Best Leanings Poems


My Word Diet

Long poems are for the birds!
They have just too many words.

I like ‘em short and sweet,
Like something axiomatic that I can “tweet”.

Poems that appeal to people who are real,
Not some long spiel.

Long poems leave me cold.
By the time you’ve finished them you’re old!

“Keep it simple, stupid” is my motto.
Altruistically speaking, I’m not trying to win the Word Lotto.

Long words too with hidden meanings
Are for people with intellectual leanings.

I’m on a word diet.
My asseveration is: Get rid of the fat words and try it.


By:  Carole O'Terry Duet
Copyright:  4/5/2018
"All Rights Reserved"
Categories: leanings, poetry, words,
Form: Couplet

Premium Member On Diversity and Divisiveness

Here appears diversity and divisiveness --
Similar words with different meanings,
I must not allow them to come between
Those folks who exhibit different leanings.

Diversity is a good thing, expanding my mind
Divisiveness frequently foments contention,
While it seeks to enforce its firm beliefs
Often giving no opposing views attention.

Diversity must be differences understood
And appreciated as a part of our culture,
Not thinking of differences as dividing
But enriching, becoming part of our nature.

I can never see everything as others do
For I am constantly formulating my ways
But I will try my best to understand you
And accept you, as you are … always!

Written October 4, 2022
#47 on the Best New Poems List
Poetry Soup
October 6, 2022

#42 on the Best New Poems List
Poetry Soup
October 26, 2022
Categories: leanings, feelings, perspective,
Form: Quatrain

Premium Member Hollow Man

Hollow man

Hollow man, an empty vessel,
lived life with vain abandon
Selfishness and carnal lust
were his constant companions

Happiness was sought, indulging
frantically in fleshly pleasures
Pain was his only reward instead
of priceless treasures.

Chasing worthless endeavors,
enticed by deluded aspirations
Followed the leanings of his foolish heart,
lead to altered expectations

He gulped down licentiously, 
every drink that was in fashion
Spent his life in wantonness and
unbridled passions

He spiraled down, seduced into
debauchery's  black hole
and wonders to himself, why there
is emptiness in his soul

He seared his innocent conscience,
rejected words heard so long ago
Truth remains even though despised,
you will reap what you sow

Now, he sits, disillusioned and alone,
staring into the cracked mirror
His bleary eyes beginning to see,
the truth ever clearer

Still, he ponders 
if these consequences...
are part of destiny's plan...

it's hard to admit to himself, 

his own bad choices...
created this...

hollow man.


April 10,2017
Categories: leanings, happiness, introspection, irony, longing,
Form: Rhyme

Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry


Premium Member Political Rhetoric

Words can have so many meanings
It pays to carefully choose what you say,
Lack of phrasing can reveal your leanings
Ill-chosen words will often make you pay.
Politicians quickly learn how to double-talk
Meaning exactly what they did not say,
Like a sidewalk drawing with colored chalk
Knowing a weepy denial will wash it away.

Written October 16, 2022
Categories: leanings, meaningful, spoken word, words,
Form: Rhyme

A Muse

‘There shall be a poetess born,
Ensouled with poetic leanings….’
She cried, pulled from her watery world
breathing in the alien air….
The years and seasons came and went,
and found the muse alone at play
amid her native dimensions,
romping free and singing verses:
^- ^- ^- - wall
^- ^- ^- - fall...
Her tender years end with a pause.
…Adulthood dawned brightly on her,
a comely grace and pleasing face.
Like a fledgling that leaves its nest
She, resolved, flew a flight west
with assistance of providence….
The years passed bye when she'd returned
With a masters degree she earned
And prophecy preserved in print-
her personal anthology.
Today she’s known for civic pride
reading poems to hometown ears
of life’s lessons contained inside
amassed from long, meaningful years.
Categories: leanings, inspirational,
Form: Verse

Premium Member Pompous Poet - Now a Collaboration

Some poems I can’t comprehend
I struggle reading to the end
Flaunting a complex word
Its usage quite absurd
No comments not e’en from a friend!


I love learning new words on soup but  get frustrated when I see poems peppered with long words, especially when trying to force rhyming and the words  don't make any sense at all in context to the subject!

PLEASE SOUP ME ME YOUR POEM AND I'LL ADD IT TO THE POEM

Those pompous poets totally bore us
With clever words like 'radiciflorous'
But what you should know
Those words they borrow
From the pages of Roget's Thesaurus

WRITTEN BY LIN LANE

Ben gobbled a dictionary whole
and verbal diarrhoea took its toll
Now he's spewing words
flowing like loose turds
I hope he’ll regain vowel control!

WRITTEN BY JAN ALLISON - INSPIRED BY LIN'S POEM!


These wordy poems they are making
I find discombobulating
The syllable count
Continues to mount
As their egos are greatly inflating.

