Best Tightens Poems
Blue words cry,
smearing bare
paper walls.
I am only this poem
to share.
Crimson lines
ironed, too perfect,
scratch romantic notions.
Sorrows brew.
Shush,
listen to
each whimper’s escape,
ink hurled at pages
not long ago blank. Bittersweet
sobs thunder -
cathartic storms impart
a verse to bridge hearts
over this deluge.
Words enchant, coax
from nostalgic dreams,
over and between
dusk and dawn’s enlightening.
I awaken weightless
adrift in lyrical seas.
When night returns
bruised, I lie
with incarnate spirits,
my midnight blue disguise.
A smile from cobalt eyes
speaks. Blues reach
like friends to beseech
my soul.
While my pen glistens through tears,
these starry hazels gaze
as livid-blues turn
cerulean. A poem breathes -
loose layers, discernible beauty, strength,
prayers answered. Wise,
I purge my pain
in letter’s curvaceous rise.
I rest in hollow
of spaces,
stolen tranquility.
For now, prisoners are released,
but oh, how I know
morning
tightens fear's hold.
When blues speak,
I'll seek
love, acceptance
and find my pen.
I’ll unlock my heart again.
May my poem birthed
remind in lonely hours
of my power,
my worth.
May light
fall
upon God’s poema.
Ink-stained, I am
one woman heard,
only blue words.
(200 words)
5/31/15
Categories:
tightens, feelings, introspection, words, writing,
Form:
Free verse
Harken...those hollowing drums
Over cold vales so beat,
Exhorting a multitude of glistening
Star-tipped spears,
As marching over shattered landscapes
In shinning replete:
Crunch Artumes eternal legions
Across the snow bound years.
Casting down from the mauve
And cloudless heights
The pale witch broods upon her dark
runes;
Chilled breath steaming mutterings
Of meddling spite,
Uttered under Luna risings
Of half waxen moons.
Repulsed from the presence
Of the holy alters sacred glow,
That cuts like a torch
Across Yules Feast of Lights,
She incants of harsh Boreas
To relent his fierce blowes:
Raising high her crystal towers
To breach the walls of stilled night.
Tis now, away from cheery hearths
And the warm fires they keep,
That warring frost tightens
Upon this hardened land;
Happily sated people
Turn in contented sleep;
Motionless vapours are crushed
In the grip of an iron clad hand.
For as the siege heightens
In relentless might
Heavens wheeling sentinels
Begin to slowly withdraw:
Retreating upon spiraling orbits
Fading from diminishing sight;
Ghostly armies embarking
For far frozen shores.
Loosen now the silver longships,
Afloat on tides of drawing moonlight,
For the Red Goddess slumbers
In deep canyons to the west;
Artumes armies sailing
Into grey dawns fleeting respite...
Awaken... Oh Glorious Aurora...
Scattering your foes -
Before Sunrises conquest!!
Categories:
tightens, winter,
Form:
Rhyme
Painful Perspectives
Bullying in America
"About 77% of students have admitted to being the victim of of one type of bullying or another."
--www.bullyingstatistics.org
My stomach tightens once again
By now I know the drill
It doesn't matter what I do
Move on, scream out, stand still
My heartbeat throbbing louder now
As heavy footsteps near
My mouth, dry as a cotton ball
My shoulders hunch in fear
Suddenly, I feel the sting
My cheek turns cherry red
The smack has almost knocked me down
The pain shoots through my head
Now words so cruel they pierce my heart
I try to block the sound
My efforts useless yet again
Scars stain my soul deep down
I touch my flesh to feel it swell
My light begins to die
My head held low, I walk away
Too numb by now to cry...
"Approximately 30% of young people admit to bullying others."
---www.americanspcc.org
For me, each morning starts the same
No feelings, just routine
Commands and orders barked my way
"Get up! Get dressed! Get clean!"
I step into the blinding sun
Yet pause before I go
Just once to hear, "I love you dear."
The door slams; I should know
The sadness that I used to feel
Has slowly turned to rage
So off to school I stomp ahead
My heart locked in a cage
Not long after I arrive
I choose my timid deer
My heavy footsteps lead the way
Toward the scent of fear
My hand hits flesh; I feel relieved
To share my hidden pain
I utter words so cruel and vile
Too numb to feel ashamed...
