Best President Kennedy Poems
I'm writing this poem in the last days of 2018. The government of the United States is shut down in a fight over the building of a border wall. I am reminded of another border wall that was erected during my lifetime.
In 1961, East Germany built a wall
Of concrete, barbed wire, and steel
Ninety-six miles around East Berlin
At the cost of a bit less than four million dollars
And a bit more than 200 lives.
Intended to stem the flood of East Germans
Seeking freedom to prosper in the West.
A young and inexperienced President Kennedy
Didn't comprehend why East Germany
Needed a concrete wall
When it already had
An Iron Curtain.
In 1989 the Berlin wall was torn down in a frenzy
Of sledge hammers and bulldozers.
Only remnants of it now remain - mostly in museums.
East Germans celebrated and rebuilt their lives.
The reunited Germany flourished
And joined other nations in a united European future.
Why do we think that our wall will have a different legacy?
Categories:
president kennedy, america, freedom, history, political,
Form:
Blank verse
Life in Africa was full; years in the bush, a treat.
Music made us happy; drums sounded for dancing feet.
A loving life with family always made us smile.
Living together freely, we never knew defeat.
Greedy slave hunters sailed down the Nile.
Chained us below with feces and bile,
Our curiosity was a big mistake!
We lived like that for a long bad while.
Sold to the highest bidder at the market by the dock,
Herded off to cotton fields, we became their livestock.
Forced to do hard labor; whipped until bare backs bled.
Rest would never come as time ticked on the clock.
The life of a slave was hard work; at least we were fed.
Some rested in cottages, others in a shed.
Scorching sun, sweat, blood, the whip did not feel good.
Calling a white man, “Master”, a slave’s daily dread.
Even in the best conditions, the human spirit was not free.
Mistreated; folks who could not take it were shot trying to flee.
A man could dream of Africa and his family all day.
Divided and sold into slavery a painful loss to see.
The Underground Railroad helped slaves run away.
Their owners and hounds tried to catch each stray.
Some of the lucky ones were never found.
Those who were caught for their lives had to pray.
Lincoln tried to free all slaves; the Klu Klux Klan still frowned.
John Wilkes Booth picked up his gun and shot the President down.
Slaves were free per history, but it was not as expected.
For even after the Civil War, burning and lynching did abound.
About one hundred years later, the issue was resurrected.
Rosa Parks stood up for her rights; NAACP directed.
The Civil Rights Movement brought freedom at last.
President Kennedy addressed the nation; equality enacted.
Categories:
president kennedy, africa, america, black african
Form:
Rubaiyat
Thrift shop miracles of multi-
layered mysteries,insomniac-
drifters stumbling up the highway to
a water-logged Nirvana.
Stuttering hymns to flannel saints
who have not yet; joined the cult of
organized-nicean-rebellion.
Midwest slackers distressed in jeans
and in mind blood slowly becoming thick
black-tar, seeking release from big-haired-
bards &synth-pop-psychiatrist.
seeking freedom from German-hammers
& London-fog,
searching with work boots unsalted;
For a new kind of weather.
Earth-sister-pixie over caffenated
Balarina dancing rythm-less to a new
discorded blues dreaming of jazz and
feminist revolution; building a new alternative-
nation a new president Kennedy,
Shouting rain soaked rebellion in Starbucks
Between vicodin and shots of expresso.
Souls coming together in mosh-pits of
Discontent everclear-mud and hormone-
laced sweat coming down together;
Drinking rivers to drench the fires of MDMA.
Indian outlaws lost in the dextroverse,
Seeking the pain of country music, but
the Appalachian's were lost bathed in
black-lights&neon the coal miners daughter,
left the hollers for the Seattle fog&adderall .
O' lomo tinted cherubs that filled the 90's
morgues screaming love songs to familiar spirits
Of delta-blues my girls & boys here's where
You sleep tonight put to rest by your own
Divine-hands seeking Nirvana, and all
You ever wanted was there in your arms but
The man in the box would tell you otherwise,
And still nothing else mattered.
Categories:
president kennedy, addiction, age, america, angst,
Form:
Blitz
It was September of 1960 and we were growing
Elvis sang "It's Now or Never" anticipation showing
New kids in town for our Freshman year
Our last at St. Jerome's, adulthood near.
