Best Shorten Poems


Premium Member Summer Solstice

This was when the whole world measured time
This is when the light would turn around
This is where the past would come undone
and the spinning earth will mark a new beginning

Let's go back in time, to when it all began
To the breaking of new dawns
Where moments bright with fire, would light the chanting song

Where pagans worshipped sun, and danced among the trees
Wore strange masks of covered straw, and blessed cold ash with awe

Wreaths hung upon the door against all spirit's, dire 
and when the winter's grasp let go, the sun reversed the pyre

This was when the whole world measured time
This is when the light would turn around
So that spring arrives, and seeds will sprout and grow

Oh, radiant sun, stretch the day, shorten night
Return earth's darkness into light
This is where the light will turn around
And this was where the past would come undone


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5/26/16 Summer Solstice Contest Sponsored by Shadow Hamilton

Premium Member Enlightened By Anima

I bridged the chasm and entered ambiguous halls
Climbed over barbed fences inside my mind's walls
To glimpse the core of how men and women relate
Among flowering vines behind the garden gate.

Within a flower is both gamete and stigma
As semen to ovary   -   what an enigma!
Nestled deep in my breast, I hear a sultry voice,
"Which would I be if I'd been given the choice?"

I am content with my life in a single ilk
I give in to the urge to wear lace and silk 
A little more mascara and blush on my face
I desire to be a lady with charm and grace

I wear jeans and boots, shorten the length of my hair
But some days high heels are what I choose to wear
Two halves of one heart, beating in rhythmic sync
Twins in one body but both sharing the same link

One set of footprints I leave on a virgin shore
I know who I am, but sometimes yearn for more
I'm searching for what lies behind the waterfall
The answer discovered when I hear my siren call

One foot in each of two very different worlds
Climbing trees like boys with painted nails of a girl
When asked my favorite color, I always say it's blue
But I'm also partial to pinks in pastel shades and hue.

I search my thoughts to see if gendering is mental
Knowing I'm more the damsel, not frail but gentle
When my psyche roars like a lion, I can repress
the savage beast in me when I wear a pretty dress

In kindred thoughts my anima/animas keep in touch
I respect my masculine inflection, but not too much
I don't saunter like a guy. I'm not one of them
My hips sway like a girl, so cherchez la femme.*

*Cherchez la femme is a French phrase which literally means "look for the woman."
© Lin Lane  Create an image from this poem.

Premium Member Spring

Spring


      When the Season turns and Old Winter spent,

      Sudden colour blossoms on budding trees.

      The daffodil blooms and young Spring’s sweet scent

      Is gentle carried on the evening breeze.


      Fast changing period of restless mood,

      Faltering sun and uncertain showers.

      Sleeping souls wake from Winter solitude

      Aroused by Spring’s lengthening daylight hours.


     Migrating birds return on sun warmed wings,

     By shaded woodland the yellow primrose 

     Blooms. Nights shorten and the first Cuckoo sings

     And all around Nature’s industry grows.


     Barry Stebbings
     21/02/17


Might As Well Have a Good Laugh

When you are in trouble
and start seeing double
you might as well have a good laugh

Cause sorrow and crying
and excessive sighing
can shorten your lifespan by half

If buried in debt
why brood in regret
when smiles are just what you need?

Don't worry or panic
no need to be manic
far better to chuckle, indeed

Has your tire lost air?
Don't give it a care
just change it and be on your way

If right after that
another goes flat
then dial up your triple A

If someone does hurt you
and then they desert you
just let it roll right off your back

Let out a guffaw
for there is no law
requiring you to attack

If hauled into court
then be a good sport
and burst forth in squeals of delight

They may think you mad
but you will be glad
as they drag you off into the night

No more bills to pay
nor dragons to slay
committed for standing the gaff

In your padded cell
your own private hell
you might as well have a good laugh

Struggling

12/12/19
"Struggling"

