Rain is falling.
I open my umbrella.
I take it off, my umbrella—
My another outfit.
The rain is no longer alone.
It puts on another outfit,
Together with me.
The tears hidden
Behind the umbrella
Now become my friend.
The folded umbrella in my left hand
Still holds my hand.
"Are you throwing me away now?"
"Please, don't let go of my hand!"
"Just go play
With your new friend for a while!"
"The rain will stop someday!"
The umbrella sings to the moon,
claiming it knows the secrets of monsoons.
The moon replies with a lavender tune~
and the night twirled in surreal whimsy.
A teacup floats past on gentle breeze,
reciting poems to bewildered trees.
The trees applaud with rustling ease~
and the night twirled in surreal whimsy.
A clock forgets the meaning of its hands,
wandering off to join the dreaming sands.
Time giggles, losing all its demands~
and the night twirled in surreal whimsy.
Chuckling Nelson Mandela
carried a chequered umbrella
almost thirty years on Robben Island, a prison
he ascended to a powerful Presidency, wearing a red ribbon !
________________________
[Poet’s Note : President Mandela actually did occasionally wear a small red ribbon on his lapel, during his Office, indicating support for AIDS sufferers, at the time when the disease was at its peak, worldwide]
_____________________
Placed 2nd : Clerihew Contest
Sponsored : Tania Kitchin
May 26
rain shine so divine
sprinkle blessings kissings wet ~
feet in leather boots
rain sound patter
mad hatter
Alice in whimper drops
coatless with rabbit ruling
rain shine so divine
plain gain to refrain
from disdain
shimmering sleet
of rain glimmering on street
rainbow sheet covering
fleet neat
Alice opens umbrella ~
________________________
Bronze Winner : Allpoetry Contest
: a 50 word Poem on Rain
April 26
When rain
on two hearts
starts falling
umbrella for two
is opened by love
Like sugar
from bottom
of cup
love swirls
sweetness
to the top
with rosy
expectations
it starts
till rains
start muddling
its heart
then love
opens umbrella
surprise
till sun returns
its shine
chocolates
blue roses
sweet dreams
maturing
through smiles
and icy winds
like seasons
of earth
life spins
around center
sunflower
within
illumed by Sun
unseen
young forever
lamp of fire
Love
eternal
Second Place Winner: Brian Strand- Premiere contest 1462-4/12/26
No matter what I say, no matter what I do
No matter how I try, I can’t let go of you
You’re no good for my heart
You’re no good for my soul
Gave you pieces of myself til I was no longer whole
Saw myself disappear
With every lie in my ear
My pretty makeup runs as I cry all these tears
Your love comes with strings that I just can’t stand
You speak a language that I’ll never understand
I gave you a heart that was ready and raw
I loved you too much and that was my flaw
You’d watch me burn to keep yourself warm
Hide the umbrella while I drown in your storms
My patience is gone, it’s wearing me thin
I’m done fighting wars I know I’ll never win
So I’m cutting the strings and walking away
There’s nothing left for your silence to say
Keep all your lies and the cold hollow parts
I’m now taking back what’s left of my heart
I’m gathering the pieces of what still remains
You can keep your umbrella..
I’ll bloom in the rain.
thoughts like parachutes
open in clouds floating by
colourful strings r..a..i..n
cells dissolve in air
wide parachutes pause pink
red green umbrellas
core is parachute
opens in multi-colour
rainbow becomes K ** I** T ** E
~~~~~~ flyaway ~~~~~~
Umbrella, how I’d worried
You’d always felt under the weather,
But that’s me, as you are up
when the rain comes down.
There are old wives who tell tales
of shepherds who mourn -
They’ve been gazing at Dawn;
Seen her blush red
as the climate is changing.
Umbrella, they say the heavens are opening.
But how can this be true?
Such a view makes me feel blue,
Intrudes and dampens my mood.
Umbrella, an awning that’s yawning,
Roused by thunder,
awoken from slumber,
you protect me from mizzle and drizzle,
as I hold you up high, aloft to the sky
with the promise of your silver lining.
All hail to you, the reigning champion!
Umbrella, as the rain clouds subside,
I tuck you under my arm, close to my side,
My brolly, you’re so jolly useful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
damp hallway puddle~
your ribs still stretched wide open,
waiting for rain that never comes.
The air was wet
When they met
Docile clouds: puffs of grey and white
Sparkling light rained from the streetlight
His umbrella kept them dry
At least above the thigh
Her eyes beamed to his
A last goodbye
Their well of love
Had run dry
And yet the skies
Found compromise
As tears well'd in his eyes,
"E'en the skies reminisce
When we would kiss,
Here, on rainy nights like this"
Two hearts aglow
Would stop the show
As the noise and the street
Fell still, "In our antiquity,
Was it really so long ago,
Our hearts, for one another, beat?"
A daughter grabbed the hand of her mother
As they watched the scene unfold
said, the busker, painted gold,
"Oh, brother!",
Joining the hopeful fold
The dam of tears, that would damn her
Crumbled
Her fortressed heart humbled
She always knew deep inside her
He, beside her made her comlpete
Watching her falling tears disappear
on the wet concrete
I have a little friend
She's at her happiest when it rains
Loves her galoshes and umbrella
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Amber ribbons in her hair
Unique scent her skin shares
Turquoise sky eyes of brown
Umbrella time rain falls down
Making meals of pinto beans
Not choosing to eat animal meat
Squirrel scurrying with his nuts
Burying hurrying hiding from us
Regal man’s thick mustache talks
Every day he rushes as he walks
Autumn’s breath in the blue breeze
The crunching leaves under his feet
He smokes a pipe between his teeth
Amidst the mist of drops so fine,
Among the burst of celestial shine,
In company of butterflies bright and roses eternal in light.
What does my heart supposes?
Am I thinking of the distant dream?
Am I pondering on the time I lost?
Am I figuring out the castle shrouded in mist?
Am I longing for the house adrift?
I want to float in that hot air balloon.
And softly touch the pearly moon.
I want to shed my somber mood.
And dream of rainbows, to do some good.
the menu said cocktail served with an umbrella and duck
I’ll have one of those, said my neighbor, mealy-mouth Tuck.
They said two was a special, so he said “two it will be”.
Bartender could not count, so they actually brought three
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