I wore my sins like velvet lace,
Then set your garden all ablaze.
I never once said I was kind--
I only promised not to mind.
The chandelier you loved? It fell.
I laughed and called it “doing well.”
Your rules were quaint, but far too tight--
I loosened them with fire and bite.
Abandon all grace here, my dear--
The wine is sharp, the end is near.
The guests are ghosts, the cake’s a knife--
Let’s toast to your once-perfect life.
I dance in boots of shattered glass,
My lipstick’s poison, bold as brass.
The night is young, the mess is mine--
Now smile, love. You’re doing fine.
Come to me on rainy days,
with rainbows in your hair.
Come to me in many ways,
in weather foul or fair.
Come to me in Broadway lights
and strut upon your stage.
Come to me in big sound bites,
let words run off the page.
Come to me on windy days,
when banshees howl and scream.
Come to me in silent ways,
like the whisper of a dream.
Come to me when least expected,
when my need is keenly felt.
Come to me when I'm dejected,
when the cards are badly dealt.
Come to me as bold as brass,
let me see your strumpet.
Come to me kicking ass
and blowing your own trumpet.
Come to me in the still, small hour,
when I am full of doubt.
Cool me like an April shower,
wash my demons out.
Come to me when all seems lost,
like a barque on a cruel sea,
helpless, adrift, rudderless and tossed.
For God's sake, come to me.
Mirror, mirror from the wall to online
vanity declares, pick a piece of mine.
Respond, rewrite, re-integrate the theme;
This contest prompt is becoming a meme.
Culture shifts slowly; one stanza at a time.
Apprentices with reason and rhyme
compose on the edge of vulgar and crass
pieces that are cheeky and bold as brass.
Later as veterans they make their mark -
courtesy melts; poetry becomes stark.
From where I hover, I can see
pink, white and yellow in the grass
A lily dear enticing me
exhaling perfume as I pass
Her dainty face a weather-glass--
Then humming low sings from my soul
as I alight as bold as brass
and steal sweet morsels from her bowl.
Krummes Holz gibt auch gerades Feuer
Crooked logs make straight fires [Work with what you have.]
Downcast eyes scan; the larger fear’s in deeds.
Germany thrives on the allied dollar
having culled the herd; they bank euro collared.
I, remnant of the tribe of David, take heed.
Full, again, of pride, the German strides
bold as brass across the pristine Alpine
scene, offering migrant shelter in line
with its own future needs as need coincides.
Who will be the tinder, the next confined
and the fly to the spider’s gruesome tale.
Prominence ignites dominance, the grail
binds with the golden eagle enshrined; it blinds,
yet, how few the choices, the wretched wail;
the tempted homeless yearn within the gale.
Published by Page & Spine 2016
These Are Mountains
Trying, failing,
second best,
In front, behind,
betwixt, beyond
The also-rans
and hard pressed,
Are destinations
of which I'm fond.
In love, out of love,
left behind
Somewhere, nowhere
and inbetween,
Where pity mongers
and unkind
Crowd the places
I have been.
Happy, sad,
ambivalent,
Up, down,
on level ground,
Incommunicado
and vigilant
Are the hideaways
I have found.
Reaching high,
laying low,
A puppeteer
with costume torn,
Bold as brass
and incognito
Are all the faces
I have worn.
Doubting feelings,
holding back,
Weeping, laughing,
feeling sorry,
Black is white
and white is black
This is my fate
my life, a folly.
Peace, happiness
and finding love,
Seeking, keeping
and embracing time
To escape the gloom,
to rise above,
But these are mountains
too high to climb.
© RJVHorton2015
Skedaddle
Sneakily
incognito
Tip-toe
to her chamber door,
Whereupon
it was ajar,
Never ajar
was it before.
Cloak and dagger
I did intrude
Across her
chamber floor,
Thereupon
she was asleep,
Never asleep
was she before.
Bold as brass
I did inquire
If I could see
of her more,
Albeit
I was a murderer
Never a murderer
was I before.
Fearfully startled
witless rose
To find me
at the door,
Thereupon
I turned the key
Never a key
I had before.
Laid to rest
upon her breast
A dagger
she could not ignore,
There I plunged
it deep,
Never so deep
was it plunged before.
Bereft of breath
she laid there,
The wife,
the mother,
the whore,
Whereupon
I did skedaddle,
Never skedaddled
had I done before.
Sneakily
incognito
I fled
to a foreign shore
Thereupon
to live a life
Never a life
I had before.
Soldiers many
with manacles
Came a knocking
on my door,
To the gallows
where I hanged,
Never hanged
was I before.
In the fires
of damnation
Where my wife
there I saw
Whereupon
I loved her,
Never loved her
had I before.
© RJVHorton2014
All I want for Christmas is some false teeth
Last set were taken by a dirty stinkin' thief
Came into my bedroom, twas bold as brass
Were soaking overnight in a dirty old glass
Old false teeth had been with me for quite a while
When thief took them he also took away my smile
Now I mumble a lot and keep my mouth closed
Why did they take my teeth? Lord only knows
Santa, I would not be able to eat my Christmas dinner
Since my teeth were stolen, just keep on getting thinner
Personally believe the thief must be simply a bit of a twit
Did he really think that my false teeth, would actually fit
Reminds me of my Grandma, who was frequently quite uncanny
Sat on a chair, false teeth were there and bit herself on the fanny
All jokes aside Santa, to me it would really be such a relief
If you were to put in my stocking, a new pair of false teeth
Showing off and having my photo taken is not really my style
But if you bought some teeth I'd take a selfie, with my new smile
Please dear Santa, it would have me feeling like a lotto winner
Being able to sit with friends again and eat my Chrissy dinner
The Crow
by Frank Halliwell..
He's cursed by men from sea to sea,
He's hunted and exiled.
He's hated by most everyone,
And everywhere, reviled.
His morals are not those of men,
Nor will our wishes change him,
He's bold as brass! - He's black as night!
He's just as his god made him.
***
On a mountain pass
A passing ass
Ate some grass
Causing gas
As bold as brass
The riding lass
Told the flatulent ass
You have no class
This is intended to be monorhyme, where I live all the ending words have hard 'a' as in gas
of course if you are in the south of the UK this won't work at all because of your sissy
soft 'ah's :)
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