Best Upend Poems
She has strong shoulders and hands,
able to bear any burden
carried by a man
She possesses a firm mind,
a steely resolve that bends
to no Y-chromosome kind
Yet she retains the heart of a woman
My woman is she,
her man is me
The heart of this woman
is the bravest heart
I've ever been blessed to see
She has sturdy hips and feet,
able to move mountains
of entrenched sexist disparity
She keens an unbreakable will
Mistaking her femininity as a weakness
will leave you always fighting her uphill
It's a battle you can't win,
because you already lost
before the conflict even began
She had you pegged right from the start,
a macho bully ... not very smart
Get you unfocused, upend your apple cart
Diminish your ego and you will meekly depart
Did I mention that my woman has the biggest heart
The heart of a woman like her,
can't be dominated by no man
She gives her heart to me freely,
just as I give mine with loving reciprocity
Yes, she has the heart of a woman unchained,
my warrior woman she will always remain
O tender soul, o innocence defiled,
What cruelties did your youth upend?
Tormented by she who should cherish her child,
Instead her addictions made her your fiend.
Those eyes that should have beamed with a mother's love,
Grew cold and contemptuous in the throes of her vice.
What horrors played out in that hellish dugout,
As her demons unleashed their malicious device?
Did her hands that were meant to soothe and caress,
Leave marks of unspeakable malice instead?
While her harsh words like knives did your spirit suppress,
Leaving your young mind battered and misled.
In that lair where you should have known only grace,
An unholy darkness descended to reign.
Fear and anguish contorting your sweet face,
As her sickness lashed out again and again.
O the trauma embedded, those indelible scars,
That no child should ever have etched on their soul.
Your safe haven perverted by terror's brutal chars,
Stripping security's blanket that should make one whole.
And when at last you were plucked from that pit,
From the hell that your childhood had tragically become,
Other arms tried to embrace and permit
The shattered pieces of you to be some.
But the ghost of those horrors still stalked in your mind,
Echoing torments that never were quieted.
The hyper-vigilance always lurking behind,
As the demons you fled, you could not outride.
For PTSD's insidious grip took its hold,
Replaying those memories of helplessness felt.
The night terrors and flashbacks forever retold,
Of the agonies your young being did pelt.
O you brave, resilient warrior of the soul,
Battered but never defeated by your youth's blight.
The traumas that tried to leave you a haunted, scarred toll,
Could never extinguish your infinite light.
For though she was meant to protect you
When pressed to take sides
to 'answer the question'
To choose is to cause to divide ...
The solution, of course
to no one upend
is to answer, 'I don't know
~ it depends'
The fair begins today
and I'm all set to play!
Just like a kid, I'll stay
to spend my fun-filled day!
So long since I last went
to this type of event.
Plain joy is my intent;
my perfect week, cement.
I go on all the rides...
glide down the water slides.
For sure, fun here resides;
much needed thrill provides.
But, joy comes to an end.
Car shifts in a downtrend,
and makes her twist, descend,
as her seat goes upend.
My day at this fun fair
leaves thoughts I cannot bear.
The Ferris wheel hits snare...
her loved ones...in despair.
The fair began today
but I'm back home to stay.
To pray...no longer play...
that she survives this day.
February 25, 2019
Contest: At A Fair
Sponsor: Julia Ward
Sponsor's Required Theme:
"In your poem, tell me about an unusual happening
at a fair, one that takes it out of a happy time
and makes it not only unexpected but sinister."
When true love’s gone and doom hangs over head
When life runs like a river to the sea
Then shall I take new lovers to my bed?
And with their carnal touch consoled be?
When my love lies,so breaks my tender heart.
When life seems grey and rocks bestrew my path.
Then, shall I my life of evil start?
And on the world shall I bestow my wrath?
When true love lies and wrecks all loyalty.
When puzzlement makes all my world seem mad.
Then I shall upend causality
And let myself do deeds which make me glad.
For I have love’s sweet child inside my soul
And I shall tend her till at last she’s whole
while figuratively hunting
and pecking around me noggin
force hum theme to write about
lo and behold, the solution
stared me right in front
of my little knob nub nose with gentle clout
cuz, as an avid bookworm, the dictionary,
I enjoy expending hours
to drink up etymological history
relating to the origin and
historical development of words
and their meanings.
with no shadow of a doubt
and most times, this animatronic,
the technique of making and operating
lifelike robots, typically for use
in film or other entertainment
dogmatic, enigmatic fugee dooby
brother beastie boy
(actually a mwm) dislikes to flout
his abilities, hobbies, interests,
as aches hike kant imagine being treated for gout
a disease in which defective metabolism
of uric acid causes arthritis, especially
in smaller bones of the feet, deposition
of chalkstones, and episodes of acute pain.
