trailer hitch 11/30/2007

often shook
rust laden grappling hook
onlookers slow and gaze to roadside

It typically disagrees instead of abides
resting on stable frame it relies
malapropos when you need it most

shin stitches, stubbed toes
trailer hitch


malapropos \mal-ap-ruh-POH\, adjective:
1. Unseasonable; unsuitable; inappropriate.

adverb:
1. In an inappropriate or inopportune manner; unseasonably.

Trois-par-Huit

The Trois-par-Huit was created by Lorraine M. Kanter.

Trois-par-Huit (Three-by-Eight or Octa-Tri for short), a poem containing three stanzas of 3, 3
and 2 lines OR 3, 2 and 3 lines: 8 lines total with a syllable count of 3, 6, 9, 12, 12, 9, 6, 3.
The rhyming pattern is AAB BBC CC where the last line is the title of the poem and summarizes
the meaning of the poem. *Note: These poems are to appear center aligned.

Why I love Bob Dylan

I consider myself a poet first and a musician second. I live like a poet and I'll die like a poet.
Bob Dylan

I think a poet is anybody who wouldn't call himself a poet.
Bob Dylan

the stand off 11/28/2007

Twas at dawn that I became aware
of her sleepless steel piercing glare
clearing night and blood from my eyes
my grip slipping from the loose hold
Eyes rendering the truth they told

She was once gold, now phosphorus
her deeds and words incongruous
exposed to the air i ignite
mental lobes burning from the heat
soaring rabidly to my feet
sanity gone, taken to flight

This can't be right, she loves me so
one final blow, confirms my plight


incongruous \in-KONG-groo-us\, adjective:
1. Lacking in harmony, compatibility, or appropriateness.
2. Inconsistent with reason, logic, or common sense.

Jeffreys Sonnet
A Jeffreys Sonnet was created by Scott J. Alcorn. It is isosyllabic (only 8 syllable per line),
2 sestets with a cross rhymed couplet (the cross rhyme is in the 2nd to 4th syllable in each of the
two lines of the couplet). Also there is a cross rhyme in the first line of the 2nd sestet (between
the 2nd to 4th syllable), tying the 1st sestet to the 2nd. So the rhyme scheme would be: aabccb,
(b)ddeffe, (e)g (g)e. The letters in ( ) are the cross rhymes.

Nikki 6

You have everything
There is nothing to attain!

I never win 11/27/2007

The hand dealt
the life lead
the choices you think you didn't have
the inevitability of your bad luck
kvetching to all at all times
how you will never succeed
never make it
because it was never up to you

your decisions are yours
stop telling me about why you can't
I will gladly listen to why you can
and will


kvetch \KVECH\, adjective:
1. To complain habitually.

noun:
1. A complaint.
2. A habitual complainer.

Independance 11/26/2007

I am foundling
I will make it
I need help here
get me to my feet
feed me, teach me, point me straight
I can take care of the rest

foundling \FOWND-ling\, noun:
A deserted or abandoned infant; a child found without a parent or caretaker.

Trailer Park Enevitability 11/25/2007

Leaves screaming on recumbent branches
rooves seperating from thier joists
frisbee shingles decapitating corn stalks
crowded basements and door jams
glass and dreams shattering
frightened children
lost possessions
Tornado



recumbent \rih-KUM-bunt\, adjective:
1. Reclining; lying down.
2. Resting; inactive; idle.

Trieptefan 11/24/2007

weighted lids of death
somniferous siren song
return is doubtful

somniferous \som-NIF-uhr-uhs\, adjective:
Causing or inducing sleep.

Mother Dearest 11/23/2007

Before you speak, Think....

Is it true?
Is it kind?
Is it necessary?

wise words from My mom written in a note to herself on her desk.

Toilet Bowl 1999 11/23/07

Diving for the flag
twisting for elusive purposes
The big game
annual and postprandial
slipping she falls,
nose broken, eyes watering
her age 73
my age 26
blood and ambulance ride await her
guilty looks await me
even my teammates are displeased
down by 5, I had no choice
competition knows no age

(seriously I never came close, she slipped on her own- but that story makes for poor poetry...not that this version is any better)

postprandial \post-PRAN-dee-uhl\, adjective:
Happening or done after a meal.

