The Whiskey Taster’s Flavor Guide

Shoulder To The Wheel Poems | Examples


List of Member Poems

Body Language

Putting my best foot forward
shoulder to the wheel
nose to the grindstone
my Achilles heel
while sticking my neck out
I soon found
as
with my eye on the ball
ear to the ground
when I put my back into it
not with tongue in cheek
but to keep my chin up
heard joints creak
the onset of old age memory loss
an early taste
for in the end I forgot to bend
at the knees and not the waist

Before the brow grows cold

lazy bones, bound in poverty’s grip
in a garden, where hesitation weeds grow~
filled with s t r a n g l e d  d e l i c a c i e s…
      a recipe of wisdom, never tasted
   couched like a fly in an endless stupor…
abandoned in a ship, lost in the doldrums~
in a dark tunnel, where
        echoes slowly f a d i n g
     doomed to sail a sinking ship with no lifeboat

yet your arms can still push a boulder uphill~
   so put your shoulder to the wheel...
     never stop, reach the mountain's peak
sharpen the saw, dig for gold, tame white horses~
       while sweat streams down your brow

for once you're interred in a grave
       with nothing to illuminate the darkness 
 mountain of your strength will only enrich the grains of sand...
   and fork in the road will give you no direction to choose 
    you'll just be lost in the maze...
       like a deer in a headlight
 as confused as a dog watching a magic trick

Premium Member sedulous

pull out all the stops
keep your shoulder to the wheel
go the extra mile

bust your chops sweat blood
work your fingers to the bone
bend over backwards

go to great lengths put 
your heart and soul into it
and work like a dog

go at it hammer 
and tongs roll up your sleeves do 
the heavy lifting

put your nose to the 
grindstone put in the hours 
break your back


I Believe

When you look at me what do you see?
A bright future I hope, because I know that’s my destiny.
I don’t want to be afraid of who 







It is my destiny to be all that I can be,
And I shall stand tall with pride and dignity.
The sky will be my limit to what 
Yes! I believe in my dreams,
I know nothing is as it seems.
The impossibilities of life are always possible too,
And if I work hard enough all my dreams can come true.
If you believe that you can then the sky will be your limit,
Put your shoulder to the wheel and you will achieve it.
Success is always yours to achieve,
Just aim high and in yourself always believe.

Get up, aim high and reach for each goal,
Give it your best shot and take control.
Nothing in this life will ever come easy,
But you are the star of your own destiny.
I believe that in everything I can,
I am a strong and powerful  woman.
My beginning will not determine my end,
I am going to shine and be better my friend.
My ancestors fought hard and have paved the way,
 So I know that I can achieve greatness one day.
I will stay focus and my goals achieve,
This will be my destiny because I believe.

Australians

It’s the hot north wind in your face
The dust and dirt of the Outback place
It’s the gathering against the fire storm
The larrikin smile that is the norm

It’s knowing that when troubles comes
Everyone’s shoulder to the wheel is how it’s done
For the wide brown land can be a chore
That makes you love it even more

Australia is tough but sweet
Living here makes life complete 
And when my day is finally done
I’ll lie under a gum tree in the Australian sun.

© Paul Warren Poetry

Nonsense For Sure

Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day.
At least that's what I hear.
Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in a rowboat
fishing and drinking beer! 

When advised to "fight fire with fire"
please think about it twice.
Remember, firemen fight fire with water
so I kinda question that advice!

I'm told the way to get ahead
is by using your ambition.
They say "shoulder to the wheel, nose to the grindstone".
However, now try working in that position!

Don't believe in superstition.
Folks will think you are a schmuck.
Besides if you believe in it
it's gonna bring  bad luck!

I try to avoid a lot of things,
that will cause me degradation.
I can resist most anything,
that is, except temptation!

I always try my very best
not to make mistakes
In fact if wasn't for my faults,
I'd be perfect for goodness sakes!

These are some of the random thoughts 
that keep  running through my mind.
It's just a lot of nonsense,
but it sure helped me unwind.

(Soupers - Sorry you chose to read this
nonsense.  Surely you must have
something better to do! Thanks anyway.)


Walking

I walk the streets at night
Alien within
Like a scab that’s fallen
Off my skin
I feel detached

I’ve been here before
So often and never
A bolt that’s just come loose
Walking here forever
Surfaces I scratched

The cold wind
I feel within reminds me
I have known all this
I smell it in the air
The moment snatched

All is different now
Heels hard on the pavement
As corner after corner turn
Shoulder to the wheel
A feeling I can catch

Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.

Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
The Whiskey Taster’s Flavor Guide
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace