Replacing old things for so many’s a snap.
An upgrade, to them, is a breeze;
But I get bogged down in a kind of a trap -
Any change brings me down to my knees.
If it works, I can live with it, though it looks frayed,
Maybe faded or just out of style
And no matter its worth, for whatever I paid,
It’s been looking its age for a while.
Yet at last I’ve decided to spiff up my space
And so little by little, I’ve started,
But saying farewell to what I might replace
Feels a bit like a friend has departed.
Categories:
spiff, home, how i feel,
Form: Rhyme
One day, a petty thief
Stole a piece of bread.
She dashed away in a spiff
“Stop her!”, the trader yelled.
Along came a couple who,
Upon hearing the trader’s shout,
Broke into a run too
Until they grabbed the thief by her snout.
Then came a policeman,
Who saw the angry mob holding the criminal
He said: “Off to the cooling can
We go.” The bread in hand, pieces of it in his dentals.
Categories:
spiff, 4th grade, 5th grade,
Form: Rhyme
Detailing leaves of golden spiff
I lean up close to take a whiff
of turmeric colored leaves sublime
and skies of ruby reds sweet wine
Engaged upon the breeze my touch
awaits the pinnacle's non such;
Sharing space with a painters brush
I sketch a new horizon's rush
on a canvass virgin without blotch
envisioned scenes of yellow scotch
while up above the skylark soars
on sweet November's wing adore
Inhaling salt and sea I breathe
the very things of me that seethe
embroiled in art to hearts content
I hear falls bitter sweet lament
she doesn't want to touch the snow,
nor lose her natural bronzing glow.
November 26, 2020
Lay November Poetry Contest
Sponsor: William Kekaula
Eight syllables per line (howmanysyllables.com)
Categories:
spiff, nature, november,
Form: Lay
Run friends as fast as you can
From this dreadful land
Be wary of a terrible sight
Of things that go "Blasty Blang Beedle Bum Bang" in the night!
Nery a more terrible sound
That can be heard for miles around
A sound that doesn't sound right
Of things that go "Rackle Crackle Click Clap Clam" in the night!
You know you heard it when
You jump right out of you skin
And deliver you a terrible fright
Of things that go "Sprong Sprang Spiff Spoof Splat" in the night!
So be warned of what you might hear here
Of sounds that may give your ears tears
So when you travel here tonight
Be wary of the sounds of the night
Inky Dinky Parlay Voo Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Caren Krutsinger
3/4/20
Categories:
spiff, animal, fear,
Form: Rhyme
Run friends as fast as you can
From this dreadful land
Be wary of a terrible sight
Of things that go "Blasty Blang Beedle Bum Bang" in the night!
Nery a more terrible sound
That can be heard for miles around
A sound that doesn't sound right
Of things that go "Rackle Crackle Click Clap Clam" in the night!
You know you heard it when
You jump right out of you skin
And deliver you a terrible fright
Of things that go "Sprong Sprang Spiff Spoof Splat" in the night!
So be warned of what you might hear here
Of sounds that may give your ears tears
So when you travel here tonight
Be wary of the sounds of the night
Warning Poetry Contest
Sponsored by" Richard Lamoureux
2/24/20
Categories:
spiff, fear, night, sound,
Form: Rhyme
Pretending the roman’a clef is fake
We portrayed bits of truth in every take
Director and author got into spiff
Author threw up his hands and said “what if”?
Protagonist was not camouflaged well
We knew him for sure. A child could tell.
Leading lady actress refused to speak
To our leading man, a little pipsqueak.
Tempers on set were climbing and popping
Angry voices with no signs of stopping
This roman a’ clef is fake, someone cried.
This is not the truth. The author has lied.
Protagonist outed by all who know
By everyone there and now also you
Categories:
spiff, 10th grade,
Form: Sonnet
In the middle of the night
When I can’t get back to sleep
All these grandiose ideas
In my wired brain do creep.
I will clean out all my closets.
I will rearrange each drawer.
I will freshen up the furniture
And spiff up the décor.
I will organize my poetry
To fit into a book
And the children’s tale I’ve started
Will get more than just a look.
I will sit and read the travel guides
I’ve purchased for a trip.
I will self-impose some discipline
And really crack the whip
In the morning, though, reality
Comes crashing with a thwack.
The enthusiasm 2 a.m.
