dolls from the sixties
pre Barbie days
chubby bodies with round faces
rivaled the cuteness of a toddler
two-year-old leaned into the window
gazing at them with rapt attention
not realizing they were ghouls in disguise
ready to take the soul of whomever took them home
some witches swore allegiance to plant induced electronics
Wilma Higgenbottoms swore by produce hydroponics
Her tomatoes rivaled the size of a giant’s enormous toe
Her pumpkins were larger than the neighbor’s lawn to mow
When Halloween came around she could barely be found
We looked all over the town, over, through, up and in ground
She was celebrating her garden bounty, trick-or-treating on the loose
Her confidence was hale and hearty, she was named the Garden Goose.
a Curtal Sonnet
Her Evening in Paris was dainty blue,
safe in a place forbidden to young ones
too new to understand passionate love
between a man and a woman that grew
and burst in a blaze that rivaled the sun's,
then putting to shame the stars up above.
The years passed by as they are wont to do,
but her scent lingers in the mourning dove,
and still warms the hearts of her stalwart sons
and of the grandchildren who barely knew
her blue scent of love.
Roaming in the corridor,
The fairy chuckled,
Mesmerized by the beauty of her own dress,
She grew self-assured in her little fairy school.
The multi-colored tutu,
inlaid with wild flowers;
Rivaled her silver sandals,
Which gleamed like her sparkling wings behind.
Then came the final day,
Bidding farewell to her tiny realm,
She moved ahead.
With sadness and excitement intertwined,
She decided to work through,
Until she became the best.
The moment she stepped into the real world,
She realized,
The tutu she wore was nowhere near the fairy gowns.
The praise and love she once received had faded into lies.
Maybe the tutu she wore was the best tutu, but not the best gown.
Carrying the weight of sudden change,
She still chose to enhance her tutu’s grace.
She rushed to the fashion store and cheerfully exclaimed:
"Get me the Cancan underskirt, fabric and shimmery pearls packed!"
The seller shot her an irksome look,
and Demanded fifty golden bricks.
The helpless fairy turned hopeless,
For she could have earned those bricks—
Only if she had a fluffy gown dress.
Lulu wanted this, that, those, these and the other.
Thought she deserved them, she dated a rich mother.
He liked tattoos, pretty soon her legs were tatted up.
So many tats, it rivaled the hair on her cat and pup.
Red tats, blue tats, yellow tats, purple tats, black tats too.
We asked her not to tell Grandma as she fixed our stew.
We had to all stop our concern and our ’n
When we saw Grandma’s legs out in the kitchen.
Grandma had six tats herself in pink and blue.
Not as much as you, she told Lulu.
But I am going to get them now, I bet.
The only one we saw cringing was Old crow, grandma’s pet.
Met an eager charming panhandler today
His smile was unusually bright and gay
Hi he said with friendly eyes and big smile
I was on a jog, had gone about a mile
Hi yourself I sang out in a voice that rivaled his
He looked pleased, not understanding my tone or biz
Do you have some extra change? He asked me
I laughed and giggled and slapped one knee
Extra change. What does that mean? I asked
His face was not as Pollyanna-smiling-masked
Money you don’t need, dollars will do too
His expression was innocent, his eyes bright blue
A buck or five, twenty would be welcome and plenty
I laughed, amused tears at this begging bold ninny
These tears ran down my face and fell off my blouse
I could use your spare twenties, I told this blatant louse.
You are asking me for money? He said.
His eyes nearly leapt out of his head
If you don’t have a twenty, a hundred would do I replied.
The panhandler walked off, ignoring my gloat of pride.
Avariciousness of King William B was weird
The restlessness of his marauders feared
His greediness was well-known in his day
Many were dead, so he could collect right away
His coffers were filled up by the blood of others
Corpses on the fields were many fathers and brothers
William’s disregard for the masses and cupidity
Were rivaled by his lack of empathy and stupidity
"Hush your crashing," whispered the moon to the sea,
as the sound slowly faded from the mermaid's laughter.
Luna heard only echoes on the shore, a silent symphony
that had been ebbing across the sea, perhaps hereafter.
Often, when moonlight glimmered its soft celestial light,
she would allow me a brief glimpse of her golden hair.
It rivaled the glow of stars in the sky's ebon night,
but no longer is she here, swimming in shallows there.
Her dulcet voice was as lovely as any seraphic hymn
How I longed for the possibility of getting closer to her,
but I feared she'd be frightened if I went for a swim.
