Content: poetry

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Word exercise. Does the theme remain consistent? Possibility of more inspired images?

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All three of my younger siblings are now in their sixties, one turned sixty five yesterday. That fact prompted this poem. Comments welcome.

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A little lamentation. Comments welcome.

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I met a lady at a flea market last week who very kindly sold me some tomatoes while giving a brief account of her various fears and problems with life. That she knew the names of so many phobias was nothing short of amazing. This poem is for her. And her delicious tomatoes. Comments welcome.

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After being away from the site for a couple of weeks I realized I had missed several poems from Mr. Roark. So I started printing them off to review when I got an hour or so of quiet time. But when I looked at the volume of work he had produced in that short time period I decided he needed a little more thorough treatment. Hence this essay. Comments are welcome but please forgive me my prosaic transgressions.

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This one was inspired by a line from a novel "The Neruda Case" by Roberto Ampuero. Comments welcome.

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All of my productions will be full of imperfections. I know I have to work on many things such as punctuation. I write solely to get out my thoughts that get cramped in my head often, causing headaches. This is why I often have grammatical and punctuation errors. I do the best I can to revise, but my depression allows me to focus on so much at a time. Bare with me if you'd like. Hope you enjoy my perspective.

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In some recent comments on a couple of my poems one of my favorite readers made some philosophical observations that were intriguing. This poem comes from that exchange. Comments welcome.

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This is another poem I've been putting in and taking out of the work-in-progress file. Comments are welcome.

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This is a kind of stream of consciousness poem that was prompted by one word. After the initial writing I did go back and do a little restructuring before posting. Comments are welcome.

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I've been in some discussions about sentimentality in poetry lately and in connection with those chats I recently read a poem by Barbara Guest that seemed to deal with related questions. All of that prompted this poem. Comments welcome.

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Social commentary isn't something I do very often. This poem has been in the works since Sandy Hook and it seemed like it was time to put it on the site. Comments always welcomed.

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I succumbed to the Diamante urge (and challenge) and submit for your criticism this poem. Comments welcome.

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I've been doing a little poetry reading around town, learning about the open mic process and experience. This little poem came out of those efforts. Comments welcome.

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I was having a conversation with a friend who is a chef, nutritionist and teacher. She was trying to help me eat more greens and such. Sounded good to me. But then she started adding the restrictions that make a dish healthy. This poem came out of that chat. Comments welcome.

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Lately I've been preoccupied with dreams and their impact on various aspects of life. This poem came out of that thinking. Comments welcome.

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Dreams seem to be standard poetic material. Here's one that tries to fuse a dream with its immediate aftermath. Comments welcome.

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Thanks for the time taken to read the story. Looking for your comments improving the story. Your tips to generate interest in readers, changes that will help in the language and structure are also welcome. Thanks in advance

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Here's one for the Easter season. In a way. Comments welcome.

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This poem came after I audited a creative writing class at a nearby college. Several of the students were veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. The poem is an imagining. Comments welcome.

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A little natural world occurrence observed and recorded. Comments welcome.

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Signs of Spring are everywhere. And when that happens... Comments welcome.

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One of those small events that made a large impression. Comments welcome.

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I love to write of the days gone by, as I was growing up; it was a good time to be in. We always were dismissed from school for the summer on May 20th. This poem is about the summer three months following. Yes, three months; that's what we got back then. More than a critique, I would just like to know if you enjoy reading it; if maybe if stirs some memories for you. There was nothing in particular I wrote it for; a fellow writer wrote something that inspired me to write this.

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Some ruminations on olden times. Comments welcome.

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Working on some new poems for submission to competitions and poetry journals. This is one of those. Comments welcome.

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If you listen to Phoenix Radio in Victoria, Australia you may hear a fellow named Red Wolf read this little poem on his poetry/music program. Comments welcome.

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Another genuine dream inspired poem. For years I never remembered dreams. But these days they stick with me and seem to require a little exposition in poetry. Comments welcome.

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This is some advice I wish I had received forty five or fifty years ago. Comments welcome.

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Rosie was a Walker Hound, AKA a Coon Hound which is a scent hound and thus had a big nose. She was a real character. As many of my pets end up with a custom song sung by myself and developed sometimes over several months, I thought to pen this one one out as a memory to her and my family. I have other songs about my pets, my Chocolate Lab, Mocha and my two cats Baker, AKA Baker-tatoe, and Maya, AKA Fatty-Catty. I guess the song ideas come from the pet-names derived from their given names, but lightly spiced up with observations about their characters. Just general feedback. Im not a serious poet or writer, just a dabbler. I bet I am not the only person who has pet songs. It would be nice to see what others have done.

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This is a possible entry for the Faulkner competition. Comments welcome.

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Here's one for Flo's pseudo-contest. Comments welcome, but be nice.

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For flowingpencil. I hope this exercise in sarcasm is funny enough, tongue-in-cheek enough to win Flo's approval.

