Best Summed Poems
"The boy's got a broken brain!
- Fix him for me now,
I can't do a thing with him."
- So I hear you say,
Though he seems intelligent enough.
After all, he's smart enough
To know the whys and wherefores
Of every deal that goes down on his street -
Every $ passing hands in the dark,
Summed and totalled in his head.
But Math - Forget it.
And you'll never see him crack a book for study's sake.
Perhap's that's because you broke his heart,
Long ago, though his face will never show it.
Because he bleeds inside,
Though to hear him talk you'd never know it.
You tore his shadoworld apart
Just by never being there -
You broke his proud red eggshell heart
Because he knows you never cared.
Perhaps this is why Rage is his religion,
And he only values Gain,
Why Payback is his Creed,
His only currency Pain.
This then is why he wears the shirt
That reads, "Never Forget, Never Forgive";
This why he's unafraid to kill or die,
Yet terrified to live.
So go get an education -
Start with a hard look at yourself -
You that schooled a nation
In the politics of Greed,
Builders of the conflagration
Of burning, unmet Need
Now threatening to consume us
As it climbs into the skies,
As it whispers warnings to us
From his vacant, coldstare eyes.
You broke his heart,
A wound more deep
Than I alone can mend,
I, just one beleaguered horseman.
Cannot set it right again.
You must help put things back together,
If you want our nightmares to end.
Categories:
summed, black african american, education,
Form:
Rhyme
THE PSYCHEDELIC STEW
We loved to drive out through the hills
Where landscapes are so green,
And always sought the smell of hay
That seemed so fresh and clean.
We'd rent a cosy cottage there
Around that time each year,
The days and nights were magical
And life was full of cheer.
That night we planned a simple tea
A good old country stew,
With fresh grown mushrooms we had picked
As 'round the place they grew.
Those mushrooms seemed much larger then
The ones we'd norm'lly find,
But in they went with all the rest,
We really did not mind.
Our stew was just the best we'd had
On that we did agree,
Then sitting back and quite content
Enjoyed a cup of tea.
When suddenly, in front of us,
Our kitchen came to life
With antics never seen before;
Sure terrified my wife.
She sat and watched with fear filled eyes
For both her knife and fork,
Were standing up and quite erect
And both of them could walk.
The kitchen curtains did a jig
And plates flew 'round the room,
Our mop then left its corner spot
To line dance with the broom.
Old teapot sang and clapped its hands,
The tea cups joined in too.
My mind it boggled at the sight
and wondered what to do.
I grabbed the phone and dialled for help
That soon was on its way;
Though not before the pots and pans
Had all began to play.
Poor doctor tried to calm us down
Enquiring of our plight.
We mentioned what had taken place,
The horrors of that night.
He summed up what had taken place,
The answer he now knew,
We'd eaten mushrooms which produced,
A psychedelic stew.
Categories:
summed, funny, imagination, lifelife,
Form:
Rhyme
He promised me i would not die
As I’d been forced to live
He promised me I would not cry
And his heart he would give
And now its summed up in a sigh
The sorrow and the pain
No more will I be placed on high
Just caught up in a game
A game that is so deadly
It leaves you mortified
And that’s when you realise
There’s nowhere left to hide
Then they kill you with the rumours
And beat you with the lies
There's nowhere left to run now
You're not wanted when love dies.
After all the waiting
So loyal was my love
All I’ve been is just a fool
Sent from up above.
I once thought i was special
But they’ve destroyed that thought
Now I feel like nothing
For everyone’s been bought
Categories:
summed, abuse, betrayal, corruption, judgement,
Form:
REFLECTION
Reflecting the world tiny one,
In what you see where you've landed.
Dancing, copying, becoming.
Now, a yellow wild canary.
Then, a dandelion puff.
Not pretending but reflecting,
Becoming, summed in soul.
In the mirror I see the wrinkles,
In the silver see your smile.
I see the outside in decline,
You only see inside, for awhile.
By Edlynn Nau
© May 11, 2016
Categories:
summed, childhood, imagination, mother daughter,
Form:
Free verse
I hear you in your room
The words he shouts are unclear
But I hear every tear that escapes your eyes
I feel every tear that is replaced inside
Unbearable
I hear you calling out
Begging for him to stop
I'm frozen with fear
Picture clear what he's doing to you
What he's done to me
Unbearable
The sound of every time he hits you
Bruises deeper than the skin
I hear a smash and know
He's vindictively broken something you love
Stinging more than his punch
Unbearable
Children no longer allowed to talk
Fearing a beating for simply looking at each other
Now it seems clear why he kept us separate
Suffering in our solitude
Though for me yours will always be..
