Best Right(A) Poems
ALONE AT THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM
rose early in the morning,
indulged in a lovely quiche lorraine,
ventured out
alone.
silence has a sound of its own.
yes, there was the film, my first exposure -
Kristallnacht – the night of broken glass
S
H
A
T
T
E
R
S
the sterile space…
alone, i enter the “gas chamber” -
no one’s there, no screaming naked bodies.
the only fear is in my mind – i
must get out, feeling claustrophobic.
exiting and to my right, a setup -
a dummy behind a machine gun
my pulse quickens, throat is dry.
then to my left: hair cuttings, glasses, teeth, clothing -
my eyes hurt as i read – many children were thrown
into the ovens A L I V E.
the horror constricts my brain. horrible to imagine
one crazed serial murderer and this was an entire country.
cruelty has sharp claws, hidden behind breath and flesh
gifted by God. monsters have lovely hair, straight teeth,
families preparing dinner, friends cheering with
CLINKING CRYSTAL.
going home, they smile, swing loved ones around,
kiss their merry cheeks,
and they R E E K with death.
10/14/2016
POTD 23 Mar 2024
THE PATH WELL TRAVELLED.
Two paths diverged, and I was thrown by doubts I had never known
To my left, thickly overgrown, was a path to dismal dimness prone.
To my right, a lovely sight-fragrant flora flamed in light
Forms so graceful, beauty rare, a wonderous vision beyond compare.
Both seduced with equal right, torn was I between dark and light.
Resisting limits of time and sight, a liminal border of cosmic might.
Hesitancy rapt with fear and doubt, the pondering heart beat aloud.
Tempting was the path so grand, but instinct cautioned of a treacherous hand.
A feathery touch, a breeze stirred, and in its sigh, a voice I heard.
Was it Hecate who whispered?
"Take heed. Beware, for each path leads to a different lair."
Crystal clarity knew what I must do, and with a heart filled with valour true,
Joyously, I strode wild and free down the well-trodden path ahead of me.
The leaves, like frisking lovers, played as I embarked my chosen way.
Future paths ~ So many dreams ~ Each a thread in life's grand scheme.
Though true discovery lay in paths, I'd roam ~
The one well travelled always led back Home.
By Maria Williams ©
Greeks worshipped Hecate as a guardian and gatekeeper who could ward off evil forces. She is often represented carrying a torch and a key and standing on the liminal border between one place and another. She bears three heads and always has a dog by her side.
Inspired by Robert Frost's 'The Road Not Taken', I chose to write an alternative version.
'The Road Not Taken' is one of Robert Frost's most famous poems. It's natural and understandable that many readers take the poem to be Frost's statement of individualism as a poet: he will take 'the road less travelled'.
The metaphor of the road is one that immediately evokes a journey, not just of the local or day-to-day kind, but of the life-defining sort: life as a journey, with many roads which we must travel along, and with many alternative paths which we must choose between.
POTD 23 March 2024
Mardi Gras "The Medieval Story"
On a hot, heavy night in Orleans,
Joan and Jane were seen rubbing chest on chest
An inviting, intimate moment, to undress
Two pretty trimmed tops, eating like dames
They touched in ways, that drove those who make war insane
The secret spilled before the sun sprawled across the floor
Medieval England, banging on iron set doors,
All around men and women, wanting to witness the whiplash
Beads and beads of love, thrown at their feet
Joan' and Jane', having fun in front of, yesterdays courtyard
Sweet acts of flagellation were performed to stimulate the crowd
Screaming, and receiving, intense, brutal lacerations
In the eyes of endless nudity, everything wet in between
Left to right, a secluded society, dance in masquerade
Two men rise and ravage Jane, from hip to hip
Join-in, was a Jouster, and Lord Johnsburg,
They came in a little closer to claim, Joan
Closing, and inflicting as much damage as possible
Crestfallen forces of the unknown, -the audience grows
Remain firm and indulge this wet period of the Middle Ages,
The first crusade held stones in each hand,
Applauding to neck the beauty of friends
A noose hanging high held no head on this day
Yelling to feel the pain perils of anguish,
This was in reality the vassal of Jane
The King, ask to see them on their knees
Before he seeded, sending the Spanish tickler,
Fetching for the finest skin
At her end, Joan, watched Jane, spread like never before
Perfumed skin, rising up in smoke, -Joan's final stroke
Left burning at the Stake, In a Medieval World, from hell
The Siege of Joan and Jane did not end well
A lonely Bard, now sits and sings a sadistic tale,
A tale, of dirty deeds, -a dancing bloody masquerade
Joan and Jane, compensating for the Mardi Gras Parade
By: SKAT
Need I my dear son
Show you the light of sun
Or teach you how to croon
Under a half or a full moon..
You seem to learn and know
As you live, bond and grow
How to successful be
While trying to be..
Should I my dear son
Tell you how to be the one
Or for you life recipes prepare
And dare hamper your very flair..
You seem to learn how to right a wrong
And know how to compose a better song
How to responsible be
While trying to be..
Could I my dear son
Recite what should be done
For you many a path pave
Deny your right to seek what you crave..
