Restrained by my own hand,
I stagnate, going grey.
Through fingers, like sand,
Time slips away.
What could have been,
Never happened.
Now there is nothing,
I am alone.
Day's End
At the day's end in that bit of light
Before slipping into the night
I look out over the land
Watching the birds with their departing planned
Then for a while it's quiet as the smudges of night take over the sky
And with its last breath the day says goodbye
As the birds settle in
Their night songs begin
One to the next in a gentle sweep
A call, a warble, a chirp, or a peep
As they relax into the nights ancient stand
The stars twinkle amid the dapples of a moonlit splendor's brand
Myself safe at home
Ready for my rest after the days roam
AI COULD END ALL
THE HUMANITY DOWNFALL
A HOAX TRUMP DOES CALL
Senescence ongoing
Biological to the core
Cellular and systemic
Even genes mutate
Creeps in on you
Like a thief at night
Movement deliberate
Your thoughts too
The new kids run
Outpacing you
The final stretch
Never ending
Energy flagging
Redeemed by love
Unconditional and true
As you kick to the end
The Mosquito Squad has been zapped, swatted,
And completely obliterated.
Because they learned the hard way
That they can dish it, but they sure can't take it.
They've planned numerous strategies
And tried every trick in the book;
But everything has backfired
And their goose was already cooked.
Every summer was the same mission:
Find a sexy body and eat it.
It didn't matter if it was a booty, an arm, or a leg:
Alas, the Mosquito Squad has been defeated.
"That's the last straw!" the Squad Leader yelled,
With steam coming out of his ears.
"You've failed me one too many times!
I don't want to see your crocodile tears!
You can't even follow a direct order
And always fall flat on the floor.
Now get out of my sight, you knuckleheads!
The Mosquito Squad is no more!"
The crowd began singing
As the mosquitoes disappear in the sky,
"NA NA NA NA, NA NA NA NA,
HEY HEY HEY! GOOD-BYE!"
To show His love,
Our God did send,
His one and only Son,
To save from sin,
We mortals hear, that,
"This is not the end."
Yes, We offend,
Our God above,
Yes, we were born in sin.
Please, God forgive,
We’ll make amends, since,
"This is not the end."
We travel through,
This life we wend,
With Son of Man as Friend.
We have no fear,
Since He is near, knowing,
“This is not the end.”
And we have learned,
Faith, Hope and Love,
Of all our fellow men,
Must be secured,
On these Life depends, for,
“This is not the end.”
This life on earth,
With such few years,
Know death it will attend.
Yet we have Faith,
And Hope is dear, that,
"This is not the end."
And when the veil,
On life descends,
And closes out our case,
We'll know for sure,
That Truth endured, and,
"It was not the end."
* * *
Darrell Simmerman © 2025
Biting cold night
Tears on a rose
Her petals turn gray
Death sucks her life away
She stands alone in feeling
No one knows her secret cries
She has shed away her hopes
Her beautiful soul holds memories
Of times sunshine kissed her face
Now darkness swamps her world
On the grave where they have laid her to rest
Written: September 7, 2026, for: This Week's Poetry Challenge: Seven-Line Poem
**********
The sun withdraws its gilded hand,
orchards lean into shadow’s hush,
cicadas falter in their hymn.
Leaves rehearse their brittle descent,
the sea forgets its warmth of June,
a chill rehearses in the grass—
and summer folds into memory.
There was once a dock worker whose name was Dick,
His employers knew not, Dick had worked out a perfect trick,
Forty five was his speculated age,
He dressed according to his meager wage,
Went home daily with a barrow, security noticed dick was quick.
On other days they noticed many a different kind of trivia,
Told security was selling empty boxes to buy pills, had leukaemia,
Will tell you more when I retire,
Continued with his routine and poorly attire,
His secret, confessed stole a barrow a day, headlines in media.
Moved to Mexico, learnt Spanish, dyed hair black so could blend,
Applied for a job in revenue office, made many a friend,
Managed and learnt to cheat a little,
Hey Dick be careful, don’t fiddle,
Persisted to play his tricky games, predictably caught at the end.
Splitting
Nothing is
A task for
A word
To make sense
Of it all..
More words
Assist on a
Task without end..
golden light recedes
a gentle sigh the breeze makes~
nature`s cycle spins
the day`s orb, once fierce
now tells a quieter tale~
mountains a witness
tall trees toss a moan
summer reign reaches its end~
time begins to bend
before amber blush
leaves sing with a buzzing sound~
the sky lends its ears
sunbeams softly fade
cicadas cease their loud tunes~
stillness in the night
birds prepare for flight
warmer climes waiting for them~
summer`s sweet farewell
summer softly close
a string of moments held dear~
memories remain
a final warm breeze
carries scents of sun baked earth~
harvest time at hand
air, once thick with scent
carries cool whispers to space~
a prelude to fall.
It shifts from bad to worse
Expectedly, it does
Suppose it looks quite obvious
For many, counting those
Who claim the empire is to end
Split in a thousand pieces
That’s what the masterminds intend
To do – I don’t believe this
I think what we are witnessing
Is their Golden Age
And this is just beginning
The Chapter Two, first page
We’re in the new edition
That meets time challenges
We’re actors of non-fiction
A dystopian excess
We’re stigmatized forever
But we get used to this
Just never you say never
And never comes a bliss.
sweet tea on the beach
moonlit walks on soft cold sands
summers end is near
You may find it’s all been said
What you mean to say
But it sounds not too bad
In your own sweet way
You may look out with no aim
Scanning the familiar view
But it isn’t quite the same
For today the morning dew
Burns the leaf it occupies
With the dazzling sun
Welcome to the silent cries
As if you are young
But not near that comprehensive
As the youngsters are
Maybe little over-pensive
With your mind too far
From the problems of today
Too close to the past
Saying what you have to say
Once again too fast..
A toilet is my peaceful place,
Where I can just sit and hide my face,
I can sit and relax and read my news paper,
Sit and read about the recent news capers.
Then when I finished my business I realize there is only one sheet,
So I sit there thinking on that cold hard seat,
Then finally it comes to me, I'll use the sports page from my daily news sheet!!
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