Best Lief Poems
Ek was gevra om ietsie oor Pa te sê
Maar waar begin ek nou
Wanneer daar eintlik net een ding is wat ek nou wil doen
Om steeds my arms om Pa te vou
Maar nou is Pa weg
Na ‘n plek waar Pa tog graag wou wees
Bo by Liewe Jesus
Maar bly steeds hier by ons in gees
‘n Man met ‘n hart van goud
Wie slegs goeie dinge oor mense kon sê
‘n Bonatuurlike liefde vir ons
En wie slegs die beste vir sy kinders wou hê
Streng het ons grootgeword
Maar dit was oor Pa lief was vir ons
En alles wat ek as Pa se dogter wou hê
Was dat ek Pa se hart van trotsheid laat bons
Nou is ons Pa en Ma se maatjie weg
Ons belowe om mekaar te ondersteun
En aan die herinneringe te hou van ‘n besonderse man
Wat God slegs vir ons kon leen
‘n Man met ‘n Hart van goud
Dit is hoe ek Pa altyd sal onthou
En nou is dit tyd om totsiens te sê
Al wens ek, ek kon steeds my arms om Pa vou
*Dear PoetrySoup Members. I apologise to those of you who does not understand Afrikaans, but this poem is dedicated to a dear friend of mine who is Afrikaans. She told me a little bit about her father who recently passed on and I decided to put it together in a poem for her. I hope you guys do not mind. TS poetry was an absolute gem and translated what I wrote in my poem in his comment below. Thank you TS Poetry*
Categories:
lief, father, father daughter, loss,
Form:
Rhyme
Just a poetic (souper) side note courtesy chief
wordsmith brother unaware ye experienced grief
diagnosed as walking pneumonia please bull lief
yours me, he doth care and breathes sigh of relief.
Gratis the miracle of modern medicine wife
of Richard McGeehan, he offered succor
during serious bout when ye suffered strife
lovingly tendering lifelong counterpart
spelling finis regarding any galavanting nightlife
nurturing mother of their grown son (Brendan),
who immersed her whole self as housewife.
How aware ill luck of the draw
found thee inexplicably stricken
with serious malady against the law
nearly necessitating travois
(maneuvered by Kit Carson)
to transport thee to medical center.
The above stanza unbeknownst to you
analogous to current reading material
myopic eyes of mine view
historical fiction titled
"A Most Desperate Situation"
authored by Walter Cooper,
I just might maintain as keepsake
among various and sundry other books
lined up like soldiers upon shelved queue.
Courtesy perusing selective material
not so much to become boastful
self pedagogical ace,
but merely to expand knowledge base,
whereby latest erudition
preoccupies mindscape with displace
called realm of imagination
allowing, enabling, and providing me
to travel into hyperspace
only welcoming family members
like thee dear sister into myspace
a beloved sibling
thirteen plus months older
glad ye got begat December 1st, 1959
whereby ye got fifty two plus weeks headstart
to join (chance throw of genetic dice)
entrance into human race.
Though Amelie Beth Harris-McGeehan born
more than three score and three years ago
if series of unfortunate events would befall thee,
this sole brother would certainly mourn
and with futility emasculate and scorn
himself until... his own plaque
designating his buried cremains
in lieu of tombstone worn.
Categories:
lief, angst, blessing, brother, december,
Form:
Rhyme
Beard or bard? queried chief counsel, The Spit.
Bared wit: "alike drunkn greif".
Berkspeller loose in the fief!
Beware, none sings from his lIEf...
Categories:
lief, humorous, language, perspective, poets,
Form:
Englyn
Anyone can write…
and drown in their self-delusions;
from persons into personifications
lists of passions, glorify self's illusions;
down those lists,
most veiled by incomprehension
one's passion is most often expressed
as the byproduct,
of misconstrued personal emotions;
therefore, in these briefs that follow
rest some seeds for those
whose mental fields lay perpetually fallow…
Xenocrates, his gods being unity and duality
i.e. episteme, aisthesis, and doxa
are lost to US,
by rue of epistemonike aisthesis;
Mersenne's numbers,
to Eratosthenes' sieve
Erd?os' factorization,
and Archimedes' constant conceived;
Holy vowels expressions!
Great Gobs of Goose shite, please!
release US from this context,
relieve this tumultuous tease;
probe Bertrand's Postulate,
exposing your thinking's
prime numbers seized;
however shallow, and wordless
your tongue tied thoughts do concede…
so many things are above me,
so many more lay beneath
my scratching, itching, and twitching
these are reminders of my simpleton's grief…
in this fiat before me
on these issues held, and in my beliefs
that my mind is much more
than the street corner tavern's
proverbial hat rack…
now that's a relief!
