Best Sprints Poems
Abigail’s Spring
Beneath the shelter of winter’s barren arbor
My winter abused heart
Watches the day’s light linger in the sky resisting darkness -
Begging to play a little longer every day –
Pushing twilight away at arm’s length with pink and brilliant orange
Leaving wispy trails of color in the sky;
Urging empty branches and shivering wheat
Lift up their eyes from bruising rains
And crushing chill of wilderness storms;
Seeing here howling tirades of blizzards
Trade places with long sunbeams stretching slowly
Across my sun starved shadow, warming the winter’s wildness -
Coaxing pale green shoots to peek timidly at meadows
Covered with patchwork quilts of blue and yellow -
Orange scattered across arching hills –
Welcoming the face of spring with arms spread wide;
Listening for the bleating of black faced sheep
When they shed their fleecy coats;
Not looking back into the breath of moaning winds,
Longing sighs transformed into shouts of laughter
Chase themselves across the plains in children’s games;
My spirit, once wrapped in hibernation, feels the changing of the wind
Running up the road – knocking on the gate -
With a moveable feast born of abundance;
Stone cold frozen heart beats again in rhythm with gracious blessings
As the simple sparrow teaches
Her young to fly with the morning light
Rejoicing on warm nights filled with songs of mourning doves –
My face turns - embracing this greening valley -
As spring sprints breathlessly up the path.
April, 2020
Contest: Personal Favorite No. 2
Sponsor: L. Milton Hankins
5/16/20
Contest: Poetry Marathon Mile 13
Sponsor: Mark Toney
30 Lines
First place - Brian Strand Your Choice B - 5/17/20
Number 1 Best New Poem - 6/13-20
Poem of the Week - 6/20/20
First place - Brian's Choice G 6-21-20 - Brian Strand
First place Your Best Poem of 2020 - John Hamilton
Top Ten, #10, Poet Destroyer 11/7/20
Chosen for publication in PS It's Poetry
Categories:
sprints, life, spring,
Form:
Free verse
Grit in her eyes beaming fortitude of vibes
Powers her dash from one end to the other
Handing out drinks: brandy, whiskey, beer;
Serving high rollers and surly poor-souls
Where lights are flashing as machines jingle
When luck adjudicates winners and losers.
Watch her essence of fiery determination
Fueling her steps, gathering her strength,
As she churns numbers quickly in her head:
Grocery, rent, money for mother’s meds;
And some she’ll spare for her father today.
Hurriedly she sprints when her shift ends
Examining faces torn by ills, unwell, hapless
Under the bridge, by the train station,
Recalling childhood’s happier days within
Sound of his soft voice, calling her princess.
Abruptly she freezes, recollecting the scene,
Standing like a milestone on edge of the street,
Lips quivering, eyes tearing, pausing to forgive him
For abandoning them in a reckless charade
When suddenly a child became a parent…
So much about living she has learned since,
But not much about how to bury the dead.
May 11, 2020
HM: Brian's Select 8 Contest
Categories:
sprints, angst, courage, dad, death,
Form:
Free verse
Summer Nights in the South
Green fireflies blink in the quiet of night
and our sleeping old dog heaves a sigh.
Dreaming, she sprints through a youthful blue sky
chasing delicate clouds, cotton-white.
A red-sunset tanager* colors the warm air
from a perch in the majestic oak limbs above
professing by lullaby, sincerely devoted love,
like some sublimely recited evening prayer.
I lay back and smile, through the leaves, at the moon
to the sound of crops rippling in the breeze
thinking how precious are nights such as these
when alone, with the Earth I commune.
*Summer Tanagers (Piranga rubra) are native to the southern U.S. but are not true tanagers. They are actually members of the cardinal family.
08/01/15
Submission for Contest: Nature Poems Only
Hosted by: Shadow Hamilton
Categories:
sprints, america, august, beautiful, bird,
Form:
Quatrain
It creeps around the corners
It moans about the eaves
A rapid fork of lightning
Sparks beyond the trees
My pulse gallops skyward
As a sudden fear sets in
The birds have ceased their chirping
Will this madness never end?
Oh, it makes my blood run cold
To hear the gusting squall
It creeps around the corners
And sprints halfway down the hall
Make it stop, make it stop,
I can’t bear it anymore
As a blast so strong
Stabs at my very core
Then morning dawns at last
And the sun peeks out
My breath again resumes
Going in, going out
Until the restless night
Once more comes to call
Monstrous Zephyr from the West
Endlessly casts its pall
Categories:
sprints, angst, anxiety, fear, nature,
Form:
Rhyme
People don't play sports because its fun, ask any athlete most of them hate it, but
they couldn't imagine their life without it.
Its part of them, the love hate relationship it’s what they live for. They live for the
practices, the parties, and the cheers.
They live for the long bus rides, all the invitationals, and the countless
pairs of shoes, and of course, coaches’ you hate but yet appreciate.
They live for the way it feels when going into double over time and then wining by
one point, and then knowing those two extra sprints they ran in practice were
worth it.
