Best Public School Poems
Love feels like it has gone far away
She used to exist everywhere it seems
Now she hides in fear of being used up or let down
Most now, don’t even remember what she feels like
I remember long ago
Love used to have big bright colors
lightening bugs would soar through the night sky
with dancing white beams that glowed in the dark
four leaf clovers would spring from green pines of grass
but would ever elude being found and plucked
by those wanting a taste of its Irish good luck
floral beach balls and pink rubber kick balls were the center of summers delight
camp fire girls adorned navy blue vests and strutted proudly holding red white and blue flags down main street on Memorial Day
lazy polka dot burnt orange black lady bugs
would sleep under the sun
waiting to be scooped up
each child hoping to find the lady
with the most dots
to win the game
cotton candy colored May Day dances held in the public-school yard always on the hottest and sunniest day of the year
each student excited about dressing up in colorful garbs from different cultures around the world
Love was innocent then...
Love had the best aromas too
tide detergent, vanilla extract
talcum powder, wonder bread
sweet potato pie
hot dogs on toasted rolls at the public pool
Chanel #5 on Church Sundays
lots of Chanel #5
Love had the most wonderful sounds
the rustle of fall leaves under your feet
the crunch of plastic sofa covers at grandma’s house
sitting on the porch listening to night crickets on dad’s lap
Maybe love is actually still here
Waiting for us to love her back
She has not been treated well lately
I hope that she will give us all another chance
And come back soon
Hopefully this time
She will stay
if time could be traveled
I'd take America's children
on an historic adventure
to undo public school brain washing
a time before t.v. and internet
when kids played kick the can
and used their imaginations
and parents weren't ridiculously protective
going back farther still
they'd learn about our nation
all that America truly stands for
at last they'd learn true values
witness the Boston Tea Party
signing of the Declaration of Independence
hear our Constitution being read
the Emancipation Proclamation too
so they'd learn to have respect for
God, humanity and good old fashion American values
all that once made America great
they'd proudly say the Pledge of Allegiance
their little hearts would fill with joy
at "One nation under God"
indeed, if time could be traveled
I'd undo the public schools' brain washing!
They stood and watched in horror
Their teacher was being burned alive.
Committed by what, they call themselves humans,
One hundred and thirty two children died.
What were they guilty of, what was their crime
They supported Malala and her Nobel peace prize
The Murdering Taliban's tried to kill her once
All because she wanted an education to improve girls lives
They lay there pretending to be dead
Holding their breadth when insurgents passed by,
Who killed with a smile on their face,
Only way to survive was hard not to cry.
Schools you would think were safe places
We can see now that this isn't so
Pupils at This Army Public School *
Take their lives in their hands whenever they go.
Wailing mothers are crying, wringing their hands in grief,
Why must children die how do these murderers sleep.
Penned on September 7th 2015.
* School in Peshawar Pakistan where the Afghan Taliban slaughtered children and teachers
RUN OVER
a child’s mind at play
with the words
“he was run over by a mack truck”
his books flew as he crossed the street
from the public school not far away -
a most busy street.
did i say there is a school there?
kids ne’er slow down -
they keep trucking along.
a huge tire track across a brown grocery bag
the cover of an english book.
a teenager on crutches (years later)
on crutches, on crutches...
how slow does a truck have to go to miss
a small child with books?
a child’s mind at play -
the words had nowhere to go.
i was still learning how to form sentences.
how to express awe and place interjections!
you cross our sleepy village,
near the firehouse,
(they don’t run over children)
and cross the busy busy street
to get to the school.
i rode a bus to Catholic school,
safe -
except for one crazy nun,
who’d run over some.
5/7/2019
Nicky, the neighbor’s dog, drags a road kill home.
A beautiful pelt like those fox shoulder garments women wore in the
forties.
But the head is crushed beyond recognition—maybe it’s a fox and that’s
why Nicky, a canine, is conducting this wake on our front lawn.
Loretta, my wife’s mother, is in the hospital again. Forty years of Crohn’s
disease has finally broken her.
It may take some time but she won’t bounce back from this episode.
None of us are sorry to see her die, not even Loretta. There will be a
thunderous downpour during her last hour.
I like the story about the nuns hitting Peg in school–contumacy is a sin.
Emile and Loretta considered it an inappropriate punishment for their
cherished adopted daughter.
So they pulled her out of Catholic for public school. They did their own
thinking about discipline.
Early Spring, peepers all night, then the birds take over at dawn.
Soothing—the mourning doves.