Boot lemme return full circle
to thematic core curriculum aye started to aim
and express gratitude
to the ghost of Noah Webster,
who gets credit yet also blame
if some snide haughty guttersnipe,
some slovenly individual feels snubbed,
and hence, living personage, said descendent(s)
of oblivion, whatever unknown
man or woman to living persons
stake a valid claim
that his/her many generations removed
heir (Harris), and or heiress ancestor (proven
with tangible researched reportage,
then cited with countless
prestigious explorers of English language),
that a daunting scrivener perhaps
even a courtesan or rich dame
rightfully ought to receive the fame,
thus such living relative might
upend the huck cult personality be game
to dare challenge secure historical niche
ambitiously held by Mark Roget (1779–1869),
British physician, natural theologian
and lexicographer. It was released
to the public on 29 April 1852.
The original edition had 15,000 words,
and each new matured edition
of the Thesaurus grew larger.
When true love's gone and doom hangs over head
When life runs like a river to the sea
Then shall I take new lovers to my bed.
And with their carnal touch consoled be?
When true loves lie and break my woman's heart.
When life seems grey and rocks bestrew my path.
Then, shall I my life of evil start
And on the world shall I bestow my wrath?
When true loves lie and wreck all loyalty.
When puzzlement makes all the world seem mad.
Then I shall upend causality
And let myself do deeds which make me glad.
For I have love's sweet child inside my soul
And I shall tend her till at last she's whole
More Potential Limericks
Effective, live, give
Related, created, dated
Contemplated, illustrated, annotated
Realize, chastise, surmise
Talented, Sainted, painted, fainted
Proportion, distortion, contortion
Humongous, among us, fungus
Incantation, contemplation, situation
Intend, extend, suspend, upend
Support, escort, retort
Harmonic, Teutonic, tonic, bubonic
Criticize, realize, surprise
Limerick, pick, edict
Tutor, suitor, refute her, recruiter
Traitor, educator, date her
Weigh a ton, around had spun, start to shun, she's the one
Order was out, without a doubt, starting to shout
Debilitated, rehabilitated, rotated, rated
A mattering, started scattering, broke and shattering
Choke, broke, spoke, yoke
Table, enable, fable
Hostile for a while, quite a gal, would beguile, could compile
Seduce, reduce, produce
Abuse, excuse, obtuse, what's the use
Wangle, angle, dangle, wrangle
Worrisome thought, Lincoln was shot, outside is hot
In between was caught, hit the spot, ended with dot, within earshot
Now go for it. Jim Horn
I WISH I WEREN’T A TURTLE
by
JOHN M. ARRIBAS
I wish I weren’t a turtle, I’d rather be a hare
I beat him every time, but no one seems to care
I carry this armor plate every where I go
Designs on them are worthless, its just for show
But I’m just a plain ole turtle, not a clever terrapin
I stay distant from the water cause, folks, I can’t swim
I stick to terra firma where my claws get a good grab
I wish I could propel sideways, like my ole pal the crab
I might be slow and some say totally pragmatic
If I get to my destination, I am completely ecstatic
I’ve got some kin; that are never ever outsmarted
Go far out to sea then return to where they started
You may have heard of them, Loggerhead, Leatherback
Hawksbill, Green. They are mariners seldom seen
And for those of you that don’t know didley
Let me introduce you to the Olive Ridley
They cruise at will through the seven seas
While I stumble constantly into forest debris
As you can see my family members travel far
Yet, I’m lucky crossing the street, avoiding a car
And I have a plethora of enemies as well
I’d have been eaten long ago, if not for this shell
I’m most vulnerable during the mating season
Rivals try to upend me to claim the warm one
So that’s how it goes, each day is the previous
Winter will soon be here, I’ve got to get serious
I’ll comb the swampy areas for some real soft mud
I’ll bury myself and hope spring won’t bring a flood
I’ll shut down all my systems, I won’t even breathe
Til the sun the warms me, I’ll constantly utter a prayer
That when I awake I’ve been transformed into a hare
Humbuggery
Hands awaken! Speak out! Answer to sacred shouts,
subterranean whispering, to stars above rooftops—
thread sunlit branches with the chattering of a thousand leaves.