WRITTEN BY GARY SMITH

Jake ate the whole encyclopedia
Then it was covered by the news media
An instant wordsmith
But it was a big myth
Now he’s in a state of Acedia


WRITTEN BY ALEXIS Y


There was a poet on here called Fred Flynn
Composed a verse about scabies and gin
Was poem of the day
To everyone's dismay
It should have gone in 'soups' recycle bin.

WRITTEN BY TOM CUNNINGHAM

A pompous poet always thinks he's right 
And stays up making rude comments all night
With rude words that spit and spew
The idiot has no clue
That all of His poems need a rewrite

WRITTEN BY TANIA KITCHIN

I've got a good word but wait let me see
Possibly change two syllables to three
Your big pompous ass
Craps sweet sassafras
Insults disguised as complimentary

WRITTEN BY TIM SMITH

KEEP IT SIMPLE 

Using words with hidden meanings
is for those with intellectual leanings
Poems that are complicated
are strictly over-rated
Give me a poem with simple gleanings.

By: Carole O’Terry Duet Copyright: 12/31/2018 “All Rights Reserved”

12/29/18
Categories: leanings, anxiety, humorous, poetry, words,
Form: Limerick


Premium Member Holiday Dangers

Holiday Dangers
                    by Odin Roark

‘Tis greater to give than receive,
Begging the question: “Of what?”

Stuff remains the easy answer,
Cloaked in its brightly colored paper and ribbons,
Urging “Oohs and Ahs” from receivers,
Few can resist .

But what of a kind gesture in place of goods,
The finding of compassion and sympathy for the truly less fortunate,
Exercising that ephemeral spark of humanity once primary,
But now rapidly becoming an endangered principal of our species.

Hope hangs on…

The aware heart knows,
Like much of nature,
Humanoids can’t last forever,
That gathering of a materialistic image,
Buttressing the seductive illusions of generosity,
Be they religious or secular,
Knows only an all-consuming downward spiral,
A self-destructive glitter that blinds
As it drills deeper into itself,
Disintegrating at the end
Into the loss of “caring”
Fate’s delivery to a wide-awake darkness.

How habitual these temporal leanings,
How belittling to what innate mankind once wished to be.
© Odin Roark  Create an image from this poem.
Categories: leanings, christmas,
Form: Free verse

Premium Member Guidance

Be kind, for kindness is a soothing balm,
care for others, reach out and don't hold back
desire to sail life's seas in waters calm,
expect no thanks giving to those who lack.
Favour none you offer help above the rest,
give freely, wanting nothing in return
have no high self opinion in tow lest
it brings you down and thus hard lesson learned.
Joy comes from humble leanings, selflessness
kind words and deeds your gifts, priceless these be,
love give with heart and soul, and nothing less,
make no grand gestures- humility the key.
Need no approbation, take no applause,
or take delight in shallow flattery,
pursue your path, eyes fixed upon the cause
quietly, so only the good Lord sees.


For contest, 'Alphabet soup', sponsor Kim Merryman
5th September 2016
© Viv Wigley  Create an image from this poem.
Categories: leanings, life,
Form: Rhyme

Premium Member Humanity

Harmonious co-existence vexes as
Ugliness of spirit overrides all sense:
Man, woman, young, old - locked in constant conflict.
Antagonistic leanings destructive, but
Nations are split by doctrine more than terrain;
Isolated, insular and self-serving.
Tempestuous relationships reign supreme;
Yawning chasm between status quo and potence.

Halcyon adventures wait amongst the stars:
Unite, Peoples of Earth... and ascend as one.
Majesty of universe lies before us,
Architects, wholly, of our own destiny.
Negative acts consigned to history books;
Inherent self-destructive urges shunned by
Transcending schisms and grasping conjoined purpose.
Years uncounted may pass, but faith shall be pursed*.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  

* pursed = rewarded

11 syllables on every line - checked with howmanysllables.com
14 November 2017 - my first Acrostic poem.

For the "Humanity - Acrostic" contest, sponsored by John Hamilton.
(2nd Place)
Categories: leanings, adventure, destiny, humanity, philosophy,
Form: Acrostic

The Fathers

The holders of custom and bearings
The teachers of manners and sayings 
The steerers of the leanings and standings
The givers of surnames and blessings
The fabric that makes priests and kings 
Are fathers in their fatherhood and fathering 

You are both shield and guide
In whom sons and daughters confide
You are both scion and pride
Of the society you are placed to abide
You are both the breadth and stride 
Of your kind’s spread; far and wide 

Be today celebrated but ever honored 
For all you have selflessly offered 
Good and faithful service unwaivered 
May your steps be Divinely ordered 
And likewise armed and armoured
For whatever storm to be weathered 

God be present in your sunshine and rain 
God give you joy for your pain
May all your toils bring you gain
Scale hills as though traversing plains
And all in all firmly remain 
Godly and righteous without stain

HAPPY FATHERS DAY.

