*QUOTES MISGUIDED SCHEMES
Crypt overture of pulsate streams;
Vocalized quotes misguided schemes;
Relentless, protested passions fruits;
Disabled absolutes mentions groups;
Dilly-Tally atop the hoses saddle;
Strip and stratal above camel’s hump;
Smoking, inhaling mystical clouds bong;
The kiss, the breath, the life of God in battle:
Pacing/placing hells choice fires/smoke lump;
Now the vessels growing cancer ratter;
Yon choice matters, now setters;
Crypt overture of pulsate streams;
Vocalized quotes misguided schemes;
Relentless, protested passions fruits;
Disabled absolutes mention groups;
6/15/26
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2026©
Leftover candy from Halloween tempts all before breakfast
no one will notice.
The leafs on the trees have brown and are falling
raking away, raking away
The nights are colder but the furnace won't come on
cuddle under blankets for warmth
Mornings are cold but the days still warm
tis the season to wear layers of clothing.
Thinking of turkey begins early November
planning the feast in your mind
Make sure the garden hoses are put away
winterizing the house before freezing begins
The dogs begin to sleep with you in bed
warmth in numbers
Thoughts of summer past linger in your mind
maybe a vacation affordable next year
Outside and the wind chills with a whisper
soon Christmas will arrive and a New Year
The Autumn of life reflects the end is near
a soul makes peace in days of cold
for winter has ways to make you feel old.
Shake your head not my time
first snowfall my second childhood finds
Snow ball fights and riding sleds
enjoying tobogganing like a kid
Snowmen and igloos
Hot chocolate spiked with booze
Stay young by having a little fun
the promise of Spring has just begun.
BREAKING: [WEALTHY VENTURE CAPITALIST] BUYS
[PLOT OF LAND] FOR [INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION]
[CIGARETTES] AND [TYLENOL]
[TORNIQUETES] AND [ALCOHOL]
LOOPY DOOPY [LAUGHING GAS]
[COLORS] [FLAVORS] [SASSAFRAS]
FOR [FALSE SENSE OF FULFILLMENT], TRY
[ARTIFICIAL PRODUCT MARKETED TO MASSES]
[HOUSE FIRES] AND [CAR COLLISIONS]
[BURNING TIRES] [FIRST INCISION]
POKING AT YOUR [LUNGS] AND [HEART]
[PURVEYOR] TO SELL YOUR [PARTS]
[SELF MUTILATION] AND [SHEDDING SKIN]
IS ALL THE RAGE
[RUBBER HOSES] [PLASTIC GUMS]
[POWER DRILLS] AND [OIL DRUMS]
[SYNTHETIC SOLES] AND [FAT PAYCHECKS]
[POLYESTER] AND [LATEX]
LIMITED TIME SALE ON [INORGANIC BODY PARTS]
AND [FAKE IDENTITIES]
[PROSTHETICS] AND [FACTORIES]
[GASOLINE] AND [BATTERIES]
[CRACKS] AND [FISSURES] IN YOUR [SKIN]
DOUSED IN [DIRTY MEDICINE]
my first summer of retirement
would I bemoan not going back to school?
I sat outside, smelling my fragrant flowers
watched my dogs trot along the fence line
so casual, on a lovely balmy Kansas day
then it got too hot, I had to water everything
my tomatoes, tulips, zinnias, geraniums too
every day, lugging heavy hoses around.
summer became work, I got tired of it
had to have naps
the heat did not completely ruin things for me
school started without me for the first time in
thirty years, and I not only survived
I thrived, loving it.
In the mornings, building staff,
Equipped with long green hoses,
Wash sidewalks down, attentive to
What lurks beneath their noses.
Most often, it’s what’s left behind
By dogs which poo or piddle,
With owners who, despite the law,
Obey it very little.
Though yesterday, a homeless man
Sprawled on the sidewalk, sleeping.
Though he was dry, surrounding him,
Was proof of clean-up keeping.
Aside from where he lay, the street
Was wet from recent hosing,
A kindness from the worker,
Or at least what I’m supposing.
I’ve sometimes gotten spritzed a bit,
An accidental spraying,
But I was touched to see this dose
Of empathy displaying.
One day I tried to write a sonnet
For hours and hours I thought upon it
I swear I'm not joking
My head started smoking
And firemen turned their hoses on it
Playing With Matches
We wired kids drank coffee
in Kroger's and stoled fire
and cigarettes. We were free.
Hoses doused a funeral pyre.
We kissed girls felt fears
something like young desire,
warmth we'd chase for years.
Two rust-red tubes running up the hillside,
by the wood's edge, hidden just in the trees,
they have water, and compressed air inside,
pumped up the mountain to hydrants steely.