If fluxes and urgencies of confusion or death
should drawn you into your self-box, I say,
remember when one constructed self-prison fell away.
However you helped this forward,
do more of the same.
Be rain-hands, weeping, steeped in earth fragrance.
Be fingers in blossom, faces turning upward,
loves innumerable, rough-cut bedazzled—
unafraid to be splayed open.
Be pocketed hands, released to the welcoming wind—
multiplying there in mid-air,
riding the four directions.
Be hands of smoke and fire, descending and ascending like ragged bird-song—
effulgent, double-charged with surprise
and now even with mock surprises.
Start at the beginning, where you are.
Don’t be satiate with loll-lolling
recede wave’s tide, retreat back and back
into yourselves, until grown utterly intellectual and lumpish!
Now, you Human Being—you come awake also!
Sweep the furnishings from table. Upend the table lawlessly.
Bring the muscular, fleshy, feminine against the masculine and muscular.
Bring the masculine to the feminine. Bring friend to enemy,
estranged neighbor to the confidant. In a dance of pressing hands,
let subtle conversation play.
Ring all the tiny bells.
Stir the King and Queen of Remembrance.
In over-arching restraint, holding back one iota, so pure notes sound—
bring sunburst, sphere and harmony.
Make your entire body a listening board
forming therein—tender shape around which love
seed unfolds infinite spaces and then…
Spring awake! All to better dreaming
where hope and faith are undashed, not this dying.
O, hear me now! Hands, every which one of you,
with every human—never again sleep,
never abandon!
DEMONS
by
JOHN M. ARRIBAS
There are scenes we encounter on a daily basis
Worn out shoes, dirty clothes and unshaven faces
A man unwashed and dirty, acting erratic
Joined by a likewise, both living nomadic
They’ve just emerged from across the street
Searching dumpsters for things to sell or eat
Soon they are joined by a woman in rags
Pushing a cart filled with dozens of bags
They act robotic all wearing a blind stare
They don’t see you, to them you’re not there
Everyone has demons deep with in their soul
That remain patiently dormant, awaiting a call
Then emerge insidiously, when you’re on trial
You can face your weakness or go into denial
It may not be easy for others to comprehend
They’ve not met the demons they’ll need to upend
Dismiss rash judgements they’re usually unsound
Erroneous labels can only confuse and confound
Their demons may come from another time
An endless penalty for an unpunished crime
You may labor forever attempting to undo
A merciless curse that was cast upon you
You are not alone there are others as well
Each days existence is a nightmare in hell
No one cares, each day is framed in gloom
Restitution is needed but where and to whom
Maybe in Nam where the duty was to kill
Or in a hospital where the baby was still
Are these humans insane or are they possessed
That is the answer that must be addressed
Demons(2)
There are too many to brush them aside
We need solutions to say, we’ ve really tried
These tortured souls need our recognition
To help them get sanity with no precondition
Don’t lock them up, don’t put them in jail
That type of remedy is destined to fail
So we clean them up, give them food to eat
Check them out, dump them back on the street
Trauma or heartache is the reason for some
To cede their resistance and slowly succumb
They’ve insulated themselves from the daily grind
Acting like vagabonds is the only peace they can find
Don’t be to quick to condemn them as waste
There are still obstacles we all have to face
There once was a fellow considered a mensch
Last time I saw him , sprawled out on a bench
It was love at first sight
Thought of you every night
Can’t stop thinking of you
What am I gonna do?
Blinding love at first sight
It was love at first sight
me feeling high as a kite
Ah, but this too shall pass
searching for greener grass
Crazy love at first sight
(Chorus)
Head over heels into the unknown
Doomed to fail before true love’s seed sown
Loss of control by true love’s presidium
Love’s cliché coup (surrounded by idioms)
~ Blinding, crazy love at first sight
It was love at first sight
but not all black and white
If I throw caution to wind
will my life then upend?
Stormy love at first sight
It was love at first sight
Why am I so uptight?
Will i be lumped with fools,
An exception to rules?
