Retracted Poems

Beneath Waltzing Clouds

             winter
with it's fangs retracted
s l i t h e r s away.
see you next year!
spring is here
           gravid 
with infinite possibilities
mother earth aging
in reverse; clothed
 in her sunday best.

I shall make the most of
this glorious day!

             l i l a c s
         breath honey 
into my nostrils.
i hear early birds tweeting.
i see flowers blooming.
in the infancy of spring,
pollinating bees 
buzz with excitement
gleeful blades of grass 
sway in the breeze.

I shall make the most of
this glorious day!

with blessings of rain,
bare trees quench their thirst.
           starlings
against the lapis lazuli sky
dazzle me so.
a shy sun peeks out,
brightly beaming
down my head as I walk, 
frequently whistling
beneath waltzing clouds.

I shall make the most of 
of this glorious day!

The Frog And The Chameleon

From out of the lacustrine,dense tract, green 
Lining the silent mossy forlorn lake keen ,
Came out leaping and hopping,a fat frog ;
He landed and stopped on a reedy clog ,
As he saw the Chameleon on a stem frail ,
Gripping fast the rush with its prehensile tail ,
Croaking and flicking his tongue around,
To relish one and all the insects found ;
He made his own way on the rich moss,
And back and forth on the spread-over grass ; 
His acrobatics envied and enraged the rival 
Watching silently with rolling eyes since arrival .


The crestfallen had missed his chance  thrice
And retracted to sit still like frozen  ice -
Having lost  to the place his colour and stance ;
Thrill and anxiety did the  crux spell enchnce ;
A surly serpent suddenly sprang,as if to mock 
Hissing , out of the crevice beneath a rock ;
It was a measured move -a prize catch ;
The victim was more a meal than a match  ,
And went in neatly with a suppressed wail  ;
The avenged lizard quirked and muttered his hail :
Pride goes pouncing and swooping before a fall ,
Thus to end up with a whimper, defeat and all.

Bridges and Fences

The hourglass reminds us time like sand
Slides into the past never to come again
This makes us think wonder and plan
If we are wise and want to make amends

In life for those we honestly wronged
With our actions or lack of just as strong
Can not have that feeling of black retracted 
Can saying you’re sorry really heal the impacted 

We can repent and not repeat offenses
We can offer friendship build new bridges
Put on big boy gloves and work the trenches
Let the lord’s love protect us like fences

Enigma

Should a nemesis  be instructed  consistency?
We are all on borrowed time equivalent  to sand
that emerges from an hourglass.

Malice and verbal and abusive language are
strong words often are disquised that cuts like
a knife.

Circumstances and situations always comes
with causes now and then with side effects 
oftentimes our vision are cloudy that the forrest
blocks our scenery and our sight and judgment 
seems contorted by paradoxes of manipulation,
domestic power are time after time are retracted
that one blames which are vague ans unclear.
Enigma

The Last Nittany Lion

Wandering alone
atop Mount Nittany
his claws long retracted
his teeth filed down

The last of his breed
once reigning so proudly
his lair far distant
no food to be found

Strange noises he hears
far off to the West
in the canyon of beavers
a struggle beset

He knows that this Winter
most likely his last
the future reclaiming
—a glorious past

(Lemont Pennsylvania: November, 2023)

Eternally Etched

This slice of time and space
Will barely register a trace
In the historical database
Don't discard it to be erased

Slow down the chaotic pace 
Replace the chase with faith
Interlace gratitude with grace
To embrace all that we face

Our story will be encased 
In the core of the human race
Live with no regrets or haste
Since steps can't be retracted

Departing From the Anchor

On the dock, we took a step into the storm
When wood glades are full of colorful forms,

We were both awed and warm as we spoke
Many of us believe life is a joke

The winter sun sparkled as it set west
Kissing my crying child, I hold it to my breast

We fantasized over a world without ailments
After an exhibition, snap public impalement

Due to the wuthering event, my mood can shift
In a wild sea of turmoil, we felt our lives adrift

I'm retracted by the unexpected rage
Some have died or escaped over the ages

It urges me to be humane to my brittle chunks
Quit obeying bail, leapers, striders, and drunks

I relax when I find my vitality still in my core
Yet I tried and couldn't find any doors

Windy gusts beat the glaze, making it elegant
To execute it in virtually every element

Perusing the Apocrypha in the glow of a fire
Excessive nothingness may render a man a liar

I waited, expecting a spectacular twist.
The ridiculous spike and rope on the wrist.

Written: May 29, 2023

Experience Regina Tourism Flub

Regina city councillors under fire
For ad campaign’s not looked at prior
How someone did not think to inquire
Check the news if you think me a liar

This province had some odd news breaks
Like the Tim Hortons with the snake…
The moose in the school for hoof’s sake
But this capital city goof takes the cake

I suppose they were hoping for a laugh
Now it looks like there’ll be some new staff
The response may still be half and half
Talked about around the coffee carafe

They’ve taken a lot of flack in the past
Tried to steer into the skid at last
That plan backfired pretty damn fast
A collective face palm, country vast

A headline that didn’t need to be spun
With marketing that cannot be undone
Since the new slogan that they chose to run
Is : “The city that rhymes with fun”…..