During this half of the year, May through October, we live in a green
bower.
We turn the house inside out, move into the mountains.
In their annual order, flowers appear in the understory: coltsfoot, hepatica
and trillium through to the end, late purple aster, spotted joe pye and
pearly everlasting.
We let Nicky nurse her road kill, watch over it, roll around on it.
Don’t let go of the steering wheel while driving fast in the passing lane.
And now a massive hole in the ozone layer
Global warming, not really mentioned before
Like all the wild life and all of the agriculture
Fossil fuels were burning, destroying the core
Rain forests now fast becoming waste lands
Polluting the atmosphere with our toxic waste
And to think all of this done at our own hands
Before long there won't be any human race
Change's in the weather, changes in altitudes
And this only contributes to famine and disease
If we're so clever why not change our attitudes?
Perhaps were blind to it all, no one then see's
That the situation is only going to perpetuate
We are warned by mother earth, mother nature
We will one day pay for the damage we create
Is it worth doing something now? rather than later
note ................
AGAIN A BIT MORE OF A POLITICAL AND UNIVERSAL ISSUE A BIT LIKE THAT
OF WORLDS STATE, A JILTED BENERATION , AND ELEMENTS OF LIFE
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
this I did mention brefliy in the original version of worlds state but something
wanted to write about seperlety similer to worlds state in the fact a never of many
issues that needs adressing though I do think the goverment has the power to do a lot
if they wanted to instead of dictaing these so called public school boys
why was this issue not adressd years ago in the fiftys sixes so on
the war cant be helping to the atmosphere
NOTE TO READERS OK LIKE OTHERS THIS WAS ON HERE BEFORE FELT A BIT TOO LONG DRAWN
WANTED TO UPDATE PUT INTO BETTER CONTEXT INSPERATION FROM RECENT NEWS AND WHATS HAPPING AT MOMENT
BUT WE HAVE HAD PLENTY OF WARNING
I dont kn ow to much on this subject so lously put togeather .....................................
There were things of mine in the drawers that could be thrown out,
But I kept gravitating to the things that were his.
His Public School 45 autograph book. It was red, white, and blue leatherette with
a zipper.
Inside was his hand, writing the names of favorite teachers,
And the dreams of the future you have when you are 13.
His father, an old world German who never shared himself,
left ink blotches of emotion under his hand.
In another drawer, the fancy leather passport wallet complete with passport and
photo.
He was 16.
I don’t remember him talking about anything else with the same twinkle in his
heart
As he did about the 6 months he spent in Germany.
Here is a poem written to him on his 40th birthday,
by his best friend in the world.
The gift made so much better because it was so unlike this IBM Executive
to write personal poetry full of memories.
There was an untouched underwear drawer.
Belt buckles.
Cards of love and joy that I had given to him over many years.
A collection of Christmas wallets.
A yo-yo. Gift from a child with nothing else to give.
Old prescription glasses. Why do we keep those? Pocket knives, hankies.
A sweater and socks I knitted for him,
Always said they were too good to wear.
I store them still.
Every drawer I opened, every cupboard, every box stored away throughout the
whole house had something of his tucked away within.
A stray bullet or black powder ball. A toothpick holder.
A cork screw. A flint, patches, pictures of his ‘49 Olds, a comb, a watch, pocket
treasures.
~ Maybe if I go clean someplace safe like the fridge.
And there was the bottle of Zeller Schwartz Katz wine
bought for the coming Christmas season of entertaining.
This is foolishness, hanging on.
In spite of saving all this stuff
the hole in me is still there. ...
But I just could not throw him away.
Freshman year, newcomer to public school,
my hormones were roused by Billy D. in typing class.
Sadie Hawkins’ Dance just days away;
a chance for girls to ask boys out.
Too shy to show my interest,
crumpled bits of paper I formed into balls,
tossed them at the back of Billy’s head.
Unsettled, as any boy would be, he glanced back at me.
Wry smile, how could he know how my heart raced?
Leo sat next to Billy, amused by this interaction.
Because of his demeanor, it was Leo I asked to the dance.
Turned out Leo couldn’t dance,
though conversation was no problem.
Leo spent the entire night talking about being an Eagle Scout --
tying knots, marking trails, building campfires --
seemed we had little in common.
No chemistry at all, but Leo said, “Thank you,” at the dance’s end.
For years I spent many days wondering
what if I’d slipped Billy an invitation note,
instead of lobbing paper balls?
Perhaps he would have said, “Yes.”
