Long Paddles Poems

As to the this and the that and the how and the why,
    I pass no judgement on the tale at hand.
And leave it to scribes to much later decide
  ...

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The Rhine Salmon Complaint, Translation of Etiemble’s Complainte d’un salmon du Rhin

						For Yvon Belaval
(A lilting musical poem of varying line length in quatrains with a refrain and much internal
 rhyming; end-rhyme scheme: alternate rhymes in...

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The Sandless Sand Castle

Let me tell you about my eldest brother.

I am: the "Scram!", the "Beat it!", the "What you looking at?!", and the "Turn around and watch the movie!", younger brother. As you can...

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Poet's Pre-Notes: A poem from my 8th week in a Stanford continuing education class offered on the internet, a study of free verse and structure. The poem writing technique is to write as unconsciously as...

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Land Is A Loom
I sailed the fiord like inlets between Powell River and Drury Inlet.
The land itself  spoke from mountains, torents, islet
From bird song and bear splashing fishers
From rutting moose and cougars sharp incisors.
The...

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a heave and a shove, into the ocean she goes
where she stops no one knows,
floats and floats till it may sink
you may spot it with  red ribbon bows.

message in a bottle set off to...

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On reflection, I find myself within these walls for having played the game of mans false testimony, I chose to take the blame. I asked a great teacher, one of so many, to share with...

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 the
parliament of canada    a beautiful high gothic
building     the center piece     the bell tower
victoria tower (1859-1866 to build)   180 feet 
 ...

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Hello girl,
Can I lie to you, can I say you wear the most beautiful smile
Like I never saw my mama wear a priceless version on my graduation
Can I tell you your face holds that “Eureka”...

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As I turn to see a dark silhouette, I realize it is you. Your sultry form is illuminated by the moonlight glowing through the window shrouded by tightly drawn curtains. 
I become instantly aroused. Your...

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Bundled in a horse-drawn sleigh  
warm and snug on Thanksgiving Day
the children restless, we went on our way
as the shedding forest began to sway
and the gusts of wind set astray
the vestiges of autumn's display
that...

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S'more sprawling poppycock

Chock·a·block discombobulated poem
for your reading pleasure
dashed off ad hoc
my final literary endeavor before
hour hand affixed
to intricately carved cuckoo clock
displaying carved leaves, birds,
deer heads (Jagdstück design),
other animals, aquatic militia man,

etc feigns firing flintlock
(announcing onset...

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The beeper sounded, the heart beat stopped - we all knew what to do
Automatic reactions come into place - when life saving's down to you
Adrenaline now, and check his oxygen, we don’t want to damage...

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In the wee hours of the morning
When the owls and imps were upon the marsh
We would take our old pirogue and paddle into the darkness
Our intent was to catch bullfrogs but anything was game 
We...

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I’m calling the Suicide Hotline, 
This sad Cowboy poetry is getting me down, 
I’m looking for a happy thought, 
But one just can’t be found. 

   I’ve got a case of Cowboy Melancholy,...

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They thought i was disabled by choice, not by veracious right, 
They thought, ‘cos i objected to medicine’s lady, 
But my parents were both a malady, 
To medicine’s elegance and height. 

My parents were faith...

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PLEASE SAVE US MANATEES
     By The Poets Listed After the Poem

Practically perfect people in speedboats tease us manatees.
Long ago, as “mermaids,” we could swim the seas free as the breeze.
Even though...

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Living apart is that thought so unimaginable,
separating these hearts is so heartbreaking;
how could we hold hands and not be listening
to our breaths when silence is undeniable?

Let intuition put some sense in us,
as wise as we...

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How curious, remote, the pain seemed now
As a fly on the ceiling, she looked down
Her body below in a hospital gown

Incessant beeps emitted by machines
With blips and waves on their monitor screens
She tried to cry...

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The Saint John River rolls along 
Under skies of baby blue, 
Touching lives of country folk 
Just the way it used to do 
Before the war to better times, 
When steamboats churned and church bells...

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Back to the jungle once again
A long journey has come to an end
Over the clouds, through the hills
and down the river I have came
Everything is a little different
But somewhat the same
 
Here lie a people...

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Our riverbank launch at dawn
where dense forest chills the breeze,
where cottonwood leaves flutter like wings,
and weeping willow penumbras tease.

Glistening, rippling turquoise water churns.
Crystal swirling pools symphonic and aglow,
elliptic aluminum crafts coast over craggy stones, 
riverbed...

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THE LOBSTERMAN

Hushed silence as the dawn begins unveil 
Faded ribbons of beauty appear ever so pale
Morphing in depth and passionate splendor
Eternal, inspirational gifting of nature

The density of darkness vaporizes to light
As all that was shadowed...

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Unquotable quotes – XIV

Don’t trouble trouble until trouble gobbles you ; don’t 
     rubble rouble until rouble rubbles you.
Don’t marry a woman out of pity ; she’ll make you 
 ...

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Week six.  
There is a natural disaster occurring, tsunamis of 
morning queasiness Monday through Friday, Tuesday's
lunch on my favorite pants, denial dances on the weekends.
It was Sunday. One word, two syllables causes a tornado...

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