But you seem to know as you learn
The wealth of Life how to earn
How to stand all that is harsh and rough
Craft your art from scratch and stay tough.
Within the crowded dark,
She dreams of a golden bloom.
Weaves a swift, geometric loop,
Then traces right, a graceful swoop,
To banish gloom. from the room.
And share a silent spark.
for such a time as this of political upheaval and economic uncertainty
how does anyone go about determining what is their God-given destiny?
what is our purpose in the grand scheme of God's desires?
what is it from us that the Lord Our God requires?
God gave each of us life for a reason
and will call upon each of us in due season
there will be some sacrificing and moving out of comfort zones
just remember that whatever God asks of you, you won't have to do it alone
for the battle is not just yours it also belongs to the Lord
and God won't let you write a check that you cannot afford
God will move you to a place and then give you an obstacle to overcome
but through Jesus you have the victory so consider the battle won
just trust in God to give you all that you will need
so that His set purpose for your life will come to seed
like Queen Esther, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Rosa Parks
women destined for greatness who were beacons in society's dark
they did what was necessary for the greater good
to put the needs of others before their own as we all should
they stood up and confronted the so-called powers that be
in righteous indignation in order to save humanity
so let God position you where you'll prosper and be strong
and then use you as a vessel to make right a wrong
it might not make much sense to you and you might even disagree
but God knows what's best when it comes to determining your destiny
so just say yes to any and all that of you God does ask
and believe unconditionally that He'll equip you for the task
and as long as you remain resilient in your resolve
between you and God the situation will get solved
destined for greatness as mothers, mentors, lawyers or teachers
destined for greatness as activists, doctors, scientists or preachers
it matters not the capacity nor the career for you that God did choose
we're women destined for greatness and as children of God we cannot lose
Why can't we all just get along?
Why can't we agree to disagree?
Should we use violence to right a wrong?
It doesn't make much sense to me.
Why can't we agree to disagree?
Surely we can find a way.
It doesn't make much sense to me,
All this hate expressed today.
Surely we can find a way,
To bring about peace and healing.
All this hate expressed today,
Has set our country reeling.
To bring about peace and healing,
Should we use violence to right a wrong?
Our country has been set reeling.
Why can't we all just get along?
7/27/21
Nightly, I wander in shadows of a recurring dream
and find myself wading through a shallow stream.
The Ancient of Oaks calls from beyond the thickets,
its gentle whispers mingling with chirping crickets.
I cannot guide my steps in the direction of choice,
for if I disobey, his leaves rustle in grumbling voice,
"Enter the forest, child, without fear of what I ask.
Moon and I will guide you with each virtuous task."
In the forest of my dreams, my path alters each night.
Sometimes I run to follow a nightingale in lofty flight.
There are times when I must free myself from a maze,
or suckle from mother fox, a kit waiting for her praise.
One starless night, I stumbled on a gnarled tree root
whose existence moments before, I dare not dispute,
for the Ancient One is very aware of every step I take.
Forest fauna watch over me 'til first light of daybreak.
I am puzzled why a forest sylph, I was chosen to be.
Ancient One said I would understand all the mystery
when after the last of my journeys comes to an end,
and I'd comprehend that my dreams were a Godsend.
So I do not question when his branches point me East
to right a wrong committed, turning famine into feast.
Or travel North and South, tending a nation that bleeds,
with a message to forests to provide for hunger's needs.
Each morning I awake with the memory of my dream,
my feet wet from wading through a shallow stream.
Some day soon, I hope to learn the reason for my quest.
Tonight I'll be in the forest when the sun sets in the West.
April 17, 2021
In the Forest of My Dreams Contest
Sponsored by Mystic Rose Rose
Have you signed the waiver form?
Safety Induction? Medical? Check… Check…
Now watch your head on entry……
And also watch your step.
Although dimly lit to enter…
Many corridors and levels to explore.
Like a Willy Wonka experience...
Not knowing what’s behind the door.
To the left an Angel, the right a Devil…
Both dancing to tunes at a compromised level.
Splashes of colour.. blue, black and purple…
A schoolgirl still learning, sits in a witches circle.
Up a level, and divulged to allure…
It's highly X-Rated.. nothing is pure.
And over there is a beautiful wife…
Broken by a man that was once in her life.
Around the corner is the dance floor…
She’s rocking it loud and wanting more.
Down the corridor is a mother tending her child…
Always to protect them, a lioness in the wild.
The corridor leads to a startled crowd…
Watching her mood swings screaming out loud.
She’s a worker, a mother, a girlfriend, a hoe…
She’s a daughter, a sister, a friend and a foe!
my father told me once
life, my boy, is give and take
—never forget! and he was still
promptly my teenage mind
set to work and i reasoned:
what mean philosophy
to give and to
expect in return. what about
philanthropy? is charity
dead?
what will Socrates think?
clearly the old man’s logic
was flawed. . .
thirty years later here i stand
in the churchyard, a grown man
having scaled the slippery wall
of life and met with many a fall
my unclean feet paused here at last
beside a grave i’ve seen before
to right a wrong i did in the past
just that and nothing more
just that and nothing more
I am on my way to happiness today
I am on my way to what I wanted from this world, dear
I took a right,a right turning for the best, yesterday
I took the road that brought me to your hometown.
