Best Make Ends Meet Poems
A Chicago Pearl
She put her dreams on hold but carries them up proudly
as she serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, six days a week
to make ends meet; she’s a realist who doesn’t recoil from pain
or regrets; she faces them head on yet she likes the blues because
they soothe her bruised life that sometimes feels stagnant.
She awaits a new start and the rain in her head is held tight,
she will not be defined, nor resign herself to scattered dreams.
She hangs firm in her mind to these blooming flowers she saw in a terra cotta
pot on her way to work this morning; like them she’s growing stronger
in her voice and in her step. Tonight they’ll light candles
in the dark
“You’re a Chicago Pearl, Rondja!”
he said as she topped his coffee cup;
she briefly held his gaze, and then
let out the broadest of smiles.
(Inveniam viam)
Far beyond these eerie things, where limits have no scales
Fish are replacing gills, with turbine aerated tails
Sea level’s losing all meaning, for the humpback whales
Ships piggyback them, harpoons syphon wind from their sails
Today I woke up early, lately I’ve let dreams flow
Into an abstract yonder, where visions often go
A wave came over me, up from my downy pillow
When tidal forces passed away, many moons ago
As the ocean waved goodbye, I called for an encore
Behaving like a poultice, the beach drew back old gore
You could’ve bowled me over, sent ripples to my core
Never again I’d sleep soundly, near this bloody shore
After a fretful lie-on, facing truths with each turn
My sundial running on empty, stars can’t always churn
Moribund in dimness, til an old spark can return
Reigniting glory days, (let supernovae burn)
Overhead the vacuum grows, just to make more space
Stretching my dysmorphia, to align with gods face
No one knows for certain, who enhanced his human race
Gave an artful hand, outsmarting evolution’s pace
As life spirals forward, in a world out of control
Entropy dismantles, stripping back our maker’s role
The poet in me keeps goofing, digging deeper holes
He’s a junkie rhymester, overdosing on this soul
So hail all billionaires, who never walk down my street
Flying above fake cripples, with power in their feet
Prodigies of bad and worse, scheming to make ends meet
Leaves an aftertaste of smugness, one that will repeat
As for those big questions, some take a straightforward twist
Two things I thought might go away, stubbornly exist
Not death or taxes, I’m already over that list
Each day I arise, how come lies and bullsh!t persist?
First there was oblivion, til I woke up and saw
Now fully awake, dead ahead looms a fatal flaw
But so long as I can dream, and able to guffaw
It only hurts when I laugh, Don’t you think? vents my jaw
By David Kavanagh
Hms
The world is one big Pallette
full of mixed colours
mixed races,mixed cultures.
The world is full of different ideas
full of The Humble and The Intelligent,
How Beautiful in its own diversity is the world.
White is too pale
Black is too dark
mixed together,they re so sottile.
Rich is too selfish
Poor is too weak,
lets make this Planet
a Wise Men"s street,
where rich and poor together
make ends meet.
BUDDHISTS are so SPIRITUAL
MUSLIMS so RIGHT ,so JUST.
PROTESTANTS,CATHOLICS so LOVING,
together they shape the Best Rainbow,
the best of our motherland outcoming
How wonderful is our Planet!
we are in it but sometimes we don"t know IT.
Protestants,Catholics,Buddhists,Muslims
Black,White people ,mixed races,
all Human Beings Embraces
she"s Catholic ,he"s Muslim
they love one another
their child was born
so JUST !like the father
so LOVING! like the mother.
He"s rich,she"s poor
together they married
and they have it all
a child wise,intelligent as the father
kind ,humble as the mother
whatever your colour,your status,believes
you are most needed to continue are Family Trees.
The world is ONE BIG PALLETTE,full of colours
all important and unique
WHAT A LOVELY COLOURFUL WORLD-charma
It is now that time of year again when people start feeling festive
Kids write lists of pricey toys making parents feel apprehensive
Computer games and the latest phones, usually top their list
Enticing adverts on tea time television, make it harder to resist.
With rising costs many people, are struggling to make ends meet
Pricey toys parents would love to buy, but they still have to eat !
How do you explain to your kids about food banks and poverty?
In the background loan sharks lurk, rubbing their hands with glee.
Many succumb and take out loans getting heavily into debt
They purchase goods on the never- never until payments are met
All of this for just one day in the year, then months of misery
Then they try to keep the wolf from the door but fear insolvency.
So, try and explain to your kids that things may be different this year
And you don't have to be a millionaire to spread some joy and cheer
There are many ways to show your love and it won't cost you a dime
Be that shining light every day of the year and not just Christmas time.
