IN THE PILLARING OF LIFE
Be a pillar
Of peace and love;
Supporting justice
And equity:
Foundations
Of democracy;
And it’s roofing
From above:-
Sam had cleared his debt, when Death came calling
So, his funeral no barrier stalling.
Sam's interment is as good as the held:
Twenty-one gun salute; trees shall be felled!
I see Sam laughing, on the ground falling,
Sam as a ghost amused, even balling,
All round him women a sweet name calling;
In his honor many to go mailing!
In their Spirit World had begun building
After a chat with Senior Ghost Fielding,
Who had his own house started roofing
While on Earth on Building Jobs no goofing...
Still, a billionaire much power wielding
Sam and others, every morn, "Lord Fielding!"
What a difference a few years away make
For granted, rights to privacy, personal space,
Right to lay charges of assault, I did take
Them as given in US if America
I'm no longer shocked at fence, tree removed
To steal tin, "zinc" fir shanty roofing
My yard is to be piached fir vegetables, too
We in south Africa, don't bother The Police
Naples perches in its own white washed stucco
Brilliant white. It almost hurts the eyes.
An irregular pitch of cliffs subsumed into terra cotta tiles
Orangish-red like scales of some headless fish
Arising from a rocky classic shore.
This, like the first Ulyssess would see of dear Penelope.
Her would-be suitors frothing like a sea.
These roofing tiles, the faithful terra cotta hue.
Not like the terra cotta Chinese warriors
Who, though sculpted in a terra cotta clay,
Stand immobile in a ghostly mummy dust.
Colors have more to do with light
Than material with which a thing is made.
Sometimes shadows creep across the distant meadow
Casting a pall over the broad field of aster and daisy
Before drifting across the fence row to our bungalow
Where strange apparitions appear on the siding hazy
And float across the shingled roofing and chimney top
Before dissipating from my sight on the other side
Like a kaleidoscope of grays, they dance the hip-hop
Shimmering reflections of sunrays shifting they glide
Yon meadow to a marshy glen awaiting their demise
These light and shadowy mystical ghosts born where
The sun’s slanting rays shine through, to our surprise,
Tall oak and maple trees beyond the lea, over there—
Funny how these shapes and forms make of our eyes
Windows into vaporous distant worlds in faint disguise.
FIRST PLACE WINNER
written June 12, 2021
Brian Strand's "All Yours" Poetry Contest
I have the loudest woodpecker in the neighborhood!
He starts around 5 am, hammering on the hard wood.
I’ve even caught him at some of the metal roofing too!
I’m not sure what’s up with that, what he’s trying to do?
One thing is for sure, he’s big, black, red and white.
He didn’t seem to like being disturbed, when I was in close sight.
I’ve never heard one this loud, hammering on...with all his might!
No kidding, it’s beginning to sound like a construction site!
Heidi Sands
5/21/21
Oh! Rain ….
Without discipline like the Vain
To the uplands, not to the low
To the rocks over there -Go !
They interminably hiss,
When you strike them and don’t miss.
Now you ‘re pillaging my heritage
By our forefathers celebrated with vintage :
The costs of their re-roofing not counting,
My thief- frustrating fence not minding
sadly no Joseph the carpenter to charge me a Christian price
For my now disfigured door;
Fat chances of the previous amount paying thrice
To again fix up my ravaged floor.
So, Torrential Rain, aim at that far away tree
And while doing so, feel quite free!!
THE BALLAD OF MA POSSUM
Roofing like a penthouse floor,
Tis not a haunt but Ma's snore.
A wombatic possum in appearance,
Being nature's pinup is her arrogance.
Her distintictive, brush, bob tail, loss,
reputedly, respected as the boss poss.
Hearing her grunt and fight,
echoing a freaky still night fright.
Oh!, nightlife beware,
if Ma is anywhere.
trees n eyes in the wood
is part of Ma's family hood.
Scratchings at the door,
signals to eat, until no more,
Possum busters have done their best,
But Ma thinks, tis a game and quest.
With her teeth and claws,
makes furnishings with any trapddors.
Characterise, personalise or humanise,
big booted, smudged lipstick and pearl,
smokin cigars, no sweet little girl,
tough and ready to roll,
she aint no possum doll.
