Zilch Poems | Examples

Ode to Zilch

Oh, Nothing! You sly, elusive spud,  
You’re the star of this poem (though technically dud).  
You haunt empty fridges, blank quizzes, and minds,  
The gap where my keys hide and my weekend plans wind.  

You’re the punchline of vacuums, the muse of bare shelves,  
The reason I’m talking to lamps by myself.  
You’re the “E” in my bank account, crisp and austere,  
The punch I forgot in my joke over here.  

Some say you’re profound—philosophers swoon,  
But let’s be real: you’re a nap’s favorite tune.  
You’re the silence between a bad pun and “Huh?”,  
The plot of a mime’s TED Talk—oh, brother, enough!

You wear pajamas daily, yet still blend right in,  
A champion of naps, but you never quite win.  
You’re the cloudless blue sky with no bird, plane, or flair,  
The “U up?” text sent to a cactus. Bold. Rare. 

So here’s to you, Nothing, you cheeky old void,  
The world’s quietest meme, forever deployed.  
Though poets may weep for your depth, I insist:  
You’re the *something* I missed… wait. Dang. Plot twist!  

---  
P.S. If you liked this poem, pay me in air.  
(It’s fitting, since Nothing and I split despair.)

We Shall Return With Zilch

Believe it or not
The Parson is right
We shall return with zeroes
Many zeroes.  Let’s be Heroes
For and to the world. Let’s not be selfish
Because we shall return with zilch
With nada, mit nichts, perhaps with empty zeroes
Which mean nothing. Let’s pause
To think. Let’s be wise and humble
Love is essential. When the trees tremble
And fall; when the ground shakes and burns
When the soil slithers and slides, the world yearns
For peace, sympathy, compassion, and love. With nothing
We shall return, just like we came on earth with nothing
The sky will always stare at us, as we raise our head
Heaven will remain at the same distance
And we shall leave alone, with nothing, with no bed
No castle, no money, no power and no incense
Believe it or not
We will be blessed to be in a wee lot
After the soul departs
And the ash rots
Believe it or not
The Poet is right.

P.S. This poem is dedicated to the kings of the world.
Copyright © January 2025, Hébert Logerie, All rights reserved.
Hébert Logerie is the author of several collections of poems.

Sporadic Nothings

Annoying brother can't drop explaining,
Fun game helpfully inspiring jokes,
King lends more notice offering people questions,
Reality sets truth,
Understanding varies,
Waning xiz,
Yielding zilch.

Zero, Nil, Zilch

 Travel is zero, nil ...
my great journeys have only been in reading books,
it takes skill !

Travel books great ...
zero expense or costly hooks,
frustrate !

Cost free ...
zero for looks,
see !

Travel is zero, nil ...
zero expense expense or costly hooks,
see  !

_____________________
April 15, 2022


Poetry/Minichu/Rhyme/Zero, Nil, Zilch
Copyright Protected, ID 04-1447-973-15
All Rights Reserved, 2022, Constance La France

Written for the Standard contest, Lets Minichu on Zero
sponsor, Mohan Chutani, Judged 05/08/2022

Seventh Place

Zilch

"Vi træffes der, min Ven!" Solvejgs sang*

once after eons
we'll meet there again my friend -
time's zilch for lovers 

9/3/2019
Maureen McGreavy’s Sing Me A Senryu Poetry Contest
Favorite song: Solveig's Song by Edvard Grieg 
https://youtu.be/n3SyreMN7y8

* (nor.) "We'll meet there again, my friend!" Solveig's Song

Zilch, That Is What I Got

After watching the news my stomach was in a knot
my brain on a hiatus leaving my creative juices to rot
imitating the thinker wondering why my muse had suddenly left
finding a note from her saying not to feel bereft,

Saying I could find her at the local amusement park
while driving over there it was a little after dark
with note in hand I tried to follow her footsteps
wondering what ride she'd be on I was a nervous wreck,

Buying a bunch of tickets I rode the roller coaster first
the ups and downs making my stomach want to lurch
then onto the scrambler making me feel like a scrambled egg
the near misses and swings giving me a pounding headache,

Then I thought I might find her on the tilt-a-whirl
finally relaxing I whirled around like a young giggling girl
my muse slowly returning I asked her why'd she come to this park
her answer justifying her actions with "because zilch is all I got!"


10-7-17

Zilch, That Is What I Got

The Christmas tree was brightly lit
 But the star on top someone forgot
 But that's not all they did omit
 St Nick must have been in on the plot
 Because, zilch, that is what I got
                        --
 10/7/17
 Contest: It's the End of the Forms Series
 Sponsor : Broken Wings

Zilch, That Is What I Got

Some days I work so hard to get

my name on a winners' list, yet

it might end up for naught.

Zilch, that is what I got.

But was it still worth it? YOU BET!


Oct. 6, 2017 for 'It's The End Of The Forms Series' Poetry Contest
Thanks, Broken Wings, and all the contest sponsors who inspire me to write.

Zilch

Tin Man

Stoop shouldered,
head down,
shuffling.
Just “kicking the can”
down the road.
Casting no shadow,
lost in a lie’s
intransigence,
following
the tinny sound
of an empty can.


10/5/2017

submitted to – It’s The End Of The Forms Series – Poetry Contest
sponsor – Broken Wings

theme - ZILCH

Zilch Reasoning

Mumbo gumbo's

blind faith

deepening cynicism

in metaphorical

meaninglessness

of judicious social

twaddle's protocol,

they ask, “have you

found Jesus yet??”

'I hadn't a figgy scooby doo

he was lost...'

nothing happens

for a reason

aside from the seasons - -

children starving,

wars in the name

of ungodly religions,

poverty

exponentially rising,

mother earth is crying

middle class is dying,

whilst dogmatism

& the nefarious

masses thrive


there are virtually &

literally nor otherwise,

zero, zippo, nada, concrete

reasons why_

'hear no evil',

mere riddling 

rhymes make naught

a minuscule bit

of sense

Here Is Zilch

Nothing Zilch Nada Zero

sometimes i hear the evening rain
i hear it in the middle of the day

the downtown bus that goes to your town
passes my office window. 
i still haven’t mustered up the nerves
to jump from my building and board it.

i haven’t been able to clean your scent
from my apartment. i’ve tried.
thinking back, i realize now, you were never there
i was just a park bench you frequented for a while.

even the flowers i’d bring you would sit, until it put them in water.
i can’t stand flowers these days.

i thought i’d have the strength 
to lift the blinds, to open the shutters
to let some light back into my life. i’m in the dark, blind.
who knew love could be so dangerous, so deadly?

this is the part that would make you laugh out loud
still i would do it again.

“what’s your poison" said the bartender
but how could i explain it to him?
explain that it is you. 

sometimes i hear the evening rain 
i hear it in the middle of the day.

Nothing, Zilch, Nix, Diddly Squat

the saddest thought -
to have lived for naught