Hoses conduct it to tall silver tubes,
snow guns that spray the white stuff on the trail,
coating brown grasses, hiding them from view,
building tall piles that some call snow-whales.
The groomers will come and flatten them out,
leave corduroy patterns on the long slope,
the skiers will come and race on a cloud,
they don’t like to wait when winter is slow.
One must be consistent in a business,
take five Mother Nature, we have got this.
You endured the fire before the fire,
burning doubt thinking you wouldn't pass the test.
The sweltering summer days carrying heavy hoses,
that some of you firewomen thought you'd never lift.
Alarm bells ringing,
vibrating in your heart,
excited barking of the station Dalmatians.
Hook and ladders,
you steel your newly forged bravery,
quickly get into your gear,
firefighter brothers and sisters.
Communicating in the smoke with a
sixth sense,
was it a buddy or an angel?
Saving the trapped and injured in the
merciless element,
there's no taming the wanton flames.
Your family's love and caring,
waiting for you to come home,
even your dreams afire.
Standing tall another day,
wiping soot off your sweating face,
as God bestows His firefighters a hero's grace. ~
Weather Alert, Expect Hard Freeze
Miracle Man
October 31, 2023
The weather alert started with a northwest breeze,
and said before morning we’d see a hard freeze.
But this won’t be the earliest freeze I’ve seen,
for it isn’t uncommon to predate Halloween.
The results of this, green leaves will be browned,
and I still had garden hoses laying aground.
Each year I’m slower doing winterizing chores,
Just the thought of winter drives me indoors.
I’ve put things on hold too numerous to mention,
a warm cozy fire always steals my attention.
The furnace must be checked before turning it on,
and all large windows heavy drapes to be drawn.
It’s hard to get motivated feeling chained to a walker,
I guess my main fear is I’m becoming a balker.
Early each morn I have thoughts about writing,
but most thoughts of late aren’t overly inviting.
And Jesus loves me!
Memories of those childhood days
Laughing in the most silly ways
Playing tag and climbing trees
For hours and hours in Summer's breeze
Building snowmen in the Winter
Having Mom remove a splinter
Falling down and getting bruises
Coming up with lame excuses
Squirting Dad with garden hoses
Chicken pox and runny noses
At Carnivals and County Fairs
Riding bikes and flat tire repairs
Chasing the little girl next door
Rolling Hot Wheels on the floor
Making roads with Tonka trucks
Coke bottles sold made extra bucks
Buying double scoop ice cream cones
Catching frogs and skipping stones
Winning games of hide and seek
On Christmas Eve to sneak a peek
Springtime in brand new sandals
Blowing out your birthday candles
Making wishes before you do
Too much cake when you're through
Friendships that would never sever
Each day seemed to last forever
Those childhood memories from the past
Amazing time went by so fast
Vacumns and Garden hoses
What can I say ….?
Well, they are the bane of my life
With their temperamental ways
Both are stubborn with a mind of their own
Needing to control the situation
They both catch, kink and “just”stop
Heightening annoyance and frustration
No matter how hard i try
Without success or luck
To not let irritation get the better of me
Preventing me yelling out F**k !!
Fire-engine
Now that it is autumn going towards winter
I often think about morbid things to avert this
I think of what I liked as a child.
The sound of the fire engine rushing through
the town; ran after it and felt heroic.
Often the fire was far away when I got there
it was too late; the fire had been small
rubbish burning in junkyard sot on a wall.
Firemen, rolling up their hoses, they
were called that, now they are firefighters
to make it more inclusive, mind you, I have
never seen a female among them, I knew
there were women at the fire-house.
I went there to have mother’s kitchen knives
sharped; they deftly wrote on typewriters.
I was going to be a fireman, they looked so
tall and tough, spitting manly.
Alas, a few years down the line, they grew smaller.
climbing
running
laughing
sunning
hoses
spraying
outside,
staying
till past
sunset
Happy?
You bet!
~~~~~~~
summer
swelter
seeking
shelter
fanning
sweating
sighing
fretting
turn up
AC
now I’m
happy
June 14, 2022
I heard the echoes of each gassy squeak
Held my breath when I sniffed his stinky leak
He let out a few more
So I ran for the door
Before his toots made the entire room reek
Others came out, while pinching their noses
His flatulence poured out like fire hoses
Oh, what a horrid smell
Worse than rotten egg shell
And can't be cloaked by the scent of roses
Woe to the innocent who are around
When his odiferous vapors abound
Just get ready to run
When the son of a gun
Cuts one loose with a squeaky little sound
September 24, 2021
Fart-Tastic Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Chantelle Anne Cooke
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