There’s nothing so fine as a bright April Day
A light breeze blowing through the sycamores
The backyard squirrels have come out to play,
An adventure kind of day I can’t stay indoors.
Chores to be done, but spring fever has struck
The meadow beckons for an afternoon stroll,
Then to the riverbank where fish are jumping
It’s clear the past winter on most took its toll.
Sickness and quarantines difficult, to be sure,
But we’re learning how to live with this flu --
Surely, they’ll come up with a permanent cure,
In the meantime, there’s nothing better to do,
For I am rejuvenated out in the warm April sun
Life must be seasoned with some old-fashioned fun.
FIFTH PLACE WINNER
written April 19, 2022
"Anything You Want" poetry contest
Sponsored by Chantelle Anne Cooke
Categories:
quarantines, april, fun, life, nature,
Form: Sonnet
'Twas the night before tomorrow
And the morning after that.
Father Time passed by discretely,
Didn’t even tip his hat.
The calendars of bygone years
Stacked up to nothing much.
The women I’d been cozy with
Keep mostly out of touch.
Can’t measure by semesters
With a stale curriculum.
Can’t reckon by elections
And corrupt officialdom.
The priests of possibilities
Preach sermons on TV,
And offer their salvation
With extended warrantees.
Shameless conmen hawking snake oil
Rake in millions every year,
With quarantines and lockdown
On the omicron frontier.
Tried to tip toe past temptation
Couldn’t circumvent the booze.
All those Christmas decorations
Can’t disguise these solstice blues.
Categories:
quarantines, allegory, betrayal, christmas,
Form: Burlesque
Through Covid-19, school closings and quarantines
Online learning, Google Hangouts, Shelter in place
Missing our students and friends from our work place.
Wondering what will happen next- It’s all so complex.
Tears cried, Lives lost, Birthday drive bys, Virtual Celebrations,
Mask, Gloves bringing heightened considerations
Of Frontline workers,
Lives changed, schedules rearranged,
Social distancing, online worshipping, parking lot services
Six feet apart, air hugs,
Glasses fogged, Hours online logged,
Jobs lost, restaurants closing, Door Dashes, people clashing
Over -“Is it too much –or- Are we doing enough---to stop the spread?
Families staying, at home, praying, people healed, emotions real, movies watched,
Games played, memories made
Through thick and thin from the beginning to the end
For Christ Followers,
Our Faith, our trust, our belief in God
Does NOT Bend!!!
Unfailing, Unwavering, Unshakeable Faith
Categories:
quarantines, change, encouraging,
Form: Rhyme
Our year Twenty-Twenty arrived,
and as a new decade, revived
pursuits of our hopes for more peace-
divisions and conflicts- decrease.
The first few months quickly slipped past!
But, then Covid horror would last
throughout the whole year- and maintain
to take life away- so insane!
With quarantines, normal was lost;
the whirlwind of change was the cost!
No traveling, gatherings, schools-
just mandates of strict Covid rules.
Then politics helped stoke the fire;
divisions more deeply transpire.
Each chaos, together, adds force
to tear down our spirits, of course.
But, now Twenty-One will arrive;
a new-year blank slate to contrive.
But, troubles from Twenty hang on
to keep hope for change- somewhat gone.
Yet still, we as humans, take hope
in finding the best ways to cope.
Words, "never say never," construe-
each Happy New Year's wish comes true.
December 28, 2020
~2nd Place~
Contest: 2020 To 2021
Sponsor: Mohan Chutani
Judged: 01/02/2021
Categories:
quarantines, fate, hope, new year,
Form: Rhyme
Santa looks bleak in twenty twenty
Covid came alive to give plenty
Of grief throughout the year
Parting from Christmas cheer
Sure that quarantines will be many
~
The elves were worried about Yuletide
In Mrs. Claus, they were to confide
Rudolph’s nose lost it’s glow
All the reindeer were slow
This virus brought despair to divide
~
This year had been very sad and bleak
Santa was feeling like a antique
He’d lost some of his hair
Mrs. Claus wasn’t aware
Had she known, she’d have given a shriek
Categories:
quarantines, celebration, christmas, fantasy, riddle,
Form: Limerick
Come late November- cool, crisp days,
and lawns, carpeted with crimson leaves,
stir sweet nostalgia- as this time returns-
promising that Thanksgiving is soon here.
Deep thoughts awaken memories of how
true blessings filled my year; good health
for me and family. I offer humbled thanks,
praising God- for His watchful, loving care.
Grateful for strong family ties; being close
is such a gift. How we love to celebrate
together, mostly holidays, making life a joy
each Fall- beginning with Thanksgiving Day.
So fortunate to share ideas, with children
and grandchildren- they now are all adults-
having much to grant- to take and give-
teach and learn as well, as a loving family.