But spare a thought for the less fortunate who are a lot worse off than you
The homeless, those caught up in wars, sadly there's nothing you can do
And as you sit down this Christmas day with your children's faces aglow
You might not realise this fact right now but you are richer than you know.
Because your family mean everything to you, they bring you so much cheer
They are more precious than silver or gold also friends you hold most dear
But remember this you're not on your own and we're all in this together
Try and look on the bright side of life and remember things will get better.
It’s easy to remember the good times
Never thinking about the pain
Rose colored memories of sunshine
We forgot about the rain
Times were so much harder then
Sometimes not a penny to our name
Fighting just to make ends meet
But I’d go back there just the same
It seems we were much poorer
No luxuries I recollect
But we worked for what we wanted
We had a sense of self-respect
There was an old coal stove in the living room
That would heat our home at winter’s start
But the real warmth was generated
By the love within our heart
Sometimes the car wouldn’t start
It had a manual choke
We’d push it to catch it in gear
If we had a dime we weren’t broke
If you had chicken pox or measles
They’d put a sign on your front door
We had hand me downs to wear
And credit at the grocery store
Everyone worked somewhere
Most of them at the mine
Mom did the wash with a wringer washer
And hung the clothes out on the line
So I’ll take those rose colored memories
As though they were a priceless work of art
And put them where they will be safe
Deep inside my heart.
I want to be inspired to write
a song people really want to sing;
I want to be inspired to compose
a requiem for the King;
But, I’m just an ordinary man
doing the best I can
at writing poems
that have no homes.
I want to be inspired to find
a cure for this cancer thing;
I want to be inspired to reach
out for the golden ring;
But, I’m just an ordinary man
doing the best I can
at getting by
with the good old college try.
I want to be inspired to lead
a revolutionary coup;
I want to be inspired to be
the best at everything I do;
But, I’m just an ordinary man
doing the best I can
to make ends meet
and not live on the street.
I have the motivation;
I’ll put in the perspiration;
I can give it concentration;
But, I lack the inspiration;
Inspire me.
What will it take to inspire me?
I want to be inspired to write
a song people really want to sing;
I want to be inspired to compose
a requiem for the King;
But, I’m just an ordinary man
doing the best I can
at writing poems
that have no homes.
Last night I awoke to the sign of Orion, and the big dipper pouring beauty into her
countenance.
Though the stars say she is a Capricorn, a meager goat, I see Orion’s majesty every time I
stare into here full lips and wide Sophia Lauren Smile.
Her sleek and slender body bodes of Spartan stubbornness.
A stubbornness that’s had me fuming on the wrong kind of sides, of the wrong kinds of days.
Most days, we spend our lives like firefighters, putting out 101 degree fevers, cars
breaking down, and trying to make ends meet on a student’s stipend,
And as days pass, we see separation as an impossibility for how could we possibly survive
without each other?
But last night, I was freed from the stress of overfilled garbage cans and overdue
research projects,
To see her high and lifted up in the unconditional light which she shines for so many,
So many children, to whom she’s been a second mother, screaming, “Ms. Lucas!!!, Ms.
Lucas!!!,” as we see them in the mall.
The countless times that she’s saved me form suicide with a hope unfettered and sincere,
You see last night, I got a quick glimpse into my life as heaven sees it, and I saw my
wife for the first time, lifted high into the deep night, shining for the world.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I truly see her everywhere,
Every where there is courage, I see her wringing the neck of the crack head that almost
kidnapped our oldest in Chicago,
Every time I see kindness, I see her soothing voice in my ear saying, “Keep going baby,
you’re almost out of the tunnel.”
Whenever I see pain, I see her face when she looked down at her dead father’s body, stoic
and resolved that his tragedy would not mar her memory of his greatness.
Every time I see strength, I see a woman who buried her brother in the same summer of her
honeymoon and still smiled wide with sincerity.
But last night, God removed the veil, and I saw her through heaven’s eyes,
Glorious and heroic,
And in that moment I realized that nothing can stop me, because I sleep next to Orion.
Machel, the hero of old.
Soft silhouettes sashay by my window
Grievingly gazing out unto a world of which you may never know
Linen curtains briefly ruffled in the breeze
Old drunken Julius finds shade under the huge oak trees
The echoes of poverty ring outside my building
The pleas of panhandlers, the chattering of children
Dope feign Delilah, struts up and down the streets, waiting to turn her next trick
Evaporating into the air, the sulfuric stench
Jared, the jock in high school, deemed all American athlete
Shooting craps in the alley just to make ends meet
Every night like clockwork, the street walkers stand by Ms. Martina’s door
When the sun rises and they scatter like roaches, she anoints the ground with oils
Hakeem stands on one corner, screaming out” Would you enter the Kingdom of heaven if you should die today?
