The bright, innocent liveliness of knowledge
with the gentle flexibility of tender wisdom,
it would be good to hang them
on one narrow corner of an apple tree.
Knowledge, flapping about without much sense, wakes naïve wisdom,
and steady wisdom, in turn, widens the generosity of knowledge.
The handshake; a gesture, a sign of good will
If feeble, it may hide intent that is ill
Or is it the grip of a mind that’s unsure
Or shyness in one who’s not met you before
The handshake that comes with a heart-warming smile
Each, seemingly held for an overlong while
Should leave one suspicious as that firm grip lingers
That the other hand features two tightly crossed fingers
They say that a handshake’s a contract of sorts
The sort that shall carry no weight in the courts
So seek my advice and I’ll offer you this
A handshake means no more than ‘sealed with a kiss.’
But a hearty, firm handshake is hard to resist
So long as the thumb doesn’t tickle your wrist
For if you do not pull away then I fear
The antlers you’ll wear… of a sacrificed deer
But is there a handshake that stands true and good
A handshake to trust in, that maybe we should
The answer is “Yes” as you welcome friends in
But “No” if they’re wearing a big cheesy grin.
“Where They Bloom”
by Positive Mark
Phantoms are groomed where the black roses bloom.
Nights when you can’t find a dark enough room.
Feelings were hurt on all sides of the fence.
Thousands of wonderers left in suspense.
Masking true honesty.
Nurturing pride.
Luggage of falsehoods they pack for the ride.
Foreheads to eyelids to noses to chins.
Left handed hand shakes and satanic grins.
Gleaning from parables.
Chanting the psalms.
Jiggling the cheek ‘til it’s bruised by the palm.
Screeching of gospels surrounding a body that’s covered in flyers that reek of the party.
Black roses tossed out the window at night.
Dark enough room, now you search for the light.
Cyclical madness, but no one is taught.
Wars that are lost
when they’ve never been fought.
The greeting is bone
on,
the meat strong
not challenging.
Flesh mounds
rise,
river valleys,
flicker nocturnal,
as tunnels run through
roughhewn gullies.
Time takes a walk
across rib backed ridges,
carved lifelines carry
flickering windows
tugging
visions behind them.
Groundswells ripple over
tremors,
topographies entwine,
openly unwind.
Hands unhitch
to clutch at words -
none
necessary.
I never said you had to settle for less
this bargain we made
with sweetest handshake.
I'll look to you in the sun
meet where ground gives way to sky..
see if any lingering dreams came true
never to reason how or why.
If evening songs become few
you and I will know just what to do-
For two souls in twilight won
we'll rise and settle the sun.
glib smiles and handshakes
empty promises and lies
you offer false hope
evil intent is hidden
your true soul is well disguised
I look across our nation wide
… saddened by the view
Hopes and dreams in shattered heaps
Smoldering and askew.
Trust is lost, alliance gone,
Handshakes no longer known
Doubt and suspicion there
Normalcy’s been outgrown.
Both political realms
Must see what they have done
For in the final tally …
Neither of them have won.
Crossroads in the desert sands swirls,
an orb whirls around as clouds gather,
lightning bolt violet violently twirls,
roads crack with shotgun thunder.
Visage a pearl cascades as she approaches me,
cut through the dirt she speaks a litany reverie,
“You enjoy your dream, your echo, everything?”
My foot slides back as countenance begin smiling
“I didn’t shake or sign anything, don’t owe a thing”
Rain of black drops, red flower petals float to stop,
her face is red hot, phase, her hand on throat,
neck pop, body flop, she goes to exit and haha.
Body mockery, perversion snapping it all in place,
grotesquerie malediction snickering, wink, nod,
oh my she isn’t happy, torn asunder, plundered.
Macabre poetess back to life, Frankenstein revive,
staring into her eyes, “Legends never truly die”
Read in between the lines buh-bye
Once, a handshake was all it took;
a deal was struck, then hands were shook.
But today, trust has all but died;
and because lying is implied,
we treat everyone as a crook.
'shake hands'.. no
'namasthe'... yes
corona virus
S-imple
H-andshake
E-xpresses
R-emarkable
W-armth
I-n
N-iceness
A-s
H-ellos
A-re
I-mmeasurable
R-egards
U-sing
L-ove
Topic: Birthday of Sherwina N. Hairul (March 11)
Form: Vertical Monocrostic
A handshake's no longer in style
And fist bumps just lasted a while
But at a first meeting
There should be a greeting
Perhaps one that's more than a smile.
Yet some folks still offer a hand,
Though if they are taking a stand,
Their grasp should be strong
Like their palm does belong
And it didn't, by accident, land.
With a person whose handshake is limp,
You might think you're confronting a wimp
So it's best not to shake
'Cause you might, by mistake,
Form impressions on which you might skimp.
My father said there's much to tell
In how people might shake your hand
As someone grasps to wish you well
Or maybe, they seem not so grand
Some reveal surprise in their eyes
Secrets withheld - then bonds do break
Peering deeper, you sense a guise
Little lies put relations at stake
Look inside with this simple act
My father's opinion, not a fact
First impressions signal a cue
Help for those who need a clue
Heartfelt handshakes friends do make
Solitary clasps for goodness sake
A knot in a rope, a twist in a strap,
Bound tight to never give way,
Shackled in trust and tied to each other,
Relying on what they both say,
They’re able to confide the truth in each other,
Confide the secrets they own,
And know this truth will be securely kept,
Their words are written in stone,
They are friends who say what they actually mean,
And never distort, lie or cheat,
They know they don’t need to record what they say,
That there’ll never be any deceit,
This knot in the rope, the firmest handshake,
Only deals with honest and true,
It’s how we all believe and trust in each other,
It’s what reliable folks do.
We sit here quietly every day in our little space,
Taking phone calls and doing our job better than most.
We’re just like everyone else here stuck in the rat race
Working so hard at our job, while others seem to coast.
We haven’t noticed any new job postings on the wall,
Yet, the guy next to us seems to get “special assignments”.
Why don’t the team managers offer them to us all
Instead of quietly promoting with special treatment?
Just because we’re grunts, doesn’t mean we’re brainless.
We’re able to look around and see what’s going on.
Wouldn’t it be productive and fairly painless
To offer “special assignments” to everyone?
Give us all the same chance to better ourselves.
We all want to get off the phones as much as we can.
Management tries to keep it among themselves,
Rather than open the door to every woman and man.
The reason to write this is to stir a little commotion
Because of the lack of fairness around this place.
We all want to know the secret handshake of promotion.
The managers should offer opportunity to our face.
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