It’s the full moon of our times
they’re awake and stir
the malcontents whine
the schemers slither
the conspirators whisper
the agitators rattle
the instigators coil
the hellions hiss
the hooligans hunt
the miscreants threaten
the scoundrels spit
the reprobates crawl
the thugs strike
the doomsayers gather
the hellraisers have united intent on mayhem
they’ll have their fun and think they’ve taken over
but the time is here for sanity and reason to reappear
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
SNAKES OF THE GARDEN
One snake sits curled up;
Another hangs in a tree.
A third one crawling:-
All of them thought provoking;
Especially, the treed one:-
The seed has been planted for all to see
a bitter tasting fruit grows without light
this rotten sense of security justifies the lie
the mortal coil in wrongdoing sparks this bulb
Fused articles spiritually burning every orthodox word
all that is fake becomes the prepared menu on show
reality when it eventually surfaces will be condemned as not right
Two paths to choose from one goes up and the other down
snakes and ladders the dice when it rolls with deceit
the truth will be the shadow questioning each and every step
Game is over when a heart looses all sense of morality and human respect
Arthur Henry King said
as the world becomes less and less Christian
the compensations the world seeks against misery and despair
become more and more satanic
They are the same generation of vipers, sons and daughters of snakes.
your locks like rye spaghetti snakes
as you row blue boat upon calm lake
__________________________
placed 5th : Standard Contest
Sponsor : Tania Kitchin
Feb. 2026
Giggle and jiggle the pudgy belly.
With a thunderous boom, Santa's jelly
were diet-free snacks.
"Breaking some knick-knacks,"
ordered Rudolph to the nearest deli.
Snakes don’t always hiss
Some will kiss and hug you
Rub your neck after a long day
And tell you that they love you
Snakes don't always hiss
Sometimes they'll have your back
You might call em your “Dog”
And tell people "They're a real Cat"
In situations of self preservation
Some snakes take the form of rats
Snakes don't always hiss
Before they attack
Snakes don’t always hiss
Unpredictably they strike
When you least expect it
Is usually when they bite
Snakes don’t always hiss
Nor do they always bite
They can be present when you hop the fence
Or tuck you in at night
Snakes don't alway have a shape
But trust me you've been warned
You'll never know when or why
A snake will take it's form
snakes love sleeping bags
cuddling next to warm bodies
I like hotel rooms
Seven silver snakes
suddenly slither southward
seeking summer sun.
SNAKES AND LADDERS*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
slinking silently
slithering in the shadows
serpent's vicious spite
look to the ladder
looming long in languid lines
life’s lofty ascent
*Note: poem written for and published at Writer Monk’s weekly Poesy & Poise Contest #twmonkpp11, August 2, 2025, ©Sara Etgen-Baker, United States
Red, the hot hedgehog baked strawberry short cakes
They were delicious, magnificent, she fed them to her snakes
Better than her chocolate sundaes, or her blueberry shakes.
Best recipe she has, said those satisfied snakes.
A million dollars will shut a thousand mouths.
Forever seal black books.
Seed a million clouds.
Place bodies in swamps, swaying from meat hooks.
And far- far underground.
A billion dollars can buy 10 million souls.
Denature the entire fabric of the globe.
Chase hope and faith down the rabbit hole.
A billion dollars will promptly end investigations.
Turn the lake of truth into a blue opaqueness.
A trillion dollars will turn a bank of swans into a den of snakes.
Baby garter snakes are like puppies in a way
They pile themselves together on a cold windy day
I don’t know about you, but a snake pile might scare me.
Whereas a puppy pile would look as cozy and welcoming as could be.
I inhale deeply, take the first step with desire in my soul to grow
to be the seed replanted in the soil to receive Vitamin D from Father Sun
I wanna be free, but I know I cannot fear living
just because I breathe out my nostrils and out my mouth.
I still hunger and desire for more for myself when I do not feel alive
if I run far enough to the hills
break the chains that held a tight grip on me will I still be free?
That is something I am still learning to understand.
spl /
/ it
s e r p e n t i n e tongues
s
l
i
t
h
e
r
in pits of despair ~
turns wicked to
s t o n e
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