I might have had my first embrace;
maybe even my first kiss.
Years later at a school reunion
Billy looked more handsome than ever;
served as CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation.
He introduced me to his pretty wife
as the girl who pitched paper balls at his head.
*True story for Carol Brown’s “First Date” contest. (Some folks were lucky to have
more romantic first dates. LOL)
She sits on a street corner with a teardrop in her eye
Wishing she were in the cars of the people driving by
Her mother left with some john about two months ago
The man with the eviction notice didn’t care she had no place else to go
She carries in her small backpack everything she owns
The coming of the winter colds is in the winds that have blown
The bed she made on a City Park bench can comfort her no more
Her absences in the public school do not entice anyone to go looking for …
… the poor little black girl that nobody cares about
She has potential deep inside of her buried beneath the hunger pains
But nobody in this busy world recognizes what there is to gain
She is doing everything she possibly can to stop from turning tricks
But the only thing her mother taught her was how to hide the bruises from her kicks
The Styrofoam cup she holds out to strangers hasn’t collected any coin
People just leave her looks of disgust as if she is at fault for being forlorn
Shadows cast by the high-rise buildings grow longer with the setting sun
As commuters begin their journeys home she stands up in front of everyone …
… and the poor little black girl lets out a booming shout
“I don’t do this because I want to; being abandoned was not my choice;
I tried quietly to ask for help – but today I will use my voice
I turned thirteen years old today – the anniversary of another girl’s mistake
Is it too much to ask for, just once, a piece of cake?”
“You can pretend that I don’t exist; you can pretend that you’re better than me;
You can long for that future day when I am no longer here for you to see;
You can hate me and fear me and just turn your head the other way;
But you will see me again, sitting by our Father to hear your excuses come judgment day”
Businessmen and businesswomen stopped for just a minute
They looked around at one another not sure of the message or how to spin it
Then continued towards their taxis, subways, ferries and their cars
She stood alone after the sun went down beneath the twinkling stars …
It is up to you, now, to determine how this story turns out
(To the tune of Robin Hood)
Boris Blood Boris Blood
Mayor of London town
Boris Blood Boris Blood
Some say he;s a clownl
Takes off the poor
Gives to the rich
Boris Blood Boris Blood.
Boris Blood Boris Blood
Went to public school
Boris Blood Boris Blood
So who does he fool
Takes from the poor
Gives to the rich
Boris Blood Boris Blood.
Boris Blood Boris Blood
Claims he does care
Boris Blood Boris Blood
Says he is being fair
Takes from the poor
Gives to the rich
Boris Blood Boris Blood.
To think what we have done to this plaint
And now it is fast starting to lose it's worth
But we have been warned by mother earth
Just look at the mess we have made of it
At one time we questioned global warming
Now something that's constantly talked about
Fossil fuels burned , at an extreme amount
The fact that we have had so much warning
Now there's a massive hole in the ozone layer
Yeah I know this has all been said allot before
But still destroying everything right to the core
Like all of the wild life and all of the agriculture
Rain forests now fast becoming waste lands
Polluting the atmosphere with our toxic waste
Before long there won't be any human race
And to think all of this done at our own hands
Change's in the weather, changes in altitudes
Which only contributes to famine and disease
Perhaps were blind to it all no one then see's
If we're so clever why not change our attitudes
Or the situation is only then going to perpetuate
We have now been warned by mother nature
If we don't do anything sooner rather than later
We will one day pay for the damage we create
AGAIN A BIT MORE OF A POLITICAL AND UNIVERSAL ISSUE A BIT LIKE THAT
OF WORLDS STATE, A JILTED BENERATION , AND ELEMENTS OF LIFE
this I did mention brefliy in the original version of worlds state but something
wanted to write about seperlety similer to worlds state in the fact a never of many
issues that needs adressing though I do think the goverment has the power to do a lot
if they wanted to instead of dictaing these so called public school boys
why was this issue not adressd years ago in the fiftys sixes so on
the war cant be helping to the atmosphere
Boy: When I grow,
I want to be a Leader
Bring positive change,
And cancel the mindset of corruption;
Education shall be my priority,
As the illiteracy rate shall drop.
Girl: When I grow,
Roads connectivity shall be my focus
From interior to city shall be paved,
As citizens shall enjoy the facility of electricity.
The poverty rate shall drop,
People shall live in sincere harmony;
Injustice is not acceptable,
Anyone found guilty with unique evidence,
Shall be imprisoned for ten years.
