Written: September 24, 2026
******
Moonlight falls on empty fields,
hunger keeps the children awake.
There is no rice left for supper,
only water warming on the stove.
Mother says she isn't hungry,
then gives the youngest her last bite.
Outside, the wind rattles the door,
and Father counts what little remains.
Tomorrow, he'll walk to the market,
though there's nothing left to sell.
Children sleep under one blanket,
dreaming of bowls to the brim.
Mother sits by the dwindling fire,
watching the darkness.
Leaves out of the fields,
and tomorrow may be nicer.
Malice of mine foes
Is a test 'gainst mine woes
For bloody bitterness,
With a bite of want and envy, may
Slight the sights to see the pitiful end of me
Even yonder beyond the dark and desolate sea
Fore'er beneath the eyes of mine enemies
I fear they may see how e'er much my fears
Rain O'hail and tear at my inner peace
I fear they may pick me apart
Before I can play the part they expect of me
As I turn away, no tears left to cry
We should’ve talked—I tried before goodbye
The love we laid to rest, now marked in chalk
Not all your fault, not mine—we both did our best
I keep what’s left locked deep inside
A place in me where you still hide
What can be said of the moments of life…
Hoarse voice , and the throat feels as if
someone is pressing it tightly like a crocodile’s grip.
Only the eyes remain open,like a river that has dried up,
yet still wishes to flow.
Nothing appears good to the eyes anymore.
Thy bite upon my mind, so playfully
With thine quick wit, e’en I dwell on silver,
Alas, I spill my lines delightfully,
For thee.
Wit begets wit, and thine tongue-stained purple,
For that tongue of thine – without mine ears,
Simply will dance and prance in circles,
But I know,
Thy joy in being heard lies in thy beauty,
If dull rhymes fail to convince thee of me,
Then I’ll die happy, dueling such a cutie,
Not delicate,
Yet still as soft as breath upon thy throat,
Challenging, aye, but a purposeful note.
I am a wolf
gaunt and feral from the cold
snapping at anything that dares draw near
My ember-heart still burns, rages, spits fury,
though the winter ice has stolen my strength
but the truth has teeth, too
I am fierce, a wild thing that cannot be caged
I am a forestfire, a disaster, a tsunami
I am the whisper of dread across your cheek
You can try to build your prison of pretty words and expectations around me
but I will tear it down
brick by brick
bloody fingertips forming bloody claws
as I release my wrath, howling vengeance to the stars
hungry and hurting I still am
but nature gave me fangs for a reason
Everyone wants a piece of me
They think it’s free
Bite after bite
They do it with spite
Biting to the bone
Never leaving me alone
Hour by hour they devour
I taste sour
They want to eat me whole
Swallow my soul
Bite after bite
They do it every night
Eating me alive
I try to survive
I'm no quitter
I taste bitter
.
i can feel mine mouth
full
puff'd out
throat werk'n
tuh git it
awe
down
mmm
banana pudding
az mine slidez south
hern
torso
(((chomp)))
i mean
smooch
I say “just one bite,” I swear I do
But somehow I keep going, what can I do
Every time food comes near, I give in
And suddenly I’m full again, where do I begin?
I try to be strong I really try
But food keeps finding me, I don’t know why
My fork won’t stop, my plate is a mess
Yet somehow I munch with full happiness
I tell myself later I’ll eat less
But somehow I always make a mess
It’s a tasty trap I can’t escape
I end up laughing with crumbs on me.
My stomach protests but I ignore the signs
Each bite convinces me it’s perfectly fine
I wobble, I giggle, I reach for one more
The snack-filled adventure I can’t ignore
This pant may not fit me tomorrow
But right now, who cares about sorrow?
I’ll deal with it later, it’s all okay
I’ll worry later, I’m feasting today.
Right now, it’s snacks that lead the way,
Who needs control when dessert’s on display?
I eat like it’s always a holiday,
So I lift my hands and shout, “Hooray!”
You heal me with Your delight
You led me to the mightiest light
I took my last breath and bite
I took what’s mine and made it alright
I’m sorry you’re moon doesn’t shine bright
Like my sunshine all through the night
Tonight, I took my last bite
I’ll eventually make it to the light
The final countdown of plight
Was such an incredible sight
I took flight like a bird tonight
Not everything is black and white
I often dream of you time and time again
I’ve been a sunbeam in your eyes Your pupils are a flick of a black-inked pen
I have seen the truth behind the lies
as I took my last bite, my last bite
Into your apple of avarice delight
I won a final
So many said you're lucky
And I said I'm ain't
I'm blessed
Not because I'm the most important
But because I put in the work.
I wrote a masterpiece
So many said you're talented
And I said I'm ain't
I'm gifted
Not because I'm perfect
I write with muse not overthinking.
I leveled up
Then they said you got pride
And I said I'm ain't
I only endowed my worth
So I set boundaries
I've never seen a snake bite from afar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First, a whisper~
then the gnawing.
Fingers forget their names,
breath hangs like stolen silver.
The wind wears its teeth,
chews through wool,
licks bare skin raw.
Even the sun shivers,
pale as a widow’s cheek.
Morning frost~
a thousand knives
left overnight
in the yard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yuletide bells chime~
frost-kissed air hums silver echoes,
a hymn spun in ice.
Deep beneath the muffled snow,
roots dream of resurrection.
More endless lies and platitudes.
There he goes again flapping his mouth.
I just bite my lip.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Life hangs in the balance
Hands frozen, Scales tippin
Whens the Last time We had fun?
Your hair smells Like fry oil
You lay on my stomach
Til we pass out
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.