgive as the world turned
If it began with "LET THERE BE LIGHT"
Then it shall end....
WHEN WE LOSE SIGHT!
Anything that is not right
See to it to end this year
Start with a good step to freedom
Work in abundance in the heart
Train your mind in the way for wisdom
Learn from instructions of Elders
Condition your body and start running
Let God be your guide and your rudder
Prepare your heart for the gospel of peace
Obey the instinct of the Bishop of your soul
Life is a long way lackadaisical journey
So many stop, curve, and a long dash energy
It takes easy alone running without baggage
It takes happiness carrying baggage with love
Freedom is slavery without hindrances in going
Victory awaits for those who love persistence
Your going has obstacles and stumbling blocks
Don't cower in fear, rather overcome hindrances
Life is like that, there are nights, there are days
The sweet things every sunrise, there is sunset
Be constant in your desire to accomplish things
Never end the day working nothing or idle
Life is measured in terms of achievement
For at end of the day, life so tiring but gay
When the body take its meal, inert lay to rest
Eyes close in the night not to forget to pray.
My heart breaks like the waves against the rocks;
Is this where love ends and emotions take over?
I see you drift away,
I reach out,
But in vain........
The image of you that I had moulded into my future torments me as I toss it to and fro.
Should I keep it?
Or should I let it go?
Oh! If only someone could set me free?
But could I trust them, as I did you?
I fear not;
For the repetition might bring me to an end.
So this part of me I lay to rest,
And alone.....
I shall be.
I must go, But I love you so.
Is it that time to say goodbye?
I suppose........
© 2000
Free west Papua
There is a quite genocide
Is hidden from the view
Is rare on our popular media
Is like no help for this people
As they are been slaughtered
Like there is no tomorrow
Oh free west Papua
As you a human
So they are too
Love we need not war
Free west Papua
The killing is high
Some where in Asia
Blacks as we are called
Our life in west Papua
Right in Indonesia
Means less than a human
Yet
Is hidden from the view
Is rare on our popular media
Is like no help for this people
As they are been slaughtered
Like there is no tomorrow
Oh free west Papua
As you a human
So they are too
Love we need not war
Free west Papua
There is a man I don't know his name
There is a woman I don't know her
Name
There is a boys and girls even kids
There name I don't know
In west Papua
They lay to rest in peace
As no voice voice not
About the curse of there death
It still on even till now
As human minus is like
A trend from hate over there
Oh is a shame
yet
Is hidden from our view
Is rare on our popular media
Is like no help for this people
As they are been slaughtered
Like there is no tomorrow
Oh free west Papua
As you a human
So they are too
Love we need not war
Free west Papua
I meet a refugee family
from west
Papua
There grief makes me ask
What happen to the heart of
Men in this beautiful planet
We are all human yet in west
Papua souls rot to dead by hate
Still yet and yet this calamity
Is hidden from our view
Is rare on our popular media
Is like no help for this people
As they are been slaughtered
Like there is no tomorrow
Oh free west Papua
As you a human
So they are too
Love we need not war
Tribute to the lost victims of west
Papua
Richard Nnoli
In luscious green fields
As far as one can see
With her eyes closed embracing her tree of life,
Her supple body
And soft cheek pressed against the rough bark
Awaiting her beloved
Hugging her from behind
He’s hands cupping her bosom
Pulling her ever so close
Gently turning her to face him
Passion in his eyes
The wise old oak tree
With whom she shared so much
Her memoirs since her 3rd birthday
When her puppy died
All her little concerns and secrets
It is here where their lips first touched
It is where they will lay to rest
Long silence, no more voices inside her head
No need for words while with her beloved under her tree
Though many years have passed
The old oak ever majestic
Has lost some branches during the winter storm
She sighs with contentment
Enjoying the shade it provides
After their walk and teaching him all about hugging trees
They settled on the lush green lawn for a sunset picnic
He picked up his guitar and sang to her
Love songs from his soul
It is where tonight they will
Consummate a lifetime of songs
Exploring and learning
The air moist with mist blanketing
Their pleasured sighs
In tune with the nocturnal symphony
Smoking Hot
Once upon a time there was a little girl
She carried a chipped edged bowl in her hand
Charity had been generous to her riding years
Gifts were ripped, unwanted and unsized clothes
Grandma loved her Red Riding Hood in any wear
She named her so for her cheeks were smoking hot
At the slightest insinuation about her bowl or any form of abuse
She had been wearing a faded small red cloak for years
First, too large sized then, too small in the wintry land
Little Hood begged for her grandma's survival
Who lay bedridden in their shambled home
Red Riding Hood had outgrown her baby size
No longer could she keep her face hidden
In her small hood, thus attracting the bestial wolfish eyes
A wolf befriended her and took some fruit for granny
He held her soft hand as she led him to grandma on bed
Money flowed in, and so did fruit and health
Philanthropy and blessings oozed in every corner
The lusty wolf took his chance as grandma lay to rest
Red faced with smoking hot coal eyes as he grabbed her
Red Riding grew from adolescence to maturity
With a carving knife and hot pepper spray in his eyes
The wolf and beast were packed off before a howl.
