Written: May 31, 2026, for a contest sponsored by Sara Kendrick
Quote: "Longevity is not just the accumulation of shadows, but the slow, relentless design of light—where the soul learns to admire the skies." By Poet
8th place contest winner
Years of silence drift in shadow’s hold,
yet life’s glow cuts a furrow bold.
Ascetic patience mollifies time’s tide,
stringent suns succumb, shadows subside.
From a thick nucleus of recall, lyric streams,
etiology carved in incarnate dreams.
Furious storms rage, but sagacious roots remain,
visceral awe gleams through longevity’s pain.
A lingering oracle, sanctuary of grace,
fading walls surrender a sobbing face.
Even barren sand yields to mettle’s rule,
velvet dusk relieves the waning fuel.
And yet the human heart, steadfast and wide,
bears its banner forth—unswayed stride.
What better name for one who'd analyze
and scrutinize the sources of logomachy,
a philosopher who filters truth from lies,
our building blocks, the seat of etiology.
A thinker's thinker, one who ponders well
the implications of a life-long gleaning,
composed of and comprises, just a single cell
in her journey to examine every meaning.
Though new expressions find their way to dictionaries,
they bastardize, dilute the power of language,
'snuck' instead of 'sneaked,' no real propensities
to offer something better, (tawdry verbiage!)
To communicate with skill, singular fluency
takes savoir faire, a knack for etymology.
********
...meant as a love sonnet to a dear friend.
What better name for one who'd analyze
and scrutinize the sources of logomachy,
a philosopher who filters truth from lies,
our building blocks, the seat of etiology.
A thinker's thinker, one who ponders well
the implications of a life-long gleaning,
'composed of' and 'comprises,' just a single cell
in her journey to examine every meaning.
Though new expressions find their way to dictionaries,
they bastardize, dilute the power of language,
'snuck' instead of 'sneaked,' no real propensities
to offer something better, (tawdry verbiage!)
To communicate with skill, singular fluency
takes 'savoir faire,' a knack for etymology!
We waded through knee high cumulus
Weighed down by our own boulders
Of unknown etiology
We came us to a golden ticket highway
To a city build of envy's likeness
We found no souls about
But many ideals and morals
High on the throne set
Amber Julius crowned
With tufts of sunshine and roses
Protruding from his back
Were dual feathery flaps
One of pearled wisdom
Another of onyx experience
To us he spoke from
Both sides of his mouth
In a sonorous duet
Until our ears were burning
From his knowledge and regret
A subtle carol echoes of the evening
Upon bended knee I am arrested
Betwixt strange refrains
Shaking the floorboards of Teicu
The evocative moans amplify
The foolish peacemaker of astrologists
The English dream of poetry
Those I coaxed by death
Were the witnesses of the tragedy
And were familiar with its ballad
Crafted the design ‘tis conceptual ***********
Eradicated their honor for vanilla threads
As they shimmy and shimmy
They defile elongated hankering
And retreated in the greenhouse of Woodstock
Its language made iconic by efficacious character
Having often been labeled an experiment
Broadening its brilliance along death’s boulevard
‘tis she who was the stunning one
Her language made sacred by her iconic fame
A long time controversial reference
An automaton, an origin of extraterrestrial etiology
The evocative moans ensnares the tourist
...for a good friend
What better name for one who'd analyze
and scrutinize the secrets of logomachy,
a philosopher who filters truth from lies,
our building blocks, the seat of etiology.
A thinker's thinker, one who ponders well
the implications of a life-long gleaning,
composed of and comprises, but a single cell
in her journey to examine every meaning.
Some new expressions find their way to dictionaries,
bastardize, dilute the power of language,
snuck instead of sneaked, no real propensities
to offer something better, (tawdry verbiage!)
She communicates with skill, singular fluency,
with savoir fair, a flair for etymology!
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