Lastly, and very soon- to finally visit my sweet
great-granddaughter- apart so many months-
honoring quarantines; to hold her in my arms
again- the dearest gift of all! Thank you, Lord!
November 6, 2020
Premiere Contest: Thanksgiving
Sponsor: Regina McIntosh
Categories:
quarantines, inspirational, thanksgiving,
Form: Free verse
Dear October.
In case you haven't heard, I must inform you that
It appears that a 'cloud of evil' has descended upon our world.
I must skip the small talk, because these are critical and trying times.
Spring brought us a deadly disease called COVID 19 and quarantines.
Summer brought us a reprieve from quarantines but massive civil unrest.
Summer also brought heat, winds, and fires that's sweeping the western states. The fires have continued into Fall, and the hurricane season has been atrocious. September has quickly come and gone, leaving thousands without house or home.
So, here we are, October, and I'm sorry to have to welcome you with such bad news. But my welcome comes with a hope and a prayer that God will use you to bring us relief.
O faithful October, it's rain we need and less hurricanes to free us from Summer's pains. And O dear October, as I think about it, it would be nice to hear the birds sing for a change.
Your Forever Friend.
100420PS
Categories:
quarantines, friendship, october, rain, ,
Form: Personification
Last New Year's Eve dismissed Twenty-Nineteen-
we watched the Ball come down via TV,
as lively crowds at famous Times Square scene,
cheered in our brand new decade- as did we;
so full of promise- this new year would be.
By early March, oh how our world had changed-
with dire pandemic- fate was rearranged;
our routine lives on pause- and just like that-
the chance of death and quarantines deranged
our world- as Covid War- we now combat.
May 9, 2020
~2nd Place~
Contest: Dizain
Sponsor: Dear Heart
Judged: 05/19/2020
Rhyme Scheme: a b a b b c c d c d
Categories:
quarantines, confusion, death, freedom, lost,
Form: Dizain
I give up in despair
The damage to repair
Second hand theories abound
Seeking to keep me safe and sound
The laws are changing fast
Communal activities now in the past
Quarantines and lockdowns they order
Virtually sealing the border
We must all get infected
Some practices we have rejected
Morphing into copy cats
While waiting to become laboratory rats
Categories:
quarantines, 12th grade,
Form: Rhyme
God’s love* quarantines us within His security-braced compassion…
We therefore trust His guidance of omniscient precision.
Knowing that the Lord loves us so without any break…
In this lockdown situation, we can still be spiritually awake.
Embraced with Christ’s love around gracious fellowship…
We are enclosed in His care toward jubilant worship.
Realizing that the Saviour’s love for us is gently protective…
We abide in His fortress against fatal hatred virus, grievously destructive.
Convinced that the Almighty loves us midst fears’ torture
We remain settled in His mercy, kept under His sovereign pasture.
Having been granted by the life-Source with love's opulence
We in supplication-warmth can intercede for healing prevalence.
*2Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
March 30, 2020
1st place, "STRAND PICK 4,any theme,any form" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Brian Strand; judged on 4/8/2020.
Categories:
quarantines, blessing, christian, faith, god,
Form: Couplet
The daffodils are cropping up;
They’re sprouting everywhere,
Reacting to the light and warmth –
Of germs, they just don’t care.
They do not know from quarantines
Or canceled sports events
But proudly wave their yellow heads
With joyous spring intents.
They’re unaware of closing schools
Or empty stores and trains,
Just bobbing in the sunshine
And awaiting April rains.
To see the daffodils today
Was Nature’s humble gift
Bestowing, in this stressful time,
A sorely needed lift.
Categories:
quarantines, daffodils,
Form: Rhyme
HAIBUN
You are electron microscopic size, but you possess infinitesimal power. Just a single strand of encapsulated RNA, yet you and your brothers SARS and MERS can sicken and kill more complex life.
Covid-19, virion unseen
Bring humans to their knees
Cowering and trembling
You spring up suddenly from nowhere and spread like fire in a parched forest. Devastating stock markets, stopping sports teams, halting concerts and forbidding gatherings over 250 souls. Quarantines of ships and planes. People greedily grasping, fighting and clawing for the important things in life: toilet paper, masks, cleaning supplies, paper towels.
A boon to corporations
Johnson and Johnson, Proctor and Gamble
Secretly happy you are around.
World wide you spread, showing no regard for race, boundaries or politics.
Italians, Iranians, Chinese,
Americans, Norwegians,
Japanese, Brazilians
The world caught unprepared. Scientists scrambling to develop a vaccine. All will breathe a sigh of relief when you cease your rampage. That is until you return, mutated, the same but different and we start all over again.
Categories:
quarantines, environment,
Form: Haibun
...for Stephanie
My meaning is mistaken
and her offense is taken
so in defense she quarantines her soul,
and safe inside she sets
her screens for self-protection
so she's always in control.
Categories:
quarantines, lost love,
Form: Verse