With photography
figurative art did flee
defeated by ego 'selfie'
Impressions took centre stage
'til 20th century abstract
became the rage
This expressive genre
still ruled the roost
until digital facility was introduced
& by AI was traduced
Trump should be defeated with truth and democracy
Not with weapons and zealous filled idiocy
Crooks, a young terrorist and short-sighted halfwit
Who sealed Fredonia’s fate and everyone who lives in it
Yalda’s fate that gods, angels, and men can’t outwit
Soon the shouts of people will make the land quake and split
Even if Crooks succeeded in his aim and made it
It would have made Trump into a martyr and spectre
Who even without that gold bold eagle sceptre
Would have his cold presence cover all of Fredonia
And make Fredonia burst into red and blue fire
And another man possessed by the phantom of zeal
Would arise from the ashes and makes Trump’s will real
That stiff-neckedness; that boulder-like stoneness
The so-called track-travel; that perfection-proneness
The 'looking-down-upon' others as backboneless
That sharp surety of sheer, shadowless shallowness
All came to a standstill like a train on a halt.
I felt something stopping my voluntary vault.
'Take it easy'—I heard the inner self prompting.
'There's a need for reciprocating and bonding.
Perfectionism has high streams of expectations.
Thoughtlessness fills and fixes all fluctuations.
Critical, unrealistic ruthless morals
Leads to my depression, unmet goals, and laurels.
Fear, failure, procrastination, low self-esteem
Nullity and nothingness enter a clear stream.
Like a wounded dove amidst vultures, I suffer.
The environmental zeitgeist turns stone tougher.
I should be calm, cool, and consciously cogitate.
To follow out, I must mindfully meditate.
Thus, like a serene, solemn stream searching the sea
I plunged into the hunt for my lost true 'me.
Shedding that glittering gift-paper-wrapped spirit
And securing a supple self to my merit
This change of mind has now taken on newer roots.
In my thoughts, words, and deeds, bringing abundant fruits
Steve likes to control people's lives.
He could hate men for their bad wives;
Who tries Steve's eyeballs to death drives,
His razor worse than twenty knives!
Thus, Steve's trusted friend Jeremy
Had to become his enemy
Jeremy to face his army
For being recently The Barmy...
I love Steve's dead sincerity,
Not his love for temerity:
His mad thirst for severity
And voice for dropped Austerity...
Men should know trends that are recent
And afford they can The Decent,
Wasting not strength for an ascent,
Where lies but yesterday's assent.
Raise high the chalice for the saddened heart
At the banquet for the king’s coronation;
Sing the ballads of valiant warriors to depart.
They who have returned to guard the rampart.
Salute their bold stance for God and nation;
Raise high the chalice for the saddened heart
More than heroes, our wounded, they fought,
Who returned from battle to condemnation,
Sing the ballads of valiant warriors to depart.
Some never returned from the jungles afar;
Some came home with PTSD, a rabid fixation.
Raise high the chalice for the saddened heart
No parades, no welcoming home to restart
Their new life from inappropriate obligation.
Sing the ballads of valiant warriors to depart
May from families never again be worlds apart,
Never again need be silent cries of oblation.
Raise high the chalice for the saddened heart
Sing the ballads of valiant warriors to depart.
Written February 20, 2021
Submitted to "All Yours" Contest
Judged N/A on February 23, 2021
FIRST PLACE WINNER
Submitted to "NA from a February 2021" Contest
Sponsored by: Constance La France
March 18, 2021
bursts of blooming life
and peaches ripen so sweet
the sun smiles warmly
Recently
My dreams have been
Scarier than reality
Like nails raking down a blackboard
Not the fluffy happy stuff
You wish you never wake up from
“SILENT ONE” – inspired poem
I
Musicians unite for a cause, no cause celebre
But small nursing homes not on maps, or Frail Care facilities -
Magically coaxing ancient responses and memories,
Ancient civilizations, loves village by village, bequeathing antiquities
II
Once, at a prayer meeting, in a troubled land
Four races came praying for rain, their drought’s end
To save quaint farms, healthy habits, good food, the Rand …
Oupa, Gogo, pundits under acacias, teaching a man to be a man
R-ighteous
A-wesome
V-erse
I-n
N-oble
D-enotation
E-xpresses
R-emarkable
K-nowledge
U-sing
M-essage
A-bout
R-ecent
S-uccess
O-f
N-otable
I-ndividual
Topic: Birthday of poet Ravinder Kumar Soni (May 04)
Form: Vertical Monocrostic
It used to be fantastic.
I was happy.
The world was bright.
My future was bright.
Our future was bright.
At least that's how I saw it.
You loved me.
I loved you too.
I was ecstatic to see you every day.
When you weren't there, it hurt.
Your beauty humbled me. I felt unworthy.
Even when I was anxious and afraid,
Fearful that you didn't actually love me,
You pulled me through with your kindness and wonderful personality.
My anxiety is gone.
But it took my self-esteem with it.
The void where all that was
Has been replaced with depression and sadness.
You told me you didn't love me anymore.
You only wanted to be friends.
You say I didn't do anything wrong,
But that can't be the case.
I'm such a horrible person that
There must have been something.
Is there someone else?
I just don't know.
In these recent days,
These are the questions I've been asking.
You've always occupied my mind,
But I never wanted it to be like this.
I'm sure you didn't mean to hurt me.
You would never do anything to hurt me.
I know this is true.
But good intentions never saved anyone.
At my age, I've seen it all, done it all, and heard it all
Only problem is, I just can't remember it all
Brain's filled to the brim
Even store stuff in my limbs
A marvelous specimen after my recent overhaul
“I'll follow you to the ends of the earth” is a very old line
But recently, they've discovered earth is round, will take a long time
Sounds good on paper
But methinks this caper
Could mean death crossing by dinghy the ocean brine
Indeed Columbus knew
Our planet isn’t flat
When in 1492
He found the missing half!
And behold, the land’s corn
and potatoes — unearthed
Plus green beans galore
that the land sprouted forth.
Wherein squashes of size
And tomatoes emerged,
And with the peppers surprise,
Cuisine took a surge.
At the same time, debuted
Avocados, divine,
Sweet-potato root
And the pineapple find.
Moreover — vanilla,
And the strawberry gem
Plus chocolate, the thriller
— From the Americas, stem.
Plus peanuts in pods
Pecans and cashews . . .
Thus, let us thank G-d
For great recent foods!
In spite of some recent setbacks I've endured
Still, life is the only choice to feel secure
Crap's gonna happen
Always part of the action
But we stick with the program just to be sure
At my age, I've seen it all, done it all, and heard it all
Only problem is, I just can't remember it all
Brain's filled to the brim
Even store stuff in my limbs
A marvelos specimen after my recent overhaul
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