They live for the way they become a family with the team, they live for the
countless songs they sing in there head while a coach conditions them like
there’s no tomorrow.
They live for the competition; they live for the glory, the memories, and
the satisfaction.
It’s who they are, it's who we are. WE ARE ATHLETES!
(Live strong and Live free)
Categories:
sprints, sports, uplifting, visionary, hate,
Form:
Bio
My dear,
There's nowhere I'd rather be,
Than by your side,
As you grow old with me.
I know we fight and carry on,
We wield our swords for all to see,
But darling I do love you so,
Settle in and please grow old with me.
When twilight sets and our bones creak,
When sunset is at the top of our hill,
When our passionate longing turns to comfort,
It is you I'll long for still.
When our luscious hair no longer grows,
When wrinkles show the many laughs,
When sighs replace sprints and jumps.
You'll still be my better half.
When our children are grown and living large,
When our teeth aren't as white or strong,
For every step I take down that path,
My love I want you along.
When flying dishes are replaced with shrugs,
When our joints groan instead of snap to,
When our lives are like the setting sun,
Justin I want to be with you.
You are the green in my garden,
You are the red in my art,
You are the harmony in my song,
You are the love in my heart.
I know we sometimes brawl and spur,
I know we talk of ending it all,
But the truth is, Rocketpants, there's no one else
But with you whom I'll take the fall.
You are my strength, my grace, my inspiration,
You are my reflection when I'm at my best,
There's no one like you in this whole wide world,
I choose you above all the rest.
You fascinate me and leave me in wonder,
You spark my passion and calm my bones,
When your strong arms are wrapped around me,
I can exhale. I'm finally home.
Let's walk this plain hand in hand,
But not too fast, let's take it slow,
Come grow old with me, my sweet love,
And we will walk together into the glow.
Categories:
sprints, feelings, funny love, happiness,
Form:
Lyric
Argentina's son, a lineage to immigrants
shaped by boyhood aspirations
diminutive left foot striker
taunted "dwarf" in childhood
his growth hormone deficiency
overcome through meds and workouts
a counter to foes physically imposing
Messi's daily slog of skills
agility and balance
slow grind of mastery to mesh the skills to speed
on the football field, Messi dribbles through opponents
pivots round defenders, takes an opposite direction
accelerates
de-accelerates
takes stock of field positions
awareness like a lordly hawk that calculates its prey
a kick triggered whittles through the air
the ball's stinging centre,
flight controlled
at a goal keeper spiralling to the ground
this FIFA World Cup champion
devout in faith
celebrates goals by a gaze upward
a pointed hand to the heavens
another field of his embracing
790 - Messi's career goals for Barcelona clubs and
Argentinean glory
football awards that roll on like credits on a movie screen
on field moves that burrow into memory
through the entanglement of limbs
Messi's footwork, like a dancer's gift
his sprints to fill the field with unheeding power
midst the bulging roar of fans
a homage to glorify the footballer
before he fades
to legend
Poem written January 4, 2023
Categories:
sprints, inspiration, soccer, sports, star,
Form:
Free verse
She moves in glorious motion,
Her progress marked by many eyes.
A vision to delight the crowd
gathered together for this her debut.
Coloured ribbons adorn her, as
She moves in glorious motion,
Sweeping across the bright tableau.
Her beauty and grace seen by all.
Light sparkles from faceted jewels
decorating her slim figure.
She moves in glorious motion,
dancing as if floating on clouds.
Born of man yet with divine grace,
answering swiftly to wind and wave.
The Clipper sprints seaward, yet still,
She moves in glorious motion.
Categories:
sprints, allegory, beauty,
Form:
Quatern
It was all heat and sweat. Controlled
anger and subdued agony.
Driving themselves beyond known limits.
Pushing bone, sinew, and muscle.
Expanding capability, while honing ability.
Intimacy with a few acres of dry,
chalk-lined practice field. Controlled
fury.The last three weeks of August.
Snatching gasps of fiery summer air.
Every inspiration burning the tongue
and throat over 3 hours of practice.
The heart is a furnace. The air its fuel.
Blood thickens despite hydration.
Ears pounding. Dangerously
elevated heart-rates.
Sprints, agilities, power trains.
Sled drills, Full contact. Three times
a day, two in full equipment. Profuse
sweat flooding every pore.
Brutal, full contact drill and scrimmage.
All measured, yet seeming eternal.
Meetings. Chalk talks. Special Teams
run-through mid-day. All to play the game.
Sacrificing everything
to be part of the team.
At night, sultry stillness.
Craving and needing rest for recovery.
Before claiming deep sleep, meditating
on the gladiators of past millennia.
They trained to extend their life.
We train to see who we are. To play.
"Coach, we who are about to
sweat, salute you!
Will we ever play a game?"
The Agony
Fall Camp '74
Categories:
sprints, autumn, football, strength,
Form:
Free verse
Time outruns those who don't sprint
To keep up. It never turns back
Or bothers to wait for idle souls
Why carry coals to Newcastle?
