Sometimes I sit and I ponder.
I ponder about my lacquered erudition.
I ponder about my varnished rectitude.
I ponder about my penning acquiescence.
The insipid tedium of my veins questions my oblivion to a stupor so stark to the glorification of my solitude.
I ponder its adjacent to the extolment of my void.
The seething flame sanctifies the feigning rot of my lungs as I inhale the melancholy of your lips.
Something so soothing.
Something so soaring.
Something so laboriously stinging.
I desire for the salvation of sin;
To tattoo your words on my tongue.
To swallow my decay in your blood.
To fuse your disparity on my webs.
I sit and I ponder.
Am I so inured to the metal of these bars, I distort the culpable intimacy of still yet existing in one?
And thereafter, I ponder whether my silver ashes will ever dare to utter the sinister sacrilege of my syllables.
There was a robber named Tess
her purse was a heavy mess
diamonds and lockets
please check her pockets
never would she steal much less!
(where the last word or words become switch-a-roos syllables, using rhyme scheme, AbAAb, emphasis, A-masculine, b-feminine)
I was great with spelling, reading, and *arithmetic*,
Two I’ve passed, but the last was *with a trick sway*,
I attempt to succeed by doing my best *to say, scythe it*,
That is life, methinks, being some *way, poetic*,
School, I have learned by taking *the fifth, it may*.
*Breakdown per rhymed sound per line
(a/ah, a, to/tah, poe/poheth, the)
(rith, with, scythe, eth, fifth)
(me/may, sway, say, way, may)
(tic, trick, it, tic, it)
Has syllable limit
About nature
Inspires
Known form
Unique end
I open my mouth
My anger spills out
I say things I don’t mean
And mean things I won’t say
Damage
Oh such damage
Strangers or friends
Words I can’t defend
Family is broken
From words that I’ve spoken
When will it end?
Damage
Too much damage
So conflicted
I’ve inflicted
So much hurt
So much pain
Words like weapons
Sharper than knives
Killing dreams
Shredding lives
Damage
Unjustified
Unspeakable
Damage
Bludgeoning words
Shattered spirits
Wounded hearts
Crippled lives
Killing words
Chilling words
Handful of syllables
Damage
Long herbaceous desert
I ride your arid roads
perfect for catching up
word games, banter erupts
gay moments make new paths
time gently d r i f t s a
w
a y
Syllable Counting
Counting syllables is a pain in my rear
Obnoxious divisions to which I must adhere
Understanding them is not clear
Never one to learn much in school
To post good poetry, I must follow the rule.
OR NOT!!!!!
Focus each blessing,
Less stressing,
Cast our own spelling!
(A MLOKU)*
What a magnificent canvassing God gave us in the sky tonight;
The full moon and all the constellations glowing hypnotically;
With the oceans and the seas below, reflecting this glorious sight:-
*A 3-line poem with each line
having 17 syllables and the 1st
and 3rd line ending in a rhyme;
focus may be on both nature &
human nature.
get out your words and try
try to make everything all right
sling them like arrows
into the gauntlet of time
do they even know
what they're trying to find
or do they just need to unwind
this old man played
too many knick-knacks too many times
too many paddy whacks to give his dog a bone
and that's okay... he's got his syllables
to lead him... astray ...or guide him home
it doesn't matter... they love to roam
over the highways and byways
through space and time
through the intricate mazes
of his heart and mind
not looking to mean anything
but to be happily lost.. like petals in the breeze
fluttering, floating and flying free
that's all they've ever needed to be
but if they could find their way
to a better place on some promising day
and could kiss you long enough
sink hard enough and deep enough
they'd never be forgotten
------------------------
(PoetrySoup Format)
------------------------
. . . a souvenir of selfless stars salute,
shine and shimmer.
in a secured state:
silvery shadows share secluded silence,
scintillating, becoming dimmer.
you -
sustaining like a synchronized swimmer,
show me, our syllables still glimmer
--------------------------------
* For Tom Woody *
Author’s Note: In moments of solitude, it’s all about attitude.
Through those moments, you reassured me, and I encouraged you.
nought
and one
binary
computation
input then process then store and output
digital society foundation
dependency
increasing
good and
bad
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*3rd Place* Tetractys Contest Nov 2023
Sponsored by: Ink Empress
One
Or two
Maybe three
Or perhaps, four
Five is pushing it
It’s surely never six
And seven would be insane
On eight my chin would hit the floor
But nine is just eight with enhancements
While ten almost outnumbers commandments
Ten means there’s someone for etheree one
Nine is four pairs and a spare, not two
Eight?…… two to the power of three
Seven? three boys, but girls - four ;-)
Six; break an egg - that’s five
Five - coochy coo: six
Four from seven?…
Three (not eight)
Two?….. nein!
Won? :-(
Awake or asleep, I dream poetry.
What, how and when to write?
I think about it day and night.
When I sit deep in my thoughts,
Searching for the right words,
And when I count the syllables,
Using the fingers of my hands,
People think that I am mad!
For meals, if I fail to respond
To the calls of my better half,
And when I stay awake till midnight,
She warns me of wasting my time.
Only a poet can understand
The labor of a fellow poet.
The pain a poet undergoes
While writing a poem is…
Not less than that of a mother
Giving birth to her dear child!
A letter to my wounds,
fragranced with powdered incense,
every word woven from carnelian ink,
beauty lies in the readers heart,
bruised syllables define nothing,
when everything phrased and vented,
are mere signs of bravery,
flowing in eloquence.
So, see beyond vague verses,
crafted from mystical metaphors,
and sanguine similes,
there streams,
truth of a healing mind,
still bleeding broken ballads,
and soulful sonnets;
same rhythm as the
art of a passionate poet,
pleading to be heard and seen,
amidst silenced skies on gloomy nights,
as this quill desires no accolades nor
condolences but compassion.
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.