Best Leisure Poems
Sunlight leaks
through the curtain
after I’ve thrown off the covers.
Downstairs the television flickers
as a roommate sleeps
on the couch.
He was talking politics
last night.
I went upstairs
and read a poem.
This morning
I walk into the kitchen
and turn off a dripping faucet.
The furnace hums
to fight off a chill.
The calendar says spring
as if my life has just begun.
I go out for a leisurely drive
where the countryside
speaks to me.
I come back home
and make a quick brunch.
Words dancing in my head
cry out for me
to put them on a page
as the cat sits on my lap.
The roommate rolls to his side
saying, April’s the cruelest month
while I say the cruelest thing
is writer’s block.
A jet passing over a crown
of trees at the end of the street
streaks the sky.
The roommate talks about a movie
he watched in the middle of the night
and its philosophy.
Did you like it, I say
as a bird outside the window sings.
Written: November 15, 2023
__________________________________________
Some seek leisure in the pristine wilderness
The solitary coast is the site of separateness
Each one is barred from harboring bitterness
The ocean thundering, roaring in its utterness
Nature fascinates me beyond my smallness
Never before impeded in the path of emptiness
From lackluster scarcity and austere emptiness
An itch for oneness in the cosmos of loneliness
We wait idly for the angel's plea for tenderness.
Laying within
warm arms
Gazing into your
green eyes
Inexplicable
your charms
You make my
love arise
The warmth you
always give
Leaves me alive
deep inside
No other way I
could ever live
You give me so
much pride
Never take your
love away
I will never take
mine either
Can't live without
you I say
Take me at your
leisure
One calm evening,
on a leisure drive with my wife
along the Inphal-Dimapur
National Highway,
I remembered
my overnight road journeys
to Guwahati for office work,
sometimes together with her,
before my retirement a decade ago.
Tedious journeys,
winding through the hilly roads
of Manipur and Nagaland ,
yet enjoying the beautiful scenary.,
Intermittent short stops,
taking tea and snack at roadside stalls,
passing through the busy marketplaces
in Dimapur and Assam.
Songs from Hindi films,
heard inside the bus
and at the marketplaces .
A longer halt at Jakhalaabandha,
where all took rest and food,
then arrival at Paltan Bazaar
in the morning,
searching for a hotel.
We decided once again
to go to Guwahati
when the covid pandemic was over
boarding a night super
to recreate once our past journeys.
Back home, our little grandson waiting
for me to play with him.
I remembered then,
as the days,months,and years pass,
there will be no true repeats in life.
( Published in the International Poetry Anthology-IT IS STILL POETRY )
Happy as a dream
Blues skies perfect picnic smiles
Leisure stay teasing
There once lived a woman called Lady-de Leisure, who turned not to men, but food for
pleasure.
She ate everything spicy and sticky and sweet, the poor lady could not even see her poor
feet. From dusk until dawn, all she would do was eat, drink, break wind, burp belch and poo.
But one day whilst eating her thirty fifth pie, the lady burped loudly, keeled over and died.
The funeral had to be held outside, but people they came to say goodbye.
The coffin itself, you’ve never seen bigger. The bearers were three forklift trucks and a
digger.
The hole in the ground was fourteen feet wide, and even then the coffin scraped at the sides.
So if you are thinking about being a lady of leisure, look elsewhere than food solely for
pleasure.
A dream vacation would be nice
All alone or with a little spice
Me, myself and I or a partner to ride
In the sky or on board
With some spice should I say more
You tour me and I tour you
Better yet let's tour the view
You never know what that can brew
Steamy hot and boiling too
On an island with a beach
Sunny rays no kids to leach
Surrounded with nothing but peace
Better yet surrounded by palm trees
In weather more than eighty degrees
Or better yet a place of sin
More amusing for adults and friends
Las Vegas where the night never ends
Glitzy, bright, casinos, right
A place where you really tend to spend all night
But maybe that's just too much fun
Just too loud with too many crowds
A better fantasy, romantic style
Paris or Italy wouldn't that be wild
A bunch of souvenirs of my fantasy compiled
The Eiffel Tower or the Louvre Museum or a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral
With so much to see maybe I should bring people
But what ever I do and this might seem evil
I'll bring adults no little people
A forsaken theme park, once a magic place
It’s hay day in the sixties, quaint and pretty
To go there now you won’t find a friendly face
Strange outcasts on the outskirts of the city
Rumor's fly with grave warnings of fallen grace
Chase you with a smile, sinister and gritty
Guarded with a shotgun, and it’s oh so grand
Doors locked, eyes open. Welcome to Leisure Land!
When I was a young boy,
The radio would blast in my ears…
I would cheerfully sing along to a new song…
Those memories come back to me like waves approaching me
I sang along with my mother by my side
She’s the driver and I’m on the passenger seat…
In other words, I called “shot-gun!” first
I prize these recollections and they make me beam so wide
Old memories spent with you are still there in my mind
You’ve painted me a picture of what you get out of life
Throwing out all strife…throwing out all strife
We welcome the sun…we welcome the son!
When I was spending happy days with you,
I didn’t know they could fade so soon
I didn’t know time would pass up by like morning to afternoon
Changes were made and I can’t change that
Where have you gone? Are you feeling OK?
