Best Perish Poems
The night is the blackest
and the coldest I've known.
The town, so small
it should not be called a town,
is still with its own malice.
I have grown weary of the city
but still, it is too still.
There is no moon
and there are no stars
and there are no clouds
to hide them from my sight.
Only unexplained dark.
The spine of the town
is a dirt road that I cannot see.
Just as well.
Pestilence has touched the land.
It drives the people
to rebellion or terror,
or cleverly reasoned apathy.
The townsfolk do not regard me,
nor should they;
they are depraved
and I am deranged
and between us we'd only
kick up a murderous fuss.
No streetlight shines
and no window glows,
here the people
are best left undisturbed.
How did I come to be here ?
No matter. Here I am.
In the still and in the dark
and in the otherworldly cold
I hear my bones rattling,
nearly, though not quite,
so nearly pleased to be alone.
16th July 2020
The world in 100 years ... Oh, perish the thought
Former President, Ronald Dump, who was cryogenically frozen following his assassination after winning the ‘No Bull’ Peace Prize in December 2018, has been successfully defrosted.
Ronald Dump recently defeated his son, former President Barrrrron Van Dump, in the lunar by-election. President Dump will be taking up his forty year term at his office-in-the-round penthouse suite at ‘Lunar-Tic Towers’. This magnificent golden palace-like structure is situated on the fringes of the 29th bunker on the dark side of the moon. Naturally, it is a member’s only golf club and entry is strictly by special invitation only. It will be staffed by scantily costumed Honey-Bunny girls and models who the Dump handpicks. They will attend to every need and whim of his guests, unless he requires their expertise "handling."
President Dump will be supported by his android wife, Argenta, (humanoid model number 3060 with real hair and life-like body parts) who superseded the old model 'Milionairluva', who sadly could not be revived due to silicon and botox poisoning which ran rampantly throughout her Barbie doll body
The Lunar-Tic Towers will be totally off limits to the paparazzi so there can be no photographs taken of the Irn Bru brewing facility of his favourite drink which was banned in Scotland. He seeks to insure that no "fake news" stories are leaked by the press.
In his bid to tackle rising unemployment, currently standing at 99.6%, Dump will be advised by his new best friend and strategist, Kym Dung Hung Lo. This humanitarian almost obliterated the human race by detonating a nuclear warhead at the Dung Hung Lo Toy Factory which was caused when Dung Hung Lo threw his dolly out of the pram. So impressed by such a move, Dump hired him and invited Dung Hung Lo to be his number 2 to succeed him.
May God bless the earth, what little is left of her .. she needs all the help she can get with these two lunar tics in charge
6/1/18
100 year Contest sponsored by Brian Davey
Perish the thought
For I can see
The loneliness in me
Silence to my mind
Has brought
A longing to be free
Free from danger
Free from trust
Free from things I feel
Emancipate my soul
And banish all things real
Perish thoughts that torment me
And grind them down to dust
Redefine my tangled mind
And gather what I must
Gather feeling
Gather need
Gather all things real
Reimburse my empty heart
And allow my soul to heal
King Lear’s Voice
Nothing out of nothing
William Shakespeare
A king of true tragedy
No unconditional love.
No never and nothing
Machiavellian
His descent into madness
Dead to Heaven above.
Gary Bateman, Copyright © All Rights Reserved
October 10, 2018 (Double Dactyl)
Reading David Rakoff’s book,
In rhyming couplets, really shook
Me way down deep inside my core;
I read and read and wanted more.
A novel all in poetry?
I think he wrote it just for me,
For who could love it more than I?
I’m sure that you can guess the why.
The brilliant rhymings all surpass,
In creativity and sass,
The best that I have ever read;
I wish I’d written them instead.
The author, sadly, died before
His novel hit the selling floor.
Oh, how I wish I’d had the chance
To tell him how his rhyme enchants.
So I will spread the word around,
A fellow-rhymer, honor-bound,
That here’s a book that all MUST read,
To knock your socks off, guaranteed!
I feel the willows sway in the midst of my b r o k e n hearted moments,
I keel over on my pillow with fists clenched, unguarded lost in atonement.
After all was said and done your death threw my heart in the tumbled breeze,
after your soul bled you knew a fresh start wouldn't give your trouble ease.