We hung out at the Coffee Cup on Berwick Street
Five Point Diner and Palma were sweet
We never dreamed of growing old
Back when we wore blue and gold.
Sophomore year brought us to Saint Ann
Not old enough yet to be called a man
Hitch hike to the My Place and Bowling Alley
Travelled around the Panther Valley
Weekends looking for a brand new thrill
Going to the Coffee Shop in Summit Hill
On the Juke box "Runaround Sue" and "Cathy's Clown"
If "Rumble" came on we'd quickly leave town
Building memories as each day would unfold
Back when we wore blue and gold.
62 saw the Four Seasons singing "Sherry"
Our next two years would be with Saint Mary
Pep rallies in the court yard, who could forget
Sneak down to Henry's for a cigarette
Laughing, joking, we were only sixteen
Drop another nickel in the pinball machine
Flip a coin for a pool game, choose who will rack
Fan buses for away games, have a smoke in the back
Lou Christie sang "Two Faces Have I "
"The End of The World " made Skeeter cry
It was 63 and our time was near
We were starting our senior year
Unsure of what our future would hold
Back when we wore blue and gold
November came and some of us cried
The Friday President Kennedy died
Before the storm there is always a calm
Trouble brewing in Vietnam
In 64, invaded by another land
The Beatles wanted to hold our hand
The school would be one next year we were told
Back when we wore blue and gold
June arrived, graduation day
A time to rejoice, a time to pray
To change the world, thoughts so bold
Back when we wore blue and gold.
Categories:
president kennedy, nostalgia, school,
Form:
Couplet
The movie called, The PT 109
Portrayed the war, and an uncle of mine.
The film was written, and was true at that
For all his shipmates, he would go to bat.
President Kennedy, was in command
My Uncle Lenny, was his right-hand man.
We were at war, with Japan in the past
Hoping it would end, not long would it last.
For dusk had set in, when their boat was hit
Fire had started, in half the boat split.
They gathered their friends, and swam to a shore
They gave their all, till they could give no more.
Some shipmates were hurt, and needed to eat
Most didn’t have, any shoes on their feet.
Many days went by, and nobody came
Their moods were dampened, they just weren’t the same.
Scared and frightened, it was so hard to cope
Their rescuers came, before losing hope.
Excited and tired, to camp they went
When they recovered, to war they were sent.
Categories:
president kennedy, adventure, dedication, history, life,
Form:
Rhyme
A is for Adams, second and sixth presidents.
B is for two Bushes who were Whitehouse residents.
C is for Clinton, forty-second president of nation.
D is for Davis, President of Southern Federation.
E is for Eisenhower, a president and World War hero.
F is for President Fillmore who was pretty much a zero.
G is for President Grant, a general in the Civil War.
H is for President Hayes whom we don’t speak of any more.
I is for Isabella, two queens of England, one of Spain.
J is for President Jefferson seen by some as being vain.
K is for President Kennedy who was assassinated.
L is for President Lincoln whose worth can’t be over-stated.
M is for Presidents four and five, Madison and Monroe.
N is for Naguib, Egyptian president of sixty years ago.
O is for Obama, who is USA’s first black president
P is for Polk .who was number eleven to that office sent.
Q is for Quezon, first president of Philippines.
R is for two Roosevelt’s with five presidents in between.
S is for Saul, King of Israel, and he was a very wise man.
T is for President’s Tyler and Taylor and Taft and Truman.
U is for Umberta, king of Italy before he had to go.
V is for Van Buren, 8th president, plagued by financial woe.
W is for President Washington, number one in every way
X is for Xuanzong, Chinese emperor in long ago day.
Y is for Yeltsin, elected Russian president in 1990
Z for Ziaulhaq ten-year president of Pakistani.
These men of fame and some of shame, were leaders in their time.
Their names in history are writ and fill this little rhyme.
Categories:
president kennedy, people,
Form:
Couplet
" I Remember "
I Remember way back when I would walk to school
good honest hard working people kept a golden rule
no computers, CD's, ipods nor even much TV
this great big simple world was all of ours to see.
A milkman in his truck left bread and milk each day
this past fad of our yesteryear was not meant to stay
remembering when the food we ate was all cooked with gas
now its in the microwave and the food all cooks so fast.
