Best Looked For(A) Poems
Far away in a
land torn with war,
she looked for a home.
She was not as pretty as
doves adorning lush gardens,
as exuberant as ducks to play
with,neither as useful as pigeons
in war. The lonely little cuckoo
flew from burnt trees to desolate
orchards. A black bird with yellow
spots on her feathers that other birds
found ugly. She looked for a home where
she'd be accepted for who she was. The
world hurled poisonous arrows at her.
Wounded, she fell in a garden waiting
to die until two little human hands
cocooned her. A girl nursed her agony
and made her feel loved. All her sorrow
began to melt and pour as rain on the fiery
land. She cried with her heart, her honeyed
voice, never heard before. The little girl danced
in joy and kissed her wings to let her fly but
little cuckoo sang to a world lost in pain, her
music blooming pink buds, rushing through
blue rivulets, swaying branches with
soothing wind, caressing parched souls,
raising spirits of warriors with hope.
She stayed for love, ecstatic
at her newfound lilac tune.
She'd found home
in a land
torn with
w ar to dr en ch
it wi th h e r
di vi ne s o ng.
July 11, 2020
Bird Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Constance La France
~Winner: 1st Place
~Poem of the Day: July 13, 2020
~Ranked #3 in Best New Poems for July 2020
Strangers are attacking me;
ruthless men seek my life—
men without regard for God. Selah
Psalm 54:3
GOD SEES THE COURAGEOUS AT WORK
Wild-eyed disregard for God —
The mocking tone, the spittoon.
The leering eyes —
they’re tiger’s eyes.
They plop near the weights —
the courageous snakes, and
throw balls of cannon smoke.
They hope that we will choke.
The courageous throw acid
in a virgin’s angelic face.
The courageous pounds their rusted
nails into fragile wrists and ankle saints —
these innocents whose haloed guardian’s
see the illuminated face of almighty God.
The courageous divide fetus parts,
roll them like dice, put them on display.
The courageous pillage, rape and sodomize
thinking if there’s a God, he will see it as sport.
They drink deeply the heart blood and soul
but none can escape the Ancient of Days.
Life is a pit, a mere hole for the courageous
to drown. They’ve looked for a fiery dragon
And he’s been found, awaiting the demise
of as many curs-ed petals he can find.
Selah…
if only for a moment the dead blinked,
the light of day might have saved their hide.
The brokenhearted will feast at the King’s table.
with no need to fear when evil is deceased.
9/24/2019
Maybe it's time we said a prayer
Maybe it's time we started to care
Maybe it's time we started looking for the truth.
Maybe it's time we began to listen
Maybe it's time we completed our mission
Maybe it's time we began to teach our youth.
Maybe it's time we ended the violence
Maybe it's time we broke the silence
Maybe it's time we eliminated the fears,
Maybe it's time we minded our business
Maybe it's time we showed forgiveness
Maybe it's time we stopped the flow of tears.
Maybe it's time we saw our brother
Maybe it's time we loved one another
Maybe it's time we wished upon that distant star.
Maybe it's time we answered the call
Maybe it's time we stood proud and tall
Maybe it's time we accepted people as they are.
Maybe it's time we stood up and screamed
Maybe it's time we lied down and dreamed
Maybe it's time we enjoyed the fruits of our labor.
Maybe it's time we showed some remorse
Maybe it's time we set a new course
Maybe it's time we acted like a neighbor.
Maybe it's time we forgot the sorrow
Maybe it's time we planned for tomorrow
Maybe it's time we looked for a Resurrection.
Maybe it's time we had a little fun
Maybe it's time we walked in the sun
Maybe it's time we headed in a different direction.