No more begging, no more tears and tatters
Grandma and Red Riding Hood lived happily ever after
February 6, 2016
Contest: Once Upon A Time
Sponsor: Laura Loo
Across the ocean sings a lady with flowers in her hair
She dances in the moonlight sky imagining you there
Pretending she's a princess
Laughing, having fun
Streaming tears of happiness waiting for the sun
The night is slowly ending
Tomorrow is on it's way
Quietly awaiting for another lovely day
She lay to rest so peacefully upon Earth's precious ground
Her day of beauty and the love that she has found
Still no sign of morning light
No whispers in the air
The only sign of any life are the flowers in her hair
©2014 Tamilyn Love
The spirits stand before me to guide me on my way
To a place so peaceful that I would like to stay
I'll be on the wings of eagles soaring through the skies
While all my friends and family say their last goodbyes
I am the bear gone fishing for everlasting life
Until I am reunited with my children and my wife
I hear lots of animals running through this eternal land
As they have come to greet me and take me by the hand
The wolves lay here beside me somewhere beyond the moon
As I wait for my family to come and visit someday soon
And I shall go on hunting for the place to lay to rest
Beside my loving mother in holy blessedness
I see the gates of our great spirit as I start drawing near
And send lots of hugs and kisses to those I hold so dear
I'll be on my journey home somewhere past our great sun
So I'm sending loving spirits to all my beloved ones
by Deborah Lynn Gale
with deepest sympathy to Native, David Welch
I got really sick
Or else I was old,
I need to go now
My owners were told.
It happened so quick
I just went to sleep,
I hurt no longer
My owners would weep.
I went to heaven
And barked at the door,
"Please let me come in"
"I can play once more.
I know my owners
Are really so sad,
I usually was good
Yet sometimes was bad.
I had a good home
For that I was blessed,
I'll seem them again
When they lay to rest.
If we could only accept the truth
The truth about our youth
With every day that passes by
We grow older until we die
Although fighting age is not a crime
It truly is a waste of time
So instead of why and how
Focus on the here and now
For the key is to live your best
Before you die and lay to rest
by Ana Espinola Collins
She is out in the meadow,
with the sun in her face
There's a warm trace of velvet on white porcelain skin
She will steal away breath
if the eyes lay to rest
on sweet Lily, an ingénue', who lives on the lane
I have watched her all day as she sways in the wind
without knowing what music, she hears from within
She basks in the light, and caress of the breeze
then, she bends to the earth, to drink in the scent
She'll rise once again, with a tear in her eye
and a beautiful grace, soft as clouds in the sky
Tall legs like a dancer, she may seem so composed
Who knows how she got here so far from her home
On her satin stemmed shoes, she will tip-toe, then twirl
arching backwards in time, in the white blossomed fields
Her voice is a whisper that quivers like spring
Spiral curls on her brow are like the swirls on a shell
Her honey is wild with a taste that is gold
There are bees on her dress, as she stands in the grass
She will dance in the sunlight, but is fragile as glass
Swaying 'round in wind with adagio's breath,
Yes, I've watched her before as the late evening came,
when she folded her arms, as a moth folds it's wings
___________________________________________________
8/28/16
Contest: "And In Words She Blooms"
Sponsor : Casarah Nance
From the ashes of superstition,
like a Phoenix we have risen!
As he puts on his White Lab Coat
of Unthinkable Wisdom.
In reality... yet constantly dreaming.
Under a microscope he tries to find meaning.
Building blocks of existence,
a scientist's relentless persistence
to become acquaintances with amoeba,
and lay to rest the concept of Jesus.
He freely yokes himself to Outer Space,
the new found teacher.
As human beings take the name
Foreign Creature.
Oh the absurd games we play!
The Rights of Men and Marriage Vows.
Have we not passed the primitive
worship of common cows?
... and yet consequently we set
up Courts for Carrots,
Lawyers for Lemons.
You think you can argue
for such a thin concept
as the Principles of Free Men?
Morality, she can take a coffee break
(it's only the future of everything that's at stake).
Whose to say that 2+2 doesn't equal five
when we can't even say for certain
that Man is alive.
As Mr. Wisdom
scratches his head and straightens his coat,
he so bravely boasts the edict of edicts:
pray tell what is Good and what is Evil?
Orbital Rotation spins his head around
and stubborn Gravity refuses to give him
the low down.
"I'd trade all the Hows for a single Why!
But the Universe never bargains.
Mirrors reflecting mirrors,
can't tip the scales in my favor
by the slightest margin."
Absolute Truths - we forgot 'em.
Your guess is as good as mine.
We the Soulless and We the Proud
so happily crossed line.
Our make belief code of ethics
simply cannot coexist with Darwinian Violence.
While we keep asking questions
answered two millenia prior:
Why am I here? WHY AM I HERE?
And the stars remain silent.