Best Leathery Poems
An old man sits peacefully in deep thought
Missing teeth, milky eyes . . . leathery skin
Wind Rider his name – a shaman
The young man seethes in anger
Strong, excitable . . . limbs in constant motion
Standing Bear his name – dangerous and violent
Smoke curls lightly into the sky
A sacred moment upon the plain
Old to the young – a story
The soft voice rises . . . catches the wind
There is a battle that rages within each of us
. . . two wolfs circle each other
One is evil . . . it’s spirit is angry filled with
jealousy, sorrow, greed, arrogance, guilt
resentment, inferiority, lies . . . ego
The other wolf is good --- it’s spirit is filled with
joy, peace love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy
generosity, truth, compassion . . . faith
Each wolf is strong and howls into the night wind
Yellow-red eyes flair, deep throated-growls, bared fangs
Breathing hard they attack
Wind Rider lifts his heavy head
Feels the sun . . . waits
Standing Bear thinking . . . finally asks
Who will win?
Wind Rider smiles
The one you feed
\ /
|
|
/ \
David Meade
11/28/2014
Live Generously
Categories:
leathery, wisdom,
Form:
I attended a large gathering and took some time
to observe the great assortment of shoes stacked on the racks
I saw new shoes, pricey shoes, and shoes not worth a dime
and shoes that seemed to have crossed many paths and tracks.
I saw dainty sandals and flighty high heeled ones too
I saw sporty sneakers and rough and tough trainers
I saw both the laced and the leathery buckled shoe
Then I saw the humble yet hardy pair of slippers.
I saw pointy shoes, furry shoes and flatties as well
I saw flowery ones and those studded with trinket gems
Some stacked neatly in pairs, others thrown about pell mell
Some recently repaired, some coming off at the hems.
I saw long boots, rubber boots and
there were glittery Indian styled stilettoes
I spotted fragile glass sandals and metallic brass sandals
and soft comfy ones for comfort of feet 'n' toes.
And while I was thus lost and engrossed
in watching the great assortment of footwear
The old caretaker, to me, a cheap pair tossed
saying, ' here's an extra pair if you've lost your shoes.
She was too busy and distracted to be in my shoes of muse
So I'd to slip out thinking of some quick excuse
She didn't even notice I wasn't actually barefoot
So I had to take them elsewhere, both my muse and my boot!
Ah, and long ago when once we could afford only a 'shoestring' budget
I once hadn't enough bucks to replace a worn out pair of shoes
I was sad for not having even a good goody two shoes
Then God showed me a wayfarer's shoeless pair of barefeet
and then one hapless one with no feet at all!
So I could imagine life being in their missing shoes.
(Footnote*
Wonderin where I saw so many shoes off peoples feet? Well, in our religious gatherings say for prayers in the mosque hall or even the religious lecture hall, we've to enter barefooted and sit down crosslegged. So that's where you come across all kinds of shoes on racks provided in the cubicle.
Actually in the Disney movie, 'THE PRINCE OF EGYPT', i marked that even Moses took off his shoes before talking to God.)
Categories:
leathery, humor, inspirational, social,
Form:
Quatorzain
Winter's whimsical nature comes with
fickle freeze, cold pervading every fibre
How I remember you, red hot
against the white snow
Smoking volcano
against permafrost desolation
How your aura lingers in my brain
fleeting perfume, breeze of ozone
The sweet sweaty scent of long nights
leathery lines grafted in my skin
The fragile steps we took, tension
of our vulnerability in closeness
Sweet brokenness, tender hurt...
Worlds of ice can not find my
Duvet of snowflakes, simulation of
soft warm goose down
Mirroring remnants of our souls
that sleep in dreamless reminiscence
***
May 17, 2017
Copyright © Darren White
Categories:
leathery, dream, love, memory, sleep,
Form:
Free verse
Grandpa
a kind face
skin leathery and creased from years of working in the sun
long jowls like a basset hounds
sad droplet eyes
always a slight aroma of beer
brown wrinkled callous palms
dirt-stained fingernails were evidence of an old man’s toil
a blue plaid shirt now ashen from wear
a tall man
always unshaven with scrapes of gray hair that would scratch you un-mercifully if he asked for a hug
he walked with shoulders hung and bowed over as if broken
that of a man who had known the burdens of inequality all his life
the kindness in his eyes reflected a graceful acceptance of his fate
his tears masked a rage and unforgiveness for the destiny of his children
late afternoons he would sit out yonder under a huge black gum tree
a blackened wood briar pipe a pack of red man chewing tobacco and a can of snuff beside him
one jaw always popped out as the tobacco had to sit just long enough before it was time to spit
he would sit in that shaded spot for hours on end
up till sunset most days
always staring intently at something out there
was it memories from his past
or perhaps the dreams of a past that someone stole
eventually, grandma would call out to him
Henry where you be?