I Remember waiting at the corner for the packed school bus
no minivans nor SUV's were driven by moms for us
the mailman who walked his route sometimes twice a day
all these fads of yesteryear were not meant to stay.
Remembering recorded 78's and then came fortyfives
a time when president Kennedy was great and still alive
I Remember all the hula hoops with the doo wop bands
all the black and white TV's and most mothers canned.
Some things are much better while some things still are worse
I Remember the sweet young ladies who would never curse
I wonder what you will remember when you are my age
just what kind of future things will become the current rage...
Penned By MPK
Quote: Life Is Poetry In Motion, Great Poets Reflect Emotion...
Categories:
president kennedy, lifefood,
Form:
Rhyme
MLK recruited teens to march in demonstrations in Birmingham, AL. Due to ADULTS
would not be influenced to march by his speeches. Fire Water hoses were turned on
the disobedient teens at a high power that rolled them down streets and over cars,
tore their shirts off, while MLK Jr sat safe in jail, writing letters.
Twenty-four hours after his arrest, King was allowed to see local attorneys from the
SCLC. When Coretta Scott King did not hear from her husband, she called Walker,
and he suggested that she call President Kennedy directly.[48] Mrs. King was
recuperating at home after the birth of their fourth child when she received a call
from President Kennedy the Monday after the arrest. The president told her she could
expect a call from her husband soon. When Martin Luther King called his wife, their
conversation was brief and guarded; he correctly assumed that his phones were
tapped.[49] Several days later, Jacqueline Kennedy called Coretta Scott King to
express her concern for King while he was incarcerated.[18]
While in jail on April 16, King released his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", written on
the margins of a newspaper, scraps of paper given to him by a janitor, and later a
legal pad given by his SCLC attorneys. The letter responded to eight politically
moderate white clergymen who accused King of agitating local residents, and not
giving the incoming mayor a chance to make any changes. Bass suggested
that "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was pre-planned, as was every move King and his
associates made in Birmingham. The essay was a culmination of many of King's
ideas, which he had touched on in earlier writings.[50] King's arrest attracted
national attention, including that of corporate officers of retail chains with stores in
downtown Birmingham.
(I got his info. from wikepedia) I was not born until after his life ended--so I really
did not know anything about MLK Jr.. I thought this was interesting, his wife and
children were home. Others put themselves in danger for the cause.
Categories:
president kennedy, black african american, historymarch,
Form:
Mom’s Tree House Apartment
Step inside, warm feelings greet you…
On the entryway wall, President Kennedy signed a condolence letter
from 1962, addressed to my Grandma, thanking her for Grandpa’s service in WW1.
Below, perched on an old credenza, the Milk Glass Chicken still delights her
grandchildren with a treat hidden in the Baby Chick alongside!
Glancing to the right, Dad’s Rosary collection (much used) hangs majestically,
a reminder of long-gone family members from cloistered communities, Mom
and Dad revered.
In the living room, above the expansive soft couch that always finds a family member
dozing peacefully after a long-journey home, a massive burl wood frame cradles
A fox -hunting lodge scene, with participants positioned around a blazing hearth,
regaling the hunt, while enjoying a pint.
Consuming Dad’s last days, I joined him for countless hours deciphering every person
In the painting, assigning rank and position to each, with intense minor details,
Joyously discovered, as if for the first time! A memory Dad possessed from his youth,
fox-hunting with his Dad.
In her bedroom, along the wall, Dad’s English Saddle, gallantly laden with his favorite
things, settles the atmosphere.
I pick up his favorite red hoody, and still inhale his courage.
Categories:
president kennedy, familydad, family, dad, family,
Form:
Narrative
35th President John F. Kennedy
Somehow developed major enemies
Their seemingly styled Camelot
Dissolved when extramarital affairs were caught
His wife the graceful Jacqueline Kennedy
Drew Americans in to total empathy
When her love was killed that day
But both of them had affairs to play
There is no perfect rhyme for Kennedy but I went ahead with that one anyway.
The title line would not let me use apostrophe or a period in it. LOL
I have read that President Kennedy had many affairs but I do not know that for a fact and also Mrs. Kennedy had affairs as well so I have read. They say don't spread gossip but it is written in books.
