Forests of Green Coniferous Trees
Forests of evergreen conifers
(Fir, spruce, cedar, pine, and hemlock trees)
Keep their colour throughout the seasons
And don’t shed foliage in autumn.
Rooted in soil and basking in sunlight,
They grow on hillsides and in valleys,
Encircling rock outcrops, swamps, and leas,
And near rivers and lakes, and on islands.
These hearty trees endure nature’s throes
Of cold, harsh, winters to warm spring thaws,
Thriving in summer and fall to help provide
A habitat for the forest dwellers.
Conifer pollen and seed cones pollinate,
And fertilized seeds disperse on windy days
—Or get stashed away by squirrels and birds—
And grow into stately coniferous trees.
Each year I make the matzoh balls,
Which come out pretty good.
My husband cooks the chicken soup;
Our roles are understood.
He always wings it when he cooks,
Just uses what’s on hand
And never needs a recipe,
Which I can’t understand.
I follow the directions
When I cook or when I bake
And measure the ingredients
So there is no mistake.
My time-worn recipes are stashed
In cookbooks or in files;
The drips and spatters dotting them
Evoke nostalgic smiles.
Yet always for the matzoh balls
What has the most appeal
Is the recipe that’s on the box
Of any matzoh meal.
That’s up until this year – there was
No recipe at all!
I Googled and saw dozens,
But not one my matzoh ball.
Until I saw a posting
From a woman who, like me,
Asked if anyone could help her
Find that box-back recipe.
Voila! Someone responded
With a picture of the box.
It’s amazing what technology,
From time to time, unlocks.
I made the matzoh balls
And hope they’re good as they appear,
But I copied down the recipe
So I’ll be set next year.
A plane had just crashed
A red flag was flashed
Secrets had been stashed
Sixty-seven died
The government lied
Helicopter too
Too low had they flew
Wonder if they knew
If the plane in flight
Was at the right height
To land there alright
I do have my doubt
The truth will come out
It's a cryin' shame
So, who was the blame
Was it just one name
Beneath the leaves
One may find
Scribbles of another kind
Written there are hidden truths
Collated by collective roots
Stashed under a different roof
Stored next to a bed of bark
Are twisted tales from the dark
You’ll find something similar to
Gideon’s Bible soaking up the dew
Nuclear holocausts they will survive
Though, these Hotels take their lives
So, if you’re a cockroach checking in
You just may want to find a friend
In Jesus!
A rainbow or counterflow … symmetry,
Time marks a question measured to wrangle,
Quantity taxes or pay quality.
First, the chick or egg, begs the novelty,
Harmony and anarchy vie tango,
A rainbow or counterflow … symmetry.
Highs and lows, trials on trails that Odyssey,
Couples meet ... kneels, and fingers … betrothal,
Quantity taxes or pay quality.
Germane proportionate necessity,
Bidders will empowerment substantial,
A rainbow or counterflow … symmetry.
Blind contends, an object than rivalry,
A contest midst, wins or lose, a gamble,
Quantity taxes or pay quality.
Observant confident, sees victory,
The keenly bid, competitors scramble,
A rainbow or counterflow … symmetry.
Won prize stashed, slips by geniality,
Bewildered notes calm, auctioneer’s gavel,
Quantity taxes or pay quality,
A rainbow or counterflow … symmetry.
Wrapped in fluffy fat rust colored blanket, staying cozy warm inside
Peering at fluffy tailed chasing squirrels who have nothing to hide
I open my mystery novel to a favorite chapter that tells quite the tale
My cozy nook a haven for my cat and I, a sanctuary where I sip my ale
Okay, it is coffee, where I meet my heroes, nemesis and literary friends
In well-love books stashed on shelves with flower arrangements at ends
I imagined I might leave you behind
But I will bring pieces of you with me.
There will be your hands
on the folded corners of my book,
There will be your handwriting pinned to my wall,
There will be your essence when I write,
Your absence in the night.
There will be your beliefs when dark touches the light.
I will have pieces of you
In the letters we will exchange
And I will give you pieces of me
By putting words to a page.
You are paper,
Scribbled with scripture,
Torn apart and stuck together again.
You are paper,
Stashed away on a shelf,
Sought out by my unsteady self.
You are paper
And I am a flame.
1. Humble gifts of Mother Nature: Free Verse: Humility
She gave a mixture of measured
Traces of gases to make a livable
Blend of air for lives to breathe well
She gave a magical potion
With rich nutrients to exist and sustain
All living things on this dear Earth
She spread ethereal carpet
Of soil to store, grow, regulate food to live,
For lives to recycle again
She stashed and stowed away fine rocks
To hold the mass good with unwavering strength
Bestow minerals to live well
She is so humbly rich to give
Such elegant presents to all lives on earth
Unworthy mankind took it all
2. Humble gifts of Mother Nature: Etheree: Humility
She,
Gave us
Air, Water, Soil,
Precious things that hold
Took million years to make
To help lives live and sustain
Balanced living - she wished to create
It floated for a while till a dawn
When human thought to use it all for self
Spoiled the gift, spoiled the giver, and failed terribly overall.
June 04, 2024 For Anoucheka Gangabissoon Contest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thrilling explorations enlivened with adventure,
As my soul longs for a most special blue venture.
The indulgent warmth of the sun revitalized me,
Once having landed in this paradisiacal arcady.
Palm twigs drift in a gentle breeze,
Infinite stretches of exquisite white sand seas.
Crystal-clear waters define a sapphire-sand idyll,
Archipelago of high-quality atoll and island tidal.
The locals saluted me with such a wide smile,
Their warmth and compassion are a lifestyle.
Finding heaven filled me with immense pride,
Embraced by the breathtaking scenery to abide.
Weeks turned into months, and days went away,
As I danced beneath the sky, I felt freed to sway.
However, an enormous urge sprang from inside,
For the sake of my native nation and kin pride.
I finally reached a choice as time passed,
I started to obsess over my house, never stashed.
The island, however, will stay in my mind,
I retain them as a spiritual treasure left behind.
Her apartment house was shaped like a tall woman’s boot.
I could see why she chose to live there, it did in fact suit.
Her disposition, her opinions, her ideals and her attitude.
Being inside with her, reading, put me into a powerful mood.
Women power forever! My assertive, opinionate Aunt Bertie said.
She had the attitude of Rosie the Riveter firmly stashed in her head.
I inherited her apartment, although my name is not Francine, but Fred.
The only man to live here. With the women’s antics, my face is usually red.
Can certainly get over zealous at times
In extolling my love for you souls
Suddenly realize how overbearing it must be
So I'll try to show a little more control
Got a bunch of affection for all youse guys
You all have that special something
It's totally unique from one soul to the next
Which gets this old heart a-beating
Just love to discover what each person has
Have I seen it before in someone else
Each one of you adds your own little twist
It determines everyone's wealth
It's not the money you've got stashed away
Or those fancy cars you might drive
It's stuff you've got deep down in your soul
It's the friendships for which we strive
Deposited, held in Amazon's Adonis arms
Hidden inhospitably stashed, kite shadow
Curled furtive, stairway stupefied windshield
Hallucinations lag languished in amusement
Monkeys freeze, screech scamper scratch
Egg smooth roof unscathed cubby abode
Jagged gaps hang fur curtain climbing mates
Swung carefree in cramped homecamp humid
Aghast lopped log rest exhales raggedly
Snapped propeller askew salutes defeat
Wing bent lungs transform fortitude into fuel
Crushed accordion bodied anaconda swivels
Lock jaw latch tight to jungle gym frame
Liquid flow flanks scale, giant slug glued
Fork tongue tastes rain drip following day hope
Fangs prong Coconas sour tomato gold codicil
Cluster juice burst berries, bittersweet bulbs
Knobs of Contreu twisted tangerine vitamin
Fibre feeds faith indispensible, thin torsos entwined
Fight against forbode of abandonment, exhausted
Anonymous Minor Survivors
Middle of Jungle June
easiest to take a bite off peanut now
rather than wait until they are stashed for winter
chipmunk wife gives husband scolding
he is now working fast enough to suit
As I closed my door and lay down to sleep,
A poem came and violently knocked at my door.
Being quite late, I put a rein on my desire to admit it in
Even in my sleep I could hear the faint sound of a knock.
In the wee hours of the morn, as I sat up to house it,
Only scattered phrases and broken lines floated around.
A crazy excitement made me trap them in ink.
But nothing worthwhile showed up on the writing pad.
I found I had only violated the virginity of the paper.
After hours of spasmodic labor pain
What came out was a stillborn with no heart beats.
It lay limp before me and all excitement died down
It's still body, I found had closely resembled me.
Something of me was there stamped on it.
How could I who had parented it,
Callously discard it in a dustbin?
So, I carefully stashed it away in a secret place.
Where no one’s prying eyes would ever fall over it!
April. 6. 2023
~ Placed Third~
Free Submission Poetry Contest
Sponsor- Sotto Poet
The storm stirred…having ingredients our neighbors provided.
Stolen goods, the storm stashed in its wings, and headed East.
The storm boiled in Mississippi - all baby boomers spelled
that state voraciously m-i-ss-i-ss-i-pp-i…the eye of the storm, calm,
while the raptor tore apart lives. The weeping of dark clouds
over smithereens. The storm with a long wooden handle, stirring
hail and adding more broth. No one cared for this stone soup.
neighborly stone soup
NO THANK YOU emphatically
Bless your heart tongue goads
3/26/2023
From wikipedia: Stone Soup is a European folk story in which hungry strangers convince the people of a town to each share a small amount of their food in order to make a meal that everyone enjoys, and exists as a moral regarding the value of sharing.
Prayers for those affected by this terrible storm!
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