Boy: When I shall grow,
I want to be a Leader
The motive of "I, me and myself,"
Shall come to an end.
Citizens shall enjoy every milk and honey
We will not even need gunmen on streets,
Switzerland shall be our example,
As Israel shall be our role model in "giving".
Girl: When I grow,
I want to be a Leader
The "Open Door Policy" shall be reborn;
All leaders children shall attend Public school,
As taxes on citizens will decrease.
Poor shall have absolute right!
In Cities in Flight
transformations are chronicled over generations.
It can make us cry
out for the genius occurring
now and in our past. How
the unseen, unknown participant
was made known to himself
through devotion to those outside himself. He
guides his city
into space.
So, the father and the teacher
guide the family and the student
through the close spaces of knowledge
and obligation. And perform
the history that surrounds them.
Good actors and directors,
philosophers and physicists,
soldiers and foresters.
Today
steam rose from the asphalt
because the sun
has arrived in place, powerful, equinoxal
as the human song
that receives it.
Two big deer
Lope cautiously
Off the open road.
Two crows
Fly low
Above the Oswegatchie.
Frank Bassett
forester since '57
marks a stand of maple and black cherry
for selective cutting. His actions today
will be noted
by another forester, also acting alone,
in the 21st century.
New York City
in a froth of creativity
Pacino and Sheen in Julius Caesar,
Sonny Rollins at Town Hall,
films opening, one
that portrays the flamboyant style
and dedication
of a barrio public school teacher.
You cannot act alone.
You must belong
in your heart
to the flight humanity makes in Spring, north
toward wild flowers
in geese chevrons.
As she was walking to a brand new school,
four strange men walked
with just her.
She didn't
know
why;
but she
had to be
so brave; showing
much courage, with one step after the next.
* The Problem We All Live With is a 1964 painting by Norman Rockwell. It is considered an iconic image of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.It depicts Ruby Bridges, a six-year-old African-American girl, on her way to William Frantz Elementary School, an all-white public school, on November 14, 1960, during the New Orleans school desegregation crisis. Because of threats of violence against her, she is escorted by four deputy U.S. marshals; the painting is framed so that the marshals' heads are cropped at the shoulders.On the wall behind her are written the racial slur "" and the letters "KKK"; a smashed and splattered tomato thrown against the wall is also visible. The white protesters are not visible, as the viewer is looking at the scene from their point of view. The painting is oil on canvas and measures 36 inches (91 cm) high by 58 inches (150 cm) wide.
02/10/2021
Contest:Double Tetractys 7
Sponsor: Eve Roper
Picture #1
A PACKET OF LIES
I will build houses on the oceans
And you shall have no cause to
Cry again like those without shelter;
I will build an Estate and make it
Free of charge for all masses.
I shall declare my assets naked
When you vote for me this time.
All students shall go on scholarship,
I will build schools and hostel for them,
All the beggars shall dine on my table;
No more beggars strike, all are free to beg no more.
When the rain fall, it shall drench none,
The sun shall not harm our children.
One plate of food twice a day for all public school
Children in the country, is that not a change?
All the children shall be well taken care of
Because they are the leaders of tomorrow.
I will take care of the widows in the land,
I shall be their husband day and night,
None shall be barren in this land of hope;
For there shall be plenty to eat and leave.
The widows shall be elevated in my courtyard,
None shall cry over their lost husbands.
Henceforth, I shall do my own share
In the building of this great nation,
I shall attend to matter of the state,
Great delicate diplomatic issues shall I solve.
The roads shall smile and rejoice when I assume office.
I shall share the national cake equally,
I will repair the refineries and fight corruption in the state,
I shall play my own role in the nation building.
Insurgency shall be no more,
Killing and terrorism shall end,
BH shall I conquer within three months in office,
Vote for me! vote for change!! Vote for me!!!
I know the way to the BH's heart which we know.
I shall stand for everyone in the country,
For I shall go against my own grain to satisfy your
Mutual quest of corrupt free country.
Freedom shall be for the Bus-drivers,
The market women shall testify and rejoice,
I will make our currency higher than the pounds.
I am for everybody and not for anyone,
Vote for change not transformation,
Vote for united nation not for disunity.
Vote for freedom of the press,
Vote for social amenities,
I wll serve those that vote for me and those
That didn't vote for me because everyone has his choice to make.
I will turn the country round to favour all,
The hunt and the hunted, and the hunter.
Abundance of bread shall we all live in,
I promise not to fail you when you vote for me.
(C) JCV