Best Shirkers Poems
The Keystone Cops were funny,
Chaplain, Keaton, Lloyd, and Fields too.
Laurel and Hardy, and Will Rodgers,
Were just some of the names we knew.
Who can forget the Stooges,
Or all the pies we saw them throw?
Who didn't laugh at the Brothers Marx,
Or Abbot and Costello?
Berle, Caesar, Skelton, Crosby and Hope,
Could always bring a tear.
So could Allen, Paar, Kovacs, and Carson,
As we guffawed ourselves to the floor.
Gleason had Carney, Martin had Lewis, Lucy had Desi,
George had Gracie, and Burnett had her crew.
While Cosby, Pryor, and Murphy,
All taught us to laugh anew.
Cohen, Benny, Youngman, Diller, Rickles, Hackett, and Winters,
Are some of the names we recollect.
Everyone fell out of their chairs,
When Rodney "Got no respect"!
Today we have Billy, Whoopi, Robin, and Dave,
Leno, Rodriguez, Wallace, Jeni, Wright, and too many more to name.
But each still works to bring us laughter,
Today, their job's the same.
They poke fun at life's human side,
As did the jester who first began the gaff.
So when the comic entertains us with his work,
All we can do is laugh.
They see laughter and hear our smiles,
Whether they are "Stand Up" or "Situational" workers.
They take the pulse of every audience,
To see if there are any shirkers.
But "Laughter is the Best Medicine",
A saying that is all but true.
So, don't be afraid to let your bellyaches come from laughter,
When a comic entertains for you.
Categories:
shirkers, dedication, funny, people, thank
Form:
Rhyme
Monotonous keyboards clicking
Redundant clocks ticking
Phones ringing, elevator doors swinging
Coffee pots brewing, vending machines spewing
Insouciant workers, carefree shirkers loitering
Clerks, secretaries previewing, managers reviewing
Visitors on stairs, in lobby chairs, lines queuing
Fate's dissonant chords o'er content hordes teeming
From Crescent's waning moon, spell of doom flinging
Across availing sky, a wailing strain is stringing
A portentous raven o'er torrentous swells winging
To his charted course, a venal force with guile clinging
Feral beast an imminent peril to prey quickly bringing
On the ethereal cusp perching, for crown jewel searching
Swooping down with force, beams from foundation divorce
Death's shadow in dust o'er screaming remnants streaming
Night's, palling darkness Day's ordained glint stalling
Categories:
shirkers, allah, america, angst,
Form:
Enclosed Rhyme
I wake for start of new day to find all nature stirring.
The bumble bee and humming bird around the feeder whirring.
The russet breasted robin has caught the early worm.
He'll feed it to his lady love before the final squirm.
Across the way the flower field is filled with willing workers.
Spring in my valley scurries on, it is no place for shirkers.
Not long ago I too was part of frantic interaction.
I watch with cup of coffee and a sigh of satisfaction.
I've served my time, no need to rise to annoying alarm.
Without me spring will carry on, I've rented out the farm.
The days whern I met life head-on is part of history.
In my newly welcomed leisure I let life come to me.
Categories:
shirkers, funny, nature, philosophy, seasons,
Form:
Rhyme
panic attacks and hot flushes
we smile at children’s blushes
embarrassment at the slightest error
fills us with terror
just how should we feel
these emotions they cant be real
am i ill or am i not
you cant see any snot
is life normal
or conformal
society has gone astray
for most have lost their way
ergonomic is the word
please apply it to the herd
sculpted to be efficient workers
the ill labelled as shirkers
free us from this hell
please someone ring the game over bell
round two will begin
we will be led without sin
the truth will prevail
the evil go to jail
Categories:
shirkers, health, life, on work
Form:
THE ANT
Every crossword buff will know
That the ants are real hard workers
If you look at how they go
It would seem that they’re no shirkers
But perhaps in all that motion
There’s a different motivation
And their actual true devotion
Is for fun and recreation
Always circulating, meeting
Notice how they are gregarious
They touch two front feet in greeting
Could be sharing jokes hilarious
In encounters, stop and start he
Isn’t passing strict instruction
But inviting to a party
Perhaps even reproduction
While all ants delight to frolic
In Formic acid vitriolic
To the tongue of the ant eater
There is nothing could be sweeter
So they live life sans reserve
Who can say what future throws
They could end up as hors d’doeuvres
For a beast with long thin nose
Categories:
shirkers, animal, humor, insect,
Form:
Rhyme
Jesus is right: Life entails a balancing act
(He is never wrong, by the way) : -
"Be in this world, but NOT of it. Don't react."
(How? you ask. Impossible even for you!)
O just wait, when life leaves you askew.
And it happened to not a few
Saint Paul gave up his education, pedigree
Where he had fought Christians tooth and claw
("God is One. Without you! And no trinity!")
Listen en route to Damascus. Light. No more Pharisee.
Some have no way to Light but through law and rules
(Commandments, Constitutions, but ah! We make Exceptions)
The LAW is a mirror to human hearts: rebellious on roads
At the House, at school, at office. Shirkers, too. But Grace isn't earned
Agape and Dunamis. So I won't judge, share my bread, yearn for shalom
Categories:
shirkers, 12th grade, appreciation, freedom,
Form:
Verse
The Merchant seafarers` war
When world war two started Norway was
neutral but unsure which side to stay on.
The English thought occupying Norway
but they were too late the German army had
done the occupation.
