marauding foxes
mutilating fruit
minutemen mischief-makers
marching upon us
pick our pockets
laugh at our loss
“No mangoes for sale”
maimed, mangled, mashed
sweetness shamed
to death
ants and gnats feasting
off illicit mango chutney
sly scamps
evade
like Bolt-pace
their intake
of fruit sugars
insufficient for catching
robust diabetes
enfeebling the fiends
abducting limbs, or a pedactyl
soulful eyes stare with jeers
sailing
mimicking
bold breezes
through the trees
as I could never
in the canopy of my Caribbean youth
under mother's God-eye
girls outclimbed me
wearing puffy petticoats
and cumbersome cornrows
to perpetrate petite thefts
of mangoes
Categories:
scamps, animal, culture, environment, fruit,
Form: Free verse
Approached by a witch on Halloween one should, look her straight in the eye and knock on wood.Quote - Poet’s own
It's Halloween night, beware of the knock
Safeguard yourselves and have your doors on lock
There's witches on prowl, who cast a dire spell
Avoid those spells for they never do well.
Night sky is riddled with witches on brooms
With scary cats sat on the back they zoom
Surrounded by bats waiting to attack
Anyone out there, for a tasty snack.
Do not be tempted to sup a witch’s brew
There’s no telling the damage it could do
For they boil innards of rats and lizards
Be cautious as most witches are wizards.
Close your windows for ghosts are on the scene
If they sneak in you are likely to scream
Watch out for ghouls, they are demons and pests
And they don’t listen to angry protests.
It may be trick or treaters knock your door
Or devilish scamps who have no candour
Put treats outside, no tricks they’re a have not
Hark this advice before you get a knock.
Categories:
scamps, halloween, myth,
Form: Rhyme
To those who measure the depths of their power,
In the fathomless pools of tears of the oppressed;
To the human hyenas that gorge themselves full,
While the sons and the daughters of the incarcerated,
Battle with the sharp arrows of hunger and dearth;
To those who appropriate to themselves,
Mother Earth’s allotments to the destitute;
To the dragon-mouthed whose fiery flames of hatred,
Sear the reputation of the guiltless;
To the puckish tongues that uproot family trees,
Wresting the blossoming babes from Pa’s loving arms;
To you all, Satan’s scamps; I say and say again:
The wrathful wind doth gather the celestial armies;
And the saintly swords of the beleaguered,
Will chirpily chaperon your souls past the netherworld.
Categories:
scamps, abuse, bullying, change, conflict,
Form: Free verse
When he had gone off, Amos did come in,
Aaid, “I wish we didn’t have to lie to him”
Joanne just scoffed, “He’s kept me here six years,
rather than be man enough to cry tears.
Nearly ruined me, he too has much sin.”
Now ‘Gunther’ it seemed did much love his wife,
each year he ‘returned’ and she bore new life,
but always his unit was ‘on the move,’
and they both suspected, deep down John knew,
but said nothing of it, nor did his wife.
Until the years passed, and the long night came,
both John and his wife found escape from their pain,
and Amos, no longer some drifting tramp,
with his wife on his arm, surrounded by scamps,
went to the town clerk to give them his name.
Categories:
scamps, desire, family, heartbreak, history,
Form: Epic
Seems nearly every single dawn,
A spotted fawn scamps on my lawn.
And hiking everywhere I go,
I’m sure to see at least one doe.
Just yesterday, while in my truck,
What luck! I saw an 8-point buck.
My Missy girl and I feel blessed
To have a place where, undistressed,
They can feel free to come on out
And know it’s safe to roam about.
When hunting season comes, they’ll fade
Into the thickets ‘round the glade,
But till that day, we’ll watch with awe
And write about the things we saw.
I’m blessed to have these creatures near;
He who knows sparrows made these deer.
Categories:
scamps, animal, appreciation,
Form: Rhyme
// Apologies to all who do not follow the sport of baseball. My team is in the playoffs for the first time since 2006 and I wanted to celebrate the occasion //
fans came
big game
they scream
cheer team
the boys
love noise
gloves wield
on field
defense
makes sense
line drive
great dive!
ground ball
close call
third strike
we like!
three outs
coach pouts
down one
need run
fast guy
hits fly
drops in
legs spin
he'll race…
third base
big slide
throw's wide
"He's safe!"
they chafe
sac fly
to tie!
fans roar
at score
game tied
nerves fried
next up:
the pup
young Matt
swings bat
big one…
home run?
don't scoff -
walk off!
team wins
huge grins
our score
was more
our scamps
are champs!
