Best Structured Poems


In Defense of Structured Verse!

If Housman lived today and spoke of Terrance,
would rhyme and structure be his "stupid stuff?"
If he could wax poetic now,
what would it be that killed the cow?
Can image and the music be enough?

Were you to walk a wood some snowy eve,
a painting in your head by Robert Frost,
revise and take the liberty;
set his restrictive musing free,
how much of the meaning would be lost?

Paintings by Monnet can fill the senses;
a quiet Redlin sunset can delight.
Even though it's fairly certain
Monnet's colors match the curtain,
does either painter have it wrong, or right?
© Wayne Sapp  Create an image from this poem.

For a Vacuum Cleaner

You make my life so easy
sucking up the dirt and fluff,
hair that makes me quite queasy 
and all sorts of unmentionable stuff.
You never get tired or wheezy
and help when things get rough.
Or when I feel rather uneasy,
you show you’re always tough enough.

Theme 2
48 words

Premium Member A Passionate Process a Structured Quintain

Creative credos and problems of form
curiosities with beautiful attributes.
Two things in one,pure noble and true.
In gilded contrast,yellow sounds xotic
influences of a modern heritage

Hear me recite from my 4100+ PS anthology on youtube under my pen name ichthyschiro..

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Premium Member Moods Aloud In a Structured Cinquain

In our inner world of the existential
a heightened awareness in close proximity
with distant dreams.Impulsive moods
once suppressed in the domain of the
denied, embodied now in spoken tracts

Hear me recite from my 4100+ PS anthology on youtube under my pen name ichthyschiro..

catch my short forms @strandpoet on twitter..

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Premium Member Flux a Cinquain Structured Prose

The timeless flux of impressions,temporal
yet spacial & monumental,abstract yet
decorative,transparent,yet apparent,
hovering ,whirling rhythms foreshortened
becoming so private and personal

Hear me recite from my 4000+ (PS anthology compiled since 2007) on youtube under my pen name ichthyschiro..

catch my short forms @strandpoet on twitter..

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Premium Member Missing the Point a Structured Cinquain

A glance of the eye,its gaze looking
but not seeing expressions on the
inside.Missing the sense of calm
surrounding the radiant soul,clear
and bright liberated from convention.

See my audio poem link on my blog page.


Premium Member Rite of Passage Structured Prose

The paradox of metaphysical conceit
optimism from the divine,finite to
infinite,two sides of vanity as eathly time 
passes.Touch and taste the tender the
vulnerable time of careless youth,this 
product of the moment..
elusive yet larger than life.

Hear me recite from my 4000+ PS anthology on youtube under my pen name ichthyschiro..

catch my short forms @strandpoet on twitter

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Structured Integrity

They tell you to just be you,
But then you smile
And your teeth just won’t do.
They tell you to always be happy,
But then you lose someone,
And you’re too depressing.
They tell you it’s okay to be different,
But you’re a vibrant blue,
And you’re strange and insignificant.
They tell you embrace your body,
But you’re too big or too small,
And you’re a disgusting nobody.
They tell you words can’t hurt,
You listen and refuse to let them,
So your name is dragged through the dirt.
They tell you your imperfections are lovely,
But you embrace and appreciate them,
So suddenly you’re ugly.
They tell you your nose is just right,
But then they look down theirs,
Because they see you in a different light.
They tell you it’ll get better, it’ll be alright
But when it doesn’t change right away,
The encouragement fades out of sight.
They tell you to love everyone,
But when you try,
They laugh and tell you you aren’t the one.
They tell you to follow your dreams,
So you do and you’re happy,
But its not good enough for anybody.
They tell you to do so many things,
But once you do,
They tell you you’re nothing,
They tell you you will succeed,
But when you’re at the top,
They say you’ll start falling.
They’ll tell you you’re the greatest they’ve seen,
But their eyes were closed,
And they weren’t even listening.
They’ll want you to believe it all,
Trust them and do what they say,
But they really just want to watch the fall.
They’ll laugh as you climb to the top,
Because as you sweat and bleed,
They’ll already be there wondering what took so long.
They let you believe they care,
They’ll make you trust their every beginning word,
Because they know you’re scared.
They know you’re insecure and they’ll use it,
They’ll sneak in through the back,
Whisper in your ear, sully you with their spit.
They want to catch you, tame you,
Break you so they can ride on your back,
Train you so you’ll be a puppet,
Take every word for fact.
They want you to do what they want you to do,
What you want and what you need it doesn’t matter,
Because you’re here to do what they tell you.

