There was a poor bloke once
inflicted with miserable leprosy
his story, the mind it stuns
but such was his jealousy!
One day some angels came to him
with mercy to heal his ailment
They inquired of his wish and whim
but were in for a shocking lament.!
The angels asked him as to whether
he wanted health restored, his disease healed
Replied the leper, 'he wanted neither
What he said hence, his jealousy revealed!
For he said, ''you needn't heal me, but instead
Inflict everyone else with my malady as well
let all of them lie loathed and deplored in bed,
as I've had to all these days like hell''!
The angels left astounded, simply returned to heaven
with neither healing him nor inflicting others
They still wonder from above the heavens seven
at how man envies his fellow brothers.
Ah, envy is a fire that consumes thee most,
Far better for humans if they coveted not
Why want ye, haunt ye another's fortune
like some covetous malevolent ghost?
Therefore why at all covet
You haven't right to it unless
it was your right, or was snatched
A fit of jealousy might make you regret
and to hell you may be dispatched.!
America:
Does the Light Still Shine?
--------
"Freedom of speech,
Freedom to worship,
Freedom from want,
Freedom from fear."
--------
Travelers to this Blessed Land
Had many varied tales to tell;
Emigrants from harsh demands
Beset by woes words can't dispel,
Long suffered tragedies emerge:
Exiles condemned for their beliefs,
Scapegoats who fled a rampant purge,
Survivors who sought war's relief,
Elects reviled for social strains
Deplored as being risky foes
Left homes behind with all to gain
And persevered when tests arose.
Now, citizens with Rights-in-hand
Delivered to this Blessed land.
On Tue, Aug 30, 2022, 2:13 PM james horn wrote:
remember my Lord
who i always have adored
body nailed to board
always can afford
to pay for love of the Lord
worship in a horde
following drinking gord
my ship with Lord in is moored
request for him out poured
without any doubt
have heard what Lord is about
we will twist and shout
trouble in each chord
played by devil we deplored
even when we snored
know divinity
is related to trinity
an amenity
we have unity
which is with immunity
in a community
Lord, I am nothing before You to speak,
Strength have I not, for my being is weak.
Anything seen in my life that is good
Comes from Thy throne, in Thy mercies secured.
Without Your spirit would I not exist,
I, of my own, doth of nothing, consist.
Dust is my body, and sorrow, my soul
Virtues have I none for man to extol.
Anything good in myself is from Thee,
You give me eyes so this truth I may see.
Let this my heart know, repeat evermore
That I on my own would by all be deplored,
But only Your presence doth bring me my worth,
Let this my heart know all days on this earth.
Beware the tenderness of anyone’s toes
Especially that of your friends and foes,
For pain, they say, is its own reward
Can be magnified with additional woes.
Carefully measure your daily deplored
Consider exactly what you can afford,
Wise to keep in mind the old, old saying
A pen is mightier than the sharpest sword.
Eschew the obnoxious mouthy braying
Think about those words you are saying,
Not easily embracing mundane compliance
Your time better spent in earnest praying.
Be skeptical of those who seek alliance
For they have capacity to offer defiance,
For your actions they do not think right
When you are seeking a friendly reliance.
Be aware, my friend, of every slight
Keep both friends and enemies in sight,
And walk your own paths in caution
Especially when strolling in darkest night.
HONORABLE MENTION
Revised and Edited May 14, 2022
submitted to "Rubaiyat Contest" Poetry Contest
sponsored by Sotto Poet
[a Rubaiyat has a specific rhyme scheme, but
it does not require a specific line syllable count.]
Tattoo Charm Bracelet
My skin, a pure canvas before
No design beckoned me to explore
To be etched in the flesh, I deplored…
More mature, this great art challenged harm
Grand crucifix, my son’s heart, on my wrist, not arm
These jewels I’ll wear, linked in ink, each one a charm…
Submitting into: Bite Size Poem No. 42 Poetry Contest
Sponsored By: Line Gauthier
Date Written: 04-13-22
Beware the tenderness of anyone’s toes
Especially that of your friends and foes,
For pain, they say, is its own reward
Can be magnified with additional woes.
Carefully measure your daily deplored
Consider exactly what you can afford,
Wise to keep in mind the old, old saying
A pen is mightier than the sharpest sword.
Eschew the obnoxious mouthy braying
Think about those words you are saying,
Not easily embracing mundane compliance
Your time better spent in earnest praying.
Be skeptical of those who seek alliance
For they have capacity to offer defiance,
For your actions they do not think right
When you are seeking a friendly reliance.
Be aware, my friend, of every slight
Keep both friends and enemies in sight,
And walk your own paths in caution
Especially when strolling in darkest night.
Edited and re-written October 3, 2021
(not for a contest)
Beware the tenderness of anyone’s toes
Especially that of your friends and foes,
For pain, they say, is its own reward
Can be magnified with additional woes.
Carefully measure your daily deplored
Consider exactly what you can afford,
Wise to keep in mind the old, old saying
A pen is mightier than the sharpest sword.
Eschew the obnoxious mouthy braying
Think about those words you are saying,
Not easily embracing mundane compliance
Your time better spent in earnest praying.
