Shipshape Poems

Ice Cube Tray Solves the Case

Detectives found everything shipshape and in its place
Except an ice cube tray full of water sitting on old lace
This housewife was neat, she would have never left it out
We arrested the culprit, none of us had a doubt.

I’m innocent the salesman yelled at us police.
But she would have put it in the freezer, Miss Charice.
Jury easily convicted him for her murder yesterday.
If she was alive when he left, that tray would have been put away.

Just a Bunch of Nonsense

Daze and days of penmanship
Potent perhaps a touch of sun
Shipshape warming of outlet ink
Ishmael invites a tale; I say: “stowaway”
Stop all blubbering; just get yammering
Yo ho soupmates, we must steer the ship
Stir golden pot of disbelief and brass tacks
Torrential corkscrew pasta, perhaps?
Pish posh of the alphabet riding the waves
Wending its way, each letter to the crew
Conspirators of sonnets, limericks and dust
Dangerous alliteration, elevation and descent
Decidedly dizain, free verse or blank; thats it?!

Fairness

Faith in practice, loving thy neighbor
Aches and pains, suffering, sorrows
Ignoble citizens wanted to curse
Righteousness, let the wickedness loose
Not so fast
Every Adam must come to a crossroads
Suspended sentence for believers
Shipshape smiles in court of heaven

Settling Winds

and you tap tap on my leaves
high tide descends shipshape as
wholesome as can be brought forth
from the gale force fete relief

oh the hamstring you do hug
taut grasp relieves danger from
belt strap as it leaves beach plank
so the treetop perch easing

soothing dry tides of the wind
cool-charm in a household sigh
bluebirds in their enchant chirp
with their hip-hip-hurraying

Voyage

The end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started.
—T.S. Eliot

Over stressed waves of ebb and flow of salt.
How swell, my voyage is, in float through cave.
Is sought, the treasures of life - opens vault.
I find surge exciting. I’m shipshape brave.
The map pinpoints the stars - ebon, a fave.
I turn on helmet’s lamp - the moon listing
as passage caved…my travel persisting.
The roar of thunder salve, erupting seas.
Of course, we steer from falls. This’s existing!
World’s end! Fine mood morphs to brooding degrees.

Tidy

Located in the perfect place
       Filed in transparent drawer
       Unruly impediments erased
       Facets interact free of flaw


       Seamless system clockwork 
       Methods remain meticulous 
       Design drawn up by a doctor
       Considered,  inconspicuous 


       Routine guides a room's tidy
       Itemising verbatim shelves
       Briefcase organised abiding
       Data struck upon first delve


       Packed in precise patterns
       Utility is readily predicted
       Shipshape sailing on satin
       Scurvy sufferers evicted


        Fold exposes name brand
        Recognised categorically 
        Regular overhauls planned
        Excess viewed as slovenly 


        Upkeep travels compact
        In zipped compartments 
        Disarray tends to detract
        Regimented requirements 


        

       
             8th of **** April

In Her Sleep

in her sleep…she’s gone
beloved aunt, mother, grandma, sister
adored, she’s so much more
she shut her eyes, likely after prayer
found herself at the pearly gates

we’re all numb
thought she’d be on earth
for quite a while
she appeared shipshape 

but the angels 
of our Lord and Savior
brought her home

Rest in peace, dear Auntie
Tears of mourning…we lost you
Tears of joy…Jesus has you

3/8/2022

Give a Fig

To aid the celebration’s overindulgence
of snow and damp, sugar and fat,
serve a cornucopia of felicitous fiber
   and its vitamin rush—
whirligig of walnuts and crisp cranberries,
Honeycrisp apples and wild red strawberries,
spring mix sprinkled with balsamic and fig.

Give a fig* about your friendships and figure.
Strap on boots, tread through snow and ice.
Make nice with muscles and joints,
     your neighbors.
Share the bounty of your colorful heritage.
Stay in shipshape form as you celebrate.

9/16/2021

*Care about

Amur Tigers

Amur Tigers are listed as, endangered
They are found in Primorski and Khabarorisk, far east Russia
and they pound the forests, of the Amur-Heilong landscape 
and are the largest of all tigers, but their territory is not in shipshape

Amur Tigers forests, are been destroyed by human greed
and all Tigers have lost an estimated 95%, of their historical range 
Human overpopulation, has made many wildlife populations bleed
so we need to stop breeding and greeding, and produce a total change

Hippocampus Saddled In Daydreams

HIPPOCAMPUS SADDLED IN DAYDREAMS

Hippocampus saddled in the vast sea, one of God’s superimposed dreams.
In miniature form these seahorses be, an aquatic burst of genius it seems.

Hippocampus in old Flossie form, spotted from the Scottish shores.
A frightful nightmare, not the norm, thus shiver in my corporeal core.

If mermaids had thighs to tighten around their bony scales,
would that they be fight’n where the shipshape sailor fails.

Seducing sirens hiss upon the sea monster’s back with songs that rage
to lead in armageddon attack, to place mankind in a flaming cage.

4/20/2018
Julia Ward’s Seahorses

Thirteen Thousand Miles - Spanish Septet

It’s thirteen thousand miles from Boston to
San Diego around  far Cape Horn’s way.
Ship needs to sail to that distant quay.
The Cape is a hard challenge for the crew
It’s where the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans meet and the waves are horrific.
The number of ships lost are not a few.

With good sailing San Diego can be 
reached in three months from Boston’s fine dock
in hope of returning with rancho stock.
Condition of hides rest upon the sea,
if hold remains ever dry and shipshape,
The wetting of hide they hope to escape.
No fear Brig Pilgrim’s hold is danger free.

Hide house at the Mexican harbor’s berth
cures hides vaqueros bring from distant field
hoping to gain a goodly peso yield.
Their agents  bargain for true values worth
Profit will give major-domo much  peace
He’ll thank the Virgin for worry’s  surcease
At hacienda there will be much mirth.

California's Pride - Sextilla

All I have to offer  is this cigar
and  clay cup of  whiskey that’s not so bad.
Hides are loaded, sir,  thought you would be glad 
We’re ready to sail at first evening  star.
Rounding the Cape at this late time of year
is dangerous but can be done, no fear.

Hold’s filled with hides, men have done their duty
things are shipshape, sir, hides are thoroughly dried.
no wasters here, we’ll catch the evening’s  tide.
They’ll pay good price for California’s pride.
Boston ‘wants prime leather for boots and shoes,
this ship will give them what they want to choose


With scopes  they’ll watch for our then arrival
Making wagers  what ship will make birth first,
losers with naught but dry and angry thirst.
Owner thankful for his ship’s survival
and happy he’s first to sell at market
With many buys filling his vest pocket

Rough Seas

Place a pair of good eyes high, watch for distant freeze,
lifelines coated with ice, sails stiff unyielding sheets.
Make right, steer clear and take no chance our side berg meets,
Queen beats eastward across cold and rough ocean seas.
Ice floes play this rout I'm thinking - sure they don't please.
Great tea merchantman ties-up soon at iron cleats.
Most fleet, a new record time that far Scotia seeks.
She makes way where there lies frigid prevailing breeze.
Mate knows shifting box cargo's bad but pleased to see
hold's shipshape and here no danger lurks close this night.
Wheel's keen helmsman with eyes focused on compass face
keeps close view to retain course with ship running free.
Mean waves, easy as she goes, things are fine, all's right!
They'll be docking in nine days if ship keeps this pace.

Master At Arms Salute

Master at Arms
policing the fleet
are you being shipshape?

Barren Land of Illiteracy

Barren land of illiteracy ,
Soil never having been loosened,
Not fertilized by education !

Prejudice from heart difficult to eradicate,
Aspirations vacilitate, soon disheartened,
Barren land of illiteracy !

Comforts and bad money marionette ,
End of the day, lie disillusioned,
Not fertilised by education !

Howsoever doodads may shipshape,
Barefaced soul eventually feels threatened,
Barren land of illiteracy !

Eyes riveted at the door go grave,
Impecunious mason carving in house darkened,
Not fertilised by education !

Succor will soon arrive I hypothecate,
A town feared seized will stand fortified,
Barren land of illiteracy,
Not fertilised by education !!













Sponsor- Juli Michelle
Contest- rhyme battle- round 4
A villanelle ,
19/3/2014


Now entered for contest "Only villanelle and terzanelle"
By Shadow Hamilton

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