“Evenings Escapades Pt.2: Shrouded Skies“
(08.01.2023)
The sun is fading behind purple and orange clouds,
Another summers day has reached it’s end;
Stars of the night, all appearing before our eyes,
Make their mark across the darkening sky…
The ominous night now shrouds,
Soon it will be time for the moon to ascend;
Slowly rising behind clouds filled with rain,
To illuminate the darkness with it’s soft pale face.
Once it takes its place, high above the horizon;
Then evenings escapades, they can begin…
Word of the Day: Escapade
Poetry Form: Contrapuntal Poem
“Whorled Words“
(08.02.2023)
Can these words be arranged into whorls,
Simply by turning them in on their heads?
Like a snake in fear of a slinky,
That falls so haphazardly down a flight of stairs…
Shall we start from the outside and work our way in?
Like a kid at a festival, so excited just to attend.
Or, is more tact required
To complete these oblong phrases;
And have them not only look cool,
But also still make sense…
These concentric lyrics curl and coil
In continuous alliteration,
Confined within this twisting spine,
Which spins inwardly;
A narrowing spiral of diminishing returns,
Barely big enough for one to complete a thought…
Word of the Day: Whorl
Poetry Form: Concrete/Shapely
“Ode To Jarin Cole (Panoptic Perspective)”
(08.03.2023)
What can be said
In the face of such great tragedy?
To lose someone so young,
It can make the heart feel numb.
The inevitable pull of death
Affects us all differently,
And forces us to process grief,
Anger, shock and dismay…
When a light that shone so bright
Is replaced by a shadow,
It can be hard to find the right path,
And cope with the sorrow.
But, if we can take a step back,
And adopt a panoptic perspective;
We may begin to understand
How to learn from the lesson
We are taught, when we lose those we love…
Word of the Day: Panoptic
Poetry Form: Ode
“Whingy Wendy“
(08.04.2023)
Wendy was born on a
Hot summer day;
In the tiny town of Hemingford
Nebraska, she was raised.
Growing up, nothing ever seemed to go her way, her
Youth was filled with such sorrow and dismay…
With so much strife building up in her life,
Eventually, she developed
Nihilistic personality traits. Now, all
Day, she just sits on the front porch and complains;
Yelling at passer-bys, as she whinges the day away…
Word of the Day: Whinge
Poetry Form: Acrostic
“Remain Copacetic“
(08.05.2023)
We must all work together,
And remain copacetic;
Not succumb to our pathetic
Differences, or cloudy weather…
To complete this new endeavor
Of creating new synthetics,
We must all work together,
And remain copacetic…
Like birds of a feather
Staying true to their aesthetic,
Even when the job seems hectic;
If we hope to make it better,
We must all work together,
And remain copacetic…
Word of the Day: Copacetic
Poetry Form: Rondel Supreme
“Fluvial Blessing“
(08.06.2023)
Alone
In this forest
That feels eerily still;
My flight or fight sense, suddenly
Kicks in…
Swiftly
The winds pick up,
Bringing with them, thick smoke;
Choking me, as it creeps into
My lungs…
Nervous,
I start to run
Through hills, valleys and trees;
Until I came upon a stream,
Flowing…
Quickly
I dive inside,
And go with the currents;
Attempting to escape from the
Fires…
Water
Running slowly
Down the nape of my neck,
As I embrace this fluvial
Blessing…
Breathing
Sighs of relief,
To have made it out safe;
From the almighty inferno’s
Cruel grip…
Word of the Day: Fluvial
Poetry Form: Cinquain
“Confabulated Conversation“
(08.07.2023)
Can we begin by speaking
Our minds openly, and
Not be swayed by the
Fear of external judgement?
After all, We each have individual perspectives,
By which we base our opinions; be them
Unusual or confirmative to societal norms.
Language is a tool we use, to
Affirm our beliefs; when we
Talk openly with others, we
Effectively find new ways to
Determine our point of view. When we
Confabulate with
Our peers, it provides us with
New opportunities to
Verify whether or not
Everyone feels the same bouts of
Rage, stress, pain or
Strife; when faced with
Adversity, and how
To potentially turn those woes
Into inspiration for
Ourselves to improve, and find
New passions to pursue…
Word of the Day: Confabulate
Poetry Form: Acrostics
“Disengaged Dilemma“
(08.08.2023
Oh this feeling that keeps growing,
Within the depths of my small heart;
Leaves me feeling quite defeated.
As tasks I have not completed,
Begin to pile up like traffic
On the highways at 5 pm;
Making me wish for a fresh start,
Or a reason to keep going…
Can I find a way to assuage
This sense of depression I feel,
And lessen the intensity
Of its effects on my body?