My only dream
~
I took this dream
that I found at the border
Painted it black,
much more easy to hide
Went to a shadow,
just sitting there waiting
Wished it farewell
and then slipped it inside
Went on my way
knowing something was missing
Looked for a song
that would tend to my heart
Whistled along,
out of tune with my feelings
Hoping I'd see
a new place I could start
It didn't work
it was all I was thinking
Turned back around
slowly headed for home
Took the spare key
that you sent in a letter
Opened the lock,
there was nowhere to roam
Turned on a light
found the shadow was missing
Tried not to look
or at least it might seem
There on the floor
it was patiently waiting
I know you will always
be my only dream
~
I'll tell you a tale
of our own Devil's Island
and the demonic crash
of the waves in the swell.
The smell and the taste
of the ball breaking weather;
the ghosts that deliver
poor sailors to Hell.
We were out in the water
in the Magdalens
the wind plucked the ropes
of our rigging at sea.
We looked for a port
and saw many lights flashing
"That's old Devil's Island,"
said the skipper to me.
Tongues began hurling
their fierce imprecations
"to come to the island
safe landfall to thee."
But the skipper turned round
the ship with a vengeance,
"That old Devil's Island
will never get me."
I thought he was mad
to be scared of a legend
it was my first time
in a storm on the sea
and two men washed over
to Davey Jones locker
"God bless 'em, they'll rest now,"
the skip said to me.
Protesting the treatment
of two forlorn sailors
I said to the skipper,
"It's not very well."
"It's better," he said,
"that they're resting in Heaven
than entering into
the portals of Hell."
The wind lasted the night
then the voices did falter
the lights blinkered out
and I saw very well
so many rocks, jagged
just waiting to smash us
the Devil's Isle gateways
await in the swell.
If you're on a ship
and the voices of demons
come tell you it's safe
in their harbor a lee
remember the shoreline
at old Devil's Island
then turn the ship seaward
and gracelessly flee.
Nippy air bites the skin, sunlight trails off in a sky so morose;
bare trees contemplate the yellow grass below mourning their lost splendor;
be that messenger of the Season's Greetings and avoid being sad and alone...
welcome to my holiday home at this special time of the year!
Assist me in decorating the pine-scented and candle-lit rooms ,
of my lair; please, come in and accept my hospitality with ardor;
let's chat over dinner and sparkling wine until darkness looms...
welcome to my holiday home at this special time of the year!
Anticipate the thrill of the Holidays with a big smile spreading cheer:
dream of snow, of Santa riding his sleigh from the cold North Pole;
he'll remember every good kid who has shown obedience and grace...
welcome to my holiday home at this special time of the year!
I looked for a Christmas Tree crossing the snowy boardline,
searching the nearest forest for the tallest, prittiest one
with the help of neighbors who had a good will and no fear...
welcome to my holiday home at this special time of year!
So much I will share and learn this Holiday Season announcing a divine birth
to the Earth below brightened by candles, twinkling lights and mirth;
admire my decorations of garlands and golden bells to make you merrier...
welcome to my Holiday home at this very special time of year!
Family, friends and neighbors gather around this fireplace that will bewilder us,
let's remember the wonderful birth of our Savior Jesus, who came to visit us;
hear the song of the angels echoing through the chilly air...
welcome to my holiday home at this special time of year!
I looked at the horrible faces,
agnostic,
I look at the beautiful faces,
pristine,
I looked for a summer in the midst of winter,
and for repose in a gruelling duel with death and oblivion.
I looked for salvation,
looked outside the door for breath and bread.
I looked towards the sun,
and inwards,
and moved upwards and moved closer to the stars,
within the cyclone of your scars,
within the summer of your love.
I looked before overlooking anything,
and beyond hope,
and before tomorrow and happy as I was
I kissed life on the chicks and sat
next to a pumpkin
and read limericks.
I looked within your eyes and tried to find out if they were true,
and since they were true I looked further into your heart,
and without further I do I said can we be one?
I sat under the bodhi tree and said can I be a bodhisattva,
and I was open to love and open to desire,
and open to freedom of movement
and the amorous rain fell on my toes and it felt so free.
I looked into your eyes and within your heart and saw love,
and saw possibility and discovery and laughter.
