Best Ostentation Poems
What’s it about for them, then
Loneliness, poverty, pain
Bang of the bailiff at the door
Death in a ditch in the rain
What is it like for the Joneses
Bigger and better you think
Posh port and pigs in blankets
Sick in the kitchen sink
What’s it about for him, then
A clock, and an empty chair
Picture of her on the mantelpiece
Candle smoke curls in the air
What is it like for her, do you think
Hairdo and heels and hurrah
Hampers and champers from Harrods
Packed in to Daddy’s car
What’s it about for the Christians
The return of the sacred child
Under a star in a stable bare
Jesus, meek and mild
What is it like for the Druids, then
Stood in the circle at dawn
Frost on the moss on frozen stone
Lit by the sun reborn
What’s it about for the children
Mysterious, glittery, bright
Hope of a mythic benevolence
Come as a thief in the night
What is it like for us, then
Rushing and spending and stressing
Cursing the souls in the queue at the till
Or kissing a friend with a blessing
What will it be like for you, then
Whatever you will it to be
Riotous ostentation, or
Peace and sweet charity
What it’s about for me is this
One white and holy dove
The silence after the shops have shut
And love
© Gail Foster 3rd December 2016
Categories:
ostentation, blessing, children, christmas, humanity,
Form:
Rhyme
If your apartment or your house
Could use a slight expansion,
May I suggest, instead, that you
Just build yourself a mansion.
Today I've toured a couple,
Both in Hudson River towns.
With property like that, your moods
Should have no room for downs.
A bit of ostentation
Seems de rigueur, though, I guess,
But servants take good care of it,
So you don't have to stress.
If you're looking for an upgrade
And you've mega-bucks to spare,
Do like Vanderbilt or Church* - construct
A mansion for your lair.
*Frederick Vanderbilt and Frederic Church
Categories:
ostentation, house,
Form:
Rhyme
Elegant portico columns, fireplace frame
Fronting tasteful, demure white walls
Rich browns -- pianoforte, armchair
Muted ostentation, classicism bespoken --
the eye startled, struck
by the clear glass vase
on the mantel
stems ascending
to bold-green leaves
slightly upturned
as are firm, youthful breasts
topped by brilliant bursts
of pink-streaked flowers
panorama
Categories:
ostentation, class, color, flower,
Form:
Imagism
Horses are in oblivion
Preferred man-friendly animal since evolution
Today, bit lost in mechanised, chip oriented revolution
Important weapon in Bronze Age ancient wars
Utilised by ancestors as domestic transporter
But now restricted to official events splendour
And few sporting events, races, competitive glamour
And royal weddings, yoked to adorned buggies grandeur
Horses shall be back in recognition
With rising global warming concern
With Oil prices not expected to lessen
Antiquated horse carts demand shall be of high order
Benefits galore, herbivorous help sustaining on grass fodder
350 degree excellent day-night vision, energy reservoir
Capable of resting in short naps in standing posture
Horseshoe, saddle, bridle, rein only accessories major
Horse carts with no carbon emissions
Saddle, hooves sans honking and pollution
No ignition, start-up fuel consumption
No requirement of spark plugs, engine oil can
No seat belts, air bags for protection
Man put blinders on horse for concentration
But are themselves blinded by mad race of globalisation, liberalisation
Man need to put the blinders on self–consumption
Be judicious, avoid ostentation to keep in check carbon emissions
Switch to horse cart, use killer vehicle only in emergent situation
Today horses are oblivion
If ignored concerns for eco-friendly environ
Tomorrow mankind could be in oblivion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Hitendra Mehta
May 2011
For Members contest – Eco-friendly Vehicle by Robb A.Kopp
Categories:
ostentation,
Form:
Rhyme
The Petty Posh-Wahzee - Liberation & Ostentation
The Not-So Distant Past:
The fallen fighters for freedom, are unable to turn in their graves,
their battered, fragmented bones, mixed with a handful of torn rags,
are all that remain, a mute reminder of their selfless valiant sacrifice.
They endured brutal Apartheid harassment, detentions without trial,
torture in the cells, and mental anguish when loved ones disappeared,
they left their homeland, to continue the struggle against racial bigotry,
while countless others fought the scourge of white-minority rule at home.
Nelson Mandela and many, many others, spent their lives imprisoned,
on islands of stone, and on islands of the cruellest torture, yet they stood,
never bowing, never scraping, they stood, firm for ideals for which they were prepared to die,
and many, many comrades did die, at the hands of the callous oppressor,
and many, many comrades perished in distant lands, torn from their homes,
while the struggle continued, for decades, soaked in blood, in tears, in pain.
The Present:
19 years have passed, since freedom was secured at the highest of prices,
delivering unto us, this present, a gift of emancipation from servitude,
a freedom to walk this land, head held high, no longer second-class citizens,
in the land of our ancestors, whose voices we hear and need to heed today.
