Bouncing off a trampoline
Anton Dvorak fell on his head ~
A ‘cancelled Czech’
Poor Anton was dead
Long ago, in the 1600’s
Native Americans were not so financial...
Sold Manhattan for 24 bucks
A transaction they wish they could cancel
The kings of backgammon, descendants of
Bulgarian kings and Austro-Hungarian princes
Russian counts and countesses, Czech barons
Your ancestors have seen better days.
They accepted their fate as the natural state of affairs
And when it turned out to be just a fickle fortune
They had the nurture and tact not to show their shock,
Though usually such a ruthless discovery crushes many.
Now, as you spend your days playing backgammon in smoky cafes
You rarely remember the fragments of days gone by.
You've learnt to rejoice in trifling victories, and not to be disheartened by losses.
The descendants of exiled kings and ruined nobles
They organise championships of sad joy
The winner owes a round of beer for everyone.
The new Russian opposition makes the right acquaintances
Just like the old one did a hundred years ago
And in their later years, they all convert to Catholicism
Since Orthodox churches don't have pews
At least with Catholics you can doze off unnoticed
With a sniff of incense through the candle light.
"I shall be like a tree planted by the river ... " Psalm 1:3
A child born during thunderstorm that
Braved thunder lightning, grew up but
Could not cope brother Dane’s death
Depression, fear took an ugly turn
Even as comforted by his calm-
Father, a revered church priest who
Gave his child - 6yr old Nikola all the wanted love,
Handed him the precious Bible and
Inspired him with stories of Lord that
Just made boy Nikola learn and
Know the Bible by heart. Nikola
Learned Czech, Serbo-Croatian from
Mother who taught him patience -
Nurturing talent, creativity and
One of a kind eidetic memory
Procuring him scientific spirit and
Quest for wisdom that became a
Rage making Nikola never once
Stop in his storming life or
Tire from the hardships that
Unfolded at his each step of success
Veracity stood by Nikola Tesla who
Worked frantically for 20 hours a day
Xper who found use of alternating current
Yearned for peace in war torn world
Zap was life of such an illustrious man.
Czech Frantisch Kupka
begaan his art abstracta
with 'Piano keys* he found fame
creatives in the verticl plane
I was wondering what a painting about one of my poems look like
Grimly gathering of gnarly letters
So take this one would it
slipperyness of eels in heels
Would my light one haze of neon faze
Would oil slick inks hint of tyres hanging cliff
Stuck between being and bee spell
Check one Czech too
slathering like squidwards tongue
Could you imagine if an artist paints your words
Would colour be redily available
Tones scared of the zones
ReaDy this inbRed distuRbEd if you
CaRED imploRed deRavED REaD
ErR closED follow the road
Penguins in trees with silk people sleeves
Peppered with sir and the gents
Belittle a little be
I mean we’re
would ewe start
I was wondering what a painting about one of my poems look like
Grimly gathering of gnarly letters
So take this one would it
slipperyness of eels in heels
Would my light one haze of neon faze
Would oil slick inks hint of tyres hanging cliff
Stuck between being and bee spell
Check one Czech too
slathering like squidwards tongue
Could you imagine if an artist paints your words
Would colour be redily available
Tones scared of the zones
ReaDy this inbRed distuRbEd if you
CaRED imploRed deRavED REaD
ErR closED follow the road
Penguins in trees with silk people sleeves
Peppered with sir and the gents
Belittle a little be
I mean we’re
would ewe start
*Image of Well Placed Money by TS.
Owed Ode
A casino opening held a fete,
Where everyone did gamble on their fate,
Singles and couples, Mr. and Mrs.,
All placing their bets with hits and misses,
The croupier deals cards, and oversees,
Most were locals, some were from overseas,
A young woman who was somebody's niece,
Had a French accent and she was from Nice,
An Italian songstress who came from Rome,
Hums round the tables as the lady roam,
On the stage, she sang a beautiful hymn,
The alto voice left guesses, her or him,
An elderly gentleman who was Czech,
Won lots of money and took a big check,
Mistook a woman wearing a sari,
Not Indian but, local, said sorry,
The silvery moon like a sentry knight,
As hours wane and drift deep into the night.
2022 November 05
Strange signpost of circling destiny - an Exxon station,
perched at the crossroads of State Highway 95
and Farm to Market Road 1331.
Almost certainly without its own knowledge
serving as the gateway to Arcadia.