Unbearable
When you said to me
Recently
Your childhood ended
When you were ten
When Dad died and we moved in with him
Where you summed up our childhood
In words so powerful in their few
Unbearable
Knowing that your sad
Knowing that your crying
Knowing you can't forget
Knowing you feel what I feel
Knowing so much of what he did to you
The guilt for not being able to help you
Then, now, always.
Unbearable
Categories:
summed, angst, childhood, sister, sorry,
Form:
Free verse
I sought knowledge
I acquired wealth
I raised a family
I met my spiritual obligations
and paid my social dues,
Is this all there’s to life?
Say O Lord, it ain’t so!
I broke no hearts
I brokered no dubious deals
I was faithful to my vows
and lived within my means;
Is this all there’s to life?
Say O Lord, it ain’t so!
I dabbled in all forms of art
and savored classical music,
Jazz, Rap and Rock n ’Roll
I immersed myself in the
world of literature,
I traveled to all the
shores of the earth;
Is this all there’s to life?
Say O Lord, it ain’t so.
I dove deep into the
murky depth of envy,
I wallowed in the
muck of self-pity,
I have flown high
on the wings of love
and descended into the
pits of hatred and jealousy;
Methinks there ain’t much else
If life can be summed up merely--
A tear here and a smile there,
A fall here and a rise there,
A melody here and a grunt there,
A sin here and a pardon there,
A peace here and a conflict there,
A life here and a death there...
I pray, O Lord…say it ain’t so!
~02/23/17
~Your Best poem
in the last year contest by Silent One
Categories:
summed, anxiety,
Form:
Free verse
Survival can be summed up in three words ~ Never give up! That's the heart of it really. Just keep trying - Bear Gryllis
I thought it would be the death of me
At least the person who lives within
Where silence awakens dreams of intimacy
And caresses the spirit with hopes and prayers
Awakening hues of colorful, captivating
Emotions that welcome the heart to be
Alive with embers of insight and inspiration
Miracles flowing from a well of imagination
Filling the soul with visions of wisdom and
Strength that motivates the will to keep moving
Forward, into the tomorrows where intense
Capacity for creativity and life’s reasons beckon
Healing, forgiveness, mystery in being alive
With joy and the resolve to survive the worst
Move forward and keep going, through the pain
Into the heart of deep affection whispering
Gentle thoughts of passionate ideas that give
The inner person more encouragement to
Endure the cruelties found in this world
And venture out toward the promise of
A new day, a new way, second chances to
Believe, to dream, to be… to just keep trying!
Will to Survive Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Silent One
October 9, 2020
Categories:
summed, courage, encouraging, endurance, forgiveness,
Form:
Free verse
There was a girl, of I thought
I loved her so much, a ring I bought
Thinking of happy marriage
To propose I summed up all my courage
Unfortunately, she wasn’t ready to tie the knot.
Categories:
summed, funny,
Form:
Limerick
All you need is the will. Where there is a will, there is always a way.
But, my polluted mind couldn't see the path to success ahead.
No map exists to sobriety, or a magical compass to recovery
The lifestyle I once lived, so empty and desolate.
Only able to completely rely on my own self.
For recovery, you need people. And, people are willing to help.
I surrounded myself with all of the acronyms.
AA, NA, MIA. I felt lost in the madness.
A peer in recovery helped me find a start; a Detox program.
These words so unsettling to any real drug addict.
But, this time I was done. Beyond done, Completely over it.
Their medications allowed me to surpass that three day barrier.
A mark of achievement I had so many other times missed.
By day seven, I started to feel slightly more normal.
A pre-dope normal, one that existed before the drugs took over.
But, then I opened my eyes and I saw the doors.
I knew exactly where those doors led to...
They led to the street. They led right back to the needle.
So I just stayed, and moved right into their inpatient program.
A place I swore wholeheartedly I would never go.
The twenty-eight days can be summed up in one word: Reassuring.
Each day I grew more confident, and began to feel reassured.