I've been struggling
Doing things that are puzzling
It's rather troubling
How much liquor I've been guzzling

Shiiiit
I admit

I'm not proud at all
I got a problem with alcohol
It'll be my downfall

If I don't fix it
Instead of always getting twisted
On my end, there's been a lot of resistance
It's been hard, and I know that I'll miss it
But I want to follow through on my wishes
And get after serious riches
All the while, taking care of business
With god as my witness
Up until the very last minutes
And at the finish
I don't need anybody's forgiveness
Just got to make the best of my existence

Another relapse, because I always got to get my fixes
On the walls upside down triple sixes
Pictures of provocative b**** es
Blowing kisses
And a tank with fishes
As well as a few glow in the dark crucifixes

Life's tough, yet sometimes it isn't
Good riddance
Once again I've done did it
I'm starting to get suspicious
Of much more than the superstitious
I've been ambitious
Yet still oh so vicious

Sorry, can't relate, I'm not very religious
And that's just one difference

Use to be a jock and a nerd
Nowadays I burn so much herb
I've been feeling disturbed
Because there's been so much I learned
Yet the problems always return
When you're at your lowest or feeling superb

On my back the weight of an anvil
Been trying to leave it at the landfill
But keep ending up at a standstill
Damn girl, 
You really gave me feelings of ecstasy
Turns out it wasn't always meant to be
You'd best believe
Working my ass off, to barely earn ends meet
Only to struggle on through the next week
Makes me feel like a ****ing dead beat
Life continues testing me
Getting the best of me, but I can't let it be
I'm ready to achieve
An outcome that turns out successfully

Living rather recklessly
Been at odds and making some enemies
Doing things that'll shorten longevity
And life expectancy
Having strange tendencies
And certain dependencies
Which could very well be the death of me

Premium Member Sentinel

A sun reminds them through a dark cloud, 
long before we are even asleep, or the moon is awake
and they reply, like guardians of simmering,  
blossoming sunbeams, sprouting like wheat from cold concrete floors
A shoreline of long legged stems,  tips that look down
Lamp lighted sentinels, that jaundice the ground

For the dark holds chance, and the hollows hold fright
unwinding a trail of stories untold , 
hemming each row,  that might lead us to somewhere?
Where helter or skelter we're racing like the sheep
Tall stalks of flaxen, sending up flares,  watching us scurry, into night's air
taking for granted, the pace or the glare

An illustrious disco, dances on tires, splashing the street, with stars that ignite
Lamplights will flicker like friendly old ghosts, hosting the present,  or memories lost
Making a halo, of gold at our feet
.........then, dying in shadows that shorten the street



_________________
For Nette's Contest: "Street Lights"
By Carrie Richards 10/2/14
TARNDAI


Premium Member He Says - She Says

[He says]Never say ?I can't? 

     Why on Earth not meet defeat
     admit you're seldom right
     Saying you CAN is vanity
     and looking for a fight.

[He says] Don'?t look back on failure ...

 Dwell on failure is what I say
 thank failure with a smile!
 A learning tool is what it is
 to shorten your next mile.

Good results are scant [He says]

     Oh goodness, where are you looking?
     You breathe the air where roses bloom
     and eat your wife's fine cooking.
     Taste the gift of life; don't focus on doom.

[He says] But, praise is less than complaint!

 Enjoy the ACTION she says, not the "at a boy!'
 you decide, what you value
 and whose judgments to deploy
 Your opinion of self is what you should pursue.

Embrace the TRUTH with stoic composure. [He says]

     The truth...which truth is that?
     Laugh, I say, in the face of those
     who would oppose you, tip your hat.
     Revealations comes to those who grow!

[He says]Be rawhide tough and BULLDOG mean.

 Oh God, what men don't do?
 Be sweet, be soft be kind I say
 and like will return to you
 for your soul you've not betrayed.

Defeat [He says] has no place in our repertoire ...

Now here she says, it's not defeat to wish upon a star.


