Best Stop Short Poems
I
when the world had no headsets
the sunbathing crowd
fell asleep to the sounds of
transistors played loud
while the deckchairs and windbreaks
kites, beach balls and more
formed the stripes, lines and circles
that painted the shore
and the longer I walked
on the sand to that sea
the more the sea seemed
to get further from me
and the crunch in my mouth
was that one grain of sand
in the sandwich I ate
with my sand covered hand
while the lemons and melons
and plums I'd watch spin
would stop short of a cherry
one click from a win
and the postcards we sent
from the end of the pier
had us writing such half truths
as "wish you were here."
II
from the end of the pier
through the stiff breeze
and spindrift
I can still hear the tunes
of the promenade bands
and I can still see the stripes
of the deckchairs and windbreaks
and the box kites
and beach balls
that painted the shore
and I can still taste
the butter
- warm like the canned ham
and the crunch of that sand
in the sandwich I had
and I can still hear the djs
laughing and talking
spinning hits of the sixties
from transistors
played loud
and I can still smell the onions
frying wild in the fairground
to the sound of the claxons
and the lemon. click. orange. click. melon.
click. click.
and I can still breathe the deep smoke
swirling in sand dunes
from the benson and hedges
and
player's no.6
and I can still see those grown ups
staring at mirrors
- their bodies distorted
like the dreams
they once had
today on the pier
the rain that's now falling
falls from a same sky
on a same sand
and same sea
and a same me
- yet this air
this air
is not the same air
as that air I
once
breathed.
The Dachshund’s a marvel on skis
Little legs that stop short of its knees
It can schuss like a pro
Making furrows in snow
(Though its privates are given to freeze)
Drought
The relentless sun burns,
Warming up the sky.
Open the car window and see the children play.
“Where is the rain?,” I wonder,
And try to push the thought out of my head.
Change the radio station.
Later, clouds form.
Could this be it, our release?
Drops fall for a moment,
The sky is important and, they stop short.
And the infernal sun returns.
Chase a dream until you find it never give up on you
For if you stop short of your quest you'll never get what you were due.
Running wild, aren't you?
Have you ever thought like settled down?
No
Two oceans - one calm and one raging
Which one would you rather be in?
Lol don't have to tell me
Chill or not chill
Right or not right
See or not see
What if I tell you
That you can have everything
If you just believe?
Would you tell me to go to h?
Ahh know you would
Do you believe in something before you do it
- Whether in yourself or in the equipment
before you attack a problem?
You believe in something
Well it's the same concept
You have to believe that you can get it
And that God will give it to you
Do you go without beliefs?
Try it
Believe that you can't do it and see if you can
Life is full of beliefs
We believe in ourselves
That we are not going to hurt us - not intentionally lol
That we see things the way it is
We come to our own conclusions with our beliefs
Why then, when it comes to God - we stop short?
We either stop believing in Him
Or half-heartedly
Did you know half-heartedly is the same as not believe?
It's the same as I am asking you
"Do you go or not go?"
There is nothing in between
Heaven is so far away
You can have your life here heavenly
Hehe do you believe yet?
The Bichon Frise
The Bichon in chiffon looks so frou
That the crowd duly wowed has to coo
‘Til the dog starts to droop
And its owner to scoop
Some acutely embarrassing doo
The Border Collie
It was not Albert Einstein who dared
To think E = mc2
But rather a Border
Who brought cosmic order
One morning while out with his laird
The Bulldog
My Bulldog won’t frolic or fetch
His face may cause others to kvetch
But he’s gentle and sweet
With the kids on the street
And the ladies all think I’m a ketch
The Cairn Terrier
Cairns have been bred to hunt vermin
Be it Spanish, Australian, or German
Its body is wee
Though as tough as a tree
And as ruthless as General Sherman
The Chihuahua and Great Dane
Chihuahuas and Danes one surmises
Are extremes when it comes to their sizes
The one is so small
It is nothing at all
While the other is big and wins prizes
The Chinese Crested
I passed one of these down on Lincoln
For a moment I thought I’d been drinkin’
He looked so bizarre
That I stopped in a bar
To keep my poor eyeballs from shrinkin’
The Collie
To many a Collie means Lassie
The wonderdog faithful and classy
But on re-run TV
(Or is it just me?)
