Best Learned Poems
Grit in her eyes beaming fortitude of vibes
Powers her dash from one end to the other
Handing out drinks: brandy, whiskey, beer;
Serving high rollers and surly poor-souls
Where lights are flashing as machines jingle
When luck adjudicates winners and losers.
Watch her essence of fiery determination
Fueling her steps, gathering her strength,
As she churns numbers quickly in her head:
Grocery, rent, money for mother’s meds;
And some she’ll spare for her father today.
Hurriedly she sprints when her shift ends
Examining faces torn by ills, unwell, hapless
Under the bridge, by the train station,
Recalling childhood’s happier days within
Sound of his soft voice, calling her princess.
Abruptly she freezes, recollecting the scene,
Standing like a milestone on edge of the street,
Lips quivering, eyes tearing, pausing to forgive him
For abandoning them in a reckless charade
When suddenly a child became a parent…
So much about living she has learned since,
But not much about how to bury the dead.
May 11, 2020
HM: Brian's Select 8 Contest
"A woodland path in the dappled sun, hushed and quiet "
~A Rambling Poet~
A canopy of trees
filters the sun for me,
and I am grateful...
For I do not feel like
having the rays glare
in my eyes today,
in a brooding mood I am.
The earth is damp,
drunken with dew,
seemingly commiserating
with me
I lay myself down,
jagged rocks beneath me
--cutting, rough--
and I welcome it
For it grounds me,
a reminder
that not everything
is sunlight and blooms
I sink in my darkness
and close my eyes
to dwell in it and drown,
just sighing
For an eternity,
I am mired with
muck and moss in my mind,
thoughts eroding
to nothingness
...until I open my eyes
to Wonderment
The trees above me
stand tall and proud
in their radial glory,
the sun just
breaking through,
shimmering, dappling
my cold being
Leaves gilt with light
blink back in awe
and I am floored,
blanketed by warmth
of hushed spirits
surrounding me
These trees
tell their tales
of growth and survival,
of yearning for
that light,
of their struggle
to catch a glimpse
of heaven...
of capturing
its light,
using it,
feeding off from it,
in order to
give back to others
some of them stumble
yet most of them
succeed
I am humbled.
I am awed.
Yes, the canopy
gave me shade,
temporary darkness
from the light,
I look up again
and realize
that the tiniest
pinholes of hope exist,
reaching deep within...
little sparks
that set off
a chain reaction
of life
--June 11-12 (2011)
Don’t take a walk after a large glass of tea
If someone says, “sure take as many as you want”
They probably don’t mean it
Darling you are sooo sweet I could never get angry with you,,,okay this one is self
explanatory
One size fits all-ohh puleeese
Help yourself to anything in the kitchen,,I really thought I meant it
Going 65 through a curve marked for 45 is just stupid, but exciting
Feelings are fickle
When in doubt, a sincere look and slow shake of the head seems intelligent
It will only take a minute,,,,yeah well Im countin by the long hand not the short one
If you climb that high are you sure you can get down, sure on the way
Up is different then sure at the top
Being really cold and getting into a hot shower and feeling
The warm water melt through you is better than sex,,,,okay its been a long time
The second time around is better
It will only hurt for a minute, then let me pinch you until it stops
Make up covers a world of hurt, but then it goes in the cracks and your
Face looks like a drought hit it
Friends that will laugh with you, cry with you, and never give up on you are
~priceless~
Wisdom comes from practice not from age
A good mood is a choice, okay most of the time
A snack to a teenager can be the roast you cooked for dinner
When you fuss at your kid then sit down and find no
Toilet paper,,,,there’s a problem
Hope
sparkled
brightly like
a ruby stone
once upon a time
until I learned
I had to
polish
faith
June 7, 2020 for Emile Pinet's Ninette Contest
The day I learned,
you were in love with
her,
I cried.
The day I learned,
none of it was real,
I cried for weeks.
The day I learned,
you never loved me,
I wanted to die.
There must be an iota of feelings,
or you wouldn't have said I love you,
at least on the outside.
When One Has Learned
When one has learned to laugh at life, find humor in its flaws,
And realize that strife and stress are part of worldly laws…
When one has learned to ride the crests of hopes by which to live,
And thankfully accept and bless the joys that life does give.