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Some years ago an acquaintance and his family moved into a high-crime neighborhood in a bad city. I visited once, and never went back. A week after my visit a child was killed in that neighborhood. The experience left me chilled at the idea of living in such a terrible place. This poem was a finalist in The Faulkner Literary Contest in 2012

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This one came from a minor case of writer's block. It proves that most anything can get the mojo working again. Even when it should just be quiet. Comments welcome, of course.

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A discussion about spilling one's emotions in poetry led to this little exploration. Comments welcome.

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I read some poems recently by David Roderick where he seemed to take on the persona of other people as he created poetic self-portraits in their "voices". I tried to do this here, imagining myself as my brother who died some years back. There were a lot of false starts and abrupt stops before I was able to come to this version. Comments are welcome.

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This poem is written in mind with the children and the families who had to go through the terrible Newtown School shootings. I want to dedicate this to everyone going through emotional roller-coaster resulting from such tragedies. I would call my attempt a huge success if I can provide a moment of relief to at least one person going through such a tragedy . Please provide your comments and suggestions to improve this to make it a better experience to the readers.

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Whimsy? Perhaps. Comments welcome as always.

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Another poem inspired by some reading. This one came from a line in a modern Chinese poem published in an anthology called "Push Open the Window" from Copper Canyon Press. I recommend the book.

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After reading some newspaper columns by old Will Rogers and then a couple of poems by Sherman Alexie I began to wonder what it would be like to have some humorist talent. This poem was part of that wondering.

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This was a middle of the night, waking dream poem. I wasn't sure how it would hold up in the light of day, but I kind of like the sound of the thing. Comments welcome.

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Recent events. Comments welcome.

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This is probably more cynical than it needs to be. My inner Scrooge must be speaking. Comments welcome.

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A somewhat abstract poem within a structural experiment. Comments welcome.

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This poem is very recent. It also marks a return to limited capitalization and punctuation after a couple years of avoiding those conventions. Comments welcome.

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This poem started with a little rumination as I was listening to Kris Kristofferson grind out one of his songs, referenced with a quote at the head of the thing. Comments welcome.

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Even a hedonist will have an occasional bad day, I suppose. Comments welcome.

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It's not easy coming up with an appropriate poem for the recent weather event. Comments welcome.

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Poet Peter Cooley gave me this idea even. He's not aware of that fact but I thank him anyway. Comments welcome.

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While exploring the southernmost Delaware shore this morning I walked near the Indian River inlet and had an interesting view of the new bridge there. We were fortunate in our state to escape with much, much less damage than the poor folks in New Jersey and NYC. The little movements of shoreline here inspired this poem. Comments welcome.

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Another poem started on a scrap of paper many years ago. Should it be truly scrapped? Comments welcome.

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This is a project that I've been working on for a long time now. Comments welcome.

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This little poem is the last in a series of twelve that I'm working on. The others will be posted eventually as they come to completion. The whole series is built, in a way, on the Bukowski poem referenced at the beginning of this one. Comments welcome.

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Believe it or not this poem came from one small comment during the vice-presidential debate last night. But, trust me, it's not political in any way. Comments welcome.

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Observations on a sunset. Written after meeting with an academic friend who is a glib but not unkind critic. I'm republishing this one at the request of Flowing Pencil, my good friend and kind reviewer. Here you go Patti.

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In some recent reading I looked into the lives of folks who have spent a lot of time in prison. That reading and the little quote from Ms. Oates' cited novel brought out the idea for this little poem. Comments welcome.

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This poem was written with the theme ‘Consequences of War’. I am looking to improve my writing and style so I can create poems readers will enjoy reading. I would greatly appreciate your suggestions and tips. Strengths & Weakness you see in my writing. Thanks for reading and your valuable comments.

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I had the opening for this poem for many years. It was started when my then teenage daughter was very embarassed by a slightly racy conversation regarding the brief honeymoon that my wife and I shared. That beginning sat in a notebook until I recently overheard a loud cell phone call (one side anyway) in a department store. So now this thing is finished at last. Comments welcome.

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This was in the notebook from a couple years ago. Read Mr. Hall's essay a few days back and it reminded me to finish this poem. Comments welcome.

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This poem is based on a dream which was expanded into a fantasy of sorts. Or maybe I've just been spending too much time researching the evolution of this craft. Comments welcome.

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Every year this anniversary looms and seems to call for a remembering poem. I've done a couple and now there's one more. Thanks to Kydd Dustin for her inspiration. And to John Prine for an image. Comments welcome.

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Three small poems with a similar theme, written over several months time. I decided to gather them together here. Comments welcome.

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Another poem that I've been scratching my head over for several months. Mr. Kinnell's piece, quoted at the onset of this thing, helped to bring mine to a close. This one is also an little different structurally for me. Comments welcome.

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This little piece has been in the works for a long time now. It's a composite tribute to a few guys I know who do wood sculpture with chainsaws. Comments welcome.