Inspires won’t come back.
Categories:
spiff, fantasy,
Form: Rhyme
Their are millions of you
and a lot of them are
a whole lot better
convince me why it is
I love you.
out of many, one!
few more than I planned for.
answer the question
from which direction
tell me again
why I love you.
to have it like I have it
than maybe you'd understand
Not to sound out of the way
see I work hard
play hard
and love hard
just tell me again
why I'm loving you
Categories:
spiff, love, marriage,
Form: Ballad
The pictures on my walls have not
Been changed for many years.
I’m stuck with what I have
Or that’s the way that it appears.
My furniture is old as well;
Things rarely get replaced.
I like the way it looks because
It’s all done to my taste.
My husband wants to chuck it all,
To spiff and modernize,
But I can’t see the end result
That’s there before his eyes.
It’s hard for us to compromise
For I’m averse to change
So upgrades don’t excite me
Which, to many, must sound strange.
I wish that I could bend a bit
And be a little bold
By bringing in a few new things
To mingle with the old.
Categories:
spiff, change,
Form: Rhyme
Visit a place where you’ve not been before
And the first thing you face is the sturdy front door.
Of fiberglass, oak, tempered glass, even steel,
The entryway should have a certain appeal.
My country home door, though, was streaky with rust.
The paint was all puckered, the cracks filled with dust.
The glass in the windows no longer got clean;
My husband was tired of changing the screen.
So I finally gave in and we got a new door,
A portal to spiff up the entry décor.
It isn’t embellished, just simple and plain
But it’s neat, a condition I hope to maintain.
When visitors come, they may notice or not
For most likely, the old one was one they forgot
But I’ll welcome them all with the door opened wide
And embrace every one that I usher inside.
Categories:
spiff, home,
Form: Rhyme
I wake in darkness lazily and loll around in bed,
Just sifting through the rhymes that prance around inside my head.
The dawn cracks open like an egg’s prize plop into a bowl;
I scramble up to start my day and now I’m on a roll.
What joy to delve into whatever book I might be reading.
I’m coddled in the covers, all the comfort I am needing.
Two chapters down, my sunny side is ready for the day.
I head to my computer, see which comments came my way.
When that is over, easy – time for juice and getting dressed;
Three minutes later – out the door – an early walk is best.
My breakfast waits when I return and, too, The New York Times;
Hard-boiled reporters nail the news of politics and crimes.
With coffee down, I shower and spiff up, for all is well;
The morning is behind me, like the remnants of a shell.
Ilene Bauer
August 8, 2012
For Francine Roberts' "A Couplet Morning" contest
Categories:
spiff, life, time,
Form: Couplet
A Trillion tomorrow
Sunny morning
Walking down the street
a smile on my face
Hello to everyone I meet
Some say I won the lottery
That’s why I’m kind
But they don’t know
I got you on my mind
Happiness around me
Flowers in bloom
Birds are singing
What a beautiful afternoon
What people don’t know
They cannot see
But they can tell
That a girl loves me
What you feel in your heart
Shows on your face
And the love I have for you
Can be seen from out of space
I put on the radio
Playing the song: if:
Put on the TV
Bob Marley lights a spiff
It’s a whole world round me
But all I see you
I love everything that
You say and do
You are my hero
You help me survive
Need your friend ship
To enjoy this life
You really got hold of me
Give such great advice
And if everyone were like you
This world would be so nice
What I really want to say
You are my hero
And I love you today
And for trillion tomorrow
Categories:
spiff, love, world, love, me,
Form: Light Verse
Little Leprechaun
Abab Iambic T
a mischief, laden Irish elf
of Irish men quite bold
one collects, inspects, golden gifts
the bantam weight of gold
a legend bold of many told
the phantom thrills of chase
the race in sight of shining gold
is thither yon, the place
the thither yon, abasing race
for little pot of ore
the tricks are slick, amazing pace ……
a rich and golden store
the little elf, hombre, is spiff
a must to tether soul
the little bantam weight is swift
the little elf is bold
the Irish phantom elf of gold
a somber bearded man
of Ireland legends clearly told
a rainbow’s golden plan
the Irish rainbow bows to bond
as magic thrill unfolds
of stories one becomes quite fond
“of legends boldly told”
Categories:
spiff, adventure,
Form: Ballad