Written: January 13, 2019
For the contest:
Sponsor: Carolyn Devonshire
Categories:
president kennedy, betrayal, love,
Form:
Clerihew
American Classics Poem
Integration is a big thing these days
Freedom buses with foreign strays
Outside representatives were they
Who wanted to take our freedom away.
Good old John Bircher's radicals by far
Will cover others with feathers and tar
Then there is the aristocratic DAR
Still trying to fight the Civil Wah.
Harry Goldwater with pomp and charm
Quickly throwing up a conservative arm;
Steel strike's happening said in alarm
Raising gas prices will do good not harm.
Please don't draft me President Kennedy
Have wonderful wife with children three
Away from them I would have to be
To Lebanon, Mid-East or West Germany.
America all full of freedom and liberty
Voice of the people and home of the free
Breeder of corruption and hypocracy
Lets uncover ourselves from the debre.
James Thomas Horn, Retired Veteran
Wrote this in early 60's while serving
country in the Air Force.
Categories:
president kennedy, history,
Form:
Couplet
Fifty Years Ago a Dedication
It was nice day in the Caribbean Sea I was on
a small tank ship called “Saphir” a radio message
the president Kennedy had been assassinated.
Deep silence in the mess hall, because he was
to use a modern vernacular: The Man.
He was the one who could lead us into a bright
future, he energized us and, our trusted brother;
and nothing could go wrong on his watch.
So who was this slayer? The ogre that had killed
our hero? We were soon to know, a weak chinned
misfit called Oswald. There has been conspiracy
theories aplenty over the years, but I still think
Oswald acted alone out of envy and dark hatred;
a loser seeking infamy, to prove something only
his dark mind could understand.
50 years have gone the players are dead or old
but president Kennedy will forever be a beacon
of light for us who loved America.
Categories:
president kennedy, dedication, devotion,
Form:
Blank verse
Sir, its what we can do for our country, yes but Our country
does for us, Presidents Protcol, because of Presidents like
Washington, we sit my a tree in Paradise, the cherry tree,
I can't tell a lie sir, yes its what you sir need for your country
to help all of us.
Categories:
president kennedy, on writing and words,
Form:
Ballad
I am John F. Kennedy as
President.
I am a civil right activist
100 percent.
I am Woodstock rock n
Roll festival.
I am the first man on the moon
Unforgettable.
I am Andy Warhol 15 minutes
Of fame.
I am Martin Luther King shot
Down in flames.
I am President Kennedy gets
Assassinated.
I am the Cuba missile crisis
Activated.
I am Walmart opens it's
Door.
I am we enter Vietnam
War.
I am the Beatles I want to
Hold your hand.
I am discrimination spreads
Through the land.
I am the NFL's first Super
Bowl.
I am Ceasar Chavez reaching
His goal.
I am the Peace Corp
Uncovered.
I am Miranda rights
Discovered.
I am Motown records
With Shop around.
I am the Beach Boys
With a surf sound.
I am at the Apollo with
Marvin Gaye.
I am Del Shannon singing
Runaway.
I am a hit with, Please
Mr. Postman.
I am Sgt Pepper's lonely
Heart club band.
TURBO1904
Categories:
president kennedy, history,
Form:
Rhyme
We did not travel in covered wagons, but we thought our parents did.
My mother and father lived during the big depression.
Hobos wandered around marking gates and houses with a fish.
A sign that the occupants were charitable and might give a meal.
My daddy loved Chevy’s. He ordered a 1962 Impala.
We were told it had bucket seats.
We thought it would be awful – buckets for seats!
We lived at a time where we could walk home for school for lunch.
All the mommies were home fixing Campbell’s tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.
We had black and white scenes on our TV sets.
No one had heard of “color” TV yet.
Girls had to wear dresses to school no matter what.
If it was sixty below zero, we could put slacks under our dresses
But we had to immediately remove them when we got to school.
Yes, there was a dunce hat and a stool.
I had to sit on it once, wearing the hat.
So, the other kids would know how bad it is to tell a teacher “no”.
Sixth graders piled out making fun of me, wondering what I had done.
I stuck my tongue out at them. I remember how much fun that was.
When I was twelve I went back to school after lunch and a kid yelled
“Hey! Guess What? Someone shot the president!”
I yelled back, “The president of what?”
Of course, this was the day President Kennedy was shot.
Categories:
president kennedy, 10th grade, 11th grade,
Form:
Narrative