Best Terns Poems
oh precious, dulcet diva, ocean-tide
you, of sand and foam and spindrift -
all your moods and meanderings
speak deep my spirit, wistful and wan
musings captured, gist enraptured …
I listen, close ...
on those warm and windy days, your
voice cuts clear, carries with it the joy
of sun sprites alighting on wave tops
hopping crest-to-crest like so many
gold pieces tumbling from pockets, laden …
I listen, rapt ...
becalmed days, the lull of low tide ...
gentle swells reach their arms ashore -
the cold brine washing sand and shell
like breezes sweeping the grasslands
rolling, as imagination rolls in the mind …
I listen, soft ...
whispering in my ear of the secret
dark places in my heart, exquisite
shadowy realms where passion and
reverie hide, pulsing with urge, aphotic
warm, enigmatic feelings flow and ebb …
I listen, true ...
an ocean storm's raging beauty, thus -
somber clouds, splashed Payne's Gray
swirl cruelly as Neptune flits his tresses
sea sirens lament with angry screams as
their backs are broken on reef and rock …
I listen, soft ...
gentle swells lapping brief, the sand
moon rising to the lullaby of a bell buoy
its tender peals coaxing the moonlight to
shore, Luna's beams tiptoeing gently atop
to join the phosphorescent waterline
(not to wake the slumbering breezes) …
I listen, sad ...
the gulls and terns laugh at the folly -
a man strains his ageing ears to the song
of the tides that he loves so completely -
the most divine and elegant aria known
and a voice so immortal and pure, that
it will croon on, long after there is naught ...
left to listen.
~ 1st Place ~ in the "Your Choice (9), Any Form, Any Theme" Poetry Contest, Brian Strand, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 3rd Place ~ in the "2019 Poetry Marathon Mile 7" Poetry Contest, Mark Toney, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 1st Place ~ in the "New Poems Only" Poetry Contest, Emile Pinet, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 2nd Place ~ in the "Voices" Poetry Contest, Silent One, Judge & Sponsor.
Categories:
terns, analogy, appreciation, beach, imagery,
Form:
Free verse
black and white landscape
a colony of penguins ~
standing and waddling
in the oceans depth
lives a black and white giant~
orca killer whale
seal on an ice flow
oblivious to danger ~
head butting whale strikes
egg laid by female
emperor penguin stands guard~
female goes hunting
not in Africa
elephant and leopard seals~
sea is their jungle
hourglass dolphins
smaller than a bottlenose~
keen bow wave riders
home is in the air
the wandering albatross~
a ten foot wingspan
in the frozen south
a species of royal bird~
the emperor penguin
the antarctic terns
fly over a silver dish~
krill is on the menu
thick and warm white coat
a camouflaged artic fox~
unseen in the snow
top of the food chain
carnivorous white giant~
fearsome polar bear
Categories:
terns, bird, nature, ocean, snow,
Form:
Haiku
Finally, as afternoon sun splayed
through the picture window
onto wood floor and last pieces of furniture,
I packed that summer on the lake
into a box, mitering indigo corners
between squares of bubble wrap,
ripples appliqued with lilac jacaranda blooms
blown on the water.
Kids would leave for college and grandparents died,
but that year bees hovered in marigolds and violet alyssum.
The moon's marshmallow singed umber, impaled on a hanger
over golden flames. Dawn's opalescence would flicker
in pale aquamarine, receding shadows uncovering
beads of cerulean icing and pink lemonade shimmering
on shamrock and juniper.
Tiers of skinned knees and runny noses now framed
by cardboard and plastic were stacked like red velvet cake
atop a knotty pine picnic table as terns called in the distance,
then sealed with oak and concrete of our final day as we cannon-balled
off dock's end like it was the last thing we'd ever do.
Categories:
terns, color, imagery, nostalgia, summer,
Form:
Free verse
I could not paint a better picture,
Than the one in front of me,
Of twists and turns of the canal,
Bordered by endless trees.
A warm day with a slight breeze,
Giving the grass moving shadows of leaves,
Multiple species of birds stop by,
Some on the ground, some in the sky.
Gulls, Terns and Cormorants dive,
For crustaceans and fish of various size,
While sparrows, robins and occasional chickadees,
Grab insects on the fly.
Parades of boats, barges and ships,
Fascinate and entertain our time,
Sitting by the canal is more than a pastime,
It's watching life at its prime.
Fishermen, bicyclists, joggers and tourists,
They enjoy this special place,
Taking it all in; they embrace,
Nature at its purest!
Categories:
terns, nature,
Form:
Rhyme
Between the lily pads and soft sandbars
Lay the saturated words of idle time
Among bloated carp and feisty sunfish
They linger in a sunny dampened rhyme.
Fleet Dragonflies of thought dodge darting Terns
The silent lure adrift, a bobber’s hope
A crusted turtle suns itself alone
Atop the edge of river’s muddy slope.
