Vigilantes heavy handed with their mouth
Their eyes are crying , they hear the tears
Nourishment flees from their heart
Starvation trolls the diminished dark
Speakings "truths" means a lot
8/28/26
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr 2026
In life's busy race, writing poems keeps me sane,
If writing is a boon, Poetry Soup's my bane,
I have many friends here who've welcomed me with joy,
Then there are some, who leave comments if they enjoy,
There are others, who never bother with a hi,
E'en if I read them, they're too busy to comply,
But despite everyone, my journey has been smooth,
I've grown as a poet, I think, and that's the truth,
I've received premium gifts, for which I'm grateful,
I'm glad, PS wellwishers, I have a plateful,
There have been times when I wanted to quit this Soup
Due to writer's block. I needed time to recoup,
But I crave Poetry Soup, I can't quit writing,
And that's why I'm still here, making soup exciting.
Hearty haiku pumpkin squash comforts
Flowery senryus fill my prism bowl perennially
For poets' hungry hearts who crave and share,
It’s creamy chowder congenially
Addictive from the first taste with inspirational flavor,
Aspirations of desire, longing colorful bites, I savor
Romantic rich bisques have me sighing with the saucy sonnet
Bursting is a cheesy limerick, with Blue Bonnet on it
Buttermilk noodles tossed and soupy
Diverse free verse, I’m a groupie
But as you know there is no such thing as a free meal
What’s stressed musters up expressions I feel
When metaphors thickened, stirred in, I'll pour
I loved, I lived, I sipped lyrics with many
Favorites and treasures plenty in the soup d’ jour
A shelter from the wind and cold
hearth-lit faces, friends new and old
A chair to drape my coat, a hook to hang my hat
where the ‘Welcome Mat’ means just that
A rest stop for a day or two
or an oasis with forever views
A refuge from weary doldrums
~ A pick-me-up for everyone
~ Entry for Tom Woody's contest of the Same Name ~
February 16, 2026
Poetry soup is a place where I belong
Where poets are people too with
Rights writes and wrongs
A place where friendship can blossom and bloom
Where someone’s always there
From rising red sun to diving blue moon
And the contest though I rarely place
Grows my mind and skills safe to say
Yet like a smoke signal to send words up
Find someone who reads and shows love
For the soup that we all emerald embrace
That we share and stir as we write create
Some even share their art and life
Opening red hearts in joy in strife
Poetry soup means to me that magic is real
A pen is a wand and our mind creates thrill
If the sun shines on me or if it rains,
if I'm together or falling apart,
on PoetrySoup, I unload my brains,
on other days, unload my hidden heart.
Some days my judgment slowly starts to slip.
I then write on politics, I admit,
or try to get a laugh and lose my grip,
but here, no one calls me an idiot.
The sisters and the brothers on the Soup
who reveal thoughts and feelings in their words
comprise a supportive communal group,
lifting spirits, as from the wings of birds.
Poets like roses, each have their own name,
each different, but yet, each one the same.
Poetry Soup gives in plenty the literary opportunity
to show-case the assorted skills of poetic creativity.
Emanating out of the fantasy fountain of imagination,
the torrent of words flows with the streams of elation,
ripples as poems with the rhapsodic rhythm of heart,
yearning to become poignant pieces of reflective art.
Sensual poetic passion of the Soupers enriches the mind,
while the mesmeric muses get eloquent as words wind.
Unperturbed by the cacophony of the mundane abyss,
poets perceive in lyrical journey the feel of profound bliss,
The rhythm of exuberance envelopes the satiated soul,
permits the poets to flourish under lilting lyrical control.
Composed often within the dissonance of dreary disarray,
perceives ecstasy in rhyming flight out of dismal dismay.
A genial platform for poets to make the mark that glares,
as Poetry Soup recipes the community of poets shares.
Should I reply now?
It’s not the same.
I’m not the same.
You don’t feel familiar.
You look foreign.
The class was loud, very loud.
Your existence was announced.
You looked new,
but you were old news.
I talked.
You shared.
I talked.
You ignored.
I talked.
You disgusted me.
New year, new me.
New year, new trigger.
The moon gazed at me longer.
Your sparkling shadow appeared.
