Short Upstaged Poems

passerine passing

winged colours azure -

swelled blue tit jaywalks...

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time flies, we age
in bondage still
upstaged by fear

22-December-2020...

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He's downstairs in his cage  
chirping like a real trouper 
canary ramblings,
upstaged 
by no other pet,
 he's mine....

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The moon, beautiful 
bright, and full at nine PM.
By nine twenty, she was gone.

Upstaged by dark clouds,
she gave way, and disappeared;
But oh, she was most stunning
09062017 PS Contest, Moonlight Delight, Russel Sivey, 7P...

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starting with nothing
let us do something 
without a purpose 
clown in a circus

in vibrance engaged
ego is upstaged
awareness yet is
rapturous bliss fizz

in silence go in
just resting therein
feeling not thinking
pure peace unblinking...

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light eternal caged
by ego upstaged
merely needs flame of love
that grace from above
vivifies organic form
with a magnetic bliss storm

if love be our invocation 
with dedication
God’s self-existent light
pulsates by day and by night

within...

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impermanence of youth upstaged every time by purity of heart



Published in my 24-page photo/anthology ~SUNLIT RIPPLES~ 2019

AP: Honorable Mention 2022

Submitted on November 13, 2019 for contest PROVERBIAL MONOKU 2 sponsored by CAROL CONNELL  -  RANKED 1ST...

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Abandoned desires adrift in the void,
yet possess some life like dying ember
but if the heart be pure and unalloyed
and light of Self within, we remember,
doing nothing at all we dismember 
lower vibrations in which we engaged,
which have been now by divine light upstaged....

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the road runner raced within the lucid dream
looking for something to satisfy its heart
goalposts shifted in the desire stream
shapeshifting fears did not depart

as time flowed on body aged
the exhausted soul chose to be still
recognising it had been by ego upstaged
invoking grace it surrendered to God its will...

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Spring is upstaged
by the freeze and rain.
Warmth with a slight breeze
is in the back
pressed against fall and summer.
She’s frustrated at the glare
coming through winters frost,
soon the lights will be too much,
as the cold sweats
spring sees its chance and leaps in front.
The audience applauds. 

March 5th, 2019...

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Soul’s light in heart caged,
by ego upstaged,
when thoughts cease is seen,
mirroring God’s sheen.

Words cannot describe,
zing of bliss beat’s vibe,
cascading within, 
playing on our skin.

The slow benign burn
in mind-body urn,
fixates attention
in meditation.

The table is laid
for bliss ready made,
revealing soul’s light,
in heart shining bright....

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swamped by illusions 
immersed in delusion
a strange darkness 
thoughts in confusion 

‘tis the magical way 
living light is caged
its pride demolished
by cravings upstaged 

demi-gods powerful
choosing paths unjust 
on falling from grace
turn thus to dust 

a mere wisp of straw
can turn the tables
love alone is real
moral of all fables 

27-February-2023...

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gorgeousness of the model outshines the dress
do not misinterpret my meaning please
the dress is an Anya Ayoung Chee, a worthy designer
created from gorgeous fabric, she has tremendous flow, excellent lines
young svelte model’s beauty surpasses this emerald, gold, silver gown
during fashion week, we reporters do not see the gown at all
completely upstaged by the African goddess wearing her...

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“All is verily the absolute Self.
Distinction and nondistinction do not exist. 
How can I say, "It exists; it does not exist"? 
I am filled with wonder!”


inner light caged
by ego upstaged
whenever tested
in jest we rested
feral lower mind
choosing love kind

awake in the dream
where illusions stream
the vaporised self
dances by itself
suffused with bliss
exclaiming ‘I am this’...

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glorious and tall i stood...
you could lie and say i was king
and still tell the truth
i defeated Attila the Hun
and outwitted Alexander the great
upstaged Julius Caesar.
i crawled through the dunes of Arabia
and splattered them with bandit blood
i took the lives of many
that my people may be safe another day
i fought bravely for my country
and now, Valhalla awaits.





*i know the history is incorrect, but its figurative....

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responses measured
lose moments treasured
since spontaneity is caged
when heart’s by mind upstaged

and as for heart’s desires fickle
deflected by a mere tickle
it finds that it’s unable
to remain stable

our fall from grace
and sole cause of disgrace
is clearly then bondage to desire
of earthy objects we seek to acquire 

save by dissolving our ego in the void
poised as awareness self-aware
we’ll continue to be decoyed
trapped in ego’s snare...

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Listen to poem:

concerned about being upstaged
the glorious blue tinted rock
negotiated 
sent in the puffy white wisps 
to cover the vibrant coloured evergreens

the brown field in the foreground
felt offended
wondering out loud 
"what about me?"
then added "beauty you know is..."
but never bothered to finish the cliché.

for my part
i was more interested
in what the mountain had traded the clouds
what could it possibly have offered?


September 23 2016  ...

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