I put on my makeup and do my hair to feel beautiful.
I pick out outfits that make me look skinnier.
Even after doing this, I still never feel good-looking.
I go to sleep praying that I would be happy with my appearance.
No matter what I do,I still hate looking at my reflection in the mirror.
One thing I've realized is that, if I constantly pick apart my appearance, I'll spend the rest of my life being miserable.
You’ll Pick out everybody’s problems but you wont help your self
You’d rather sit alone in pity then take care of your health
You act like it’s everybody’s fault you’ve got nothing to gain
using Magic capsules to escape your own brain
Can’t give yourself a break so you wanna do it over again
Someone help this monkey in a cage from going insane
Streaming like the rain outside
The windscreen wipers working like
My heart and chopping onions stuff
A testament to will the good of another
The kids are in the back and can't see what's going on
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling in the driving seat
I think of my wife and when we first met
She was always running late
As I was shoegazing on the corner
I needed a parrot sidekick
High on Belgian waffles and coffee
A hip new sensibility
The dash cam records the journey
Join me on my magic carpet
Grant me three wishes
Give me some tassel
In the Maghreb
I'll be your magic lamp
In order to reveal myself
Let's pick out curtains
Deja Vu.
Turns around with you.
Double vision turns to a single fiber.
Which grapples with you.
Deja Vu.
We count on this feeling.
Spin around like a speck of nothing.
Try to count again.
Deja Vu. Deja Vu.
Lasts as long as outer space.
Brings outer space into our view.
When we try to pick out the pinpricks.
Deja Vu
Splitting
Splattering
Poofing
Deja Vu.
And it was just me suddenly.
And my crystal ball.
I can try again if I want.
But I have to wait on it.
Deja Vu.
Was just psychosis after all.
I believe it for once.
And maybe next time too.
If life was a book,
Then I would have never picked it up.
I would have never kept reading.
I would’ve burnt the book the second I had the chance.
It’s like a book you know gets bad, but you can’t help but read on.
It’s a book, it’s meant to be read.
It’s life, it has to be lived.
If life was a book, it would have no name.
There is not one title that can describe life.
If life was a book, I don’t know what I would change.
You never know what’s going to happen.
So why would you want it to be more unknown.
If I said one thing differently it could change my whole life.
My book would go completely different to what I have right now.
And even though it’s bad,
I wouldn’t give up all the people in it.
Take the good with the bad.
Right?
But what is the bad is too much?
What if the good isn’t worth the pain?
What if the good isn’t good enough?
I wish I could pick out the perfect life.
Like picking the perfect book.
Happy ending,
A moral,
Good life,
A few ups and downs but not really bad.
Perfect is something no one can be,
But everyone tries.
Back in school, it seemed time was at a standstill. In hindsight, it seemed
like a hell we needed to to go through and survive as best we could so as to earn our freedom.
Back then, I wish someone had showed me a jar of marbles ~ one marble
for every year of my life. Let's say even just 60, and pick out 4 or 5
that represent those highschool years ~ look at all the marbles left :
THAT's your life, the few in your hand are just some kind of twisted test…
courage and patience
bridging to the other side
freedom lies ahead
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Submitted on May 18, 2025 to contest 'YOUR CHOICE i' sponsored by BRIAN STRAND - RANKED 10TH
There she stood with tears rolling down her face and cheeks
Looking downward – such innocence – mild and meek
Her first trip to the slaughter house was no joke
Proved to be a one-sick hoax!
Slowly but surely – she told us the story
Leaving out NOT the gory!
“I was asked by dad
To join him fast
To pick out a chicken
“O Good Riddens!
At last – no fret
I’m picking out my very first pet!”
Is what I thought
When my breath I caught!
So, with joy in my heart,
And exuberant glee at start
I singled out the healthiest plump!
The attendant let out a little grunt
Roughly taking the chicken outback
She grunted sternly: ‘Wait Right here…I’ll be right back!’
With one quick twist
Of her hand and wrist
The chicken’s neck she snapped in half.
Mortified I stood on the chicken’s behalf!
Speechless, I stood - so panic-stricken
Horrified and mortified because of the chicken!
With no further delay
To my dismay
I was handed a bag
While the attendant let out a mischievous laugh!
From this day forward, I shall live to fret
Of what occurred to my chicken-pet
And live forever with my regret
Of visiting the Old Chicken Coup
All for mom’s LIVE Chicken Soup…?
Pick out only one doll,
the one you love the most of all,
and another one for your younger sister who weighs less than to know how to choose,
My mother used to say when I was a child.
I chose and ran away, but I returned.
When I grew up, my mother still used to say the same thing,
I chose again, ran away
and again,
I returned.