While his brother ShaQuan stands across the street, on the corner peddling cocaine
When we were growing up Ebony and I vowed to always be best friends
I sit on my stoop and she doesn’t even look my way as she’s followed by her six kids
In the evening gun shots light up the night, like the fourth of July
Another wife a widow, another mother loses her child
With not so much as a reason why.
Shrines built in rememberance of lost souls, adorn the sidewalks
Where once laid the body of an innocent child outlined by blood stained chalk
I am here in the midst of a world that I may never really know
I sit here day after day, with my pad and my pen,
Trying to escape the perils of the Ghetto
Summer days in a mining town
Lunch box sitting by the kitchen door
Whistle blows at the Colliery
Time for work, all my muscles sore
Long day’s work for little pay
No complaints, we’re doing fine
Wednesday, got a half day off
Have a few beers, forget the mine
Down inside that mine we give it a go
No panic here, no need to be hurrying
Mice are moving kind of slow
I’ll start to panic if I see them scurrying
The Colliery overshadows the town
Sometimes causes a bit of strife
A sense of pride putting that hammer down
For a miner it’s a way of life
Wife stays home to raise the kids
When that alarm goes off sometimes she’ll cry
Town waits quietly to hear the news
There’s a self-respect that money can’t buy
A constant struggle from day to day
Months pass quickly and the bills come due
Most times they are larger than the pay
But somehow, Thank God, we make it through
Though the times are hard trying to make ends meet
We get a perspective of what’s important in life
Our riches aren’t measured in the material things
They are children, good neighbors and a loving wife
There is a brotherhood within the town
A sense of belonging, a sense of pride
The colliery may have been shut down
But the spirit of the miner has never died.
Tamaqua, Pa. USA in the 50s.
We stood hand over heart as the flag was unfurled
We were sheltered from the real world
All men are created equal is what they did teach
Never realizing, they don’t practice what they preach
Who said poor? We were rich beyond our dreams
Working to make ends meet, endlessly, it seems
There were Italians and Jews, Lithuanians and Greeks
Puerto Ricans and Poles, Germans and Dutch
No matter what your nationality or color was
We were neighbors. So, it didn’t matter much
I have memories of neighbors walking in our front door
Nobody knocking, just dropping in
I have memories of children playing on the parlor floor
Nobody judging the color of skin
Our riches were neighbors. Affluence carried no weight
We were sheltered from bigotry, sheltered from hate
God bless the children who knew neither hatred nor fear
God damn the people who brought those things here
When there is acceptance beyond what the eyes see
Then perhaps we can call this the land of the free
When there is truly no master and truly no slave
Then perhaps we can call this the home of the brave
We need to see the unity we’ve not had in the past
If we continue to hate, our country can’t last
If the American people can stand side by side
Then we can restore our American pride
When we stand together, again we’ll be strong
And we can be sheltered from all that was wrong
Tell me why,
I wake up lonely every morning
Why my day ends up being boring
Why my dreams are always stalling
Why I can’t respond to my calling
Tell me why, do not lie
Tell me why,
I have a bed but I can’t sleep
I work to live but meals I skip
I have no laughs and I always weep
I have a heart, but love I can’t keep
Tell me why, don’t be shy
Tell me why,
I always struggle to make ends meet
Why I have to bend backwards just to eat
Why my heart is always skipping a beat
Why I am a faceless person in the street
Tell me why, don’t be sly
Tell me why,
The hearts of some men are cold
Why the cold men possess all the gold
Keeping it with them till its full of mold
While children die of lack before they are old
Tell me why, before i cry
Tell me why,
The world should be as it is
No justice and no lasting peace
Just bills to pay and other fees
Why the suffering seems not to cease
Tell why, before I say goodbye
Tell me why,
The here and now should have no laughter
Why the pastor is always talking of the here-after
Where some will dwell blissfully with the master
While others will face hell’s ultimate disaster
Tell me why, before I die
It swept across our world at the start of this year
An invisible enemy that brought with it great fear
My government was concerned about the economy
And let this merciless virus invade my country.
