Catholic education taught me all my Ps and Qs
when nuns and priests coached a child's reluctant view,
in a quandary and a quiver
to kneel up straight and perfectly perpendicular,
amidst the gold and platinum rich cathedrals
churches of quicksand-like quag pews medieval,
shaped for the prostrating prayerful penitent
awaiting an offenders penance and its remnants,
in somber quiet of quaint old confessional tombs
while incense burns a bitter scented perfume ,
quintessentially questioning everything qued
perpetuating a quay to conclude
when to sink or swim in perplexing quirky quotes
of pseudo pallid pantomimes of forgiveness and hope,
when tranquil poise in prayer
extolls the loss of childhood innocence repaired.
Using up those Ps and Qs with an added one or two.
Penance Poise Perfume Platinum
Quay Quiver Quandary Quaint
for the sponsor of contest Mind Your Ps and Qs
Michelle Faulkner
2/19/21
This town extolls an exuberant atmosphere,
with festive music and folks dancing in the street.
And I'm happy you decided to bring me here,
you never fail to understand me; you're so sweet.
The mountains silhouetted against the moonrise,
stand silent sentinels over my tears of joy.
And the sparkle that I see dancing in your eyes,
reassures me you're feelings are real, not a ploy.
You always seem to know what I need; before me
and realized my downward spiral had to end.
So, you simply took me where I needed to be,
consistently filling the role of my best friend.
A night of fun, partying, and living the dream,
is definitely what I needed to relax.
For you lifted my spirits, and raised my esteem,
without the use of a single pill pushed by quacks.
(Quatrain)
7/4/2018
With breathless zeal I did the deed
In this, Pandora’s dorm-room bed,
Self-gloating how I did succeed
At wheedling such a pert coed,
A playground chum, for years I’ve known
This blithe tomboy with pigtailed locks
Whose beauty, swiftly, has so grown
That I unsealed Pandora’s box.
Oh! Involute our lives will twine,
Amity quashed, once more, by tryst
And all because this lust of mine
Considers women millstone grist.
So now, too soon, does deep regret,
Companion constant in my life,
Deride this fling I did beget,
It chides me for this latest strife,
With dread it fills me that, this morn,
I must snuggle with face contrite,
While she extolls a love just born:
I see no hope to flee this plight!
December 8, 2016
Three Choices Plus Two … Poetry Contest
Sara Kendrick, Sponsor
The poet extolls euphony:
with the poem sublime
in the perfect paradigm
by the resonant rhyme
of the verse,crystalline
eap(eep) is a list cinquain where L1 is a statement followed by rhymed L2-5 that amplify that
statement with words introduced by 'in the' by the ' of the'.I labelled this an eap after Edgar
Allan Poe as it is inspired by sililoqy in this format in the conclusion of his essay Poetic
Principle.