Long Whirligig Poems

What’s It Like?


First:
A strand of hair finer than silk in the Emperor’s robe blows across her face the very end catching in the corner of her mouth. She fills my field of vision her eyes...

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I was out of control, spinning 
on the whirligig of youth, 
giddy to be caught 
in what Kerouac called 
"the whole mad swirl
of everything to come."
I didn't know what to expect. 
I was ready for...

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i’m on Georgia turf, the land
of bless your heart,    pretense
   of the titillation of heat.

scurries the sun;         moon
damp on clothesline.
  ...

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He's love’s anvil
Banging beauty with propellant power
Bends no ear for mercy--
Body batters tempo hour after hour.

He's love’s anvil
Dashing dreams into the dust
       winds whirl them high
   ...

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I Am Not a Zelig
By Sy Roth

If not now, when?
The Zelig resides
Quiet, undefined 
In my dark corners.

Like a chameleon, it rests on the warming rock
Inert, cold-blooded creature
Sunning itself 
As the ages revolve about it.

In the...

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I Am Not a Zelig
By Sy Roth

If not now, when?
The Zelig resides
Quiet, undefined 
In my dark corners.

Like a chameleon it rests on the warming rock
Inert, cold-blooded creature
Sunning itself 
As the ages revolve about it.

In the...

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Quote: Do you ever wonder why we build castles in the air?  Perhaps, it's to soften the blow of a harsh world that never seems to slide nor adjust to our individual expectations. 

Ever...

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The first monarch butterfly,
Just flitted by.
Lazily drifting through stark spring sunlight,
Seeking any blooms to alight.

Daffodils cheerily glow before front fence,
Oval ridged petals in breezes wave thence.
A dense carpet of creeping phlox, its tiny pink flowers,
By...

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“How-do-you-do?” the seminal leaves of Autumn wave.
“When would you like to fly away?” prickles the gust.
Maternal-oak holds on tight as one birdy takes flight.

The gust will have none of this ballyhoo, knowing
what he must do,...

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We plan, organize, gather and pack,
we fly - what liberty is this - to fly 
like a weapon on the edge of heaven.

Having no power to do it ourselves
we trust security, the silver whirligig,
and the...

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Today... 
       Let me swirl, let me sway,
             I want to whirl my cares away.

Stand by...
 ...

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Once
      Oh once
           I wandered the wide world round -
      Hungered
    ...

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Closing my eyes I can see you again
My whirligig, dancing as if on water
Not watching my fingers play
Bow loosely threaded like your dancing hair
Red reflected in the flames behind you
Colouring my eyes with warmth and...

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Orange and reds - the vibrant shmooze of Fall.
The social froth of maple shapes, and oak.
The chatty leaves infringe upon us all,
As piney-green hangs back for Winter folk.

A cocktail mixed with children’s play and gaffs.
Their...

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curlicues perhaps
the Catholic nun
wouldn’t let me engage
in penmanship shape
“shape up, sit straight!!”
yet the ancients
would whirligig
with their featherings
fill up the page
with their zorro-like signature
tap-tap-tap
the teacher’s brought me back
to life, to engage
in this ((yawn)) bor…ing
admonish the swording
don’t...

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Whirligig sailing across the prairie,
chasing it's own gyrating tail.
Up and down, in and out, merrily,
climbing higher, it almost pales.

Bringing tears to your eyes,
from floating dust in the air.
Breathless, you let out a sigh,
as long as...

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falling rain, droplet by droplet
pane pain pane
sipping on leaves
fall falling
failing to see

leaves livestock
lumbering, conceited
between the pages
their veins throbbing
as a moppet scribbles

over their bones
with primary colors
heavy-fisted, fat crayons
that melt

into the whirligig
cheek flames
and bright eyes
follow the track

jump...

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 bird’s beak
in stirring melody arouse
silver wassail of chimes
breathlessly bound
to bough

to bow
at angst of wind
reverence of two feet
bird’s claws clinging to the true branch
unbound

bird’s praise
of appraisal as Autumn leaves
red and golden linger
whirligig and
arise

surly
and duly tossed
to...

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*prose was six lines when posted.

STOLE HER HEART TOO

A golden feather, shaped like a heart - the point like a prima donna’s ballet toes. Spoiled feather fell from forever into mortal hands. The giant screamed,...

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I miss my youth – the way I’d run
or swirl beneath warm summer’s sun.
Oh, dahlia daydreams of romance,
sweet kisses and that first slow dance.
My real life barely had begun!

Adventures I was slow to shun,
A whirligig,...

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To aid the celebration’s overindulgence
of snow and damp, sugar and fat,
serve a cornucopia of felicitous fiber
   and its vitamin rush—
whirligig of walnuts and crisp cranberries,
Honeycrisp apples and wild red strawberries,
spring mix sprinkled with...

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Wheeled myself this morning
 To the waterside, flawlessly mirroring
 Bright white, blue coloured early sky
 Daisies strewn around like smithereens
 Hip hopping bird, questioningly
 Asking for crumbs I have not, why
 Not bring that one...

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Ripples on the water drift on by
Lilly pads flip around on top, in the air
Surrounded by beautiful dragonflies
I stand by the water, beneath me, I stare
At Whirligig beetles darting on the surface
Little fish, making circles...

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Like green leaves that turn yellow and wither away
Like buds that blossom and fade away
Like white clouds that turn sullen gray
Like lengthening shadows darken the day
The whirligig of time brings forth
Mysteries hidden in time's womb
The...

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Her life is a whirligig, 
A whirling, twirling spinning top,
Veering here, veering there, 
Never going to stop,

And sometimes she pirouettes, 
Floating on the floor,
Elegant and perfect in every way, 
Always wanting more,

Humming a tune of...

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