dove hunkered down
upon birdfeeder rooftop....
guard
The wind whipped
The bent tree
The tea sipped
The cut knee
The suffering reasoned
The brave hunkered down
The meat was seasoned
The stranded wore a frown
The water rose
The stranded were fearful
Citizens sowed
The wind whipped
The bent tree
The tea sipped
The cut knee
The suffering reasoned
The brave hunkered down
The meat was seasoned
The stranded wore a frown
The water rose
The stranded were fearful
Citizens sowed
too much rain and
too much sunshine today
puddles dry-up upon windy licks
then shake like wet dogs.
rainstorms sweep the sky away
to make room for the returning glare
of a pissed-of sun
mercury Thermometers are frustratingly fickle
but we all know that this is Ohio
and so, dress for the chance
of the odd minor tornado
it may settle down tomorrow
or get worse
the farms animals are in the barn
the critters are hunkered down
yellow buses carry kids
away from or into danger
but nothing unexpected
happens here
its only the predictable weather
and still only spring.
The once mighty have fallen,
Their ashes fills the air.
The new martyrs have risen,
Bringing tears of despair.
Behold the cold lawmakers,
They cast a shadow of doom.
Perched on lofty towers,
Like witches on a broom.
Pity the hungry masses,
No meat to fill their bowls.
Backs and spirits broken,
Now hunkered down like trolls.
Hearken to the righteous,
Their wings are no disguise.
They speak the words of peace,
With fire in their eyes.
Don't trust your quiet neighbor,
That's hiding from the sun.
Beneath the dark of night,
He'll shoot you with his gun.
Beware the silent partners,
Tyrants behind the scenes.
They rule the ups and downs,
And all the in betweens.
Hunkered down
In the middle of midnight
The top was lifted off
To reveal a little box
In the presence of White LIGHT
One by one
The walls were taken down
Gathered to the center
Til the only ground
...flew
Suddenly, wings appeared
Upon my broken back
My faith, finally at home
My rhythm sounded without slack
One by one
The ground and the walls
Restored and reconciled
To LOVE, who I made so small
...fought
Gold are the boundaries
All lack devoured
Every gift and blessing
Freely showered
...safely
Written by Trudy Schrader on 03-12-2023
Three little kittens who lost their mittens were mewing with a sigh
Don’t worry, kittens, said Mr. Smittens, Santa is on his way by.
Santa hung up some cozy warm stockings and put the kitties inside.
They loved their new home, it was a great place to hide.
During a snow storm and a mountain land slide,
They stayed in their mittens, and none of them cried.
Let’s hibernate, suggested a smart kitten named Clyde.
Great idea! Said his sisters, and they hunkered down inside.
The wind whipped through the vale that winter night;
he hunkered down, his watch to keep.
A solitary star gave off its light;
oblivious, the sheep
lulled by their shepherd's song, lay slumbering in sleep.
They suddenly were no longer alone;
an angel of the Lord appeared
and all about, His wondrous glory shone.
The shepherd, much afeared,
shook, naked and exposed; the sight, his senses sheared.
But grace on grace, the angel said, "Behold,
I bring you tidings of great joy!"
And thus, just as the scriptures had foretold,
Immanuel, a boy,
announced, not to the rich, but to the hoi polloi.
And as he spoke, 'twas like a switch was thrown,
the veil drawn back, a mere facade;
surrounding him, a multitude had grown.
A sight that overawed:
the host of heaven singing, glorifying God.
—————
for the A Christmas Special Poetry Contest
sponsored by Emile Pinet
written on 12/3/22
From the second chapter of Luke, in the a:b:a:b:b rhyme of an English Quintain with 10:8:10:6:12 syllable counts...
The storm
The wind whipped
The bent tree
The tea sipped
The cut knee
The suffering reasoned
The brave hunkered down
The meat was seasoned
The stranded wore a frown
The water rose
The stranded were fearful
Citizens sowed
Pink and blue sunset, gorgeous
before Ian takes a toll. Silhouette
of tropical palms in Ponte Vedra.
The angst in Southwest peninsula
is more dire. Land exposed, meaning
the surf’s sharpening her sword.
Disneyworld is closed. The Mouses,
Mickey and Minnie, hunkered down.
Are the gators taking sides or bets?
Grandma, cousin, friend - all the same
person waits for the surge, and for the
resurgence to come from off the storm.
Some weeks are wait-and-see. Plans
could change, pandemically.
Pink and blue sunset, gorgeous.
9/28/2022
Dear Covid-19 vaccine
I am glad your on the scene
I hope you gobble up that bug
and kill that nasty thug
That kept us hunkered down
With a worried look and a frown
But with two shots in the arm
Your working like a charm
And now as we move about from place to place
we now are seeing a more smiling face
So storms the night wind through the vane
Summoning the sounds of howling beasts
Assailing all that stands above and tall
Like chimney tops and stately green pines
Will not reveal the source of crashing down
Until the break of dawn and cloudless sky
They venture forth to survey the havoc done
Sun rising like nothing in the dawn amiss.
At first all seems well to the roving eye
Until closer inspection finds a neighbor’s cat
Hunkered down beneath the lower portico
Having given birth to seven yellow tabbies
Unalarmed by the threats of recent hail
And nursing contentedly at mother’s breasts.
Written April 21, 2021
N/A "All Yours" Contest
Sponsored by Brian Strand
On Summers’ Night’s Eve the moon was full
I hid in the shadows, and stilled my breathing.
I had heard this was the night of the three bunnies
They had a reputation for being skittish,
So I shut my camera off, and I hunkered down to wait.
I had almost given up when out of the shadows I saw a flash of white
Ghosts? Spirit helpers? Angels? It was the three bunnies.
They began to dance, flinging gauzy scarves around.
It was clear they were from another world,
A different dimension.
When I opened my eyes, they were gone
But I know I did not dream this.
My Celtic Grandfather bred Irish Wolf Hounds.
He was a stern man, as inflexible as stone,
a hard Ulsterman
wed to a soft Erin woman.
“Never let yourself be alone with the hounds,”
he warned.
Yet I went;
I stole into the garden on an evening
when the sun was falling asleep.
The giant hounds gathered round me
Growling,
then they hunkered down
and discussed among themselves
what to do with me.
The largest of the dogs
told me about the blood wars
and all the ‘troubles’ of this sad land.
I did not understand much of it
but felt the fierceness of his heart.
They found me curled
with the great shaggy beasts
and the only one they would let retrieve me
was my disgraced mother.
Later that day we took the ferry to Liverpool,
then the train to London
where the dogs did not talk,
but where humans often whispered:
“unwanted.”
~~~~
Tom Turkey's doom again was kept at bay
He wasn't picked for Thanksgiving entree
Hunkered down to keep his head
His pals were victims instead
Tom survived to live for another day
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