Best Sleepy Eyed Poems
Of PAN and MAN
Beyond the hedgerow bright with bloom of May
Our daily lives move on with purpose strong
From where the thrush and warbler sing the day
Soft hum of traffic, plays a different song
The tawny herd lies sleepy-eyed in sun
On lush green mead oblivious to where
The cars, the trucks and buses onward run
With each disposed by one of nature’s heirs
Along the roadside verges, now revealed
In rainbow hues, wild flowers exquisite face
Uncaring road’s dismissal unconcealed
Though passers glance admiring of their grace
To count less the works of man than of Pan, some are fain
Let us bless them all and embrace as our whole domain
Fingers tantalize like whispers
Heated breaths upon supple skin
Dancing in softness parallel to feathers
Aimlessly tossed by the wind
Enticing me with lips as they play
Like strings drawn with rosined bow
A skillful loving melodic sway
Sung quietly in a lovers moan
Emotion piques with subtle kiss
Consumed like brazen embers
In the rush of a restless wish
Desire settles as sunken treasure
When sleepy eyed I reach for you
Your pillow untouched and cold
Leaving me with only your alluring scent
As if fragrance without touch could console
Return me now to dreams allure
Where your touch has not departed
In your manly frame I rest secure
Your whispers of love never falter
Your present warmth I miss tonight
Though I know you'll return tomorrow
Still the hours from now till then
Exaggerate with lonesome sorrow
Sleepless now my heart proposed
I rise to pass old father time
To feel you nearer I wear your clothes
Intoxicated in the knowing that your mine
As longing lingers in passions extreme
Our duo of comfort reduced to one
Where shirt prodigious and slight convene
Willing emptiness inside to be shunned
Back between our sheets I lay
And pray for sleep to come
In dreams your instrument each touch replayed
Exciting awe in my heart as you strum
I got up at six this morning
Feeling kind of weak
I had a shave and showered
As I walked my bones would creak
I have very bad arthritis
But I can kill the pain
I just have to take Viagra
Then go back to bed again
My girl is exasperated
Found out six months ago
A Viagra in the morning
Will keep me on the go
I cuddled next to her
":Lets dance they're playing our song"
Sleepy eyed she lay there
Snoring all along
Next morning I woke up
A note said she was gone
"Next time you hear your music
You must dance it all alone"
Foggy mists slither through the highlands
As downdrafts force them to the riverbanks
To the naked eye ethereal warm icicles
Among tow’ring long-needle pines piercing sky
From the other side near the rustic cabin
The yawning night watchman waits the 7:30
Preparing to hand off the latest dispatches in
A leather satchel, the hook catching its strap
The silent river valley comes alive screeching
Then wanes to deadly silence, the fog lifting
As he prepares to hand over to the day shift
Driving the winding road home, sleepy-eyed
written October 29, 2021
Childhood Friends.-----Girl
Tea parties with a Teddy Bear
pretty dresses Sunday morn.
Grandpa said each time at church
it's the prettiest one I've worn.
Slumber party not so hardy
made of sugar and spice.
If truth is known now that I'm grown
sometimes not so nice.
Birthday fun out in the sun
I hate the way fun ends.
Oh what a night oh such a sight
I miss my childhood friends.
Sleepy eyed some sometimes cried
they missed their mom and dad.
Take them home I'm not alone
and Oh what fun we had.
Candy Pez and Simon says
and skipping rope in June.
Hickory tickory dickory dock
and the cow jumped over the moon.
Pink night gowns and merry go rounds
I want just three more spins.
Spring or Fall I loved them all
I miss my childhood friends.
Edwin C Hofert
The Nefarios Scream
Camping in isolated lands of parks and creeks
Untold experiences of adventurous beauty
Nefarious acts eclipse joys of freedom
Blowing up cars to bar any escape
Tents knifed through in the darkness of the night
Wakening frightened sleepy eyed tourists
Throats slit of those who rebel and abuse
Serial killer chases the gutsy that escaped
Muffle the defiant eye to jab out screams
Clanging chains, barrelled guns, hammers et al
Adorn his barricaded blood stained dungeons
Adventures in foreign land turn uglier than nightmares
Destinations of destined stumbled into zones horrific
Families and lovers pine with unrequited inquiries
Investigators baffled over the ambiguous maniac
Who finger by finger tortured the life out of tourists
Exulting over his power of creating a world of zombies
A bomb he carried to blow up the next tourist van
Helpless travellers plea's rippled his blood
Slow and steady steps he came closer to van
An unseen rattler uncoiled rattling his next step
Hissing his breath away in the loudest scream
Balveen Cheema
September 20, 2015
Contest: The Dark and Twisted
Sponsor: Nathan D
I'm
A spontaneous hug from my son
without having to ask for one.
Getting calls from my family and friends
when it’s not my birthday.
