Short Manning Poems

The Bard stopped at Footscray
on the road to Ballarat
he was researching The Eureka Stockade
not Romeo and Juliet
he imagined the miners
manning the barricades
police bullets flying
hoisting The Southern Cross
and dying....

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I watched as she dusted and sneezed;
'It's worthless, I'm certain,' she wheezed.
I thought I'd be rich -
oh, life is a b.tch!
(My desk got a clean, so I'm pleased...)

written 26th April for Joseph's contest - about Anita Manning from The Antique Roadshow...

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The naysayers said Manning was too old,

     And under Brady's pressure he would fold.

          But Peyton proved 'em wrong,

               And came through very strong!

                    Manning out-gunned Brady and caught him cold!

Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired

GOOOOO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!...

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I Call It 
Manning-Up
Written: by Tom Wright
2/5/2014

If you’ve something to allege,
Please search for my face.
Don’t mouth to some other, 
At some distant time or place;

For you owe it to others,
To be as forthright as can be;
While requesting that others,
Be doing likewise to thee.
...

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I know I'm 41 now,
But the kid just trying to be silly,
Make people laugh,
Make them lose themselves,
Find themselves,
That kid is still manning the controls.
He gets nudged, knocked, wrangled at times
But we all know, all those outboarded 
Shadowy figments know, he's the only one
Who can make a spark in the reaching darkness.
In fact he renames the darkness and calls it a blessing....

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Manning the walls of our homeland 
Standing tall at our country’s command
Trained and ready to carry their foil
At Christmas time so far from our soil
We honour them for what they do
True blue Australians through and through
Families at home support them all
Sad to be apart during their call
Shed a tear while you’re apart
For greater joy when returning in our hearts.

© Paul Warren Poetry...

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In the last hour,
Of the final day,
That we all do face,
I'll look forward to reunion with
All those who proceeded me,
Such a smile I will wear!
The warmth of love than reunited
With those who made my life rich,
Beyond words can describe
That made life so precious
Though there are those here I may miss
I will watch over them,
A fierce Guardian Angel...
Manning the turrets of life
Armoured with love....

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Shirley Zee loved cooking, cleaning and canning
While her apple pies in the window were fanning
Her life is so easy said our neighbor, Snoop Manning
I rolled my eyes, trying my best to be dead-panning

I knew the truth about Shirley’s marvelous life
She had plenty of problems, lots of turmoil and strife
A sneaky snake in kitten’s clothing had made her his wife
Kept thoughts to myself, for Manning’s words could cut like a knife...

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Shirley Zee loved cooking, cleaning and canning
While her apple pies in the window were fanning
Her life is so easy said our neighbor, Snoop Manning
I rolled my eyes, trying my best to be dead-panning

I knew the truth about Shirley’s marvelous life
She had plenty of problems, lots of turmoil and strife
A sneaky snake in kitten’s clothing had made her his wife
Kept thoughts to myself, for Manning’s words could cut like a knife...

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I have trained my whole adulthood for the challenge of this day. 
The toil and sweat and sacrifice, the monotony of drill, 
All those years of manning up to my ambition.
I have wrestled the beast and disciplined my will.
I mean to vanquish my opponent for the golden prize
I'll enter the ring and trust my luck to fate.
I have trained my whole adulthood for the challenge of this day. 
When I rise again come dawn, I will reiterate....

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You watch as I bleed,
Stand by and watch as I die.
The promises that turned into
Lies as the words slipped past
Your lips. “I will always be there”
Means nothing anymore. You 
Watch as I waste away and
Say you care and yet you
Set running when it’s time
To be real. I am your
Reality check and instead of
Manning up, you prove to me
That everything you said
Was just pretty words,
Filling my heart with hope
And crushing me as the
Truth crashes down....

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The recon doesn't take long.
Halfway down the street will do it
before hell opens up and leaves you
shuffling along a narrow ledge overlooking
the drop. It takes all your strength
to stay upright and balanced above
what your brain tells you is oblivion.

It would be easier to stay still
and let the world circle outside, manning
the barricades with your rusty rifle 
loaded with words, firing into the dark
hoping to take down a ghost or two
as they charge your Alamo....

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