Best Shipshape Poems
Is Friendship Just a Delusional Fiction?
Is friendship a lifeboat that floats on convenience?
Can we all divorce who we like with a gesture
that’s less than a wave on a looking glass seascape,
ignore too, the wreckage of dreams that waves scuttle,
consigned to obscurity absent a tombstone,
now fodder for lies (Christ’s saints still love their brothers)?
Man’s ‘truth’ proves flawed compass and ‘sin’ haunts earth’s wheelhouse,
as Science fills mainsails, God’s Ark laps Truth’s oceans!
Some fools think strict planning’s the pearl of all notions,
the wisest of husbands intimidates frail spouse,
views women and children just chattel that bothers,
like friends (a close second) whose wild seeds they’ve not sown.
Control is the issue; dictators aren’t subtle
(a friend who’s not under your thumb can’t be shipshape)!
Yes, freedom and friendship’s an unhealthy mixture
for all the enslaved must kowtow to your brilliance.
Lord, let me own friends who own freedom to doubt me,
who own I’ve the freedom to doubt them in concert,
(our music still blends as soul’s melody’s fragrance,
impinges on Hearing, a flavored denouement),
find women and men friends who love I write poems
that skip on mind’s pond like a pebble, or stone-like,
touch depths that no rhyme’s plumbed, just God’s Love could meter,
source undersea landslide of epic proportion.
May God bless my humor though few think I’m funny;
send rain to help cool me though I’m a weak convert!
Invisible, God does not dote on appearance,
His Grace for the sinner’s a sign of rapprochement
though few may see me to have worth His Grace welcomes.
Should Love a God offers be harsh as the Third Reich?
Provisioned for life, what world could be sweeter?
Not friending who friends you, Love’s close to abortion.
Brian Johnston
26th of January in 2021
Categories:
shipshape, friendship love, life,
Form:
Rhyme
All I have to offer is this cigar
and clay cup of whiskey that’s not so bad.
Hides are loaded, sir, thought you would be glad
We’re ready to sail at first evening star.
Rounding the Cape at this late time of year
is dangerous but can be done, no fear.
Hold’s filled with hides, men have done their duty
things are shipshape, sir, hides are thoroughly dried.
no wasters here, we’ll catch the evening’s tide.
They’ll pay good price for California’s pride.
Boston ‘wants prime leather for boots and shoes,
this ship will give them what they want to choose
With scopes they’ll watch for our then arrival
Making wagers what ship will make birth first,
losers with naught but dry and angry thirst.
Owner thankful for his ship’s survival
and happy he’s first to sell at market
With many buys filling his vest pocket
Categories:
shipshape, business,
Form:
Rhyme
HIPPOCAMPUS SADDLED IN DAYDREAMS
Hippocampus saddled in the vast sea, one of God’s superimposed dreams.
In miniature form these seahorses be, an aquatic burst of genius it seems.
Hippocampus in old Flossie form, spotted from the Scottish shores.
A frightful nightmare, not the norm, thus shiver in my corporeal core.
If mermaids had thighs to tighten around their bony scales,
would that they be fight’n where the shipshape sailor fails.
Seducing sirens hiss upon the sea monster’s back with songs that rage
to lead in armageddon attack, to place mankind in a flaming cage.
4/20/2018
Julia Ward’s Seahorses
Categories:
shipshape, fantasy, image,
Form:
Couplet
and you tap tap on my leaves
high tide descends shipshape as
wholesome as can be brought forth
from the gale force fete relief
oh the hamstring you do hug
taut grasp relieves danger from
belt strap as it leaves beach plank
so the treetop perch easing
soothing dry tides of the wind
cool-charm in a household sigh
bluebirds in their enchant chirp
with their hip-hip-hurraying
Categories:
shipshape, wind,
Form:
Jueju
Living the dream, in your teens, not hardly.
If you forever found yourself back in time
but with memories of all that is lost, and
find you cannot even locate your Valentine,
even with your good looks, shipshape body,
your countenance would become crestfallen.
Missing the moments, did you live them at all.
You’d recall son and daughter, grands and all.
Would life still be grand when the moon falls?
The sun rose on the shoulders of her or him.
You’d talk for hours about this and that on whim.
It is the life lived and the hope of heaven to claim.
So even when your loved one dies, they exist.
But, if you find time has reversed, while you rehearse
your memories, with tears no one cares about,
‘sissy girl or sissy boy,’ because those teens
can’t relate to your old soul in a unwrinkled body,
because gram and gramps are just old.
