Miscommunication
I told her she looked elegant
But she just heard elephant
Oh don’t get me wrong I quipped
And before I could stop it slipped from my lip
I do love the pachyderm
‘My mistake,’ I thought, and began to squirm
The look on her face was clear to all
No time to wait no time to stall
I said ‘elegant, the dress is a beaut’
You don’t look fat at all - just nice and cute’
Oh dear I think I just made it worse
Silently she mouthed a curse
To set things aright I must attempt
For from her wrath I am least exempt
‘Elephant is the furthest thing
Your ears aren’t that big and your trunk don’t swing’
I stammered and stuttered
My heart skipped and fluttered
Silent no more ‘YOU’ came the trumpet
My sweet wife became an angry strumpet
All by a word simply mistaken
And so I sleep ne’er to awaken
I was sitting on the corner, stoned
When out of the blue, my dead aunt phoned
How could this be, she rests in peace
Right beside my loving niece
I answered the phone, and my auntie said
“I know you think that I am dead.”
“I’m alive”- my auntie moaned
Or- could it be that you’re just- “Stoned”
I stared at the screen, my mind in a twist,
Her name on the caller ID still exists.
I stammered and asked, “Is this some cruel joke?”
As I exhaled another thick cloud of sweet smoke.
She laughed out a cackle that shook my bare bones,
And said, “Check your pocket for misplaced headphones.”
I looked down and realized with a slow, hazy grin,
“It was just a podcast that I’d turned on again.”
It was many years ago, that first time,
When, under protest, I entered stage right.
I was shy, not an extrovert back then
And every single seat was occupied.
I only had one line, and I stammered.
But they laughed!
And in that fleeting moment,
I fell in love and I knew
I’d act until the day I die
Barmy blacksmiths, forging Fate
Smack-dab, smashed and working late
Stuck deep in and wrenching wrists
Tattered skin on itchy fists
Spewing salty starless space
Into eyes and all over face
The wall and put your best foot on
A boxy board housing Spawn
Groggy gauges, clicking close
To the time the Boss had chose
Feeling funny, one Smith exits
Others watch him through their slits
Lined looking, between blades
Hanging hazards, shovels and spades
Their brother's bowel blows and boils
As life's liquid bursts and soils
Clothes clamped, stammered sound
Shrieking lumps, lurching around
Weapons washed, in red and green
The first, and last, blacksmith seen.
It was many years ago, that first time,
When, under protest, I entered stage right.
I was shy, not an extrovert back then
And every single seat was occupied.
I only had one line, and I stammered.
But they laughed! And in that fleeting moment,
I knew I’d act until the day I die
Sponsor - Netta Onclaud
Wonder of Soul's Expression contest
!st January 2026
Henry a notorious highway man
robbed the simple couch, as only he can
young woman in Victorian dress screamed
he was the nightmare of which she’d dreamed
Henry’s bounty included a box with ashes
Dan Shallot’s remains, which he quickly bashes
he was after silver and gold you see,
This loot irritated the young man, Henry B.
He robbed six more coaches that came down the road.
Threw out the stuff that would have his horse slowed
then galloped off for New York City, hoping for a bigger take
Dan Shallot’s unhappy ashes blew off, toward Michigan Lake
Henry had to answer for his crimes when he got to heaven’s gate
He stammered and blubbered, his replies were not great
Dan Shallot put his hand on his shoulder and said “it’s all right”.
He too had been a highway man, a robber at night.
I'm not insane.
I swear to God, I just wanted to help her.
To reach out and save her.
I grabbed her, to urge her to move.
That's when I recognized the terror on her face.
She was scared, just like me. I didn't like that.
Don't be scared.
I'm just trying to help.
"P-please...don't."
I sighed as she stammered out those words when I held her hand gently.
I know.
I'm not going to hurt you. Stop begging.
I hate it.
A few moments later, I calmed her down, hugging her body as I lulled her to sleep.
She must be so exhausted from all that running she did.
Poor little thing.
As I pulled her close, to warm her cold body, I felt a bit uncomfortable, as I felt something sharp against my chest.
So, I pulled the knife out of her heart and wiped off the blood.
She'll be able to relax now.
The sweet voice of the announcer
Echoed through the airport.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Gate 4 Malta Paris is now open.
Take your hand luggage
And have your tickets ready.
*
He picked up his briefcase,
Looked at his lady friend,
Her eyes were swollen with tears.
He dared not kiss her goodbye.
Will you be back, she stammered.
No, it is better this way. For I
Have loved you on and off.
You don’t deserve a man like me.
You need a steadfast person,
Someone who will care for you
In a very proper way.
You will be loved and have a family,
A kind person who deserves you.
I am not that kind of person.
Don’t think I shall not miss you.
I’ll wander around the periphery
Of Rue de Jardin, always alone
No woman will take your place.
Silence will be my companion.
I deserve no better. So my sweet,
I bid you farewell. And wipe away
The small tear in my eye.
*
Then he gave her a thin envelope.