The river paints its beauty on my mind
Dares me to recreate it with my pen.
I fail, my words like Egrets, standing still
My vision trapped between the now and then.
Is there no hope, no freedom from this curse
To capture nature’s beauty in pure verse.
©10/7/2022
Categories:
terns, poetry, writing,
Form:
Sonnet
i wander these winter beaches
where autumn's storms
have removed the footfalls of summer
believing in spring
here i am alone listening
to the waves mellifluously remind
yet never recalling
floating the river Lethe
alone where the frigates soar above
pelicans traversing the waves
the terns work the receding water
i am the intruder
waves erasing my past
placing before me rearranging sands
paths never worn
only the belief in spring
with each step forward
i wonder if the gulls see
my past being removed, the future
dependent upon some wave
fortune or contretemps
i wonder if the gulls feel
this surreal gull glides, turns, drift
upon grateful wings
grateful to those who long ago
gave freedom to thought from hunger
the plight of thought
the flight of thought
freeing this surreal gull to wander in wonder
i wander here keeping the dream alive
faith it will evolve into more
some empyreal dictate
some Newtonian machine
there is a numen to winter beaches
here i can laugh with humanity, smile
the hubris belief this can be destroyed
changed yes, but so may volcanoes, asteroids
none of which has a brain
here i can believe that dreams
will be given to reason, logic
and end to war and peace on earth
that there is nothing fatal
even science cannot deny
these rearranging sands and time
will produce another poet wandering, wondering
i wander these winter beaches
where autumn's storms
have removed the footfalls of summer
knowing sunrise, sunset, and spring returns
i am alone, yet far from alone
i am home
where dreams glide, turn, drift
soaring in the thermals of thought
the flight of belief
terminus ad quem
terminus a quo
Playa Del Rey 91 The Patient Stones
Categories:
terns, solitude, winter,
Form:
Free verse
Thank you O sea,
For the untiring music of your waves,
For the rolling of your rollers,
Thank you O sea
for your music so refined,
This music softens the soul,
His sight soothes the poet
Console the painter ,
Thank you O sea
For your music,
For your mighty storms,
Merci Debussy
For your symphonic poem,
Thank youO sea
For your overflowing imagination,
For your writers, generous
Homer to Baudelaire, to Hugo,
Thank you O sea,
For all your colors,
For horizons surrounded by foam
For the sunny south of ancient Greece,
For your date palms,
Thank you O sea, for your example,
For the exemplary flight of seagulls,
For the frigate, white terns
For the quiet schooners,
Who anchor in the atolls
Thank you the sea,
For your illuminated ships
In the port of Brest,
For each oysters savored,
Thank you O sea, for your gifts
Your travels to America
You are the soul of the world
the source of my thoughts.
Categories:
terns, cheer up, ocean,
Form:
Free verse
Tents of various colours in parade across the sands
It's summer time in Brighton as the sun beams down so grand
Families too many to mention, on blanketed abound
Whilst laughter resonates from the children all around
Even nature has her say as the waves caress the shore
Just like yesterday, and so many years before
Gliding terns and seagulls grace the thermal flow
As they anticipate the pickings that present them down below
Rock pools gather attraction, a learning call for the young
Explained by thoughtful parents, of how we all began
Sails of shapes and sizes appear against the blues
Boats and ships aplenty in sailing tacking cruise
My day now nears it's end, on this wonderful Brighton Beach
So many joys surround me, I'm so thankful their in my reach
Categories:
terns, adventure, animals, family, holiday,
Form:
Couplet
Swift does the shallow river flow
beneath the trees that upwards grow,
Kingfishers sit on a shoreline rock
hunting fish in the water below
Starlings swarm in a large blue flock
at dusk and dawn at six of the clock,
A stunning spectacle that's a must to see
while sitting on a boat in the dock
Gulls and Terns bob about on the sea
before they depart like an irate banshee,
they swoop and dive in an aerial tableau
a sight to be seen and a thing of beauty
Sandpiper, Whimbrel and Plover are seen
from high water to surf and points in between.
Categories:
terns, animal, nature, sea, urdu,
Form:
Rubaiyat
The kids are gone! I'm retired! I'm gonna take a long vacation!
To an island with sunny beaches - that's my ultimate destination!
I'll spend the days savorin' a climate of seventy-two degrees,
Snoozin' beneath the palms, cooled by an ocean breeze!
Each morn as I stretch and yawn to meet another gorgeous day,
A glorious sunrise greets me from across the shimmerin' bay!
I release the worries and frustrations from my languid soul,
As upon the beautiful, sandy strand I take my mornin' stroll!
'Tis soothin' to the ear as the surf floods the pristine beach.
Beyond that, there is heard only the terns' occasional screech.
Sandpipers and sidlin' crabs entertain me scurryin' about.
I watch a ship cross the aqua sea, plyin' its leisurely route!
'Tis relaxin' to sip a rum swizzle when another day is done,
And just sit back to enjoy the grandeur of the settin' sun!