he would always reply
after awhile
I’m just there…
I never understood what that meant before
Until now
Categories:
leathery, grandfather, grandmother, memory,
Form:
Free verse
Under her guidance, we stood at attention
Like a row of young soldiers, reciting the anthem
"Oh Say, Can You See?".. was a warbled contusion,
that could shatter your glasses, disturb other classes
out of tune, out of rhythm, but with avid enthusiasm
it could rattle the rafters of our little school
And with childish delusions, we thought we were cool!
As we stood in the room
she would move down the line
with a frown in the depth
of her leathery brow. She would bow
till her ear matched our voice
and her hand would be poised
with two fingers that cued,
keeping time with the tune.
She would grit all her teeth
bite the inside of cheeks
Such a serious task!
it was all that she asked
that we please.."DO YOUR BEST!"
When we mastered, at last
She would gasp, then exclaim
as we sang each refrain,
mixed with tears, she would clap
I remember it now...
Here I stand in this row
with my hand on my heart
as the first strain imparts
Yes, I know those old words...
they'll remain part of me
'til the day that I die
"O Say, Can You See?"...still familiar to me
But no..............I can't see....
with fresh tears in my eyes...
_________________________________________________
Categories:
leathery, 4th grade, nostalgia, old,
Form:
Free verse
A-Z Latin and Common names of plants.
A is for Acanthus Mollis the Latin name but this does teach us
B is for the common name we know it as bears Breaches.
C is for Campanula some are short and some of them tower
D is for the common name the pretty blue Dalmatian Bellflower
E is for Erigeron a daisy like flower not keen on the rain
F is for its common name, a strange sounding Fleabane.
G is for Galtonia its nodding head like a bowing nymph
H is for the common name the snowdrop or summer Hyacinth.
I is for Imperata Ruba not so hardy let me tell you alas
J is for the common name It’s known as Japanese Blood Grass.
K is for Kniphoria Triangularis a tall flower when unfurled
L is for the common name the pretty Light of the World.
M is for Morus nigia a stately tree with hearts shaped leaves
N is not for the common name but NEEDS care when pruning as it bleeds
Oenothera biennis is for an ephemeral beauty a perfume delicate on the nose
P is for the common name, and we know it as the Evening Primrose.
Q is for Quercus Ruba a fast growing plant that looks tremendous against a wall
R is for the red leaves that this plant displays when in the fall
S is for Salvia greggii you will of heard of this I’ll will wage
T is for its common name we know it as a Texas Sage.
U is for Ugni a fruiting tree with leathery leaves that is second to none
V is for variety in fact in this tree there is only one.
W is for Wisteria that loves to ramble up wires and twist
X is for Xeranthemum the flowers are straw like and crisp
Y is for the Yucca plant a flowering beauty that last for weeks
Z is for Zantedeschia a lily, a variety of colours for you to seek.
© 27/03/2013
Categories:
leathery, nature, tree, beauty, flower,
Form:
ABC
The soft clip-clop of the horse
echoed amongst the dark fir trees.
The tall man rode bareback
along the winding path of the forest.
Resting on his leathery gauntlet
sat an alert hawk, listening and watching.
Soon it flew off towards some poor rodent,
His prey for the day. The man looked up,
Towards the range of high mountains,
Snowcapped but with a creek sliding down
the side of the verdant valley, and under a bridge.
Soon they arrived at the edge
of the vast green plateau. There, birds flew
up and down and whirled beneath the fleecy clouds,
chirping their enchanting, lyrical melodies.
Oh what a sight to behold as the hawk
Returned to his resting place on his arm.
The man slapped his horse’s neck and both flew
towards the far-off calm sea for a rest,
there to meet his love waiting for him.
Such pleasure as they played in the waters
whilst the hawk took a short nap
on the horse’s back.
Categories:
leathery, animal, beauty, bird, horse,
Form:
Free verse
Why did they plant the magnolia
in the tight corner between the house
and the garage? There is no room for a tree.