He says: Charles Henderson, She says: Debbie Guzzi

Premium Member Gods of Man's Vanity Demanding Intolerance

Gods Of Man's Vanity Demanding Intolerance


False realities fed to the masses
Another ghost ships sails the seas
Knowing not, yet their lie passes
Escaping truth's majestic pleas
God of vanity demands intolerance
Only its hate is to be displayed
Damn morals, into deeper ignorance
Silent servitude must then be paid
Love, always a great promised reward
Yet black evil roots firmly laid
In black garden in a devil's yard
Nobody sees the beast they ride
God of darkness their faith hides

R.J. Lindley
July 12th, 1978
( Fake Gods Lying)
( Rhyming acrostic)

Note: The one true God never lies, never
steals and never abandons his only Son.


New Note- Old poem edited to shorten.-removed 
verses of 
T
O
R
U
L
E

God's Shephard

I know sometimes your way seems dark and dreary
I know sometimes your body may feel worn and weary.
And yet you press on, you keep spreading God’s word
You refuse to rest until his voice has been heard.

A leader, a guide, a shepherd steeped in love
Whose greatest desire is to live eternally above
You teach about Heaven, you illuminate the way,
You live as an example of God’s love each and every day.

You are a bridge to the Lord during troubles and trials
And you depend on Jesus to help shorten the miles.
You preach about Jesus who is the ultimate answer
Whether the problem is financial, emotional, or terminal cancer.

You are a good Shepherd who loves tending his sheep
Though some are scared, some worn, some battered, and some weak.
But each of them know that you are available twenty-four seven,
To comfort them, to cry with them, to reach out toward Heaven

When a sheep starts to wonder away from the flock,
You gently prod him and lead him right back to the rock.
You’ve sought The Lord's  guidance and carried your cross,
You’ve done His will and prayed no soul would be lost.

And as your reward for the work that you've done,
When your sheep are well fed and the good race you’ve run
When this life is over and each battle has been won
The Good Lord will say, come on home, JOB WELL DONE!

Farewell

5/12/17


Go ahead and tell
Hide in your shell
Or run away like a gazelle
Don't like your intent and what you try to sell
Farewell
Catch an L
Rot away and smell
Then burn in hell
On my mind, it will not dwell

Throwing shade
On my name
It's nothing new or strange
What some will do for clout and fame
Is beyond a shame

I'm going to turn into the ace of spades
And a jack of all trades
Bury what remains in a legitimate grave
Then carryout another day, while still feeling the same

A new century
Another enemy
Out to get me due to jealousy
I can only imagine how it is, when you're a celebrity


Your not going to shorten my life expectancy
Or any chance of longevity
Due to me thinking sensibly
My own integrity
And a sudden surge of adrenaline and energy
No R. I. P. for you, or memory

By: Dalton Ogletree

Premium Member Bridge To a Memory

Walks we took, across the bridge and down the ridge we'd climb
He'd catch himself to shorten steps, while I'd be stretching mine
With fields to plow, and milking cows, yet he always made the time
One look beyond the bridge of time, and childhood can rewind

Those summer days, soon passed away, yet love just lingers on
How simple all the world seemed then, unfurled beneath the sun
Together we would brew mischief, while chewing juicy gum
We'd talk about most anything, and walk till the daylight dimmed

I'd look to him, with questions, grand, then, he would give them thought
He'd scratch his head, and often said, "I'll answer the best that I can"
Then explain in words I understood, and knew that less was good
"How many stars are in the sky?" ..."Well, Sugar Pie,... a lot!!"

If I could choose a single day .....across the span of time...
Where the sun was gold, the stream was cold, the skies were bluer blue
A quiet place...his whiskered face, the grace he showed to me
We'd walk our pace, across the bridge, where greener grass would grow....


