Peace within the heart for nothing else will do
you gave all you had now time will follow through
Quick satisfactions are disappointing for they lapse
anything worth lasting needs time not to collapse
Labors sweat and toil with planning complete
minutes become hours into days begetting weeks
Relationships on hold work wide and clear
once completed those ignore blessed with profit to share
Work is a duty for living needs a choice
a purpose for being gives the world your voice
Tired but never weary forging ahead
dreams never reality lying around in bed
When the work is done and night whispers for rest
Call it a day knowing in pride you did your best
Walking dead. Zombies.
Drones looking for sustinance.
Hungry with blank eyes.
Living no life and loveless.
Aimlessly forging ahead.
Walking dead. Zombies.
Reminds me of the living.
No life, yet still here.
Sit in front of screens and die;
Wasting away to nothing.
Walking dead. Zombies.
Perhaps, we are the dead ones.
Not truly alive;
Missing all-important things.
Killing off our connection.
Tanka Triptych Poetry Contest
Sponsor: John Anderson
Entered:08/17/2025
The Grind
In Gielinor's realm, where legends reside,
A hero emerges, with nowhere to hide.
From Lumbridge to Kharazi, a journey untold,
With pickaxe and sword, a story unfolds.
The grind is relentless, the hours they blur,
Woodcutting, mining, a monotonous stir.
But whispers arise, of glory and fame,
To slay the great dragon, and conquer the game.
From barrows to bandits, a constant fight,
Forging ahead, with unwavering might.
Each skill a triumph, each level a gain,
A digital odyssey, easing the pain.
With friends by your side, a camaraderie deep,
Sharing the burden, secrets to keep.
The memories linger, the laughter, the tears,
A timeless adventure, conquering fears.
So raise a tankard, to Gielinor's might,
To heroes of old, who battled through night.
For in this realm, where legends are born,
The spirit of Runescape forever will adorn.
Trying to gel
Thoughts dwell
Mind swell
Tapping a rhyming well
Skills fell
A rusty tell
A weak sell
Heating coils smell
I went to the well and found it parched
Shake me awake for the long march
Forging ahead slowly through the land
No pen or notebook in my hand
Drinking in the sights for inspiration
Hoping for a rebirth or continuation
Moving ahead in the journey
Deciding if I am road worthy
The next stop is unknown
Words stitched and sewn
Will this advanced lens work for me
Can I recover philosophically?
Forging ahead, means so much to so many folks
for myself this means multi-planetary inhabitation...
this is a great undertaken cause many think it's a hoax,
Space X doesn't think so, nor I, as a matter of fact...
we need to hurry, hurry on up there, establish human,
existence, not to perish like dyno's did, stay focus on that,
why now, well we can, need to provide all people a living...
"one universal work force for humanity to survive",
think what this will accomplish, ramifications' stayin' alive
doom also gloom can happen any day, every day we do not...
launch our spaceships, set up infer-structure to these means
like turning our head, when passing homeless, also 'r' astronaut's
I'm tired.
getting old and gray
little left to say;
a mere observer of this world's cries
contemplating the hows and whys;
all those wherefores, ifs, ands, buts
of when and where life cuts,
time became so slow
it appears a mystery
fleeting along the paths of history
suddenly downhill,
stagnant movement within the standstill;
a keepsake at best,
sleeping without rest,
waking with little words or phrases,
obsessed by what was past ages,
what should have been of life's written pages,
and what is yet to be said
of marking time lost, yet forging ahead;
but I'm too tired somehow,
observing once more, the past that is now.
From my earliest memories I knew something was wrong,
I felt trapped in a place, where I didn’t belong.
Standing in mud with no solid ground.
Loved ones close by, but never around.
A forced smile always hid, what I was feeling deep down.
Half my life under water, but yet I did not drown.
My outward reflection was beautiful in the light,
but my demons beat me down in the shadows of night.
I had nowhere to run and only one place to hide.
I kept forging ahead, with little to no pride.
Would fair to midland, always be the best achieved?
There just had to be an answer, at least that’s what I believed.
Each night I would sink back into the mud,
and then rise every morning back out of the crud.
As I search for my answer, I blindly wander this earth.
I look for redemption, and a magical rebirth.
January 1, 2021
LOTUS OF MY HEART Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Mystic Rose Rose
This morbid 2020 is coming to its end.
Please love your family and all of your friends.
We are far more important than political views.
Keep forgiveness in your hearts, we have all paid our dues.
Our differences make us unique and never forget.
Most of us knew each other when our ears were still wet.
We are still the same souls, remember that kid at heart.
Together we are strong so let’s never drift apart.
I value you all, you are important and you matter.
We are all different ingredients that make up a great batter.
Life is short, keep in mind what really counts.
We all have our struggles, just in different amounts.
Keep forging ahead, take each day as they come.