They said “let’s build resistance with herd immunity “
And like wildfire it spread throughout the community
"We'll take it on the chin" Boris Johnson said
A costly failure now thirty two thousand are dead
And our brave health workers on the front line
Told if they wash their hands everything will be fine
They cried out for protective equipment endlessly
For many it came too late and they died needlessly.
I'm amazed and so angry that they acted slowly
It was all over the news; how did they not see?
Questions will be asked when this pandemic is over
Those in power will be squirming as they run for cover.
England now has a death rate higher than Italy
They could have locked down sooner preventing tragedy
We're guided by the science they continued to say
While people with common sense looked on in dismay.
The beautiful world that I once knew has now been lost
To get to where we were before will come at a great cost
Many families will struggle to make ends meet
While our leader lives it up at his country retreat.
The government's mistakes will be paid for in high tax
There will be an inquiry that will say they were lax
Of course they will deny it and through their teeth lie
Avoiding questions as to why the death toll was so high.
When this pandemic is finally over I know where I'll be
I'll be making up for lost time spending it with family.
I'm so grateful too, that all my family are still alive
But mournful of those poor souls that didn't survive.
Written on the 6th May 2020.
For, In Times Like These Poetry Contest
Sponsored By Silent One.
I was the one who was sat on the wall
I was so little the others were tall
The school was next door so I didn’t go far
Never needed to go to school by car
I played in the playground with some of my fiends
Long summer days that never seemed to end
That’s a long time ago, can you recall?
The bumps and bruises when taking a fall
Long summer nights turned to autumn browns
As I grew older I had life’s up’s and down’s
Working for a living to make ends meet
Bringing up children that was a treat
Do you remember me? I was young and daft
I couldn’t remember when I last laughed
I had wild ideas but they didn’t last long
I knew back then that I didn’t belong
Now I am older, I’ve survived life’s trials
I’ve cried many tears and travelled miles
Nearing retirement I look back at things
Wondering now what retirement brings
Salute to the woman who knows who she is
And why she is who she is
A powerful being
Once thrown into a deep end of the ocean
But swam her way back to shore
She never stops moving forward
Nothing can ever pull her backwards
Such a brave warrior
Shout out to the Superwoman
Determined to change the status quo
Because she feels the need to do so
Just like an eagle
She soars higher and higher
As the wind blows stronger
She does not let anything deter her
From reaching another level in life
Thumbs up to an amazing woman
A great force to be reckoned with
That committed Mother on the street
Who trades from sunrise to sunset
Trying to make ends meet
Oh, she has a heart so big!
Being mindful that come snow or sunshine
She has mouths to feed
I revere this gifted woman
Who uses her creativity
To make an impact in society
Despite the uniqueness of her talent
She remains a trendsetter
It could be the potter in whose hands clay becomes magic
The miner who touches gold, before it even gets sold to the markets
Or the strategist who sits in high-level meetings, making sure organizations do not collapse
A special mention to the special woman
Who chooses not to give up
She understands that others look up to her
The smart lady out there, with a clear vision
She makes things happen for her family, community and the world at large
She deserves a badge of honour
Because she is remarkable!
All he is rackety-raggedy walking the streets.
Talking about things that are conflicting.
His mind has been captured by the wrongful deeds of people.
He has been cheated and depleted of his meaning.
No more power brings no stronger will to live…
That is the will for bigger and better things.
The arms of a vagabond are covered well even on a hot summer day in the
Mississippi Delta.
His educated presence states that of oppression.
His historical era is that of social injustice.
He laughs to himself.
He must be thinking on once better days.
He swigs his wine and squats to drop his bag.
He looks up to speak to the woman sitting on her porch.
He asked her could she share some coffee.
She responded and says sure Bill here you a cup.
She knows his family very well.
The arms of a vagabond are revealed.
He is slim and handsome to the life he lives.
His educated presence postures a friend.
She admires him for his intelligence.
A further walk down the streets of life brings forth new insight.
He shows his self-worth as he sits under a tree to eat.
It was a nice place to relax and think.
He knows that his life has been negated.
However, he fared just the same.
How his story defines his path now.
How his mind coexists with his conflict.
Can he undo what has caused this perplexity?
The arms of a vagabond strength are shown.
Through manual labor, he overcomes the challenges he knows.
Once he felt he would not make ends meet.
Today as he proceeds, his thoughts manifest the skeletons seen.
To all, he is rackety-raggedy walking the streets.
Talking about things that are conflicting.
His mind has been captured by the wrongful deeds of his people.
He has been cheated and depleted to his self-meaning.
No more power brings no stronger will to live…
That is the will for bigger and better things.
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