Having counted wooly sheep
was woken from a deep delta sleep
in the middle of the night
thought I'd heard a pig snort
but no that can't be right
tho' kicked out of bed
and landing on my head
knew where I stood
for delegated to the floor
then relegated to the room next door
when in no uncertain terms she said,
'You're sawing wood, you snore!'
Not as such a silk purse,
but a sow's ear would be worse.
Not so much a pig in a poke
(jiggery-pokery),
more a poke at a pig in a joke
(piggery-jokery).
All in all,
Sy-hokery!
We walk the same road every day
You walking one way and I another
We need rarely to ever speak when we pass
because we can read each other’s looks
What is never said speaks the loudest
We know what is there, and what is not
You poke at me and I play along
I get silent and make you wonder if I am mad
We play this wicked game but laugh under our breaths
But we do complement each other like the butterfly and flower
I have written these feelings down many times,
though, many times have I had to rewrite them.
I need not brag to any friends but keep quiet
about things that two hearts left unread.
Helpless! I stare up at human children.
Their discovery of me has begun.
I, slow- moving in undergrowth
before I know it, am flipped
upside down.
I move my legs, desperate, they grip air
while, amusement of children
ripples like a brook,
Look they chuckle. “ He’s stuck”
And they poke at me and form
a ring of eyes, above.
I am desperate for kindness now
I retract my neck and limbs
quiet as death until
bored the children
seeing no movement, right me
again, I stumble on,
until a foot with toes poised to flip
is stopped by words
I prayed for
defensive, kind
“Let the poor thing go.”
I hide in the cool leaves before my last
desperate lurch, pond water surges
over me, I swim, my legs paddle.
The water lilies are beautiful
the scotch pine looks white
herbage seem to poke at him ---
snow nostalgia
08 December 2022
Winter Nature Themed Haiku Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Tania Kitchin
We have a pool
And side by side
Slack on rules
This mama’s tried
To help her boy
Have all the friends
The coolest toys
And hottest trends
But he’s left out
He’s ostracized
I have no doubt
It’s no surprise
Overbearing
They fill our space
Never sharing
Or showing grace
They waste my money
And use my time
They think they’re funny
I see the signs
They poke at him
For being small
There’s more of them
He takes the fall
They have no clue
Believe they’re winning
But we’re not through
We’re just beginning
I think I’ve written some doggone good stuff
Hey, I am sorry if, for you, it wasn’t enough,
Submitting it was sometimes an afterthought
Because my skin is thick, your N/A was for naught,
I write my poems for me, and I can happily say
I’ve already had my joy long before your “nay!”
I am nonplussed when your choices seem biased
But then, who am I to second-guess your highest?
I admit, when your winner does miss the mark
I wonder why my entry apparently did not spark,
I am taken aback by a lack of judging credentials
Your seeming ignor-ance of absolute essentials,
Realizing entering is seeking only one person’s nod
Please do not think your opinion is the ultimate god,
And be as fair as you can be when selecting who
Writes the best piece and deserves a Woo-Hoo!
In closing, let me say I thoroughly enjoy contests
But love them most when my poem is the best!
Written July 23, 2022
[A fun poke at our contest sponsors!]
The Kings Craw
I’m sure sometime tomorrow, we’ll have our sad goodbye
now make your last attempt, to try and make us cry
once more a broken promise, lays shattered on the floor
another failed attempt, like so many times before
they poke at other poets, then retreat into their hole
why must they pour more vinegar, into our poetry bowl
venting on a blog is against this site’s decree
and now you’ve used a name, for everyone to see
a screen shot has been taken, for admin, I’ll send it in
but when you least expect it, till then I’ll store it in my bin
you need to read the rules, you’re not above the law
your spitting days are over, now let that stick into your craw
Hocus-focus
Take-a-poke-at-us
Tell-a-joke-on-us
Egg-yolk-all-over-us
It's hilarious to think that you can poke at my skin
and think I can feel anything above an inch thick
the thought of your words pinching dead skin
as if I could receive a word like a stick
or be pushed over by a shock wave from a disapproving look
you can throw things, you can spit, you can punch me with your fists
but you will have to try harder
and walk longer and faster
and be braver and bigger
than a bully that stands alone
and follow me home
to a truer hell than you will ever know
Walls of red dripping light
Heavy on my flight or fight,
I am the Igor gaurding these hallways.
