An impotent soul wrapped with a police seal
Married a merchant and stopped bearing Jill
everyone must care, that’s how it feels
traps of superiority placed like banana pills
mutual respect losing every match five-to-nil
demanding the showering of majestic praises so unreal
that are schemed and manufactured from a rusted mill
to cover a void that can never be filled.
Confidence owns worth for self-respect and exaggeration to steal
me, myself and I, makeup the three-square-meal
ego prioritized, a major condition in every deal
insisting that the screws are not as important as the wheel.
It is always said that blessed are they who climb the hill
but they look down the foot of the mountain to see ants worthy of a kill
despite the accolades, undermining others is their zeal
loud on the success, louder on the associated vigils
winning comes with feathers, before eating the meat, you must peel
or else, there will be a heavy mention on destruction’s will.
The world hurtles on unmindful
Leaving behind those who cannot keep pace
So many are under constant grind
To earn a square meal a day
On deserted streets many roam
Their stomachs empty, their bowels growling
They have nothing to rejoice, only to grieve
For them, joy is an unknown flavor
They too are rightful heirs to Nature’s bounty
Yet fate decrees for them a dismal course!
They are smothered under poverty’s bleak embrace
Over their ashen sky, dark clouds gather round
In dingy make shift dwellings,
Many cram together under tin sheets,
Braving the sun and the inclement weather
Wallowing in dirt and filth with flies for company
They see the stars luminous through cracked roofs
And weave dreams of better times
But soon their dreams go crashing down
Sinking in the knowledge that life is brutally unfair
The callously unfeeling men strut past them
Deaf to their ballads of sad refrain
And their unheard moans die down
In the alleys where darkness strangulates light!
(Their fate often sparks embers of pain in me)
Jan. 17. 2022
Your Choice Again Poetry Contest
Sponsor - Brian Strand
I love how it’s symmetrical,
Each side a perfect match.
In former days, when jeans were ripped,
It made the perfect patch.
To call someone a square, though,
Was insulting, but a deal
That’s square was something good, just like
Receiving a square meal.
We square away our debts;
A square dance can be lots of fun.
I could go on forever or
Go back to (pause)…square one!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
day food became saleable commodity ~ man became inhumane
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
government should provide two square meal to all ~ no one should die of hunger
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would abolish factories and end money
All would be farmers or artisans
Barter system I will introduce
In case of natural calamities,
nearby villages would have to help
I would plant lot of trees, just like primitive times
Houses would be made of mud and thatch
There would be Wells and borewel wells for water
All would be equal, no caste system
Males and females would be treated at par
Justice would be decided by community through consensus
All would have a right to participate
Pollution would end, food will be organically grown
All doing similar jobs, there would be financial equality
All would have to work to earn two square meal a day
Thefts and fraud would end automatically
Boys would come to girl's house after wedding, resolving lot of current issues
No electricity, people would sleep early
Animals would be killed only for food
All would be hard-working, healthy and happy.
This is my idea of perfect world
it makes me happy although it's imaginary
I wish it would come true
Date: 8/22/2020
Dismal tale of men and women in the dirty rail compartment
No conception of the charm being knitted by the movement
Of the necklace of gentle light in the pants shirts and blouses
All is too occupied in their struggle to notice the kind crescent
As they are returning home from their respective workplaces
Piteous story of apathy and woe all of them are absorbed in
An old lady chewing parched rice taking it from a rusted tin
In a dark corner is seated a youth with shirt all bloodstained
Suffering from tuberculosis and looking very fragile and thin
A worthless life of empty existence still wretchedly retained
Though no threshold he will come across leading him to a
Plate of rice and curry as at least one square meal a day
A hawker of playthings approaches them in a smiling face
A second vendor selling some human figures made of clay
A gloomy motion picture of life running in an unfair race
10/07/2017
Rhyme Time with 5 Poetry Contest sponsored by Laura Loo
Using the five words viz Piteous Bloodstained Threshold
Conception and Dismal
Grandpa said, “You work hard all day
to do to yourself some good....
what you think as priory in your pay
is a well deserved dish of good food!”
For the less fortunate; one square meal
and for the well off; another day of feast!
In diet classes: "It’s not a big deal
to decline favorites to have fat decreased!"
At home: A well garnished pizza “extra cheese”
and a generous chunk of ‘Black Forest cake’ to follow.
All to be flushed in with wine, sweet and chilled, please.
I can't help it; my stomach is an ever growing hollow!