Talk to me…I wonder about you every single day
But, all these years we’ve spent it on leisure time has come to hunt me down again like a predator,
finally getting its hands on its first victim
You sing so sweet, nightingale in the nightfall
I’ve memorized your face when you walk in the gloomy hall
Hear me as I call…hear me as I call…
You melt me like ice cream, left in the sun
When you remind me of the segments of my past,
I just want to tell you straight-out that I don’t care to hear about it
I’m sorry to act so harsh, but you’re looking back again
Don’t break my heart…it’s not my time to die
Yesterday…where have you gone?
Yesterday…you’re a long lost son…
Yesterday…you’re in the grave
Tomorrow… will be God’s Kingdom
Tomorrow…the day will be handsome
It’s sad to see you go…
While my family and I are spending good, leisure time
It’s tough to let you know
You’ve made me sad ‘cause you’ve changed big time
Might as well listen to music and shut out all sound
I was just a useless toy all along,
Stomped on on the ground…I’m gravity-bound
But, I won’t even try to sing this depressing song
Besides, it wasn’t arranged for one
But, nevertheless, I prayed to God with all of my heart
My leisure time was well-spent! Thank God my young heart didn't break apart!
Dog days endure
The happy summers beneath the turquoise skies
Unclouded sun as blazing chandelier comes to go glorify
Showering rays plentiful than august rains
Blooming bluebells roses in this season beautify
Stretching out for lounging in the pools
As earth's proximity to dog star sirius sucks away the cool
Childhood returns again as ice creams drip down the hand
Long lovely crimson hangouts exciting summer flaunts
Life seems an unending dream lasting forever
Fashionable tans and tank tops fill hearts and eyes with pleasure
Each moment a memory painted in pale canvas of passing life
Enchanting crepuscular rays of warm twilights keep extolling these days enclosure
17/10/2018
I wandered on a journey, in search of treasure,
priceless far beyond any kind of menial measure.
After weeks of hard trekking, 258 miles due West,
on 6/25 I lost my 20/20 vision. I needed a rest.
I was sick of the infernal heat on this tiring quest.
The warm breath of summer became quite a pest.
A coral snake bit me but I didn't cry and ballyhoo.
I ate him for dinner and wrote about him in Haiku.
I was singing my swan song; an ache in my breast,
so I gave up the search for finding that stupid chest.
Because of my selfish need for greed and pleasure,
I learned a life lesson. I've become a lady of leisure.
Views For Poems Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Funom Makama
Posted on July 15, 2020
Poem Name: Warm Breath of Summer
Views: 258
Poetry Form: Haiku
Date of Publication: 6/25/2020
Marble-sided buildings sunk in the sand
Jumped 40 glassy stories on command.
Everyone thinks life is nothing and money’s grand.
Rolling chair hawkers spiel and cutely chide
Sunday suited daddies to pay for their brides.
So, a cavalcade of marmalade mommies ride,
(Fatted infants firmly holstered at each side),
Tossing constant comment diapers drenched with pride
To the beach where broken dreamers slept and died.
Confused by DVD interactivity,
Lost in soulless Internet chat-rooms,
Spied on by precision satellites,
Tracked down by mobile phone texters,
Hit by multi-media bombardment,
Tied up with twisted video tape,
Engulfed by ephemeral nothingness,
Brain awash with binary,
Consumed by CD ROM gigabytes.
Call me stuck in the past,
Say I’m not cool, but cold,
Because my ideal is a good book ...
To have and to hold.
With an open heart and a loving mind
Affection flowing from my grateful pores,
The sight that so beautifully spends my time,
Children laughing and playing out of doors.
Here I sit soaking in adoring sun,
Children playing silly games in my drive,
Having a world of good, clean fun
Innocent hopefulness is so alive,
Loving my catbird seat, watching them play.
Dashing and darting, laughing with goodness.
Revitalizes me in every way.
Enthusiasm blatant must confess.
Nostalgia sets in, remembering my youth.
Leisurely days with my grandchildren here.
Aware suddenly I’m long in the tooth.
Urgent plea comes in from the youngest now.
Grandma, you can play! You surely know how.
Happiness Reigns, so take that Aunt Ruth!
Written January 24, 2019
Contest: Word Play Sponsor: Bobby May
This in reference to the famous poem of William Davies ,"Leisure ": What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare...
Endless wait, a lonely window pane
in a colorless world of corona despair
stop and paused, "poor life full of care"
that smile enriched, to "stand and stare".
See Davies, time vanished, untangled path
now in embraced arms of Mother Nature,
I step into her alleys, seamless beauty
In "streams full of stars", I find leisure
I turn and glance at her leaves and twigs,
their dance in breeze of tawny and green
singing through trees a choir of birds
rhapsody of colors, in silent fervent pulse.
petals touch me, emanating innocence
sunflowers nodding, fusion of red roses.
squirrels running, found their hidden nuts?
in pullulating grass, my memories all shut.
vermilion shades in its spring upholstery
meditation in mandala, teaches me poetry
a menthol aroma, a stimulus so serene
horizon to horizon, loveliness in between
In your osmosis I immerse, pores frenzied
inebriant in harmony, no more uncertainty
Soul liberated free, why didn't I before see ?
Mandala is a ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, represents spiritual journey within the individual
9th April 2020
Sponsor Chantelle Anne Cooke
Contest Name Serenity In Scenes Of Mother Nature |