Best Shrews Poems
Out of the burrows and hedges and dreys
Heads began bobbing and eyes were agaze.
Rumours were twittered and grunted and squealed:
‘The combine is coming to harvest the field!’
The moles and the voles and the rabbits and hares
All hurried and scurried and scattered in pairs.
The hedgehogs and ladybirds, pheasants and shrews
Did all that they could to distribute the news.
Then all made a dash for old wise badger’s sett;
The only safe refuge in face of the threat.
There, in the deep hollow they felt the vibration
They shivered and shuddered in great trepidation.
The thrumming and thundering monster machine
Soon passed overhead... and then all was serene.
And out of the hollow came heads, tails and paws
Another day safe from the harvester’s jaws!
Most recently entered into 'Your Best Rhyme Poem That Is Trophy Worthy Contest 3 Poetry Contest' sponsored by Tania Kitchin - 05.10.19
I chose this poem because not only is it one of my personal favourites, but to this day, I've no idea where all these little creatures came from! Written early on in my poetic endeavours, it made me appreciate fully the amazing powers of the imagination!
'A rattling rhyme contest' sponsored by Nina Parmenter
12/08/18
04/12/18
'I cannot believe I wrote that Poetry contest' : sponsored by Nina Parmenter
Your Choice,Any Form,Any Theme Poetry Contest : sponsored by Brian Strand
'Twas long before a Shakespeare play was quilled,
the fifth and sixth of deadly sins would prey
then dance with pride as innocence was spilled
upon the pyre where dastard evil plays.
The wicked toil around their witch's brew
of lies perceived as truths among their ilk
to spill the sloppy swill like gluttoned shrews
and cool its burning sting with sour milk.
The lust for power's fruit within their grasp
as greed consumed already slothen minds
too faint for God to hear when last they gasp,
too late to save a soul so ill entwined.
Though history repeats these truthful stings
it seems to barely slow the march of kings.
(This is an English Sonnet)
Listed under Rhyme for submittal to Nina's contest
Oct 13, 2019
"Nine Inch Nails, Ten Pins and the Purl Stitch"
She takes the cake
they offer, chewing too rapidly,
she Shrews when she speaks
I’ll beat warpath drums, she says,
no mistake
I’m a groper ... goody two shoes
she says
mouth wide open
songs problematic
she's done and she's gone
a stitch loose in the weave
drop one pearl one
dropped
gone
for kissing small bait in the shallows
she circles her quarry
bites their backs
she sits astride
the legs of a hot gripping story
sits like a monkey
begging for peanuts
she spits in comments
I'm thoroughly congruent
in moments of questionable torrent
I am all here
dear boy
dear girl
knit one
drop one pearl hooray
I am all here, here hearing
all seeing, all knowing
I throw it back
and I’ll give you
the crux of the crutch
all knowing
make no mistake.
my good god
I don’t care
I don’t care
do we care?
I don’t care.
truly I eat their sour pears,
place more wax in my ears
she throws pearls
decorously adorning
the minds of sows’ rears
left wing molting
a mouth full of feathers
right wing feeding them
she’s all knowing
bling bling bling bling
bling bling
bowling ball glowing
Ten pins
preparing minds
sharp needles
and yarns
Purl Stitch
knit one,
drop one
knit one
drop one
win
(LadyLabyrinth / 2021)
“Ram” – Paul, Linda Mcartney
https://youtu.be/dQwdanGKILI
We're so sorry, uncle Albert
But we haven't done a bloody thing all day
We're so sorry, uncle Albert
But the kettle's on the boil
And we're so easily called away
Hands across the water, water
Heads across the sky
Hands across the water, water
Heads across the sky
"Sit by my side, and let the world slip: we shall ne'er be younger."
"There's small choice in wrotten apples".
"If I be waspish, best beware my sting.”
A dashing, young field mouse
Once married a shrew,
And they set up housekeeping
In an old tennis shoe.
When their babies were born--
Not shrews and not mice--
They were the proud parents
Of a shoe full of shrice.