For I had tasted your love so much,
and tasted your dreams in my sleep.
I looked within you, within me, and tried to find your peace,
our peace.
It being a holiday, with friends, I went to chill out
In a gregarious company, partying was sheer fun
After a heavy booze, my first-time experience,
I fell flat, plunging into deep sleep and dreaming away
In my dream, I sailed away
Over the tame waters of a tranquil bay
And landed in a magic isle
Never set foot before by anyone alive
A pleasant retreat of birds and beasts
Far removed from world’s dust and heat
A tropical island with a magical spell
Hidden away at Nature’s veiled breast
The sky was rent with songs of birds
The air, smelling of odors sweet
Here and there were exotic blooms
Bird of Paradise, Plumeria and jasmine
I roamed frivolously from end to end
Of that enchanted land of idyllic charm
With twining creepers and tall growing grass
Proclaiming aloud of a perennial spring
My heart leaped in euphoric delight
My senses alerted in ecstatic thrill
My feet moved in an explorer’s gait
After the treasures stashed in its caverns deep
I rambled relentlessly through untrodden paths
Feasting on the marvels, my eyes could catch
Arching trees framing a leafy roof
And fruits, ripe and raw, hanging from every bough
As Nature, thus unveiled her bounty before,
My fancy, unfettered took to wings.
I loved my sway over that fairy land
With treasures galore that none could claim
But how suddenly loomed an unwelcome thought
That dampened my spirits and stole my joy
“Will I ever be able to see my folks
To be enmeshed once more in a warm embrace”?
Longingly I looked for a ship skimming the sea
To carry me back to my native land
To get united with all my loved ones
To live a life ever, as lived before
Like a marooned sailor, desperate, as I cried
To alert the ship that sailed away
I heard distinct my husband’s anxious query
“Darling, what made you scream so loud”???
I wished to improve on my character so,
I looked for a model to go by.
I studied the habits of men great and tall,
For one who seemed perfect in my eyes.
Men of fine profile and manly physique,
Were the first ones to cross my inspection.
First also dismissed for their physical charms,
Seemed all they had worth admiration;
And those who had money and power were wont,
To flaunt their importance and style.
An hour or two in this comp'ny could last,
A person a long, long while;
And so I explored yet another route,
The highway to high education.
Perhaps here I would find the virtuous man.
One worthy of my adulation.
I read through the tomes of scholars and scribes,
Philosophers, poets and statesmen,
And I never found a doctrine more sound,
Than the one left behind by Ben Franklin.
I climb that mountain every day
I have looked for a path or an easier way
My mind plays tricks but my heart it knows
To climb any other way would cause me to slow
Life is not fair, it is often cruel
I have learned my lesson I have been a fool
You cannot make an excuse, you cannot quit
You must keep onward and keep your wits
It is ok to dream, it is ok to hope
But don't get careless and let go of that rope
Maybe it is a curse, or maybe it is a mistake
But I think it is just life, and I call it fate
I sat next to an old geezer on a park bench
He looked at me, said "I can see you're a mensch"
Let me tell you what I've learned in the past 80 years.
"Oh no", thought I, but his words flew like spears:
"Who can fathom the deviousness of the heart
To know the mind from the face, there is no art.
Woe unto them that call evil good, take it as a clue
If they can't anchor themselves in the obviously true
Some claim darkness is light, and light dark
If you follow that lighthouse, you'll end up in a shark.
Prepare in advance, no practice leads to error
A peaceful scene then sudden terror
Never underestimate the fury of the wicked
It will come, as the prophet predicted.
You can work too hard, and not work smart
Get your sleep, take a walk, create some art
Your health must survive any deadline
Nothing achieved when a sprint is followed by decline.
The old man paused, took a sip of juice
Maybe this was my chance to break loose
I looked for a polite way to flee
But I was exhausted from my weekly game of Rugby.
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue
Words can cut deep even if sweetly sung.
There is no safety for good men, but to believe the worst of those
who when given two paths, the evil one chose.
