Best Signal Poems
The castle tower stands there tall and proud,
Awaiting for your safely coming home,
Just as I do, with tears that freely flow;
Salt water tears that pool are not my own,
The salty ocean droplets sting the eyes.
I am alone, in sorrows well nigh drowned,
And you alone, amongst the raging tides.
This white cloth waves to you amid the winds
That blow your ship to my own sandy shore --
My heart a wind-tossed stormy cloud no more.
Up here beside the stately castle wall,
Enfolded safely home within your arms,
The tears that from my eyes unbidden fall
Reflect your face alight with joys and charms;
There lie forgotten all my dread alarms.
I am with you, by jubilation drowned,
And you with me, the waves a distant sound.
By Kelly Deschler, September 7, 2013 Form: Iambic Pentameter
And Isaiah Zerbst, September 14, 2013 Form: Rhyme Royal
Based on the painting of the same title by William Powell Frith, 1858
when industry
stood on this soil
with chimneys that
spewed sweat and toil
the furnace fires
relied on mines
through arteries
of railway lines.
now looking back
to charcoal skies
through rosy mists
of childhood eyes
a line of trucks
each filled with rocks
crawled slowly past
a signal box.
the building formed
a silhouette
that framed a scene
I wont forget:
the dying of
that worldly light
was captured there
in black and white.
I'm standing now
where true art stood:
in a 'reinvented'
neighbourhood
where sleepers sleep
beneath the grass
where once those engines
used to pass.
The castle tower stands there tall and proud,
Awaiting for your safely coming home,
Just as I do, with tears that freely flow;
Salt water tears that pool are not my own,
The salty ocean droplets sting the eyes.
I am alone, in sorrows well nigh drowned,
And you alone, amongst the raging tides.
This white cloth waves to you amid the winds
That blow your ship to my own sandy shore--
My heart a wind-tossed stormy cloud no more.
Up here beside the stately castle wall,
Enfolded safely home within your arms,
The tears that from my eyes unbidden fall
Reflect your face alight with joys and charms:
There lie forgotten all my dread alarms.
I am with you, by jubilation drowned,
And you with me, the waves a distant sound.
Written by: Kelly Deschler & Isaiah Zerbst
For Shadow Hamilton's "Team Work" contest.
September 7, 2013 - September 14, 2013
Forms: Iambic Pentameter & Rhyme Royal
Based on the painting of the same title by William Powell Frith, 1858
I walked past the cherry trees today,
Their petals, falling every which way.
As if it were pink snow: soft, light, and rose.
Taking in the breeze before being cast down to the shadows.
I stopped and stared, simply standing alone,
The world around me seemed to turn to stone.
It was as if someone had hit pause there,
With blossoms dancing through the air.
It made me think of all we lose,
Of precious moments gone that we didn't choose.
Like friends who fade from memory, their smiles coming to an end,
Or when you fight and can't pretend.
But even though they don't last long,
The blossoms still feel brave and strong.
They bloom, they shine, they let things go,
But they also signal the start of a new tomorrow.
A time when cold subsides and warmth arrives,
A small window where the blossom thrives.
If only its beauty could stay,
But maybe it's simply meant to show the way.
all experience is clear
vibes are unclear
I made a right turn from the left lane,
people were shouting, "You are insane,"
but what they did not know,
pressure... I had to go,
it's not like food - I cannot abstain!
A lady so much older than I
Deftly signalled a path from her thigh
Like a wrinkle in thyme
Something started to climb
Hmmph! I forgot to zip up my fly!
The Stolen Wi-Fi Signal
By Elton Camp
Roscoe is a man with a wife and two chillin’
What happened he didn’t find a bit thrillin’
Cause late at night was a pounding at his door
It was a thing he’d never experienced before
A group of armed men forced their way inside
And then Roscoe they began to angrily deride
“You are nothing but an evil, sorry bag of dirt.
You might as well admit that you’re a pervert.”
Roscoe was stunned and began to angrily shout,
“I have no idea what you men are talking about.”
The FBI agent scoffed and gave an angry glare
“You downloaded child ****. How do you dare!”