What is it within US?
that sullen darkness and introversion hides
those snide daily reminders
the eclipse of the sun
and or a debutante's swoon
a cheap parlour tricks wonder
or that pin-striped baboon's face
we each express as we howl at the moon…
Excuse me this meandering
but, it is my gut busting chortle
you now so surely conceive
that this little snippet from our dear William
does so help you believe
that we all live this one time
so as ourselves, do profoundly achieve
what your inquisitive conscience
exposes as your life's
most constant semibreve…
['Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be as live to be
In awe, of such a thing, as I myself.']
in conclusion of
this bit of confusion
do infuse this allusion
as your daily transfusion
of the smack of illusion
and the sole, blithe, transformational revolution
now necessary for your mindset's
ever changing and ongoing mental de-evolution.
Categories:
lief, poetry, political, rap, writing,
Form:
Free verse
As the torrid waves crashed into the bay,
the mists start lifting, bright shines a ray
that pin points a rocky reef.
A tree with one leaf
standing there
lief
yet so bare,
became a motif
for sailors bringing relief,
and the seagulls screaming, dive and play,
as the torrid waves crashed into the bay.
written 02/12/2015
contest An Inverted Form
Categories:
lief, sea,
Form:
Rhyme
Loving you the way that I do, makes it impossible not miss you,
My heart, my soul, and my mind are connected to you,
Missing you is so intense, that only mediation gives me strength,
As I quiet my mind, I can remember how our flesh was intertwined, and how sexy is your mind,
I held on so tight, because your words gave me life,
As we shared DNA your wisdom blew me away,
As I beheld your melanin, I could feel my strength increase from within,
My heart beats for you like the sacred Bougarabou,
Ek het jou life
Ek is lief vir jou
Ndzakurhandza
Ke a go rata
My King, I will always love you.
Categories:
lief, africa, boyfriend, devotion, i
Form:
Ballad
From the deep recesses of mind
emerges a stimulation
that necessitates a defined
sudden, high-level invention.
Once imagined its stay is brief
and must be dealt with before lost
to distraction. I would as lief
act on its potential than toss
it on an unheeding scrapheap.
Each notion is temporary
and must be exploited to reap
whatever essence there might be
notwithstanding it goes to seed
or an idea that succeeds.
Categories:
lief, inspirational,
Form:
Verse
A HEART OF GOLD
A
Symbol of a
Seraphic being you are,
For to the hopeless, without a
Behest a chest of hope on a platter
Of silver you offered, and the cold
Maimed, with your fur, warmth
You gave.
To
The feeble minded
In the battle against cruel fate.
Courage for conquest you gave.
To the ravenous innards, through
The darkest ravine undaunted
You trod to feed.
The
Cleaved hearts from
Belied oath of love,
Solace, found in your
Salving speech.
The solitariness fissured hearts
In your companionship suture found.
Nothing
Have I seen,
That you would begrudge
For a heart of gold you have
Even your life, you would as lief
As the celestial liege give.
For his nature, in you reflects.
He, though, just a pearl had, but on
The altar of love down laid him.
For the hallowed carmine from his
Sinew our flaws to blot.
Oh
How like the sun you are
For though we are by distance barred.
Yet, the warmth of your benign rays
Here I feel.
(DEDICATED TO THE GIVER)
Categories:
lief, thank youheart, heart,
Form:
Free verse
Randy likes all the girls
Curly Sue has lots of curls
Les just could not be much more
Mary's had husbands galore
Lief lives up in a tree
Rick has stacks of wood to see
Rock always lays on a hill
Woody loves a blue pill
Bob's up and down the street
Neil can't stand up on his feet
Taylor sews clothes all day
Doug makes holes for pay
Chance would bet his last quarter
Eileen has one leg shorter
What do they all have the same?
They all live up to their name!
Categories:
lief, humorous, word play,
Form:
Couplet
Ek het jou lief
Ek het jou lief , nie net vir wat jy is nie ,
maar vir wat ek word waneer ek by jou is .
ek het jou lief nie net vir die hoogtes wat jy bereik nie
maar vir die hoogtes waarheen jy my lei.
Ek het jou lief , vir die goeie dinge wat jy in my na vore bring.