Shall I focus on my breathing,
Maybe attempt to meditate;
Or, to my mind, shall I appeal,
And ask politely “disengage”?…
Word of the Day: Assuage
Poetry Form: The Eight*
“Silence Is Golden“
(08.09.2023)
She should learn to keep her mouth shut,
When it comes to other people;
But, she loves to spread juicy gossip,
And learn of the latest dramas…
Her voice is so monotonous,
She should learn to keep her mouth shut;
Yet, still she yammers on and on,
Like a quidnunc over enthralled…
Her thoughts seem to have no filter,
She rambles with no couth or tact;
She should learn to keep her mouth shut,
Writing checks that her ass can’t cash…
One day, she’s gonna cross a line,
And find she’s ostracized herself
From those in her community;
She should learn to keep her mouth shut…
Word of the Day: Quidnunc
Poetry Form: Quatern
“Passion & Productivity“
(08.10.2023)
Have faith in your abilities,
That natural strength within you
Will help you on your journey, so
Don’t shy away from it’s guidance…
Go follow a path that is true,
Whether you travel fast or slow;
Through hills or declivities,
No matter how great the distance…
In your heart, you must come to know
The source of productivity,
That may provide you with a new
Passion in your self discipline…
Word of the Day: Declivity
Poetry Form: ABCD Variations*
“Serendipitous Sojourn“
(08.11.2023)
Anytime you need,
Know that you are welcome here;
Feel free to stop on by,
For a sojourn, or the night…
If the moment seems right,
Don’t be shy,
We are here;
To help you succeed,
As you follow your dreams,
And push yourself to new extremes.
Even when this world seems
Full of people with evil schemes,
Corrupted by hate and greed…
So, rather than be consumed by fear,
We should nurture our souls like a seed;
Give thanks for those we hold dear,
And love with all of our heart…
True character it gleams,
Like a beacon of light,
Don’t deny
That which may help incite
Growth within your self esteem;
Only then can healing start…
Word of the Day: Sojourn
Poetry Form: Jelly McSquash*
“August Rust“
(08.12.2023)
August rust, growing around us,
Leaves turn orange and red;
Changing like the seasons
That soon lie ahead…
The end of summer,
On the cusp of fall;
We join together,
To give thanks and break some bread…
New frisson, we’ll discover,
As we begin to heed autumns call…
Word of the Day: Frisson
Poetry Form: Todays Date
“Dagger & Cloak“
(08.13.2023)
While in Berlin, I met a strange man,
With long spindly fingers on each hand.
Who told me about his master plan,
To rob the biggest bank in Japan,
And pull off the greatest heist of all time;
How I was enticed, by his bold scam…
For hours I listened, as he spoke
Of all things stealthy; dagger and cloak.
Pausing only to inhale more smoke
From his cigar, while his beard, he’d stroke;
Filling the room with a horrible smell,
And causing the clientele to choke…
Then, just as quickly as he appeared,
A sudden escape he engineered;
Leaving in his seat, a long fake beard,
And a bill that was yet to be cleared.
I never saw him again, but I knew
The truth, when their money disappeared…
Word of the Day: Spindly
Poetry Form: Hir a Thoddaid
“Palatial Graveyard“
(08.14.2023)
Nestled high
Above our tiny town, lies
A mansion, which makes us cry…
Built by men
Who would later disappear,
Never to be seen again…
Legends tell
Of natives who were slaughtered,
And cast on this place, a spell…
To ensure
This town became so haunted,
No sane person would endure…
There it sits,
Towering ominously;
Only the brave, it permits…
To enter
This palatial graveyard, which
Leaves men frozen like winter…
Word of the Day: Palatial
Poetry Form: Treochair
“Ignorance & Opulence“
(08.15.2023)
I’m stuck inside this room of people,
Who think they know better than me;
But, just because you’ve got a big house
Filled with material objects and flat screen TVs,
That doesn’t make you smarter than
The people in the streets.
Their wisdom comes from
Experiencing hard times, and
Having to be adaptable,
No matter what tomorrow brings;
While, your ignorance comes from opulence,
As life was given to you
With a silver spoon and golden platter.
Yet, now you carry on to others
About how wealth doesn’t matter,
And if it all disappeared you’d be totally fine.
But, if you’ve never had to struggle
A single day in your life,
Then how can you expect to
Find a way to empathize;
Or relate to those who look at you
In your fancy 3 piece suit,
As you climb out of your brand new sports car
Made in 2022…
Though you may think you know
The secret to life,
The opposite is true;
You are simply a spoiled rich kid,
With no real skills
Or goals to pursue.
So you hang around those less fortunate,
Just to make you feel better about yourself;
And that’s the worst kind of charity there is…
Word of the Day: Opulence
Poetry Form: Freeform
“Pursued By An Unknown Predator“
(08.16.2023)
On my long walk home, last night,
A sudden sense of consternation overwhelmed me;
Bringing to light, the fact that I was not alone…
So, in an act of fight or flight,
I ran as fast as my feel could flee;
On my long walk home, last night…
That which pursues me remains unknown,
Yet, its affect on my mind persists; as
A sudden sense of consternation overwhelmed me…
Just as I thought I’d made my escape,
From behind the bushes, a tiger leapt;
Bringing to light, the fact that I was not alone…
Word of the Day: Consternation
Poetry Form: Cascade
“Asheville In Autumn“
(08.17.2023)
After all the asperity we’ve faced,
Attempting to put down roots;
Admittedly, we should be feeling
Angered by our string of bad luck…
Alabama, at first, seemed great; until
A hurricane tore through our mobile estate.
Atlanta was next, but summer in the city, with
Aggressive traffic, heat waves
And one hundred percent humidity;
Agitated our mental state, so we headed northwest…
Asheville in the autumn,
As the leaves are changing hues
Across the blue ridge mountains;
Always helps to diffuse the
Awful sense of dread that
Accompanies the end of summer,
And reminds us to prepare for
Another cold and lonely winter…
Word of the Day: Asperity
Poetry Form: Tautolines
“Redoubtable Curmudgeon“
(08.18.2023)
Does it make you happy, being redoubtable?
Inspiring fear as you’re demanding respect.
I bet your neck is quite sore from looking down on
Everyone, all the time…
Yet, you wonder why nobody wants you around,
When they’re all going out for a night on the town;
Cause everyone just wants to have a little fun,
Without you there to judge them…
Sure you may seem formidable and thick of skin,
But, your inner child, is crying to be let out;
And the longer you ignore it, the more you’ll feel
Like an old curmudgeon…
Word of the Day: Redoubtable
Poetry Form: ShauFist*
“Oregon Summers“
(08.19.2023)
What a beautiful Monday morning,
And we are rising with the sun,
Making our preparations
For a full day of fun;
We shall gallivant
Around this town,
Until the
Night time
Comes…
There is nothing that really compares
To Oregon in the summer,
The mountains and coastlines thrive,
Teeming with new wildlife;
Awakening from
Winter’s slumber,
To once more
Bask in
Sun…
Word of the Day: Gallivant
Poetry Form: Nonet
“Sneaky Simon“
(08.20.2023)
Simon is so sneaky and swift;
He loves to grift
The simple folk
Of Roanoke…
The best con man in Virginia,
An enigma,
A mastermind;
One of a kind…
Each day he sidles through the streets,
Light on his feet;
Soft in rhythm,
Stalking victims…
In one move, he’ll take all they own,
Leave them alone;
And wishing that
They’d never met…
Word of the Day: Sidle
Poetry Form: Minute Poem
Rely On Bromides
(08.21.2023)
Keep calm, and carry on,
Even through the hard times;
You can always rely on that bromide…
Just as the night gives way to dawn,
Or thoughts transform to rhymes;
Keep calm, and carry on…
The universe, it will provide,
A solution for your life;
Even through the hard times…
If you’re feeling overwhelmed,
Remember that, this too shall pass;
You can always rely on that bromide…
Word of the Day: Bromide
Poetry Form: Cascade
“Men Of Always“
(08.22.2023)
The men of always
Care little for
The children of never.
Bringing poverty
To each community,
By exploiting local labor forces;
Lining their pockets with gold,
Mined by hands too small
To fit a wedding ring.
Desecrating the land
Until it’s resources are spent,
And once their well spring dries up,
They ship off to another country;
Leaving behind them a wake of
Unpaid wages and faulty checks…
They languish in luxury,
Living just to profligate;
So wasteful with their spending,
Yet unafraid of debt.
One day, they will come to find,
Wealth is not just monetary.
If your quality of life
Does not reflect
Who you are on the inside,
As well as the out;
Then you will constantly struggle,
No matter the amount of cash
In your bank account…
Word of the Day: Profligate
Poetry Form: Freeform
“Ancient Tyrants“
(08.23.2023)
While visiting the grand estate,
We walked around the whole demesne;
Noticing the many statues
Of emperors, who used to reign
Over vast civilizations,
Through the use of brutal campaigns…
But, should these men be idolized,
For their terror and awful ways
Of subjugating the people
Just trying to live out their days
In peace; without foreign leaders
Demanding their taxes and praise?…
These men who hold such high standing,
In our minds and history books;
Honestly should really be seen
As nothing more than brutal crooks,
Seeking to rule over those who
They deem lesser, based on their looks…
These ancient tyrants, who once ruled
Over vast expanses of land;
Did not achieve their lofty role
With kindness, but through their demands.