Suddenly, your back, excited at your limp,
bags under the eyes, and the grands
run into your arms, or grab the VR, who cares -
your back…your back..oh your back…
Still you do the heavy lifting of the rich at heart,
heartily, tearfully (why are you crying, kid asks),
Living your dream at sixty-something, remembering
everything…well, not everything, but you smile
because you're golden, and what matters is life’s kiss.
Categories:
shipshape, age,
Form:
Dramatic Monologue
It’s thirteen thousand miles from Boston to
San Diego around far Cape Horn’s way.
Ship needs to sail to that distant quay.
The Cape is a hard challenge for the crew
It’s where the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans meet and the waves are horrific.
The number of ships lost are not a few.
With good sailing San Diego can be
reached in three months from Boston’s fine dock
in hope of returning with rancho stock.
Condition of hides rest upon the sea,
if hold remains ever dry and shipshape,
The wetting of hide they hope to escape.
No fear Brig Pilgrim’s hold is danger free.
Hide house at the Mexican harbor’s berth
cures hides vaqueros bring from distant field
hoping to gain a goodly peso yield.
Their agents bargain for true values worth
Profit will give major-domo much peace
He’ll thank the Virgin for worry’s surcease
At hacienda there will be much mirth.
Categories:
shipshape, ocean,
Form:
Rhyme
~The Unpredictable~
Being judged changed her attitude
voluntarily her Communicating
will grow beyond, she will not feel trapped
or suffer her velocity will willfully create wrath
among those who had judged her.
Ready to show the whole world her shifting
to shipshape will let him yowl and hear
no echo.
She will make him feel she is superior
will dismiss her liaison with this family
will afford to brag about her brain its beauty
will feel attractive authentic her serenity
will serve to seek a security that will vanquish
who poured his venom over her.
The inner woman she knew which had lived
with a past suddenly became a stranger
changed to become overwhelmed with happiness
a rich soul.
She has been single skeptic since fifteen
years her decision will overcome her shyness
send a signal towards a special individual
who might cast his spellbound over
carry her as far away towards
A spiritual sphere.
Her appetite will become apparent to arouse
that aristocrat approve admire her personality
cruise towards a bright future.
A sensational life will begin abruptly, ignoring the abuse,
Welcoming freedom that will prevail towards her
adventurous encounter.
One of the biggest moments of her life when she would find
someone who still believes in love believes in the same
Goals and aspirations.
Then her adoration towards him will exude beyond a birth
she will amaze her companion with an angelic appearance
different allure.
She hadn't finished the sentence when she heard
the door creak it was him her first love
when younger in age.
The view enlivened her imagination remembering how
Yesterday he found her and asked if she was free
that happening for a reason of us meeting at the right time
right place will get us together create a beautiful home
for the near future that was his message.
They stayed in love since the creaking of that door.
Never did she travel backwards when escaped
her long past history of abuse being judged
over the years by her husband nightmares.
Therese Bacha
17 November 2013
Categories:
shipshape, boat, change, freedom, happiness,
Form:
Free verse
If I did all that my momma taught me
I would live in a clean home
And always wear perfume
I would say thank yous
And how do you do?s
I would find brand name bargains
And have no hand me downs
I would always wash dishes
Keep everything in shipshape
I would manicure my toenails
And walk with smaller steps
I would leave parties early
And wake up cheerfully
I would boast less, smile more
Eat less, exercise more
Call my friends and family
Compliment them often
Save more money
And sit in simple comfort
If I did all that my momma taught me
I would not be me
I don't even think
My momma would be pleased
To never get to do
What she does best--
To counsel and fix me
Or to constantly worry!
Categories:
shipshape, mother
Form:
Free verse
Barren land of illiteracy ,
Soil never having been loosened,
Not fertilized by education !
Prejudice from heart difficult to eradicate,
Aspirations vacilitate, soon disheartened,
Barren land of illiteracy !
Comforts and bad money marionette ,
End of the day, lie disillusioned,
Not fertilised by education !
Howsoever doodads may shipshape,
Barefaced soul eventually feels threatened,
Barren land of illiteracy !
Eyes riveted at the door go grave,
Impecunious mason carving in house darkened,
Not fertilised by education !
Succor will soon arrive I hypothecate,
A town feared seized will stand fortified,
Barren land of illiteracy,
Not fertilised by education !!
