In a distant thought, hear the murmur, the call
Rich colors of gray, indistinct shadows write
Black words, sting of grief, against a solid wall
While the darkness pours out a warning, the fight
Between hope and despair, a desperate fear
Rises in souls of those who know frantic fright
There is a nagging dread, calling with each tear
Anxiety climbs through those who understand
Tempting souls to doubt the truth of each prayer
Cancer’s rhythm can sometimes feel like sinking sand
What of those moments before cells multiplied?
This is a disease where nothing goes as planned
A curse word, a struggle, darkness will abide
muddle of cancer silences hearts who’ve cried
It was a Sunday morning in June, how well I recall
I stood in the pulpit with my morning sermon in print
When all of a sudden I began to extemporize
A moment never to be forgotten--never at all!
I was telling about an event that had angered me
When I accidentally let a shameful curse word slip
The congregation of worshippers fell deathly silent
I wanted to grab my sermon notes and hurriedly flee.
The silence continued for several minutes, I thought,
While I stammered and stuttered and tried to apologize
But it was too late, whatever the damage, it was done
While some composure, a recovery I quickly sought.
Then, suddenly the quick-witted organist played a riff
And I heard a raucous laughter rising up from the pews
I realized the silence had been broken just in time
For my people to know that their young pastor was no stiff!
written May 10, 2021
for "The Audience Falls Silent" Poetry Contest
sponsored by Kai Michael Neumann
Thirty
It's a curse word I barely heard
More of a fable and not a label
Far away and not here today
Thirty
Haunting my dreams more than it seems
Because I know what it means behind the scenes
I'm nearly halfway there and it doesn't seem fair
Thirty
I'm more mature but less secure
I'm not gonna lie I just want to cry
But that I decry and that I deny
Thirty
It's a new start but I'm faint of heart
I drank the kool-aid I'm just fool made
I won't throw a fit but I'm over it
Thirty
Thirty has done me dirty
Where I am today I don't want to say
I don't want to stay because next month is May
Thirty
It's all in my mind I want to rewind
I'm trying to find time in a revival of rhyme
It's hard to fight in such a dim light
Thirty
They stop and they stare as if I don't care
I stop and I think but I'm starting to sink
It's all in my head I'm gonna be dead
Thirty
It's a curse word I've always heard
More of a label and not a fable
And now that it's here I can't shake the fear
her oboe is so-so
but her chello is grand
she sings the lead
and plays drums in the band
her man friend
is a flutier who flutes is
first-chair
they applaud and listen
appreciation they share
the song lacks incentives
we must improve production
these applauses interrupt
the next song's introduction
maybe if we fuse the
orchestra and band
these audiences will
act more like fans
piano, piano player and song
the arrangements are right
but lyrics are wrong
they sound right but they are song to this tune
they ask the woman to meet
him for their hunny-moon
she is a stranger a
a curse word at best
she asks for most
but settles for less
she is described as a do-that-to-her
course you better not say that to her
she'll curse you
and fight you
and cause
trouble for you
she has a man but he mean less to her
course she wishes to
be with someone else
it might be better if she was by herself
but anyway just sing the song
who care if it's right
or if it's wrong!
B-eautiful acrostic ode
E-ndorses meaningful line;
R-egards are well-written,
N-o curse word is
A-ssigned.
A-nother acrostic ode
M-akes your heart feel the love;
B-ecause of the warm message
U-nder the truth from God above.
L-et December twentieth
A-llow your mind to unload
R-age, anger, and hate,
I-t's an acrostic
O-de.
’Twas the day after Christmas and all through our split-level
Were the signs and the debris of our Christmasy revel;
The tree and the lights that we’d erected with care
Lay now in heaps and in tangles, in complete disrepair.
Not an adult was stirring; we were all comatose
From our Christmas-day turkey and stuffing overdose.
Still asleep in our beds while the kids ran amok
With their new games and their dollies and their little toy trucks.
But throughout the house a dreadful sound was soon heard,
A sound that sickened the heart like the vilest curse word.
It arose from the basement and swelled, as upward it soared:
’Twas the cry of the offspring announcing, “We’re bored!”
I'm my own best friend.
We almost always agree
on colors and clothes and things like trees.
We like the same food
like ice cream and such,
But sometimes we really eat too much.
And it's true,
we may argue over what to do,
Whether to go shopping and buy new shoes,
or to save our money for a trip,
I have to admit,
when that happens a curse word may slip.
I might say, "Damn! I want that dress."
But she says, "Hell no! You know your checkbook's a mess!"
So even though we love how that sexy dress fits,
I know she's right and the argument quits.
But sometimes we both get our way,
like when we sleep late, drink wine or play.
And even though we must decide on red or white,
both taste so good we don't end up in a fight.