Be skeptical of those who seek alliance
For they have capacity to offer defiance,
For your actions they do not think right
When you are seeking a friendly reliance.
Be aware, my friend, of every slight
Keep both friends and enemies in sight,
And walk your own paths in caution
Especially when strolling in darkest night.
written October 3, 2021
Is there a time when friendship does not count,
Where bonds forged in war are callously
forgotten
Is now the time for their suffering to willfully
discount
As a passing blight, a chore ill-gotten?
Is desperation always someone else’s burden,
To be observed but ultimately ignored,
Their fate unclear, easier to draw that curtain
To an inconvenient truth only in words
deplored.
To politician’s promises are tenuous,
They matter only when there’s gain,
Integrity is often deemed too arduous,
Little caring for other’s strife and pain.
But to those of us who conflict shared,
Who know by name those left behind,
Fully aware of all they dared,
Our life with theirs lies intertwined.
What can we say, what can we do
This cruel injustice to make right,
But raise our voice, shout what is true,
Honor our debt, correct this blight.
There was once a man called Bert
Whose feelings of others he hurt
There were those who ignored
Others who on him deplored
That he curb his need to be curt
Keeping thoughts silent no longer able to respond
Darkness keeping my mind too close to the beyond
Partner no longer a partner not someone to relax with
Suspect the best decision for now is to be quiet forthwith
Silently and alone no attempt to be open or find a shared space
The partner is not there to create anything like love or grace
Between us is only an attempt to protect weekly disgrace
I am ending this no more attempts to talk or explain
Instead moving through the days with little as possible pain
Until I can move away when able -- from all the distain
Did not expect this to happen hoped for more
But age and cancer and an unhappy childhood
Led this to become a feeling of something deplored
Will take some time to find some sense of goodness and connection
To find again warmth, life, friends and introspection
I've been watching these two groups lately,
Left and right & all those between.
Where resolutions appear adrift or absent,
And legislation became downright mean.
The battling and the bickering, seems to be
Creating fear all along to blame.
While moderation and discourse through debate,
Has fallen painfully, only to face shame.
As this nationalism is bantered about,
Extolling the revered, capitalistic way
Only to 'trash talk' anything socialistic,
As if the demonic would come out to play.
And forget anything of a brave new world,
As globalization is fought and ignored.
Because that one world government might
Loom closer to some, & we know how that's deplored.
Yet we have also witnessed a dismal harvest,
When seeds of distrust finally bore their fruit.
While some felt it added to our greatness,
More saw only failure that was absolute.
Since our greatness isn't defined by the irrational,
Its definition lies with opportunity & equal chance.
So as we feed on our roots of diversity & fairness,
Our growth will be the fuel to romance.
Riding off into the Ivory Palace sunset,
in a pitch-black limousine, no less
Hear the heavy metallic chariot roar,
leaving exacerbated fumes echo deplored
Aural palette, enamel pestilent pain
on burnt crimson background grain
Scorching prairie brush fire
was the cruel comfort desire
It’s aghast portrait in pandemic grief,
pyramid scheme exit of paucity relief
The curtain call, pulmonary rating king
is a modern-day Nero
His favorite numbers (violin strumming)
are the printed zeroes
Fashioning a Fourth Reich,
naked emperor be blew Lenin unsound
Ballot dropping the psych,
bosom burning the divided house down
With a teary grift posturing diddle,
Amerikan Nero is playing the fiddle
Rearview rolling one last Rublecon riddle,
carny Fahrenheit was the plucking piddle
Crumbling democracy
was brimstone seen through the smoke
Ash trail of hypocrisy
left an urn nation crematorium stoked
12-29-20
SONNET FOR WINDS OF CHANGE
Cross cirrus sky swift brush strokes paint mares' tails
Tree tops are in restless susurration,
While cumbrous clouds traverse in vapour trails
Mead grass is fanned in wild undulation
Lake face whipped to agitated motion
Plumes roughed, wildfowl voyage with discretion
Gulls in-land tell of wild storms on ocean
All braced to face nature's bare aggression
When young I chose such rugged medium
Deplored the concept then of perfect peace
Such state suggested endless tedium
Hazard preferred to slow drawn out release
While I now sometimes seek respite from strife
I yet love winds that change, give breath to life
When it mattered most
I traded ego at ridiculous cost.
Like cud I chewed my pride
Caring less what brewed inside.
Your eyes your smile are fire
Ceaselessly tickled my desire.
Aloft in imaginary trance
I ascended in your mere glance.
Now I need your touch, but
You are far beyond my reach.
My efforts surmount to folly as
I submerged into wishful agony.
Captured in picture of imaginations
Are dawdlings and procrastinations
As my hesitant guts couldn't find
The way out of my mind.
Mind, a crush site for my dreams,
Heart arid no love flowing streams
Only whimpers of rued pride and hatred
Regretting moments I took for granted.
My fantasies hound my reality
Trapped dream endure in illusions.
Fear swallowed my bravery
Chained in deplored heart's slavery.
I wallowed in assumed rejection
Isolating my own affection
Encompassing its edges with fret
Breeding wishful thinking and regret.
Poyetik enej
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