Now, amidst Rafah's today's bombardment guested on our home,
I knew I had to leave, but neither is a mother shouting from a dark inflatable boat,
nor any dolls to choose from.
All that remains is an Alzheimer's house
whose rooms have forgotten that I am grown up,
and all of my dolls are dead.
A house that is still waiting
for someone to return
to their own land
and plays with dolls
until the next morning.
I won't pick out one special Poetry Soup poet
None of us are worthy of being a poet Laureate
Choosing just one who has skills shouldn't be a goal
It's like separating a favorite sheep from the foal
Saying its wool has the most beautiful fleece
doesn't seem to be the right way to have peace
There are many poets who write with quality
and if I choose only one, I'd owe an apology
to those I didn't honor by using their name
I don't want to be guilty and won't take the blame
for entering any contest on Poetry Soup
that might hurt someone's feelings in the group
Picking a favorite could cause further division
I don't think alienating any poet is a good decision
Congrats to those who earn it with great writing
No one deserves to be overlooked by slighting
It's my opinion so I have the freedom to say
If peace is to exist in PS, it won't be found this way
Some great poems are written as lyrics to a song
but naming one above the others seems wrong
Tell those you admire by making kind comments
Prevent hurt feelings and ill will before it ferments
Such divisiveness might hurt another poet's heart
It's not pleasant to taste buds, too sour and too tart
We love all that death touches
And so maybe we love in halves
We give and yet hold back
Because when we hurt
We fear the ash, our fire might become
The air that will scatter it
The wind swallowing it, erasing it
When we smile, we do it slight
Let’s not tempt fate
Into making it harder
The past is buried, forgotten
Not forgiven
We muse and then carry guilt
Over dreams squashed by our tiny feet
No one pushed us to do
And so maybe we did it because of them
we hold our heart into cages
of glass and iron
we peep outside and wish for freedom
then close the doors
don’t look back
we act selfless to hide our desires
kill a little of ourselves
to make it look more polished
where others grin at mirrors,
we pick out flaws
we want to love all that death touches
but ourselves and our hearts.
My peeps from around the world
I could not pick out of a line up
Unless asked to read a line or two or three
Have A Great Golf Game
My belief in God is as firm as it can get
Rains down from heaven so I will be wet
With all His love along with very being
On golf course when off He is teeing.
With God golf weather will be great
May be with much vigor or sedate
And when on back of crucifix rub
He helps me pick out perfect club.
Energy is everlasting and not draining;
God is great teacher when in training;
To get lay of course, should take a bean,
And gently roll it slowly down the green.
Now that you have found slope and flow
Way much better your golf ball will go
And God makes sure game will survive
By continually keeping your drive alive.
God for guidance will give you His map
Improving game and lowers handicap,
No longer surprising like a rising star,
Game will be below or equal to par.
So will have a great golf game or SWAG.
James Thomas Horn
Retired Veteran and Poet
RiverSea Plantation
Bolivia, NC
when she tied the knot
must marry an astronaut
became overwrought
when he (she) was a slave
he had lived in home of the brave
freedom always crave
(caught moving through a cave)
(would live lonely life like a knave)
(was stuck (struck) with a stave)
(died when stuck with stave)
(like Jesus jammed with stave)
(at those on ship would wave)
when there was slavery
they always had been neighborly
would be much bravery
slaves would always shiver
when a newborn did deliver
had been with a fever
when he had a nickel
His money was in small trickle
would pick out a pickle
when in yard stood a tall tree
would climb and for miles could see
brough back a memory
As grandparents we love to spoil our grandchildren every so often. My four-year-old grandson makes it easy for me when it comes to treating him to candy every once in a while. The thing is, is that he doesn't like chocolate or peanut butter delights. So, when I take him to the sweetshops, I let him pick out what he wants. There is one snack that he always picks out. Keep in mind, he doesn't like chocolate or peanut butter...because the one thing he always usually picks out is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups" Go figure...
he hates chocolate
and he hates peanut butter
but he likes- Reece's
come let the Father speak His heart
In our minds
through our eyes
He sings melodies springs
past participle chose more alternatives;
Select offend means to
pick;
pick out sometimes means stand out
opt for means to wait;
plump for is gained weight;
go for means to go git it;
take may mean to steal it;
settle on means to accept
fix on means unbroken
vote for
single out get those men out of the Senate and Congress;
handpick means picking tomatoes and corn
set;
designate army buglers … hun!!!
determine, specify, appoint' name
nominate isn’t voting;
adopt doesn’t mean gathered family carriaged;
espouse doesn’t always mean marriage;
pitch on GET rich on
9/19/23
WRITTEN WORDS BY James Edward Lee Sr. 2023©
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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.