Play On Words Poems | Examples

List of Member Poems

Light Is Here To Stay

I am an ember in the night 
Something dark but seems right 
I am moss upon the tree
Someone soft, beautiful, but inside me 
There’s both dark and light 
Sometimes one will take my sight 

When the darkness takes over 
I am rolling like a boulder 
Courageous, dangerous, everything upon my shoulder 
I let it go but I’m the holder 

When the light shines down on me 
I see the gold inside of me 
I seek it often but it leaves 
When it does I grieve and grieve 

I’ll climb a mountain to find the answers 
But then my will becomes a cancer 
When the light shows my path 
I yell out and show my wrath 

The darkness folds into its cage 
When it opens out comes rage 
Lately light has come to stay
Tells me let go of my ways 
Shows me the beauty around me 
So much light I finally see

Premium Member Book Keeper

The book keeper
mops the slush pile,
dusts paragraphs,
adding a vase of clarity
on the table of contents,
creates settings
for the ghost writer
to slow down
run-on sentences,
mends torn sheets -
Oh, tearsheets…
Anyway,
in the end
wraps a nice soft cover
around everything.

Premium Member Play On Words

Write here, right now. Write now, right here!
Capture the moment while it's near 
and seize the day. You now know how: 
write now, right here; write here, right now. 

The rhyme is tight. The time is right 
to write some rhyme this time of night – 
a rite of writing, lacking light. 
The time is right, the rhyme is tight. 

Another draft you craft in ink. 
No lucre comes from thoughts you think;
though relatives may think you daft,
you craft in ink another draft. 

All you can see you then can say. 
At dawn, as dark dissolves to day, 
with light, you write. In poetry, 
you then can say all you can see.
 
The play’s the thing, you need to play 
with words. Then, playfully they say 
what makes the heart smile, cry, or sing;
you need to play, the play’s the thing.
 
Now play on words and let them dance
in rhymes and rhythms of romance; 
teach them to sing like carefree birds
and let them dance. Now play on, words!

[swap quatrain] 
written 18 July 2021


A Play On Words - Live

A PLAY ON WORDS – LIVE

The power failed on Thursday night.
I was left completely in the dark..
So I rang an ELECTRICIAN
To see WATT he could do
His response wasn’t very POSITIVE;
Because of the CURRENT crisis, he said
He’d decided he would go to EARTH
And stay OHM in INSULATION.
Though he still got LIGHT exercise daily
With a SHORT CIRCUIT round the park,
He said he couldn’t visit me;
The Covid rules wouldn’t allow it
He put up a strong RESISTANCE
Although I begged him to help,
He was following government GRIDLINES
And keeping his social distance.
I tried to PYLON the agony,
Pleading my old age in the MAIN,
But his answer was still in the NEGATIVE,
He said he would CONTACT me next year.
I’d have to do the job myself.
He was clearly in his ELEMENT
It wasn’t his VOLT, he insisted
He refused, so I RE-FUSED.

16th June 2021
Word Play Poems with Play on Words Raison D'etre poetry contest
Sponsor - John Lawless

Premium Member Mail Play-On-Words

I have missed hearing from you,                                                  
that makes me very blue.                                                                                      Send me an e-mail,                                                                                             say your love is true.                                                                                            Maybe some snail mail,                                                                                              will come in the bag by the postal-mail.                                                      
 
 
Date Written: 7/11/2021

Premium Member Forget Me Knot

A long piece of string
is shorter when knotted.
Memories entwined, enraptured 
are captured, confined 
to remind in locket.
Held dangling over the heart,
on string tied behind 
the neck, knotted

------------------------
A Wordplay Poem
30 June 2021


Premium Member A Play On Words

You fell for a punchline
when someone’s telling a joke.
You spoke to an undercover cop
trying to buy some coke.
You like repeating quotes,
spoken words,
You wish you wrote…

You see when a poet speaks
words are spoken.
You listen with your heart,
and your nose is open.
Right this minute preforming my pro’s
the metaphor went over your head,
look there is goes.
Giving you the urge
to daydream, meditate and reflect.
You like the way it tickles your intellect.
Now in retrospect 
it has that effect,
my words put your 
Hearing in check.

