Short Riveted Poems

Ringing in the new year,
ready for the race, eyes 
riveted on the goal.
Reality strikes, stark
reminder of the prize.
Real success rarely falls
right into eager arms.


22.12.2016

A New Year Pleiades....

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In love we trust

Limitless passion and joy
Overwhelms our senses
Violins and harmonicas singing
Endlessly we hum our song

You forgot about the time
Our attentions riveted to each other
Undying in its fervor...

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Rig, 
up-draped, 
driven eerily… 

Riveted, 
clouds hold, 
ashen orb staring…
Ghostly galleon gallivants 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


(7/7/21: Picture 1 of picture this contest hosted by Joseph May)...

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No one tops Cirque du Soleil, their creativity is vast
Originality plus, every performance, spectators gasp
With their impossible feats
We're riveted to our seat
Being part of this world-famous troupe is a blast...

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DRIVE BY…

In chilled onyx morning 
Silicon tears flowed
Down the plowed valleys
Of ebony skin.

Silicon tears
Leaking from sunken craters:
Red orbs bleeding residues of pain.

In the cold guttered streets
A father’s son lays dead:
A lifeless body riveted with lead.

Another father must now defend
The cardinal sin
Of a living son
Who fired the fatal gun....

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I hear her voice cracking through the phone
Riveted with nights of doubt and fear
To her own strength she does not appear
But coming through clear 
Swollen roots of youth's agony

A girl stuck in debt
Losing identity and position
Losing all purpose on dark paths
Shredded family, vanishing ties

Shes similar in my eyes
To what I was, still am hidden behind
A love becoming unconfined...

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Reaching into the night
As if you were already there
Yearning for the comfort
And connection alleged to be rare
Nothing else matters 
Now that I'm here with you
Except, this is fictitious

Waiting for dreams to come true
Instantly awakened
Should I go back to sleep
Enticed by visions
Listening as you speak
Once riveted by physical interest
Gentle as you are, yet
Enlightened by refinement
Let me know, "Have I gone too far?"...

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Riveted: 
the ducks went into a howl.
A shirtless moon was walking 
on the lake.
Darts had started moving
towards blue lips.

Gale was not able to speak.
Unthinkable:
sky will explode now, in stars.
Gambling with water, cheating
the fireflies 
in dark bush.   

Who was illegitimate on
the blanket ? 
The child was crying for the
lost coin.
King wanted the sun to hide behind the monolith;
his statue was being pulled down.  



Satish Verma...

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From the myriad of pains and emotions, 
From the edge of my silent and riveted mood 
I picked up one theme— to write one poem,
Not even two, 
The night seemed to me so perceptive,
It was quite buoyant,
Wondrous things had arisen from the
Cacophony of deep nights, 
From the wind that blew the murmurs of
Leaves through my window, 

And my glorious poem which was hidden
In the shadows of darkness for so long a time
Came out with a smile!...

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 With dusk fall, fireworks began capturing the eyes 
Shooting spears rose high shedding fluorescent hues

Etched scintillating designs on the panoramic sky
Confetti of sparks in rainbow colours were sprinkled high

All eyes were riveted up, feasting on the wondrous array 
The crowd stood aghast at the pyrotechnic display

July.8.2022

~ Placed Fifth~ 
Brian's Contest

Bite size poem. 48. Poetry Contest
Sponsor – Line Gauthier...

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A wrecking ball waves 
At the quiet street below
I watch riveted 
From behind the protesters
Trying to feel their passion

The impact echoes
a street no longer quiet
Sounds of destruction
And an old woman's soft cries
Under a looming, grey cloud 

A wrecking ball still
The crowds underneath scatter
I pretend to care   
As the old woman wipes tears
And the director yells, "CUT!" 


By:Rhonda Johnson-Saunders, February, 10. 2012
for Twisted Minds contest
Honorable mention...

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To climb a mountain one must be
Both confident and fit
And smart enough to know when it
Is time to up and quit.

To climb alone, though, with no ropes,
“Free solo” as they say it,
Has a different type of risk involved,
No matter how you weigh it.

The Oscar-winning film about
One climber’s daring feat
To summit famed El Capitan’s
A cinematic treat.

But watching it, though riveted
At such a show of guts,
I felt both admiration and
Belief that guy is nuts!...

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What joy to watch a tennis match 
Despite the empty stands.
At least the umpire needn’t give
His “Quiet!” reprimands.

Today I watched the Open (French),
A famous match on clay.
The action kept me riveted
A good chunk of the day.

My favorite player did his part
To glue me to the screen
And won the title, making shots
Both powerful and clean.

Though life for some is normal now,
For me it’s still on hold
So show some tennis on TV
And surely, I’ll be sold....

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In the Sunday paper, I can't wait
To read the section "Real Estate."
From articles that do entail
Descriptions of the homes for sale
To stories of where folks have looked,
I'm riveted and really hooked.

I check the prices, note the taxes,
Find the parks where one relaxes;
Scan the photos for decor,
Observe each window, roof and door.
I try to picture living there
And how that lifestyle might compare.

You'd think I'm aiming for improving.
What's ironic? I'm not moving!...

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Lethargic and listless
lacking all zest,
I lie on the rocks
under the blazing sun.
The calm sea kisses
the rocky shore,
but no sea breeze
breathes on me.
The salt on my back
basks and bakes
and turns an ugly red.
Nothing to it but jump
back into the cool sea,
tempting the jellyfish
to sting my feet.
But on the beach
the newly crowned queen,
the one who scorns me,
parades herself
scantily dressed,
all eyes riveted on her.
I wonder who's worse:
herself or the jellyfish!...

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