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This one is very loosely modeled on some of the more recent poetry of Jean Valentine. Her work makes better use of space and abstraction. Here it's more about tone. Comments welcome.

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This is a poem about a love pulling away

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First I apologies if your this girl.This is a poem I dedicate to the female who wasn't noticed by sight.However she was noticed by a putrid smell in a small gym area.

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This was an exercise in creating a rhythm of travel more than anything else. I'm interested in seeing if anyone picked up on that. Or is it just me? Ha! Comments welcome.

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I started this small poem last summer but couldn't find a way to describe the shadow of descending night. Does this work? Comments welcome.

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Having Odin Roark as a regular reader and reviewer is a real privilege. His comments on my poems so often send me on new journeys of thought and exploration. And sometimes his inspiration switches on the creative juice. This poem is as much his as it is mine. And I hope I don't embarrass him with the thing. Thank you Odin. Comments welcome.

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I've been terribly inactive on the site for various reasons and I know I've missed some great poetry as the days have slipped by. In a couple days I'll be spending some time dedicated to reading and reviewing and generally catching up. This poem has been churning around in one version or another for a few weeks. It seems to be settled now. Comments welcome.

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I haven't written posted anything in quite some time so would like to know if this one makes any sense. All comments whether favourable or not are always welcome... I saw the first line as a lead to a competition but didn't bother with entering...

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This is an older poem that I wrote when the priest/pedophile crisis was in the news every day. My memories of altar boy days were so different, thank God, from the remembered sufferings of the victims of those crimes. Comments welcome.

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Just a moment where I tried to widen my perspective. How can so many billions of human beings live such different lives on the same blue ball?

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Back from the woods again. This one is part of a larger ongoing project. Comments welcome.

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I started writing dialect poetry in the 11th grade. By the 12th grade I thought I had it figured it out. It took three dialect poems to impress a college admissions board. This one one of those poems. I was accepted to the President's honor society and asked to read this poem to the President of the school and his staff. I refused. There were only ten Black students in the entire university. There were none in the Honor Society. I didn't want the message of this poem to be distorted. I could not read this poem to those wealthy men. There was too much racial tension in those halls. For the next thirty years I wanted to erase this poem from my memory banks. It had opened the door. But it had also closed one.

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How do you feel, as a reader, about a poet quoting another poet as an introduction to a new poem? I did it again here. It seems that when an inspiring group of lines sends me to the keyboard I should at least tell the reader where the idea came from. Comments welcome.

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While reading a collection of poetry with the amazing title "Rabbis of the Air" by Philip Terman, I was captivated by four lines ending one of the poems. A fine book by the way. This remembrance was inspired by those lines. Comments welcome.

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The story revolves around a clueless bipolar part time muse named John and his somewhat dysfunctional relationship with his best friend Chloe. They both love each other, they know they were meant for each other, but somehow life always got in the way. It is written from the eyes of John and it centers around his need to get over his own issues, find himself, his voice and eventually his true love while avoiding the pitfalls of his mental condition and his self defense mechanism of withdrawing into seclusion when things go awry. It is about my vision of true love. The type of feedback I am looking for is grammer related stuff mostly. I love telling stories and I think my writing style is pretty good, but I realize my structure and grammar are probably not up to par with professional writers. I would also love to know if the story is a good read. I have been writing for a long time but this is the first real time I ever submitted anything for others to read and review.

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Here in our town the NASCAR folks are rolling in for an event filled with lots of noise. That always makes me think about the effects of constant loud sounds on the human spirit. And then I get out of town and head for the river. Comments welcome.

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This is one of my poems I have written.

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I have Depression. Sometimes I do my best writing when I'm down. This is one of those pieces.

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Too bad there's not a lost and found department for those lines that seem to disappear in the night. Comments welcome.

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A poem about the sadness of life and the regrets of anger. Each poem I write has something to do with the moment in which it was written. This one was written in about fifteen minutes after the event of outburst anger when four unbelievable events came together at the same time hitting me with hopelessness. So most of my poems are of a personal reflection nature and mainly invoked by my emotional state at the time of writing. I'm just trying to put out a set of different poems from different states of mind to see what it invokes in the reader...

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Here's one with a little but more emotion. The title says it all.

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First posting. What is the matter of truth. Love to see what you think.

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Some words have sounds that are just plain unpleasant. One of them came to mind when I was buying seafood a couple weeks ago. Comments welcome.

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A diversion written as I wondered about the popularity of the rose in so much poetry. Comments welcome.

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This is a poem from my "romantic" period, slightly revised -well actually heavily revised. Maybe I can finally quit with these things. Comments welcome.

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This piece was pulled from some line fragments written years ago in an old notebook. Some recent poetic postings on this site brought that notebook to mind and here we are. Comments welcome.

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Was watching a DVD earlier, a romantic comedy about some folks who worked in an office. Thinking about the movie (most always a mistake) I started wondering about the way Hollywood portrays working people. This poem followed. Comments welcome.

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Once again contemplating the narcissistic nature of writing poetry with a look at some personal history. Comments welcome.