Scary love at first sight
(Chorus)
Head over heels into the unknown
Doomed to fail before true love’s seed sown
Loss of control by true love’s presidium
Love's cliché coup (surrounded by idioms)
~ Stormy, scary love at first sight
It was love at first sight
Dizzying passage of rite
Love is blind at what cost?
Best to have loved then lost?
All’s fair in love at first sight
It was love at first sight
Can two wrongs make a right?
One plus one’s never two
when one’s heart isn’t true
Fickle love at first sight
(Chorus)
Head over heels into the unknown
Doomed to fail before true love’s seed sown
Loss of control by true love’s presidium
Love's cliché coup (surrounded by idioms)
~ All‘s fair in fickle love at first sight
Potential I Presume More Limericks
Big and tremendous come to mind.
Tremendous, stupendous, upend us.
Gargantuan, passion, trashing.
Immensive, aggressive, sensitive.
Ultimate Utmost, out grossed, horrible host.
Pittance, sentence, repentance.
In effect essential, provocative, potential, quite intentional.
Necessity, complexity, anxiety.
Court Municipal, Peter Principle, always apprehensible.
Concerting, blurting, hurting.
Infinitesimal, decimal, inexcusable.
Horribly huge, difficult deluge, shady subterfuge.
Passion, mansion, ration.
Explanation, creation, prevarication.
Expedient, concillient, what he meant
Congenial, menial, essential.
Validate, marinate, create. (For you cooks out there.)
Ballad, salad, valid.
Repudiated, humiliated, regimented.
Surgical, liturgical, hysterical, historical.
Urgence of resurgence of common sense.
To endure, become obscure for sure.
As of late would be great if they negotiate.
Kept at bay until miles away so Standish did say.
Had to humiliate to rehabilitate then consummate.
Were reassured could have occurred if enough endured.
My patience was tried then cried and cried after he had lied and lied so Bonny could be bona fide.
What part of the ocean had Bonnie been laid over at anyway? It must have been some perfect excuse
to go on a cruise and of course if you snooze will definitely loose.
Love could have occurred after I was assured no more lying will be endured.
If totally transparent, it could be inherent was apparent both were probably a potential parent.
What to we did allude, the became unglued in the middle of a family feud.
Embarrassed we became when he was up to his old game of seeking more fortune and fame.
Guess who and am sure you knew when bailed out the whole crew.
Patiently particular, was a homicide which was vehicular deduced by a diverticular.
Beside the sea with idea would wrestle should nestle under a trestle out of rain to wait for next vessel.
On Trump it finally dawned, if he would wave his magical want another witch would respond.
Instead of Grinch he would be the Witch Who Stole Christmas among other things.
Jim Horn
When death, like silence
Creeps into or sleepy lives
We feel the moorings untie
The threads that tangle our lives
We feel the currents of emotion upend our hearts
Images of both good and bad rage like storms in our souls
We are blown and buffeted in the currents
We flounder in emotional waves
Till that last thread of reality snaps
We are blown in the wrath
Of emotions, memories blurred imagery
That death opens holes in our small little souls
We search for reasons and meaning to why and what for…
We see the sliver flare n flicker in each fuzzy moment
We do our best to remember and attest
To the moments lost in time
We fight to hold the sliver outlines, as they fade fast
We collect them together
To patch that ever growing hole in our waning souls
To cover the loss n shore up our failing memories
We fill it with emotions and imagery
Of our time spent with the ones we love
As a little death takes them from our silent lives
The ones we love, the ones we idolize
We feel the unmooring of all that binds
Like boats casts into the tempest, watching for the lighthouse; sweep
Our life comes undone as we flounder
In the wrath of the storm
A storm of memories and feelings of our lives
Images of our loved ones lost to the grave
We hold on to those memories, feelings, and imagery
Catching all that silver outlines as memories fade
And fill the voids in our lost lives
The feelings aglow in the ruins of time
As we can only watch our histories fade
Catching only the silver outlines that remain
that carves out a space of measured boundaries
that's given shape by force of will
that makes one smaller in walled existence
to think outside the box
to forge a different understanding
to upend expectations
to act on words that burn with fire
trail blazers
like seniors lapsing marathons
what's blocking the exit?
a box of familiarity that isn't freedom
when shadows stand in for substance
a lethargy of vision
where no fresh colors flash their sheen
what can be wrenched apart?
the box that traps us in seclusion
to re-imagine music
to elevate like choosing
Poem written April 30, 2023