K. Muitherero
Categories: leanings, fathers day,
Form: Rhyme

Like Wildfire

like gossip, love's epidemiology
causal, a vector rampant spreading
has another uncontrolled physiology
a loving caring directional heading

love can't grow in a Petri dish
unless you're an amoeba or other cell
if agape's agar to feed, would wish
then i'd suppose it could, as well

diseased with affection and devotion
the prognosis a fortunate telling
incurable in time, your love's emotion
opportunistic transmission compelling

we could seclude with quarantine
but why would we want to isolate
and keep inside of what i mean
an infective germ so obviously great

to catch a love disease, not so good
on some picnic blanket by river of love
as catching love to be, could, would
with your desire of desires, free of

animosity for all of sentient beings
to less thinking with other leanings
hard to be unaffected when all around
everyone, everything is happily bound

one to another and each bound to all
devotedly catching incurable contagion
laughing 'til crying and having a ball
loving each other, and all civilization

what a lovely way we could live life
if we could forgive and forget our ire
without avarice, worry, or greedy strife
just let the love spread like wildfire

© Goode Guy 2011-06-21

http://lyrics.wikia.com/The_Paul_Butterfield_Blues_Band:Love_Disease
http://www.naturalnews.com/010825_counterthink_drug_racket.html
http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/love-vaccine/ 

hit me with your best shot... ;-)
© Goode Guy  Create an image from this poem.
Categories: leanings, girlfriend-boyfriend, happiness, imagination, love,
Form: Quatrain

Bums Are Funny

Bums are funny, I don't know why
giggling 'til I nearly cry-

Silly nicknames are so much fun
like tuchis, tail, rump or buns

Some are dainty, sweet or cutesy
like heinie, cheeks, and petootsie

Timid hinting at their meanings
“back-end”, “behind”... backward leanings

While some are spunky, full of sass
like keister, bum, or tush, (or ass)

Posterior and derriere
both spell it out with quite a flair!

But buttocks, butt, or plain “backside”
bare it all- with nothing to hide

Haunches, hindquarters, can or seat
the list goes on without repeat...

Rear-ends, bottoms, duffs, full moons
all leave me laughing like a loon!
Categories: leanings, funny, humor, humorous, moon,
Form: Rhyme

Keep It Simple

Using words with hidden meanings
is for those with intellectual leanings
Poems that are complicated
are strictly over-rated
Give me a poem with simple gleanings.


Copyright: 12/31/2018
Categories: leanings, poetry, simple,
Form: Limerick

An Excercise In Alliteration

The garrulous, Greek grape gatherers,
Joined joyously with jocund japes,
The olive pickers and Ostrich plucker’s,
Celebrating the seasons success in song.

The querulous quiver of musical quavers,
From a quorum of quality wine quaffer’s
Reverberated robustly round the room,
And resonated rhythmically from the roofs rafters.

An altercation arose amongst some aggressive Athenians,
Averting an armed argument was avoided adroitly,
By brave, bold buskers, brusquely berating their bombast,
And loudly and laudably lamenting such Loutish leanings.
Personally I drank my Retsina and went back to my Hotel,
Categories: leanings, allusion, humorous,
Form: Alliteration

Premium Member On the Levees of Time

ON THE LEVEES OF TIME…
   (APROPOS WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE)

When the levees broke…when the levees broke…
     When the levees broke…
When the levees broke the world awoke
     From a submerged reality
Flowing beneath the bridge over trouble waters.
The copious tears of the domed encampment
     Could not wipe away the fears
Nor cleanse the minds of lost hopes floating
     In the midst of the mockery I see:
This land, this water, this ransacked America!

Shame is a white cloud reflected from the dark 
     Side of the moon;
Guilt seeks its own level; but the Lord said:
     Vengeance is Mine…
Indeed to err is human; to forgive divine…
     Mercy on we mere mortals!

When the levees broke…when the levees broke…
     When the levees broke…
Stitches that bound the veil and scale of justice
     Were ripped at the seam;
And it seemed that the bowels of hell
     Loosened their pregnant flow of terror
And unseen evil revealed itself to an intoxicating world
     Drunk with deception.

No receding water can was away the pain;
     The level of grief remains.
Like a wrinkle in time, minds of survivors flood 
     With memories of Middle Passage Crossing;
     deferred dreams of festering bloated bellies
     Of the dreamers; dreamers of a new Diaspora;
Dreamers drifting on the rafts of new leanings

Indeed we shall rise again from the depths
     Of hell’s waters;
Sail on the tides of new beginnings; no political anchors
     Nor the barges of time
Can hold us in check or prohibit our rising.

At our soaked wake, we shall keep a ripened vigil;
     The shadowed veil shall ever be rent.
All shall be naked before the world; truth revealing
     Its self like a burning bush;
And we shall come over into a new dwelling: a city
     Not made by hands of corruption.

And the Orleans of our beginnings here shall not fade
     From these memories:
When the levees broke…when the levees broke…
     When the levees broke.
Categories: leanings, america, betrayal, conflict, emotions,
Form: Free verse
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