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This one went its own way and came from some place just shy of 3 a.m. Comments welcome

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A little observational experiment in mixing rhyming and non-rhyming verses. Comments welcome.

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A little observation about the nature of one unusual bird. Comments welcome.

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In keeping with the trend towards information supplied in small bits I'm offering this little poem. Comments welcome.

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A recent day in NYC prompted these reflections. Comments welcome.

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All suggestions for improvement welcome.

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Working through some older notebooks and finishing poems started long ago, as a reviewer on this site said I should. This one is two decades old. Comments welcome.

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A poem I started a couple years ago and finally got around to finishing. Procrastination; a way of life. Comments welcome.

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The function of memory and how it rises and falls has been on my mind lately. But I don't remember why. Comments welcome.

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Just trying to end my day better than it started.. Wrong medication so little visit to hell.. I can't say much as would ruin it It is more for my own entertainment as needed to check out my 'thinking' I think I have caught all the mistake I made. Observations from somewhere! Flo

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Seems like everything I do these days has a leading quote of some sort. Just a little fun with this one. Comments welcome.

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Over the past few weeks my poetry reading has been focused on modern Irish writers. I found particular value in Brendan Kennelly and this little set was inspired by lines of his, in three different poems. Comments welcome.

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In my reading of Irish poets this past week I came across the little poem at the beginning of this posting. The condition of our national dialogue has been very disturbing for some time now. The poem by Hutchinson brought some thinking about that problem. Comments welcome.

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Went shopping a few days ago and got some directions from a kind lady on one of those electric cart deals. There sure do seem to be a lot of those in use for many reasons, I suppose. But I imagined this for her. Comments welcome.

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Some recent reading here on the site and in a collection by Robert Pinsky prompted this rumination. Comments welcomed.

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Back to the woods with this one. Comments welcome.

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According to actuaries I'm entering the final third of my projected life span, based on a host of factors. This poem attempts to address some assumptions. Comments welcome.

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This is one of over three hundred short chapters in a novel in need of typing. A summary is moot. Any and all feedback will be read.

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Some recent research on American anti-war movements brought this little poem to my mind. In truth it came to me more as a song than a poem. Comments welcome.

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Reading poetry is part of a poet's job but it can present challenges. Comments welcome.

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Romantic poetry. Not for the weak of stomach. Comments welcomed.

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Those looking for a sarcastic or critical poem may be disappointed here. My kinder, gentler self took over for a little while. Comments always welcome.

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Two poems, "Dumpstered" by Odin Roark and "Wedding Song" by David Lehman (partially quoted below), sent me on a path of thinking about the same subject. This poem is at least a partial result of that process. Comments always welcome.

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There are many reasons for writing poetry. This may be one of the more common. Comments welcome.

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An observation made while on a recent journey. Traveling somehow sharpens my attention to the world around me. Miss Emily's line came to me as this episode concluded. Comments welcome.

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Almost every winter up in my North Country woods there's a brief break in the long winter action and we get a few warm days that remind us of the promise of spring. This one tries to get hold of those times. Comments welcome.

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Understanding our lives sometimes requires study outside of the usual places. Recent reading prompted these thoughts. Comments welcome.

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The holiday this week triggers a memory as it has each year since the day of remembrance was created. I always thought the holiday should have been placed on or close to April 4th. Comments welcome.

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Sitting in a hospital parking lot a week or so ago, just waiting. Saw an old guy struggling a little and my imagination took it a little further. Comments welcome.

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Another poem from an old notebook that I re-thought and re-worked. Comments welcome, as always.

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This was written some time ago and recent events prompted me to re-work it and make a few changes. Comments welcome.

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Taking a break from the serious dramatic poems. This is poetry-lite. I hope it goes down easy. I was just fascinated by the life of Emily Dickinson- Had to say goodbye to her. Have a great New Year all

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Being in a new place without a friend is a scary situation for everyone. Sometimes, when making friends, the right person isn’t around for you. People might not like the same things as you, you might not get along, the person might just like to be alone, and, even sometimes, people just don’t have a reason for not wanting to be friends. It’s okay to not make friends with the first people you meet. You just need to have patience to find the right friend for you! Join Squiggle the Tiggle in his quest to find a friend. The star shape eyed, sparkly nosed, and pudgy-bodied Tiggle must wiggle his way through sand, water, bubbles and mud in his search through the land of Pibnee. Along the way he encounters many creatures kind and unkind and many spectacular new places in Pibnee, before he finds the right friend for him. Any feedback is appreciated

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My final posting for 2011 as I'll be out of computer range for a week or so. Comments always welcome.

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An experiment. Comments welcomed.

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Had an interesting encounter with a fellow at our local courthouse a short time ago. This little piece was inspired by that event. Comments welcome.

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Some time ago, as I was traveling, I met a fellow walking the same suburban nature walk that I was following. We stopped and chatted. I've tried to capture his tone and outlook in this poem. Comments welcome.

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First, I apologize for the irregularities of meter and rhyme in this thing. Secondly, I apologize for posting it on this most serious and erudite of writing sites. And finally, a little explanation. For several years I worked on this thing as a country song and then as a poem. It's hard to see the investment of intellect and dedication, I know, but it's there. Or here. This is especially for Memphis Trace. Comments always welcome. Please be gentle.

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New gadgets in the world of literature are meeting resistance in some quarters. Comments welcome.

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An allegory? Maybe, but don't ponder it too much or the thing falls apart. A little too simplistic, I think. Comments always welcome.

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Just a little something I thought of as I stepped out of the shower on this chilly morning. Comments welcome.

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A few lines inspired by the excellent poetry of Kay Ryan. Comments welcome.

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Cliche's and aphorisms contain their own, sometimes strange, wisdom. Comments welcome.

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The content of this poem is weak. Do you feel that the content is strengthened by the shape/format of the piece? Comments deeply desired.

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Some trial and error on the use of format. Comments welcome.

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This rewrite is trying to put what I 'think' I have learned to work. About the time I think "I've got it" I realized through others... Not quite Flo! But you getting closer.

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A little seasonal observation. Comments welcome.

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MY new poetry teacher has demanded an Ode! Out of respect, I do my duty. My first Ode... I do believe the famous are quaking in their graves as a new poet of Odes has cometh forth. Any any all feedback will most likely go unheeded as why bother with such talent. I am an ODist! Flo

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Prompted by an essay I read some time ago. Comments welcome.

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The scene is Grandpa and grown-up grandchild sitting on Grandpa's porch. They're playing a sing-song rhyming game they've played for more than twenty-five years. Then Grandma comes out and breaks it up. I would really like feedback on the ending. I had a devil of a time trying to bring this to a close. Once you read it, you'll know why. I'm open for any/all suggestions.

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While considering things spiritual I looked up the dates of origin of the religions of the world and the dates when variations on those religions occurred. Interesting stuff. I though about a poem which incorporated that information but after a couple pages I decided that it was boring as the Congressional Record. So this poem came to mind and it seemed to fit the existing title. Comments welcome.

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Writing on writing. Our narcissism knows no bounds. Comments welcome.

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Sometimes a whole lot of hard work doesn't pay off at all. Comments welcome.

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Something from the notebook, revised and updated. Comments welcome.

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I worked on the rhythm of this piece for some time. It's one of my faves, but I want the reader to tell me if I've hit the right note.

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Shout out of love and appreciation to a strong, beautiful woman in my life.

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A reflection on places and their differences, or perhaps how they are similar. Comments welcome.

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1st draft. All types of feedback welcome.

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This is an old poem that is based on an even older short story that I never got around to finishing. Comments welcome.

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All suggestions for improvement welcome.

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All suggestions for improvement welcome.

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Got tired of how political operatives make drama out of problems that could be solved much more quickly if they weren't always finding ways to preen and posture for the tv audience. Also tired of folks who nearly kill others on the highways as they fiddle with phones and other devices. What a curmudgeon I am! And this poem proves it.

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Fooling around with seemingly related words can take us to some more serious musings. Comments welcome.

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Odin Roark has written many poems about his experiences with city life in recent months. And as always with Odin's work one is prompted to some personal reflection. And my mental meanderings after reading his poems set me to thinking about some of the cities I have known and experienced. These three little poems are the result of that thinking. Thank you Odin. Comments welcome.

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Another experiment. Comments welcome.

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Written from the point of an inanimate object. I am posting this poem and another for my friends on here to give feedback as to which would be better to submit to an anthology of the Gulf Coast Writers' Association. I can submit 2 items, poetry or short story or a combination. Tell me what you think.

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I've always thought that abstract poetry, like abstract painting, could be tossed off easily and since the rules are so vague as to be non-existent, who could say what was good or bad. Then I started looking into the work of some poets who collaborated with abstract visual artists and discovered that I might have been making false conclusions without real knowledge. Finally I decided to write something, as I usually do. So after several periods of mind clearing meditation I plopped myself down in front of a painting by a guy named Kandinsky called On White2. This is the result. Comments are welcome.

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This piece is made up of four separate poems, all written at nearly the same time, connected in some mysterious way. I suppose. Comments are welcome.

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Years ago taverns up our way served "short beer", a seven ounce serving of whatever was the cheapest draught, usually Utica Club, Genesee Cream Ale or Ballantine. When I attained legal drinking age a "short" cost a quarter. Last time I found a place that served one it was three times that price. This poem has been in one of my notebooks for a long time though in a much different form. Comments welcome.

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I read poetry, poetic criticism and biographies of poets quite regularly. And it seems I might be lacking some of the "street cred" that many of the great poets earned during their childhood years. My pain, anguish and sad experiences came along later in life. Last week I was sitting near the river, enjoying a refreshing beverage or two, when this poem came to my mind. Comments are welcome.

