As candidate of popularity contest
In generating school fund was like a test
I’ve witnessed my parents' full support
Selling big grilled chicken was their last resort.
We got lots of visitors who came to bid
My dad pleaded, “Please do this for my kid!”
From ten thousand pesos, old men bid higher
Closed at fifty thousand, I was the winner!
At School Foundation Day, they crowned me queen
Teachers bought brooms, dust pans and garbage bins
We thanked the rich man for buying our chicken,
In returned, he asked us to court my dad’s sister, Len.
he’s not the winner of any
popularity contest
his closest ones
resent him
he’s aloof
likes his privacy
doesn’t crave their company
his friends are sparse
and far between
he’s the
annoying reminder
that their life feels empty
and without passion
that nags
at
them quietly
in the middle of the night
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
Posted on February 17, 2020
Justice is
The search for truth
Independent of
Media interference
It is not a popularity contest
We should not make
hasty judgements
So you may have an opinion
And it can be expressed
In the right way
An examination of the facts
Should be done fairly.
© Paul Warren Poetry
Would You Really
As periods of life we go through each phase
There were many weeks created from days
And months ending up turning into years
Until we do die and each of us disappears.
Could it possible be a popularity contest
To determine who turns out being the best
What in the final becomes our self worth
Among erratic behavior of people on earth.
Gregariousness is often hard to explain
And here on earth everything is a drain
On our very being and also existence
Even if a pauper or once was a prince.
Do dig deep into brilliant mind of yours
With great intelligence but still ignores
What we are compelled to do and achieve
While in and out of traffic have to weave.
Cell phones and computers make us complacent
Will we end up in same place that they went
Which is to again end up being safe and sound
With both of my feet firmly on the ground.
So my money only seems to be substantial
State of fiasco are things that are financial
What we had earned ended up being spent
With my consent you should run for President.
James Thomas Horn
Retired Veteran and Poet
RiverSea Plantation
Bolivia, NC
Maybe we can put the thing to rest
with nary an amount of protest:
I dare say politics at its best
is but a popularity contest.
Rule 1, always be in the top news
and if attacked do not be nervous;
remember that what it takes to win
is a boundless talent to spin.
Lie if you must, it’s perfectly okay,
you can't last unless you're a phony,
say you are a savior or something,
sky’s the limit in politicking.
Inexperienced? not a big problem!
hire a tested media-savvy team;
don’t worry about grasp on issues,
just flip-flop to have a wider view.
So what if you have no character?
you know it does not really matter;
what is required is to talk nonstop
to rocket all the way to the top.
Politics is no more than showbiz -
TV interviews, talk shows and glitz;
wait! charisma will do wonders too
like it did for that monkey at the zoo.
What's the point in being cool
I won't last forever
It's like a fleeting dove
It will stay for a while
But leave ever so quickly
You can not keep it
So why even join in
The Popularity Contest.