The Dance at $160/hour 11/22/2007

Deipnosophist
Psychiatrist

on high you sing your song
But I have done no wrong

recoil your verbal fist
remove me from your list

I was here but now Im gone
your health is not for long

As I pass your receptionist
and give her one final kiss

your face becomes oblong
diagnosis was oh so wrong

Deipnosophist
Psychiatrist


deipnosophist \dyp-NOS-uh-fist\, noun:
Someone who is skilled in table talk.

clambaker 11/21/2007

Well dressed, and clean cut
exterior shell of cloaked confidence
the wiseacre of the group
wanting credit for races unfinished
looking to create an impression
positioning himself like a politician
taking no stands, making no statements
waiting for an opportunity to be loud
to jump on or off the bandwagon
depending on the crowds reaction
manilla with no dye or pigment
hugging the largest rock in site
life will work out fine for this man
our society does not penalize unoriginality.


wiseacre \WY-zay-kuhr\, noun:
One who pretends to knowledge or cleverness; a would-be wise person; a smart aleck.

Unity 11/20/2007

Nervousness
preparing for the unknown is futile
the plan always changes
adjusting to the situation
setback's, interuptions, and onlookers
obstacles in your approach
friendly smile and an introduction
she doesn't remember you
one way connections happen all the time
sweet like june honey, soft like winter flannel
calm, welcoming, aiding your journey
hour passes by, strain and sweat
she tries to remove strain from the discriptors
lying face up, melting into wet rubber
hearing and vision blurred by salt water toxins
heart beating in your neck and shoulders
cooling down you realize the task is unreasonable at best
although intentions are noble, words may mislead
leaving is uncomfortable, not wanting to go,
not knowing how to transition
phone call confirms worst case scenario
I have said too much, I have gone out on the limb
as it creaks, implying a crack, I regret nothing,
the mistake would have been hugging the tree
namaste

A study of Breathing 11/20/2007

forgiveness comes from deep within ones spirit
the will to seek and identify the blight
listen to your soul hard enough to hear it

the mind knows of ideas, not wrong or right
it is self fulfilling and prone to frustrate
the soul is the engine that sustains our flight

digging deep down into your hearts realestate
the cancer engulfs everything it can grab
Grasping its intirety you extirpate

recovery is quick, testing at the lab
results look good, procedure deemed a success
the load removed, the lifting of the slab

Insurance fees and self doubt just added stress
understanding lifes goal, live, not suppress


extirpate \EK-stur-payt\, transitive verb:
1. To pull up by the stem or root.
2. To destroy completely.
3. To remove by surgery.

A Terza Rima is a poem with an eleven syllable count in each line and a rhyming scheme
of aba, bcb, cdc, dd.

For even more of a challenge, try the Terza Rima Sonnet. This form of poem has an
eleven syllable count in each line and a rhyming scheme of aba, bcb, cdc, ded, ee.

RPM 75 11/18/2007

RPM four thousand and three
thoughts turning over as fast as spinning wheels
the road resents every mile that clicks past
impailing us with curves, rocks, potholes and trees
absorbing it all, maintaining our direction
flouting any posted ideals or limits
increasing our rate, our speed, our intensity
hitting the next gear
pushed back deeper in our seats
RPM at four thousand and three


flout \FLOWT\, transitive verb:
1. To treat with contempt and disregard; to show contempt for.

intransitive verb:
1. To mock, to scoff.

noun:
1. Mockery, scoffing.

Hung out in wet snow 11/17/2007

seeking a smile
labor of love
comport with best intentions
praise is the keystone
other bricks are for show
acceptance


comport \kum-PORT\, transitive verb:
1. To conduct or behave (oneself) in a particular manner.

intransitive verb:
1. To be fitting; to accord; to agree -- usually followed by 'with'.

Short Pool 11/16/2007

Restiv I sit atop red ball
teak smells of damp sorrow
dusts frollicks outside
upward draft of frozen excess
impartial to days choices
seeking without looking
realization of the goal holds no solace
closure

restive \RES-tiv\, adjective:
1. Impatient under restriction, delay, coercion, or opposition; resisting control.
2. Unwilling to go on; obstinate in refusing to move forward; stubborn.

Pre Date Dilema 11/16/2007

Pimple
youthful burden
aggrandizes post haste
confidence erodes quicker yet
eye sore

aggrandize \uh-GRAN-dyz; AG-ruhn-dyz\, transitive verb:
1. To make great or greater; to enlarge; to increase.
2. To make great or greater in power, rank, reputation, or wealth; -- applied to persons, countries, etc.
3. To make appear great or greater; to exalt.

Cinquain
Cinquain is a short, usually unrhymed poem consisting of twenty-two syllables distributed
as 2, 4, 6, 8, 2, in five lines. It was developed by the Imagist poet, Adelaide Crapsey.

One form

Line 1: Noun
Line 2: Description of Noun
Line 3: Action
Line 4: Feeling or Effect
Line 5: Synonym of the initial noun.