** Slogan since retracted by Experience Regina
Still Managed to make International headlines, well done...

God Grants

A sudden burden of flipping turns him into a fraction /
Action of correction in your cranium needs traction /
Bad habits all erratic need retracted to leave the bad flabbergasted /
Dad’s had it with blabber half gassed /
Mom’s at fits with the sadder last cast /
It’s time to rebuild your gasket close the guilt and accept that past /
With loss of balance he’ll tilt a step and the other he’ll sway /
No scoffs as God grants built pep for him to innovate and crave /
Show restraints in that trot trance and let go to win a place /
Hope remains and trains to not dance against fate /
Cope complaints and aims of the banes with faith to renovate their games /
Don’t sift pains just cuff and cell those demons away for gains /
Life rift and experience creates a hell of a wince and some grimace /
But with the premise immense like an overwhelming radiance /
Lift a new obedience followed by some grievance /
Don’t review old rants allow width to come into your presence /
Father lends many ladies and gents new grief vents or pressed sense /
Plenty a second chance as a new ordinance /
Such reverence protects and proves an alliance with resurgence

Unredacted Redactions

Then came the checkers of the facts
Patting themselves on the backs
Moccasin minds that leave no tracks
Piling up rumors in stapled stacks.

It matters not whether pro or con
They all sing a slightly twisted song
A mantra that makes the right seem wrong
Or at least filtered through an inhaled bong.

They’ve all been trained to speak with one voice
Forgetting that that is giving up choice
And chanting is naught but a lot of noise
To drown out the roar of the “preachers” Rolls-Royce.

So study the graphs, the charts, unredacted
And lean to the side to which you’re attracted
But remember the “facts” can all be retracted
With the heavy dark lines of those who attacked it.


John G. Lawless
©7/24/2022

She Is All That

She thinks she is all that my sister and I said.
She was blonde and magnificent. We wished her dead.
She came over to see us and she was funny and kind.
Scratch out those mean thoughts; please never mind.

She became our best friend, and the boys were attracted.
The ones she tossed aside could more easily be retracted.
We saw it was a huge advantage to have her as a friend.
She’s a terrific a boy magnet, whom we never lend.

I Killed a Spider

I am guilty
I know
I killed a spider.

A miniscule tiny aspect of life
moving about its business
in my space.

It fled right
it fled left
it jumped up
it came down.
My godly presence
was everywhere 
like a black night.

I smashed its plastic skeleton
its fluid internals popped outside.
The poor thing
just curled
and retracted
like a coil spring.

Then tears
rolled out, from my iron heart.
I thought;
Was it worth
whisking away life
to protect
this insensible fear?

A May Morning

May Morning

A strange morning, clouds look like they were trying
to put up wallpaper, but the work was too much, and they left the project.
Drips like glue fell into the sea and became flakes of sunlight.
An aeroplane crossed the sky. It looked old, and its wheels were not retracted
perhaps it was a private plane doing a bit of exercise keeping its owner alert.
A seagull flew past it was a big one hardly flapping its wing, how I envy its flight.
So, why are you not happy?
I have seen so many oceans they are all the same…wet.
The oceans have many colours, grey, blue and grey, and I never saw a red sea.
The building is waking up, lifts in motion, slamming of doors.
Yet, I miss the woodland, the small terns where fish and fairies play; I shall not be there
and ask if they miss me?

Desert Blooms

Cluttered herself with salt;
Rather obscuring herself, she settled downwards;
The sandy surface has made her vulnerable;
Clasping the inner core tightly, she reluctantly raised her fallen guards;
The heart silently percolated to its bedrock;
She was afraid of sedimentation.
Suddenly the cracks paved the way to her weathered soul;
For her it was love at first sight!
Beginning of a pure, beautiful love affair;
She was mesmerized by those sparkling eyes!
She inched closer with the ever increasing sound of her pounding heartbeat;
Nothing! Nothing!
Betrayal!
Fluttering her sand-dunned eyelashes;
The mirage was in its full glory;
She retracted in her footsteps, recoiled her flattered heart;
She was deserted again with her guards steeper than before.

America's Number One Problem

I have researched the issue extensively
  and concluded most indubitably
The #1 problem we must confront immediately
  is that the NBA is Tibetan-Nepalese free                          

I realize that this kind of news may just shock
  both NBA fanatics and weekend warrior jocks
As there have been social media rumors of a plan
  to load up rosters with ex-soldiers from Afghanistan

Well, I for one, will not let myself get distracted
  The data's in, my words will not be retracted
At this very moment, President Biden's selecting a 5-star commission
  to highlight the egregious wrong of Tibetan-Nepalese inadmission

Our nation has the talent, the drive and the will
  to effect change to rock the world from Singapore to Brazil
For the NBA's bias against Tibetan-Nepalese is a vile disease
  infecting every team owner privileged to speak Americanese

So, let us look forward to that great day
  when NBA game-time rosters will look this way
Fifteen Tibetans versus fifteen from Nepal
  ~ as long as they sing our National Anthem before they 'play ball!'



                 ~ Not for Contest ~

• Short Retracted Poems
• Famous Retracted Poems
• Best Retracted Poems
• Read Retracted Poems
• Long Retracted Poems
• Retracted Quotes