pale scudding clouds turn sun less bright,
bikinis, no more, greet my eye,
and ice-cream shops stand shuttered tight,
fall's shorter days the reason why
bikinis, no more, greet my eye
where balls once volleyed at that net
while children frolicked wringing wet,
and ice-cream shops stand shuttered tight
because the boardwalk lacks its crowds
beneath these far-stretched, graying clouds,
fall's shorter days the reason why
a lonely, forlorn mood descends
here at the beach once summer ends
Categories:
volleyed, autumn, beach,
Form: Rhyme
The Charge of Boris's Parliamentary Cohort of three hundred lawmakers
I
Forward the light brigade!
Was there a dude dismayed?
Though most should have known
Cameron had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply!
Theirs not to reason why!
Theirs but to do or die!
Spurning the fear of Death
rode the three hundred.
II
Farage to the right of them,
Corbyn to the left of them.
Bannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered.
Stormed at by the press,
Onward they rode in stress
Into the wilderness,
Oh, what an awful mess!
Rode the three hundred.
IV
Can ever their great deed fade?
How high that price they paid!
All the world wondered.
Praise to the charge they made?
Praise to the Light Brigade?
Intrepid three hundred!
Categories:
volleyed, history, military, political,
Form: Political Verse
Where I live, entertainment is free of charge.
Neighbors always sparring back and forth.
Through layers of blistered clapboard poverty...
One time they really tied one on, he was barking incoherently.
She volleyed back calling him "Mr. teeny weeny."
Afterwords there was nothing but a hard silence,
I hadn't laughed like that in a long, long while-
Just last fall, a father and son were in front of my house.
Knives in hand ready to carve each other into bloody clowns.
I watched in awe, there's no future in being the neighborhood snitch.
Unfortunately, both of the clowns stumbled away and lived.
Categories:
volleyed, christmas,
Form: Free verse
Conversation
By Franklin Price
10/21/2015
Conversation is a challenge.
Can be a verbal fence.
Words turning into sabers
Must be on our best defense.
Can be a match of tennis,
Phrases volleyed at the net.
Serving words of challenge
Returning everything we get.
Can be as a game of chess;
Words planned so far ahead.
There is no place for listening
Conversations that we dread
Can be about religion
Warned there to never go
It really is quite personal
Your God is not the one I know
Can be about our government
To try politically to sway
I'll take my words and go right home
When everything is not my way
Not all of confrontation
At least it should not be
Conversation should be sharing
Between yourself and me
Should be an orchestration
Harmonious words to blend
Changing tunes as warranted
When speaking with a friend
Don't be flat and don't be sharp;
Blend in your instrument.
Good conversation's memories
Should be of a great event.
Categories:
volleyed, allegory, analogy, how i
Form: Rhyme
I saw that red, flashing “1” on my answering machine
and stared at it for over an hour;
in my thoughts replayed that terrible scene –
she must have called while I was in the shower.
Perhaps that message is one of remorse;
Perhaps it continues the fight;
Hit the button to listen … I couldn’t, of course
and watched it flashing throughout the night.
We volleyed words of anger and disgust;
She left with a slam of the door.
Where once stood love is only mistrust -
this has happened a few times before.
I stared at that “1” flashing at me,
and realized this ending I must complete –
it was time I set both of us free,
so I pressed the button – “Delete”.
Categories:
volleyed, life,
Form: Rhyme
In the Basque tongue of Spain, it means “merry festival”.
This is a very fast-paced game designed to enthrall.
Players with very long wicker baskets sling a ball
at vicious speeds to bounce off a high front fronton wall.
It is just one of many versions called “pelota”.
A goat-skin ball is volleyed with a “cesta-punta.”
It is played between teams on a court called a “cancha”.
The game draws gamblers in New England and Florida.
Plenty of excitement is there when the games begin.
The teams of players score seven or nine points to win.
To many spectators, it is exciting and fun
until they lose all their money and become undone.
pronounced "HIGH-lie"
Categories:
volleyed, loss
Form: Rhyme
Inexplicably bound
Shared history
traveling alongside each other
diverging from the clan
to seek ourselves
only to converge
and celebrate together
the pattern of human experience.
Shared euphoria and expectation
as the baby’s first breath
raises all to a higher place
gazing in wonderment
stirred to protect.
Shared humor.
Delight in the child’s laughter
and its infectious joy.
Clever wit volleyed with affection.
Stories fondly recounted
Shared congratulations and trust in the future
as lifelong commitments are declared
And promised before those who care.
Shared grief when one of our number is hurting
Giving expression to the depth of the connection,
The bind is not inevitable
nor guaranteed
by shared DNA
or tribalism.
It needs to be nurtured and cherished
For then
Its power to nourish
Is inexplicable.
Categories:
volleyed, family, life, love,
Form: Free verse