The British sent a ragtag military force to Norway
trying to cut the country in half to stop further
advances but were told to pull out.
Norway had at this point a big merchant fleet
It was sequestrated and used bring good and weapon
for the allies.
This left thousands of seamen nowhere
to go those go tried to flee was arrested and sent
back as crew members of any merchant ship.
They the crew lived under a constant pressure
(one out of ten) never made it home can you imagine
how they year after year lived in constant fear
a tank ship full high octane for planes with the enemy
U-boats lurking about. When the war ended and
they could go home they were treated with indifference
like shirkers who had avoided the war.
These seafarers where heroes of the highest order
but the government ignored them, they let down the pride
of Norway, one can say without them the war might
have lasted much longer
Categories:
shirkers, absence, deep, devotion,
Form:
Blank verse
workers, not shirkers
tackle tasks with great gusto
lead by example
attentive to children’s needs
caring, not just for their own
proud to be givers of life
described above, GOOD mothers
March 22, 2019, entered in Martin Brown's Ottoanka Challenge
Categories:
shirkers, mother,
Form:
Verse
...He looked around frantic as he struggled to breath.
“It’s all happening at once, I just can’t believe…
I know that they are all waiting, will want to record,
but right now it doesn’t seem so simple any more,
with all my family’s been saying…don’t know what to do,
and I’d hate if all this took me away from you!”
She stroked his hand and said,”Jack, you have to relax,
you have the chance to make music, that is a fact.
You tell me it’s what you want, so I think you should sign,
and not pass this up waiting for a better time.”
He said,”But if we go on tour, you know what that means?"
She said,”I know, but I’d never impede your drams.”
So Jack left with the band, and it was bittersweet,
they soon cracked the Top 40, which was no little feat.
Black Jack and The Shirkers would soon go platinum,
known for hypnotic hooks and songs of drink and fun.
Jack was modest at first, but soon embraced the fame,
all the parties and groupies who sere so far from tame…
Yes, the albums and the riches piled up in droves,
there was no sort of indulgence he did not know,
he had a big mansion, he drove fancy sport cars,
no one could image he’d ever go this far.
But as his twenties rolled on he soon started to see
deep within him a cold, growing despondency.
It started as a trickle, a fatigue he couldn’t shed,
them slowly grew until it filled up most of his head,
the gnawing sense that all of this was just skin deep,
before long it made it hard for Jack even to sleep.
The shrinks couldn’t help him, the gurus just annoyed,
so he thought back to the last time he’d felt real joy.
He realized it was that last night that he had seen Kay,
about no other woman had he felt that way,
for all of the drama he’d had his senior year
he remembered how with here there had been no fear,
just a quiet acceptance, she’d listened and cared,
and that was how Jay found himself going back there.
He was twenty-seven, eight whole years had gone past,
and he knew it was crazy, but he had to ask,
had to see for himself if some small spark remained,
if she could still see the real him through the trappings of fame.
It wasn’t all that hard to find her new address,
so he worked up his courage, and put on his best...
CONTINUES IN PART III.
Categories:
shirkers, heartbreak, lost love, love,
Form:
Narrative
Quirks
Lennon and McCartney
Composed a song for harps,
But neither one was very good
At reading flats and sharps.
DaVinci was a total whiz
at graphic arts and science,
but could he run a marathon,
or wrestle with the giants?
Transformers bring us light,
As Tesla had some genius.
Yet, he had no business sense,
Thus perished impecunious.
Descartes declared, "I am,"
And Marx united workers,
But when it came to music,
Both of them were shirkers.
Socrates taught others
By making pointed queries.
Although he was illiterate,
We understand his theories.
Lincoln, Ford, and Edison
Are considered rather legend'ry.
But for all of their accomplishments,
They never finished second'ry.
The moral of the story is,
If your marks are wanting,
Do not be dismayed,
It's really not that daunting.
Each soul has its genius.
Each soul has its quirk.
If you follow both of those,
Then your dream can work.
Categories:
shirkers, 11th grade, 12th grade,
Form:
Rhyme
Life is a Canoe Ride
For Those Born in America
Written: by Tom Wright
5/29/2019
We’re situated equal, in life’s canoe, to start the game,
Some will choose to drift, reluctant to work for acclaim.
Many are judicious, shirkers use excuses or place blame,
They survey others, claiming entitlement to the same.
Some accept living in squalor, feeling no guilt or shame,
Using sharp tongues and innuendos to possess and inflame.
Unwilling to man a paddle as a free ride is their aim,
Not realizing, a sinking canoe, drowns each occupant the same.
“There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need
But not for man’s greed”
Mohandas K. Gandhi
Categories:
shirkers, life, work,
Form:
Couplet
I awake to start the new day,
To find all nature stirring;
The bumble bee and humming bird
Around the feeder whirring.
The russet breasted robin
Has caught the early worm.
He'll take it to his lady love
Before its final squirm.
Across the way the flower field
Is full of willing workers.
Spring in my valley scurries on;
It is no place for shirkers.
Not long ago, I too was part
Of the exciting action.
I sit with cup of coffee and
A sigh of satisfaction.
I've served my time, no need to rise
To a bothersome alarm.
Without my help, spring will maintain;
I've rented out the farm.
The days when I met life head on,
Are part of history.
I sit in relaxed leisure and
Let Springtime come to me.
Categories:
shirkers, introspection
Form:
Rhyme