It’s ok to march to the beat of a different drum.
Be yourself and try not to judge.
Live for today and don’t hold a grudge.
The early Christians gave their lives to spread the Word
Unmoved by fear, death, or the sword
Bold in the Spirit they set out for lands unknown
Some by themselves, yet not alone
Be not afraid to toll the virtues of the Lord
Shout from the mountains to the seas
Recruit the lost, enlist ourselves in His army
I’ll never lose my faith, despite adversity
My strength, my spirit comes from God
When faced with challenges I dive into the Word
Refreshed in spirit, bathed in light
The modern Christians keep the flame of Christ alive
Unmoved by liberality
Their plate of armor is two thousand years of history
Forging ahead with God’s decrees
We can’t let modern pressures stray us from the course
Stay true to what the mission is:
Convict the world with love, and love is Christ, and Christ is love
I’ll never lose my faith, despite adversity
My strength, my spirit comes from God
When faced with challenges I dive into the Word
Refreshed in spirit, bathed in Light
We all suffer from this annoying affliction.
Writers block can be challenging, like a junkie’s addiction.
A good garbage ink can do wonders for the soul.
Attaining perfection is not usually the goal.
Whether they are words of wisdom or a description of nature.
Some write about politics or their divine creator.
Try something different, try something new.
Keep forging ahead through the poetry blues.
Some words will flow and some will not.
It’s not the end of the world just work with what you’ve got.
Take a look around, soak it all in and grow.
Your muse will return and show you it’s glow.
When you least expect it, your words will just flow.
Don’t ever think that you’ve reached your plateau.
Your block will let loose of its stranglehold.
Your muse will come back with more words of gold.
Straight moves the locomotive train miles
Traveling over desert flatland forging ahead,
Coal steam engine Number 9 chug, chug, chug,
Sound waves rolls through, satisfying sensation is said.
Locomotive whistle sounds station steam rolling in,
Little one hears repeats ‘choo-choo’ rolls to stop,
All aboard! Rolls locomotion moving, snack on tasty
Peanut brittle, readying for dining car delicious hop.
Mom holds little son on her lap, with sounds
Cowboys and Indians along the train,
Surprise action wonder, heard of Hereford
Beef cattle is west trademark railroad vein.
Character western attitude locomotive fun
How the west was won whistle-stop rustic town,
Gold payload brought on of family and cousin
Forge ahead, chug along, Heaven brings us together joyous sound.
I woke up this morning with a tale to be told
I looked in the mirror and realized I am old
My mind is now trapped in sore muscles and scars
Days of my youth I wonder where you are
These days will be missed tomorrow anew
How will I go on what now shall I do?
I now must embrace what lies ahead
Vitamins and creams less hair on my head
With each step I take my joints they do creek
Snap crackle and pop everything's now weak
I have crooked sore hands from years of hard work
Arthritis creeps in with a laugh and a smirk
My ankles and knees now struggle each day
My aching sore feet now stop where they may
I will keep forging ahead with my cane added on
Today I will mourn for my youth forever gone
*comments welcome and appreciated *
where the heart leads
adventures follow
daring hearts
geared up to go
enthusiasm soaring
anticipating the challenge
forging ahead with confidence
thriving on the lust for conquest
lay groundwork for elation
swooping in wholeheartedly
eager to launch each escapade
lunge and pounce with conviction
high on the taste of freedom
riding the waves of time
deriving satisfaction
biting into life
measure man against himself
alone in the universe
master of his destiny
owning his achievements
implode with passion
Published in my 24-page photo book ~DIVING IN~ 2019
Read on air by invitation ~ August 25, 2020 'LATE NIGHT POETS'
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
My dog, Happy,was a a Wire Haired Fox Terrier.
To Happy, in life, there no was such thing as a barrier!
Twas a lesson for me, I think, looking back,
Let nothing stop me from forging ahead.
Not people, not fear, nor doubts.
Just get off my duff, stop sniveling,
And leap out with joy out of bed.
5/25/2019
8:20pm PST
Naked we came, the same way we will go.
Our joyful moments are mingled with pains as we grow.
Nothing we have is permanent but in and out they stroll.
Then what is life and the desire to want to be old?
Life is nothing but Vanity.
Many have come and they lived their end in shame.
Others lived short yet touched lives and ended in fame.
How we live our lives we will have none to blame.
We must therefore remember that life will end all the same.
Life is nothing but Vanity.
Every moment we live is a gift from the Maker,
Expecting us to make life better for one another.
How well we fulfill the Maker's wish we must ponder.
Doing His will in our little way is all that will matter.
For Life is nothing but Vanity.
Hurry, it is the time to build what will last,
Forging ahead to make amends as we can no longer change the past.
Quickly and away our time will blast.
Content and happy we must be when we breath our last and our life in the shadow cast.
Life is nothing but vanity.
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