Best Swale Poems

The tale below was carved one night
upon the stone, by candlelight
...most won’t believe, but some just might
.........most won’t believe, but some just might



                      ...

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Upon this yearly powdered dale,
where leafless birch in talon-ed stance
come begging in their circumstance,

the snowflakes fell in silent veil 
as thick as densely woven cloth
to gale a new year's behemoth.

While seeking warmth to no avail
I hunker in my hiemal sleigh
when through the rime in gleeful...

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T'was a warm summer's day, when I took to the trail,
to cruise that old black spruce, way down in the swale.

A gallon of bug dope was strapped on my hip,
which I figured would last me for most of the trip.

Down through the sphagnum I plowed...

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You may not know
I have the worlds biggest toe
I also have a gigantic frown
The biggest frown ever seen around

I dropped a slimy creek stone and it went splat
And flattened my great toe quite painfully flat
You may ask what happened and how
Hurts so bad I can't...

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The moon, pausing near her zenith,
On that balmy night in May,
Painted a warm, nocturnal landscape, 
In varying shades gray.

A mockingbird insomniac,
With golden harp did play,
And serenade his lady love
With songs as bright as day.

A shy, retiring whip-poor-will
In some hidden, forest swale,
Intoned his lonely-heart refrain, 
In...

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He sat all alone, drinking jim beam and coke

Looking out as the waves crashed ashore

He kept to himself, drinking jim beam and coke

As the storm winds would batter the door

He'd only come in when the weather was rough

Sitting alone, drinking Jim Beam and coke

Looking out...

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A naive grasshopper 
 spun in the death web of a starving wolf spider,
Providing hours of facination and wonder to the curious child
He too must learn survival of the fittest
 the laws and rules his own kind has created 
"For my own good indeed" he...

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Beyond the paved two-lane with its solid centerline,
and bounded by NO TRESPASS signs; 
beyond the turn-off onto gravel and the last barking dog 
who keeps pace with my hubcap; 

to a landing where I park my car and walk away: 
no signs of ownership, no...

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The days of the year has quickly flown by
collecting aspects of serenity in the clouds, 
for passing storms to stir the tremulous sky, 
and try to make futility multiply in floods. 

But from under gloom voice that hilarious cry, 
See happier faces more lustrous make...

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THE UNPLANNED JOURNEY
by
JOHN M. ARRIBAS





I had a great breakfast gave a nice tip to the girl
I was late, had to swerve to avoid hitting a squirrel
I was really lucky when I crossed the yellow line
A semi was coming, head on, I made it back in...

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Waking to that familiar fabric of dawn, pink-hued 
Hewn from the previous black quilted night
It dawns on me:

At a time, it shall prevail 
upon us all, the unwelcome blessing of suffering
And you will feel like 
A feather in the breath of a tempest
It may take the shape of...

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"sizes matter" chirped the hatter before 
popping the size 8 and 1/4 on his head
and jumping theatrically into his bed
hat and clothes all snuggled into dreams

"things aren't always what they seem"
he muttered as he drifted slowly to slumber
and counted sheep with irrational numbers
shearing off some...

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6 earthmovers terracing a hill, 
no more horses in a swale of green.				
4 lanes westbound, 4 lanes east. 
Caterpillars are eating the fields> 
We take the long easy curves
black-shod....

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Design obscures Divine
Railroaded by a petulant narrative
Observe the perfection of a creation undone
Injection deserving celebration by the hallowed of darkness
On every point, a bug defeats the Purpose
Which by design the chemistry assigned precludes
Swept into the dustbin, the democide announced
A swale released among the animals, least...

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up a steep and narrow road
reach the tops
wilderness reclaims a verge
of wintery snags
land juts and tilts
hauls out
lays treeless

clumps and hags
pitch up stricken soil
heap above the miry troughs 

loud the heartbeat
nearer to feral thought
then any mouth or ear

swale and quag dawdle
appear to seep listless 
no
every bog...

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