So, "Do what I say but don't do what I do.";
Rational on duty but mad for a ‘biryani”, spicy and hot!
Strong to my audience, but weak with a pint of home brew.
"Excuse me, for the extra sugar, can’t resist my cooking pot!"
28/06/16
18/02/17 Revisited for contest Just a little bit of sugar by Debbie Guzzi
Note: sugar in simple and complex forms constitute nearly all foods, which is calculated as calorie intake per day.
My eyes fountain
As i muster up to our nations mountain
This fact i ascertain
But no pleasures i entertained.
My eyes fountains
For the waif
My voice wails for the poor
Sleeping in cold on bare floor.
My eyes fountain
For the orphans
Whom sweat became their daily bread
whom pain becomes their dinner gown.
My eyes fountain
For the homeless
Those who are truly hopeless
Those whose time are less.
I wail for our drown economy
No more peace nor harmony
No sweet cuddles, no honey
No one to dry our tears, this is not funny.
This is my pain
Like dark ache its upon my spine
the nation is drunk with wine
In regret we now dine.
My eyes fountain
For now 3 square meal is not square
balanced diet is no longer balanced
Vitamins can no longer be gotten through our VITAL MEANS.
I give my voice in prayer
My tears i offer in supplication
Lord please let your Kingdom Come
WE PRAY LET IT COME, LET IT COME.
Grandpa said you work hard all day
to do to yourself some good....
So, what you think as priory in your pay,
is a well deserved dish of good food!
For the less fortunate; one square meal.
And for the well off; another day's feast!
In diet classes, I say it’s not a big deal
to decline your favorites to have fat decreased!
At home, I sit with a well garnished pizza “extra cheese”.
a large chunk of ‘Black Forest cake’ to follow
and a glass of wine, selected and chilled, please.
I can't help, my stomach is an ever growing hollow!
So, do what I say but don't do what I do.
Rational on duty but mad for a ‘biryani”, spicy and hot!
Strong to my audience, but weak with a pint of home brew.
Excuse me, friends, I can’t resist much my cooking pot!
28/06/16
Honorable mention for contest I love food by Lewis Raynes (29/06/16)
I had a meal that wasn’t square
Though all the things I’d need were there:
Some crusty bread, some cheese and fruit
And lots of salad spreads, to boot.
A plate of veggies, nicely sliced
And lox and cream cheese, which enticed.
A pot of coffee, freshly perked
And pastries (where the cal’ries lurked).
I lunched with utter pure delight;
The hostess got it all just right.
I wonder how would one prepare
A better meal to make it square.
When there is chaos all around suffocating
You have in your kindness kept me secure
I have no justification at all to fret and fume
I cannot but be grateful to you; my dear Lord.
When millions of masses are undernourished
You the compassionate one have granted me
With a square meal for self and my household
I cannot but be grateful to you my dear Lord.
When I find my fellow beings in torn clothes
Fending themselves from vagaries of nature
You have provided me with enough apparel
I cannot but be grateful to you; my dear Lord.
There are thousands with no proper shelter
To protect themselves from rain and wind
You have given me a cosy roof over my head
I cannot but be grateful to you; my dear Lord.
When I am aware of awful suffering around
And my comfort zone with your benign mercy
I feel ashamed of my silly protests against you
Please forgive me my Lord, I am grateful; ever.
Ramesh Deshpande
still a dream---
a square meal
on a round table
a black moon walked
on a white desert
from unknown to unknown,
the violence was furiously evolving
the virus, was multiplying
by destruction, the greenness of green
was reduced barely to essential,
kelp had choked the shorelines
embracing unmathematical snares,
genes had become weightless and
were corroding the sane blameless,
you collect the roses overnight
for a perfumed burial of freedom
which did not get a square meal in peace
after crossing the river
SATISH VERMA
My thoughts sink deep like the waters in a well
My heart is heavy due to the uncertainties of tomorrow
In the belly of abject poverty do I dwell
The cry of huger pierces my ear drums like an arrow
As I sit by the road cup in hand
Pain and anguish engulfs my soul as neglection becomes my companion
A fearsome fight for a square meal becomes my head band
The dust of failure settles on my eye
As with the wind of hardships,the fight goes on
My eyes burn with fire and brimstone
As the rains of temptations beats upon my heart
Long suffering becomes my friend
For my pain I cannot for-go
I walk in the path of mockery
As my steps tear me apart
Please show pardon if our path should meet
For with the cry of Oliver twist,I would always ask for more
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