A bully found within—
always the one wronged,
going to great lengths
to communicate your offence
at things so trivial.
You are the ironic
definition of the humdudgeon!
Almost obsolete in the dictionary
and modern use.
When you were needed most,
you were gone.
Falsete and Fach
---------------------------------
octaves play a crucial
structural and
stylistic role
lowest notes fall below
the 20 Hz threshold
of human hearing and
can only be
measured with instruments
12 semitones
Sound frequencies range
from about 20 Hz to
20,000 Hz, which covers
roughly 10 distinct
octaves of audible sound
There are 7 full octaves
plus 3 extra low keys
, totaling 88 keys that
span about 7.25 octaves
------------------------------------
Mastretta De Sa' Sopranista
------------------------------------
-E per quanto riguarda le possibilità
passando a un approccio
basato sui problemi?
traditions start somewhere
doing things for a reason is
often the right thing
to do
looking toward
our goales
budgeting our endeavor
profiting
and profit sharing
to create healthy
long lasting
relationships
that are meaningful
and complimentary
-----------------------------
It starts small~
a sigh sharp enough to slice drywall,
a muttered well I never,
then a dramatic shuffle of papers
that did absolutely nothing wrong.
Then the arms cross.
The eyebrows rise.
The soul leaves the body
for a brief smoke break.
Suddenly this fully grown human~
tax-paying, grocery-shopping,
responsible-for-a-mortgage human~
is having a full-tilt hissy fit
because the Wi-Fi blinked
or someone said calm down.
There’s foot tapping.
There’s theatrical breathing.
There’s a moment where they stare
into the middle distance
like a pioneer widow
who just broke the last jar of peaches.
And you stand there thinking,
Lord help us,
the toddler has escaped
and taken over the adult body.
But eventually~
after the sighs,
the flutters,
the tragic monologue
about how no one understands
the gravity of the situation~
they return to themselves,
smooth their shirt,
clear their throat,
and say with great dignity,
“I’m fine now.”
Saw it coming
Started running
Through woods
As fast as I could
Beautiful mirage arrived
Not going to die
Equipped with answers
From club dancers
"Do not fear
I have a long neck beer"
I watched her work
Popped the bubbly cork
After expressing wedding vows
Complementing our moonlight howls
because I don’t have today
because I didn’t have white
because I didn’t have marriage
The tea was cold, the air was tight,
a curated version of a Friday night.
He filled the silence like a crowded room,
bragging loud to mask the gloom.
A monologue of "me" and "mine,"
while I sipped water and watched the time.
He spoke for hours, a frantic stream,
yet said nothing of the things between.
Dull as lead and sharp as glass,
waiting for the clock to pass...
Then he leaned in, a sudden weight,
the clumsy climax of a hollow date.
The pressure of it broke the seal,
a sudden sob for everything real.
"The sun," I lied, though the light was low.
"Just got in my eyes," and I turned to go.
But then I saw it—the final blow,
the only thing I used to know.
He wore your shirt, that heathered grey,
A ghost of a person who’d gone away.
And in that wreckage, the humor took hold,
a flash of irony, bitter and bold.
I laughed at the cosmic, cruel design:
Your shirt on a stranger and none of you mine.
until it did, for me
within the
shape I designed
for the map of my own life.
My mismatched earrings are
a hamburger,
and a pickle
(to see who is looking,
and paying attention).
Who is playful
today?
Usually, a perceptive
five-year old
catches on
and enjoys the joke.
None of my jewelry
is expensive,
or will worry me if lost.
I am too busy loving life,
this day,
the cardinals,
(singing for no one),
the free coffee,
and the laughs.
I love vivid moments
in the break room,
the haha
with colleagues,
when our students
are in music class.
I forgot
what we laughed about.
It was too good
for semantic details.
The coffee
was Duncan Donuts:
weak, but worth it.
The snow is melting.
It is boring
and gray, outside.
The best laughter
doesn’t need a reason.
Miss Haley: your laugh
ignited mine.
When our classroom
was sedate, sleepy
and quiet,
you woke me up.
Across the hall,
a two-year old
was sitting on your lap
getting his shoes tied.
You were
being you.
I don’t need to know
the story
behind your laugh.
The richness of it
enriched my day.
My job, my school,
my colleagues
all bring me home.
I am done with the modern age's version of the rat race.
I'm done forcing myself to fit in just to feel so out of place.
I am choosing to live life at my own specific pace.
Waking up every day freezing cold
Feeling way lower than low
Feet hurt from walking,
cause you got nowhere to go
Everything you own in tow
Wishing you would have just known how to grow and let go of all of the pain and hurt
that encompassed your soul
And kept you from ever feeling whole
As long as you can remember,
You just wanted to be loved
But since the day you were born,
your mother made sure you knew
you would never be enough.
And every time push came to shove
You always came up short
from whatever it was
shtt fckn rough..
life always been way too tough.
Never known even an ounce of luck.
Trying so hard to give a fckk.
Prayin to have a chance to come up
But it seems ya missed that truck
On a dead end,one way road
.....just stuck
Brand new hand-me-downs
New to me is all that matters.
I like the style and washed-out colour.
And it fits just right.
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
My thoughts and well wishes, to you dear
Sir' you are fair, and well balanced, why did
They incacerate you in there.' The sickness
In system, will cause its own demise, that is reality..And beyond all disguise.'
A tickling in the nose that likes to tease
is the strange phenomenon - the sneeze,
but sneezes in succession cause unease,
especially accompanying a wheeze.
Think of an ACHOO while on a trapeze,
reaching for two arms - hanging by your knees!
A sneeze has force of 80 miles an hour. Geez!
What viruses escape into the breeze?
So if one day a winter's cold should seize
possession of the chest 'neath your chemise -
when I visit, keep a hanky handy, please.
At least "God bless you" beats cutting the cheese!
I tried to fold my fitted sheet
Took time to make it nice and neat
I tried my best
But was not blessed
It left me crying, "Holy sheet!"
Folding fitted sheets gives me fits
Watching more and more YouTube skits
Try hard as I may
It just doesn't pay
Enough—now I'm calling it quits!
Oh, really sorry, my arthritis acted up yesterday
Can’t play tennis ‘til the pain goes away
Gee, so sweet of you to invite for us out for dinner
But doctor’s orders, you know, I’ve got to get thinner
A free trip to Orlando? Sounds great!
‘Course, hip replacement next week… It’ll have to wait
You’ll pay me how much to work for you? Whoa!
Too bad I need my afternoon nap. I’ll have to say ‘No.’
When old age hits and you’re trying to fit in
Often all you can offer’s a look of chagrin
I struggled when I had a cold
As urine my bladder can't hold
I piddled quite a bit
During one coughing fit
I'm upset, as I'm not that old!
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