A pet possum sage,
outliving the legends of her long age.
it was the right thing to do
for a world that needed help.
he spoke of his invention,
instead of replacing the roof
he devised a contraption
that shielded the whole
roofing area," the thing
is supported to the house
and it refuses to be blow from it.
it refuses to allow the
rains and snows to
seep into the roofing area!
it is supported by beams that
are anchored to the
surface area of the house
and are too anchored and
attached to the corners of
the housing unit
and are customized to fit!
these replacements can cover
customized homes, sheds, barns
and mobile and recreational trailers.
they make sense for a world that
can't afford to be poor!
This rusting chain is witness to an age
When slate was quarried from these ancient cliffs
And where one hundred quarrymen earned a wage.
This harbour, filled with steamboats, schooners, skiffs,
Became a hive of industry, back when
Demand for road-stone, roofing slates and bricks
Was at its peak, then never seen again.
In modern times it’s in the tourist mix;
From far and wide they come; their aim – “The Shed”—
A posh fish restaurant. Book in advance,
Secure your table, or disappointed
And hungry be, and float in fresh fish trance.
The smell of fish and chips wafts from the galley.
Move on, quick! Away! We dare not dally.
You must check on the net these amazing art visuals
They'll blow your mind and pop your roofing shingles
Incredible can't describe
Marvels of which I scribe
My mind hasn't recovered from these fantastic images
INFANTS
Infants, infants,
Infants are like Ngwuor.
They intoxicates like,
White hot.
Some are as whites as firmament
While some are as black as charcoal.
Its seeds are yellow as nutri C
While some are as white as firmament.
It is too difficult to find and they are exorbitant.
Some are as beautiful as a queen,
While some are as ugly as Otengwu masquerade;
Some are as sweet as honey,
While some are as bitter as bitter leaf.
I like infants. What about you?
Their branches are used,
For bed,
While their sticks are used for brooms,
But there are used for roofing.
It serves as medicine but,
It can also be served as fire wood.
Tell the blacksmith that we need some keys,
Tell also the costumers that they needs some of it for as test,
But forget not to remind,
Palm wine tapers that they needs much work to do.
Tell the wedding celebrants that the
Horse and its messengers are here.
Tell the chairman of the the wedding that there still some pots,
But tell the congregation that the Ngwour is finished.
THEMES
1. Importance of children
2. Beauty
3. Goodness
4. Assistance
5. Upliftment
6. Prayer
8/16/17
Cruising
And moving
Except when snoozing
Whether win, draw or losing
Focused on improving
On ground level or atop the roofing
Regardless if it may be confusing
Got to keep pursuing
And musing
Even if I continue boozing
Not going to talk about god or the devil
Trying to write something special
Aiming for a higher level
And to always be successful
No time to settle
Foot on the pedal
Got to work on credentials
And show my true potential
Working around pebbles, nettles
Flower petals and metals
Avoiding being captive
Staying away from what I consider unattractive
In a place so massive
Being active
Instead of passive
6/17/17
I'm just cooling
And musing
Below the flooring and above the roofing
Still manuevering and moving
Working hard towards improving
Live a life of your choosing
Focused on what I'm doing
Got to get it, can't continue snoozing
While there is and isn't booming
Whether win draw or losing
Before and after what is ensuing
Regardless of if it may be confusing
Quickly fuming
Often stooping
To such a low level, then snooping
People feuding
And dueling
Over petty things, continually adding fueling
To the fire, while ridiculing
Among objects that may or may not be protruding
Near and far from lifeforms and items by themselves or in a tight-knit grouping
At a rapid pace, spewing
It's all bad when it comes to polluting
Always stirring up the pot, and tooting
Your own horn, while assuming
Because you want to see another's undoing
Shame on those that continue spoofing
And fooling
As well as those that did or are planning a mass shooting
There's just no excusing
Such horrendous actions, regardless of it involved drug abusing
And heavy duty boozing
Toured a mansion and its grounds,
The gardens most amazing,
Far beyond the scope of words
You’d summon for some praising.
Of all the beauty, what I loved
Was what was given when
The daughter of the patriarch
Turned, on her birthday, 10.
Her gift? A thatched-roof cottage,
Big enough to make a home,
With a fireplace and furniture.
(And worthy of a poem!)
Surely any girl would welcome
Such a present, but in truth
Only very few experience
A fairy-princess youth.
For the rest of us, imagination
Hopefully can match
Such a fantasy-come-true, complete
With roofing made of thatch!
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