Do her eyes look a little bit glassy?
The Corgi
The Corgi is not one to hurry
Much preferring a stroll to a flurry
If you happen by chance
To invite one to dance
He’ll say, “Hey, I am not Arthur Murray!”
The Dachshund
The Dachshund’s a marvel on skis
Little legs that stop short of its knees
It can schuss like a pro
Making furrows in snow
(Though its privates are given to freeze)
The Dalmatian
Dalmatians are doomed to be stuck
In the seat of a fireman’s truck
When they’d much rather cruise
In a Jag that’s chartreuse
On a track that’s for testing your luck
The meadow is calling me with freshness galore
New leaves are popping out on the maple trees,
Small animals are stirring around once more
The scent of spring flowers floats on the breeze.
My afternoon stroll is full of wondrous adventure
Watching Mother Nature bring everything to life,
Beginning my day without criticism or censure
Walking ‘midst the pink milkweed and tall loosestrife.
The creek is running to the brim with melted snow
Washing away the autumn’s dried sticks and leaves
Where the flotsam and jetsam go, I don’t know,
But burbling sounds remind of nature’s recitatives.
I shall stop short of the woodland this afternoon
Where larger animals watch with jaundiced eye,
Not wanting to disturb the flurry of activity’s boon
Or to cause newly-nesting birds to startle and fly.
Written April 15, 2022
When your most cherished object is removed ,
And your life's light seems to go out,
When disappointments dodge your steps,
And your schemes fail through;
Remember the word that says,
My peace I give to you,
not as the world gives
that your joy may be full.
When your labours bring in no reward,
Learn to bow your head to say,
Your love is better than wine,
Don't stop short of this blessed experience.
Remember.....................
The Holy Spirit, the true wine of life;
Drops into your heart these words,
From God's very throne of grace,
And distills an infinite peace.
REmember.....................
Reset
It's a new season and it's time to take on a new challenge.
Take a chance, embrace the moment,
And don't stop short of the moment.
All it takes is a little faith,
And peace to step out of place;
You never know the results until you take a chance.
So, go through the doors
And be brave when battling the cold.
A new year means a new start,
There's nothing better,
Than getting a chance to restart.
Take your dream and put it to work,
I hope it comes true for you.
Giving up means accepting defeat,
Don’t forfeit the game,
And please don’t quit the team.
So, plant your garden of dreams
And watch it come to life;
Not only within your heart, but also in your life.
A new president and a new year,
Two big changes get ready for a big year.
Moving forward can be a hard process,
But moving forward is how you reach success.
The year has just begun and new roads are awaiting.
It’s time to make a move and stop waiting.
The clock is ticking and it won’t stop,
So, chase your dreams while there’s still a shot.
This is your time to reset,
So, make sure you take the time to reset.
Pierce!! Pierce!!
With a poisonous thorn
Or nip my heart
Until it bleeds
See my face and
Inside pain
Until you decide
Silent eyes
Might not close
Drops of tears
Will stop short
Hatred your thoughts
Will burn your mind
By the past we had
Then, take the action
It is a center of
Antipathy compass
Night will come together
To vanish our heavy past
Time and clock
Beat and heart
Still dark
Gaze in sharp
Udaya R. Tennakoon
Do you mean short as in not tall
Maybe short as in bad tempered
How about shortening for best shortbread overall
Or taking a short-cut for going unhampered
Short-hand, for taking notes at speed
Short lived as in not long to last
Short stop and short slip in sporting games you need
To stop short is what I intend to do so hold fast
So many short’s to write about, If I do them all, will definitely not be short.