But wait!
No disrespect,
with my words
you’re in the zone.
I got your number
and I’m ringing the phone.
Like a businessman 
that became a crook.
Now that you’re a little curious
and want to hear 
A second helping from the book…

You don’t know it yet,
but your mind is hooked.
You fell for a punchline 
when someone’s told a joke.
You spoke to a millionaire
and found out he was broke.

Music Is Life

With you’re feet in the air, and you’re head on the ground, vibration like a heartbeat, is an amazing sound, it keeps you stable, it keeps you pure, it makes you realise, there’s so much more, get lost in music, lost in words, reality of life, sounds obscured, fall for lyrics, fall for rifts, sentences or verses, that sound like this, find an artist who tells a tale, of winning at life, but also of fail, the beauty of losing, but looking around, staring at stars, while lay on the ground, one word that explains, the scream and the cry, the what and the if, the no and the why, open you’re ears, and you’re heart will soon follow, experience love, laughter and sorrow, My playlist of life, is ever evolving, some lyrics to songs, help with the solving, of questions I ask, when darkness begins, that one special song, my hero’s they sing, for this I am grateful, my ears always open, some words fix my heart, when it seems so broken.

Rudolf and the Play On Words

Rudolf was in his Tundra cave with his wife
He poked out his nose and said, its raining outside
She said, are you sure it is rain, it looks like snow from here 
Certainly he said, Rudolf the Red knows rain dear 
I have a very soaking nose
And if you ever asked me
I could even tell you when it snows

Premium Member Play On Words

hurt
      howls
courage
      is crushed
feelings 
        fashion
and alters
       perspective:
vanity's vision
blind to 
          wisdom 
empty of 
         endeavour 
embraces 
        self-love
lives an illusion 
in 
mirages's 
          mirror 
of 
time & 
           space

Premium Member A Play On Words

smooth
           numb
charming
             mean
sundown
              sunset
notions
             emotions
perchance
               dreams
blurred
           blue
green
           bloom
teem
           heed
need
           hint
deploy
           joy

Play On Words

Play on Words

On purpose there may be a presumption
About poems and must make an assumption
From me which will be waiting for you and you
Wanting to inspire by reading of mine a few.

On words ours might become a precarious play
Regarding what each poem will try and say
Wanting to display down to last detail
Buoyant boat in the ocean soon starting to sail.

For quite a while you may have been waiting
Wanting incredible moment that is captivating
In our each poem that does deeply impress
Our pleasant peacefulness removing all distress.

Then at times things may be more belligerent
Or possibly could be another inherent intent
In mind which for many have recently meant
To be like an angel from God He just sent.

Thing to do is pray and be able to we must
Look for God's love leaving behind all lust
Now that fingers and pens are nice and limber
Poem can move mountain causing it to tremor.

James Thomas Horn, Retired Veteran

Play On Words

You stake a claim to a broken heart..
But, in this script, YOU have played that part.
 
The illusion of reality is what you're willing to pay.
Consumed with another, has lead your heart astray.
 
Your vile of poison, has quelled my love and my trust..
All because, you continue to walk down this path of lust.
 
What did you conclude, upon writing this story twice?
That I would continue playing this game~YOU called life?
 
This is how I communicate, what my heart really feels..
As you trample on my sensitivity, as it is being revealed.
 
And you wonder why I always felt hurt and took offense?
Because you mocked my words and laughed at my expense.
 
Putting yourself on a pedestal, stating no one can handle you.
Is that something worth bragging? After what you put ME through?

Play On Words

I can strive to do my best.
I do not regret life.
I care for my own and others
Never shall I forget those I love
I shall forgive
Never

Let us view the other side

I fail at everything I do
I hate my life as it is
I don't care for anyone
I will forget those I love
I shall harbor revenge
always

Let us read it once fully through

Now, we will read it backwards

Always
I shall harbor revenge
I will forget those I love
i don't care for anyone
I hate my life as it is 
I fail at everything I do

Never
I shall forgive
Never shall I forget those I love
I care for my own and others
I do not regret life.
I can strive to do my best.

Play On Words

Thoughts of death.
Life roulette.

Play with fire.
With ones desire.

Beyond the norm.
Not to conform.

Quiet, Talk.
Quick-witted, jabberwock.

Past, present.
future judgement.

Chained domain.
Free reign.

Love to hate.
Soul checkmate.

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.

Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace