Written: July 7, 2026 for a contest sponsored by Tania Kitchin
Checked by HMS.COM ( 9/9/6/6/9)
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A flamingo turned pink in the sun
Said, "This blistering summer is done
I am baking like bread
From my toes to my head
So I'll wade where the cool currents run
Her pink hair is like a beacon
Similar to the green roof on my van.
It stands out from a crowd of, white vehicles
In the carpark of a busy shopping centre.
She ,stands out from the crowd of;
Blacks,browns, blondes,auburns
and balding greys
Inside the bustle of a, busy shopping centre.
Where in the blink of an eye you spot her,
Elegant ,and pretty,like a flamingo.
who has seen the flamingo quartet?
This was asked of me by a stranger not met
I thought he was nutty until a bit later
For I encountered the quartet in the elevator
They were all excited, outside finally from their state
We sing jazz and pop they told me; I whispered great.
Want us to sing you a tune? I had nowhere to go.
They sang me to death; that elevator was way too slow.
Stand on longlegs,,
cool shallow water.
Colors are pinks not reds.,
Tourists taking pictures,
as we look away.
Today no eggs.,
toast with one leg
pink gurus mocking
but don't bother to beg--
their pedestal secret,
such disciplined form
starts from the egg
EXPRESS THROUGH COMPRESSION POETRY Poetry Contest
Nette Onclaud
3/1/26
Birds in concerts,
wade in unison,
circling the pond's outskirts
in mirrored expressions
of pink sunrises
and lovely spurts.
Seeing flamingoes
can lighten my grieving heart
for a few moments
Did you know that
Flamingos love to tango?
Three steps forward, one side step,
Shake of the hips, they end the prep.
Quick, quick, slow, gracefully slide,
Flamingos dance as colorful as mango.
Trumpet-like lilies by the lake
preen for the flamboyant flamingo,
sifting through the murky waters,
searching for algae and shrimp
where crawdads click and clatter.
While silvery fish glide stealthily
leaving barely a ripple behind,
a chorus of frogs’ croaks
echo like the whining twang
of a plucked banjo string.
Dragonflies skim the water’s surface
as their translucent wings shimmer
like gems in the sunlight,
dart about the amaranth lilies
waltzing in the summertime breeze.
Pink hue flamingo it must be due to all
the carotenoid pigments feasted on
algae and crustaceans
An elongated neck spirals
and filters such sensations
Sharing color is Okinawa salmon sushi,
bolster lobster and shrimp scrimp
Graceful qualifiers primp poised tropical dwellers
balancing effortlessly on one outstretched leg,
A ballerina’s pirouette in fuchsia tutus’
Statuesque stillness in shallow water
Rosette feathers flair flamboyance
Passionate plumage, blushing boas
Webbed feet tap and stamp below,
an aquatic burlesque show
The flamenco dance named after you
Rose-tinted creature tranquil, wader
Hook-billed blackened lamellae
sieved nobly, an intense look in a print
Cluster buster of pink with lengthy legs that sprint
Pink flamingo had a flaming personality for sure.
The highhanded words he used were always so pure.
He kicked off a shoe and it landed smack into manure.
This made him a little less uppity, but a bit more mature.
She was dressed like a flamingo floozie
Her big boobs and booty ~ what a doozie!
Wearing a shade of pink
She flirted with a wink
I ran away from Wicked Witch, Soozie
Soozie was once a he-man. Way back when
Turned into a Barbie doll... do ya Ken?
Overdid the implants
Axed the bulge in her pants
I heard tell her name used to be Big Ben
*Finding a balance between writing humor and serious poetry.
I try but will never be as well-rounded as Soozie... Thank Goodness!
Behold how pleasure seeps through to the strangest places;
as if it's effects could make a river climb a steep incline.
A pink, feathered ball with a pipe cleaner neck and an old rubber nose, stands in stasis.
Or should I says hops, where exactly do we draw the line?
It's blinding pink is no sign of flamboyance nor an ostentatious display.
Flamingos are what they eat and what they eat doesn't give a damn about their mental state in the coming months.
Smirks creep, snickers descend, what colour of lonely shall it choose today?
Grey would be great but the grim reaper is not someone one confronts.
One leg to hold on and the other dedicated to keeping up appearances.
A stand-up has no chance against a desolate land with an estranged flamingo slotted in centre stage.
Spotlight focused, eyes agaze, feed upon this barren creature and forget common decencies.
If only it could choose it's colour...red, red with rage.
flamingo is testing a toe today
we are racing to the water said cousin Ray
I did not relish being down by the bay
on the 4th of july, a truly busy tourist day
come on! he urged me. we can frolic and play
I did not want to go, yet, I did not want to stay
which flamingo is it? I asked my cousin Ray.
The pink one he said, come on Fay!
I gave my pink feathers a good old shake, and
Combed my hair with a short plastic rake
I picked up a cake mix I was going to make
Stirred it up, and put it in the oven to bake
Today I was going to my Silver Sisters
And I hoped we’d play twister
But I wanted to look my best, so
I went to the closet and took out a purple vest
I looked in the mirror to get a good view
Decided my lipstick was not the right hue
What color to use, I hadn’t a clue
I decided pink earrings would have to do
Oh, my earrings
They bobble
Whenever I hobbled
So, I stood on one leg
And called my friend Peg
We went to the meeting together
BJ Cuber
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