Today, out along the east property line
Driving in extra posts to shore up
The ancient and decrepit fence
Carol comments on imagining
What it was like out here before radio
When there was only the sound
Of wind and birds and cows,
And I think how it wasn’t that long ago
And how 99.999% of human history
Was just that way
And how I lived a summer like that in my youth
Building a house while camping
Under a pair of big ponderosas
And a sky full of stars.
And how it was the happiest time of my life
But how it too passed
As our life accelerated up through the centuries.
Today mending fence
It’s nice to be reminded of our roots
And recall all the things we must have done
When life was simpler
And having each other
Was all that mattered.
(7/26/26)
Margarita Lillico, Sponsor
Contest, Mending Fences
********************************
Since the fall of Adam and Eve,
We mortals have been on a downward trend.
Sometimes we fall apart in the mildest of winds.
In navigating our journeys,
Some wires of our lives will only take dust.
And often for reasons unknown to us,
Some wire screws of our lives will loosen.
Like medal, so much about us is subject to rust.
There are fences; weakened, weathered, and worn
That must be fixed, mended, and repaired.
A close friendship turned bitter, distant, twisted.
Even if at first resisted, let's find a way to fix it.
Even if this mending should cause fears and tears;
Or even though it has been many moons and years,
There's no better time for mending than today.
For years, time after time, I have heard people say;
"Where there's a will, there's a way".
Burning bridges makes you feel light and free.
Some situations are only dead weight.
It's great when you know longer have to see
one that might upset or infuriate.
Mending fences can help someone restore
a relationship that has some merit.
bringing back the good times you knew before.
Life is much better when you can share it.
One important thing that I've learned, my friend -
It is much easier to burn than mend.
cementing
my broken heart
one jagged piece
at a time
not perfect
still mending
All days- my eyes long
For your beauty's plug,
That leads mind along
Heart, dreaming loves; hug.
All days- my hands feel
Calm to let go; yours
But stormy a deal:
Love's lonely breath cures.
All days- my smile faint...
Whenever you leave,
I do act a saint
Whose guise relieve.
All days- wish you know,
What I undergo.
Every week hearts come in.
Desperate. I can't refuse their mending jobs.
I'll do what I can.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 3rd place 2026
Written: December 30, 2025, for contest Sponsored by: Hilo Poet
***********
You tilt the world and hush its frantic spin;
a gentled light that settles in my skin.
You foster my slashed heart, seek fairness,
To soar above conundrum awareness.
Your gaze revamps my lackluster day;
lifts the veil, beckons beyond radiant way.
A spark draws the drab embers to flame;
your composure spurred me to fame.
The Entry-A
MENDING PEACE IN WAR
Wounds of war bleed,
Healing needs our helping hands:
It’s time to stitch peace:-
I have mended the morning again.
It was in pieces, parts scattered
everywhere until I gathered in
all that I could hear, smell,
taste, touch and see
and made the morning
come together in me.
With practice it becomes
very easy.
With steady hands and hearts that care,
A doctor walks where few would dare.
In silence they listen, in chaos they stand,
Mending the body with a gentle hand.
Through sleepless nights and endless calls,
They rise above, no matter the falls.
The scalpel’s edge, the patient’s plea,
They carry it all, with quiet dignity.
In every life saved, in every soul healed,
A doctor’s purpose is quietly revealed.
Not for glory, nor for praise,
But for the hope that guides their days.
Life, already, is difficult and short,
with pain dealt by the hands of others,
as in relentless judgment they hold court.
I've had enough from my sisters and brothers -
without burdening myself with blame
for times that I have hurt relatives and friends,
or myself, with decisions I have made.
No more will I live in regret and shame
but adopt an attitude that mends.
I have already overpaid.
don't say a word
just come close
hold me in your arms
and kiss me
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
out into the sea
I discard my own slippers
rain fell on my head
Written: May 05, 2023
I spread my blanket
Quickly on the bed
I see a small hole
With needle and thread
I begin to mend
Working very slow
I begin to mind
My cat suddenly
Jumps onto the bed
I had to remove
Pin cushion and ripper
She sat on the blanket
Exactly where I
Was mending the hole
I was unable
To sew the blanket
Instead I smiled
As she stared at me
I gave her a hug.
It's a rocky-road journey
Hold on tight
You're not alone
We're with you
As promised, day will get better
Allow yourself the pain and grievance
There's no turning back
Look forward
You've progressed enough
I can't wait for the laugh
When it's over
You won the victory
We couldn't be any prouder
Presently, don't punish yourself
There will come better days
Hold on tight
Keep the faith, darling
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.