There was a crooked house
in a crooked part of town
Where you could down a pint or two
and let your life calm down
A place to relax and to de-stress
with friends and glass or two.
Yes we loved that little crooked house,
with its ice cold special brew.
It was a warm and friendly place
met always with a smile
A place to sit and talk and laugh
and for us to sit awhile.
A place to go and socialise
and meet up with your mate.
A place to take a new found friend
or maybe a new date.
Alas one night there was a roaring fire
and the crooked house burned down
The structure was deemed unsafe to stand
and so was bulldozed to the ground.
We're sad to see that its now gone
and our beloved crooked house is no more.
Just sodden pile of bricks and stone
lay in a rubble on the floor.
So thank you friend and Landlord,
Landlady and bar staff.
For the friendly service with a smile
and for all the friendly chat
for all the beers served and drank
and the laughter and fun, thanks alot
we hold dear in our hearts and minds
Good times never forgot
Thanks to the little crooked house
Service, service with a smile
nary a howl or a scowl
At gas stations, supermarkets
at restaurants across the land
America's Service was its #1 brand
Then came self-service gas, big box
and supermarket self-check-outs ...
'Service,' a quaint notion from days of yore
gasping for breath ~
a whale washed up on shore
Power lunches, power ties
Even power poses --
Oh my, how they beguile
When all that life demands of us
Is 'Service with a Smile'
Doctor Love's Diner.
We have everything, even
Chicken and waffles.
We have included
Games and live entertainment.
Sounds great, doesn't it?
Our wonderful staff
Will make you feel right at home;
Service with a smile.
We do cater for
Birthday parties, weddings, and
Graduations, too.
Why don't you drop by?
There's fun for everyone at
Doctor Love's Diner.
The sign reads no service
if you take off your shoes
but if you come in to my place
I'll take them off you
Have a seat at my counter
I'll get to you real soon
one sip of this coffee
I'm damn sure you'll swoon
Breakfast is simmering
you'll find the sausage divine
mouth watering perfection
it's one of a kind
Church bells are ringing
the bluebirds start singing
no need for tipping
the first one's on me
Discarded cotton t-shirt shrunken and stained
on the side of a street pot-holed and veined
pants sagging low with no shoes on his feet
headphones blaring to the latest hip-hop beat
Heading down to the corner looking for a score
the old 76 filling station with the boarded up doors
how times have changed in a mere forty years
youthful exuberance gone now nobody cares
Flash back we go to the days of my youth
hard work the requisite as was the truth
running on empty our roll was real slow
clean-cut attendant with bow-tie for show
Service with a smile, thank you and please
gone is simplicity and enjoying the breeze
Wayfarers meet
Timeshare briefly;
Agendas halt here
~~~~~~~~~
By this corner
Newspaper vendor laughs;
Service with a smile
~~~~~~~~~
By this pathway
A chance meeting;
Discourse en passant
~~~~~~~~~
Watch that madman
In easy sway;
So much to say
~~~~~~~~~
Sunday sums
Fifty years young;
Singapore's birthday
~~~~~~~~~
We think of you
With profound pride;
This awesome journey
~~~~~~~~~~
Today, the Padang
Pomp and fest colours;
Our Golden Jubilee
~~~~~~~~~~
Here for a while
Let us wear smiles;
Fling joy worthwhile
~~~~~~~~~
We learn
Bit by bit;
Fit each take
~~~~~~~~~
Leon Enriquez
09 August 2015
Singapore
Old man limping
Walking toy poodle;
Patient devotion
~~~~~~~~~
Old master
Kung-fu sessions;
Evening serenade
~~~~~~~~~
Haul of freshness
Seafood and meat;
Home economics
~~~~~~~~~
Bourgainvilleas sparkle
Five colourful hues;
Hot weather blossoms
~~~~~~~~~
Pomegranate tree
Fruiting abundance;
Happy harvest
~~~~~~~~~
Family time flings
Feisty mahjong moves;
A royal flush
~~~~~~~~~
Morning salutation
Music of birdsong;
Tender revelations
~~~~~~~~~
Hear the wind chimes
Familiar echoes;
Songs of long ago
~~~~~~~~~
Home gourmet chef
Whips a magic feast;
Simple works best
~~~~~~~~~
Fruit shoppe maiden
From faraway China;
Service with a smile
~~~~~~~~~
Neighbourhood old lady
Corner newspaper vendor;
Her face tells her story
~~~~~~~~~
Leon Enriquez
10 February 2015
Singapore
by Ralph Taylor - RC Cruise #6 - 11/27 to 12/12 2013
To Panama Canal.
When planning your vacation,
and deciding what to choose,
if you haven't ever done it,
why not, go on a cruise?
Check out all the Cruise Lines.
That's what I suggest!
Then, like me, I'm sure you'll find,
Royal Caribbean is, by far, the best!
Their prices and options,
are second, to none!
Most everything's included,
it's a time of joy and fun!
Once you're settled on the ship,
you'll appreciate their style!
They give a whole new meaning,
to "service with a smile"!
They cater to your every need,
you don't want for anything!
All you have to do, is ask,
they treat you like a King!
If you want to relax, for a week, or so,
and give yourself a treat,
just book a Royal Caribbean Cruise,
they, simply, can't be beat!
Note: This is not a commercial (RC knows
nothing about it) It's a testimonial! Been
on 12 cruises - 6 with RC - they're far and
away the best! It's my opinion, of course!
Shut your doors and lock them all
Close your blinds, block out the light
Cast yourself into darkness
Hide from the light of truth
Sit down, relax, let the sounds of your world crumbling
Echo through the vastness
Music to your ears
Dust swirls across shafts of brightness,
Seeping through the blinds
Would you care for a drink?
Tears in a cup of tinted glass
Quite the delicacy
The earth starts to groan
Convulsions
The tattered wooden walls crack
Slowly exposing the outside
The world beyond your walls
Comfortable?
Is there anything else your heart desires?
Roof tiles and bent nails fall on the hard ground just outside
Casting flickering shadows as they plummet past the windows
Glass now shattered, blinds torn
Close your eyes, let your heart slow its pace
Breathe in deep… slow…
Beams buckle and walls crumble
Light floods in
Cold
Dry air
All is laid to waste
Amidst the ruins, in a vast expanse
Of hard-packed dirt
Not a stone in sight
Only emptiness
Under a graying sky and a waning sun
Your check,
That'll be two hearts plus tax
Have a nice day
(This is a fictional poem)
You complained to my boss because I didn't give you service with a smile.
Sadly the reason is because I've been extremely unhappy for a while.
How can I smile when I've lost my beloved wife?
I've been in a lot of pain since she took her own life.
I loved her so much and my life will never again be the same.
I didn't know that she was so unhappy, am I to blame?
I want to drown my sorrow in whiskey, I can't wait for the remaining work hours to
pass.
I live in misery so don't expect me to smile while I pump your damn gas!
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.