Get Your Premium Membership

Best Poems Written by Michael Moncrief

Below are the all-time best Michael Moncrief poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

View ALL Michael Moncrief Poems

123
Details | Michael Moncrief Poem

The Blossoms From the Tree of Life

When blossoms fall
From the tree of life
Their ash will feed its roots
And bloom away the strife 
These ambassadors of hearts and smiles 
And handshakes
These caretakers of souls 
Theses brothers and sisters 
And mothers and fathers
And husbands and wives
And grandmothers and grandfathers
And friends of friends of friends 
Who hugged life with happiness 
And white orchids 
Who embraced the sick without fear 
Who opened homes to students 
Who joined faiths
Who shared humor 
Who laughed with gentle spirit 
Who cooked meals for neighbors 
Who knew community 
These blossoms from the tree of life 
Of life
Of life
Blooming again and again and again 
No evil shall stop these blossoms
More life will prevail 
More trees will bloom
Like vines on hills blooming in the sun
Like wild flowers in fields
And rose bushes in gardens
Sweet roses, blooming for 97 years
Nothing will stop the multiflora rose
Or honeysuckle or wisteria or lantana 
They will bloom in spite of prejudice
In spite of bias
In spite of hostility
In spite of this drought of kindness 
These blossoms 
Of Irving 
Of Melvin
Of Rose
Of Bernice and Sylvan
Of Jerry
Of Joyce
Of Richard
Of Daniel 
Of Cecil and David 
Will come back year after year after year 
And our Trees of Lives 
Will grow taller and stronger 
And beneath their shade 
We all will rest in peace.

Copyright © Michael Moncrief | Year Posted 2018



Details | Michael Moncrief Poem

The Gender Construct

Hoo Ha or pee pee
Trouser or skirt
Football or Barbie 
What can it hurt

Pink or blue
Stiletto or flat
Pantie or brief
Where are you at?

Sugar and spice
Snips and snails 
Flip it over
Always comes up tails 

Tough Tom
Nelly Nancy 
All made up
But never fancy 

Child of love
Love my child 
Take it as it comes 
Mild or wild

Understanding construct
And legislating depravity 
Don't always side 
With what we can see

Jane maybe John 
And John maybe Jane
But knowing how to love
Is what keeps me sane.

General contractors 
For gender construct
Put up drywall 
Based on duct

But I want my house 
Different from constraint 
One that welcomes all 
Free from social restraint.

Copyright © Michael Moncrief | Year Posted 2017

Details | Michael Moncrief Poem

Freedom Before Religion

I declare today 
That my body is my body.
No government entity, private citizen, 
Or business public or private
Has any rights 
Or permission to use, 
Abuse, 
Regulate,
Deregulate,
Confiscate 
Obliterate,
My body.
Law makers and religious shakers
I petition no takers.
My appendages are mine
I choose their destiny
I choose their function
Their purpose 
I choose. 
I enter no contract 
I obay no edict 
My flesh is mine
I enter in consensual unions
Without compromise 
Without permission 
From the state 
From the clergy 
From any finger pointer or tongue wager.
I declare today 
From a starting point of now
Until my end
That my body is my body 
I will defend my flesh 
My growth 
My every carbon 
From those who wish to dominate 
Regulate 
Seek to enlist the state 
I am not a part of any collective thought 
Nor am I unionized by fear
That wilfully drives to steer
Anything that can be bought 
By sanction, or divinity, or code.
I declare today, all days
That my body is not yours 
No one shall limit 
My abuse or use or purpose 
I will not obey 
I so declare today.

Copyright © Michael Moncrief | Year Posted 2017

Details | Michael Moncrief Poem

Liberty Rising

Beneath the roar of rhetoric tossed 
Bellowing in waves of stripes lost
I can hear a song of hope
Surviving among the trope
50 to one we resist this star
Hand in hand united we are
And with blindfold, balance, and sword 
We shall resend all accord 
For days numbered are upon
What hate did spawn 
And in light, darkness shall pass
Bringing to heel what was once crass
Ending the spread of petulance
With innocence, valor, and vigilance

Copyright © Michael Moncrief | Year Posted 2017

Details | Michael Moncrief Poem

Truth

I shall not seek to veil the truth 
For it is irrational to hide in light 
I shall not sacrifice integrity 
Or aid evil in the masses 

History becomes fable 
When purpose becomes deception 
And men are led to their demise 
Through the tyranny of power 

If I should find need to distort 
Then I've corrupted confidence 
And the path that is procured 
Will only yield pain

I shall seek not to veil the truth 
Not because I'm moral or just 
But I wish to do no harm 
By fostering my own vanity.