Ek het jou lief, omdat jy al my swakhede oorsien wat ek niekan mis kyk nie,
en omdat jy die lig en verborge skoonheid in my raak sien
wat ander nie die moeite doen om te vind nie.
Ek het jou lief, omdat jy die moontlikheid van swakheid in my igroneer
en omdat jy slegs agslaan op die moontlikheid van goeie in my.
Ek het jou lief omdat jy jou ore sluit vir die wan klanke in my
, en eeder vir my musiek vir die lewe bring.
Ek het jou lief omdat jy my help met die balke in my lewe
sodat ek eendag 'n tempel daarmee kan bou.
Ek het jou lief omdat jy daarin geslaag het om my gelukkig te maak
waneer ek nie eers wou smile nie.
jy het dit gedoen . . . Nie deur aanraking nie .... Sonder 'n teken ... Net deur jou self te wees.
ek het jou onvoorwaardelik lief?
Categories:
lief, beauty, blessing, cute love,
Form:
ABC
He grew up in the bay area
Bad to the bone
Tattooed out
Yeah he something to talk about
I love him to deaf
California baby
California baby
He is my California Baby He is from the bay area
He got me going crazy
He got me saying I love you in many different languages
(Spanish) Te quiero
(Germany) inch liebe dich
(Italian) ti amo
(French) Je t’aime
I’ am glad to call him mine
Every headlight I see when I am driving
I be wishing it was you
And I' am definitely thinking about you
Always
Trust you, Trust me
Trust you, Trust me
With all my heart
Never disrespect me
Or called me out my name
Always encouraging me to do my best
Love like this
Most people would think it was blind love
Will if it’s blind love
Then let me be blind
Because it feels so
good when
I’ am with you
Words that I want to say
it can be hard
To say
But its something that I’ am willing to go
through with you
I go through it with you
I don’t mind calling you mine
It’s’ even worse when we part from each other
I miss him like crazy
He is my air that I breathe
He is my ride and die
He is my death do us part
That’s how much
I’ am in love with him
I love you
California baby
California baby
He is my California baby
He is from the bay area
He got me going crazy
He got me saying I love you in many different languages
(Afrikaans) Ek is lief vir jou
(Bulgarian) Obicham te
(Mandarin) Wo ai ni
(Czech) Miluji te
He is my California Baby
By Shaniki Smith
Title: California Baby
Date: November 27, 2018
Categories:
lief, i love you, love,
Form:
Verse
Ek wou nie wees als wat ek kon
wees,
Ek wou nie meer 0800 gedoen het
as ander,
Maar ek moes, om 'n beter
toekoms te he.
Troep maak seker die
vlag op jou linker skouer waai
altyd vorentoe,
Trope grawe daai gat,
Troep skeer jou hare,
Troep, is jy lief vir jou land.
Dit is maklik om n mens te laat
doen wat onmenslik is
As jy hom eers laat vergeet dat hy
mens is.
Afgryse is minder afgryslik
As dit deel is van jou werk
beskrywing.
Toe ek my eerste dooie kind
gesien het,
Het ek my self oorreed dat dit is
waarvoor ek opgelei was.
Toe ek my tiende dooie kind
gesien het,
Het my brein hulle in 'n
kompartement begin stoor.
Toe ek my eerste dooie soldaat
gesien het,
Het ek myself gesê dit sal nooit
ek
wees.
'n Familie man lyk net soos 'n
terroris.
Jihad beteken heilige oorlog,
Maar ek het die verkeerde god
aanbid in daai land.
Hulle oorlog was 'n oorlog teen
my.
Ek het geantwoord met my
geweer,
Nooit vrae gevra nie.
Ek het huis toe gekom met al my
vingers en tone,
Maar 'n gedeelte van my het
agter
gebly.
In die aand maak my brein daai
doods kompartement oop.
Ek was 'n soldaat,
Maar verkoolde lyke maak vir 'n
kak alarm in die oggend,
Lucifer se braai het 'n neiging om
aan jou neus te kleef,
Insomnia doen min om my
senuwees te kalmeer.
Meeste mense droom hul lewe
lank om 'n held te wees,
Ek herleef dit elke nag in my
nagmerries.