Each spring, she blooms valiantly;
each summer, she stretches her branches
with the large leathery leaves
over the roof;
you cut them. Last year,
I cried. The blossoms
unfold in front of my window.
Today, the more fortunate magnolias
all over town already in full bloom,
she holds out a few pink buds like fingers,
and the mutilated trunk sprouts shoots,
and there is almost hope
that something new may, once again,
grow.
From my new collection "The Eden of Perhaps", Spartan Press 2020
Categories:
leathery, hope,
Form:
Free verse
Dragon Anguish
Adam clenched his fists attempting to block his senses
from the growing growls that hammered against his rib cage.
The thousands of millenniums he had lived barricading his heart
from all worldly emotions.
Adam looked up at the daunting sky to flaunting dark clouds
creep overhead. He breathed in the sweetest aroma of petrichor.
Thunder grumbled breaking the silence in the coldness,
as strikes of white lightning flashed across the night sky.
He couldn't stop the desire to shift into a dragon and fly.
To feel the wind beneath him again, to stretch his wings
and weave between the clouds and roar.
Adrienne, his beloved was a mortal.
She was a lovely lithe blossom that he had vowed to protect.
Her smile would inspire leaves turn green
and flowers bloom and burst into color.
Her eyes were the color of the forest that would shimmer
like the night sky with a thousand stars.
She had a riot of long burnt umber hair
that cascaded down her slender back.
His memory's grip, craving her, again and again.
Kisses that engulfed and would open the doors of heaven.
Releasing a fiery passion within him engulfing his world.
When Adam had been gone hunting for food for several days.
Men from another clan came down from the hills
pillaged and burned the village, not a soul had been left alive.
He raised his head and gazed into the night,
never again would he unlock his soul.
Adam shifted and jumped as he spread his leathery wings
and flew in the cover of the night sky and the clap of thunder.
10/13/2018
Poetry Contest: Fiction - October 2018 Writing Challenge
Sponsored by: Dear Heart a.k.a. Broken Wings
Categories:
leathery, anger, bereavement, death, fantasy,
Form:
Free verse
I saw a young lady today who had a tattoo that covered up her arm,
It wrapped it up completely but it only added to her charm.
The tat she had was bold and it caused me to do a double take,
Because on her body was tattooed a coiled and smiling snake.
Its leering head appeared from over the top of her left shoulder,
And it gazed down the front of her shirt at something even bolder.
From the neckline of her tank top was revealed some kind of fruit,
Her bosom was changed into a tempting apple, to hide it now was moot.
Even though I could only see the stem, my imagination filled in the rest,
I tried to not think about her orchard but it put my will power to the test.
A lesson about temptation was being taught to all who came to seek,
I’m sure that it will lead some Adam astray if he should sneak a peek.
Her tattoo was ripe for the picking and it seemed she had a bumper crop.
But just like Sir Isaac Newton’s apple someday hers will also drop.
So let this stand as a warning and be careful which symbol you select,
Remember that the artwork that you choose is the image that you’ll project.
At nineteen nothing is cuter than a pair of angel wings so feathery,
When you’re old they’ll remind you that the end is near on skin that is so leathery.
But she did inspire me to get a tattoo and so to the parlor I did go,
I got the universal recycle symbol on the bottom of my big toe.
So when my time is done and I’ve finished my walk along life’s path,
They’ll attach my toe tag in the morgue and I’ll get one last laugh.
Categories:
leathery, funny, life, me, ,
Form:
Light Verse
From an aerial view, the sight of a beautiful red train
chugging along down the railway track
takes my breath away;
One moment I am watching a funnel shaped smoke stack sending puffs,
up towards the white cottony clouds then disappearing,
and the next I am hearing the sound of a whistle blowing.
A melodious voice is heard as a conductor enounces,
"tickets please,"
Out of my pocket I produce an admission ticket
that was long overdue ...
With one cotton white glove he presses the ticket
between his fingers then holds it up to his gold monocle and smiles ,
"welcome aboard then !"
He traipses over to supposedly important passengers that I cannot see
and leaves me sitting there, wondering about our destination.
How I got so lucky as to enter this magical snow train I have no idea,
but the scent of this leathery Kirlian man, still clings to my thoughts
like a revenant moment from a long forgotten past.
To Be Continued...