Later, as tho' emergin' from the sea, rises a brilliant moon,
And romantic music serenades me from across the far lagoon!
I'll have a lobster dinner, then to bed 'cause its gittin' late,,
Or maybe a dip in the surf, but hold on a minute! Wait!
Glidin' across the moonlit beach, somethin' makes my old eyes gleam!
A bikini-clad beauty...! Alas, the missus pokes me shatterin' my dream!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
(c) All Rights Reserved
Categories:
terns, dream, fantasy, funny, me,
Form:
Rhyme
I'd almost forgotten what we were like
so many thens, so many "do ya remembers" ago
the days fat with warm summer
dripping off golden smiles
melting like wax in the sun
it was all just a race against time
each tick a heartbeat lost
each sunset crash'd like foaming waves
but we had it down
a rhythm method to laugh in the face of the moon
tearing the days off cheap dime store calendars
using Tuesday and Saturday to roll our stale cigarettes
it seemed so simple then
in my complicated now
smiles + lingering touches + silica crusted toes
= the sight of you in my peripheral vision forever
but now an empty divot in the bed
your perfume on a stranger walking past
the formula unraveled for
we made kingdoms from sand and sargasso
terns our brave paladins
wheeling gull the court's fool
your hair my burnished pennant
snapping in the breeze
I never wanted the earth to turn
cooling air can't turn to black
as shadows fell upon your face
and the sea stole our castle back.
Categories:
terns, loss,
Form:
Free verse
Birds have always captured my imagination,
They have such a beauty and a unique nature;
Oh, what an array of birds for my inspection,
I write this for the birds that fly in the azure.
They have, such a beauty and a unique nature,
White terns on the wing or pigeons in a park;
I write this for the birds; that fly in the azure,
Tiny hummingbirds and the owl in the dark.
White terns on the wing, or pigeons in a park,
The eagles and hawks, the swan and the duck;
Tiny hummingbirds - and the owl in the dark,
Dazzling fly-catchers and kingfishers that pluck.
The eagles and hawks - the swan, and the duck,
Woodpeckers that drum a beat or a tuneful wren;
Dazzling, fly-catchers and kingfishers that pluck,
Beauty in the wild, city; or in a green forest glen.
Woodpeckers, that drum a beat or a tuneful wren,
Oh what an array! Of birds for my inspection;
Beauty - in the wild, city or in a green forest glen,
Birds have always captured, my imagination.
_______________________
October 22, 2015
Pantoum
Submitted to the contest, For The Birds, sponsor, Anthony Slausen
Sixth Place
Categories:
terns, bird,
Form:
Pantoum
What do you think of, when you hear the word SOFT?
Is it gossamer spider webs, lining an old barn's loft?
Could it be the fluff, from the dandelion seed?
Or the down from a bird, whose been recently freed?
Would you describe SOFT, in musical terms?
Like Pachelbel's Canon in D, or the songs of terns?
Is it possible to picture SOFT, as a pastel scene?
Or maybe the vagueness, of a old fading dream.
Might the caress of an eyelash, on the tip of your nose,
Rival the feel and subtle smell, of an opening rose?
SOFT could be a gentle breeze, in late afternoon.
Or the muted chortle, of a parenting loon.
Then there's the softness, of an old man's earlobe.
And Cumulus clouds, that circle our globe.
But I'll argue all day, or until my words are forgotten,
Nothing's as SOFT as Beagle Ears-- or a Baby's Bottom.
Categories:
terns, cowboy-western, funny, on writing
Form:
Rhyme
Hand in hand with the breaking pink light of dawn,
A light east breeze dances on tiptoes upon the water’s surface.
I stand on the wooden deck, looking out onto the quiet bay,
Scattered boats gently sway in their moorings.
Making me feel like I am flying amongst them - a bird on a wing,
Flocks of terns swoop and rise in graceful circles close beside me.
Dexterously stepping over the green covered rocks on the shore, three white egrets are here too;
They keenly pick out their breakfast in the lapping tide.
With a swoop and fall, a cormorant dives deftly into the water and disappears,
Moments later the bird emerges several metres away as if out of nowhere.
In a display of alternating flashes of grey and brilliant white,
Plovers so small and so swift turn and glide in controlled unison.
I glance northwards towards a distant gentle hum,
There great ships are silhouetted in the waking harbour.
I stand and breathe in true appreciation;
Oh, the magnificent beauty of this new day.
Categories:
terns, places, sea, light, bird,
Form:
From boat's mass thrown up
Wings fondling light and wonder
The fish shudders awe
I caught in splendour
Net my eyes in white of wings
And sea frightened thawed
So water rippled
The sea in sunshine trembling
Against departure
They turned, flashed in dive
The sun made coronet bright
On feathers waving
True there was a cry
In self praise for pain un-groaned
Just for Leda's sake.
Categories:
terns, nature, sea, sea,
Form:
Senryu