Just when I came to an acceptance that recovery was truly possible.
Once again, I stood weary at those same two doors.
I decided to speak out. It came from a place of fear and despair.
I was directed into a new form of safe haven.
IOP, with an emphasis on the "intensive."
For four hours a day, for four days a week, I worked at recovery.
Each day building upon my new foundation of inner strength.
When, and only when, I felt completely ready.
I left IOP, and again I immersed myself in those acronyms.
I also found a healthy replacement for my abundant time.
The gym became my therapy, relieving me both body and mind.
Working out was my new "high." Only this time it was healthy.
Through the entirety of this life changing experience.
I learned many new things about life, about myself.
Proving that where there's a will, there is definitely a way.
It took first reaching rock bottom, and the absolute lowest of lows.
to learn first hand, that you can't reach the top, without first being at the bottom.
Categories:
summed, addiction, recovery from, drug,
Form:
Prose Poetry
Ode to the people of Norway
Strophe
O, the darkness has descended on a paradise
Of Norway’s bounties of nature
On the people living a quiet life
Not concerned about the politics ever
A drug addict, calling himself a warrior
Taking pride of being a savior of Europe
Unmindful of the death toll of the young
Rejoicing in the tears falling from their eyes
A Hitler has raised his ugly head up
Polluting the minds of the old and the young.
Antistrophe
But trying to take a refuge to insanity
Taking drugs to make himself efficient and awake
Priding over to start war for years sixty
Pleading not guilty to terrorism namesake
Though confessing to bombing and rampage
But remaining unaffected by what happened
Thus his plea assures him of future court hearings
By the attacks Norway is riveted with rage
By Breivik’s paranoid writings stunned
Hundreds thronged the courthouse proceedings.
Epode
With tears in their eyes people paid homage
To the victims laying roses a few feet deep
While the killer faces 21 years in prison
The stiffest sentence can be given by a Norwegian judge
His lawyer says the whole case suggests his client is insane
The Royal couple consoled people and tears shed
The prime minister called it a national tragedy
And summed it up “evil can never defeat a nation”
The killer may enjoy Halden, the luxurious jail in the world
Where cells have flat TV and designer furniture facility.
+++++++++
* I wrote this poem two years back when the tragedy took place. Not posted anywhere
Date 4-11-13
Dr. Ram Mehta
Tenth Place win
Contest: Ode (Old/new) poetry by SKAT Love
Categories:
summed, grief, drug,
Form:
Ode
It blows all around us.
Zig zagging in front of the eye.
A million bits of lemon dipped confetti.
Tapping on the carapace of a life.
Fawn dappled-silver maple leaf- days.
Spotted leopard-howler monkey nights.
Everything summed up in gossamer skin.
Infinity licks the newborns fresco face.
The asp of life threads the eyes shut.
In a generation or two tombstones are forgotten.
No more granite tears meeting salty stone...
or plastic flowers flanked by crows.
The whole damn thing just a paper bowl
filled to the brim with put on.
Life gnashes at the neck with lion teeth.
Sad pitter patter of an actor's eulogy...
Sugaring stumps and bitter moons
every word twists in the air...
Like cancer riding a stream of confetti.
Categories:
summed, adventure, cancer, death,
Form:
Rhyme
The love of God what can I say
It's there for all to see
It was love that sent His only Son
To die for you and me.
There is no other love like this
That He should die for man
Before the foundations of the earth
It was salvation's plan.
This amazing love from God to man
Is summed up like this for me
Jesus Christ Him crucified
At the place called Calvary.
Categories:
summed, christian, easter, love,
Form:
Rhyme
Front door brings in nippy chill,
You step onto the frosty path,
No pleasant air for you to initial,
Only a gut fight with the waft.
But friends are warm and bright,
Neighbours smile by their cars,
Old friends get in touch, write,
The hairdresser chats n’ chars.
What to give is a nice problem,
What to write on xmas cards,
Why not to give, there’s a hum,
Of distance, you only give cards.
Relative’s personalities summed,
Cousins hobbies are understood,
Relations interests taken, gummed,
And friends activities are all good.
Jumpers are purchased for mum,
Plus teapot, hand cream, soap,
Quality Street purple is a chum,
Candles jars are given in hope.
Sporadic robins brighten and light,
Kids build a roly snowman, just,
Dogs walk in cosy jackets tight,
And by-passers stop for a gust.
