you
that glowing moonshine
parallel to your reflection
cheerless
but
antic
whispering : unofficially nineteen never
we chase perceptively astounding normalcy
(Weekly Magnetic Poetry Challenge • September 14–20, 2026)
always accommodate
been cheerless
imagine normalcy
simultaneously unretrievable
whispering repertoire
(Weekly Magnetic Poetry Challenge • September 14–20, 2026)
a cheerless chase is impracticable in twirlingly barometric whirligig whispering tunelessly into foaminess
(Weekly Magnetic Poetry Challenge • September 14–20, 2026)
CINQUAIN ALLITERATIVE
come,could cheerless cloister commercialize classic crescendo
I investigate..& . imagine ..impeccable impracticable imitation
magniloquently monolingually monotonous merchantman manure me ...my megalocephaly moldy moonshine meteorite
to, trepan typicality through trogonidae tunelessly twirlingly their tantrum
simultaneously situatesmoothedspoke, stairwa
Post journey of unfolding mystery,
Upon showcasing his epic’s grandeur,
Nolan, next to grand opus Odyssey,
One wonders, what legends would he conjure.
A long list of heroes comes to one’s mind:
Of Oedipus and cheerless Antigone,
Among Greek epic heroes are aligned,
But one stands tall to me, and one alone—
Ovid’s epic that gave us Narcissus,
Folks of all ages love, nod to his tale
Of self-indulging unique me-mine fuss,
More so today’s folks, both male and female.
And his message? Love thyself, warts and all,
Woo, serenade, wine and dine till ye fall.
______________________________
Tongue-in-cheek | 10.08.2026 | epic, love, odyssey, self, Sonnet
Note: Antigone here follows the anglicized spelling with three syllables, and not the Greek with four
I’ve seen no flowers feigning a false grin,
Nor birds that with a cheerless face e’er croon,
Nor trees that fret in vain loss of lush green,
Dolphins depressed, nor weary waning moon,
Reindeers devoid of all their self esteem,
Polar bears that cannot take it easy,
Wild cats worried on a fuzzy vague whim,
Laid-back they live easy as waves in sea,
In peace as they practise a lifelong Zen
Of ducks that meditate whilst swim at ease….
Alas, he whose mind’s puffed-up seems but man,
Never at peace, how so fair wafts the breeze.
Smug at the crest of Creation’s long chain,
Beware O man, head over heart’s thy bane.
__________________________ ______
Reflections | 03.04.2014, revised July 2026 | bliss, men, mind, moon, peace, Sonnet
Weighing for a thought, golden
Dropped by whom, this coinage
Into startled mind?
Access to realms approved. Flushed out
This cheerless from behind.
Love's; of a more rarefied
Gracefulness compelled by.
Now actualized. See!
Sweet, twas by whose hand, a fairy's
So lavished me I cry ?
It is National Happy Cat Month (September). Please consider adoption.
Cat: An incomparable companion that smoothes the bumpy road.
She looked at me with somber eyes
enchanting with her wily guise.
Hesitant love became her stance
as she wondered at her sole chance
by blinking lovely golden eyes.
Living life with abuse and lies
never knowing what love implies
cautiously observing askance,
she looked at me.
Asking only for warm allies
and love that her bearing belies
hopeful that this is no mischance
and she may enrich and enhance
my cheerless life with loving ties
she looked at me.
demise of my horses
I had been away for a few days
visiting an aunt in Cascais
on returning home
my three stone horses are gone
a cheerless hole where they
had been tethered
Widening the road, they said
for this beauty must go
the enlarged road can carry
more and more cars
until the enlarged road is
too small, they decide to
build a motorway
with toll booth
The other side of this new
the road will be impossible
to cross on foot
Neighbors often visited
becomes strangers
Sun or rain, spectacular
my horses were
before turning into grit
Once upon a dreary time
A boy set out to note a rhyme
Pen in hand with paper lined
Prepared he was to share his mind
But thoughts lay barren and confined
Without sense, reason, or rhyme
Suffered he did this weary time
Both his soul and cheerless mind
His eyes grew dark, his face grew lined
And tho he sought to redesign
Something, anything it need not be fine
But the words would not align
And in his room he did confine
To seek and pray for some sweet sign
For the intercession of the divine
To show, to prove verse sublime
But chaos reigned and nothing aligned
And so he collapsed under weight of his crime
Chained by shackles of his own design
Weeping tears by misery primed
The poet thus became the sad mime.
Bess’s expressions were grotesque
Most usually weirdly cheerless
She is under unusual duress
Her family is an utter mess
Bess is playing poker more or less
Her deadpan expression not needless
A stickler for rules more or less
My watercress-loving friend named Bess
Lord, I come to Thee with :
lachrymose eyes
sorrowful heart
an empty lap
a barren womb
babe-yearning hands
an open mind
a wounded soul
a silent cry
a longing core
heartfelt prayers
life void of joy
dejected mood
downcast spirit
cheerless feelings
blue emotions
Lord, help me overcome :
wipe Thou my tears
grant joyful heart
fill lap with love
open my womb
soon hold a child
mind full of joy
repair this soul
hear Thou my cry
give smiling core
answer prayers
renew laughter
uplift my mood
cheer my spirit
grant good feelings
colour my life
“We are all petals of imperfection sharing the same sun.”
- Silent One
No one is flawless,
So there’s no need to be cheerless,
Our petals may not align,
They’re still nature’s design.
We’re under the same sun,
Until we’re gone,
Until we become yesterday,
So let hope fill today.
Let love find a home in us,
As we embark on the dawn bus,
Today will bring light
when we walk out of yesterday’s night.
Look into the mirror of freedom,
Embrace the ornate celestial kingdom,
Imperfection is our bane,
Hope keeps our feet on the optimistic lane.
June 24, 2024.
Night was covered in pitch darkness.
Looked fearful without a ray of brightness.
Through wilderness, moved beasts monstrous.
Nature looked so terrifying and cheerless.
After a night’s sleep the sun woke up.
As a mighty king he climbed up.
The East, like a neon bulb got lighted up.
Bright rays from the golden globe came up.
Soon darkness from the earth moved out.
Men from their homes merrily came out.
Birds from their nests, into the sky, flew out.
Sweet songs from their beaks flowed out.
Clear and cool was the morning air.
Men set out for work with plans clear.
Buzzing with life, the day was back to cheer.
Earth turned once again a lovely sphere!
Soon Winter
Clouds
Rounded mounds piled
Ever higher and thicker
Heavy, hang deep gray low —
Threatening snow
— If not tonight, then tomorrow —
Over all here, upon this gurgling, burbling
Creek, which sparkles rushing
Downhill
From
Hidden
Waterfalls…
The clear creek’s muddy banks
Hardening after
Two weeks of cheerless, chilly nights,
While the collected rocks all along
the ceek’s grassy,
weed-lush, blue-green flanks,
Are refusing to sing out to the universe
before the solstice comes
to turn the light back around —
As through the amassed evergreens’
Extening shadows
With the slinking-in of dusk’s earlier
Hour’s setting sun.
————————————————————
(c) sally young eslinger 11/24/2023
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