When one has learned to acquiesce with dreams that can’t come true,
But listen closely to the cries of others dreaming too…
When one has learned blue skies above are part of earthly days,
A stepping stone to greater joy on Heaven's golden rays…
When one has learned to enjoy life with grand reality,
That life is but transition time to immortality…
One will have earned serenity, sublime reward for faith.
© Sandra M. Haight 2015
All Rights Reserved
~1st Place~
Contest: Interlocking Rhyme
Sponsor: Isaiah Zerbst
Judged: 02/02/2014
I never heard or read that Texas slaves
were captive still, by masters so depraved,
till June nineteenth of eighteen sixty-five,
when news of freedom reached those still alive.
No passage of my school books ever claimed
there even was a day with such a name.
At forty-five, I had the chance to learn,
amid the news of riots, tear gas burns
of Black Lives Matter, president’s loud shouts,
of Juneteeth’s name and what it’s all about.
That made me ask what else about our past
does not get taught in schools, but should at last?
Who else’s triumphs over any hate
should all kids learn about and celebrate?
Lessons Well Learned
(from The John Poems)
You taught me what love is
then took it away.
You became my sunlight
then banished the day.
You awakened my body
to love of a man
Then condemned me to live
without the touch of your hand.
You brought life to my heart
and opened my soul;
You nourished my mind
and made me feel whole.
But now thanks to you,
I've also learned pain.
I know now that loneliness
Can drive you insane.
I've learned of betrayal,
loneliness, mistrust---
And I know understand
the myth that was us.
That first kiss--De-lish! Smooth like Hagendaaz!
I was in my fourteenth year, too green to see his flaws.
I, the skinny Yankee teen with glasses on her face
met the proverbial "preacher's son" (I doubt in God's good grace).
On the brink of womanhood that summer, still a child,
butter on cob of Iowa corn, I melted when he smiled.
He, my best friend's cousin, was older, fun, and tall,
entrancing me with teasing eyes and sexy southern drawl.
Snuggling in the car's back seat, I got a secret thrill
hearing on the radio, "Won't you marry me, Bill?"
Adolescent daydreams wrapped in tune of "Wedding Bell Blues,"
the music, his accomplice, helped him with his ruse.
The kisses were delightful though my memory now is dim
of the moment when precisely all changed upon his whim.
Unhappily, one balmy Alabama night I learned
the kisses I enjoyed most with him he later spurned.
Soft and playful smooching, I learned while in the South,
would be replaced by lustful tongue that slithered in my mouth!
(how I felt as a young girl anyway; it takes a special guy to pull off "proper"
French kissing AND also the first kind I liked so much!)
........conversation.................
Grammaticus LongWindyGust
"...I'm a Lime too..." said his mind.
Her voice in time, came through.
It's the base of her name, he knew true
as he proclaimed in a loud verse,
that he's a duck too...
"Regulus they aim to rewrite us"
demarcation of the strat.Osiris
...they can't be serious? On papyrus?
"... to train the faithful..."
so the Fremen.taught.us
"... tell me of your homeworld, sulu..."
Shades of the grey in a bow.
The sun...
"...Hadrian, had I not run..."
cycles time, the route of one
"...my Duke Let.go...
and I am. Awaken..."
In the List of Tribes Anonymous
is a kiss from a Cat.Coalaborus
labor of the Hola!sTree.Us.
"...at times you felt notorious..."
I'm of the Proud, Lion.
My watchful eye is first of four on.
A formation, creation not of abrasion
but of rhyme, and my name is Sound.
"... take care the deer,
near the sill of my ground..."
An odd.long.story, from a curly mound
;)
inspiration: Vomiticus Grammaticus--Ground Zero
Do the right thing even if you get criticized for doing it.
If you are absolutely convinced you are right...reconsider!
Setting a goal is the first step toward reaching it.
You will never enjoy having something you stole from someone else.
Say “no” to more things than you say “yes” to.
The less you do the more tired you will get.
Live each day as though it were your last. It may be!”
You cannot outrun a bad reputation.
Once people see you at your worst, they will always remember it,
no matter how much better you get.
Be yourself, you cannot be anyone else.