I do not care much for fashion, Lewis-Fit-On and Sleeves unSt.-Moron,
yet the ostentation that I witness baffles even my unsophisticated palate,
our ancestors' plaintive whispers are being dismissed, left unheeded, as
we browse the aisles for more and more, always for more and yet more.
Asphyxiated by the excess of the Petty Posh-Wahzee, we find ourselves,
perched precariously on the edge, of a dissolution of all that is humane,
babies go hungry, wives are battered, our elders left in hospitals for hours,
I cringe as I scribble these words, perhaps too sanctimonious and preachy,
yet I know, deep in the marrow of my brittle bones, I know, I know, I know,
this tree of freedom planted by the nameless daughters and sons of Africa,
needs to be shielded, nurtured, protected from our very own baser impulses,
so that the precious tree of freedom, may bear the fruit that may feed us all,
for if not, then we are doomed, to tip over, and into the yawning abyss, we shall fall.
Categories:
ostentation, allegory, angst, black african
Form:
With elegance the peacock
Struts in show of vanity
An admiration seeker
Flaunting bold feathered attire
Throws modesty to the wind.
Categories:
ostentation, vanity,
Form:
Verse
Sweltering anger spills raw emotion
dispatching choppers in the air,
intense heat disseminates murmuring voices,
discharging menacing messages packed with fear.
Suddenly the academic mob appears,
and storms up the bullet rigged stairs,
while the deceptive tree watches with opposing eyes
calculating their blazing passion
and ignoring their desparate cries.
Intensity swells,
the sizzling temperature increases,
unflinching voices resonates,
ripping up fortified roof
and penetrate their deep flaming scars.
Footsteps thunder across the room,
while the beguiling tree sits listless
pouring salt into their bleeding wounds.
“Answer us now!” they shouted
“We are tired of your choreograph lies”
but the tree kept uttering deluding words
that were already familiar to their ears.
Mealymouthed explanation coincide with
years of empty promises swims to the surface
and consume their heartfelt sentiments.
Desperation looms over sun scorched faces,
sadness cracked their blazing lips,
tears roll down their stricken faces,
but the tree looked at them with ostentation.
“Tomorrow”, they uttered
“We give you until tomorrow to solve this matter”.
the wind tossed the tree to and fro,
bending its arm and breaking its charm.
Anxiety brewed, tension flares,
but the tree and its entourage disappeared
leaving the academic mob in deep despair.
©2013 Christine Phillips
Categories:
ostentation, culture, emotions, feelings, freedom,
Form:
Light Verse
My poodle once had a flirtation
With 'Dotty', my neighbour's dalmation.
Their pups wear topknots
Are sprinkled with spots
And walk with a marked ostentation.
06.04.22
Bite Size Poem #41 Poetry Contest
Sponsor -Line gauthier
A Brian Strand Premiere Choice Poetry Contest
Categories:
ostentation, dog,
Form:
Limerick
Be not harried by apostasy spates
Surcease ye flux of basilic imprecations
Adhibit ye ,supernal paracletes
The pith of divinity
An Achates,
Vae victis
In this temporal realm
Chatoyant fanfaronade
Sursurrant congeries
Erelong abate
Shun the gaffer's gammon
Arcadian maundering
Avaunt kaleidoscopic zealotry
Bandy a cutlass perfervid
Ex aequo et bono
Beneficence's glaive bandies.
Preside atheling echt
In pharos of Nestor
Bestow succor to the augean Boeothians!
Malign them not--for now come the celestial shower
To halidom, shepard, solace and anele
Ye benighted churls
vocabulary- spate-flood; arcadian-rural/simple; echt-adj.-genuine; Nestor-the god of
wisdom; Achaetes-any faithful friend; chatoyant-possessing a changeable luster;
rein-v.-to curb or restrain; amative-amatory; anele-v.- to annoint; harry-to torment by
constant attack; perfervid-ardent/very fervid; ex aequo et bono-L.-according to the
principle of fairness and good; bandy-to beat to and fro; vae victic-L.-woe to the
vanquished; gammon-nonsense; gaffer- an old crone; flux-flow;
fanfaronade--n.-bragging/ostentation/bluster; congeries-heap; susurrant-adj-whispering;
basilic-lowly/base; pith-vigor/force/strength; supernal-celestial; imprecations-curses;
halidom-a holy place/holiness; Pallas Athena-Gr.goddess of wisdom; quotha-arch.-indeed!
Forsooth!; paracletes-someone who aids and supports; glaive-sword; pharos-lighthouse;
atheling-ancient crown prince; adhibit-to let in/admit; benighted-adj-overtaken by
darkness; bestead-to aid; anele-to annoint; contemn-v.-to view with contempt; solace-n.
comfort in sorrow
Categories:
ostentation, song-
Form:
ABC
Absurd as it may sound
Appreciate life as it is found
Admirable thought and profound.
Cat on the wall
Caught in its caterwaul
Costly mistake of wrong choice
Emits a purr and a mew
Engineer scraps design for new
Excellent cast of the dies.
Golden blessings from above
Generous dolings of love
Genial nature without lies.
