"Rows to Hoe"

In nineteen hundred forty four
The rays of sunshine hurt her head
She hated the plots unending chore
A girl of five awash with dread
Her dreams of food and cloths and toys
No treats or candy or play or boys
She runs and hides under a tree
In nineteen hundred sixty three
On sale, a jacket, she picked yellow
A brief and flaming, glowing show
A morpheus gain, a moth to flame
The grief is burnt to ash and smoke
Avoiding rows and rows and rows
Of cotton to hoe; of sickles and crows

Iambic Hexameter

"Homeless"
A man in rags no coat, no tie, no vest, or hat
Now lives on streets in rain, in cold, in snow, no heat
Once rich, his claim a car, a wife, a kid and cash.
He hopes to eat; he waits for soup or digs in trash
His bed a box on bank of river or bench in park
It's gone, the love, the joy, the peace and life is dark.

Pentameter "Love is Real"

A shout, a pout, they doubt this love is real,
He’s mad, she’s sad, they curse in pain and ire,
She thinks he dared jinx a love so rare
A kiss now bliss a sign to show and seal,
No shout, no pout, no doubt this love is real.

Terza Rima

Soldiers Convoy
Victim's of trickery
Helen of Troy
Stay the course
Don't anger the Gods
Trojan horse
Collateral damage
Killer's excuse
Smother outrage
Orchid lithophytes
Grows on stone
Operation Right-to-life

BLANK VERSE

Angel,

Are you.......

One of seven, intelligent; pure beings

Historical script in a holy book

Cherub illuminator of God’s envy

In the constellation Ursa Major

Light that entered the womb before my birth

Scorekeeper of deeds in a holy book

Courier assigned to take my soul away

Or Are you simply...

Displayed in my curio cabinet

Inanimate, chipped, winged, white doll

Stamped with the insignia “made in China.”

Allegory

George the old free-range Rooster
He is cock of the walk
And a slick tongued boaster
Listen to him crow and squawk
Leader of big bend
Ruler of all the chickens
He makes sure his elephant friend
get the best pickens!
The hens have lost their hope
He says "Killing is life and isn't cruel"
"Don't you understand you dope?"
When the biddy gets squashed by the mule.
It's the collateral price of "my" freedom
Stay locked in your pen
Next time it won't be a bird that will come
Keep it shut, don't let the gate open

Accentual Meter

Though true, definitely different,
Dogs dig holes, cats scratch poles,
Canine jumps; growls low,
Feline creeps, meows loud
Bowser barks-Wags his tail,
Preening Purring she's perfectly proud,
Though True, definitely different,
Equally Eager to leap into my lap.

Pantoum

Waiting for the bell to ring
Under her spell
Scents of tasty cuisine
Sailor enchanted by siren

Under her spell
Bread, butter, honey and meat
Sailor enchanted by siren
Oranges, nuts an ambrosia treat

Bread, butter, honey and meat
Scents of tasty cuisine
Oranges, nuts an ambrosia treat
Waiting for the bell to ring

Challenge# 9 Cinquain - Nirvana

Tainted
Imprisonment
Lust passion enslaved
longing for purification
Devil

N I R V A N A

Sainted
Free from shackles
Temporate in habit
Clean and free from impurity
Cherub

Challenge# 8 Amphigouri

Pale blue moon beams
bathe my naked body.
Fire flies blink wildly,
I watch them,
And I am mesmerized.

The fan blows
my hair into my eyes,
You sleep beside me,
as if tranquilized,
Hazy gray vaporous dreams.

Challenge# 7 Adynaton

When the moon
stands still
The wheel
rolls uphill
Then I will
you forgive
and begin again
to live
This speech
was contrived
To let you know
Our love cannot survive.

Challenge#6 Anacreon

Luscious, sweet fruit of the vine,
On the table are two glasses,
Filled with white wine,
Across from me you sit,
You smile,
Deep blue innocent eyes,
Without guile,
Very slowly you trace,
The outline of my face
With your fingers,
Your hand lingers,
Your lips meet mine,
As we kiss I find,
Warmth spreads,
Feeling sharp tingles,
Yearning and desire mingles.

Challenge#5Acrostic

C haste
H anged
R eigns
I ncarnate
S avior
T rail of blood.

Challenge #4 Academic Poem (modernism)

Hearing my command
she pauses,

just long enough,
to let me know whose boss,

then obediantly jumps,
into the back of the truck.

Challenge#3 Abstract Poem

Rose
Plastic, artificial,
Too shiny and too perfect,
Deep dusky red color will never fade.
Rose

Challenge #2 Poem using abstract language

In an earlier romantic time in my life,
Before,
Chauvinism, sexism, and ageism...
Passion came easily to me,
Delivered without design,
No charge for love or fee,
Now, in this time today,
After,
Realism, rationalism, and materialism..
enchantment has gone away.

duh!

Challenge #1- Abecedarian Poem

Africa a continent far away,
Below equator,
Cranes fly overhead in blue sky,
Desert arid lands lie dry,
Elephants, giant traveling caravan,
Frog leaping goes croak in the night,
Gazelles migrate across grassy terrain,
Hyena, laughing, hunting carnivore,
Incubus, the needy, riddled with AIDs,
Jungle tangle of serpentine vines,
Kilimanjaro mountain climbers dream,
Lion roars to greet,
Men carrying machetes and large guns,
Nigeria natives speak English,
Oratory and declaration rich,
People value the sound of speech,
Quake can occur, earth shaking,
Regions of the country all around,
Streams of red lava, molten fluid moving,
Toward native villagers as they sleep,
Ugly, angry, ashes raining,
Volcano mighty, erupts,
Witch doctor prescribes tarantula bites,
Xanadu like village hidden near insiduous mountain lake,
Yew tree in the forest yields medicine for the sick,
Zanza musician, plucks the instruments metal tongues.