Categories:
leathery, appreciation, fantasy, farewell, forgiveness,
Form:
Narrative
~ Papa ~
Dawn broke uneasy o'er damp, dreary lane
Fish markets open, the merchant a-bustle
Hawking his fresh catch to eke out a gain
Daily routine, one of stressed, ceaseless hustle
Perils of prepping each fish for display
Callouses, cuts and old scars that he'd hide
Leathery skin soaked in brine and dismay
Profits already had started to slide...
Meanwhile at home wife and children slept sound
Knowing that Papa was busy at work
Earning a living straight up, pound by pound
Back-breaking labor which he would not shirk
Papa Giovanni, a man oh-so-proud
His praises be sung in the fish market loud
August 15, 2020
Strand Completely New (#25) Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Brian Strand
Categories:
leathery, business, family, fish, pride,
Form:
Sonnet
Written by Gail DeBole
and included in PS: It's Poetry
A PoetrySoup.com anthology published in 2020
Note: Grendel was the monster in the old English Heroic poem titled Beowolf written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet. John Gardner wrote a related book titled Grendel in the 1970's that told the same story from the monster's point of view. Soon after reading Grendel, I wrote this poem from the point of view of Unferth.
"My God, Grendel! Are you Godless?
You hold heads that drip with hate-deeds!
All your fury 'voids compassion.
Are you spiritless? Don't eat me!
I see eyeballs in your teeth-sneers.
Faded lips you chew with ease.
You are laughing - yet I've cry-tears.
Here's a toothpick. Now let me be!
I, leathery, bony, meatless;
Old gruff meat that breaks your teeth.
Unferth's ready, willing, fearless.
For you, I'll fetch younger meat.
Backed up now, your breathing eats me.
Close as bricks glued back to back.
Grendel, hear me! I will save you!
I will give you what you lack!
Name the fortune that you'd like.
I have charts of riches hid.
Under soil, far from man-sight.
I will give you what you bid.
Or think of mothers. You have one.
They're forsaken without sons.
And my mother's just the same.
For her sorrow, you'll take blame!
Grendel! Grendel! Let me go!
I am old, but I will fight.
Why, you vile, formless, foe!
I will tell you where"...
Categories:
leathery, adventure, evil, fantasy, imagination,
Form:
Rhyme
He stares
into the distance of the days,
of those gone and of those yet to come --
he touches no one,
is touched by no one.
Yet noisy commerce
around him flows, constant movement;
but movement without a change of place,
no progress forward, no backward retreat --
an illusion of movement, only.
He sees youths --
with no sense of self --
and leathery crones,
unhygienic vagrants,
no place to go,
assailed by noises --
a repetitious assault
upon the ear and air.
Still he sits,
in frozen semi-trance,
staring always inward,
but also into distance,
sentient and inert.
Categories:
leathery, angst, depression, emotions, grief,
Form:
Free verse
A Klingon Love Poem
(In Klingon and English)
tlhIngan bang bom tlhab
(pa' tlhIngan 'ej English Hol)
tugh mate beast qem jIH
flesh, cobalt jIb tear rip
metallic jeD rip qIj vo' DapIHchugh
ghaH ghob'e' nasty, Hegh mInDu' qul
Hurgh qab leathery
uglier Dunmo' tay embrace
dungeons Hurgh foreplay yInISQo' maHvaD
DeSDu' muSHa'ghach objects hurling jej
ravDaq pound, lojmIt pach maH
bey HoS jachpu'DI' DeSDu' morg maS
roar rur heavenly ghe''or Qo'noS vergh
jaQ neH rIQ qet bangwI'
Dub inflicted Hoch latlhpu'
rol taj jej taj
'ej HIv Ho' sharper
'Iw 'uQ'a' Hoch latlhpu' maH
ghob wej qa''a''e' pemHov lust
A Klingon Love Poem
(In Klingon and English)
Bring me a female mating beast
To pound her flesh, to tear her cobalt hair
Rip the thick metallic black from the head
She must be nasty, with fire in the eyes for death
A dark leathery face
The uglier the better for the ritual embrace
Let us foreplay in dungeons dark
Hurling sharp objects at love
We will scorch the floors, claw the doors
Howl out loud at the moons of Morg
Roar like heavenly hell on Kronos shores
My love runs deep in the wounds
Inflicted on each others backs
With razor sharp knives
And sharper teeth attacks
We will feast on each others blood
Do battle till the sun comes up with lust
Categories:
leathery, abuse, adventure, beauty, emotions,
Form:
Free verse