Mesh
Of my window screen
In spring
Licked from the inside by our inherited old lady
She is made of bird bones
White whiskers
Wearing her oversized fur coat in the new heat
Pulled from mothballs
Tongue of sandpaper
Scratches and tastes
I don’t know what
Bitter pollen?
Invisible scents of fellow felines
Hunting shrews from under the garden?
Or lion mares of dandelions?
Perhaps
She is merely savoring herself
In the intricate weave of parallel atoms
Who wants a mirror at this age?
Without ears or eyes in her private world
She finds an in between
Alive
On the inside
And from the outside
My ancient mom hisses
None of your business.
A conversation overheard between Shakespeare and his former muse.
"So many things hath turned to utter folly over the ages.
Hundreds of years since I've penned pages and pages.
What these ancient eyes of mine doth now conceive
plead, 'Return to thy grave, Bard, for here you'll grieve."
"In sooth, fair maiden muse, I know not why I am so sad.
Perchance to dream, is this a scheme or have I gone mad?
Enlighten me as to what's become of life as I once knew it.
Bitter dregs are coffee? Bring me tea or I shall lose my wit!"
"Fie to you and the darts of scornful glances from the eyes
of natives half-dressed. Is modesty held in compromise?"
It's accepted attire by everyone, nothing like in the past.
"I shall not rudely stare, but I find myself quite flabbergast.
What of the churl who spits venom into that man's face?
Doth women in this day act like shrews? What a disgrace!
Is not thy husband honored as both her lord and keeper?"
Women are equal. She looks at him like she's the grim reaper.
"The lady doth protest too much. That's what me thinks.
A goblet of ale tis what I need, and then forty winks.
That minstrel sings gibberish. Has he no pride in himself?"
He sings a Christmas song about an elf who sits upon a shelf.
"O, teach me how I should forget from whence I have come.
I do not belong here. I need a draft to sleep and benumb.
Romeo's poison was quick. Thus, with a tender kiss he died.
To chamber I betide to cleanse this stain I shall not abide.
Out! Out Damned spot! Thy splotch besmirches as if blood.
Begone fore I hear my heartbeats pounding with each thud.
On the banks of Stratford-On-Avon tis where I long to be,
rewriting Romeo and Juliet so in the future he will decree...
To Juliet when she says, Romeo. Romeo, wherefore art thou?
The lad shall reply, "What do you want from me, you cow?"
Dear Bard, you mustn't change a word of what's been written.
For centuries women have read your lines and were smitten.
"I shall nary breathe a word of this ill journey to the future.
Thine lips are sealed forever more without need of suture.
Back to the grave where I belong, most gladly shall I return.
In eternal sleep, ne'er to dream of such time I did spurn."
Flowers have that novel effect on schism,
where the uniqueness of its design forms
compare that White Egret Orchid performs
like its namesake, chicken or the egg, ism
being afloat plume or the blooming grews.
Soggy-bottom boys and girls 'tis they want
of this bit of a ground-hugger-like haunt.
Sophistication hails for untamed shrews
attracts from up or a transferred potter,
with a metal device tool like a pick,
the gifted angular, pruning, technique,
lauds the fringed orchid, White Egret Flower.
Monkey Face Orchid, to Yulan Pink Birds,
venture advances, the future ... occurs.
If one’s mother-in-law is a woman Hitler, the father-in-law might be a fatal whiner!
Horrible women are sure to abuse
the spouses who bow and scrape to such shrews.
Merciless, malicious, manipulating matriarchs make mere mortal meek men miserable.
Dec. 17, 2015
Anagrams: Mother-in-law/woman Hitler; father-in-law/ fatal whiner
A Pet Peeve
By: Olivia Rodrigue
A smile that reeks desperation
A mascaraed eye batted intently
Your falsified figures and fancies
Undermine others of my generation
To think that a woman is only
Aesthetically valued and won
Is a peeve that’s been maddening many
But thought significant only by some
They bray at braless feminists
Thinking that these are the crazy few
Feminism means makeup-less monsters
That degrade men-as bitter shrews do
How can you laugh at oppression?
