Poet's Note
Dr. Abdus Salam (1926-1996) was born in Jhang, Pakistan. He became the *first Pakistani and first Muslim to win the Nobel Prize in Science* in 1979. With hope and resilience, he showed the world that greatness can rise from humble beginnings.
Bite Size Contest no 151
Theme*: Hope & Resilience
Chalkboard Dream
Abdus Salam dreamed on a chalkboard
Dust and cracked shoes reached the sky
Storms of doubt, no hand to guide
Still he earned Nobel pride
For Pakistan, for Muslim light
Hope and resilience never die
-
again
alleviated as always
I am rearing her
my talon from a griffin
(Weekly Magnetic Poetry Challenge • July 6–12, 2026)
again
alleviated as always
I am rearing her
my talon from a griffin
(Weekly Magnetic Poetry Challenge • July 6–12, 2026)
One doesn’t stand on the Bongo
With roller affixed to the floor,
But sway as a reed in the wind
Or risk finding oneself thrown o’er.
A lesson from this childhood game:
Our center is found only with change.
The path to an equilib life
Is balancing our yin and our yang.
Come now and agree, we love a big platter
Heaps of yummy food, causing much chatter.
Arrangements appealing the keys to success
Remember, fill small bowls so there is no mess.
Cheeses, sharp cheddar, some goat, brie and blue
Using variety, is what you must do.
Top up any gaps with dried fruits, nuts and treats
Ensure to have grapes and berries so sweet.
Remember the spreads, hummus dip and tzatziki
Everyone loves crackers, crunchy and crispy,
Bread sticks around edges. will make it look right
Olives, all colours, the palate’s delight.
Add meats that are salty, savoury and spicey
Roast pork, some prosciutto, and please add salami.
Don’t forget, pop the cork, raise a glass, to the hostie!
life is a board-game.
start beginner's luck then plans.
ends a boring game.
A New Start
A ship, well-crafted, needs a careful chart.
On the vast sea of life, the vessel starts.
First, fuel her boiler with a steady hand,
Wholesome provisions from a fertile land.
To keep her engine strong, her pistons bright,
She needs the labor of the day and night.
A constant flow of cool, clear, flowing streams,
To purge the lines and feed her waking dreams.
Unfurl the sails to catch the solar rays,
A guiding beacon for the journey’s way.
Let moderation steer, not rush nor creep,
Through quiet channels of the tranquil deep.
Draw deep the breath of pure, unfettered air,
A silent gift, a strength beyond compare.
At anchor, find the calm when tempests cease,
And trust the Pilot brings the port of peace.
While some are content
to go with the flow
others are compelled to speed up
and overtake wherever they go
perhaps it's a challenge
to the aforementioned latter
altho' not a contest
something's the matter
as how much earlier
do they think they'll arrive
by constantly changing lanes
whenever they drive
or do they feel a need for their car
to be ahead of the pack
rather than stay in their place
at the traffic's far back
whomever they are
something's wrong in the head
for with such mad driving
the sooner they'll end up dead
Each gamepiece knows its role
Back and forth and so it goes
~ eventually the board goes stale
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
I saw my small sister, Sofia ,on a see-saw, she wore a wonderful white waist wrap, Her partner Pedro pushed his powerful paws upon the ground , lifted the board up and up , But she bumped the broad board down below, And the pair performed the play in the park .
Tivano Cutting Board Built-in juice grooves channel liquids away, helping maintain a dry, clean workspace.
Her first time on a board,
was February 1922,
at Muizenberg Beach, South Africa,
then again, in August too,
the lady surfed Honolulu,
Hawaii, where,
by Duke Kahanamoku,
there she may have been taught,
and in Waikiki lost her shorts.
Who would have thought,
of all the girls
in the whole wide world,
she was the sort to shoot the curl.
Tho' a novel way to spend the day,
no crime this time, yet still a mystery,
was the surfing passion of Agatha Christie.
Job Description Board of the Middle East
The Sniper - not Palestinian
The Bomber - not Palestinian
The Thief - not Palestinian
The Terrorist - not Palestinian
The Child Killer - not Palestinian
The Burner of Tents - not Palestinian
The Group that blows up Hospitals - not Palestinian
The Rapist - not Palestinian
The Blocker of Humanitarian Aid - not Palestinian
The Exploding Pager Man - not Palestinian
Plant Bombs in Toys Job - not Palestinian
Booby Trap food on the starving - not Palestinian
Deprive Water to the Starving Job - not Palestinian
Genocide Promoter - not Palestinian
Financier of Genocide - not Palestinian
Propagandist for defending burning Babies - not Palestinian
Killer of Journalists - not Palestinian
Using Ambulances to murder civilians - not Palestinian
However all these positions are open
apply in Israel
they need more persons with zero morals
death is their only currency
Chess Ahoy!
Upon an ivory-blue
ocean, oil pastel paints
the canvas
aboard the deck floats, buoyed
surfing foamy shores
a blurred realism
hoarding its cargo—
cobalt sea glass
squares in place,
chiseled chess pieces
ride the tide
ebbing and flowing
Sent are your gallant knights
lowly pawns
the King decrees—
God save the Queen!
On board
in corners of my mind
forfeit never, it’s
c a
s
t l
e
i n
g
sacrifices for queen's gambit
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