I took the bus,to streets that I could walk down,
I walked those streets to find what I've looked for,
And climbed the stairs that led me to your front door,
And I'll do my best,I'll do my best to do the best I can
To keep my feet,from jumping up and down from the ground,
To keep my heart,from jumping through my mouth, my dear,
And now,that I don't want for anything anymore,
I'd have Al Joison,sing,"I am on top to the world"
And it's all because of you,because now,I do have you,
In my life forever and ever, my sweet Dear.
Dorian Petersen Potter
aka ladydp2000
copyright@2014
November,13,2014
The mulberry fell to its knees;
in Smith-Gilbert Garden, it prays,
near the moss-stone steps;
and I look on, in curiosity.
It was an oddity, but I learned
of its plight. In sorrow, we make
it right, a great fall onto infrangible ground.
Like a bonsai tree, twisted.
Listed, like a ship at storm,
but sailors will never use nets,
to cast, for silent butterflies;
In July, they gather.
Hereby is Summer magic,
buzzing bees, buckeyes, swallowtails
and painted ladies (sailors swear by them).
Yes, all the prayers needed.
Unimpeded, the mulberry fell,
whilst fluttering wings that disappear
in season’s cold, bring merriness,
there’s little hope for thee.
Still, we visit the treasure that bows,
climb the steps, for a further glimpse.
This garden is where I stroll
among the butterflied tree.
To Right a Wrong
In vain did they look in wonder
In vain do they seek him still
He fought for Australia his country
Kokoda went, to die and kill
2 of our brave Aussie soldiers
Were left off the list of the dead (20 years)
Their hometown RSL elders
Despised life blood they bled.
Their fathers had gone to one meeting
Communism seemed to help of the poor?
Blacklisted even though warrior sons were beating
The Japanese back from our door.
So I speak of Dan Seaton and Leo Judge
These men gave all that they had
Fought bravely in New Guinea’s mud
Printed on the honour board by Dad….
Don Johnson
These Dirranbandi soldiers were left off the honor board 20 years till my father joined
the RSL
Children with candy floss and wands of bright plastic,
Anticipation of the big top fantastic -
“Affordable family fun!”
The circus has come to town.
A carnival and a frisson of people,
The smell of the diesel,
It's magical and visceral –
Intense.
There's a girl in hoop earrings
Stands ready and steady and poised at the entrance,
Beckons our queue, guides us on through.
Later in sky blue and diamonds,
She’ll balance the line
Of the high tight rope walk.
To the right, a big burly man,
A wandering vendor of neon lit sabres -
“As you've never seen him before!”
Will throw a precision of knives at his wife.
Twenty years she has whirled in her satin and modesty chiffon,
On her own wheel of fortune.
To the left, there's a girl in an ordinary sweatshirt,
Wide spangled hairband, at a stand where pink sugar is spun.
Soon, she'll be spectacular!
Twirling on ribbons and ropes.
Belief suspended on the thrill of her peril,
Her grace.
We’ll be spellbound.
Sounds surround us as we take our seats ringside,
The beautiful boy selling programmes
Will descend,
Perform a daredevil act.
Our necks strained as we look
To the infinite blue of a tarpaulin sky -
Trapeze artist high -
He'll fly and he'll never grow older.
Dream big.
And then come the men,
Louder and bolder,
Selling bottomless buckets of popcorn and pop,
Sweet, salted and fizzy,
Between sets, they'll be busy.
A cascade of jugglers and clowns.
The big gestures of jesters and tumbling chaos -
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!”
And too soon the showtime is over,
We spill back out into the park,
Blinking into the afternoon,
Rare and recount the fleeting visions of awe and wonder.
Tomorrow the circus will have packed up and gone.
Leaving behind just a fairy circle of flattened grass
And the ghosts of muddy tyre tracks.
I was taught this at a very young age
Do what’s right and never do what’s wrong
Do not kill and do not steal
Do not covet my best friend’s wheels
Don’t try and push water up hill
Stop going downtown looking for a cheap thrill
Now my religion is right so the others are wrong
Till this bald Buddhist told me I was a big clown
He said for wisdom you must take flight
I said hey funny guy I am just a kid
He said be a grasshopper and then you can fly
Surely I could meditate high in the sky
I woke up a grasshopper, how’d he do that?
I was none to pleased, I like being just a kid
And that’s just a simple plain fact
So I found some other grasshoppers, a million or two
We swarmed all over that Buddhist true
I gave him a word or some choice ones a few
So he turned me back into the kid I once used to be
But I ended up at Jan's place and I sure had to pee
I had no idea if that was right or wrong
Or if manners mattered when I relieved myself with song
So now I am older, and hopefully wiser
I know what is right and I know what is wrong!
Cause I have me a wife, who helps me to know
And if I forget shed kick me out in the snow
Right is so simple, it’s easy to see
When a women speaks, its right and don’t you contradict me
When a man ever tried, in any way to disagree
Well the man is as wrong as wrong can only be
So a women are always right, a man always wrong
A Mans happiness is knowing this silly Buddhist song