// big thanks to Panagiota who inspired me to do this, also to Brian Strand who invented this form and Jan and Tom who are fun and brilliant advocates of it //
written 1 Oct 2020
Categories:
scamps, baseball, sports,
Form: Footle
The Eagles accomplished their goal
To play in this year’s Super Bowl.
Their fans are all thrilled
That they have fulfilled
For Philly, a huge starring role.
For if they are the Super Bowl champs,
Then revelers won’t allow cramps
To their partying ways
Though in past winning days
The authorities dealt with some scamps.
To prevent this, they’re using some grease
On the light poles, so this will decrease
People climbing up high
To toss things and defy
Orders shouted at them by the police.
I just read that it’s Crisco* they use,
A fact that to some will amuse.
For if they had used lard
Certain rogues would be barred –
Now the hooligans, too, can be Jews!
*a type of shortening that is kosher, which
can be used for cooking by observant Jews
Categories:
scamps, city, sports,
Form: Limerick
Sirens sounded secretly securing source. Strait sacks swooshed scamps scaling sensitive sentries (simply spayed seals) surveying surrounding staked spy sotted sham semicircular slipshod shelter. Snappy, Snippy, Snoopy suited Skyhawks surprisingly swooped somnambulant senseless scriveners. Sargent Salemander slipped shiny shimmering shellacked Sheppards Shutterfly sidearms sized simulated small skyscraper slinky, soapy, spooky squarely summoned, sentenced, sacrificed see swarthy Samsonite satraps Section SpecialOps.
Sometime soon savior snuck stealthily stealing sinful schleppers. sundown syzygy saw serendipitous, surreptitious, surreptitious segue-way shuttled safely Scottish shoals. Stigmatization stayed steady. Supplication statements swatted. Sole survivor swiftly spun self shaming sesquipedalian soliloquy. Sea side serenade soon spewed solipsism saving Slim Shady.
Sayonara seminal surfer swirling scarily sans sinister serpentine silent space.
Categories:
scamps, 10th grade, 11th grade,
Form: Epic
The woodland beckons me, calls me within
It's musical chorus can be barely heard
A mystical presence, a tone prevails in the wind
I stumble on wild thickets on the ground
Absent of pathways, thorny brambles instead
Moving along on foot, not easy I have found
Wild sumac, and aggressive vines grows thickly here
But this mysterious music draws me further in
These woods are an impossible hike I fear
Pulling twigs from my hair, I stare
A clearing, moss so deep that feet disappear
In the dappled light dust sparkles are seen in the air
Rapid movements I see to my right
The music is stilled, not a sound except
Quick tiny footsteps taking flight
Folklore of elusive music-playing imps
Vanish magically leaving dust sparkles in the air
Only a brief glimpse I saw of these tiny scamps
A faint single note played, I thought I heard
Categories:
scamps, adventure, fantasy, imagination, music,
Form: Terzanelle
Lollipop, Lollipop, Lollipop
Remember way back when?
Gummy bears and peppermint sticks
Such treats when we were ten
Teenage years weren't far behind
Raging hormones and pimply skin
And puppy love so intense
It sent our heads in a spin
Soon we made it to almost twenty
Really couldn't imagine how
Our first job is a cashier at Walmart
Making real money, holy cow
We meet that sweet special someone
Our world is twirling around
Before we can say Jackie Robinson
We two are parenthood bound
We're blessed with a couple of kiddies
Relieved when they finally mature
They grow up to be a doctor and lawyer
We're peacock proud for sure
Never thought I'd see the day
When someone would call me Gramps
It all started with ice cream and lollipops
When we were a couple of scamps
© Jack Ellison 2012
Categories:
scamps, life,
Form: Quatrain
Mellon balls, white and soft
Powder dropped from aloft
Cannon balled by little scamps
By such childish winter land camps
Stacked up high in twos and threes
Thin brown arms pulled from trees
The cool round shape is taking form
Crafted from the winters storm
Floating scarf from mother’s room
Top hat stolen from dad the groom
Little hands then search the ground
To see if any coal can be found
Pantries far and wide are raided
But by many adult hands they’re aided
A hundred little feet crunch the snow
An orange nose is ready to bestow
Amid the many giggles and calls
A gentle spattering of snow falls
The orange point completes a face
A white ball of snow it has replaced
The little hands and childish fun
Has completed the task they begun
This youthful spark and joyous drive
Has brought this snowman alive
And as the snow now falls thickly
And the children seek the fire quickly
Leaving the snowman in the night
He comes alive with childish delight
Categories:
scamps, childhood, imagination, life, snow,
Form: Rhyme