It’s All About Perspective
How would you feel,
If you went home today
To find a strange creature
Had entered your cave
While you were away?
You would you feel,
If you looked in your bed
To find sleeping there soundly
A wee human head?
Would you be angry?
Would you see red?
How would you feel,
If some golden-haired brat
Had gobbled your supper
And shattered the chair where you always sat?
What would you do?
How would you handle that?
How would you feel,
If the door to your cave
Had been kicked in by a kid
Who just could not behave?
Would you rumble and roar
Or just rant and rave?
No one would blame you,
If you got really mad
With a dimpled-faced terror who destroyed all that you had.
That’s how many would feel, but
Isn’t it sad
That no one had taught her
How not to be bad?
Your eyes glisten
and a tear forms.
Your Braille tongue
mouths a silent vocabulary.
The ‘O’ of your mouth
spells out the anguish within,
and with mute hands
you give voice to
an ear-piercing scream.
So sweet, a double-crossed tongue.
The moment we taste its flavor,
We lose our minds completely.
And out is born
A brand new creature.
So foul, a double-crossed tongue.
The moment we spit out its taste,
We come back to our senses.
And out is born
A filthy creature.
"And lo, that very creature of mold is you!"
Tie me to your tongue
and let me speak truth like you
when you tell my tales.
Winner: 3rd Place, Boulevard of the Beloved, Ink Empress (Sponsor), 9/17/26
Tethers float & tickle like feathers
I'm aloft unaware of outside weathers
Evening enhanced by colloquial pleasures
Malleable & manipulated
Esoterica like yours specifically stipulated
"Tie me to your tongue" I sing
Oh I utter the strangest things!
Yet I must admit I'm fully focussed
Overjoyed at this conversational hocus pocus
Unusually laid back & vocally gushing
Rampant points of interest gain further pushing
Tantalise & give me traction
Obligated now to end-goal satisfaction
Nerve endings sever in hyperspace
"Great subject matter expert kept perfect pace!"
Unbiased reviews are fully flowing
Eloquence like yours has me all glowing
"The moon is an honest Manipulator,"
last night you showed off with your total eclipse.
Your enormous bright light did,
"Tie me to your Tongue."
"I learned how to live unkissed,
until" last night.
Now "I filled the night's chalice with knots of desire,"
needing to wait for the next full moon.
"If time turns, will scars stain the sky?"
Will I live to see you next month in all your glory?
Oh look at the dark clouds for,
"It's raining roses and love riots."
Tonight was very special,
I am so glad I could join the full moon for our visit.
Remember remember the songs of your Grandma.
She sings and her words live in you.
Remember remember the gold of the old words
that carry her love that is true.
With chatter and clatter the kids in the school-room
are talking in words you don’t know.
Some words are for working, some words are for singing,
some words are like seeds that will grow.
The story of family is hiding in sayings
of mothers and fathers and aunts.
The melody, history, promise and poems
are magnets that stick to your heart.
brewing burlington bunny blunted
cockamamy communications caliculus
his hemisphere her hector
(Weekly Magnetic Poetry Challenge • August 17–23, 2026)
No language under the sun can be true,
Yet a cat cries out, "Meow," to you.
Broken down by a fraction, factoring the grace,
In that tremor, in that frequency's space,
"I am so hungry, it's true!"
"Give me some food, I beg you!"
Yet every language must hold the truth inside,
"What are you?" Where do you hide?
Though you provoke me with all your might,
A hidden truth is locked out of sight.
"Let's be friends, me and you!"
Yet in one language, a million paths pursue,
Only we never knew!
The bitter, biting winter cold
Speaks of winter, stark and old.
Yet you do not know the truth it bears,
Locked deep within those freezing airs.
Until late spring whispers low:
"I wanted to be your friend, don't you know?"
We merely spoke in a different tongue,
Even with human words on the tip of the tongue!
I keep blossoms under my tongue
like contraband prayer, wet, bruised
a broken smile slides past me
sinister, undone, almost familiar
like contraband prayer, wet, bruised
a fallen guide drowns in mind rain
sinister, undone, almost familiar
seeking the now, an endless present
a fallen guide drowns in mind rain
a door to the cage named life
seeking the now, an endless present
it was never locked, not once
a door to the cage named life
bent, twisted by our hands
it was never locked, not once
we applaud thunder, swallow light
bent, twisted by our hands
I watch until nothing can bleed
we applaud thunder, swallow light
petals stuck between my teeth
I watch until nothing can bleed
sweet rot, a vow in disguise
petals stuck between my teeth
I laugh at saints in glass
sweet rot, a vow in disguise
then choke on the pollen
I laugh at saints in glass
a broken smile slides past me
then choke on the pollen
I keep blossoms under my tongue
a broken smile slides past me
sinister, undone, almost familiar
I spit venom when it’s bad
Just know, I try hard
It’s not just every day mad
When I pull this card
It isn’t that I’m proud
I have an evil tongue
I bite until it bleeds
Til the final sting has stung
But enough is enough
And “my” enough is a ton
Once I hit that point
I can’t un spin the webs I’ve spun
The words begin to ooze
They’re thick and they stick
There’s nothing to undo
The choice won’t be un picked
I forgive you
all the pain caused
I know it's not your fault
all the bitter words you've said
the pain you've carried
your bitter heart frozen
day after day
a dark cloud over head
old hurt and
deep sadness
has brought
poison to your speech
the last of light gone
now darkness rules,
I can't see it,
I can't hear it,
but i can feel
the acid as it drips from your tongue
When picking the poet to precisely perform your poem of preference, the poet should be able to project their words to a populated package of people in a party at any given part of the day. If this poet produces a pathetic presentation of your poem, you may punish them with pits of pointy spikes. While your poet personally picked from the pool of poets you perused performs the piece, you may pitch a new poem to your professor. If the professor has positive words to pass onto you about your progressive poetry, the parcel of poetry will be passed onto the next pool of poets you personally know.
Just off the boat
Seventy four years ago
Nationality thrice changed
Misunderstood by all
Spurned by mother India
Disowned by the King
Distrusted by our rulers
Misunderstood by all
We are patriotic too
Though often locked out
To the laager we retreat
Misunderstood by all
Neither here nor there
Speaking in dulcet tones
Not in our mother tongue
Misundertood by all
As we grow old and lonely
We crave attention
Needy and entitled
Misunderstood by all
We have many functions in our body
some helpful, and others are not so
but there's one that sticks out more
even from an early age, it loves to say no
The tongue has the power for good or bad
its tendency is to be bad from its heart
but good can come with the spirit's work
godly marks then are seen in no small part
Scripture tells us about the tongue's poison
with this, it brings evil upon all in its ways
without the spirit's effect ot falls down deep
its language shows evil intent all the day
It's an awful thing considering its power
bringing fear and anxiety upon its prey
we need God's authority to bring it down
which brings us to our knees to pray
Remember, in the tongue is true fruit
that which fully satisfies every thirst
so love this tongue to full effect
then the evil poison will be burst
("Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.")
Proverbs 18: 21 (ESV)
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