(Old Nagpa in eastern Tibet 2017, young girl in western Tibet 2009)
Gazing out from billions of unique eyes
Your face gives a glimpse of timeless lives
Old man as weathered wisened monk,
Young child full of joy without bounds,
Each and every one an endless story
Being told without record
Simply in the doing.
(7/29/26)
If to move you, my soul must listen to
What the readers of epic stories like.
I know that, through the jungle, I should hike
And skin an indigo snake for your shoes.
I know I should learn how to fight a bull.
I know I should defy my fierce quarry
In the arena, win fame and glory
To earn your hand after the spectacle.
I have no hero skills. I need the route
Of this tunnel guarded by scorpion men
To walk twenty-four hours and, after the den,
In the Garden of Eden, pick a fruit.
But can the fruit be my simplicity
To gain your passion and felicity?
Genuine contentment* is gain against greed's blight
Sans carnal cravings of selfish heart’s reign
While sufficiency bursts midst sharing delight.
Let’s chase not earthly wealth with temporal strain
Knowing that satisfaction matters most
Along kindness upon reaching-out terrain.
Grateful to God for blessings, heavenly dosed
Our spirits are filled with joy, serenely divine
As we care to give cheerfully, never to boast.
With prayer to keep our faith to shine
Bouncing from fall due to covetous heart
We now move on, fulfilling goodness-design.
Triumphantly contented to do our part
Every day is a fresh radiant start.
*1Timothy 6:6 ... Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1Timothy 6:11 ...O man of God, ...follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
April 22, 2026
2nd place, "2026-04-02 Write a Beautiful Terza Rima" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Constance La France; judged on 5/2/2026
Child of nature exudes harmony.
At peace with creatures large and small.
Pure heart and genuine enchantment.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
Oh to be loved and not lusted,
To be seen as a soul, not a body to borrow.
To have hands held with gentleness,
Not with hunger that fades tomorrow.
Oh to be known beyond the surface,
Beyond skin, beyond fleeting desire.
To be chosen in quiet moments,
Not only when hearts burn with fire.
Oh to be cherished slowly,
Like a song remembered for years.
Not a moment of passing passion,
But a love that outlives fears.
Oh to be loved and not lusted
To be valued, whole and true.
A heart held with intention,
A love that simply says: I choose you.
She walks among us but totally unblemished
AP: 2nd place 2026
They come in all sizes and all different colours.
Each breed has their unique look and personality.
But every last one is fiercely loyal to their master.
Dogs will always be looking to impress.
Throw them a stick and they'll run to retrieve it
wanting to show you how agile and valuable they are.
They'll respond to their name and given command
hoping to get a treat or be told they've been good.
They don't need a lot of attention, just a pat now and then.
Dogs show genuine love and excitement when you get home.
Show them a leash, they'll always be up for a W-A-L-K
or absolutely content to sit by your side at your feet.
So faithful, not a chance they will ever let you down.
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
Artificial Intelligence aka the end of creativity & death to all art. New age plagiarism in my opinion. The work of a bot with credit taken by one who's too lazy to think for themselves. Absolutely no good comes from Artificial Intelligence in regards to any form of art or expression of self. I honestly believe it will be the death of all art forms from reading to writing, from art to music etc & everything in between. Why do we as society promote this nonsense or even stand behind this foolishness in the first place? What does one gain from this? It isn't art in any way shape or form & nothing that comes from it is truly genuine or from the heart, it's B.S. that is created spur of the moment on the fly via bot processor or whatever the hell it is they use to operate. We as people need to bring an end to A.I. before it brings an end to us.
I do not love you with hope,
for hope waits at the edge of tomorrow,
clinging to what may come,
trembling at what may fade.
I love you with presence,
with the way your eyes
steady the wild places in me.
With the way silence between us
is never empty,
but full—like the hush of dawn.
I do not ask for forever,
though I would walk every forever with you.
I do not bargain with fate,
though fate has been kind to let me find you.
My love is not a contract,
not a plea for what might be,
but a truth that exists simply
because you are.
When I hold you,
it is not to keep you,
for you are not mine to keep.
It is to honor the miracle
of this moment,
the way our hearts
recognize one another
without condition,
without demand.
If tomorrow comes,
I will love you then, too—
not because I hoped for it,
but because my love does not vanish
with the setting sun.
It does not ask the world to bend,
it only asks to be given
as freely as it flows.
So take this love
as it is—
whole, unchained,
needing nothing but you,
as you are,
here, now.
This is genuine love:
not born of hope,
but of being.
He rush towards you
Like a wave to the sand
Closer than you expected
He found his way to you
To light up your world like the sun
So hold on to him tight
For you may never experience
That great feeling again
Just give love a chance in your life
And as your eyes meet his
Take a look into the beautiful future
That awaits the both of you
It could be a taste of heaven
Therefore, embrace him close to your heart
And pull him deeper into your soul
Because he's the genuine love of your life
That found his way to you.
S traight from the start.'
T rue blue allways for you
A ustralia allways in his heart.'
N ever one to turn his back.'
C oster known, the country round'
On that guitar, he strummed town to town
S ure supportive of ANZACS all..'
T reasure of so many, in outback halls
E very venue he played out his heart
R ecognised as an asset; Aussies value his art.!
Unleashed, raw and real
Unstoppable reaction...
I'm untamed laughter.
I do not want to surprise you in a poem
I am not an entertainer
Call me a bad writer even
I express my thoughts
in paper
and if they are boring it is ok
they are genuine
and mine
The word simple is so beautiful to me,
Even though I know I could speak intelligently,
I choose not to... here's why,
Would I want you to feel less valuable in my eyes,
People will relate your speech to their levels of communication and understanding,
I will not hide behind my intelligence to intimidate or safeguard my surroundings,
I would not use it as a shield to protect my heart,
Because I would rather be simple than off the charts smart,
I want that freedom, the ability to understand,
To relate and share your heart shows the courage of a man,
I will forever be simple...such a beautiful thing,
I enjoy the knowledge to know, but genuine love is my everything.
Simply smile
Can love define
Melt every heart.
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.