Best Unsure Poems
Grim fog, I praise the shelter of your drear,
the sundown ghost morose not grandiose,
I walk alone - but, no -- with my despair;
a bittern bids a bitter adiós.
The breakers so in agony they gnash
and gnaw the strand with thrash of foamy green,
the tempest witch brings ironfisted lash
alas, the eye-of-storm epiphany unseen.
Free, free! The tern who flies in Gemini
above beloved peak and shore and wave,
sun-painted wings, away you went -- so spry,
so fierce! Bluebird pierced and buried in your grave,
..and the stars understand; a fateful fall into the sea --
Damn the deep! It’s jostle docile.. my scream to meet the scree!
Susan Ashley
June 29, 2021
~ Fourth Place ~
Premiere Contest: 2022 Poetry Marathon Mille 11
Sponsor: Mark Toney
~ First Place ~
Premiere Contest: Contemporary Sonnet
Sponsor: Charlotte Puddifoot
*bittern: any of several tawny brown herons
*scree: an accumulation of weathered rock fragments at the foot of a cliff
*a Modern / Contemporary Sonnet is a poem of 14 lines addressing any theme of the poet's choosing. It does not need to adhere to any set rhyme scheme, syllable count or meter, nor does it need to include a volta. The only true requirement of a modern sonnet is that it consists of 14 lines*
Unsure
of when I look into your eyes
its me that you see
Unsure
of when I hold you in my arms
its me you want it to be
Unsure
of when I kiss your lips
its me you savor
Unsure
if in your heart
its me you favor
Unsure
if your touch
feels for another
Unsure
if your heart
desires others
Unsure
of why I love you
but just cannot stop
Unsure
if you love me
or if you love me not
Unsure
Unsure
Unsure
I heard a knock-knocking on the door.
It was my childhood self, visiting my adult life.
What had I achieved? it asked,
and where had I been?
Was pay equal yet? it wanted to know,
is heaven still a dream?
Heaven, it pondered, is it here on earth
in butterfly wings and melting snow?
It is spiralling in Dante’s nine circles, loved by Venus,
or simply in the cry of a new-born?
Heaven, it mused, is it above us in the air,
exploding in stardust, travelling like light to an eye?
Is it cradled between fingertips in a Vatican chapel,
or is it felt in pats on the back, any small success?
I looked at my childhood self,
unsure of this placed called Heaven.
Was it aflame inside a Jewish Menorah,
or walking in Jannah, a Muslim-named paradise?
Was it in beads of blood upon a crown of thorns,
or swaddled with first born sons chosen as a sacrifice?
So, with forefingers and thumbs I
made a rectangle with both hands.
“It’s in here”, I told my childhood self, “whatever
you see in this space from where you stand.”
Never follow, never lead
Feels like suffocation
Until I breathe
Some things as sweet, as a bitter pill
Regrets are common,
Or against your will
Does the heart cry
As the soul does rejoice
Are we involuntarily beings
Without a choice
Can we ever find comfort in failure
Or sorrow in success
Maybe go to the mountains
Write poetry to relieve stress...
Doughs in the oven sure they'll rise,
Muffins array a scene of decadence,
Will it be a sin not to indulge?
That however, I'm unsure of.
Squirrels with acorns sure they'll bury,
And drench them in honey like Chip and Dale,
Won't the lovely nuts turn stale?
That however, I am unsure of.
Cash or credit sure they'll ask,
For bills at the counter will not pass,
Will they instead accept coupons?
That however, I am unsure of.
Thin lips sure they'll be filled,
Not with kind words a face anew,
Kould this be a shade I just threw?
That however, I am unsure of.
Pick up the phone
You will not know until you call
Pick up the phone
She may not want to be alone
Dismiss any reasons to stall
Your smooth talking voice says it all
Pick up the phone
Randy Steele
Dr. Ram Mehta's Rondelet contest
These thoughts that I run from
These dreams of you
I reckon they won't rest
Without knowing you do too.
You do wonder 'what if'
And you'd kill to explore
Those roads we abandoned
Those 'could have been's unsure.