So, why do we still praise them so?…
Word of the Day: Demesne
Poetry Form: Today’s Date
“The Doors of Perception“
(08.24.2023)
Under the tutelage of great scholars,
Students learn to follow their wildest dreams,
Even if they may seem hard to conceive;
To the trained eye, anything is possible.
With the right guidance, they will come to see
The full extent of their ability;
And not be frightened by difficulties,
That may arise on their lengthy journey.
We all hold, within us, the proper keys
To unlocking the doors of perception…
Word of the Day: Tutelage
Poetry Form: 10 x 10
“Captain Corbin“
(08.25.2023)
Captain Corbin is so captious,
Always pointing out the smallest mistakes;
Placing blame on
The unlucky employee,
Attempting just to make
It through their day, without
Negating their duties.
Can’t he see that this method of negativity
Only serves to slow the overall
Rate of work, which could
Be achieved, if he’d simply
Instead offer words of encouragement; and
Not rely on his micro-managing bullshit?…
Word of the Day: Captious
Poetry Form: Acrostic
“The Death of Doorbell Ditch Dave“
(08.26.2023)
Growing up, we were so mischievous,
Our days filled with practical jokes;
Posting notes on people’s backs
As we walked through the halls,
Drawing enlarged cocks
On bathroom walls.
All in the
Name of
Fun…
Our favorite target was the neighbors
Who were uptight and pretentious,
We’d quickly ring their doorbells,
In an anxious stupor;
Then we’d skedaddle
Back to the woods,
And climb up
In the
Trees…
But, one night, it didn’t go as planned.
As we were making our escape,
Dave forgot to look both ways
Before crossing the street,
And a passing car
Struck him head on;
Killing him
On the
Spot…
Word of the Day: Skedaddle
Poetry Form: Nonet
“Superjacent Realizations“
(08.27.2023)
Here we lie, above the skyline, laughing;
Pointing out constellations in the stars.
Oblivious to the people passing,
Down upon the streets, in their fancy cars.
Through our telescope, now venus and mars
Make their presence known, and come into view;
Captivated by their beautiful hues,
We relax into one final embrace.
Our sense of wonder, now fully renewed;
Simply by being here, superjacent…
Word of the Day: Superjacent
Poetry Form: Dizain
“The Reason for Traipsing“
(08.28.2023)
Paradise is exactly where you are right now,
Some times you’re tired, sometimes you’re bored;
That’s often the reason for traipsing at all,
But it can be positively toned.
The relationship of sign and signified,
Is supposed to be arbitrary.
However much fun we may have,
Find extra ways to enjoy it.
We often focus too much on denotation,
And not nearly enough on connotation,
As though the subtle sense of differentiation
Were just something to get through;
But the trip is worth it,
If only for being able to
Tell of it afterwards…
Word of the Day: Traipsing
Poetry Form: Blackout Poem
“Playing The Victim“
(08.29.2023)
I don’t even know how to talk to you,
When you begin to behave this way;
Like a child throwing a temper tantrum,
Nothing I say even seems to get through.
You continue your petulant display,
Kicking and screaming ’til your voice goes numb;
Blaming everyone except yourself
For how badly you’ve been lead astray,
And the miserable person you’ve become.
Cause nothing is your fault, when you can play
Victim…
Word of the Day: Petulant
Poetry Form: Curtal Sonnet
“Fear’s Curse“
(08.30.2023)
If only I could describe
The gamut of emotions
That’s building up inside me,
And causing so much tension,
Like a dam about to burst…
When one no longer subscribes
To faith with blind devotion,
And instead attempts to see
Beyond their comprehension;
They embrace the universe…
They feel as one with their tribe,
No communal corrosion,
Becoming who they’re meant to be
Through the act of ascension;
No longer plagued by fear’s curse…
Word of the Day: Gamut
Poetry Form: Rimas Dissolutas
“Prepare For Storms and Rain“
(08.31.2023)
We prognosticate wet weather,
Together, on TV;
Like flocking birds of a feather,
So clever, you and me…
Sometimes our predictions come true,
Due to observations;
Made by special scientists, who
Review information…
About the shifting winds and storms,
The warms fronts and the cold;
And how they could truly transform,
Like a swarm, uncontrolled…
But, when we turn out to be wrong,
Throngs of angry viewers
All treat us with hatred, so strong;
Like long verbal skewers…
We just wish to do our duty,
Truly, that is our aim;
To help our small community
Prepare for storms and rain…
Word of the Day: Prognosticate
Poetry Form: Dechnad Mor
Case Federal 