When Roscoe protested innocence, it did no good
For they rushed him off to jail fast as they could
When they took time to thoroughly investigate,
Their horrible mistake they finally came to hate
The new router that the man recently bought
He didn’t password protect as he really ought
A neighbor man who the wireless signal saw
Then used it to violate both decency and law
So if a wireless Internet signal you have got,
Don’t let some pedophile put you on the spot
If away from your house the signal is detected,
Be absolutely sure that it’s password protected
Hail, wind, thunder, rain
Storm signal is coming
Life alone keep keen.
SJGNAL EVENT BETWEEN MAN AND WOMAN
The eyes have it
As the trolley slews past the bread display
At first glance it may be accidental
Testing it at the delicatessen
Inconclusive but cautiously implying
Trying again in the frozen section
Melting eyes again, as hoped for
Now for the checkout wait
Wait while the change is registered
There the final gaze must be long
It must belong to me alone.
As I watch the smoke form itself upward, away from the fire, I clearly see myself
as a Native American, and this smoke as a signal.
This must be how we leave our bodies, I say to my spirit guide, Little Bear.
He laughs.
I cannot see him, but I often hear his laughter in the woods.
When we leave, do we go hard and fast? Do we get a chance to give a last wave or a backward glance?
The only answer is the popping of the fire.
I watch the smoke signals float high up, into the orange and brown leaves of a giant sycamore tree.
The signal disappears as if by magic, as if it was swallowed up by an invisible hawk.
It must be a relief to leave the confining physical body, I say.
I sit quietly, waiting, but my guides are in no mood to play.
I watch the fire a bit longer, thinking that it might be a relief especially to leave behind an aging or diseased physical body.
But what about those who are not aging and do not have a disease?
What about a healthy person who suddenly leaves their body?
Surely they have different feelings about leaving that kind of body.
Do they get to wave or even glance backwards?
The answers are all around me.
I sit quietly, staring into the fire, waiting.
With the Lord’s hand the signal fell
Do you know the time; can you tell
Then comes the shout with angel’s voice
There’s no more time to make the choice
A trumpet blast has pierced the night
And soon we’ll see the glory light
At home we knew the time was near
We walked prepared with no more fear
Time had come and passed our way
Now it’s time to end our stay
Work on Earth is finally done
We shall rise to meet the Son
There is a feast prepared above
The Marriage of the Lamb, his love
Up to the clouds we all shall rise
To meet the Lord high in the skies
The cares of earth we leave behind
God’s great blessings we shall find
Reach out to God; prepare your heart
For soon you’ll have a brand new start
With the Bridegroom in the sky
Nevermore to wonder why
Old Poem:
The Signal Fell
For with a hand the signal fell
Was it time? I could not tell
And so we knew the time was near
From then we walked with no more fear
That time has gone; it could not stay
Let in the light to show the way
Bring the feast where all shall shine
And carry those prepared to dine
All is well, he said
There’s a bridge out up ahead
What we don’t know won’t matter
It’s only idle chatter
All is well, for angels guard the way
They do their best to bless our stay
The Wireless Signal
By Elton Camp
Biff had belonged to the mob most of his life
It provided great income for him and his wife
The feds had been making threatening noise
He felt safe in his house, protected by his boys
Communications from his computer were secure
As he kept a geek on payroll just to make sure
One day when Biff started to sign on the Internet
It was quite a nasty surprise that he then did get
To select the Wi-Fi signal he was about to try
“FBI Surveillance Van” he was horrified to spy
“It looks like the jig is up!” Biff loudly cried
As he saw agents about to force their way inside
Static ...
Hark!
Listen, close!
A steady, regular signal ...
Radio waves ...
Lone ... distant ... weak
But clearly what we're looking for!
Amazing ...
Incredible ...
Circle it! "6EQUJ5"
WOW!!
Over 200 light years!
Search it!
Again ... try again!
So far, but still ...
Keep searching!!
Search, scan, again!
Now, nothing ...
Nothing.
Static ...
(a meditative ballad)
a signal shown
in silence sown
Searching like strangers in the night
they met each other, a look, a smile.
Angels in the dark, with no guile,
their inner voice directs the light.
They met each other, a look, a smile
He preached the Word with godly might
without reply, no fear, no flight
angels in the dark, with no guile.
A signal shown
they met each other, a look, a smile
She watered seeds, then spoke aright,
angels in the dark, with no guile
in silence sown.
In silence sown
a signal shown
January 10, 2022
Sponsor Chantelle Anne Cooke
Contest Name Whispering Wings