I conclude I was conceived hard-and-fast,
Misfortunes rain on my parade, downcast -
Bad Luck to date
Fickles my Fate,
I now bet on Hope, that they say, dies last!
You may rain on my parade,
But I will never end my crusade
As long as you let me try to persuade,
Just know my romance is no charade.
You may doubt you can reciprocrate
But I will still show you what I can create:
Unconditional love means I can never hate
While you may continue to leave me in wait.
You showed maybe there's something inside
You made me put aside my guard and pride
You made me feel so alive with such stride
Your lovemaking brought forth a new tide
You may be unsure and questioning,
But I am ready to be the one listening
To all of what you are willing
To freely express even if it is unfeeling.
Has anyone ever told you the truth about isolation?
No, not the tranquil kind.
The one with a physical presence.
The one that coils around you and squeezes until you implode.
Where you’re alone, but you’re not really alone,
surrounded by a tangible darkness,
suddenly hyper-aware of every single thought that flickers through your consciousness.
Suffer in silence, they say.
Celebrate in silence, they forget to add.
It’s like a one-man circus,
Orchestrating impossible feats alone.
And when they laugh, I’m crestfallen.
“Don’t rain on my parade”
I sob,
standing at the bottom of the lake.
I was scared, shaking, and afraid
Thought- 'bout to rain...on my parade
One hundred eyes- staring me down
Mostly, folks from my hometown
My first performance of my life- ever
Not been on stage before, nope...never
A silent crowd watched my act
Until the end...no one clapped
Three lined bodies, all in-a row
My time had come, my time...to go!
A tumble sault- 'twas meant to do
But when I leapt...I thought I flew
I fully flipped- to perfection
One hundred eyes- in my direction
Mom's huge smile, dad so proud
As loud claps echoed, 'mongst the crowd
My greatest performance, just seven years old
But my claim-to-fame, doth I... still hold
Greatest Performance Poetry
Contest Sponsor: JCB Brul
5-20-2022
trees dilly-O sing.
mellow skies surmise —
they’re not quite blue, white nor gray.
knocking in front and back —
pileated woodpeckers, shockers
with crests, crafty
to home owls and bats,
like royal courts of yore
dillydally the enemy within
mine walls.
the oaks shade their eyes,
press into my panes,
scratch during a storm,
rain on my parade.
yet, I can’t help...but adore
the pines and oaks,
ivy that wraps serpentine around bark,
wild flowers ready to leap
on ballet toes,
touch my nose with romantic scent.
so Spring,
the sachet of hidden things,
like a freeze game come to life
with intrigue, potentiality
of pairings — doves, robins,
crows and the like.
what if i could climb the tall trunk
high, below the unseen clouds —
easy does it.
my hair sailing like a pirate.
my grin foolhardy.
my heart doesn’t know what it needs.
it needs trees.
2/27/2021
Unrest makes you uneasy.
It makes you tired, depressed.
If that's all you think about,
It robs you of your rest.
It makes it so that you can't sleep,
Because you're filled with worry.
Your health begins to go downhill.
You get old in a hurry.
When you dwell on trouble,
On things that worry you,
It's all that you can think about,
And all you do is stew.
Friends will start avoiding you,
And family runs away.
No one wants your comp'ny,
'Cause you never laugh or play.
They find someplace else to go,
And other things to do.
They'll visit other people,
But they won't visit you.
It isn't they don't love you.
It's not that they don't care.
It's just that you are such a drag,
On this you must be fair.
You must admit you're not much fun.
You're filled with doom and gloom.
A bucket of cold water,
Takes the fun out of a room.
You have to learn to lighten up.
Cool It, Man! Chill Out!
No one wants to hang with one,
Who grumbles, gripes and pouts.
If life seems full of lemons,
Go make some lemonade.
Do whatever pleases you.
Don't rain on my parade.
falling petals
of apple blossoms
rain on my parade
AP: 2nd place 2022
I know I miss me more than you
for I never come to town
without calling to let me know,
and stocking up my fridge with beer.
And ice cream too, green tea's my favorite
right behind all forms of chocolate
for I'm in fact a chocolate man.
Always rich in taste, I excel in freedom's gift
To all I love (and then some).
Gold dust and diamonds are only rain I know.
I've always been in my top ten,
And love to take me on the town,
Red carpets rarely let you down.
You, on the other hand, are a nimbus cloud,
A buoyant, gossamer, lightness of being
That follows me even in indoors at times.
You don't rain on my parade, but fill up
the nooks and crannies of my hollow leg
like ice cream on Thanksgiving Day
(though heart I must say is warm)!
Woe is me if I should die for how then
will I ever then miss me more than you!
Brian Johnston
April 30, 2018
I REFUSE TO LET YOU STEAL MY JOY I REFUSE TO LET YOU RAIN ON MY PARADE.
SO YOU CAN CARRY ON WITH YOU PETTY CHARADE.
YOU SEEK NEGATIVITY TO SECURE YOUR INNER-SELF TO BE LIFTED UP BY YOUR EGO.
TO HELP IT GROW INTO A MONSTER THAT NO ONE CAN CONTAIN NOT EVEN YOU.
FOR MY DAYS ARE BRIGHT AND SUNNY NOT DARK AND CLOUDY.
I AM WALKING INTO A BEAUTIFUL SUNLIGHT THAT IS FOR ME TO STAND ON.
I WILL NOT LET YOU STEP ON ME I WILL NOT LET YOU PULL ME DOWN TO YOUR LEVEL.
NO WAY NO HOW AM I GOING TO BE YOUR TARGET OF HARASSMENT.
NO LONGER WILL I BE THAT LITTLE GIRL THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN PICK ON.
NO WAY NO HOW AN I GOING TO BE A PUNCHING BAG YOUR OUTLET FRUSTRATION.
SO GET UP OFF ME AND LET ME BE OH I FORGOT YOU CAN'T YOU ARE SO CAUGHT UP IN WHAT I AM DOING.
THAT'S YOU HAVE LOST YOURSELF ALONG THE WAY.
BUT I AM PRESSING ON AHEAD TO A BRIGHTER DAY.
I watch you on the radar
I wonder what you'll bring
A thunderclap so bold and loud
The birds just will not sing?
I see the reds and yellows
As increasingly you draw near
You'll rain on my parade today
You'll cause my kitty fear
But once you pass the denizens
Of my long time now home town
The smiles will appear again
There will be no more frown
So do your worst approaching storm
Show me what you got
Disrupt my TV signal
And cool off the hot
I see you getting closer
throughout the afternoon
I know when you are done and gone
A new tune I will croon
forget forget
don't let this cozy
castle of cards
cave in on me
rain on my parade-
language is built
on charades, empty
molds of words,
cascades of dripping
thoughts. the night
lies heavy & distraught,
confused why it's
always so dark.
(stark dark)
my body is the
mark of the
devil, my soul:
miracle, a complete
act of god.
forgotten forgotten
the earth is
rotten &
covered in dust-
thrust out of the
sky, i ride bareback,
clinging to the
gasping land.
as the cool breeze blows
rises with condensation
moving like cloud nine
-----------@@@-----------
evaporation
condensation into clouds
magic carpet ride
-----------@@@-----------
cumulonimbus
like rain pouring over head
gliding to shelter
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