Shades of grey cascades on rainy days
Petrichor reigns after each pitter patter
Radiance of earthy fragrance does flatter
Teardrops down panes.. splitter splatter
Fades to whiffs chiding riffs spit scatter
Forever about weather they do natter
Seems the one thing that does matter
Flowers cowers at showers which batter
Tiffs as petal in fine fettle does shatter
Down trodden by a sodden mad hatter
Raised bed fed on shed drops clatter
Spoils for alluvial soils a pluvial platter
Some veg in tatters others seem fatter
Folks chitter chatter.. prefer the latter
Cumulus nimbus nimbly flitter & flutter
Sunrays grasp after a last gasp stutter
Sliding gliding riding wooden shutter
Rasp of uncouth din off a roof of tin
Staccato rinse & repeat beat does utter
Burgling drains & gurgling in the gutter
Huddles of puddles cuddle and splutter
Parched Earth’s skin softens like butter
Mother Nature's own homegrown nutter
Folks groan have to clear up soaked clutter
Mumble prone to moan but not a tut tutter
Mustn't grumble need the tumble they mutter
Since I am over sixty,
Me, people try to console!
They give all advice to soothe my soul!
I tell them that I am in fine fettle,
They fail to understand my mettle!
I tell them not to be sympathetic!
Who listens? Each one is apathetic!
Satsuma Tumour
Sense of Humour?
That Groomer Rumour
Cometh the Hour
Cometh the TAN!
People Power Glower should Flower
Grassy brassy knolls
But proles at the polls
Sold their Souls
To joust like Faust
Ignore Marcel Proust
Cower before the Ivory Tower
Odd bod elite’s law
Tweets of Sod and God
No Enlightening
Repeats the prism
Or algorithm beats
Every criticism schism
“Ism”..a frightening..lightning rod
Pot..black..kettle knack
Debauched cheats pedal to the metal
Out of whack flak attack
Unsettle our mettle
Plot to settle that score
Scorched and torched serfs
Any petal in fine fettle
& the earth's core
What‘s better than a biscuit?
Hard to debunk
Treasure trunk funk
Should you let
It get wetter
Would you dare risk it?
The trick a quick dunk
Or could flunk..flick..kerplunk..
Mushy chunk sunk..messy junk
Slushy slunk..in the tea you drunk
So at your leisure
Pleasure one’s self
Don’t regret your stealth
Forget your health
Wealth beset on the shelf
So feeling restive?
Yearn for a digestive?
Appealing…suggestive
No shock..dark choc
What else will cut the mustard
With a brew…for a few bob
Recurring theme..does seem
Will always dream
About a custard cream
Almost sob…as I Lob
A hob-nob in me gob
Ta pour more cha
In fine fettle
Be a slob
Turn on the kettle
Bickies in the jar
On the sofa settle
Sins within tins
Spurn concern
Ignore the racket
As
Hats do doff
Knew from the off
On a roll
The sole goal
Quaff another cuppa
Down your cake hole
Scoff the whole packet!
There comes a young lad from abroad.
He wants a car but can’t afford.
So he gets scrap metal
And this he does fettle.
Then calls it a Honda Accord.
He took it out for a test-run.
At first this seemed to be great fun.
But in metal he fettle
The welding was brittle.
Suddenly it all came undone.
'wind is pounding in my heart'
It tears across the steppes and plain, it guides my mind and eases pain
Whithin the yurt, upon the road, it whets my mind; eases the loads
I've rode it's Breast ten thousand times,' with banner high the yak tails nine
Its of my blood, throughout my race, we hold it near'in flood; or trace
It's face is clear,, it's embrace strong, we sing it's praise riding along
The clatter of the ponys hooves, not loved by those who dwell neath rooves.!
The pallid sallow, wall surrounded.. And when we start they'll be astounded..'
We ride hard two days and nights, to charge and wheel; and ever strike.'
To clear a space, where yurts can be; then to move in travel free
To wake to different scenes around, to venture quickly into feotid towns
To take a bargain, to strike a deal; to return to the fire, and let sleep steal
And in this act, renew our mettle, to grasp each chance with finest fettle.
'For the contest of Constance Lafrance'
'Be inspired by your muse'
Written 17 8 2022
A Tango on the Lake
When Hooded Grebe are wooing a mate
Magic’s made in tangoes on the lake
Lovebirds perform synchronised in tune
Bewitched beneath a bedazzling moon.
It’s a wonderful courtship display
Where intricate movements come to play
They rise above swaying cheek to cheek
Afore spinning round in ecstasy.
Stretching their necks as they pirouette
Head wagging when dancing breast to breast
In harmonious amorous moves
That show they’re eager and in the groove.
A theatrical exhibition
Igniting the flame of their mission
Tango danced in ardent fettle
Worthy of winning a gold medal.
It’s inspiring what Hooded Grebe do
In a dance of devotion for two
Lovebirds mysterious alchemy
Procuring tango naturally.
30th October 2021
The sensitive brilliance of a lighted flame.
Yet, filled by vitality, will spark and inflame.
I had been ashes, encouraged by your presence.
At first, faint flares, yet before long propel us.
Utterly, we were talented to a calm rumble.
I was interested in the brilliant shade fettle.
Applauds such warm and compassionate eyes.
I don't cognize how you'll harm me in disguise.
Love sprouts as auld as the roses bloom in June.
The gathering happiness under the halcyon moon.
The people of yore wrote in regards to romance.
We were unable to strive to conceal our happiness.
The fire was quenched by nightfall.
Relics degraded to an opulent sprawl.
Written: October 22, 2021
Thick bubbles of tea leaves, whistling in the kettle.
Most times, the mule was a symbol of obstinacy.
I don't mean bored but yet didn't grasp the fettle.
We're stuck here, so we'll continue for eternity.
a 4 lane bi-way east and west;
first come upon passing of a dead skunk;
Next comes a squirrel
and then another skunk on the north side of the lane;
just there laying on their sides dead as nails;
Now the odor so pungent;
smells of death
almost liken human, dog, or other animal remains, yet worse;
Fetal fettle dead carcasses
up the road
Lord, God almighty animalistic death's hold
Don't know if them critters were sick or poison
Something but life got a hold of em'
The trees sway to the dance of the wind
Lightening strikes and crawls the skin
From the graves, the spirits do wallow
fuming against nature and what is to follow.
The owl hoots it's melody
screeching off a bat it had for company
unperturbed by nature's rampage,
Sizzling along in its heinous carnage.
The hedgehog reposes in gloom
Mystified by nature's pending doom
forgetting the gnawing of hunger
it's only concern, to brave the thunder.
The Down finally unravels
Pausing the fierce side of nature's travels,
Spitting out the cherished rays
and exciting the birds to whistle in many ways.
The hedgehog emerges in high fettle
Nudging off the droplets from its bristle
basking in the glory of sunlight
and running hither thither in delight.
Fallen trees tell yesterday's pitiable story
But today's rays depicts another glory
and while the Owl may sleep on different places,
the hedgehog is still oblivious of nature's faces
© Temajung Michael T.
in quietness divine
the xanthous zephyr balm
a citrusy ascent
to sip on Summer’s tea
a lovely day is spent
in quietness divine
a fine fettle of dreams
the fantasy, a soak
an Autumn bath of leaves
the stately sigh of oak
in quietness divine
by brandy quell of warmth
the crunch of hooves in snow
a pen and paper touch
and subtle shade aglow
in quietness divine
calm wings with songs enchant
all Spring is kin of dawn
behold a lake with swans
pink petals on rose lawn
1/25/2021
ALL YOURS
SPONSOR: BRIAN STRAND
Sedated, but now in full fettle
Yet I cannot boil the darn kettle
I can’t turn on tv
But can go for a pee
My hubby must be on his mettle!
Having been sedated I am not allowed to ‘operate ANY domestic equipment for 24 hours – I am lucky I have hubby and son to help me … but feel for anyone who lives on their own
07/07/20
Abide
by Michael R. Burch
after Philip Larkin's "Aubade"
It is hard to understand or accept mortality—
such an alien concept: not to be.
Perhaps unsettling enough to spawn religion,
or to scare mutant fish out of a primordial sea
boiling like goopy green tea in a kettle.
Perhaps a man should exhibit more mettle
than to admit such fear, denying Nirvana exists
simply because we are stuck here in such a fine fettle.
And so we abide...
even in life, staring out across that dark brink.
And if the thought of death makes your questioning heart sink,
it is best not to drink
(or, drinking, certainly not to think) .
Originally published by Light. Keywords/Tags: Philip Larkin, Aubade, abide, death, mortality, depression, religion, drink, drinking, drunk, drunkenness, alcohol, addiction, fear, fettle, mettle, Nirvana, solitude, curtal sonnet
The shock that I felt was enormous,
as the tab on the cat food I pulled,
a fountain of biscuits shot out of the top-
the box, it was actually full !
I stood, disbelieving, bewildered,
this never had happened before,
I finally came to my senses again
and swept all the bits off the floor.
'Contents are liable to settle',
I've seen it on loads of foodstuffs,
in some cereals, where half of it is fresh air
and what's left is just not quite enough.
And bags of crisps, don't get me started,
whatever the flavour or range,
seven flakes, powdered crumbs
which just coat both your thumbs
and then leave your tongue feeling short-changed.
Forgive me, for always believing
(and I think most folks do, by and large)
that the air we breathe in now and always has been
since the dawn of mankind, free of charge.
So why do the makers of products
include something already free?
Just give us lots more of the thing I paid for
and leave all the breathing to me.
And when my time one day is over
and no longer am in fine fettle,
the box I'm carried off in,
on the lid of the coffin
write ' contents are liable to settle'.
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.