Where life may be older in the body, but boasts youth eternal
in the mind, heart, and soul.
Where power, prestige, and wealth all wither away
in the soft sunshine of familial love.
Strange paradox that from the sunbeams of a quiet Czech church
may come the vital fuel to power an engineer's heart
in the midst of the sparkling glass
of a city that never knows silence.
For now, I am not sure whether I borrow from paradise
to vainly chase its specter -
or whether I borrow from one ideal to build another
which may not be entirely worse ...
though there is no denying that it is different.
There may be pains in Arcadia, though they seem so far away
to this weary man on a late spring day.
8 May 2022
Late trailblazing top American diplomat, Madeleine Albright
Possessed a steely resolve and was exceptionally bright
Political giant and the first female U.S. Secretary of State
Czech-born, she was but a shiny spoke on the wheel of fate
Date written: 03/26/2022
There was a conservative from Czech,
Who loves anything tech,
He made a robot,
From a material called cobalt,
This attacked and killed the man of Czech.
1890 Murder at home by Czech artist Jacob Schekander.
One of the prettiest arts you will consider.
Since it's a maze, as well as a drawing.
Rather deter this rare and cryptic killing!
Viewers' non-verbal idiom is unique and filthy.
Is the man flagging the perished lady?
I assume he is defending his fatality
Written: February 18, 2022
1st place contest winner
A BRIAN STRAND VISUAL Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Brian Strand
Imagine being Katie or Naomi or Simone.
The world has expectations and it won’t leave you alone.
Your performances’ perfection has been touted and extolled,
So anything will be a loss if it won’t get the gold.
Well, pressure takes its toll and therefore, even with the buffers
Of team and coach support, sometimes a well-rehearsed act suffers.
Katie* gets the silver as the Aussie’s time is faster;
Naomi** loses to a Czech, a Japanese disaster.
And Simone***, the gymnast everyone believes to be the best
Leaves the competition early, feeling out of sorts and stressed.
It seems the build-up is too much and many athletes just
Cannot function when their hopes and dreams may suddenly combust.
*Katie Ledecky **Naomi Osaka ***Simone Biles
Never pass a kid’s Kool Aid stand
Whenever possible pet a dog
Believe that if babies could talk
they’d tell us all to shut up
Stop talking to the driver of the car in front of you
Don’t pick your nose in traffic
WE CAN SEE YOU
The poor man’s Jacuzzi
Hot dogs, beans and a hot bath
Never lend your cat money
Remember the night she had fireflies in her afro
Sip slowly the wine of life
Ignore those who say “you can’t do that”
Remember .. we have the right to be right
the right to be wrong and the right
to keep our mouths shut in both instances
Never trust Spell Czech
Believe whatever you want
It won’t change the past or the future
It will, however, muddy up the present
John G. Lawless
7/5/2021
Were is the conscience of the world
The world should rise
And embrace peace
We are tired of dying
We are tired of oppression
We are not giving up our land
We are ready to defend our
Our dignity
It does not matter
How tired we get
Our freedom is our goal
And I call on the world
To set us free
Were is the conscience of the world
UK left European Union
With out no blood shed
So was cesko Slovakia too
Now called Czech Republic
Why can't Biafra be shame
Why must my people die
Just to be free
Why must the young be brutalised
On daily bases
Just because they stood their ground
Why can't they leave us alone
Why can't we separate with out
Been ignored to death
So I call on the world
There is a silent genocide
Going on in East Nigeria
Is obvious but ignored
by the higher rankees
It clear but unknown
Will the world keep watching
Us die for nothing
How long will the world
Keep watching genocide like a movie
Were is the conscience of the world
I met a Czech now living in Quebec
Very handsome in crisp turtleneck
He tells a sad story about a shipwreck
But now has a highfalutin job here in high tech
Alec loves to strut muscles in a crew neck
Play outdoor hockey and body check
Climb mountains on a challenging trek
Water ski off a summer cottage deck
Answer any pop quiz about the Aztec
Let loose at the swinging discotheque
Draws the line at pretending he knows a speck
About anything related to home ec
One day Alec was about to write a blank cheque
To some random bushwhacking redneck
Who tried to sell him a bushel and a peck
I sent him on a hike as he pulled a quick rubberneck
I told Alec it was his dance moves I’d like to check
And maybe let him nibble a little on my neck
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
Submitted on October 2, 2018 for contest EARLY OCTOBER 2018 sponsored by BRIAN STRAND
Originally posted on March 28, 2018
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