          -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time

We can see it 
smell it 
hear it 
Touch it 
taste it
love it 
hate it
fear it
feel it
prolong it
shorten it
mock it 
curse it 
embrace it
track it
lose it
find it
remember it
forget it
abuse it
respect it
eject it
enjoy it
destroy it
change it
waste it
We can even repeat it
But
We cannot deny it
We cannot rewind it
We cannot stop it

Premium Member Slang Men’s Names in Footles- Part 6

He’s always So Behind

Hasten,
Mason

Heavenly Guy

Sky glow
Milo

A Great Guy

Maxwell
acts swell

Sure Not Dickie Nixon

Tricky
Micky

Spoiled Guy

Bratty
Mattie

Why We Follow

Moses
Shows us

Such a Cheerful Fellow

Jaunty
Monty

Hope he Doesn’t want Kids

Sterile
Merrill

The Stoic

Spartan
Martin

He Keeps Them in the Family

Newel’s
Jewels

The King’s Favorite

Jester
Nestor

He’s Just so Tall

Shorten
Norton

Almost got Left off the Ark

Noah’s
Boas

I Have . . .

Faith in
Nathan

The Shrewd One

Heady
Neddy

The guy in Charge

Foreman
Norman

Never Sits Still

Goin’
Owen

Stuck at Home

Snowed in
Odin

A Nobody

Zero
Nero

Put Him on a Diet

Fatty
Paddy

Give Him a Shave Please

Hairy
Parry

Never Finished Med School

Nursie
Percy

Kind of a Loafer

Restin’
Preson

Mr. Popular

Tweeter
Peter

His Magic

Patrick’s
Hat Tricks

Worm Man

Wriggly
Quiggly

Premium Member My Gramps and Me and the Birds and the Bees

Walks we took, across the bridge and down the ridge we'd climb
He'd catch himself to shorten steps, while I'd be stretching mine
With fields to plow, and milking cows, yet he always made the time
To make my days a memory, that I visit in my mind

Those summer days, may have passed away, yet the love just lingers on
How simple all the world seemed then, unfurled beneath the sun
Together we would brew mischief, while chewing juicy gum
We'd talk about most everything, and walk till light was gone

I'd ask him things I'd pondered of...and he would give it careful thought
He'd scratch his head, and then he said, "I'll give it my best shot!"
He'd explain in words I understood, the answers I had sought
"How many stars are in the sky?" ..."Well, Sugar Pie...A lot!!"

"Where did I come from?" I asked, quite plain.  His red-face quickly stunned!
"Hmmmm...of all the questions you have asked,....this is a tricky one!"
"You see my sweet, when two hearts meet, and two plus two is fun....
"You are the sum, that came from love....a prize your family won!"

Oh, if I could choose a day from then .....from summers long ago...
Where the sun was gold, the stream was cold, the bluer skies hung low
And the quiet space...his whiskered face, and the love he could bestow
We'd walk our pace, and beneath that place, where greener grass would grow....



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Convicted

This situation seems quite dense
But don't make half the sense
But it happened two times in cadence
I'll try to shorten it so I won't trespass on your patience
So here's the deal
It's becoming hard to express how I feel
On the real
An unread love letter that remains unsealed
As cliche as "looks can kill"
You heard it before so you know its real
Anyway, this is how it goes
The unbearable love that nobody knows
It numbs the pain of your heart piercing the soul
With a high on poetic flow
So sick your eyes stay low
You'll be on straight lean mode
You know
My thoughts are paced
Til faith illuminates
The pain it takes
To repair a heart that's easy to break
Here to keep
Through ideas incomplete
His kisses bleed
To a place too deep
Even love couldn't reach
Where fear consumed me entirely
Fear of what?
Well, fear of you
And what your body can do
And I can't shake the feeling that you think so too
And I realize love is a choice that affects time
And to give in to it is matter over mind
Such seductive memories left behind
Guilty and convicted by a 3-word line
Now it's my time
As I mortify this rhyme
To pass up something so kind
Or maybe sublime
Cuz his time's out of love and my love's out of time

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