modifications
to a failing vacation
~ are not impatience
When I was young, I didn’t have much.
Which means I didn’t worry
About it being taken away.
Didn’t worry about robbers, private or public,
And didn’t care about changing the world.
That wasn’t the brand of hubris I was born with.
Now that I’m old and retired there is a lot to lose,
My life and family, savings, property and stuff.
So I pay more attention to those who preach
The doctrine of redistribution, hope and change.
It’s easy to get caught up in it all
Since it’s always in the news.
But it’s also easy to forget there's an easy way out,
A simple and sure way out of hoping
And worrying what change will come.
And that is to simply sit,
On your own private cushion, or better yet
Beside a dog.
But best of all, outside, amid the greens
Under the clouds in a sky of blue
And let the sounds and sights of nature
Give you all you need.
No need for hope or worry about changing a thing,
The world is doing just fine within you and without you.
(9/10/26)
in another state
or another country
anywhere but here
i want to travel
not just pictures on the net
i want adventure
Bahama Mama palm trees,
The island’s blue skies,
Lime and blueberry umbrellas.
Pink coral rays rolling out
A poetic zephyr of relaxation;
Massage of sun on shoulders.
Down we go, with the tubes,
Bumping walls, as water falls;
Playing seaweed footsie.
Approach of Autumn seas,
Stingrays and sharks of Atlantis,
Strolling in figure eights.
On the Royal’s 15th floor,
Entertained by Summer storm
and moonlit motifs on the shore.
Didn’t come close to sliding,
Beach wind calming,
Sipping my coconut rum.
Later three cherries float
in my runner, and a stranger
demands a fruitful repeat.
I don’t broach the subject
of cashing out; gambler, not;
Danger of sunken treasure.
Wrapped up this celebration;
a row of chairs, food to spare,
Hellos and Tatas. Wings lift, land.
shaken jar of sand, new memories made
LODGE
like an
old castle
we rowed boats and swam
explored long mountain trails -
felt old-fashioned ambiance
“at the famed Mohonk Mountain House”
The blur was green or maybe grey
That past his turgid senses flashed.
The skin would burst soon anyway,
All his tastes and visions smashed.
Grey or green, most perplexing, yes.
The membrane full, his senses stretched.
To smash the wall would cause a mess,
He'll look and search, with nothing fetched.
Green or grey, but could be blue,
Now the cover will surely burst.
An idea, but what to argue?
Must determine the colour first.
Grey or green, did he see a pink?
There's something missed or maybe hopped.
It's now he teeters on the brink.
Be careful now, it could have popped.
"O, joy", he cries, he's found it out,
Not pure and single colours seen.
The pressure's gone, a welcome spout,
He's stemmed again what should've been.
Inside I was crying
and also grieving.
After tossing and turning,
And after much squirming,
In my heart, like times before,
Everything about me longed to go.
I sincerely tried to fine a way,
But circumstances forced us to stay.
So, in summer '26, we did not have a vacation.
Instead, we relaxed and settled for a staycation.
The heat is given during this time
People grabbing ice like a crime
Venturing into places like Malls
Some go to man made food stalls
The air becomes so dry with frizzy Hair
The moments that men don't really care
Woman love to take pictures to share
Sometimes revealing things to beware
The evening becomes humid and relax
More so now when you go out you look at tax
The more we eat out reveals money cracks
We can surround the table like a wolf pack
The memories of beautiful set up of food
The Colors that show how much is good
The captured image of gourmet stood
Then as hungry wolf pack ate all we could
The Vacation was so much events
We have not explored or made a dents
Many things we see time could not be bent
So we take image into clouds can be sent
Every day we are ushered as the school bells peal
To inaugurate the start of the next school day’s zeal
Everyday we pledge allegiance to our flag
And to our nation, and to our God we appeal
There is teaching and learning going on
As the custodian passes by each class
Removing black marks from the hallway floors
Cleaning finger smudges from the glass
He knows the goings-on and those coming and those going
He knows what to do in the heat and after every snowing
He is the surveyllerist and purveyor of them
He’s behind the scenes to keep the school year rolling
As soon as the school year starts, there is a period at the end of the sentence
And the adventure of summer cleaning commences
And the kenopsia of a school vacated
Eerily all cries and sighs and laughter as echoes have faded
Stuck in the back.
Between two foes,
constantly picking on me.
They take my toys
and annoy me
with their feet.
They burp and fart.
They make it smell.
Will I survive the drive?
I will not yell.
I will not fight.
Or Mom may
turn around.
My goal's in sight.
I see the signs.
Soon we will arrive.
I hope this trip
was worth the pain
of riding with my brothers.
It only takes a few days
away
to refresh your body
and soul
Vacation state of
mind
should be a frequent
goal
beach ball
kid sprawl
sand dune
swim soon
seaweed
fish feed
crab walk
gulls squawk
seashore
surf more
low tide
beach wide
seashell
snail dwell
beach sand
fun strand
Copyright, July 11, 2026
I’ll be coming breaking loose
Out of my shell
Moving is the way I choose
Now it’s preferable
Down the easy street I’ll go
To the seaside bar
I’ll be curious to know
What the changes are
It’ll be good to hear the news
From the horse’s mouth
Who’s to win and who’s to lose
Who’s to flying south
Then I’d listen to the run
Of the lazy waves
Sitting on the muted sun
Smilingly I’d gaze
To the sea beneath my feet
And I’d breathe that air
Though there ain’t no easy street
That would lead me there
It’s the little nuance I
Should’ve taken to expense
Easy street’s detour sign
On the road work fence.
Need not a hobby more like a job
in retirement becoming a slob
Don't know the time or even the day
no need for a calendar it's always holiday
Sleep with the TV on
awake only if coffee strong
Weather does it matter now
no need to go anywhere anyhow
If work from home
still be all alone
Need a purpose a task a goal
a feeling of doing in the know
To complete it and be satisfy
praise from a boss with pride
Co workers shout well done
work place hero son of a gun...
Brush off the old resume
interviews doing okay
Finally a job comes along
now asking, Want fries with that? all day long
The old guy always unclogs the toilet
minimum wage makes a thin wallet
Customers never pleased
co workers lazy thieves
But work for it must be done
it all fills so ho hum, ho hum
Back on the couch sleeping in
my second retirement now begins
Go to the Senior Center for games and friends
permanent vacation retirement win win.
Vacation Categories
Definition | What is Vacation in Poetry?
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.
Related Poetry Forms
time off, recess, rest, break, layoff, respite, sabbatical, holiday, recreation, furlough, intermission, spell, fiesta, liberty, leave, r and r, breathing space, leave of absence, day of rest, few days off, long weekend, two weeks with pay,