Families welcome drivers’ eyes,
When they look in the windows,
With flashing lights, mixed dyes,
In patterns, pictures, pure glows.
The atmosphere at restaurants,
Beckons xmas truth and tale,
When others also have nuance,
For special kin who chat, sail.
No negatives divide and split,
No text to state what to say,
Greetings are heartfelt and lit,
Your chat can be any old way.
Church is optional, a possibility,
But fires and heaters gaily blast,
Radios aptly inform about activity,
When Santa will visit stores vast.
Decorations furnish, fill stores,
Giant Christmas trees stand, line,
Large baubles hang on all floors,
Huge stockings see shoppers dine.
There is a righteous business,
In the air, filtering, at xmas time,
It’s friendship and happiness,
That's engineered, the told sign.
The central focus is a snug meal,
A slot saved and made for chat,
Where for each person the deal,
Is to converse, discuss and bat.
All are welcome, all can have,
Everyone can enjoy, participate,
Each one can find peace, shove,
Xmas with you does coaguate.
Whatever the question, give,
Everyone is part of Christmas,
A smile, joke, a chat, a forgive,
You can even restrain for a bash.
Categories:
summed, celebration, christmas, giving, people,
Form:
Quatrain
Gently lying on my bed with my slickly Pink Pajamas,
I fell asleep like a peaceful baby,
then the windows opened in complete excitement,
and the seas breezed in like a stampede,
raising my night dress from legs to Breasts
leaving me nude, cold but blessed,
then came this guy with a bad intention crested on his chest,
I could not picture his face but could see him so well.
As his tongue kiss and lick,
high voltage current crossed my cheek.
the wet flexible muscle moved quite oblique,
then every action from now on seem to click,
causing sensation so quick,
I suddenly became helpless, weak and sick.
He trade his plight on site,
causing hormonal sparks to ignite,
not considering if he is wrong or right,
becoming more real and clean in my sight,
my increasing arousal, making the moment bright.
His groans made the feeling mutual,
producing pleasure beyond the normal ritual,
and making his movement on me so casual,
cupped my Breast to make the feeling factual,
squeezing them like a newly baked dough,
wheezing sounds emerging from my passionate screams,
and making my freezing feet jerk as he plays with the nipples.
Then down the road he goes to my shin,
spreading my legs made the sensation immeasurable,
the gradual heat from his romancing hand, simply unspeakable,
summed up with his commanding domination like a constable,
began an erotic scene so irresistible,
and since I am already grossly susceptible,
I yielded to his masculine touch as though already compatible.
Steadily and slowly, he drives through to my thighs like a convertible,
causing a body rhythm and sensation so explicable.
Caressing them gently as I wished,
reaching the focal point made me feel accomplished,
hoping to treat my secret garden with a mood so selfish,
making it his possession and ecstasy fully nourished,
complimented with a fantasy already established
As he was about penetrating like a beam,
I already reached the next level and ready to swim,
as real as this experience may seem,
I immediately woke up to realize it was just a dream
Categories:
summed, adventure, fantasy, imagination, mystery,
Form:
Light Verse
You built me up made, made me trust you.
But now you’re the nightmare that plays even in the direct ray of light.
You make me fight not to call you because you are like a fire who made me burn so bright
Your glowing Tyz – yeh nothing to do with me but the little fire I let inside
At first nothing but a bit of warmth to find comfort in
But you find everyone noticing the light
You say it's meaningless but can't hide the smile - just some comfort in the cold gloomy nights
Really the fire is burning through everything inside
As you feel the heat beginning to fade all you can do is beg it to stay
I thought I wasn’t this kind of girl
Praying every day it finds something new to latch on
I thought I was more than some burnt up coal – hoping for some yellow ambers to become alight
The fire finds something new to latch on
As it always does
But I always thought it’d be another part of me
A chapter in our us
But maybe I am just summed up as dust
Since the fire left
I’ve tried so hard to burn
Flipping page to page
Lifting weights on weights
Going from candle to match
But you’re the only one who will ever let me burn so bright
But comfort in the cold isn’t easy when you're burnt to dust
Any little wind now has the power to rupture these ever so fragile pieces of dust
Categories:
summed, 12th grade, betrayal, boyfriend,
Form:
Personification