the underworld rumbles and summons
beckoning in groveled whispers
with undertones of shady pretenses
haunted by gods and demons
who brazenly wave their book of souls
tormentors do the dirty work in afterlife
meanwhile here kings and rulers
wealth in pocket pauper in heart
build their towers to climb to heaven
every last of these towers of babylon
will one day come apart at the seams
they’ll disintegrate and fall to dust
greed and hate and malice
feed self-fulfilling prophecies
of wars designed to never end
man’s self-destruction on auto-pilot
will one day rise their corpses from fetid ashes
and lead their crusade into eternal damnation
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Monorhymes are fun for all
I just chased one down the hall
He did a tumble and a fall
And threw at me a tiny doll
The doll was odd, she had a caul
She did not come from a plain mall
She was tiny, pretty small
Did a backward cartwheel on the wall
Monorhyme next threw a ball
I think he had a lot of gall
He made fun of my wrap and shawl
I groveled past and did a crawl
Does he intimidate you? Asked Paul
I saw a nod from my Uncle Saul
My mouth made a tiny little squall
Monorhymes terrify me after all
Docked your own can it tote-n-land home
Locked unknown antidote to amp the mode
Clamped-n-sewn your stamp will show
Plan it slow in a long tramp you know
Boat the load and camp your stow
Go for broke to brand a glow
Sold your joke now stand-n-soak
Hold folk accountable and count your table
Don't poke a mountable route make a staple
Flow on ropes tight like cable
Low-n-behold a dangle blame angle
Won't hold me-n-strangle in a shame shamble
That’ll level the bevel playing field left disheveled
Hips shoveled as his groveled
It’s bliss behold miss molted
Changes skin manages kin
Estranges them bandages again
Rearranges agendas to gain
Free ranges attendance scars remain
Eerie chances dependence hard refrain
Flee dances of steep step stances
Weep wept lands won’t weaken plans
We keep kept cans to seep sunken strands
Cold was the night when I sat down
The dimples on my cheeks were brown
When they're supposed to be bright red
The fear had gone into my head
I began scribbling with my pen
Words flowed out from that inky den
And danced with the flickering candlelight
Like Goosebumps tales told at night
Indeed it was a gruesome sight
Alone with ghouls of fear and fright
Stories were spewed and told again
Of wars, trust, betrayal and pain
of dragons, knights and leprechauns
And Chimera dining with djinns and fauns
Where Wellington cried Waterloo
And China hugged the Spanish flu
I was caught unaware that time flies
Caught in Anansi's web of endless lies
And bestial shapes spurned the papyrus
Groveled in oil exhumed from Cyprus
As Bucephalus crowned Archimedes
With the golden armor of Diomedes
The LNM stilled the North seas
The West, under siege from zom- bees
And the myth and magic of the ethereal
That mad, mad world, unseen for real
All came as one in blatant prose
There time and my pen both froze
The cosmos had let and closed the deal
The life surged to the inky seal
I felt a sudden chill down m'spine
Just at my door was Frank-in-stein
She gushed and groveled and thanked me time and again.
For a small gesture, taking a speck of dust off her chin.
He on the other hand never said a word.
Although I gave him a million dollar gift.
Both instances a tiny bit absurd.
Some people bend over backwards in all kinds of ways
To preen and primp and provide way too much praise.
Others take advantage, and then act all tough
and angry because what you give them is never enough.
Transfixed he mesmerized her with his Vampiric gaze.
Enthralled and spellbound she groveled forthright from her slough.
Only to find it was no man this guise, a hue.
A shade of color feigned in vain, it's you.
A hollow shell to cast aside when is convenient.
Left as putty for the patching when walls are up and ready.
Saved for change it casts a shadow of cold rainy blues.
Like the man you see at 711 reading paper not the news.
Take this life for what it is and fill up those empty spots.
Because before you know it you'll be whole and that is all that you've got...
I retreat to my own cavern now and then
One that is unknown to all the modern age
A pristine cave that swallows all my cares when
The cacophony of life borders on rage
Pastel stalactites have dripped long before men
Groveled on this planet in quest of a wage
Brightest sunlight spills through ferns and dries my tear
A lizard cocks his head, "You are safe in here."
Judge Who Held A Grudge
We knew Judge a grudge he would hold,
After one more predicted plot did unfold,
Hair ringy;
Also stingy,
Who is poorest one we ever have polled.
Jim Horn
Over 10 again.
Trump Slipped On Transcript
Seems like up again, Trump had slipped;
He said words not contained in transcript;
Were missed,
From his list;
Then when it would occur out he flipped.
Jim Horn
When You Gotta Go You Gotta
We know when you go you really gotta,
After you had learned would be a lotta,
Coming out,
No doubt;
Even when temptation off had fought a.
Jim Horn
Trump Had Groveled Riding Horse
While riding on horse Trump is groveling;
Putin and he caused horse to be hobbling,
And while there,
Horse did share;
After being off horse both were wobbling.
Jim Horn
Trump Sticking Out Neck
Trump as usual would stick out neck,
They say had resulted in a big wreck,
Many hurt;
Blood on shirt,
When being bitten by a bloody insect.
Jim Horn
Someone had taken another big swig,
After opening bottle with sharp twig,
To tavern go;
Did overflow;
And from head would loose their wig.
From the fences of hardships,
From the shores of alienation,
From the chains of compulsion,
She found me whilst recommencing life,
I only saw ugly nature of life, she uttered!
She reminisced, her way to blissfulness was shuttered!
Cheerfulness has come to her door a century ago alike!!
My heart and soul is always ready to feel your woes, I quoted
The pain of separation I’ve gone through,
Through which I sustained life’s untoward nature,
Had groveled my existence full of nightmares,
Never I wish this pain should anyone go through,
As it had made my life of no value,
as if, I had a rendezvous with death!!
Our reunion is a way out to the pain of separation? of both the sides!!
Let’s rejoice our past, I asked!
For, those moments had shone our life,
and those days never saw gloom in any way,
Never harsh times sustain,
I discovered today!!
As I saw her face blooming,
Enriching like beautiful daffodils!
When Marie Antoinette arrived in France, all she knew was ballroom and dance.
The champagne flowed from fountains of stone as her and King Louis sat on their thrones.
So lavishly dressed they were at their balls as the poor and the starving stood outside their walls.
At their feast they enjoyed pastry and meat, as the peasants groveled down at their feet.
It was then that the masses led a revolt and captured the King and the Queen in their coats.
They were taken away to the bastille, to await the trial that would end their ordeal.
When the trial came their sentence was death so they were led to the guillotine where they took their last breath.
3/17/2013
Terry Burns
Crumpled leaves, cool wind breeze
Dying grass, congregated mass
Cold dead stone,Corpes all alone
Buried in earth, begins another birth
Here lies the woman, The good,hearty person
Who died from old age, her time now is off stage
Shes beg and she's groveled, danced with the devil
But now she is free, free to feel glee
Dance in the flowers, away from mans powers
Death is a coming, It won't stop me from loving
Every day with the people i met, together life we will beat