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Cutting back the vegetation on a river bank is not for the timid or weak. Ha! Some thoughts and observations that came to me as I was doing the job. Comments welcome.

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A meditation of sorts. Somewhat of a fusion of two thought patterns. Comments welcome.

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I took a women's studies English course in college in the mid 70's. This poem is a recently tweaked oldie, based on textbook margin scribbles jotted while being lectured on Woolf, Plath and Sexton. I think of the words in italics as those of the professor(s). Needless to say, not a happy topic or poem. Rhythm and rhyming's not my usual style. Several lines are based on writings by these poets. All comments appreciated.

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This is poetry of awarness and over comming racial obstacels and difficulty. This again is a poem to wake up the readers mind and third eye to see things as they are. Only then can we have a real change.

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Among the full and part time homeless guys in our town one fellow stands out. He's a stoic, perservering man and he's an interesting conversationalist. Comments welcome.

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A couple of recent hikes sent me back to Mr. W. Whitman for some guidance. This is the poor result. Comments welcome.

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A fine poem by one of the finest and most thoughtful poets on the site inspired this little piece. Comments welcome.

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On this site and others there are times when it seems that a lot of folks want to try their hand at writing erotic material. I'm no exception, I suppose. But if we're honest we all realize most of it is less than stellar. Comments welcome.

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This is something of an exercise I attempted to diminish the old block thing. Comments welcome.

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Some days, old and wise ain't got nothin' on young and stupid. That's all I'm going to say about that. Comments appreciated.

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Authors, poets in particular, love to write about the process of, and reasons behind their writing obsession. I'm no different I suppose. This one is in that vein and was reworked several times until it evolved to what you see. Comments welcome.

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Disposing of trash has become quite a science these days. Here are my observations on the process. Comments welcome.

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Trying to read and understand some modern poets inspired this little poem. Comments welcome.

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This one is a birthday gift (a day late) for a lovely lady and most excellent author. It's an older poem that I felt good about after some revision. Which fits, I guess. Comments welcome.

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A little insomnia isn't all bad. Comments welcome.

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A natural observation. Comments always welcome.

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An older, un-posted poem that I reworked a little. Comments welcome.

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This one has been reworked a couple times and it seemed ready for a little exposure. Comments welcomed.

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This is another in a series of "coming of age" memoir pieces that I'm working on. Comments welcome.

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Some have been calling these things prosetry which is okay, but an unsettling sounding word. I tried this one with punctuation and that is unsettling to me as well. This might be a true story for the most part. It happened a long time ago. Comments welcome.

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Just having fun with a brief brainstorm. With apologies to the master poets. All thoughts and opinions are appreciated.

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Any feedback welcome...

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Any feedback welcome...

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Some recent readings on the progress of knowledge combined with a bit of introspective meandering have contributed to this little poem. Comments always welcome.

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A few weeks back I noticed that the playgrounds of a couple of our area parks were busier than usual on weekday mornings. I guess folks who would normally be working were not. Comments welcome.

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Some mildly spiritual musing as I thought about how great it would be if prayer was an immediate and viable solution to the maladies of life. And in some ways I suppose it is. Comments welcome.

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Just getting ready to be off the site for ten days or so and wanted to get this tribute poem posted. You all may recognize the tireless reviewer and writer that garners these lines of praise. Comments always welcome.

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A little stream of consciousness poem for today. Comments welcome.

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On this site there is a serious thinker and author who constantly challenges us to dig deep into the nature of humanity and the cosmos. He has given me many hours spent in the contemplation of these mysteries. This little poem is the shallow outcome of some of that heavy thinking. Thank you O.R. Comments welcome.

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This poem is part of series I'm working on that is exploring modern computer and communications technology. Sometimes looking at the absence of technology may help define its presence. Comments welcome.

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This is an older poem that I finally wrangled into some sort of shape last week. Comments welcome.

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A recent article in a magazine, an idea from Spargo and a comment from Odin combined to bring form to some loose ideas that were percolating in my mind. Thanks to all. Comments welcome.

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Most of the time I handle the laundry chores around our house. The modern way is good enough for me but once in a while I use a clothes line. Nostalgia, I guess.

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Something I noticed about birds today.

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"I read the news today, oh boy" Lennon & McCartney

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A little winter pondering. Comments welcome.

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This one started last fall and got finished next to the fire last week. Comments welcome.

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An observation of the season. This will probably be my last posting this year as we are heading for the cabin Christmas day. My very best wishes to all TNBW members for a Happy Holiday season. And a heartfelt thank you for your continuing kindness. jb

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A posting on the forums. An inspiration. Thank you FlowingPencil.

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Serious again here. A phrase that has been wiggling around my brain for some time got worked out in this poem Comments welcome.

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Clearing my head of cliches by passing them all on to you. Comments welcome.

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Sometimes as a senior citizen I'm questioned or chided about the effects of time on intimate aspects of life. Here is a retort, of sorts. Comments welcome.