"It is reported that 70.6% of young people say they have seen bullying in schools."
---www.americanspcc.org
Standing near my closest friend
I feel the tension rise
By now, I know what to expect
Not once am I surprised
My fingers tremble slightly still
As I await the scene
I fight the stinging in my eyes
Why is this world so mean?
I watch my best friend cower now
The same thing every day
I cringe for what's about to come
As predator seeks prey
My inner struggle swallows me
I long to take a stand
I fear the wrath if I intrude
Escape, I haven't planned
So helplessly I witness pain
Inflicted on my friend
I wish I had the courage to
Make the bullying end...
Categories:
tightens, school, perspective,
Form:
Rhyme
Ash - grey chemised
she shifts her shape
as silver flakes float coat
stripped naked places,
sheath curves and angled spaces
Angry glitter tingle stings
thick earth skin with prickly flames
and rumble rise regurgitates
shimmy - shake shudders
in magma's deep thrombosis.
Her feather boa plume
tightens hot cloud chokehold,
acrid smoke flung up in air
without a care, heat exhumes
her arrival, announced fiery flounce -
Hot air blast flicks ash everywhere
Grande dame, her vital force runs hot,
and bold, red and gold- full blooded flow,
feisty fight to escape fate,
inner pulses push a violent urge
to bleed and drape red lava's cape
across green fields, human habitations
Unplacated, rising up, proud impairment
anger virulent, out of hellbent
immolation via pyramidal vent.
She lifts her tiara, red ruby globs,
hurls evidence in defense - great blobs
of royal reign - no abdication!
Throaty roars rend intonation
into screeching supplications -
She knows full well, soon enough,
her phoenix fate infarction
Too late for earth's burst heart
High drama is a living, dying art
Impassioned pleas too late for some,
Earth's burnout buries victims in her wake
High on an island hill,
the boy lay crushed, and still
on temple altar, throat cut, bled out
Hurried offering, did not appease,
nor bring softening release
for angry, ancient mountain
Head caved in by falling blocks
of measured, square cut stone,
the priest grovelled on his knees
Gravel filled their mouths, no space for pleas
No one heard half- whispered final groans
And Earth, once she settled down,
murmured not another sound
Posted 17/08/2018.
Categories:
tightens, natural disasters,
Form:
Alliteration
November comes down gliding on filmy wings,
Bringing cool and dank days on her way
Sweet it is to watch the spectacular changes she brings
In a medley of colors, plants and trees proudly stay
Earth puts on a finery no other season can beat
In glinting flashes, the land and sky look so bright
The delectable pumpkin pie is the season’s favorite treat
As the day advances sunbeams fall in sparks of light
.
Early mornings come covered in snowy mist
Soon leaves nose dive and mournfully weep
The fallen leaves tremulously cry under our feet
As their last goodbye before they finally fall asleep
Evenings turn colorful with sinking sunlight, bleeding red
Squirrels chatter noisily as they gather nuts in the wild
As autumn tightens its grip, men retire early to bed
Wind blows all through the month with a temper mild
Soon the air turns chilly with blizzards coming in a row
And winter waits impatient for its icy-cold embrace.
The land will then be covered in a maze of snow.
Even the last flower shall fall and fade from earth’s face
The fallen dead leaves lying in piles and rotting away
And the sound of wind whistling the dirge of November
Bring to me the thought that we must all take leave one day
Down on earth, fall and rot, thus be fodder for new life ever!
Nov.13.2022
~ Placed First~
November or December Poetry Contest
Sponsor- Caren Krutsinger
Categories:
tightens, angst, autumn, beautiful, time,
Form:
Quatrain
Sometimes I just go crazy
Trying to give my kid his medicine
You have to be some kind of genius
You know, like Thomas Edison?
And I've tried almost everything
From the airplane to the train
But he always sees it coming
And the teardrops fall like rain
I try to tell him, "It's good for you"
He just tightens his lips and grunts
Or knocks the spoon out of my hand
Just another of his crazy stunts
Now my kid is only four years old
And when I tell him it will make him better
He says, "Have your people call my people,
And print it in the form of a letter"
And Mary Poppins lied to us all
When she told us what to do
"A spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down"
Well, that just simply isn't true
Categories:
tightens, funny
Form:
Rhyme
Blood surges through the deep gash in his armor
while the brave knight writhes in pain and cries in anguish.
The battle is over now and the knight drops hard to the ground
knowing that his life force is ebbing and his strength is waning.
With the battle finished the knight begins his final fight
with Death in his inevitable glory and result.
The knight’s blood now slows to a quiet trickle like blood tears
while key moments in his life flash before him lightening quick.
The knight finds his comfort in love of family and country;
this is a moment of solace as his body tightens in Death’s grip.
His blood now seeps into the ground itself and his breathing grows shallow,
and twilight moves to darkness in the knight’s final conscious thought.
The knight murmurs: fighting, war, and duty to my king have been my life,
but now I must take leave of this mortal coil.
With that Death takes the Knight’s mortal body and the hand of God carries
his heavenly soul to everlasting eternity.
Gary Bateman, Copyright © All Rights Reserved (September 9, 2014) (Distich or Unrhymed Couplet)
Categories:
tightens, change, conflict, courage, death,
Form:
Couplet
What is a dream
if not reality's conceit?
What is reality
if not a shadowy deceit?
The dream circle was unsealed
when we were born
and dream-time filled our lives
from night to early morn.
The circle grew ever wider
in our youthful days of yore
with unbounded dreams of glory
on some far distant shore.
But then the circle tightens
when our days near to a close.
Dreams replace ambitions
as one's mortal body slows.
So our dreams in poems we'll write
hence when we disappear,
we'll leave our mark in some small way
to show that we were here.
And in some far off time we hope
someone will read our verse
and a dream that was a part of us
will shake the universe.
Categories:
tightens, philosophy, universe,
Form:
Couplet
Hints not taken from countless missed calls,
and no replies to tons of texts.
Still she searches through social media clues,
pursuing like a hunter,
pondering why his green light illuminates.
Investigating google's archives,
she claims to be his number one fan.
She knows the clothes he wears
and the places where he eats.
Downloading images does not crave her fascination.
She follows him like the moon.
Lurking..
Standing at corners, hidden in alleys.
Her binocular eyes preying on him.
He can feel her watching silently.
Hear her obsessive deep breaths,
ensuing his every step.
The sight of her eerie image
is like a million beetles,
crawling under his skin,
driving him insane - controlling his mind.
Her nauseating voice leads to nervous sensations
with outbreaks of panicky perspiration.
His stomach tightens and heart beats violently.
His eyes glare in shock, his body seems frozen.
and all she can say is;
" I do it because I love you!"
Silent One
Simple Musing
7 November 2017
Just a quick example for the 'stalker' contest
Categories:
tightens, abuse, angst,
Form:
Prose
Apprehensive and panic-stricken
I practice assuming the crash position .
While a “ fasten seatbelt” sign flashes
like a beacon, foretelling our demise,
cool beads of sweat form on my forehead.
A paralyzing anxiety washes over me.
My knuckles are chalk white as
my hands grip the armrests.
I try to swallow but my throat is dry as dust.
I frantically push the bell to summon an attendant.
I need water…..anything!
She appears looking concerned
and I’m impressed how calm she remains
in such a dire situation.
My knees tremble as I once again
examine my seat, ready,
should I need it as a flotation device.
Feeling uncontrollably trapped,
my chest tightens, my lungs scream for oxygen.
Suddenly the plane lurches, the engines roar,
then silence.
Oblivious to those around me,
terror has me tight in her grasp.
A pounding headache
tortures my disconnected thoughts.
A sudden wave of imminent diaster engulfs me.
Assuming the worst,
I close my eyes and pray for a miracle.
In response, comes the ominous announcement,
"Ladies and gentlemen,
we will be taxiing to the runway momentarily,
we apologize for the delay.’’