Forgiven behavior releases a relinquished desire to keep on weeping,
I beg my Savior, "oh PLEASE! Extinguish my fire"…while you're left sleeping.
A thousandfold tears can’t even compare to all the craving salt I’ve cried,
I lay and hold your blanket in fear, if only I could’ve saved you from suicide.
If staying you decided, would my arms holding yours free you from your pain?
You chose dying and causing harm to yourself, unfolding your decree in vain.
I NEEDED you then…I need you now…how will my lost soul keep on existing?
I pleaded to you then…I PLEAD to you now…you lost control and kept resisting.
For every day I spent with you was the best memories I will always cherish,
you didn’t stay, I knew you’d get your way…for you always longed to p e r i s h.
*Couplet with internal rhyme*
Couplet Time-Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Rick Parise
Date Written: August 21, 2016
Years have come, years have gone
Many have slept and others, borne.
But Calm and peace is yet to be seen
For the streets are red, and so it has been.
The countryside lies deserted
Barren of animals and people long, departed
From the guns of destruction and pain
That hitherto, has brought no gain.
The streets litter with bloody Bees
Who, in rage, burn down villages and trees,
And the bushes disclose armed lads
In their spheres of blood and rags.
Who bask in butchery and malice,
Their minds, free of peace and disgrace.
In confusion, my people are trapped in-between
In consternation, they are raped and beaten
Bullied and ransomed like sheep
Chased and driven from their keep.
Hope, out of the window has flown
Despair, like a mustard seed has grown
And while Grandma cries over her burnt wares,
People disappear, adding to our fears.
From dusk to dawn we endure
For things are not like before
We can only hope things may one day flourish
But, while the sun shines, my people perish.
© Temajung Michael T
Whenever They Perish We Dearly Feel The Loss
With heart of a lion and feet of a gazelle
are all condemning the torturing gates of hell;
faithful followers that carry the Holy Cross,
whenever they perish we dearly feel the loss,
yet within heaven they shall eternally dwell.
Their earthly fears behind them, gone is any gloom,
living in paradise above their earthly tomb,
each will find heaven's serenity sweetly calls;
magnificent the mansions, golden are their walls,
no longer worrying of Fate's impending doom.
With heart of a lion and feet of a gazelle
are all condemning the torturing gates of hell;
faithful followers that carry the Holy Cross,
whenever they perish we dearly feel the loss.
Robert J. Lindley, 2-15-2016
Sonnet in 12 syllable verses,
with perfect 110 word count...
Syllables Per Line:
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 0 12 12 12 12
Total # Syllables: 168
Total # Lines: 16 (Including empty lines)
Words with (syllables) counted programmatically:
Total # Words: 110
??I have conquered every fear and triumphed over terror... ??
?? Angels whispers in my ears chanting Persevere or perish... ??
?? Now I'm starring in the mirror searching for my merits ...??
?? I'm content with all my flaws so now I never get embarrassed... ??
You are not who you Appear a fact that's so apparent. ??
?? Evolution of Sincere and this world I shall inherit ??
?? in pursuit I found perfection perseverance never careless ??
?? crossed my heart and hoped to die but I survived through loves rebellion
?? Now I'm stalking all my dreams so I don't have one to sell ya... ??
?? If you ain't trying to do the same then I don't know what to tell you... ??
???? I was born to be a king so make my sure crown is tailored ????
Perish
Perish thy will to survive...to stay alive...
This testament of mine...backbone no spine...
Diminished capacity here...next to fear...
The improbable lie...the parody to die...
Suffering the witness...hypnotized in duress...
Understanding nothing...not even one thing...
Diabolic in demeanor...the grass is not greener...
Wilted leaves dried...two minds collide...
Sentiment no feeling...catastrophic no healing...
Paralyzed lost senses...protection no defenses...
Blinded by reality...visions of immortality...
Perish thy will to live...up is all I give...
bmdavey@04/20/17
Flag waving decency goodbye
Actually not its fault
Being only of cloth
Creased by ones from Hell
Veterans Administration now failing
Allowing returned wounded Heroes to die
Hung out to dry on death sentence waiting list
While President Commander-In-Chief sits idly by
Immorality breaking America's heart
Dragged through unwanted sewers
Guns blamed for violence
Humans using them.... victims?