Greg Laungry 11/15/2007

Alone
courtyard of uncertainty
searching stone and gravel
imposed will on smaller minds
weak bodies surround compassionate hearts
pushed down
strength in rising
and rising again
battle is won by the hector
the faith to rise again
wins the war.



hector \HEK-tur\, noun:
1. A bully.

transitive verb:
1. To intimidate or harass in a blustering way; to bully.

intransitive verb:
1. To play the bully; to bluster.

Al Gore's twin 11/14/2007

Boy
Flaneur
Mind and soul
Seeks connection
Ice shelf detaches, floats away from shore


flaneur \flah-NUR\, noun:
One who strolls about aimlessly; a lounger; a loafer.

Surrender 11/13/2007

Blinding light, pushing in fast
Universe calling, in search of a transporter
Be here now, come back from the past
Ideas, dreams, concepts hardening in mental mortar

Perfervid I rise, the battle at last
Airborne projectiles rise from the border
Will I command, or conform to, this approaching caste
The enemy forcing on me, their law and their order

White flag raised high on the mast
Accepting inevitable defeat, requesting quarter
Seeing smoke from shore, a final distant blast
Death or prison on the horizon, both a tall order
Answering soon, I will be, to a god or a warder


perfervid \puhr-FUR-vid\, adjective:
Ardent; impassioned; marked by exaggerated or overwrought emotion.

Pizza Luce 11/12/2007

Drunk
Swaying
Speech impaired
Gaze distorted
Left leg seems shorter
Hungry like a muskrat
Twelve dollars for pizza slice
Gesticulating with mouth full
Senses tingling, sauce burning, yummy
Calories at 3AM are costly

gesticulate \juh-STIK-yuh-layt\, intransitive verb:
1. To make gestures or motions, especially while speaking or instead of speaking.
transitive verb:
1. To indicate or express by gestures.

38 and Sunny 11/11/2007

darkness yields to light
awake and mercurial
pressure and tension
constraining thoughts and self image
allow tears to breach the duct


tanka style 5-7-5-7-7

mercurial \mur-KYUR-ee-uhl\, adjective:
1. [Often capitalized] Of or pertaining to the god Mercury.
2. [Often capitalized] Of or pertaining to the planet Mercury.
3. Having the qualities of shrewdness, eloquence, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury.

4. Changeable in temperament or mood; temperamental; volatile.

5. Of, pertaining to, or containing mercury.
6. Caused by the use of mercury.

Peak Oil 11/10/2007

The deleterious souls of men
bound by pride and narcissism
taking their toll on our world
on our ability to live free
our ability to love our neighbor

The nebulous voice of men
purposely veiled without focus
illogical messages bombard us,
what is left of our ability to think freely
repeated attempts to silence our better judgment

The mysterious solutions of men
actions that no individual would undertake
but directed by few, the masses follow
actions, we are told, that protect us
protect us from what happens to passive people

The calming strength of men
of free thinkers, overlooked by so many.
valued typically by history and headstones
singled out as unsupportive, or unamerican
is insanity a synonym for conformity?

deleterious \del-uh-TIR-ee-us\, adjective:
Harmful; destructive; pernicious.

Ich habe eine Ente-Farm 11/9/2007

Polygot I am not,
Linguist I will never be
Verbose maybe
Loquacious some may say
Do I own Ducks?
No
Do I like Ducks?
Not particularly
Do I live on a farm?
No
Can I say “I have a farm of ducks” in 6 languages
Yes.

polyglot \POL-ee-glot\, adjective:
1. Containing or made up of several languages.
2. Writing, speaking, or versed in many languages.
noun:
1. One who speaks several languages.

A Study of Frost 11/8/2007

Morning Dew – frozen from the exiting darkness
The sun appearing beyond dense flat clouds
Sublimation expedites its departure from the bent limbs
Now breathing the particles that recently soaked the tops of my shoes
Every inch the sun grows on the clouds ameliorates my day, my attitude
I still ponder how I can be like the dew and skip steps in the process
Skip to the end without cutting anyone off
The process of tomorrow, and the day after that
Nature knows more about that than I.

ameliorate \uh-MEEL-yuh-rayt\, transitive verb:
1. To make better; to improve.
intransitive verb:
1. To grow better.