Iris is the window of soul
Iota of envy is the mole
Irritable mind leads to guiles.
Kindly is the heart of compassion
Knock down the doors of ostentation
Kink of the mind conscience defiles.
Orange and apple are unalike
Over these comparison don't strike
Order of creation differences implies.
Lastly, of my wisdom with words
Use your pens instead of swords
Hope all I've said is wise advice.
~07 Jul 2016~
Time Taken : 45 Minutes
Contest: Make A Poem Sponsored by Shadow Hamilton
Write me a poem using the 21 words listed below
any subject that fits with these words is acceptable
please use a form that rhymes
Poems of 8 lines minimun and 24 maxium
word list
Absurd, appreicate, admirable
cat, caught, costly
emits, engineer, excellent
golden, generous, genial
iris, iota, irritable
kindly, knock, kink
orange, over, order
Categories:
ostentation, wisdom,
Form:
Rhyme
Nothing stirs the languid souls of folks like a hometown parade.
Friends and neighbors uniting to form a colorful cavalcade.
Any special occasion will do such as Veterans or Independence Day,
To uproariously celebrate and put on a spectacular display!
The parade is led off by aging vets proudly carrying Old Glory,
Stepping lively despite expanded girths and looking rather hoary.
The mayor is next in a flashy convertible exuding all of his charms,
Grinning inanely and greeting folks with his out-stretched arms!
The local high school band marches slightly out of step,
And playing a bit off-key but tooting with mighty pep!
The equestrian saddle club prances by in well-formed troops,
Followed closely by a couple of clowns wielding clean-up scoops!
Anxious moms herd a troop of Brownies so small and so cute.
Here comes the Hometown Queen - isn't she a charming beaut!
Vintage cars and John Deere tractors put on quite a show,
But a Model T Ford stalls causing its owner misery and woe!
The Rose Bowl and Macy parades are planned with great ostentation,
Designed to entertain TV audiences across this great nation,
But small town parade committees are just as proud as they can be,
To plan and sponsor a pageant to please local friends and family!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Categories:
ostentation, nostalgia, high school, ,
Form:
Rhyme
Fragments of the future fly past
In charming visions and dreams
In agility and analytical contemporariness
Promising exactitude of ostentation
Categories:
ostentation, confusion,
Form:
Blank verse
Strip me bare like the land
Sacred and unprotected
That you come to claw and tear
To hold its sparkle
In the ostentation of your hand
For man is more than spectacle
And I am more than
Just a sum of atoms,
Or a bit among the pieces of the plan
Mine me for all the gold I am
It is a great project
Memory writing imagination
To immortalize the castle in the sand
The salt tongue of sea
Have shaped like a human hand.
I shall learn too
Rocks like a metaphor for my strength.
Only bring not those productions here
Machines crawling
Into my skin
Gnawing me with caterpillar teeth
Of a psychological reality
Of the Aryan world
Leave Sigmund and Karl
In the bleachers to wait with me
For the expedition that shall be
A better paradigm than El'Dorado
Those are superficial oars
Too narrow the scope of vision
To plow and dissect
The TransAtlantic triangle
Of my reduction
To a stage of history
The savage
Unthankful for its civilization
Making the cosmology of the soul.
I am more rock
Than a caterpillar can feed.
And it, before it flies
Against the glittering sun
Is more paradigm
Than you excavate from a pun.
Strip me bare like the land
This limited space in time
Shall tell
The expanding universe of days
Not a new beginning
But a slow Columbus world
Coming to the reality
Of a preexistence beyond
Mere sensation
Laid out like cloth
Upon the table of the mind.
Cloth, you say
Another precursory thing to rag
O had you seen it
Form like cotter on the head
Or turban, or mat
Or sheet upon the bed
It carries babies too
Close to the fountain of its milk
But cloth, before all that
Woven and waiting for the design
Functional in service
And still a canvas of history
Only an ancient African understands.
Cloth you take off to change the landscape
That body stands naked in its innate beauty
Despite the loss of soil and trees
Cloth shed like skin
Before we enter into the river
I from Darien look and shiver
At the sight of the newcomer
Standing like a Drake
Categories:
ostentation, art, faith, history, lifeme,
Form:
Free verse
Enriching knowledge was our scope...
But avarice derailed our friendship...
Ostentation unfurled through your face...
Hurricanes of emotion...
The island boy devoured your soul with deceptions..
So u casted mistrustful eye on me...
Am now cut to the quick...
Will however give you that tiny victory but that will be for a short while..
Categories:
ostentation, betrayal, emotions,
Form:
Free verse
Glad,hedonistic lad;
Delighting in delectations,
Amusing affectations,
Posturing pretension
with ogling ostentation!
Professing pleasure seeking
Confessing,leisure leaning.
Reputation so revealing,
Passe peer appealing!
Performing,extroverting,
Showcasing,demonstrating,
Superficial and artificial;
Pleasure without measure.
Sad,sad,sad ! Hedonistic lad!
Categories:
ostentation, funny, parody, teen,
Form:
Alliteration