Finding a long lost thing unexpectedly
after having given up the forage
Knowing that I am in someone’s prayers
and thoughts long after I met them
Waking up sleepy-eyed and dazed on a weekend
and realizing I can sleep in.
Fried goodies with a hot cup of tea
while watching the rain
Watching the bright sun high above the clouds in a flight
when it’s grey and overcast on the ground.
Seeing an old friend pop up on Facebook
or write a note on WhatsApp
The tingling on my feet when sand
crawls out from under with the wave
Watching the yellow and orange hues of sunset
change to purple and vermilion in no time
A baby’s hand clutching my finger tight
threatening never to let go
My house plants growing a fresh light green leaf
spreading life and hope in my house
Leaning on hubby’s welcoming shoulder when watching a movie
with his arm around to warm my cold shoulder
The house smelling of food he cooked
when I return home from work.
Listening to my favorite music withiout interruption
full blast on the speakers
Having a good book
waiting for me at my bedside at night.
Getting placed by adorable judges
in contests I enter hurriedly on PoetrySoup
Written on:07/19/2016
Contest:'What makes you happy' by Royal Ninja
I’m in the house, all alone
I know 100% that no-one is home
Without my clothes I crawl out of bed
Sleepy eyed and with fuzzy head
Turn off the alarm with a stretch and a yawn
Time to jump in the bath and turn pink like a prawn
I get to the door and pop my head out
Look left and right, and then listen out
Coast is clear, I dash down the stairs
Turn the corner and shoot passed the arm chairs
Race through the kitchen and by the back door
Careful not to slip on the floor
Phew, finally I make it to the bathroom unseen
By the whole heap of nobodies at home with me
Locking the door with a nervous giggle
What if you’d seen my racing bum wiggle?
One morning I’ll think before I come down
And remember to use that darn dressing gown
Sitting on the porch, a view of a majestic mountain sits before me...
Pike's Peak and thoughts of purple mountains majesty...
A cup of jo, and time to reflect.
peaceful in this moment
Gods beauty in my midst
Good God morning
My cat walks up, a purr before work?
How great is this journey,
Dew in the air,
joy filled in this moment
Gods beauty in my midst
Good God morning
Sleepy eyed wife, joins me on the porch
the smell of her hair,
the giggle in her voice
a question, an answer
Gods beauty in my midst
Good God morning.
She romped and rolled around me in proud stiff pompous gait
I was not impressed by the ruffle of her skirt
Or the wicked laughter of the flipping imp
But I pulled up short for a word choked me,in heart,straight.
Ha! she played pranks eyes gleamed with mischief
"Dad, I have divulged the little secret to Mom"
I did expect from her a candied word -a lesser wisdom
But she was artfully indirect, "Dad you lost a fig leaf".
"O Sue, you should not say like this to your Dad
I have promised you last night a box of chiffon cake
And you risk a glorious reversal , Are you mad?
Hey, mother's sleuth, very slow on the uptake."
"Character assassination, your mother's devout skill
She stings me to the quick and you are not run of the mill
I am not timid, I am not scared of your mother
Go tell her, for sure,I have eaten the pie and will eat the other."
Sue frisked and smiled broad baring her pearly teeth
"You are caught, but you are a real good Dad for me
Mom has made an extra pie and the gravy sauce is free"
She pranced about in sprightly manner and vanished behind the tree.
That night my ten-year old daughter
Read out 'The Girl Who Drank the Moon"
The sleepy-eyed Sue with drooping eyelids
Would dream of Jabberwocky very soon.
2 to 12 Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Beth Evans
13 November, 2019
Birdie’s Bar
August 19, 2008
To the old Plymouth
Mom came to salvage her brood
We’d hear the crunch of gravel beneath her feet
She dragged us three sleepy eyed girls
Sullen
Curious
Non-entities
We took our mealy mouths up and followed her
Out of the warm, closed-in car
We all had to go to the bathroom
We all hoped for a treat
She always remembered us
As we were
Tucked away in a locked car, somewhat threatened
Injured by time, her pleadings, his resignation and defeat
The door opened
The smoke escaped into our eyes
We traipsed around tables with yakking customers
Drinking liquid sunshine
Gut-rot
Spewing epithets
We bounced off the stools plastic corners
Cracked with resistance of our efforts to spin them as we passed
If luck had its way
Birdie would be playing the boomerang
Her platinum hair bobbing up and down with her
Wrinkled body
We looked for Dad and he looked for us
What did he wish?