So, I gave up on that desire, thinking it best to demur.
The shoreline has become desolately quiet and bleak.
No longer does the mermaid ride upon a wave's curls.
No songs from the mermaid, whose vision I now seek.
No sighting of her tresses, nor her necklace of pearls.
irate Goddess of Daisies did not get her due
wrath of her anger rivaled that of old Sue
I’m a major deity, she yelled to bells blue.
with complete jurisdiction over the likes of you!
bluebells liked the Goddess but wisely kept quiet.
not wanting to start a crucifixion or riot
Goddess of Daisies had been on a no-carb-or-sweet diet
they decided to dine without her, at the Regency Hyatt.
The lady paused, it was not fair
That one should boast such raven hair
And ample breasts so round and flush
On waist an hourglass would blush
The lady paused, her mirror stilled
Reflection froze as her eyes filled
Was she as jealous as the queen
Of Snow White’s beauty, fresh and clean
Ashamed she was of her demise
So what, the girl bore big blue eyes
So what, her color rivaled rose
In every hue love can suppose
The lady paused, so she grew old
Her springtime stories had been told
Her memories were still intact
That raven hair was hers, in fact
Yes, she was jealous of herself
Her youth now pictures on a shelf
Will she find happiness inside
Where ageless beauty can reside
River walker ran out of the pond today
They saw her coming, and some ran away
She is mystical, said the faeries beside the bay.
They wondered why she had chosen that day.
Her hair and clothes were silver bright
She had a glow that rivaled daylight’s light.
We stared in wonder, loving her cosmic might.
Everything about her felt absolutely right.
A white rose grew in her Summer garden.
"Beautiful rose, I must beg your pardon.
for I must clip you from your flower bed
to enjoy your aroma in my home instead."
In crystal vase the rose was fondly admired
until its velvet petals withered and expired.
Delicate white roses grew in Summer's heat
with such a delightful fragrance, cloyingly sweet
Their beauty was enhanced in morning sunlight
and rivaled the perfumed scent of jasmine at night
Adored by passersby, they bloomed until the end of Fall
when a cold north wind bent their stems in a sudden squall
Written: December 12, 2023, For Shadow Hamilton Contest
_______________________________________
People can only thrive on this wealth scale
With undying faith, we admire our flag
Sullen calm and dearth of prowess prevail.
Just few people groove stanch affluence gale
whilst most all strive tough with null in the bag
People can only thrive on this wealth scale.
We are rivaled with a stern choice trial
A person's rank is viewed by his wealth tag
Sullen calm and dearth of prowess prevail.
Trading rule exceeds all neat deals for sale
Where smash checkers are, indeed, rulers slag
People can only thrive on this wealth scale.
There is a fictive guise dubbed classless tale
Though, our right of recourse has little brag
Sullen calm and dearth of prowess prevail.
With their bogus pledge to clear off our lag
A plush caste is riding blindly as swag
People can only thrive on this wealth scale
Sullen calm and dearth of prowess prevail.
banned in the shadows behind the scenes
of a play,
he carried on along his path without missing
a step
his poetic gnosis stoked a fire without lighting
a match,
for its invisible to the masses a secret quiet
as kept
losses were taken but he chopped it up &
got back in the kitchen,
as if it had been the first time they tried to
alter his mission
his suspicions had come to light somewhere
deep in his mind,
but intuition would have him knowing the
score of games at the time
jealousy is a sickness of the mind they say
say is felt in the heart,
eating away at certain people with an
appetite of a shark
green eyes can see far but lack the clearest
of vision,
& are transparent when they approach so
they're seen from a distance
his persistence was only rivaled by his shine
& the will,
as the divine worked with his timing causing
his cups to refill
you can take the red or blue pill, just stay
away from the green,
as those eyes are steady watching, stealing
by shaking the tree
a formidable stallion Prix came into the yard and we gasped
His turquoise mane was shaped like peacock feathers
with their kind of spherical designs at the fringes
his coloring rivaled a male peacock’s feathers
Prix glistened in the sun, showing off his purples,
His blue greens, his gold’s with his flashing blue eyes
As he got closer he began high-stepping it
Showing off his Nancy Sinatra’s white boots.
This stallion changed the entire ambiance of the barnyard.
The fillies and mares were neighing in appreciation.
Our other stallion had turned his back, and began chewing violently.
This is going to be good, we thought, and of course it was.
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