Categories:
lief, angst,
Form:
Free verse
YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS DUMB - A Benign Parody
(with sincere enough apologies and more to those who made the original composition an all-time great. T. Wignesan)
Refrain :
Yesterday when I was dumb
I couldn't tell a song from any sore thumb
All the tunes I hummed with my silent tongue
Were but tinnitus on my ear-drums sweet songs I sung
All the pretty frisky girls passed me quickly by
Yet I don't know why I couldn't even cry
I couldn't remember the sounds made by warbling birds
Nor the thunderous laughter I heard bursting from the clouds
All the songs I learnt line by line by heart
Kept mocking me in the stillness of my thoughts
(Refrain)
The wintry winds I weathered in my feathered bed
Warmed by lilting melodies in my love-sick head
All the words of songs lame casualties on my tongue
I could not sleep nights heaving on one lone lung
In my dreams I tussled with girls sticking out their tongues
I lisped some sounds like grunts to appease their wrongs
But I'd as lief be made a clown sans papier-mâché crown
Than be mocked by childhood girls I rolled atop meadow down
(Refrain)
Each full day I prayed for the right word to come to mind
Nothing doing ! I always mixed and twisted words on the line
Then I always drop shut the shutters, drew the curtains tight
Shut myself up in the shower to croon some line just right
" No bloody use " the misted mirror said : " You cannot win a Grammy "
" Oh ! What use is a tongue if it cannot taste the kiss of melody ! "
I've lived so long to know there's only one way to say : " Goodbye ! "
No words on lines nor tunes, just a look, a wave of a hand and a sigh !
(Refrain)
Yesterday I was dumb but today I have my own pounding tom-tom
With signs and signals to speak the language of the drum
And the orchestra sweeps over strings and the smiling moon
And I no longer seek to put words on line to croon
Oooh ! Yesterday ! I felt the stings in the cockles of my heart
Yet today I sing blood red the sounds surging through the chart
Oooooh Oooooh…. Yesterdaaay….
© T. Wignesan - Paris, May 3, 2019
Categories:
lief, irony, parody, silence, song,
Form:
Dramatic Monologue
Do you want me to leave you without tears?
Can I part, my beloved, without grief?
But separation drives shaft deep that sears
Thus my heart wounded dying most too brief.
Remembrance steals its way in like a thief.
Your sweet embrace is memory, yet there’s fears.
Adieu forever line is my belief;
Do you want me to leave you without tears?
For she does play the harlot sweet one hears,
And I do suffer having no relief,
Though sneering rogues give me now mocking jeers
Can I part, my beloved, without grief?
Such maledictions’ a fast turning leaf,
In life’s book warning me of sharpened spears
That try to pierce this hooded cloak all lief
But separation drives shaft deep that sears.
Her indiscretions cry to my sad ears,
A life of disharmonic notes motif.
Salacious living style that nay endears;
Thus my heart wounded dying most too brief.
Can I but take a something stellar chief
Her garter mayhaps mine to keep through years
Much better yea than countess’ lace kerchief
With wise wish my hurt brain now surely cheers
Do you want me.
Categories:
lief, grief,
Form:
Rondeau Redouble
A canticle I think I'll be,
A rimed thought, hoary and ancient,
Stinking as the dust heaped up empyreal on the hills of
The Judean sands;
And as dulled and dimmed as an archaic coin tarnish'd.
This is what I think I might be.
I'd as lief be this as any other you might care to name.
Valid is this, my remote and removed claim,
And it all began hereon.
O, that was an age ago, that remote and bygone time,
Rimed with hoar-frost and the whitishness of ancientness,
When as blood-soaked, cruciferous hills remote and circumvallatory or else
Perhaps circumferential to the great, walled city, itself circumvallatory;
When all this began.
When this particular beguine to which we've all been dancing lo this many score of years began.
It was as a woman bedecked in black on a Sunday morning newly kissed by the auriferous dawn,
(A goldener dawn than even that on which she met the man whose coffin she was now appointed to follow in a moribund processional, a macabre and solemn, ceremonial dance of death,)
Going down to the fixed graveyard.
That day was as the day on which I first deigned to join this,
And adopting unto myself the sobriquet, shibboleth "A canticle I think I be"
(For I was not permitted to use the full appellation I wished to apply to myself,
Owing to some stupid and recondite rule regarding and regulating the use and due conservation of characters: Yet not those as those of the mainstays of literature, no! I mean to say the characters that are synonymous with words and spaces and punctuation and the like,)
And here the tale ends, though 'twas not Moschean nor Noahide as
I perhaps meant it to be.
Oh, well: All's well that ends well.
(For was this not an idiotic tale, yet a harrowing one, whose lightest word would harrow up the young blood of any and all who saw it, read it, perused it?)
Categories:
lief, absence, adventure, allegory, anger,
Form: