At an Annual Hullabaloo
A wallflow’r sat lonely and blue
Until one brave guy took the plunge
His river of shyness to expunge
Now they’re doing a happy dance too.
The I.C.E. Charades
Fern refuses to thaw Minnesota's ICEy glades
While three million pages expunge during harsh raids
Leering predatory smiles
at redacted Epstein files
Evidence held, elite absolved, absurd charades!
Although its reviews mixed and complementary
It was more a confusing than tenet documentary
Immigrant Melania
shipped back to Slovenia?
Away from the creepster Trump penitentiary
A SIMPLE SOUND
It can interrupt lives
Induce pain
Steal memories
Freeze time
Alter direction
Spawn tears
Initiate questions
Radiate shock
Unleash fear
Sow confusion
Cause doubt
Sap energy
Instill rage
Metastasize helplessness
Sprout stress
Rob Joy
Quench Hope
Erase peace
Conjure storms
Usher in Loneliness
Open wounds
Choke breath
Expunge laughter
Remove meaning
Cloud the future
Vanquish love
Kill relationships
Shatter families
Rend hearts
It can be world ending
A knock at the Door
If only it were easy
to erase the ugly past,
open up a history book
and with one mighty blast
expunge wars and genocides,
the hatred and the lust.
Burn to ash and blow away
the “Not in my back yard!”
and “Let me have my way”,
the anger and dissension
that plague our every hour,
the selfishness and pride
of politics and power.
What if we could rid ourselves of
the fears and lack of trust
that hamper what’s fair play
with one enormous gust?
If only it were easy
to puff and blow away
the ugliness of history
and start afresh today.
Purple envelope
sealed with dried red grape secrets
folded with ferments
hidden like wine in a cask—
waiting to expunge its words
Purple grape-skins torn
the bruises dark, stinking with hate
postponed and withheld—
seething, fermenting inside,
to pop when eyes are uncorked
Fingers hesitate—
lingering on paper's seam
as if it might bleed
mauve ink, staining memories
with bitter taste of tannin
Who dares to open
the violet-purple skins
threaded like tendrils
curled poised to strike the reader—
staining lips and tongues blood-red
The envelope waits
as a bruise waits for pressure—
purple concealing
the truth of what lies within
with promise and a warning
in a cursed invitation.
You’ll hear an earth shattering crunch,
hesitation that is broken instantly.
Lick the eight ball and throw a punch.
Devouring a scared reflection for lunch,
got out and be who you’re meant to be.
You’ll hear an earth shattering crunch.
Shadows of doubt you must expunge.
Champions aren’t developed delicately,
lick the eight ball and throw a punch.
Letting go of the frailty of a runch,
hands will gather aggression idly.
You’ll hear an earth shattering crunch.
It begins with little more than a hunch,
don’t be too cautious or move hastily.
Lick the eight ball and throw a punch.
There is nothing seen as too much
to the brave who dream aggressively.
You’ll hear an earth shattering crunch,
lick the eight ball and throw a punch.
One step forward, two steps back –
That’s the way I function.
There is something that I lack
When I am at the junction
Of making a decision
Which will finalize a plan,
No matter the precision
Since my research first began.
It’s like I’m on a diving board,
Afraid to take the plunge,
My hesitancy like a cord
My body can’t expunge.
And yet I search and plan and hope
My M.O. might just change
And I can shed that binding rope
And step-wise, rearrange.
Spring cleaning comes and I seek to expunge from every counter and corner
All clutter and dried rose that serves no purpose
Knickknacks and little trinkets all go in the basket.
To be given to those who have lesser or resold or simple lost forever
There it sits on the mantle, an object grotesquely elephantine
Rounded edges so it fits into no corners
Claiming center stage, grossly out of place
Into the basket it goes leaving only a rim of dust in its absence
Spring cleaning is over, expunged from every counter and corner-
-all clutter or dried rose that serves no purpose
Knickknacks and little trinkets all go in the basket
The basket goes to the salvation army down the street
I sit and relax after a long day
Coffee in my hand, eyes fixed on the clean mantle
There it sits on the mantle, the object grotesquely elephantine
rounded edges so it fits in no corners
Claiming its place in the center
Of no value but it still remains
Like the one who gave it
My tchotchke
Someone told me... "You look like you're going through the most..."