Time misspent is time gone forever
Easy come and easy go
Time is too busy to wallow in
The stillness of now. Indeed, it does
Flee like a long-distance runner
With an engine that keeps on
Humming and chugging, it keeps on
Steadily; time never crawls, it sprints
CONTEST NO 218 any form-any theme with max of 12 lines Poetry Contest
Winner(8th Place)
Sponsored by: Brian Strand
Date written: 10/03/2013
Date posted: 03/29/2016
Categories:
sprints, poetry, time,
Form:
Lyric
The pounding reins
Of yesterday’s tears
Lead me down
The dreary road of today
The joy I once found
Gazing into your eyes
Is hobbled by distance
And my faltering gait
Unbridled rides at dawn
A beautiful, insipid memory
Breakneck sprints in the dark
An aching need in the final stretch
The rhythmic rhyme
Of our ride in time
We won the race
But lost our place
Your crop too willing
My flanks too tender
Your mount is running,
Full out, yet you ask for more
(unfinished)
rlm '11
Categories:
sprints, allegory, angst, confusion, girlfriend-boyfriend,
Form:
Free verse
Blackbirds and undulate bush
Trapped in time's tapestry--
The fluid hide of the big leopard
Who leapt on cushioned feet
Once to race the swiftest
Scents in the wind-- A proud
And muscular beauty, the leopard,
Left alone now does not stalk
But paces on bare concrete
Where chunks of prey fall cold
By his dung, by his hidden claws.
He walks in rhythms of gone sound--
Chuckles and howls, hooves in sprints,
Shrieks of struggles in his teeth.
He does not stalk; he paces now
Behind the bars of our amusement--
Another of God's profound ideas
Revised by men.
Categories:
sprints, animal,
Form:
Free verse
One blond small frame curled up
in my lap, an arm around my waist
One small finger trails the leather straps
and small metal strips
that keep me upright:
"Why are these there Darren?"
"Because my back hurts, sweetie"
Silent debating in baby brain,
reworking information to
easy to swallow bits
"Shall I kiss the boo boo away?"
Her head disappears into tickling kisses
that make me squirm and giggle
"Does it still hurt?" "Yeah, sorry baby"
She sprints, runs, jumps screaming
in delight, returns with a handful
of Dora band-Aids
At this very moment she is playing
somewhere, with her toys
My harness is plastered with Dora
I've never been so decorated in my life.
***
February 15, 2017
Categories:
sprints, baby, child, girl, health,
Form:
Free verse
I love a person small,
He sprints alike a young gazelle.
And when he turns afront the goal;
He does is so very well.
He's got seven ballond'ors,
And he's got six golden boots.
He's counting seven hundred and more
Of goals scored with his left foot.
He won hearts of generations
That have seen his two feet run.
He won the World Cup for a Nation
That has been dreaming for the sun.
He's a poet that runs in the field,
And the green grass kepps him through.
His courage is the only shield
That helped him go through.
All hail the king of football,
All hail heroes of the globe!
All hail the football GOAT
That wears the golden robe!
Categories:
sprints, football, soccer,
Form:
Epic
Don't ask your heart,
Don't blame it,
Don't chastise your heart,
Don't scorch it,
Make yourself assured
You grasped a true love,
That would never short,
Because I made it as hard love.
I will fill each hole of your heart
To have it eternally to my heart
I swear to my vains and pains,
I will gain the rains of love
Like grains to my brains.
The world was made for love
In animals we have doves
They love themselves without rivalry
That's why they live gourdly.
Don't ask a gourmet about Garri
I swear by the moon and the stars
That live in your steeped heart.
I swear by the love that hankers
To instil in your heart,
I swear by the wisp grins
Of your soft swathed chins
That were dabbed by my lips
I will love your lilac lips.
I will miss your smile,
You are always as my smile.
I will never forget your face,
You are always my pace,
No girl is so worthy in my space,
You are a buttress of my smile
My heart stayed as a wimp
In your love; it can't swim
Your blood is my heart's pool
Your love is much full
I swear by your breathes
That are under my heart's beneath
I swear by your heart's blood
That sprints like a heavy flood
I swear by your eye lashes
That are so hot like high school's lashes
I swear by your trachea's sighs
That allows sweet sighs
To overflow as my heart's sighs,
I will love thee as mine,
Because you're always in my mind.
Sweet love never dies
Sweet love always shines
Sweet love is always my tea
You're a sugar in my tea
By which it tastes thee
Your fragrance fills the atmosphere,
Your sweats dissolve the hydrosphere
Your skin that sways fluently
And the muscles that internally
Hoarded around your bones,
And your bloods within your bones,
I will never forget your love.
It is a long and narrow poem
That goes with touching tones
Your message is a poem
That chirps a melodious tones
Your steps always sound
In my heart's lounge
I will be triumphing your name
I will be caring your name
I will be in your name's fame
Your name will be a game
That I will be hunting as a game
You are frames that frame
My body like a door frame
Your heart will be a legitimate
I'll never be something intimidate
Only those that are magnates
In love will be magnates
That will purchase your heart's magnets
I have a good chiaroscuro
That will let me get a Goro.
Categories:
sprints, 10th grade,
Form:
Concrete