Accountability old fashioned word
Many not touching reality
Cowering before mere responsibility
Asking forgiveness without remorse
Timothy McVeigh excellent example
Babies blown to pieces
Considered "just collateral damage" (quote, 03-28-01)
No more no less
Products of civilized societies
Getting sicker and sicker
Advancements in human condition
Professed by corrupt governments
Rhyme or reason discovered
I don't think so
At least not in general
There are still saints
Just hard to find
In muck and mire
Of mortal muddy confusion
Too many answers expressed
Questions left in dust
Have been for centuries
Greed.... most successful preacher
Evil.... its loyal follower
Copyright © 2014 Robert William Gruhn - All Rights Reserved
"A poem to me is the essence of any thought,
Being built from its foundation into tower scraping sky.
It can fly like no other bird to places never seen,
Even spaceships can only dream of taking its place."
© 2014 Robert William Gruhn
The world's perishable
Perishing goods, perishing people, perishing minds,
Perishable people are beings too,
Is it unknown to the perishing World.
Are they rotten, do they smell bad?
Why are they getting shot?..
Why's a heart shooting another heart?
They are introverts, people find it hard approaching them
There she is in the hall, leaning on the table,
Ain't there people to lean on, in this perishing World.
All talk on humanity, role play on morale,
But no traces of proximity.
Yes, she is an outcast, don't know if wishfully.
They're peeping by the corner of their eyes..
But no one's coming over to help her.
Yeah..she is perishable...
Ain't extroverts also perishable..
Someday they'll need her help..
Though she's not independent today.
They seem all independent, selfish, and
wanting to be with the famous ones
They come by her when nobody knows them,
They leave her finding more famous friends...
And she's stick there all alone and lonely.
People coming and going by...
Sweet talking to her and being strangers again.
She was surprised though, there's a tingling betrayal.
This hasn't been her first time, she has seen people leave and has let it go..
Is she notorious enough to not have friends?
That's the end?..Na..
She's still thinking, tears dropping by her eyes.
Perseverance running down her veins
I'm hurt screaming and pulling my hair out
Sicken by the drought
Tears of fire
boiling as my blood turns to lava
Preying to Jesus cause only he knows what I'll do
Ran with the wrong crew
If only knew
It'll take a piece of me with it
A block of my saneness with it
My livelihood has been invaded
My glory long faded
Gang violence underrated
I lost my friend do to mistaken identity
Because of his color he lost his dignity
No one knows what he meant to me, to us
A band aid ripped from a wound that will be forever busted
Arrested development
Suspended judgement
Caused an innocent life to perish
His life i will forever cherish
Some forty years ago when I was a young man of 25, I learned a very valuable lesson from a much older man.
I don’t remember his name, but he was about 75
I was a social worker at a senior citizens recreation center.
It was a great place of quiet activity and social interaction.
I was acquainted with the interests and temperament of the above mentioned gentleman; and really did not expect to see him at the center. Spotting him at the front counter looking sad, I approached and inquired of his well being. I asked, “How are you today?” Clearly, this was not just a friendly greeting. It was as if he could not wait to be asked such a question.
He responded in words I did not expect in the least, nor had I ever heard before nor since from anyone. He said to me, “I’m living too long”. Of course I encouraged him to tell me more; whereupon, he said, “I’m running out of money”. It was as if life had thrown him a curb ball that he could not hit. It was as if the velocity of the ball of life was such that he refused to swing, but chose to stand there to be called out on strikes.
I did my best to encourage him, but that moment with him was never to be forgotten. I have found great satisfaction in sharing the story with others. Worrying about living too long and running out of money? Perish the thought!!!
04302016;PSoup Contest#350, Brain Strand
By George P. Lumayag
https://georgelumayag.weebly.com/
Sweet sunrise dances over the horizon and the gentle wind blows
Of summer breeze; weekend ripples stay at mangrove tree.
We hear and feel swelling waves during high tide
Beneath the nipa hut that seems boating at night.
Our arms feel the warmness, the softness and deepness
And my voice whispers love and happiness.
Our dreams of a lifetime caress, of endless care
And of love may perish at twilight.