I am the minuteman
and I’ll lay thyself in a grave,
whether from distant lands
or if you’re just from down the lane,
Stand against freedom and
I will treat you all just the same,
God help you if
you step in my aim
I am the minuteman
and the weight, it falls upon me,
I must do what I can
to ensure my family’s safety,
my skin is worn and tanned
from stepping into the breech,
but I will take a stand
to stay free.
I am the minuteman,
I fight to save this land,
best not to force my hand,
or I’ll lay thyself in a grave.
We are the minutemen
and we cross frozen rivers at night,
to storm sleeping Trenton
and put startled Hessians to flight,
panic, it does grip them
as they leap from bead in a fright,
they thought us useless hens
who don’t fight…
We are the minutemen,
and we won’t be put off by freezing,
Valley Forge thinned our ranks
but there was a fight due come spring,
hardship has become a friend,
now no Red-coat seems frightening,
at Monmouth we showed England
quite a thing.
I am the minuteman,
I fight to save this land,
best not to force my hand,
or I’ll lay thyself in a grave.
What does it mean to me
New Jersey
It means smell and warmth
iI……. oops wrong sort of Jersey
Here we go start again …….
Was the home of the Lenape Indians
Till the Dutch and Swedes came their way
Followed by the British who named
It after a channel island off the UK
Was the home of many a battle
Including the American revolutionary war
Who tried to oust the British rabble
Not such an easy chore
New Jersey has many counties
21 was the latest score
Morris County was indeed a pleasant one
Rich in tradition and folk lore
THEN
Theirs Atlantic and Bergen, Burlington too
Camden, Cape May, Cumberland to name but a few
Essex, Gloucester and Hudson come next in line
Hunterdon, Mercer and Middlesex are doing just fine
Monmouth, Morris and Ocean is that enough
Pacific, Salem and Somerset I am now out of puff
Sussex, Union and Warren …….That is New Jersey
Middle of the road
I have come to be called
Debate training in college
Did a number on me
Little gift from the team – T-Shirt
Embroidered with the letter “M”
Other schools’ teams thought it meant Monmouth*
Fooled they were
They didn’t understand
How carefully I researched
Each side of an issue
Run if you see big “M”
On her way to you
And prepare for verbal volleyball
Devonshire will find a lot to debate with you
Entry for Nancy’s Alphabet Soup Contest
*Monmouth University was my college
speech and debate team members
competed every week
new schools, new judges, input sought
national finals at Niagara University
eleven hundred contestants
vying for trophies worth their weight in gold
mix up the meter, don't stress the rhyme
select a "poem" that would be unique
then give it your own tweak
casting Longfellow and Whitman aside
I emulated Walter Brennan’s voice
reading “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss
in finals judging was stiff
but I gave them a laugh or two
nabbing a fourth place
first time Monmouth ever had a winner
riding home, we cheered and laughed
Old Lorax’s environmental message won favor
*Entry for Joe’s “Contest Contest”
True story
Monmouth, Illinois
Wyatt Earp was born right there
Can that be OK?
The Camelot That Was Not
By Elton Camp
Arthur was a king both wise and good.
He always did exactly what he should.
Sat with his knights at a table round.
Because equality would then abound.
Manly, virtuous, kind, tall
These they were, one and all.
And Arthur always kept near
The beautiful queen Guinevere.
His knights were in shining armor clad.
The hearts of his subjects they made glad.
Not one of them would ever delay
When a fearsome dragon was to slay.
Right at Arthur’s side
Old Merlin did reside.
Another wizard as powerful as he
The whole world would never see.
And what is that castle so fair?
It must be Camelot over there.
Any enemy would have to fail
Those steep, high walls to scale.
But of this idealized man and place,
Sadly, British history holds no trace.
Geoffery of Monmouth is to blame
For making this most bogus claim.
Back when little history I knew,
I blindly assumed it to be true.
Prince Valiant confirmed it all
From the time when I was small.
The sad fact I had missed:
Arthur did not ever exist.
I regretted that I misunderstood.
Arthur never lived, but he should.
She’s from the Sunshine state,
And has been writing since age 18.
She attended Monmouth University,
And was on the speech and debate team.
She uprooted from New Jersey,
And was a journalist for many years.
She has won numerous awards,
In the stories and poems she pioneers.
She enjoys making new friends,
With the poets of this poetic group.
Her name is Carolyn Devonshire,
And she’s a friend of poetry soup.
__________________________
A tribute to Carolyn Devonshire
for her continuing support.
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.