The Queen of Ants flies from her throne,
all in her resplendent wings.
She summons many an eager drone.
Oh, so happily she sings.
It won't be so very long before
(and I'm not joshing you or kidding)
she births a million ants or more.
Each one will do her bidding.
Categories:
joshing, insect,
Form: Rhyme
Church Supper
She puts salt and pepper on tables
covered in white paper from rolls.
She always enjoys church suppers -
special recipes from different kitchens.
She can’t help as much as she used to,
but she can put out condiments and butter.
She watches the bustle in the kitchen -
men and women in aprons making coffee,
stirring something in a pot on the stove,
crowding platters, bowls, and plates of food
on the serving table in the parish hall,
all the time laughing and joshing each other.
Not like her childhood, she remembers,
when men carried in baskets and bowls,
set them on counters and stood talking
while women did the kitchen work.
She loves the camaraderie
now that she eats most of her meals
with just the company of television.
Friends here with whom to converse,
old friends who recollect with her
events of years back, funny incidents.
Food, laughter, lights and music,
lovely desserts – she doesn’t bake now.
Later, at home, she’ll store the warm
memories of tonight’s dinner
in her mind’s album of happy times,
to draw upon in days to come.
Categories:
joshing, age, emotions, friendship,
Form: Free verse
I hear them laughing next door,
Two young families,
Just back from a day at the beach,
Although it is well after dark.
They are on vacation, and
It isn’t their fault that we
Now go to bed so early.
They are only talking, but
The conversation is punctuated
By bursts of hilarious laughter.
I close my eyes and remember
Similar years, long ago.
Two families, six kids and
Sometimes visiting friends -
Not quiet, a little rowdy,
Not thinking of the neighbors
I’m sorry to say, but parents
And children having fun together.
Dinners with clams and mussels
And much joshing and mirth,
Many evenings the young folk,
And sometimes the grown-ups,
Played cards or board games
On the screened in side porch -
Monopoly, Clue, but it was
Mostly Mille Bornes that I recall.
The teenagers would play for hours,
Getting more and more excited.
I can still hear them shouting
“Coup fourre! Coup fourre!”
And jumping up and cheering.
It’s pretty quiet here nowadays.
And I often miss those times,
But I can relive them in my mind
When my next door neighbors
Are living it up on the porch!
Categories:
joshing, fun, happiness, memory, time,
Form: Free verse
A “fat psychic” is a “four chin teller”
A yukker from my extensive comedy cellar
Where my funnies lie
With my barbiturate supply
Joshing in case some people are bed wetters
Categories:
joshing, silly,
Form: Limerick
The genuisness exited
Leave it cuz
Numbers don't add
Due to no money
Joshing you
Judges raise the roof
Two Sams are kinged not knighted
Our chronicles erased
Nah me high
East of here is the job
Palms are crossed
Always liked verbs
Eccles cakes are tasted
The solo man sings
I say aaaaah
Germs of my laments
Easy Kel
Dan as a joke hoses Ella
Almost done
Oh my bad ha
Ya know he is makin a mistake
Nah i'm hungry
Have a look in the kitchen
Zip nada
Hoagie in the mech chariot
Me i am the guy that lies
Categories:
joshing, poetry,
Form: Free verse
A “fat psychic” is a “four chin teller”
A yukker from my extensive comedy cellar
Where my funnies lie
With my barbiturate supply
Joshing in case some people are bed wetters
Categories:
joshing, happiness,
Form: Limerick
The fires of wisdom, burning
Genuine insight is articulating
Knowing others sterling
Understanding yourself, worthy
Mastering strength in humanity
Nourishing fire of body and psyche
Joshing at fear kindly
Beholding intelligence in oblivion
Each and every one
The Fires of Wisdom Perfection
Categories:
joshing, wisdom,
Form: Free verse
A “fat psychic” is a “four chin teller”
A yukker from my extensive comedy cellar
Where my funnies lie
With my barbiturate supply
Joshing in case some cops are Soup dwellers
Categories:
joshing, hilarious,
Form: Limerick
You can't commit suicide by holding your breath
Going to try it now my good friends
If it works it's been great knowing you guys
If my poe-m e-n-d-s h-e-r-e t-h-e-n-n-n-n-n . . .
Don't panic people, still alive and kicking
Just joshing and having some fun
Macy's founders were passengers on the Titanic
They weren't among the lucky ones
There are 40,000 different species of spiders
Stomp on as many as you can
They're really good-for-nothing no-good-varmints
They deserve to be squished out of hand
Jellybeans contain crushed insect cocoons
That gives them their special shine
I'm never gonna eat another Jellybean again
Don't have a problem with that, I'm fine
Dairy cows apparently produce more milk
When listening to Der Bingle
It also encourages them dance a lot more
With the farm hands, the ones that are single
The insulting slang phrase “kiss my ass”
Dates way back to 1705
Street talk was popular even way back then
It's our duty to keep it alive
© Jack Ellison 2013
Categories:
joshing, humorous,
Form: Quatrain
.
If I could have a Christmas miracle,
I would surely like to go
Back to Mama’s bounteous table
And the ones that I loved so.
My dear daddy would still be there,
My brothers and my son,
My young husband and my mama
Before the sad times had begun.
And because this is a miracle,
My sweet granddaughter too,
Would be sitting by her grandpa
Whom in life she never knew.
My daddy would give the prayer of thanks,
The rest would say amen.
When all the food was passed around
Grand feasting would begin.
Every morsel would taste just like it did,
When I was an active child
And had whetted up my appetite
With hours of running wild.
My brothers would do some joshing,
My daddy would joke a bit.
With so much love around that table
You could stick a fork in it.
Not another thing could I ask for
Nor more blessings from above,
It I could have a day again
Of such pure and endless love.
Categories:
joshing, imagination, prayer, granddaughter,
Form: Quatrain
I've got a rash on my hand and wrist
Right where my little mouse doth sit
Does anyone know where I can find
A hypoallergenic mouse of any kind
(Just Joshing..I need something
funny to think about..)
Categories:
joshing, funny, imagination
Form: I do not know?
A beggar cannot dare expect fabulous gifts.
His impolite joshing keeps logical men nervous.
Old panhandlers quite regularly start to upbraid virtuous women.
X-rateds yield zilch.
Categories:
joshing, funny
Form: ABC