Short Retorts Poems

Research papers, book reports
witty remarks, smart retorts
of these things none can I do
but I still tried and so should you!...

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I who am stubborn
stir moodiness in with pride
to snap out hurtful retorts  
 
love and forgiveness,
tolerates imperfection
and remains married to me...

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The iconoclast with great sarcasm,
tries to hurl the church into a chasm.
Pharisee of courts —
belching out retorts!
His religion of enthusiasm.

2/19/2018...

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I once knew a lad from Mississippi
Who was known for being rather lippy
His retorts were rude
His mannerism crude
And strangely, he was a sixties hippie.

written September 23, 2021...

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I went to the ice cream parlour
At one of our seaside resorts
And I wanted an ice cream
But, well, there were allsorts
“Knickerbocker glory sir?”
The ice cream mans retorts
“Yes I do enjoy a certain amount
Of freedom in these shorts”...

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To craft a poem short,
one that cavorts,
holds court,
exhorts,
perhaps retorts
of sort
and not resort
to ***ort:
a sport
that does comport
in support
of a certain forte.


----------

H/T to Maurice Rigoler's The Art of the Short Poem...

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You drift off into the slumber, not so peaceful I may say,
You beg to differ, only that you are wishing,
Why not, I ask,
You fail to trust people with your meandering,
again I reason you?
And you serve me no retorts.
Well, that is how you were moulded, and your moulders too....

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“Don’t look back
you’re not going that way”….
seems I’m not going
in the other direction
either…..well….slowly
exceedingly slowly….
My quick retorts come
too late to be
appropriate
too loud to be
ignored.
Few know
the depth
of unseen scars.


©12/28/2018 

for Brainy Brevity Poetry Contest
sponsor – Maureen McGreavy...

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Please note the times,
Live well each day;
Expect sure rhymes,
Align fond ways;
See beyond sight,
Urge shows you how;
Reach a sure light,
Explore this now;
Sense sure accord.
Note pain and dark;
Oomph now retorts,
Wear smiles that spark.
Open your heart,
Now magic starts.




Leon Enriquez
10 November 2014
Singapore...

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Noon siesta
Windy squeeze
Dream fiesta
Sensuous breeze 


Fancy lights
Certain feel
Music flights
Lovely zeal


Zest consorts
Impulse swings
Quest retorts
Savvy things


Random needs
Forge fancy
Fertile seeds
Spice sexy


Deep purses
Affluent kind
Odd verses
Poignant finds




Leon Enriquez
22 February 2018
Singapore...

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The podium speech
Answering questions, the people he must reach
Demands to be met
Meetings are set 

The agenda is planned
Others are canned.
Missions not seen
Opposition not clean 

Policy plans expected
Follow through rejected
News reports
The president retorts 

Rumors of.wars
The dow doesn't soar
The borders overflow
The whistle blow...

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Happiness cascades sorrow transpires
mind's oblivious to unfulfilled desires
The day I woke up and cleared the shambles 
guilt was a stone tied to my ankles.

Ponder should I keep moving on, 
cause I have come a long way
gone the whole hog.

Its a misery of sorts
when I try to complain,
it kind of retorts,
reap what you sowed, repent but
keep moving on....

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Certainty

In 
our cultural cloudiness
we believe that there 
is no certainty..
When beliefs are raised
there are retorts of doubt..
Some reluctantly and
grudgingly admit that
their beliefs are carriers
of doubt..
So where do we go
to find a certainty
unencumbered..?
Perhaps all we need is
 an experience of blue sky 
standing in clarity behind
those clouds of belief......

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Concerned with self
  birds in a row

Concerned with self
  all droppings show

Concerned with self
  the blindfold tight

Concerned with self
  not day or night

Concerned with self
  what’s real distorts

Concerned with self
  my voice retorts

Concerned with self
  front turns to back

Concerned with self
  —in truth I lack

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)...

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The phoenix rises from the ashes after it
was scorched by lower flames
It soared higher despite the smoke but all's
fair inside the game
Everyone is played within the game but we 
must be a good sport
I ask why receiving no reply but who needs
the fake retorts?
We climb levels to new devils ready to face
what's bound to come
They try to bind us, so we struggle but those with
weak wills have never won...

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My sleep is dream-filled now --
imagined scenes, practiced dialogues,
fervid comments, loving words --
never-voiced retorts.
I resist awaking, lie in bed
clinging to a dream world --
and to that mind-constructed me
within it -- to that better, truer self, 
an ached-for rosy apparition.
Do not disturb my slumber --
let me lie abed and smile
until this waking world conforms
to the ideal one I build
in dreams....

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Listen to poem:

they walk among us tall and proud
appearances deceiving until
they share what’s on their mind
then things don’t quite add up

their babble quite disturbing
plays havoc with our mind
it wouldn’t be polite to say
any one of our possible retorts
best bite our tongue and not engage
it’s not their game we want to play
so still they walk among us tall and proud



AP: Honorable Mention 2021

Posted on June 13, 2021...

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time is a shadow
that follows us around
some choose to ignore it 
others they bow down
the clock like a beacon
an image of sorts 
wakes us up 
and gets all kinds of retorts
ticking and tocking, clanging away
keeping the world's rhythym 
till the end of the day
then continuing on
many years have gone 
ticking and chimeing 
sounding a Bong!
time moves on
the world changes
time is consistent 
flowing like a river 
our companion....

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Do you think there exists
The slightest possibility
Of my going back
I query my bro Israe-el

You can see the future
As fine as i can
He rudely retorts
Making a weird face

We all burst out
Into fits of laughs
For yes who cares
If it is it will be

And if it is not
Then it wont be
Me and my bro know
We know we shall live

Live to fight
Live to conquer
Live to love
We know we do






(for Israe-el)...

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I'll always, forever
be just falling short
hopelessly hopeless
with angry retorts

I'm tired of losing
it's always the same
I'm finished with playing
a bottomless game

I'll never be stronger
or good enough, too
I can't reach expectations
that no one can do

insult me or taunt me
the matter won't change
failure is nearing
and I'm in it's range

I'm broken, I'm empty
no more last resort
winning's impossible
because I'm just falling short...

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Dont read into what i say and do
Trust that deep inside im just like you
We don't agree on each every word
But just the idea of it's totally absurd
I don't claim perfection in myself
But just for this i'm put on the shelf? 
Happily you point out all my faults
While my retorts I shut up in vaults
I dismiss what you say as valid remarks
For the pain I caused has left its marks
But someday you might stop and see
The hurt kept in is why you've lost me...

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i am a fool -
i hurt you so.
i loved you too much -
i needed you to know.
i feel so weak -
my tongue is tied.
i so wanted to speak -
god knows we tried.
i always disagree -
i try not to be mean.
i want to live free -
i live so unseen.
i am stuck in my shell -
too afraid to move.
i crave grieve and yell -
so hoping you'll approve.
i yearn for those days -
i'll take back the retorts!
i'll mend my bitter ways -
i'll grow older than my thoughts...
you... my forever love... stay with me......

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naughty cat says,  “nowww”
clever fox replies, “yak, yak”
both peed  the mouse’ trap.

cock crows, “tick—morrow”
fox says, “hope no more sorrow”
get Cupid’s arrow.

cow says, “boo, boo, boo”
still, fox retorts, “go go go”
don’t give up  fellow.


March 8, 2014  12.45pm


Inspired by the song: "What does the fox say?"

I don't really know what the fox says;)


First Place
Contest: What Does Fox Say?
Judged: 3/29/2014
Sponsor: My other greatest poet Skat...

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