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One from an older notebook, revised after some recent reading and study. Comments welcome.

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I wrote this as a somewhat whimsical view of writing poetry. Just looking for reactions. Thanks, Rick

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A pre-TNBW, many times re-worked, poem. Comments welcome.

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A first person story loosely based on reality. Did this in a memoir style, without dialogue. Comments welcome.

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A simple nature poem. Comments welcome.

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Mostly real. Comments welcome, as always.

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Just a couple of Haiku-style poems. I am not trying for an exact imitation, since English syllables do not really correspond to Japanese moras (or "on"). Just going for the "feel" of the Haiku.

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Not sure it works, these things rarely do for me. All comments welcome.

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I entered this poem in Poethood's Change of Scenery contest. It was one of three that I entered and we should find out the contest's winners and who will be published in the book that will come out of the contest next week. It is one of the longer poems I have written and, so far, the only sestina.

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In the long traditions of poetry rain has been an important device. It is the rare poet that has not done something with that all too natural phenomonon. Comments welcome.

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It's an old story. Comments welcome.

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Images from a recent poem from Sara Basrai combined with an observation I made on my walk earlier today. The result was this. Thank you Sara. Comments welcome.

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Early this year I heard a news report on CNN about a sentence carried out somewhere in the Middle East. Certain details seem to linger in my mind. Comments welcome.

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This is not a novel it will be a book of poetry. Spargo Postle and Sara Basrai are in the process of putting a poetry love story project together. All reviews for Sara's poems will be written by her and placed on the site by Spargo. All copyright for the individual poems written by each poet remains the copyright of the writer.

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I swear, this is the last memoir type poem for a good long while. Comments always welcome.

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Stuck in memoir mode at the moment. Be patient. Comments welcome.

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Seems like I'm exploring some memories lately in recent poems. Comments always welcome.

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Some memories seem to fly into consciousness on darker nights. Letting them loose is probably necessary but not usually a permanent solution. Comments welcome.

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On a recent morning I was sitting near the river with coffee in hand earnestly trying to study a book by Heidegger and these lines came into my head. Comments welcome.

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A couple weeks ago I ran into an old friend, a musician, playing in a small bar in a small town. He's quite an accomplished player and singer, though he never had more than regional success. He plays blues and rock with his current band but he can hold his own in many other genres. This poem is for him and, in a sense, about him.

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This not a novel - This is / will be a pocket book of poems. All and every feedback will be gratefully accepted.

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Quite a number of years ago I learned that some of the most relevant lessons of life can be found in the minds of those who have lived through a whole lot of years. And from those lessons come fodder for the work of a writer. This little poem tries to honor that principle. Comments welcome.

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A traditional theme I suppose. Comments welcome.

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All comments welcome. Feel free to read my other poems today so that you know where this one is coming from.

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Please read the intro to this in the body of the work. All comments are welcome.

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Just a bit of verse about the aggravation of writing

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Thirty plus years ago I worked a short time for a big university doing the purchasing of material for the chemistry department. It was an interesting job but the lunch "hours" were much more interesting. Comments welcome.

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A gentle (I hope) really bad poem with a politically pertinent (I hope again) question. The future, such as it may be, needs a move away from kneejerk political irrationalities of the past. I wish not to offend only to prod forward.

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A brief treatise on agoraphobia. tear it up please:)

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A late evening walk last fall prompted some notes that led to this little poem. Comments welcome, as always.

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A while back I took my mother up to her Golden Age club so she could play pinocle with her cronies. I hung around for a short time and learned a little bit. Comments welcome.

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Birds are feeding heavily now as they ready for their fall journey's. This observational poem takes note of that regular phenomena. Comments welcome.

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In a coffee shop a while back I overheard bits and pieces of a conversation between a young man and woman. Jotted some of it down and filled in the rest with conjecture. Sometimes I'm such a voyeur. Comments always welcome.

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The utility of some man made objects is really quite wonderful. Notes from a walk in the woods at night. Comments welcome.

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Two little poems inspired by recent days away from things. The first a Haiku, the second a little more free. Comments welcome.

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See the little paragraph at the start of the poem for information regarding my inspiration and intentions. Comments always welcome.

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Thanks to Mr. Harold Bloom poetry critic and author for this idea. He quite likely wouldn't like this little poem but that's okay. I sometimes disagree with him as well.

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Poem - All feedback is welcome

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Any and all

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A little return to a natural subject. Comments welcome as always.

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Putting honesty in what we write is probably the hardest part of the whole deal. Comments welcome.

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A few years ago my wife and I were looking for a house to buy. We visited this one and I made a couple of notes. We didn't buy the place but I did get this poem from it. Comments welcome.

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This poem was built, over a two month period, from some bits of overheard conversation and a re-reading of some essays by authors of the "Beat" era. Comments welcome.

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Self explanatory I suppose. Most today would call Lindsay a minor poet. Comments welcome.

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An effort to escape the writing doldrums. Comments welcome.