Sponsor- Juli Michelle
Contest- rhyme battle- round 4
A villanelle ,
19/3/2014
Now entered for contest "Only villanelle and terzanelle"
By Shadow Hamilton
Categories:
shipshape, desire, education, hope, prejudice,
Form:
Villanelle
Barco do Boa Vista 2
Windswept, worn and weary sails
You might think that this boat ails
But with sound and sturdy, solid mast
She sails the ocean's waves at last
There was one here not long before her
But she sailed away to who knows where
Perhaps the Pirates thought they had the right
To slip her moorings in the dead of night
All they left was her shell lifeboat
Cast ashore though she could still float
Solitary, washed high on the beach
Out of water, out of reach
So a vessel more seaworthy
Was carved and built for all to see
Ready to sail the ocean blue
Ride trade winds with verve anew
The lifeboat too was hauled aboard
Made shipshape, to go abroad
With its own tiny mast and sail
Lashed to the deck with a rusty nail
There's not much calico along this coast
To make a sail, so we made the most
Of what there was ready to hand
What was found on rock and sand
So with part mainsail from a sheet of wood
And tattered foresail flapping as best it could
Into the wind she made her bearing
Casting aside risk with daring
She knew her stays were strong and taut
To take more sail as they ought
But now she's ready to sail with the tide
The seven seas and far and wide
Barco has sailed, her voyage made
But now another's anchor's weighed
So all take heed and observe well
Another boat's on the ocean's swell
Categories:
shipshape, art, beach, fantasy, imagination,
Form:
Rhyme
the following quite quirky epistle may not exhibit the ordinary characteristics of poetry, but i decided to share this self made challenge (where every word begins with the letter "S" - no explanation can be offered why such self cerebral torture imposed, nor what motivated me to focus on the nineteenth letter of the english alphabet at the exclusion of other noble vowels and consonants.
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Sunday September seventh started seemingly same since...silver screen show secured seventy seven SeventhSeals.
Soupy Sales supreme salient strengths (starring smart pet sidekick Springer Spaniel Socrates) salvaged sagging sporting sorties. Slap stick stereotypical swashbuckling shticks supplied shipshape shenanigans.
Spartan stage set spurred spontaneous simply stupefying solution. Suede shod schlemiel. Sartre seasoned scenes. Sharp sticks supported sphere. Seats situated semicircular semblance.
SPCA, Siemens, Sears sponsored soiree. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious shouted satirically 'specially Saturdays seemingly sellout. Spontaneous spritely Shogun Samurai sangroid stance satiated slipups stripping stellar seasoned Skidamarinks substitutes sacredly, seminally, silently, slipstreaming soulfully saving saga.
Sometimes silly spouse studiously sought spurious strategy stringing superlatives showcasing senseless sophomoric soporific skills specifically spelling storybook sassy sharpshooters supposedly sleuthing shapeless seated sideways (sic seasonal slate smug spotified snapchatting skippers selfishly scooped sloop-ful seasonal six-packs) sinister Swiss scalpers sat sometimes squatted.
Categories:
shipshape, adventure, creation, funny, humor,
Form:
Free verse
Master at Arms
policing the fleet
are you being shipshape?
Categories:
shipshape, military,
Form:
Questionku
Lost at sea, rudderless
Steaming coffee awaiting lips
gone into eternal mystery
Ghosts of love long vanished
Shipshape sinking soul
A'fouled by waves
of indignant pain
Love lost at sea
Empty vessel sails on
Adrift
Ever adrift
Indifferent to its fate
Destination of no concern
Where has the crew
vanished to?
Categories:
shipshape, loss, mystery, sea,
Form:
Free verse
To aid the celebration’s overindulgence
of snow and damp, sugar and fat,
serve a cornucopia of felicitous fiber
and its vitamin rush—
whirligig of walnuts and crisp cranberries,
Honeycrisp apples and wild red strawberries,
spring mix sprinkled with balsamic and fig.
Give a fig* about your friendships and figure.
Strap on boots, tread through snow and ice.
Make nice with muscles and joints,
your neighbors.
Share the bounty of your colorful heritage.
Stay in shipshape form as you celebrate.
9/16/2021
*Care about
Categories:
shipshape, celebration, fruit, health, holiday,
Form:
Alliteration
Place a pair of good eyes high, watch for distant freeze,
lifelines coated with ice, sails stiff unyielding sheets.
Make right, steer clear and take no chance our side berg meets,
Queen beats eastward across cold and rough ocean seas.
Ice floes play this rout I'm thinking - sure they don't please.
Great tea merchantman ties-up soon at iron cleats.
Most fleet, a new record time that far Scotia seeks.
She makes way where there lies frigid prevailing breeze.
Mate knows shifting box cargo's bad but pleased to see
hold's shipshape and here no danger lurks close this night.
Wheel's keen helmsman with eyes focused on compass face
keeps close view to retain course with ship running free.
Mean waves, easy as she goes, things are fine, all's right!
They'll be docking in nine days if ship keeps this pace.
Categories:
shipshape, courage,
Form: