2026-02-12 Write A Beautiful Carpe Diem Poem — Sponsored by Constance La France
I have a butcher’s at sunlight on skin,
warm, tremulous, yet coolly indifferent.
A sparrow scuttles across sodden turf;
its head inclined, inquisitive, keen—
I smile, imagining its quiet thought,
a tiny philosopher of morning light.
The wind threads through skeletal, bare branches,
stirring peat, drizzle, and smoke from hearths afar.
I inhale—letting it suffuse my lungs,
a private liturgy pressed to my heart.
Time traverses my fingers, soft at first,
like river water shaping unseen stone,
then quickens—sharp, insistent in its beat,
resonant within the hollows of my chest.
I taste the acerbic tang of fallen berries,
feel loam yield beneath soles and marrow deep,
and in this fractured, ephemeral morning,
I recognise the miracle not quite mine:
all of this—fleeting, exact, and unbidden—
asserts its plenitude; I am suffused.
life is
meant to be
fully lived as
it only comes along
but once.
All good deeds stem from a belief
That we can effect change and bring relief
To people in need or those in grief
Hope gives us motive, to be brief
Eternal springs hope in the human breast
To this the lives of great folks best attest
No hope and life’s heart will forthwith arrest
Hope sends you high atop life’s crest
None but the hopeful can weather life
In troubled times and in strife
When despair pours in thick and rife
Cut through it fast with hope’s knife
In darkness find a ray of hope
To help you with problems cope
Wash off doldrums with the soap of hope
Get up afresh and up your lope
joie de vivre for no reason at all
engulfs us like a mist, from head to toe
rapture unbound throbbing in this bliss squall
heart feels within, moment to moment grow
myriad thought spirals orbit our form
eye of a hurricane is always still
cascading bliss currents, both cool and warm
rain down Gods blessings; we drink to our fill
each node of our form represents the whole
we’re seated at a centreless fulcrum
becoming divine light, scriptures extol
soundless bliss thunder, as the cosmic drum
gusto
merriment
happy
jollity
thrilling
sparkle filled
zestful
magical
giddy
glorious
laughter
exciting
people
all over
the planet
Written: 5-11-2019
Contest: Charlieku New Form
Sponsor: Charles Messina
He ached
from morning
into sleep
Slip sliding
a darkness veil
never seeing
the sun
morose he be
Melancholic
sullen angst
singing in his head
day never broke
in gloomy skies
sun never rise
He ached
with every breath
his malaise
in dismal anguish
holds no cure
no relief
tolerating
his condition
hopeless
in denial
alone
his ennui
unbearable
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
The time is here for me to take my journey to the sun
For spring will soon arrive and full of life my time has come
Winter months spent all alone, whilst bubble wrapped inside my home
Away from freezing frost and ice and winters gleaming snow
Sleep restored my equilibrium, essential for my golden glow
I gently wipe sleep from my eyes dressed in my best attire
For I am the prominent member of the annual springtime choir
One final look before I leave; my manifestation inspires elation
Outfit complete as outside I peep, nearly time for the spring celebration
Metamorphosing into a daffodil; a golden gift for all to see
Gilded lights after cold winter nights; yellow trumpets full of joie de vivre
Written 23rd February 2019
Contest: Standard Contest 185
Sponsor: Brian Strand
1st place
joie de vivre, joy of life, seize the day!
joie de vivre, joy of life, seize the day!
When I find a new term like this I have to use it right away.
joie de vivre, joy of life, seize the day!
Now if I just knew how to pronounce it!
she and I would be a much better fit.
the pretty French word, joie might sound like joy,
for what else would make sense, right, my sweet boy?
de is probably de, like b is b and c is c.
for whatever else could ‘de’ possibly be?
But vivre has me snogged and snoozled.
drawn and quartered, quickly bamboozled.
Is my non-French speaking mouth smart enough?
Can I figure it out without any kind of extra fuss?
joie de vivre, joy of life, seize the day!
joie de vivre, joy of life, seize the day!
When I find a new term like this I have to use it right away.
Surround yourself with people who have
Joie de Vivre
Joy of living
Enthuse the day
Love something about it.
If you have not found the right humans
No worries. Find a pet.
Cat, dog, hamster, something to love.
Through uplifting others
Through encouraging others
Through loving others
We learn to cherish our self
'Tis said that the young girls of France
At the age of twelve lose their pants
To an handsome young knight
Well equipped for the fight
With a strong but flexible lance
Les Françaises are known to cavort
For sex is their national sport
That thing between thighs
Is the Font of Sighs
Though some members seem to fall short
Mademoiselles of course learn to love
Though husbands all get the shove
A wife's hot pursuit
Is for a recruit
Who will fit her needs like a glove
So Frenchmen go out of their way
To please someone's wife for the day
They are always polite
And go home every night
For the French, "Joie de vivre" is that way
Joie de Vivre* (Shakespearean Sonnet)
We watched her birth in awe of God's sweet eye
as she burst forth through pain at time's behest.
The sun rose full, a rainbow traced the sky,
when God saw fit to grant our one request.
We checked for toes and fingers set aright,
no cry, a blink of wonder, scent of myrrh.
Her face revealed no hint of her true plight,
she closed her eyes and slept without a stir.
But peace was shattered and our sorrow grew
with fearful news, a harmful birth defect.
Black clouds obscured the rainbow's vivid hue.
Concealed cleft palate dimmed the sun's effect.
Three times she fell beneath the surgeon's knife
thereby to purchase right of joy for life.
*Joy for life
Joie de Vivre - isn’t life sweet,
especially when you add a treat
like a delicious patisserie,
crème glacée, éclairs, le pan de mie,
chocolat, and le tarte aux fruits?
Eat not just fiber, cheese and meat!
Though you should eat these happily,
eat also sweetly, mon petit!
Joie de vivre.
Just one more stanza I repeat
(and this is for your joy complete)
Do more than eat to live! Like me,
to life and sweet desserts say Oui!
And every day - Bon appetit!
Joie de vivre.
For those who do not know the French words (which from my understanding, nearly rhyme in French the way they are pronounced by Americans):
Joie de Vivre - Joy of Living
Patisserie (pah-tees-ree)- pastry
Crème Glacée - ice cream
Le pan de mie - sweet bread
Le tarte aux fruits (le-tart-oh-frweet)- the fruit tart (or pie)
Chocolat and Eclairs, like in English
Mon petit: My little or My boy
Oui! - Yes!
Bon appetit - Enjoy your meal!
For Cyndi MacMillan's
UN, DEUX, TROIS....OOH LA LA!!!!
What tune does youth most play
when future's biding ?
Today !
What wisdom does age convey
when time is passing ?
Today !
An eliot is an epigram form I labelled in honour of George Eliot the English novelist/poet,
inspired by an example in Chap 8 of her book Daniel Deronda.Here is her epigram should you
wish to try one for yourself
What name doth Joy most borrow
when life is fair ?
Tomorrow !
What name does best fit sorrow
In young despair?
Tomorrow !
Joy,
calmness
and rhythm-
harmony in
dance
http://www.postershop.co.uk/Matisse-Henri/Matisse-Henri-The-Dance-5300020.html
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.