A word that history knows well
When minority rights and reactions
Have shaped how we act-what we sell
They painted the greats as extremists
They called activists nearly insane
But the genius among us would not bow
To the pressures that society named
Therefore I say bring on your follies
For the truth of the matter will be revealed
Though you peeve me with your ignorant statements
The injustice- once hidden -is unsealed
I: Sheep
(A poem about Covid)
next door to 19 chimneys
and 'the dark satanic mills'
a flock of sheep is grazing
oblivious in the hills.
II: Other Animals
(They do all exist!)
goblin sharks and pangolins
sea pigs, star-nosed moles
mata matas, sugar gliders
shoats and water voles.
aye-ayes, dik-diks, wobbegongs
chicken turtles, loons
shoebills, snipes and yeti crabs
and cozumel raccoons.
pink fairy armadillos
bilbys, 52-hertz whales
the red-lipped batfish, panda ants
and emperor helmet snails.
the pleasing fungus beetles, thrips
hellbenders, great potoos
lilac breasted rollers, bongos
glass frogs, kinkajous.
boobies, fried egg jellyfish
happy wrens and teals
sarcastic fringe heads, cock-tailed tyrants
shags, electric eels.
johnny cash tarantulas
slevin's emo skinks
hanging thieves, agra cadabras
turbo shrews and minks.
the mediterranean shame-faced crabs
dugongs, gangly lancers
jesus lizards, pistol shrimps
fossas, spanish dancers.
the rare long-wattled umbrellabirds
chubs and munchkin cats
satanic leaf-tailed geckos, shads
gars, nits and fancy rats.
< encircling mountain's crest... the mighty eagle .. soars
amidst wetlands standing erect the blue huron
toppling muskrat homes waiting for mice and shrews
colonies emerge shrub trees and lagoons to bond
butterflies flutter medows of greenish hues
snaphots taken afar this is all I could do
catails ~ sway ~ sounds ~ thunder
pheasants fly off in frenzy
braided and despaired
yet forges right on ahead
they live see another day
night ~ time's ~ calling ~ for ~ the ~ wise ~ old ~ owl
bidding feathered friends well ado's
A combination of Monoku, Quintain {English }
Tanka & Crystalline For
Constance LaFrance's For {Four } Beautiful Birds Contest
Written by Katherine Stella
5/8/2011
talons clamp shrews head
body parts torn into shreds
agog owlets fed
Sponsored by Brian Strand
Syllable counter ps 5/7/5
A STRAND (1068) Poetry Contest
08/02/2022
Diddely, dappened doo –
birdies, black and blue!
Hiddely, happily hare,
gorilla’s, gophers glare!
Frappelly, frippin foo,
larks, and leopards loo.
Giddily, gaddelly, goo –
grasshoppers, gnat’s gnu’s!
Trippaley, trickelly tee –
birdies, bears and bees.
Biddilly, bradilly, boo –
shrimps, sharks and shrews!
Zippelly, zappely zale –
walrus, wrens and whales!
Jittery, jatterly joon –
ladybugs, lions, loons!
Woodelly, wadelly, wee –
a monkey, and ape in tree!
Gecko and goat in game –
all animals aren’t the same!
31.
Some work day mornings just fill with sour time.
The evenness of the florescent lights is annoying
I see all the familiar faces hating every moment along with me.
A department meeting, how horrifying.
The common voices outlining choices--that have nothing to do with you
Blacken and blue, I must stomach this painful gathering of shrews
A pressured push in the brain
To not let this poison my day
I rely on pleasant memories to carry me away:
The last cherished talk, the phone message from a friend.
I really can’t wait for this meeting to end.
Now my agitation has been noticed.
I am not paying attention--thinking about folly and Ben.
The expression on my face shows rejection
Can she see my recollection of the last time we met?
Crap now I am found out; she must be judging what my whole life is about.
Turn toward her stare, show sincerity and care
Easy now tiger-- and smile--give the moment awhile.
Save face, my Japanese ancestors would say.
I am disciplined, this is work--not time to play.
Don’t let distraction make you her prey.
"Fluent Rhyme"
by: Eric L. Boddie
Do you stew shrews to brew few true new clues
12/3/15
one liner contest
by silent one