Fifty Eight Poems | Examples

Autobiography of John Sidney McCain III, Sometime Senator of Arizona

1. To Fly
My father was an admiral, and so
I joined the Navy. Back in fifty-eight
to be a pilot seemed the way to go:
ship-sailors were committed to a crate.
Scrub decks? Paint rusting gunwales? That’s a ‘no’.
The Skyhawk was my weapon (and my fate!)

2. Rubicon Crossing

Some nations follow rainbows, I am told:
we thought, in Vietnam, ‘search and destroy’
would lead us to our fabled pot of gold.
For years we tried it, but it brought no joy:
we lost our nerve, and switched to ‘clear and hold’.
Saigon endured the selfsame end as Troy.


3. Brainwash

The Hanoi Hilton. Yes, I was a guest.
They found my father was a VIP,
and left off hurting me. Impressed,
they wanted to restore my liberty.
But if I left my buddies, I’d detest
myself. I turned them down. That’s decency!

4. Frozen Side of the Sun

Should politicians simply sing the song?
A woman voter told me, in the hall,
Obama was a Muslim. I said, “Wrong!”
I guess I lost her vote. I made the call
I knew was the correct one. I was strong.
Thus conscience doth make cowards of us all.

Whole Lotta Love

I was a late arrival
born in nineteen fifty-eight,
during the folk revival.
As a kid, music was survival.
Records then sounded great
on a platter or a plate,
like Peter, Paul, and Mary,
and Puff on a seventy-eight.

Later, having no place to go
and no one to meet,
Mr. Tambourine man would show
a wonder I did not know.
In my consciousness, he took a seat, 
I listened o'er and o'er.
I put it on repeat - 
something worth living for.
Chase dreams, he would entreat.

How I remember, in the park,
I heard my first live electric guitar.
At the sound of that spark,
something in me, no longer dark,
like fusion in a star,
with electricity instilled, 
from where I was, it took me far.
Everything inside me thrilled.

That was only just the start. 
There are too many bands to name, 
who created musical art
to expand the mind and heart, 
no two of them the same,
like the Airplane and Grateful Dead,
peace and love, they would proclaim, 
and those sentiments would spread.

Gable

When he left us, he left us too soon.
He starred in 13 episodes of "Tycoon".
It was a day that all of his fans were sure to hate.
Christopher left us at the young age of fifty-eight.
He starred in "The Distracted Preacher" and "The Boy Friend".
Many people were surprised when his life came to an end.
In addition to being an actor, Gable was a ballet dancer.
This talented man lost his life in 1998 because of cancer.
He starred as "Sharaz Jek" when he starred in Doctor Who.
Christopher was a special individual and that's certainly true.


[Dedicated to Christopher Gable (1940-1998) who died on October 23, 1998]

Nadir

The worst nadir in my young years
that brings me still to shed sad tears;
while I was pregnant- months to wait-
September, nineteen fifty-eight.

My new friend's child was six weeks old,
and for a while, left me to hold
and watch her for an hour or two
while she ran errands that were due.

I fed and rocked her sound to sleep;
with love, my arms around her keep.
When Mom returned, she quickly went;
no signs of heartache- felt or sent.

Come morning, we woke from a scream-
and thought perhaps, Mom had a dream!
But no! Such horror took our breath!
Her baby passed- classed as crib death!

I could not comfort my dear friend;
her miracle came to an end.
Just like myself, so filled with mirth-
she'd waited for the thrill of birth.

Now, sixty-five years since that day-
this hurt within won't go away.
Though from that base, we all did part-
still feel my friend's pain in my heart.

More Idiom Humor

More Idiom Humor
Miracle Man 
1/23/2024

Some days I just wake up feeling of low self esteem,
I survey the night’s happenings and almost scream.

Other days I feel “dumber than a barrel of hair”,
asking myself this question, Does anyone care?

I’m feeling “as useless as two wagons in a one horse town”.
and, of course it’s the news that has given me my frown. 

Sometimes I feel the need of a little morale booster,
but that would be “like putting socks on a rooster”.

I dare not wake Sweetie so I’m “as quiet as a meadow mouse”,
“Because she can start a fight in an empty house”.

I’ll ask what’s for breakfast when I’m craving food,
I can tell by her stare, if “She’s in a horn tossing mood”.

She responds with, “Whatever floats your boat,” smurf,
now I’m left “as confused as a goat on astroTurf”.

 After fifty-eight years I’ve grown used to her “naggin”
now, “It’s just about time to put our chairs in the wagon”.

At our advanced age very little induces a laugh,
but my sweetie knows, “if I’ve got a biscuit, she’s got half.”

Fluttermill Park

If you enter through 
The rusty back gate
Messily labeled 105 and
Walk thirty steps to your right,
You will come across
A beaten path
Overgrown with forgotten weeds
And the remnant leaves of autumn.

But twenty steps into the forest,
A maple tree stands alone amongst thorny bushes.
And if you stray here from the path
Fifty-eight steps through the branches,
Listen closely.

For you can hear the hinges
Of a small wooden door
Leading to the home of an elf
Where she returns from her gathering,
Bakes acorn-pie,
And uses buttons to set the table.

If you stay silent
Little pixies
With insect-like wings–
Some with the wings of a bee
Or wings of the teal dragonfly–
Flutter between leaves,
Collecting soft foliage
To sew clothing 
In their homes within the trees.

Keep your eyes peeled,
And you may see a gnome
Walking up a hill in the distance
Peeking under logs and bushes
Searching for his squirrel companion.

Then you blink,
And they are gone.

Kismet

A summer day in 'fifty eight
when providence found me a mate

Neither of us knew ,what was then to be
from passion, love was brought forth to me

Attraction's magnet drew us together
nothing was ever,our love to sever

In memory that day still glows bright
&she is the same, love at first  sight

A Valentine Couplet

That summer day in 'fifty eight
when providence found me a mate

Neither of us knew ,what was then to be
passion& love,was brought forth from me

Attraction's magnet drew us together
nothing, ever,our love to sever

In memory that day still glows bright
she, remains, that  first love in my sight

Still my February valentine
her constant love stays mine..mine..mine

A Bit of a Do At the Zoo

There’s a panda tap dancing in hobnails
There’s an octopus mixing up cocktails
A bush kangaroo
Blows on a kazoo
While the band are all tadpoles or pond-snails

A gorilla is dancing the tango
With a chimp who’s still holding a mango
The chimp wins the crown
For getting on down
To the lambada and the fandango

At the bar there’s a drunk alligator
And he’s fancies a croc who’s the waiter
With so many teeth
He knew there’d be grief
So he’s seeing a pelican later

Well the peacock so prim and resplendent 
Gave his coat to the cloakroom attendant
Chicks don’t check him out
Because he’s without
His plumage on which he’s dependant 

Then the moose said it soon will be nine
Please finish your beer or your wine
It’s eight fifty-eight
His key’s in the gate
So try not to leave any sign

There's a pen near the big rabbit hutch
With a sign saying please do not touch
A young lad from Goring
Said Pandas are boring
They don’t seem to do very much

Top Ten Percent

Plastic for garment hopeful Mc Guyver
        Privileged upbringing Mum funded Uni
        Drooping arms self described Survivor 
        Sends selfies working store security 

       
        Each week forgot which time we'd set to meet
        Busy cuddling cat in his hoarders house
        Box obstructed rooms, pet fur pile retreat
        Expensive half hour at strip club aroused
         

        Deep thought Duncan sombre long faced hellos
        Told off at new job for being morose
        Six year psychiatrist compiled his woes 
        Used a lot of glue trying to make clothes! 


         Fifty eight, next door mother truest friend 
         Asserts he's recognised among top ten


 
                      
                   31st January
    
                Duncan in denial

Eight Years Old

Eight Years Old

I’m eight years old, nearly nine
But I’ll never get there
There’s not enough time
I’m a delinquent youth
Trapped in an old body
I’d still love a trainset
Though I am a fuddy duddy.
Clothes at Christmas, but
I feel slightly miffed
I wanted a gadget
For my Christmas gift.
New headphones, or
A new guitar, set of drums
You’re right it’s really bazaar.
My wife understands
She married a boy
Who has grey hair
And prefers a toy
I’m sixty-six next month
It seems unreal
Fifty-eight years older
Than I feel

David Cox 02/01/2023

Apples Live Up To Prediction

rich fertile tree with brown-turning wrinkled leaves
surrounded by your own fruitful bounty
many rounded orbs with teeth marks in them
do Kansas deer have teeth?

begin to count them as I rake them up
one apple, two apples, three apples, four
lose count at fifty-eight or sixty-eight, unsure
it is going to be a hard winter I tell my husband,

sorting these apples is a mess.
some are barely salvageable, squishy and overused
there are few without defects, but I do not blame the tree
she does the best she can, every year

this year she surpassed herself
living up to prediction of Farmer’s almanac
winter will be colder and nastier than usual
which explains this unforeseen number of apples in October

Dot To Dot

It seems strange now that I did not see
as I joined the dots one, two, and three.
Even through numbers four, five and six,
there was nothing I saw, nada, nix.
The pencil in hand soon did combine
a line between seven, eight, and nine;
then ten, eleven, twelve and thirteen
(past my age) and still, nothing was seen.
I skipped quickly from there to nineteen
yelled; I think it's a giant sardine.
Dad said no, son, you need to do more.
Slowly the line went past twenty-four,
so far, way past, now to forty-four.
The pencil went blunt, my fingers sore.
A big round circle to fifty-eight
I thought I saw it and said wait, wait!
No need to wait 'till hundred and ten
I saw what was there, a big fat hen!

I kept going past hundred and nine,
finished, coloured; it was mighty fine.




Dot to Dot Poetry Contest; placed 2nd
Sponsored by: Kim Rodrigues
Date written: 17th November 2022

The Poem I Never Wrote Before

In love- we married young-
my dear Marine and I.
We moved from North to South
to settle in the home
which housed our little nest-
June- nineteen fifty-eight.
My poems honor this.

But, I was not prepared
for visions- oh, so sad-
by me, not seen before;
the sins of racism.

The dual waiting rooms,
restrooms, drinking fountains;
each bus split- front and back.
Divided schools and church;
most restaurants denied.
I could not fathom this.

Those awful scenes- now since 
made right- but that sad past-
my words could not address.


October 7, 2022

Micro Fifty Eight

Hang out with people just like you? 
No, surround yourself with people 
who inspire and level you up.

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