So if you can just like yourself like me,
you'll be content with someone who usually agrees.
By: Carole O'Terry Duet
Copyright: Aug. 6, 2016
"All Rights Reserved"
The Honesty of Children
By Elton Camp
To minimize contact with others you better try
Until you have explained to your kid how to lie
He’ll tell your aunt, “Dad says you’re ugly and fat
Before you have time to tell him he has to scat
The boss calls when you’re pretending to be ill
There’s a good chance that the beans he’ll spill
If he says a vile curse word in front of your Mom
It’s likely he’ll say ‘twas you he learned it from
He sees a woman in the store who weighs a ton
He’ll call her fat before you can grab him & run
If to the preacher, you child should say a peep
It’ll be to say during the sermon you were asleep
So a big part of making our children seem civilized
Is teaching them how and when they should tell lies
~
Heavy in the wind,
was sound of a phrase-
Rhett Butler's curse word ~
blew open the door
to eminent change
~
The dialogue
withstood critics
who could not keep
that door bolted ~
A strong wind ~ ~
swept away ~
old values
Filth caved
in the
door
~ ~
____________________________________________________
For Judy Kono's Contest: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"
8/29/13
the coin is golden,
the coin is rich
the coin is plentiful
the coin's a bi+ch*
the coin will entice you
the master will command you
the quiet roar will lull you
while golden coin covers over you
let it be a warning my son
a dire warning from grieving fathers
don't stand upon that golden coin
and drown in it like your brothers
no one ever wishes to behold a man's face
who lost his sweet boy to the golden coin's embrace
© Goode Guy 2013-03-28
http://apps.npr.org/buried-in-grain/
http://www.npr.org/2013/03/24/174828849/fines-slashed-in-grain-bin-entrapment-deaths
http://www.npr.org/2013/03/24/174661389/documents-investigating-a-grain-bin-accident
*apparently there's a difference of what constitutes a curse word.
(There is a curse word, just saying.)
We see people dying everyday,
And let the kids watch all this hate,
So when they grow up they can be the same as us,
You really think they will grow up to be different?
Why cant people understand,
We need to stop killing and start helping,
So when our the next generation comes,
They wont **** up as bad as us?
We might as well just watch ourselves burn down the earth,
Because without peace,
What hope is there for the next generation?
You expect them not to grow up to burn a flag?
Our race is stumbling through the dark,
And fighting wars without thinking,
How the future will be affected,
I assure that this message will not die.
But rest in the shadows with a mouthful of ashes.
You would let millions of people die for nothing?
I would plea to the nation to let this war be done.
The Honesty of Children
By Elton Camp
To minimize contact with others you better try
Until you have explained to your kid how to lie
He’ll tell your aunt, “Dad says you’re ugly and fat
Before you have time to tell him he has to scat
The boss calls when you’re pretending to be ill
There’s a good chance that the beans he’ll spill
If he says a vile curse word in front of your Mom
It’s likely he’ll say ‘twas you he learned it from
He sees a woman in the store who weighs a ton
He’ll call her fat before you can grab him & run
If to the preacher, you child should say a peek
It’ll be to say during the sermon you were asleep
So a big part of making our children seem civilized
Is teaching them how and when they should tell lies
First,
there was an exploding sound,
everyone looked around,
then the plane was going down,
the captain heard
his co-pilot utter a curse word,
but before he could take another breath,
and prepare himself for death,
the plane exploded in a cataclysm of light and sound,
and moments later,
only debris hit the ground.
Stomp Stomp
Why are stomping?
You don't even live here!
Mutter Mutter
Would you stop muttering?
It's not making yourself look too sane
Stomp Stomp Skip
Watch out for that boot toe
We wouldn't want you falling on your crazy face
Mutter Mutter Curse Word
Hey Hey now! Don't make me kick you
Do you think I like your butt being here? There are things to do
Stomp Stomp
Oh, now you want to talk decently?
"This should fix everything - You're getting an amplifier"
Mutter Mutter
Now it's I who is muttering
Disagreement This will work for a couple of days
Stomp Mutter
We're both unhappy
This relationship can't continue much longer
Mutter Stomp
Yes I guess I'll call you
See you next week. Buh Bye now
Stomp Stomp
Oh well hello! You're back
I was worried about you
Mutter Mutter
Hey Hey now! It's not my fault!
you work for them.
Cross Words Curse Words
Eff this,and Eff that, and ess ess ess to you.
Curse words are the normal speak easy today.
Limited once unto gangers
now even old ladies
have learned how to speak in cross words.
How many; how few: too many is one are not you?
Our lives are to be lost by the words that we speak.
For the world it was fashioned by one.
That`s how it begun that`s how it was made it is true.
God Spoke.
He did not say "Eff this one": did you?
A curse word is a cross word to me.
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