Premium Member Impressionist Structured Prose Couplet

Plein air and picturesque,free flowing
and festooned in tonal harmony

Hear me recite from my 4000+ PS anthology on youtube under my pen name ichthychiro..

catch my short forms @strandpoet on twitter...

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Premium Member Expressionist Recitations a Structured Tercet

An orgy of creation, an elixir of
extreme emotions ,birth pangs of
the aberrant in esoteric diction

hear me recite from my 4100+ PS anthology on youtube under my pen name ichthyschiro..

catch my short forms @strandppet on twitter..

read my kindle guides on amazon

Premium Member Three Score and Ten Structured Prose

AGE comes upon. us gradually,realisation
hits us all of a sudden.Hearing no longer
acute,coments and questions will need a
repeat for our world is no longer distinct.
One day we need assistance with what
others voice and say.Deficient,an aid. to
complement the grey.
AGE comes upon us so gradually realisation
hits us all of a sudden.Floaters appear in our
eye,magnification is needed for things both
near and far,the door is ajar.
AGE comes upon us so gradually realisation 
hits us all of  sudden.Fingers have nodules
and bumps,no longer grip and to prevent a
fall,we walk with a stick.

Wisdom and experience of life is ignored,
not wanted at all.Absent the mind,sometimes
'senior moments' we recall for the realisation
of age,so gradual creeps up on us all.

hear me recite my PS anthology on youtube under my pen name ichthyschiro..

catch my short forms @strandpoet on twitter..

read my Christianand poetry guides etc kindle ebooks on amazon

Premium Member Opaque Hours a Structured Enigma

Blurred distortions,smeared stirrings
put aside to make an extract in
filaments of primal abstractions.
Restless movements dripping,drop
by drop into pure fields of bliss

Premium Member Charis Structured Prose

CHARIS
May grace pour upon us ,be
ever in our mouth,upon our lips
& a garland to our head.This grace
that brings salvation in our time
of need to establish our heart
To do great wonders and signs
among His kingdom people.To
witness the Good News,proclaim
the riches of Christ Jesus,as good 
stewards to the manifold grace of God.
Zech 12:10 Ps 45:2 Prov 3:34 4:9
Rom 3:24 Col 4:6 2 Tim 2:1 Tit 2:11
Heb 4:18 13:9 12:28
Acts 6:8 1 P 4:10
Listen to me recite all my poetry on youtube

Premium Member Love's Memories a Structured Prose Trilogy -Recited-Part 2

LOVE’S MEMORY-A STRUCTURED PROSE
Two hearts as one,with love held dear,
each others secrets to confide,needs and
desire to never hide,love-lines to share,
tribulations together to bear.Each other
in submission lean,sacramental in unison
of love’s mutual bond.


INNOCENT NAIVETY-A STRUCTURED PROSE
Love has no boundaries in its heart,
in its passion holds all things dear,
giving all,trusting without fear.Flowers
of mutual fusion,incensed,by aromas
of love.The attraction of natural magnetism
is sealed in perfect harmony inherent
and universally held.Again,again this
siren’s call beckons loves innocent
naivety,rose-tinted,short-sighted
views distort perspective out of true.

A DOMESTIC STRUCTURED PROSE
Her cardigan on the chairback,
shoes left in the hall,slippers ‘neath
the double bed,undies on the stool.
Handbag filled with this and that,
bathroom shelved of creams and
much besides;wardrobes,wall to
wall.Medicines boxed ,arranged so neat,
cellphone ready for a call,a text,
a chat,a listening ear,empathy to all.

Listen to me recite these structured prose on youtube under my pen name ichthyschiro

As a Spectator

Words emerging from your quill,
Blazing with effulgence,
Capering and crooning around,
In harmony or in dissonance.

Rhyming in a golden cage,
Flying around in splendid colors,
Or, in a greenish meadow,
Flying away in divine freedom.

The beads of words will last long,
In our minds, if threaded strong
Whether structured or unstructured
As I know, I’m your spectator.




Honorable Mention in STRAND no 650 any form any theme Poetry Contest sponsored by Brian Strand

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