Some say...Walt Whitman's the poet's champ!
His works were well read, by dim oil lamp.
But, oh so long winded,
Those words never ended...
Woe, ritual champ of reader's cramp
Categories:
walt, humorous,
Form: Limerick
If you are
vacant of hope
Hope is vacant
of you
If you are
distant of spirit
Spirit
distant of you
If you are
absent of feeling
Feeling
absent of you
If you are
left without love
Love is left
— without you
(Rereading ‘Leaves Of Grass’: July, 2025)
Categories:
walt, tribute,
Form: Rhyme
Flimsy flashes of realization
wake me,
weakened by adventurous
good times.
Frivolities begin screaming
‘Later!
There is one perfect moment.
Right now.’
Allow no delay to undermine
pure joy.
Categories:
walt, emotions, feelings,
Form: Other
To hell with your hollow benediction.
Faulty.
Water shivers as the brass bell
just rings.
Drivel never comes from the soul.
Empty.
It’s blasphemy to be so utterly void
of fact.
I’m going to call a spade a spade..
Sinner.
Categories:
walt, anger, emotions, feelings,
Form: Other
If you don’t take your time,
If you never slow down the step by walking,
You’ll never see the sun
Lay his gold leaves on the tops of trees,
You won’t pay attention to the fox
Conversing with two horses in a field,
If you never slow down,
You’ll never know if a girl thinks of you,
You will never feel the dew
which inclines the daffodils and harmonious petals
you will crush the innocent snail on the purple road,
If you don’t take your time,
If you never slow down the step, while walking,
You will never see the fishing sloop working at sea
You will not hear the merle in the fig tree
Sketch twelve notes of a baroque cantata,
and worst of all, if you don’t slow down the pace,
You will never write poetry,
You will never fall in love with the countryside,
With the sea or pretty girls with breasts of pottery,
You will never become as smart as Walt Whitman.
Categories:
walt, appreciation, poetry,
Form: Free verse
his name's been on every child's lips
in whirls of fantasy, whimsy, slips and trips
synonymous with awe and wonder
we all grew up with the machinations
of Disney's wild and vivid imagination
a man with the grandest of vision
beautifully executed with precision
AP: 3rd place 2025
Categories:
walt, children, fantasy, imagination, memory,
Form: Rhyme
He sat on this patch of turf,
and if not this exact place a piece of a place nearby.
Naturally, I try to feel his companionship.
Did he write a line of poetry on this small island
or was he simply being Walt Whitman,
honored guest,
a person he hardly recognized from his youth.
I feel his old bones not his youthful step
also, his spacious poetry,
that storied ever travelling imagery
passing-by
upon these Ohio river currents.
His sweeping insights navigating
slow wide bends,
and the churning history
of these waters.
I imagine his hand on the ground,
it heaves my body up from the deep grass
and quilts me to a shared terrain
a place where beating heron wings
count the pulse of two lives.
I feel the mutuality of crossed roads,
the cadence of restless breezes
as they ruffle a coat
he left draped over a rail
of this same wooden jetty.
Categories:
walt, poetry,
Form: Free verse
Sure as stars shined she stumbled.
Falling.
A fierce lightning rod flickering
wild sparks.
Put the appetite front and center.
Boss map.
Hard hands callused to the bone,
dialed in.
There’s nothing lucky about it.
She fought.
Categories:
walt, emotions, feelings, woman, women,
Form: Other
Exploding transformers on the street,
flash mob;
Unable to see they move so fast,
frenzied;
Left licking senses buried in sweat,
spun out;
Synchronized for streamlined destruction
all night;
City streets cuffed and in their control
‘til dawn.
Categories:
walt, dance, emotions, feelings,
Form: Other
Some days have a selfish sunrise
engorged;
Hard to focus on a thing but desire,
soul stained;
I want to do whatever I want
for once;
Nobody will steal my cup today,
I’m drunk;
Today everything will materialize
en force.
Categories:
walt, emotions, feelings, sun,
Form: Other
I find myself searching for the sea;
Floating;
Mavericks break upon the shore
inside;
Cymbals splatter inchoate foam;
Symbols;
Teahupoo surf behind lowered eyes,
splash in;
Welcome to boiling over nature,
my head.
Categories:
walt, emotions, feelings, sea,
Form: Other
Don’t push it, resistance has limits.
Back up.
I will always close space between us,
two steps;
Notice this conflagration of words;
Take heed.
It’s unwelcome, your brand of teasing;
Just stop;
I’m not meek or mild I’ve come to win
your game.
Categories:
walt, emotions, feelings, lust,
Form: Other
Today’s blessing takes its inspiration from Walt Disney
whose wisdom can’t be overstated..
Just look at all the joy and laughter
In the wonderful world that he created:
May we be blessed to understand….
The answer to this aging quiz…
That growing old is not our choice
But how we choose to grow old is.
Categories:
walt, growing up,
Form: Rhyme
I walked in to my least favorite words,
‘Last call.’
We didn’t have an alternate plan;
What now?
So the streets will meet our mayhem;
Inflamed;
Should have given us your refuge;
Reap this!
Now we burn what you told us to write;
Riot!
Categories:
walt, angst, emotions, feelings,
Form: Other
Dreamer extraordinaire Walt Disney.
A work in progress his dreams will always be.
With a mouse called Mickey, he began fussing,
To this day his Disneylands are still plussing.
Categories:
walt, dream, world,
Form: Clerihew
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