You talked.
Why.
You talked.
Anger.
You talked.
I answered.
You talked.
And I realized.
You are a fool.
I take a word and tear it apart
carwash
car jumps off the page and drives off
wash nabs ing and makes it stay
I add machine to washing
washing machine, an old-fashioned term
does anyone use it anymore?
Or is it like mathematics, reduced forever to math?
Bubbles fill up the laundry room
Bubba does a cartwheel as the bubbles dissipate
cart and wheel, I split them up too
Now they remind me of a prairie schooner not a gymnast’s trick
Bubba gloats a bit because he added the A himself after splitting from les
Words are stubborn, opinionated, they have their own ways and means
I stand back, watching in awe, wondering what their next move will be.
A slave of words.
Friendship — is a Lantern —
That glimmers — while we roam —
But some — will snuff its timid Light —
When Shadows call them home.
A Promise — lightly fastened —
May loosen — in the Breeze —
For Hearts that hold for Comfort's sake —
Let go — when Pleasures cease.
Yet I — would keep my Candle —
Through Storm — or dwindled Day —
For Love that flickers only fair —
Was never Flame — i Say.
And Souls — who shine in Winter —
When Summer fails to stay —
Prove Friendship is a Covenant —
Not worn — but made — each Day.
WHAT IMPRISONMENT MEANS TO ME
Imprisonment means restrictions and prohibitions
It means mean, mean men whose luck ran out
or who never really had much in the first place.
It’s the worst place if you let it be but it could be liberating
where else are people like us gonna find people like ourselves?
You gotta delve into the depths of who you are and who you could be
And who you should be
and the why of all three.
You have the freedom to beat em at their own game not be the same as you came in when you go out
And even if you’re leavin through the
back door you have more than a chance to glance the truth that works for you.
Jail is failure beyond the pale stale bread and being fed dinner at
Four, boredom galore, four walls, one with
Bars
A part of you thinks about
Gnawing your arms off and trying
To slip through
blue feelings, wheeling
And dealing and contemplating who you remain are
far and away what it really
Means to stay here is you’re always near to peers and fears
For years
And years
WHAT IMPRISONMENT MEANS TO ME
Imprisonment means restrictions and prohibitions
It means mean, mean men whose luck ran out
or who never really had much in the first place.
It’s the worst place if you let it be but it could be liberating
where else are people like us gonna find people like ourselves?
You gotta delve into the depths of who you are and who you could be
And who you should be
and the why of all three.
You have the freedom to beat em at their own game not be the same as you came in when you go out
And even if you’re leavin through the
back door you have more than a chance to glance the truth that works for you.
Jail is failure beyond the pale stale bread and being fed dinner at
Four, boredom galore, four walls, one with
Bars
A part of you thinks about
Gnawing your arms off and trying
To slip through
blue feelings, wheeling
And dealing and contemplating who you remain are
far and away what it really
Means to stay here is you’re always near to peers and fears
For years
And years
obscure
& figuratively
eccentric
polished
smooth
yet
a
stullified
distraction
grasping
the
transcendant
with
clarity
culicules
of
irony
textured
to
resemble
space
& light
enunciating
the
simple
intense
in
essence
an
unchanging
creative
focus
shadow
the
theatrical
possibilities
hollow. out
integrated
visions
to
commemorate
& mimic
the
emphatic
No means no—
Why is that so hard to know?
It’s my body, it’s my choice,
Let’s unite in a single voice.
It’s not yours to violate,
Nor for others to speculate.
It’s me, and wholly mine—
My voice, my choice, my line.
She keep the conversation superficial
never lending any experience or advice
not icily she be overly expressive in others
frequent disappearing acts
started with a potential romantic interest
everything is centered around meeting
new people
finding that special something
that would bring the current Statius of
your relationship to an end
new connections always centered around
a new connection that feeling of newness
without the lack of interest
a promise of something new
all while deceiving you
all without you as the main interest
your freinds and family never speaking
you and her as one
she allows people to sponge off your success
and allows people to undermined your
best effords
those then are seemed as more influentail
oppossed to your present state of mind
You know you are better off by yourself
and those you like and speak to get off
by your lack of ability to make the big score
Sub Categories
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