Hunchback green with a crimson stare
Past the gates of Truth or Beware,
I reside on the house on the hill.
Floors that creak and stairs that wind
Taunt the these scary demons of mine,
You cant conjure these ghosts that reside.
Dracula's coffin, Frankenstein's chair
Ride on the back of the Wolfman's hair,
But Im the monster they all still fear.
What they dont understand-
They raise their torch and sharp pitchforks
And poke at the beast within me.
Gaslight the extremes
with a frightened flair
As I haunt these rooms
Who would dare to step in here?
I am Quasimodo personified.
And all the townspeople chant:
Demonic Devin under the bed
While Emotional Emily could wake the dead.
For Manic Mary never fear
Paranoid Pete will bring you to tears.
Insecure Ira has banshees screams
But Schizo Stan has nothing on those streams-
The haunted attraction lives inside me.
Now Enter me,
Im a Castle Freak-
You misunderstand my daydreams.
See me,
Im that sideshow creep-
I need a therapist to conduct this exorcism.
I wish I was a monkey
a-livin' in a tree
Where if I bit your fingers off
Nobody could blame me.
You shouldn't poke at monkeys
Unless you're a dummkopf
Who gets precisely what's deserved,
Your fingers bitten off.
You shouldn't poke at monkeys
unless you're a dummkopf
Who gets precisely what's deserved --
your fingers bitten off.
There are some things that I was taught
when I was just a lad
Some by father’s knowing words
and some by being bad
Never, ever hit a girl
no matter what she’s done
The sting of belt or Dad’s firm hand
was never any fun
Never play with matches
You could burn the whole house down
Never sass your elders
the response will be a frown
Never place your hand
upon a red hot stove
Never spit into the wind
or wetness you will know
Never stick your tongue
near any freezing metal pole
For the laughter of your friends
will be a hefty toll
Never poke at bee’s nests
their sting will cause you pain
Never pick on bigger kids
If you don’t want to end up lame
These are just a few of the things
that each of us should know
Oh Yeah, I almost forgot!
Never ever eat the pretty yellow snow!!!
I know I'm far from perfect.
There are demons I still drag.
I try to keep them quiet.
I fight with everything I have.
But some days, they get the best of me,
Self doubt and fear rush in.
They pepper me with negativity.
As if they enjoy my pain.
On these days I beg for space.
Because I know, I'm not at my best
Regardless of my love for you,
My soul just needs to rest.
I don't want you to hold me,
Or ask about my day.
All I want is space from you,
But you always want to stay.
You wait for me to come around,
Glancing at the clock,
In your mind, enough time has passed,
So you feel that it should stop.
This tells me you're annoyed with me,
Though I tried to save you from the mood.
But you often poke and poke at me,
To the point where I get rude.
I lash out at you in anger,
Just to get some space,
But all I get is judgement,
I see it in your face.
Your responses, often equal mine.
Frustration, dances in your tone.
Until you finally give me what I want,
By leaving me alone.
I know you don't do it out of cruelty,
Or malice, of any kind.
You're just unable to understand the chaos,
Of a person, with a damaged mind.
I stood there still
Sunset sunrise
Bodies dropped tired
Side by side
I held them up
Who’s behind me ?
I can’t see
Can I fall now
I’m too weak
I took a chance
I hit the ground hard
I guess no one was behind me
All I felt was knives that stabbed deeper
The cold floor
Concrete
Blood .. Red as a rose
My own
Now
My lips are blue
And my heart is ice
Punished?
eyes blind folded
Arms cuffed
They send me on my way
Through filed of thorns
Broken glass
Bare feet
I cry no more
I feel no more
I hope no more
From the cold
I am numb
And though I am numb
I can tell you it’s the worst type of pain
To feel nothing
I poke at my heart
To see if It’s alive
I breath
I survive
Whispering prayers under my breath
Screaming silently
Till there is nothing left
Save me lord
From those who take but never give
From those who look but never see
From those who hear but never listen
And though I feel dead inside
I live
Lord save me from Me
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