Best Unprepared Poems
destined for stardom
I appear on local news
rollers in my hair
bread of idleness,
sweet wine of busy-bodies
for companionship
awhile, but what have I done?
--a stray dog roams the city
At dawn a ********** crowed aloud
The man and women all alike
Woke to the noise and set to pray
Beside the stump, they all did kneel
Pouring libations to their gods
At morn the day was bright to chat
The men and youth all did gather
Talking, laughing really loudly
Calabash filled with raffia wine
Gulping on still, they all lay drunk
At noon they all were still gathered
Around the bushes came great noise
The noise they know to be of war
Topsy–turvy the town did run
Lifeless, they all now lay slaughtered
At dusk there came a dead silence
Calabash broken and wine splashed
The happy noisy town, now gone
The houses now left desolate
Just the cock stood, that broke the day
Even when our fathers were not there
They penned the edicts on their behalf
And decreed how the people should live
So, like sheep we followed their lead
Hoping for fields of lush pasture
Full of dreams where honey drips
Noble lies told on the eve of liberation
From the strangers’ imperialism did not last
We, the people, were unprepared for
The freedom obtained without sword
Though children waved flags with smiles
And the bards sang songs of redemption
Deep within, we were not prepared
Unlike the neighbours whose blood was shed
In the quest to fend off manacles
We scrambled for the remnants
Left behind by the sojourners
And never learnt how to cook the broth
The statute was blemished from the beginning
Doling out unequal laws to the people
Ascribing to each tribe its own destiny
Though we never cease to journey
Ours has been that of cyclical progress
From where the stranger left us
Because we were unprepared
Though ingredients rut in the storehouse
Weary hearts roam the streets united in hunger
But their anger is not fiery enough to melt
The adhesive that binds together
Inheritors of the power
We are tired of the untruths that themselves
Have reached the age of retirement
But we are unprepared to chart that path
untended urgency
unequipped for service
ungirded for battle
utterly regretful
unattainable prize
unretrievable loss
unquenchable laments
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?
James 2:3 KJV
4-30-2021
Plieades U Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Kim Merryman
So many pages of scribbled rhymes
So many books I've read
Encased by my costume of indifference
While inside I hang by a thread
None of my teachers have prepared me for this
Yet no textbook could help me now
Each of my rhymes that fancied love
Showed no trace of the when or the how
i don't know what it is but this is not it
I cannot lie to myself or to him
Yet I can't end it all- I care for him so much!
But I don't see how both of us can win
So my choice is simple, it has been made
He is much more fragile than I
I'll let him die out of his feelings for me
I guarantee not much time will pass by
'Cause I'm not that great, not physically
I'm fat, I'm short and much more
But maybe that's what he sees in me?
He keeps going while others stop at the door
And in all these pages of scribbled rhymes
I never would've guessed it all
In all these fantasies I've engrossed myself in
Compared to reality, my imagination runs small
The battle I faced during that time was a nightmare
I was surrounded by people who did not even care.
Room to room I went, felt like the walls were closing in on me
So mute by the darkness, trying to find my way but unable to see.
Be strong, stay encouraged and don't give up they said
They weren't in my shoes so they didn't understand the thoughts that went through my head.
So many nights I cried and prayed this was all a dream
I realized that people and things are not always what they seem.
I held on and kept my faith knowing things would eventually get better
Yet, all I was looking for was safety and shelter.
I promised myself that I will never ever be in that position again
I won't forget the treatment I received from so called family and friends.
Here you are on the verge
Of your very first road trip
All grown up
Ready to set the world on fire
So much excitement
Running through your veins
Ready to discover a whole new world
Even when it rains
There’s no need to wish you luck
Look at the person you’ve become
There’s no doubt
You’re ready to leave home
Make the world your own
Look at me with so much pride
So much evidence in who you are
That I’ve raised you well
How you became who you are
Living with a fool like me
Only proves
There is a God
There’s no doubt that you’re prepared
To face whatever life throws your way
As I’m left standing here
Savoring one last kiss and hug
Watching you drive away
I suddenly realize
In my haste to prepare you well
There’s one thing I forgot
One thing I left so unprepared
That has no idea what to do
Watching as you drive off
To a brand new life…
Me
We all saw him seize his mum’s shoulder
And smile but in his heart a boulder
I knew you didn’t catch the second;
I happen to have a mind fecund.
What my eyes snatched was a masquerade:
A face vandal might want for a raid
But this he’s not acting on purpose;
Just not here to hear what lips propose:
Mark is a heir planning Dad’s funeral
While, for now, no crate of mineral:
One thousand guests who cherish cold beer;
Why would normal eyes not announce fear?
Yes, not about ideas voicing
Nor over man’s cash gifts rejoicing,
Your hand, too, should ransack the pockets
And watch Mark’s eyes pop out of sockets!
I'm using liquor to fight off my demons,
so much that I'm pissing blood
The only thing that was worth believing,
has snuffed the light out of love
Consequently you are blaming someone,
cause you can't live up to their expectations
Hello, goodbye now unfettered, I'm dreading future complication
Tipping the bottle to get the last sip,
I've already lost the battle
The war was long and the drink crisp,
Now my thoughts are led like cattle
As my decaying sanity unravels
I prepare for future encounters, but each and every preparation I make she measures each and makes every counter
I thought that I was unprepared
In case the day got colder.
I should have brought a sweater
I could toss across my shoulder.
I wasn't sure I'd brought enough
To read to be fulfilling
In case some plans fell through and there
Was time that needed killing.
I thought I might get hungry
And forgot to bring a snack,
Though once I'd had that thought, it was
Too late for turning back.
It turned out I was warm enough,
Not hungry and not bored,
So luck was on my side,
A most mysterious reward.
For though the Girl Scouts tell us
We should always be prepared,
Without such luck we never know
Just how we might have fared.
I'm unprepared
Mental scared
Of what might take over
I get up down on knees and pray
Is this the end I say
The walls are shaking all me
I'm trying to keep my faith