Sometimes he treated us to a hamburger
Or we’d get our orange Nezbit sodas and peanuts to take back out to the car
We were grateful for any small thing then
He’d come to us sometimes
He leaned over us smelling like Lucky Strikes and Budweiser
His smoldering gray work shirt, his worn jeans,
His blue blood- shot eyes, sad and forlorn,
Love passed like a vapor between us and
Fear was a given, a constant companion
No one knew anything about
The bar was noisy with men’s bawdy laughter
The wicked laugh of a man at a woman he scorned
Or she;
The evil empire, the corporation,
The low pay, the idealistic boss
The economy
The lost hunt for a deer that got away
The hunger for a justice they knew little of
And contributed less
The laughter was
For the pain they protected
Everyone’s pain
The beer flowed and frothed while
The pang of the women who left them
And the pain of the children who stayed
Out in the car
Hung around Birdie’s Bar
Reminds me of a rattlesnake
We killed in the summer
All the ‘car’ children
Hiked the hills
Around the bar
About five of us
Roamed like Indians
Whooping over sagebrush
Determined to create
The sunshine somewhere other
Than at Birdie’s Bar
On a snowy evening when the cold wind swirls
We sit quietly thinking of the boys and girls
And the excitement the early morning will bring
As the joy spreads rippling while the children sing
Years ago we too were lost in the maze
And foggy wonderment of those fleeting days
When sleepy-eyed we longed to stay awake
To see the jolly red giant and to partake
In the mystery of the spell only he could spin
But sandy-eyed we fell asleep again
Quiet and still the winter night was hushed
As I looked around the room and rushed
Into the fireside glow where the glittering tree
Displayed its presence and huddled there for me
My dreams and wants, I shook with all my joy
And rushed around the tree, clutching at each toy
My sister wandered in still yawning
We knew we’d never wait for morning
And Mom would call us to the window to peer
Into the night for St. Nick and his reindeer.
The wonder of those times still brings delight
It’s truly magical, the love of this special night
.
.
.
Christmas morning, my daughter’s still asleep
Too young to understand the memories we keep
Locked away for this very time of year
When Santa loads his sleigh with all his gear
And sets his flight for all the world around,
Returns again with not even a pause or sound
The wonder of this night is strong in my mind
We hope and want for her, a feeling just as kind
Full of mystery, wonder and joy without bounds
The night each year when Santa comes to town
========================================
Featured Poem on Poetry Soup - February 19, 2023
Save me from this charged mound,
swirling in mundane cynicism's break
where styrofoam vultures circle overhead
and snap their beaks with convoluted grace.
Pull my flesh back,
and cauterize my need to wonder;
I know there's nothing out there anyway-
except the swallow of disenfranchised freedom
and innovated misunderstandings.
Replace these organs with the silt of
a sleepy eyed river,
so when it all finally flows
you can feel me between your toes.
Where you always wanted your
lover to make his bed.
-James Kelley 2014, All rights reserved.
*Image of Nursing Home provided by Pixabay.
Just Stating The Obvious Poetry Contest
Poetic Form: Rhyme
PLACE: Hereafter Harmony House (Assisted Living Facility)
Morning ushered chairs align the walls
blanketed legs with tabled meal trays
infirm progress neath Andy Warhol's.
A chambered room fills every which way
those ably walks passing out game cards
help checkers rounds, the game is in play.
Most play onward while others do naught
some just sit there, a few simply talk
while bingo goes on, helpers will spot.
A blank gaze onward, a blind man feels
his fingers balter a page of braille
while edged lips rise and a smile reveals.
Hue balls tumble, a number is said
it goes till one or more says BINGO
winners got gifts, games till lunch is spread.
TV is watched by the non-sleepers
wheelers part ways, escape to their rooms
prop up on beds made by housekeepers.
Incessant tapping, a hallway clears
an attentive dog nudge e'er so oft
side partner pleased, loyal all these years.
After their dinner and no caffeine
long distant talks with family ties
blissful hearts, sleepy-eyed and serene.
2021 May 09
*1st Place*
'ALL YOURS(May 21)'
~~Brian Strand: Judged 2021 May 21
*1st Place*
Just Stating The Obvious Poetry Contest
~~Brother Jacob: Judged 2021 May 18
Wizard
I watch as the rays of the Silvery moon drape their silhouette over , The edge of the soft bed. The air blows in from the chilly northern wind outside my window pane. The Earth is quiet and still, The muffled sound of a near by pond frog, can be heard. And offers peace unto the sleepy eyed Earth. The quietness slipping further and further into complete silence. The trees seem to pause in between their, dancing swaying leaves. They are frightened from the darkness that is creeping in. The Earth will not deny it. Winter will soon dwell in the its surrounding. Small snowflakes dance in the distance above the high Mountains. White will foil the entire hillside, and sparkle like glitter when the moon, brings light. The soft winter mix, will soon pillow the entire Earth. The snow flakes dance and twirl, and land on the arms of the shivery trees, they will cradle the white wetness. The earth is now fast asleep, and The whiteness will soon cover the entire Sleepy eyed Earth.
draped/ slipping/ pause/ edge/ muffled/ foil/ wake/ deny/ dwell/ pillow