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Had a brief conversation with a hotel employee recently. He left me with this impression. Comments welcome.

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one from the notebook, only a couple years old. comments welcome.

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This one has existed in several versions, none posted here. This is the clumsily punctuated form. Biographical to a large degree. Any and all comments are welcome.

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I saw a sketch at a local sidewalk art sale some time ago and made some notes. This is the resulting poem. Comments welcome, as always.

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A whimsical look at the nature of time. Comments welcome.

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A few years ago I received a lovely edition of James Audubon's "Birds of North America". There are beautiful illustrations of many now extinct species as well as those that populate our world today. Comments welcome.

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I've had this one knocking around for a year or more. It seems like an appropriate time to get it out. Comments welcome.

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An observation on how a not so hot real time in history has become a recreational activity. No offense intended to RF participants, just a thought. Comments welcome.

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A small experience in a semi-wild place. Comments welcome.

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I'm not really happy with this as it feels self-serving and more than a little pompous so some constructive comments will be appreciated. Or let me know if I should just delete it entirely. Thanks.

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A little nature poem left over from last year that I've reworked several times. Comments welcome.

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What happens when we see something written in a forty plus year old notebook. Comments welcome.

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Correne Johnson, 18, is all the things most women never want to be: Overweight, illiterate and unloved. And she is being molested by her Aunts fiance. She uses her addiction to the Oprah Winfrey show and Oprah's TV wisdom's to challenge her Oppressor. These actions could either end her life or save her.

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Forgetting that humans have a place in the Natural World can be dangerous. Biblical cautions about stewardship may be more than out of date platitudes. But civility and harmony need to also be part of the balance that humans bring to that order. Those that would profit from nature must also be the strongest proponents of wise stewardship. Political posturing and unfounded shouting to secure long careers in powerful places is as dangerous as any disaster, natural or manmade.

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All feedback welcomed

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I recently came across in a large collection several poems dealing with the more mundane bodily functions and their products. So I decided to contribute to this sub-genre from an outdoors/nature perspective. Comments welcome.

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On a warm day not long ago I was fortunate enough to have this happen on my daily walk. Comments welcome.

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A passel of poems are percolating, partially penned but persistently petrified about being published. To pummel this poetic paradox I offer an interim observation which came easily hopefully freeing the blockade. All comments welcome.

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A commentary on reading poetry and criticism of the same. I think Mr. Logan would suffer apoplexy reading my scribblings. Some on this site he would find meritorious, but not many. All comments welcome.

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Observation on an April morning. An exercise to get me writing again. Comments welcome.

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This little poem has been percolating in one form or another for a couple of years. Easter seemed like an appropriate day for it to appear. Comments welcome.

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Some observations on this breezy Spring day. Comments welcome.

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Early this morning, before the anger set in, this little piece arrived. Maybe it was my mind receiving a gentle reminder. Comments welcome.

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Lots of really fine serious poetry on the site in recent days. Though I'm not a serious poet, in many ways, I offer this for your consideration. Comments welcome.

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For all you city dwellers "peepers" is a colloquial name for several species of frog that have a high pitched style of croaking. And of course we all know what bull frogs sound like. Comments welcome.

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A little lightness to start the week. Comments welcome.

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With special thanks to Sara B. for the last line of this simple poem. Comments welcome.

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Another springtime poem. Comments welcome.

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Everyone loves Spring. Some more than others. Comments welcome.

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Found an old textbook, History of Modern Philosophy, while cleaning out a closet. Spent some time chewing the fat with a couple of the boys while I waited for clothes to dry. They helped me with this little poem.

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Doing a little carpentry this weekend. Comments welcome.

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This is a bit of nostalgia about returning to my hometown in Massachuetts. It is the source of many of my stories and characters. I owe it a lot. This poem is something else that grew from there.

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She's been around for quite some time but I, in my plodding way, just found her. A true poet worthy of much finer tribute than this little verse.

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This arrived during a winter walk in the Brandywine Valley. Comments welcome.

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Hunting has long been a part of the American natural world. A whole lot of folks don't like it. I don't do it anymore. Comments welcome.

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This poem might be about a tree, but somehow I think not... Any comments are welcome. Thanks.

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This all transpired more than a year ago. This past fall I saw the same deer with a pure white patch of hide where her open wound had healed completely over. Comments welcome.

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A small tribute to TNBW. Comments welcome.

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This is a purging, a catharsis that I needed to do so that I can move on to other projects. Comments welcome but not necessary.

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A few warm days brought about these observations. Comments welcome.

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Some words written down is some sort of order. Comments welcome.

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Several recent posts on the site have dealt in a poetic way with the creative process. This is my minimalist take on the subject.

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Inspired by a comment on one of the site forums. Feedback welcome.

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A Haiku, or two, and something else entirely.

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Sometimes the forecast is wrong, but not this time. Two feet and rising here today. All comments welcome.

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Something of a sestet, sort of. On writing. Comments welcome.

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A January weather event inspired this one. Comments welcome.

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