Ballad In Plain D - Bob Dylan

I once loved a girl, her skin it was bronze.
With the innocence of a lamb, she was gentle like a fawn.
I courted her proudly but now she is gone,
Gone as the season she’s taken.
Through young summer’s breeze, I stole her away
From her mother and sister, though close did they stay.
Each one of them suffering from the failures of their day.
With strings of guilt they tried hard to guide us.
Of the two sisters, I loved the young.
With sensitive instincts, she was the creative one.
The constant scapegoat, she was easily undone.
By the jealousy of others around her.
For her parasite sister, I had no respect,
Bound by her boredom, her pride to protect.
Countless visions of the other she’d reflect
As a crutch for her scenes and her society.
Myself, for what I did, I cannot be excused,
The changes I was going through can’t even be used,
For the lies that I told her in hopes not to lose
The could-be dream-lover of my lifetime.
With unknown consciousness, I possessed in my grip
A magnificent mantelpiece, though its heart being chipped,
Noticing not that I’d already slipped
To a sin of love’s false security.
From silhouetted anger to manufactured peace,
Answers of emptiness, voice vacancies,
Till the tombstones of damage read me no questions but, “Please,
What’s wrong and what’s exactly the matter?”
And so it did happen like it could have been foreseen,
The timeless explosion of fantasy’s dream.
At the peak of the night, the king and the queen
Tumbled all down into pieces.
“The tragic figure!” her sister did shout,
“Leave her alone, God damn you, get out!”
And I in my armor, turning about
And nailing her to the ruins of her pettiness.
Beneath a bare light bulb the plaster did pound
Her sister and I in a screaming battleground.
And she in between, the victim of sound,
Soon shattered as a child ‘neath her shadows.
All is gone, all is gone, admit it, take flight.
I gagged twice, doubled, tears blinding my sight.
My mind it was mangled, I ran into the night
Leaving all of love’s ashes behind me.
The wind knocks my window, the room it is wet.
The words to say I’m sorry, I haven’t found yet.
I think of her often and hope whoever she’s met
Will be fully aware of how precious she is.
Ah, my friends from the prison, they ask unto me,
”How good, how good does it feel to be free?”
And I answer them most mysteriously,
”Are birds free from the chains of the skyway?”

Solitude 11/5/2007

Loneliness creeps in like chilled wind past an old window
It tastes of stale crackers, familiar, but undesired
Thoughts of your life, your decisions can’t leave the room
The very windows letting in the chill keep your thoughts prisoner
Their glass, wavy from age, reflects your situation warped like a circus mirror
Opening them would blast you with frigid air,
Keeping them shut may drive you insane….

The choices of your life come back like an annoying neighbor
Knocking at your door at the most inopportune times
The fun you had, the responsibilities you avoided, the phobias you created
Now turn your Saturday night from “the weekend” to an internal war of thoughts
Drawn out slowly, keeping the residents in constant fear
A war that occurs inside your mind, but seems to consume your body.
Bombs and grenades explode inside whether they hit or miss the target
An attack on the enemy is one in the same with an attack on the good guys

The room becomes ever more cold, the windows start to whine
The noise and the cold are tag-teaming you
Trying to plug the cracks is futile
Hypothermia may kill you before the sound makes you go mad
Freezing to death seems like a good analogy for the pain of lost love
A slow descent from mild discomfort to suffocating anguish
Small bits of it are annoying, but its consistency will kill you

The consistency of the loss, of the mental punishment is what is killing me
The lack of improvement of the patient, no signs of the willpower needed to fight
The sword uses both sides to cut, the double edge
You can leave the house for a few hours when a friend calls
Or you have to work, but you have no where to go but home
the wind never warms, nor the whine subsides
it looks nice outside, but the windows hold only hardship

The more you try to ignore it the louder and colder it becomes
The more clothes you put on, the heavier you feel
Naked on the floor you are broken
You have nothing to give, nothing to remove
The base of a being is found in pain and suffering
From here there is only up, but it is so hard to see anything but down
The floor can relate to you, the ceiling is not even in reach of your wildest dreams
Alone you wait to die, or be saved
By yourself.

Resistance 11/07/2007

Fealty to self

Snow flakes rest on green grass blades;

Ones awakening

fealty \FEE-uhl-tee\, noun:
1. Fidelity to one's lord; the feudal obligation by which the tenant or vassal was bound to be faithful to his lord.
2. The oath by which this obligation was assumed.
3. Fidelity; allegiance; faithfulness.

REM denied 11/06/2007

I had always worried,

That if I let her go

She’d come and get me in my sleep

Unlike a large ball slowly rolling at me,

My most recognizable bete noire,

A representation of inescapable doom.

Her appearance in my dreams was much worse.

Her form was not scary or disturbing,

Nor were her actions fear inducing

Actually, quite the opposite.

It was the delayed realization…..

The realization that her presence forced upon me

The realization that she would disappear at dawn

This was the nightmare

The glimpse of what might have been

Followed by the cold wisp of the truth

Shutting my eyes at night, knowing what is likely to come.

Being unsure of which was more painful

The false pleasure of dreams,

Or the harsh reality of morning.

Bete noire \bet-NWAHR\, noun:
Something or someone particularly detested or avoided; a bugbear.