Short Retracted Poems

In this economy

shouldn't 

alimony

be 

retracted

and everyone

expected

to 

actually

work?...

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For each tear that wells within
my seams
another straddles my dream
For each song that frames 
its retracted darkness
so does its glow refine the gleam...
And sows 
as a motherly seed...

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There once was a king so fat
That on the night he was ambushed,
The dagger could not be retracted
When it was plunged into his belly.
Even the handle followed the blade
As his folds of flesh rolled over it,
And then... the dirt came out.


(The Book of Judges)...

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softly now it arches its back
stretches long and yawns
after its little catnap
love comes back around

eyes that see into the dark
claws again retracted
seeing what lays inside my heart
stirring what sleeps therein

purring a sweet melody
a warm resonating sound
circling back, one more chance
love comes back around...

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This slice of time and space
Will barely register a trace
In the historical database
Don't discard it to be erased

Slow down the chaotic pace 
Replace the chase with faith
Interlace gratitude with grace
To embrace all that we face

Our story will be encased 
In the core of the human race
Live with no regrets or haste
Since steps can't be retracted...

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She asked me "Who's the most beautiful girl you've seen ever?";
She retracted the question quickly, as she saw me nervously shiver;
I'd been with her, since forever as a friend;
Through all her toxic relationships, work and errands;
She'd always look for girls for me to win over;
Now how am I supposed to tell her "It had always been HER"
...

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Wandering alone
atop Mount Nittany
his claws long retracted
his teeth filed down

The last of his breed
once reigning so proudly
his lair far distant
no food to be found

Strange noises he hears
far off to the West
in the canyon of beavers
a struggle beset

He knows that this Winter
most likely his last
the future reclaiming
—a glorious past

(Lemont Pennsylvania: November, 2023) 
...

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Sea and people
An island came up from under the sea
And soon it became green and pleasant
Fit for dairy production, and cats that
Took care of the rat plague.

Man, and animals in idyllic harmony but
For the rats and attacking seas-birds.

Roaring sea appropriated the island
Occupied and flooded the land,
Simply retracted and made the island into a reef.
Endlessness of peace but dangerous for shipping....

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A definition of me relies on
your borrowed time
to sneak a question into vested terms
That decide my earthly worth
and stun my vision into sight
And if the sum of one chooses
to relay my plight
in numbers that sum up to none
Feel free to walk away
and place my days into
silent moments of your
worthy time
And call this poem…
tragically unfinished
And this life…
sadly retracted
and our youthly vision
materially tampered...

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The route seems to elongate the race
character speaks loudest, to score the brace
limited ideas combine, there is a Logan berry
too young an opportunity, not really hairy
indoor is not nice, better a Lido
this will be retracted when there’s a tornado
a situation to cause a semi cheer,
this limited space will accommodate a lawn chair
the one who snubs and expects a spillage
uses his own arms to embrace spoilage....

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She thinks she is all that my sister and I said.
She was blonde and magnificent. We wished her dead.
She came over to see us and she was funny and kind.
Scratch out those mean thoughts; please never mind.

She became our best friend, and the boys were attracted.
The ones she tossed aside could more easily be retracted.
We saw it was a huge advantage to have her as a friend.
She’s a terrific a boy magnet, whom we never lend....

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Big, red, extremely squishy,
and so, so embarrassing!
Just think of what would happen
going to school with that thing!

It was so tempting to pop!
Extremely tempting indeed!
My blemish was taunting me,
and ridding it was a need!

So then I very carefully
reached up and touched my forehead.
And quite slowly but surely
my ugly zit retracted!

Now my skin is just flawless
with no blemishes to hide!
Oh no, what’s that small red dot?
Whatever, at least I tried!...

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I thought I knew
What I was dreaming:

The night time walks
And daytime talks
The future pledged of seeing;

The midnight phone calls
And certain gewgaws
The heart defined of meaning;

The swapping letters
And evening ventures
No longer seem existed;

The solemn promise
The spirit noticed
Refined and all retracted.

But all seems false
And love seems vain
I have no words of truce,

I'll drudge myself
In scattered pieces
And paint them with my youth....

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Symptomatic folly,
the tail now wags the dog

Whose bark, it whimper’s drolly,
all teeth removed and gone

Reacting, never acting,
new victims every day

All courage has retracted
—the future in harms way

Jailed speech unto the warden,
mere words may not contend

Our patriotic burden,
its truth we must defend

With cowards grabbing power,
a swamp that we must cross

Lies from ivory towers
—to fell at any cost

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)...

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Symptomatic folly,
 the tail now wags the dog

Whose bark, it whimper’s drolly,
 all teeth removed and gone

Reacting, never acting,
  new victims every day

All courage has retracted,
—the future in harms way

Jailed speech unto the warden,
  whose words may not contend

Our patriotic burden,
  its truth we must defend

With cowards grabbing power,
  a swamp that we must cross

Lies from ivory towers,
—to fell at any cost

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)...

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Say something kind,
say something nice.
Before you open your mouth
you better think twice.

Words are like weapons,
they hurt and they scar.
They can't be retracted
no matter who you are.

Apologies are nice,
we hear them a lot
but the hurtful words stay,
they can't be forgot.

No need to say sorry
if you think before talking
words that can wound,
hurtful and shocking.

Check yourself first
before you say something mean
because words are weapons 
leaving scars unseen....

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I am guilty
I know
I killed a spider.

A miniscule tiny aspect of life
moving about its business
in my space.

It fled right
it fled left
it jumped up
it came down.
My godly presence
was everywhere 
like a black night.

I smashed its plastic skeleton
its fluid internals popped outside.
The poor thing
just curled
and retracted
like a coil spring.

Then tears
rolled out, from my iron heart.
I thought;
Was it worth
whisking away life
to protect
this insensible fear?...

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Freedom of speech is guaranteed 
But this is such a different breed

To tell such bold face lies
Failing the stink test it flies

Lying is not protected free speech
It is a violation beyond the breach

When a lie is exposed a codification
Retracted or denounced without provocation

The right to lie has no know legal protections
The courts should have a say in its detection

Defamation of the truth should be a criminal offense
Its truth and justice that should be given pretense...

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