Penned 31 May 2013
They say a woman can do anything,
and in most instances, they may be right,
but one fact remains, you’re mostly helpless
when it comes down to a physical fight.
All the mantras and chants in the whole world
will not change evolution’s brutal truth,
even a full-grown woman is unable to stop
a half-grown male still bound up in youth.
If you’ve no qualm with being robbed and raped,
then just keep doing what’s always been done,
but if you mean to be truly sovereign
they get out there and go buy a gun.
Yeah, they seem scary to the uninformed,
and the thought that their one purpose is death
can make many a person have some doubts,
make them stop short and take a deep breath.
But that isn’t exactly a bad thing,
in fact, it’s a sign of the maturity,
it shows that you’ve a mind to recognize
the great weight of responsibility,
and it’s an ever great one to bear,
stepping out from childish narratives,
to realize the weakness you must contend with
in a world that will never forgive.
Some say it’s better not to make this choice,
that being helpless is a moral thing,
but somehow I doubt you’ll be feeling that way
beneath a monster who’s busily thrusting.
More to the point, it goes well beyond you,
if you have children or plan to some day,
all dependent on you to look out them,
what protects them from those filled with hate?
What happens one night when the door smashes in,
revealing a villain twice your weight?
How will you stand tall against such a brute
who will use force and not hesitate?
More to the point, if you are a citizen,
do you not think you bear the duty
to look to the safety of this great land,
to stand up and help us keep it free?
True, this once only fell upon the men,
but as people say, times always change,
every right has a responsibility,
so best get yourself on down to the range.
You may wish dearly the world was different,
but human nature changes for no one,
so if you’re a woman, and not insane,
you probably should be owning a gun.
Cry.
Just let it out.
Make people see that you really are human.
Let it flow.
Don't cover your face
and don't run away.
Okay?
Just cry
and don't let it stop short.
Stop waiting to be alone.
Stop burying your head under your pillow.
Stop holding your breath
and biting your tongue.
Just cry.
Cry, and cry, and cry.
Sob like an infant,
wale like a banshee,
tera your throat open with your screams.
Let the world see that you have a heart,
and let them know that it hurts when they walk all over it
Stop bottling everything up.
It's okay now.
Let it all out.
Just cry.
Every sign tells me to seize the day,
And to gather my rosebud while I may,
But my rosebud smiles back ever so gay,
And blooms and dances without as much a dismay,
Carefree and indolent in her own special way,
That I stop short in wanting to take her away,
And leave her un-plucked till another day.
But the signs also remind me of the price I'll pay,
Of procrastinating, of not making hay-
The same bud that is smiling today,
And resting peaceful and at bay,
Caressed now by the gentle wind a-sway,
Will soon wither asunder and away!
V:
in the car here we are driving down the street
conversing with one another
the blurs and visions of passersby
though no one we shall meet
our flight into one continuous chime
phenomenal thoughts our voices shine
every verse spoken is a new and improved rhyme
a red light blinds us and we slow to a halt
words stop short for a moment
it's no ones fault
leaning over to taste your lips
you sense me coming
you turn
we kiss
look into my eyes and i promise you'll find
one last verse to ease your mind
open your heart
i promise I'll be kind
we are alone again just you and me
connected in ways that are meant to be
massaging your aching muscles
my fingers in motion
feeling you jerk when i pour on cold lotion
quiet in my movements
you are now asleep
in your silence you look blissful
you look serene
i kiss you goodnight
we are meant to be
C:
i dream in the future us having a kid
at that time living in the same crib
like a prisoner taking a shiv
that's how i feel when we're apart
when we met i felt that spark
fell in love, you made your mark
i dread the day if we were to part
lets get rid of these thoughts we are together forever
********************* If you want the true meaning of the song I urge you to read the
poem in it's entirety starting with verse one...... JP............01/12/03