Be slow to anger, make sure you understand
Incompetence rather than evil, often rules the land.
If a man comes to kill you, kill him first,
But seek truth and be wise, lest the roles reversed.
Do unto others as you want them to do unto you
Often they want their side heard, their point of view.
Hear out the extreme, the foreign, the new
For in the unexpected, there may be wisdom to pursue.
Hypocrisy is the tribute vice gives to what's good
We can't always live up to what we should
"And last," he said earnestly "I must preach
To think before talking, be concise in speech
Don't give strangers advice, for all our sakes
Especially if like me, you made endless mistakes
Be aware of your own contradictions
Know that reality is stranger than fiction.
"Thanks geezer", I said, "but I gotta go
"In the rugby game of life, you must have been a pro
In my hurry to leave my foot fell into a drain
All that advice, and now I have a sprain.
Age Discrimination is Rampant
By Elton Camp
Younger folks don’t think about such stuff
You will if you manage to live long enough
I didn’t experience it until after I retired
And looked for a new place to be hired
Jobs for which I was extremely qualified
My visage, interviewers suspiciously eyed
Just because I wasn’t young any more
I found that I couldn’t get past the door
Actually the money I didn’t really need
But wanted to keep ability up to speed
Computers I have taught students to use
Yet, tech incompetence some did accuse
And at one place, this young gutter snipe
Assumed I didn’t even know how to type
I was ignored or some false reason told
Not a one dared say that I was too old
But despite prejudice and unspoken jeers,
I found a job and worked for several years
Once upon a time
In a land not so far
Lived a lead footed man
Alone with his car.
He longed to go fast
Speed flawlessly down the track
So he looked for a car
A Mustang in fact.
It was love at first sight
From bumper to bumper
He adored her sleek look
And got rid of his clunker.
The metallic silver hue
How she sparkles in the light
Those amazing blue headlamps
Just look killer at night.
The windows tinted dark
The car low to the ground
She’s sure to turn heads
While driving around.
She was built to go fast
She was built to go far
Not sit in some garage
Like an old man’s show car.
He steps on the gas
The engine begins to roar
The turbo whistles loud
As the rpms soar.
The excitement is great
His heart beats fast in his chest
Shifting through gears
This time will be his best.
He speeds by his opponent
The world goes by in a blur
To the young man
Winning is the best to occur.
He’ll be noted as great
By friends and other men
Then get back in the staging lane
To do it over again.
I wished to improve on my character so,
I looked for a model to go by.
I studied the habits of men great and tall,
For one who seemed perfect in my eyes.
Men of fine profile and manly physique,
Were the first ones to cross my inspection,
First also dismissed for their physical charms,
Seemed all they had worth admiration;
And those who had money and power were wont,
To flaunt their importance and style,
An hour or two in this comp'ny could last,
A person a long, long while;
And so I explored yet another route,
The highway to high education,
Perhaps here I would find the virtuous man,
One worthy of my adulation.
I read through the tomes of scholars and scribes,
Philosophers, poets and statesmen,
And I never found a doctrine more sound,
Than the one left behind by Ben Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin
1706 - 1790
A statesman and scientist he was also quite a philosopher.
He was considered to be one of the most important figures of his day having been given
the dubious honor of being asked to sign the Declaration of Independence along with many other great men of that era; making him one of our Founding Fathers.
In doing so he showed great courage because all who signed had a price placed on their
heads by the Crown of England for treason.
He spent his life in search of knowledge continuously trying to improve himself.
He had the ability to see and recognize his own faults and tried to do something about them. That is something not many people can do. It's also the reason he had few if any real enemies.
A person could do a whole lot worse than to try to imitate his style.
These midgit's live in a big castle.
Where getting around's a big hassle.
They looked for a way.
So that they could stay.
But the steps, too much of a passel*.
* Passel : large number or amount.
P. C. P. S. No offense intended with the use of the word midgit's. Peace. :)