Was it that bad? I didn't realize it....
My frustrations, my anger... always tucked in... never present when it matters.
It seeks the light when it's already done... when I'm depleted, destroyed, delayed...
It sits quietly for fear of disturbance...
For fear of what it could mean...
But what if...?
What if it was the sanctuary?
The freedom
The upliftment
The change needed
The whip into shape
What if?
What if a let fear drift ceaselessly away?
Drip through me
Expunge out of me
I don't need fear
Fear needs me...
And I no longer want to be needed...
Failure first
Makes you humble.
The deeper the sting,
The greater the revelation.
Release the need
To assign someone blame.
Accept it as your own
To expunge your searing shame.
Guilty Pride will mask and hide
The truth of your shortcomings.
Don’t indulge in its deceitful lie.
It shuts the door to self-examination.
Revelation is the real and only forgiveness.
It provides a second chance for you to try.
Without Its Grace, redemption remains
Locked away in a distorted and hateful lie.
You are enough.
You can succeed.
Shift your mind’s muddled perspective.
Let Failure take you by the hand,
And lead you to new heights of revelation.
You can pretend I never happened
Expunge me from you mind
Exorcize the ghost of me
Leave it all behind
You can play the role of happy
On your convoluted stage
Recite the same old monologue
Act profoundly unafraid
Go ahead, do all those things
But that won't change the truth
That once we flamed each others souls
I remember,
And so do you.
I know you still must think of me
You miss my skin, my touch
The way my teeth would nip your lips
You couldn't get enough
But now that it's all over
You want to show me that it's fine
But I see you and I know you
Staring at me all the time
I caught that little flicker
The dancing in your eyes
I feel the heat, the want it in
I recognize the signs
So keep saying you've forgotten
Denying 's what you do
But that won't change the simple fact
That I remember
And so do you.
Brochures arrive quite often
And they beckon with a deal –
It’s time for senior living –
You don’t know how good you’ll feel!
There’s a pool, a gym, a clubhouse
With so much that you can do
And you’ll make new friends, for everyone’s
A senior just like you!
I know folks who have transitioned,
Others soon to take the plunge,
Eager for a fresh new start,
Their former lives set to expunge.
Though I envy their excitement
And the purging of the past,
I don’t see that in my future,
For I think the die’s been cast.
Written: November 17, 2023 For Charles Messina Contest
___________________________________________
In peace of mind and unwavering pride
Draw out your inner disgruntled callow
Expunge ailing masks and set them aside
Shackled and phony leaches start shallow
Untamed freedom leaves a rage of delight
Lightning strikes when volition avails reign
As the noise of fists and yells echoes fight
It implies launching rough assaults again
This momentary gladness won't last long
Dark distress derides its way to the fight
And celebrates its mocking with zest strong
Frenzied fractured fragments into full-sight
Constraintis like an itch that chafes the mind
Shields the vile impulse that we must all bind
gladness won't last long
expunge ailing masks aside~
untamed freedom roars.
Shackled leeches start shallow, rage of lightning strikes~constraint chafes the mind
Things are not the same
People are out of my frame
Nothing is the same without you
Still, No one is to blame, I feel so...
Time will heal everything,
They say so;
Still we feel like nothing,
Without you
Your memories, like catalyst,
make us smile
and expunge woes, at least
for a while
Like a spritual mentor,
your virtuous words,
guide us through
help confront the world
Being filled with your
sweet memories,
Vanity inside me
becomes bountiful
Doing the tasks
from your bucket list,
The gist of my life, I get
For the rest of my life, I'll never quit
It's been 3years since
You passed away
But memories of you
never fade away
Yes, things are not the same,
People are not in my frame,
But, our love for you,
remains the same
And now I am here to wish you
"Happy Father's day"
I know you hear me, though
you are far away
June 18 2023
Love beckons, let’s take the plunge
but first dark desires expunge,
lest cravings lead us astray
and our soul, we so betray.
If pure joy we wish to find,
we must first rest lower mind,
rushing forward to embrace,
outpourings of divine grace.
Know love does not hesitate,
so why for then, do we wait?
Oh worthy monk, take the leap,
feeling bliss mists seep in deep.
Resting habit of thinking,
head and heart, with love linking,
no sooner we come undone,
our soul with God becomes one.
28-March-2023
____________
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