Copyright © Michael Moncrief | Year Posted 2017



Details | Michael Moncrief Poem

Burroughs' Virus

In crowds bigly
And comparatively small 
The Barker 
Shot poisoned grammar arrows 
At apple pie heads 
Crowds roared with baked smiles
At milestones tossed 
Across potomac alters
The Barker 
Injected his virus
With mucus spray; tanned 
With ease, aimed to please
He opened 
His lips to fervid ears, 
"Gather my trodden prey
Drink in this wolfish day, 
I'm offered upon your crowns 
Thorned by your bidding".
The Barker slithered his tongue 
Wet with promise
And aimed
Arrow tipped sovereignty at the crowd.
He warned of witch hunts
Casting cosmopolitan spells 
He bent the ears
Of youthful virtue 
And glazed the past with boos
He spoke of imaginary signals 
That praised his plans
He pledged to build things great again 
Bigger than before 
Skillfully he hides 
Under tall silk hats
That cover colonial cranium worms
Each day his ego is fed
By the thoughts in his own head
And as the virus looms 
One by one his goons
Believe all that is said.

Copyright © Michael Moncrief | Year Posted 2017

Details | Michael Moncrief Poem

Umbel

I've been peeling this onion 
And shedding the obvious tears
Each layer 
Exposing new fears
From anger 
Toxicity nears 
Shall we sacrifice our young 
Searching for peace in the coming years
Shall genocide resolve propagation 
And end the laughter in our ears
At what cost 
Shall this future trade 
With reconditioned tears
The higher stock is made
And with onions in my eye sockets
I'm eternally afraid 
That as each layer is peeled 
A new tear is unlaid

Copyright © Michael Moncrief | Year Posted 2017

Details | Michael Moncrief Poem

Nashville Forgot About Me

The day you left
My fall didn't take long
I still blame you
For all that went wrong 
And as I occupy 
This sofa of crumbs
l've crowned myself 
The king of bums

Because with you gone
Nashville forgot about me

I walk these streets 
Looking for pizza and beer
But so much is gone 
And the only thing here
Is a hipster with hotsauce 
In his beard
From a designer chicken 
That some investor reared

Because with you gone 
Nashville forgot about me

I walk past drunks on bicycles 
Painting the town
And past faux modern condos 
That would make Johnny frown
And these sanitized bars
Where tourist go to drink 
Would make George 
Sober up and think 

Because with you gone
Nashville forgot about me

I guess we were the past 
Two outlaws in crime
We stole each others hearts
And past loves prime
But I never thought you'd go
And leave me here alone 
Slowly wasting away 
Like designer chicken pulled from the bone

Because with you gone
Nashville forgot about me

Copyright © Michael Moncrief | Year Posted 2017

Details | Michael Moncrief Poem

Ella the Cat

Ella focuses her soft eyes 
Raises her paw and delivers 3 sighs 
She circles once then once more 
Climbs upon my chest and begins to snore
I stroke her head and tickle her ear
She coos then sets her purr box in gear
A rescued life has been left in my care
And together we make quite a pair 
I'm the cook, the maid, the overseer of the manor 
Her only task is to be the diligent cat scanner 
Some may say she has a charmed life
Free of harm, free of strife 
Some may say she's the lucky one
Lounging all day and having all the fun 
But I think back before our acquaintance 
Before the spell of her unconditional trance 
And I know beyond doubt and logic 
That this luck, this magic 
Is all mine and make no mistake 
I willfully accept all the luck I can take.

Copyright © Michael Moncrief | Year Posted 2017

Details | Michael Moncrief Poem

Can We See

Oh say 
Can we see?
What is country,
What can it be?
Are its citizenry 
Inclusive and free?
What gender is innocent 
In our mist?
What higher moral code
Can we resist?
Which pigmentation 
Or spiritual quest 
Should unite the nation 
For the singular best?
What part of human kind
Must a country keep in mind?
What can a country be
That limits liberty, 
If all these things 
A country cannot be
Then nothing 
In this country 
Shall be free.

Copyright © Michael Moncrief | Year Posted 2017

123

Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry