William Tell Poems | Examples

Ring

I rested my eyes and I heard a bell ringing
I wondered what this afternoon might be bringing
I gathered my wits and peered out through the blind
Frankly, intrigued to know what I might find

There’s children stood there and they look so unruly 
I sense that they’ve all got it in for yours truly
I think to myself with a shortage of mirth
The lot of them should have been throttled at birth

That bell is still ringing, it’s donging and dinging
I’ve got a sore head and my eardrums are stinging
And would you believe that those kids are now squealing
You’re likely to find me soon… clung to the ceiling

Will somebody please silence that flaming bell
I so want a crossbow like William Tell 
I feel myself shaken and then shaken faster
Then… “Lunch time is over; please wake up, Headmaster.”

Some of us have secrets - William Tell

"Some of us have secrets – William Tell." 

Some of us have secrets. 
Well, we all have secrets, William Tell. 
We sweep them under the carpet, 
or trade, for better things. 

Some things we exchange, 
they see us captured and seized,
canaries singing in gilded cages, 
well, some not so gilded;

some are chirping up 
an opera, orchestra vulgate,
the percussion, 
rattled and deceased.

We pretend to live in golden ages
the buried deep inside us - we, 
claw a way out of the hidden 
musty mausoleums

haunting 
all
the poetique 
people.

The external jest,
they love it all, 
they smother us
in their velvet words,

or drown us in 
a baptismal tide 
of touch and tell, bugs,
truth or dare, 

a looney tunes overture.

Some of us have secrets. 
Well, we all have secrets. 
We sweep them under the carpet, or trade,
for better things. 

The Apple plucked from the tree
like a story, before bitten, 
placed on a head
stood against a wall

William Tell

for better things

(LadyLabyrinth / 2023)

Storytelling Dialog

Not your usual
Not uncommon
The once upon a time
That line might be fine
Love of the heart at times being kind
A glass of wine being a story added divine
Line by line
Word by word
The distance between what happened
Extending to
Thinking through and through
Perhaps a notion having a thought
A pass dream remembered
Caught in a nightmare trap
Storms that became violent
One pause of silent
A past wonder
Sunshine suddenly appeared yonder
Emotions opened up
Joy prospered
Expiration had no tire
I know, but questioned
Opinionated but was a suggestion
Inspiration rang like a Philadelphia Liberty Bell
That moment, I felt like William Tell
I can do this
Encouragement spoke
Proceed told
You are mighty and bold
Heaven’s hand your threshold
The story within a moment’s notice of time
The life being m

Baby Dean

Baby Dean
By Franklin Price
02/18/2022

Last night around ten-thirty
I heard my silent cell phone play
I was wakened from my slumber
It was about to make my day

The call was New Mom Bella
And the picture on the screen
Put a smile upon this Pop Pop's Face
There was Great Grand  baby Dean

His tiny face, made my heart race.
His head was warmly capped 
His cheeks were new born rosy
Bella held him as he napped

What a joy it was to see him
Barb, I know you saw him too
I felt you looking o'er my shoulder
That's what I knew that you would do

They were home and in the great room
Such a place of cherished care
Could see your presence was there with them
Could see your love was in the air

The phone was panned around the room
Daddy Dalton smiling proud
Grandma and grandpa Perry
Were also beaming in the crowd

There on display a family
Three generations on the scene
That had gathered there to welcome,
The youngest, new born, baby Dean

I was glad to be included
Through the wonders of the cell
To see results of Cupid's arrow
Not the one of William Tell

We'Re Soup Ingredients

This year makes 10 years since I've been an ingredient in this soup,
Due to lifes' journey, been in and out like a belt through pants loop,
Over the years I've read some great poetry, made some great friends,
If you're just joining this group, we welcome you family, you'll 
soon comprehend,
Not seeing poetry from some of my old friends anymore, but hope
you're all well,
I'm still around y'all, still firing words through readers mind, like the
great William Tell...

Clerihew a Rhyme To Tell

In the legend of one,William Tell
an archer& Swiss-born rebel
Such accuracy & skilled know-how
but,to an Austrian hat would not bow.

So had to skewer an apple on his son's head
this obedient  lad trembled &said
keep your eye's open father,please
&    dear Papa,do not do not, sneeze

Arrows

King Harold takes shelter behind upturned barrows
The Normans approach and the gap quickly narrows 
His young wife had said
Keep down your sweet head
Then begged as he left, keep an eye out for arrows

*

Sir, do you sell nuts in the shell
My mum says eat healthy and well
I know that the wealthy
Say Apples are healthy...
Not when your dad’s William Tell

*

Oops, I have run out of arrows
The old dingo, barking, just goes
An Australian man
Offers his boomerang
But I couldn't fire one of those

Ah, That Smell I Love

half in slumber when I walk down,
early morning in my night gown,
with toasted bread she waits for me,
greets me with favourite coffee!

Jasmine smell may bring in the bees,
and rats may love the smell of cheese,
to entice working men like me,
try the smell of roasted coffee!

why spend a fortune on perfumes,
when hot water can supply fumes,
brewed hot in home coffee machines,
freshly made from ground roasted beans!

clever girl knows way to my heart,
buys love potion from coffee mart!
once she primes me with that smell,
she shoots my heart like William Tell!

So here I share my true weakness,
you know what smell knocks my senses,
not sandy beech, not big blue sea,
but that smell of goddamn coffee! 



1st Placement
8 syllables each line
Written 25/03/2021
My favourite smell(s) Poetry competition
Chantelle Anne Cooke

10% true story based on my Nespresso Machine
90% fiction.
I wish it was true! in real life- I make the coffee for her too!!

William Tell Remembered

A flash of light,
a cloud of dust,
a joyous moment
beneath the rust

A hearty vision
with silver streaks,
unmasking boyhood
—in memories deep

(Garrett Hill Pennsylvania: March, 2021)

William Tells

Hapsburg bailiff Gessler’s hollow kow-tow;
was a farce William Tell would disavow.
A hat on a pole!  I'll never bow.  

Such disregard tagged him, non-compliant
in a poem told by William Bryant -
William Tell was the one most defiant.

His snub of the snob gave reason to dread 
Tell must shoot an apple from his son’s head.
"Now off to prison!" Boss Gessler then said.

Mountain man in prison swallowed his doubt
dreaming of freedom's well-followed route.
Swiss subjection he would soon hollow out.

January 15, 2021


inspired by William Cullen Bryant's poem, William Tell,
Legendary hero of Swiss independence.

Classic T V

Classic T V 

William Tell, Robin Hood,
Ena Sharples in the snug,
Gibbs SR whiter teeth,
Billy Bunter getting grief,
Hawkeye, Ivanhoe,
Twelve-inch screen full of snow.

Range rider, Wagon Train,
Dragnet, the Army game,
Francis Drake pirate ships,
Seventy-seven sunset strip,
Palladium on Sunday night,
Classic shows in black and white.

Take your pick, double your money,
Arthur Haynes so very funny,
Armchair Theatre, play of the week, 
Candid Camera on the street,
I Love Lucy, laugh a lot,
Say goodnight with a little white spot.

Fates Arrow

I walked the path of
  William Tell

An apple by my
  side

And waited for an archer
  strong

To match me stride
  for stride

I placed the orb
  upon my head

And stood against
  a tree

And gave my faith
  unto the wind

Fates arrow sent
  to free

(Villanova Pennsylvania: April, 2017)

If I Could Be In a Pantomime

A long running pantomime was coming to an end of its successful showing. Once more one of the radio DJs asked if anyone had appeared in a pantomime. Then she asked if anyone wanted to appear in one, and if they did, what character would they like to be. The DJ had herself appeared in several pantomimes apparently and once she was Dick Whittington. I can never understand why ladies play boys parts, and men play women’s parts in pantomimes but it’s all good fun, isn’t it? I sent her this poem on her Facebook page.

If I could be in a pantomime
By The new mad Author

29-1-16 
If I could be in a pantomime.
I’d be Dick Whittington’s cat.
Because I’d be covered up.
So not be recognised as that.

There is another reason.
I expect you know.
As would get lots of praise.
From that Dick Whittington you know.

Of course I would purr a lot.
If a certain Dick Whittington I had got.
The name I’m not allowed to tell.
Glad I did not choose William Tell.

A Purr-fect poem got not a whisker of a reply Me-ow.

Abnormality

Abnormality

God knows I don’t want to be normal
I want to stick out in a crowd
You have everyone look at me
And have them ask, “what in the hell is that”
I never want to wear a suit and tie
I want to go out in short pants and a muscle shirt
Black in color with a big dragon head on the front
I want to go into Macca’s and order a Whopper
And drink a forty year old New Coke
While eating a whole case of Twinkies
I never want to comb my hair or trim my beard
I want to wear glasses Elton John would turn down
I want to listen to the William Tell Overture
With lyrics added from Vanilla Ice
Maybe drive the wrong way on the freeway
Or hitchhike in the middle of the road
God knows I don’t want to be normal
I just want to be me
With all my quirks and strangeness 
So accept me for who I am
Because I am not going to ever change
No matter who or what
I will always be the best me I can be

A Life With Background Music

"Waltz Across Texas With Me"
Comes violining through my mind.
I may be the only one in the world
With background music of that kind.

Ever since I was a little shaver
The background music's been there
But when I mention it to others
They just raise an eyebrow and stare.

It's not like I'm looking for it
It just melodies in unbidden
A secret source, a covert concert,
The rhyme and the reason are hidden.

Sometimes it was kind of funny
From times now past and gone
For in battle it was the William Tell Overture
Exciting me, urging me on.

The Colonel Bogey March
And Richard Wagner's War Horses,
The music always appropriate
And I never wondered the sources.

But mostly these days the music has changed
And I'm hearing a lot of hymns.
This old machine is getting older
And I'm running on the rims.

I thank God for the background music
That lifts me above the herds.
So if you hear a humming sound,
Relax, I just forgot the words.

by E. Marshall Evans

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