I admit being at fault
For despairs galore
I beg you to set me free
I can't take this anymore
Do you wonder 'what if'?
Would you kill to explore?
Those roads we abandoned
Those 'could have been's unsure?
Just take me with you
Let's just go back in time
Let's start from where we left..and
I wanna get it right this time...
Dancing butterflies, await
Optimism holds, nothing is secure
A nation pauses.
I said, Once upon a time
Not long down this winding line
started the story of you and me
How it ends i'm still waiting to see
We met just a mere few months ago
Wasn't long, time sure does seem slow
When you took my hand and kissed me that night
Held me close, until morning broke first light
Separated distance made you so rude
Turned me crazy and maybe a little crude
but you still have a way of making me smile
Even if its just for second or if it lasts a while
My head knows together we are no good
But heart doesn't believe it as well as it should
I always end up going back to you
Even though we together we are still through
I wonder if your eyes reflect what they portray
If your body talks to me or if it's all a play
Wondering if my feelings are sane
I'm afraid to open my heart
I know I'll only hurt again
For now, I just want to know if you're okay
I want to appreciate you from across the hall
Until we're sure enough that
The spark we felt that day was really true
On the fringes of shattered dreams,
illusion feigns normality.
And the echoes of silent screams
mute the voice of morality.
Dipping off the edge of despair;
cascading tears pool on the ground.
Yet, unrequited love doesn't care,
whether or not you stick around.
Passion's elation turns to grief,
as denial conceals the truth.
And your broken heart seeks relief
outside: the innocence of youth.
Reality begins to bend;
snagged on unrequited love's lure.
And wanting the nightmares to end:
you're feeling frightened and unsure.
Heads leaning side by side,
Little gestures, unexpected,
Are you sincere? I hope so as
For once I'm feeling so protected,
This is the first step towards
Falling in love again,
You'd have thought I would learn but
Peppered caresses soothe the pain,
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Do you know for sure? Are you shy like me?
They say time will tell, but I cannot trust what's changing,
Forever fleeting and carefree,
Lingering too long,
Touches like gentle jolts and starts,
Wrapping yourself around me
And tightening around my heart,
Eyes on the ground so I cannot make out
How you're feeling, so afraid,
Surely too perfect to be true,
Maybe it's all a sheer charade?
So tell me, show me where I stand,
Am I ready to fall when I'm only escaping?
Do I read too far into your smiles,
Or are they slowly my future shaping?
I look at the sea bright, blue and deep
A vast empty surface, like my heart, has secrets to keep
But lurking inside are thoughts that silently creep
Into the recesses of my soul and make me weep
The day is bright and vibrant, but I feel a void in me
There are people all around me, but why do I feel so lonely
My lips are smiling but my eyes are sad, they fail to see
That though the distances are large, your heart still beats for me
The day is still bright, then why does despair set into my heart
Why do I feel this pain, why does it tear me apart
Why can’t I believe that soon you will be close to me
Why do I have a gnawing doubt that you are retreating from me
The veil over my eyes has made the sun set for eternity
What will it take for me to get out and be free
How do I rid myself of my doubts and this cancerous uncertainty
When will I stop thinking that you are hiding your true self from me
I wonder at times if you got a raw deal in me
I wonder if you will feel repelled when you hold me
All I wish is for you to always be happy
And maybe once in a while, just think of me
Horn Latest Haiku
will feel uneasy
really unsure of myself
act not together
must be an answer
what happens next will wonder
did pray for awhile
God will tell me how
the right thing that i should do
to prepare the way
in God put my trust
sand a song and said a prayer
He made it happen
message had been there
am saved by God forever
what the Bible said
market did go down
God will cause things to rebound
give me peace of mind
You are pure but unsure
I believe you but don’t trust you
You are beautiful but not thoughtful
You used to be naive, but no more
Confusions are expressed
In your illusions and questions
Let me enjoy your illusions
They remind me of mine during my childhood
Let me think about your questions
They tell me who we are
Please keep your pureness
I will trust you, my honest boy
I wish your beauty stays in you
Don’t be naive but be thoughtful
You can ask me any questions
You can tell me any illusions
Let me enjoy everything you express