Never trust anyone who has lied to you to your face. The biggest liars
will tell you up front they are not lying.
Don’t be afraid to speak up if you know what you’re talking about;
if you don’t know what you’re talking about...
for goodness sakes, keep quiet!
Never give somebody something you want for yourself.
You can go home again, but it won’t be like it was when you left.
“Don’t do as I do, do as I say” is horrible advice and a worse example.
Silence is not golden when you choose to remain silent
in the face of injustice, bigotry, and bullying.”
Do not give a second thought to the enemy who speaks ill of you...
expect it!
One of the best ways to judge another person is to look in the mirror.
If you are not a better person today than you were yesterday,
you wasted some valuable time yesterday.
When you lose your self-control, it is very difficult to recover.
No matter how hard you try to change their opinion of you,
some people are never going to like you!
Sitting here all alone
Getting lost in my head
Wandering off in the fields of your game
Soaked by the pouring rain of your lies
Burned by the pain spreading like a wild fire
Silent tears aflow speeding down to lakes
I am left stranded on the brink of drowning
alone
Lost in my dark world
Dwelling on the past
Letting anger boiling in my heart
My mind is on fire spitting harsh words
I am miles away from forgiving
Time speeds away and tomorrow becomes today
Still you are rewinded in my head
And time and again sitting in my own pool of tears
Never realized how much precious time had slipped away stealing a piece of me into damnation
I am hurt
I am broken
I am sad
And I am worn out
So today I am going to care for me
I am forgiving you to fade out of my mind
From this day on you are a memory of a well learned lesson
Today I am walking with my head up
and smile like I just received a box of Macadamia chocolate
I am free and I'm gonna love me more
Peace out...
Smile
Akkina R Downing
6-20-17
As a child I loved to dream,
making my days and nights grand.
Reading made my dreams come true,
far off places I wanted to see.
As the many years went by,
some dreams came true,
others lay dying.
What I learned through the years,
as an entity in the dream we conjured-
we know not we are-
both the dreamer and dreamed.
How then may we wake up,
when we are in trance,
in bondage to illusions-
we ourselves streamed.
In this trance or bondage,
we may want to awaken-
but must we?
Maybe as the dreamer,
we need to be left alone to dream.
We enter this world with a cry
while those around us rejoice
Silently we take our leave
while those around us weep
Charles Green was eight years old, and his father was a great teacher.
Yet, Charlie preferred playing to school; because he was a daydreamer.
The Greens lived in the town of Ivoria, where dahlias nodded greeting;
And Charlie frolicked with Sam and Scarlett, until sun came, bleeding.
Samuel and Scarlett were his siblings. Both got good grades in school;
Like gardens dyed in burgundy, red, orange, and gold, lovely as jewels.
Fantastic, flaming nights were not far, and gusts fitfully tossed flowers;
As good friends flattered the family with visits, like silver glazed hours.
Funny family rode for miles, to laugh jokes, or olden days, out of focus,
When fruitful summer was finally full-grown, and jade frogs visited lotus.
Charlie lived in the house of enlightenment, like a saffron sun, forever;
Where lilac breezes brought on awareness, in emerald days of whatever.
Soaring ravens owned the satin nights, when navy twilight was missed,
On Charlie's street of songbird serenade, and big moon, still sun kissed.
Formality was never necessary with neighbors, when they came calling;
In a pretty nation of nearsighted novelty, where aged time was crawling.
The touch of jazzy 'jade vines,' adored June, and monkey tail cacti leapt;
As 'jungle velvet dottie' posed pretty, and 'little baby dwarf kowha' wept.
'Alien egg succulents' waited an eternity, only for pleasure of being born;
And 'blue shrimp' plants swam sadly, like snows, as weather turns warm.
On his way to school, Charlie began to dawdle. Frogs were so much fun!
Like honey sunshine on the first rose, back when scents were first begun.
Charlie's lateness was fun for a time, as neither of his parents knew of it;
Then his teacher made him realize, that with learning, the sky's the limit!
She finished her talk with the following words, that haunted him forever;
And made him a better pupil and person, like all honest, fruitful endeavor:
'A diller, a dollar,
A ten o'clock scholar,
What makes you come so soon?
You used to come at ten o'clock,
And now you come at noon.'