Categories:
tightens, angst, fear,
Form:
Free verse
Rite Of Passage
*
My Walk to Remember
My father takes my hand,
tucks it in the crook of his arm
and smiles at me as we walk through
the old pasture that has been transformed
into an outdoor chapel
Tears roll down his face
with each paced step we take,
towards the alter, the pastor
And the hopeful face of my
of my husband to be
His grip tightens on my hand
as the congregation stands
and all eyes turn towards our progression
as the clouds give way to the
warming April sun.
I recall the pungent, smoky scent of
the tanned buckskins we wore,
see the blue cone of the tepee with
lodge poles reaching towards the pale blue sky
the red and white bunting my sister
so carefully wrapped around the fence posts
My Beloved’s eyes shining with
promise, hope and love
and the Indian flute music that
drifted on the tangy spring air
marking my rite of passage from
Daughter to Wife.
Categories:
tightens, love, weddingblue,
Form:
Free verse
Lying in the emerald grass,
I gaze upon you,
transfixed in the moment, your beauty astounding.
I watch you breathe as my finger tips slowly trace
ribbons through the cerise highlights in your long saffron hair.
Gently I caress the contours of your closed eyes, then your cheeks.
Your lips curl in a subtle smile as I, oh so slowly, follow the curve of your neck
down the valley of your soft skin to your low cut tangerine dress.
With each lilac button that I release it falls away revealing your smooth ivory skin.
You gasp gently when a cool breeze tickles you and I watch in enraptured desire
as your bistre peaks rise firm above your bosom.
With the touch of a feather my fingers draw circles and figure eights around your navel.
Your body tenses, as goose bumps cover your skin, and your smile tightens.
I lean forward, your crimson lips beckoning.
The softness of your kiss presses against me and lingers for a long moment.
"I love you,"
I whisper and your beautiful eyes awake.
Titanium sparkles cast glitter in their deep sapphire pools and I fall,
lost forever,
into your bottomless loving abyss.
03/14/16
Categories:
tightens, desire, love, passion,
Form:
Romanticism
Furious scowls reveal marked displeasure
Void of joy, she pointed her finger
Muddling through a decayed existance
Cloaked in hostility she sputtered and hissed
While keeping her life clenched tight in a fist
The goddess of war reigns pained indignance
Afraid of losing control, she tightens her grip
Unable to unlock the secret of this spiritual disease
The angry spirit of menacing flesh has thrown away the key
KA 2003
Categories:
tightens, anger, war,
Form:
Rhyme
A thorn in a mothers heart,
When did this pain start?
With twists and moans as the baby parts,
Certainly where it gets its start.
Heart tightens to the thorn with vines,
Tiny thing will always be mine.
Sucking and feeding off every beat,
The little thorn must always eat.
Feeling comfort and wanting to stay,
The little thorn feels the vines pull away.
Growing and always wanting more,
The little thorn starts to find locked doors.
Looking deeply to find one ajar,
A door opens and takes the thorn far.
Journeying to discover what it is,
The thorn learns it can never be kissed.
Wondering why it is such a thing,
It starts to feel its little sting.
Red secretions pulse from the thorn,
This is the day it learns to mourn.
Categories:
tightens, childhood
Form:
Rhyme
RUNAWAY BRIDE
Down the ailse she walks
Bouquet in her hand smile on her face
To the alter where her love awaits
Her heart so pure and true
Her friends and family all in view
Her veil hides her face and tears
Her body hidden by the dress she wears
White the colour of purity
Pink the color of innocence
Her dark brown eyes clouded by promises
Thump thump her heart beats faster
Her grip tightens on the arm of her father
Every doubt shes ever had
Passes through her mind , so ugly so bad
Questions to which she doesn't have the answers
Her footsteps slow to a halt
Curious eyes look to her
Back and forth, bride and groom
The mistress there pretends to swoon
But she knows better the lies and laughter
Behind her back they all must chatter
She turns around and begins to run
As if someone there held a gun
Out the door her veil behind
Bouquet on the floor , her name being yelled
Oh what a tale, a tale to tell
Once upon a time a girl fell for a prince
No other man she fell for since
A real prince charming to her eyes
She was fooled from all the lies
Once upon a time a girl fell for a mister
But soon she found out
He loved her sister.
Categories:
tightens, heartbroken, sister, wedding, woman,
Form:
Free verse