It was her one-way ticket for Paris.
Would she go?
All my life I have always stammered
but looking back through the years
there's been in my mind that first word
this has haunted me considering the fear
Throughout life through the good and bad
I've always wondered what was the word
that started me off on my downward spiral
wishing I could have soured like a bird
Sometimes, I wonder if I had known then
what I know now about my stammer
how to relax, ease stress, breathe right
these may have helped keep me calmer
That first word whether short or long
set off my lifelong struggle to speak
making my tongue so full of anxiety
sometimes wonder what if I spoke Greek!
But in life, you can't look back
nothing can be changed of the past
so go forward in the spirit of the Lord
knowing God's with you no matter the task
So confident that he'd pass the test
Claimed his oral essay was the best
He yammered and muttered
And stammered and stuttered
But half way through he puked on his desk
THE DOG-GED LIE
In a house on a bustling street,
Lived a pup with paws and fur so neat.
His owner, a young lad of just ten,
Made a promise to his furry friend, Ben.
"Dear dog," the boy did solemnly vow,
"I'll confess to my teacher, I swear it now,6
That you munched on my homework, oh so sly,
But please, don't give me that not-guilty eye."
The dog just woofed and wagged his tail,
He knew the boy's plan would surely fail.
But to humor his lazy friend, he played along,
Knowing the outcome would sound all wrong.¹²
The next day at school, in front of the class,
The boy's face turned red, oh what a farce!
"Teacher," he stammered, "I must confess,
My dog ate my homework...oh what a mess!"
The teacher just chuckled and shook her head,
"Nice try, my dear boy," she kindly said.¹8
But the dog at home let out a sly grin,
Knowing he'd never get in trouble for this sin.
And so, the boy and his furry mate,
Shared a phony secret that was so great.
Telling the truth would be tough, so it seem,
The boy & his dog made a fraudulent team.²4
VICK MANUEL POETRY {VMP}
FORM: Rhymes
Copyright ©?January 2024.
It's all inside heating up steam
hell-bent anger wanting to explode
this is all so wrong takes one over
one press just like any old download
What causes this human disruption?
for it to reveal itself like a bomb
gaining victory's hope looks gone
so frustrating makes one storm
Over all the years speaking so hard
at school left alone not a word
no conversation makes one angst
looking above wish was a bird
Then I could have flown away
but here I was filled full of fear
why can't I speak like other folks?
rising inside anger in a tear
The anger needs released and freed
so give oneself a chance to speak
still difficult but able to accept life
show all this guy is no freak!
(My thoughts on anger are hidden within having stammered all my life but later let it out and felt better for it. )
IF ONLY I COULD
If I could turn the clock back
Twenty years or so,
I would do things differently;
I would let her know
Just how I felt about her
And tell her how my heart
Beat madly at her nearness.
But I lacked the art.
I would have blushed and stammered,
If I dared to try.
And so I kept my distance
And let my chance go by.
I bumped into her yesterday,
Her family in tow
And we talked about those school days,
Twenty years ago.
Of course I didn’t tell her
How I felt back then.
Just like then, I would have blushed
And stammered once again.
Then, just before we said goodbye,
With that shy smile I knew,
She said, “I never told you this,;
I really fancied you.”
29th March 2023
This Or That, Vol 17 contest
Sponsor - Edward Ibeh
There once was a young man named Davos
Who thought he was quite the bravado
He saw a young lady, fair and petite
And thought he'd give it his best shot, neat.
He walked up to her with a smile on his face
And tried to impress her with his charm and grace
But alas, he was socially awkward and shy
And the words he spoke came out all awry.
He stuttered and stammered, he tripped and he fell
The lady just looked at him, unimpressed and cold
She stood there in her high heels, hair done just so
And Dave knew he had no chance, oh no.
But little did she know, as she stood there so poised
That she, too, felt awkward and ill-disposed
She wished they had met on social media, where
She could hide behind her avatar, cool and debonair.
But alas, they were stuck in this awkward reality
Where Dave was a bumbling fool and she, just a girl
But maybe, just maybe, if they had met online
They could have had a chance, a love so divine.
So here's to all the awkward folks out there
Who wish they could hide behind a screen and a chair
Don't be afraid to be yourself, my friend
You never know, love might just be waiting on the analog end.
She strapped on those heels and clicked away
Knowing she would soon be his queen of the day.
He tried to ignore her, but she was jazzy and cute.
He did not have a chance, this smitten galoot!
What was it about her? His mother asked him.
He stammered and stuttered, this giant, big Jim.
It was her feet, they were dancing in time.
And those shoes of her were dazzling in lemon and lime!
You are so foolish! Can she even bake, clean or cook?
He stared around his mother; queen gave him the look.
Gotta go he said as he followed his wife-to-be from the kitchen.
He could still hear his mother in there doing some bit…..
But did he care? Not in the least, for he had his desire.
She had clicked her way into his life, and he was on fire.
Those high heeled shoes had caught him as sure as a trap.
He did not care that he was one love-hungry sap.
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