Tag Archives: silly poem

An Elegy to the Ravelled Sleeve for NaPoWriMo 2024, Day 29

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The prompt for NaPoWriMo was to write a poem making use of one of ten words from Taylor Swift lyrics. Once again given to excess, I’ve written a poem making use of them all.  Here are the words: Cardigan, elegy, Mercurial, antithetical, albatross, self-effacing, altruism, incandescent, Machiavellian, clandestine.


An Elegy to The Ravelled Sleeve

Here’s an elegy from this bard again,
to my worn-out cardigan.
It’s challenged in its warp and weave,
unravelling about the sleeve,
and yet I wear it, nearly neckless,
causing folks to call me feckless.
I persist in my rebellion,
feeling slightly Machiavellian.
The opposite of narcissism
is my act of altruism
as I decide that it is better
to donate money for a sweater
to my local homeless shelter
so someone lacking clothes that swelter
can thereby don and thus bedeck
an albatross around their neck!
Self-effacing to the end,
perhaps I’ll start another trend
by donning daily my sweater’s dregs
instead of slit-pants on my legs.
Antithetical to current fashion,
clandestine in my garment passion,
Mercurial and incandescent,
my  mood purely effervescent,
I’ll stride down the street with glee,
my favorite sweater surrounding me!

(My apologies to Mr. Shakespeare!  )

Showing Up Late for Happy Hour at the Corner Cantina, For SOCS Apr 27, 2024

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Showing Up Late for Happy Hour at the Corner Cantina

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Showing Up Late for Happy Hour at the Corner Cantina

I’m late because of accidents and countless little slips
like toothpaste down my shirt front, hair caught in my zips
and a seat belt that was caught and wouldn’t span my hips.

So bring out all your arsenal—your bludgeons and your whips.
I deserve your censure, your curses and your yips.
Perhaps it is my fault that you’re in tequila’s grips!

By looking at the tablecloth and counting all the drips,
It seems that all the salsa’s not contacting your lips,
and all your margaritas aren’t winding up as sips.

I’m making the assumption you might need more chips,
and more salsa fresca and guacamole dips,
which means our busy waiter must make some extra trips.

He doesn’t seem amused by all your clever quips
which increase with the frequency of your little nips,
so I’m hoping the aforementioned will earn him larger tips!

For SOCS: The prompt word is “Show”

Cold Comfort, for NaPoWriMo 2024, Day 9

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Click on Photos to Enlarge.

Cold Comfort

This thermal cup was different. Things stayed cold all night through.
I liked the one that I had first, so then I bought a few.
Four cups grew to six and then finally to eight.
When I misplaced one of them, it always had a mate
waiting in my kitchen drawer, or  three or four or five.
There were always one or two remaining in their hive
when one was left out in my car, the other by my bed,
another in some restaurant  where I had been fed.

One loaned to a friend and one gone to who knows where?
Yet almost everywhere I looked, there was at least one there.
Each time I went to Walmart, I bought all that were left.
When they were discontinued, you can bet I felt bereft.
Now I’m down to six of them from ten that I have bought,
so I need to keep good track of  them—(all of them I’ve got.)
Precious dear containers that keep my ice intact—
my most dear possessions? Yes. It is a fact!!!!

 

NaPoWriMo, Day 9: Write a poem celebrating an everyday object.

“Python Pariah” for The Sunday Whirl Wordle 649, Apr 7, 2024

Python Pariah

The root of all his problems is a bad mood he can’t shake.
Spooning with a garden hose?  A horrible mistake!
Returning now to his old den is not within the cards.
Too humiliating to face his former pards.

Outside it is both cold and wet and ice stands up in slivers.
It’s the sort of weather that can give a snake the shivers. 
Hard to move through ice and snow with neither arm nor limb
and all those constellations of shards of ice on him.

He’s gobbled down a lizard and nibbled on a squirrel,
then lay rigid on the platform until ready to unfurl.
He negotiated train tracks after descending a stair.
Zipped right down the train aisle without paying his fare.

Slipped into the baggage room and curled up in a coil,
rocking with the movement as the train began to roil.
He then passed a dreary spell while digesting his food.
It’s hard to enjoy traveling when in an iffy mood.

When he is finished shivering, then he begins to cough.
He knows not his destination, knows not where he’ll get off.
He only asks that it is warm with places he can hide
and curl up somewhere safe with a real girl snake at his side!

 

The Sunday Whirl Wordle 649 prompt words are: nibbles slithers spoon platform shards root constellations limbs dreary spell shake wet

Three Things Challenge: Wild Oats

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Wild Oats

Pardon me if I refuse to honor your excuse
that your cold has made you into a recluse.
I won’t relieve your conscience for I know that it’s a lie.
I know because that day I just happened to come by.
I saw her car outside your door and saw her going in
with some kind of casserole and a fifth of gin.
So I know you missed my party because you had your own,
and by now your wild oats no doubt have been well sown.
So I’ll just say if there’s a chance you’d like to sow some more,
It’s best that you don’t lug your seed sack to my door!!!!!

 

The Three words for the Three Things Challenge are:PARDON EXCUSE RELIEVE

Crazy Shirley Gives a Ted Talk for NaPoWriMo

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For NaPoWriMo Day Three :surreal poem. jdb image

Tummy, Dear–For NaPoWriMo Day 2, 2024

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Version 2

Tummy, Dear:

Stomach, darling, first of all I’d like to tell you how indispensable you are.  Literally, you are irreplaceable in my life.  Aside from digesting my food, you separate my waist from my chest and keep my belts from straying.  You warn me about absolutely revolting subjects as well as food and are handy for nudging ahead in tight crowds.

That said, I need to bring up one large touchy matter.  For all the good you do in this world, do you need to be quite so large?  Lately, for instance, I’ve watched you extending your territory–venturing out into one plump donut extending around my back.  This makes looking at my rear view in the mirror extremely distressing.  “I never look at myself in back,” one friend told me years ago, but darling, that had been evident for years–testified to by the tight snarl of hair in the middle of her head.

But I digress.  You’re  awfully quiet.  I’m a bit worried that I might have offended.  But, the topic of magnitude of sound being brought up, I’ll continue.  Were you aware that you have taken to communicating with me at inopportune times?  A small growl after midnight to remind me of today’s brownies hiding in their microwave storage space safe from ants and marauding family members and friends?  That’s fine…and probably the real reason you were given a voice in the first place. But that long low rumble increasing in volume in the middle of the significant pause in the dialogue of the movie playing in a hushed movie theater?  Totally unacceptable. Other times your voice is uncalled for?  At the dentist’s office and in the throes of a long passionate kiss.  In teachers’ conferences and at ladies bridge afternoons.  No. No. No.  You are not invited in this capacity.  Yes, digest the margarita, the popcorn or the rich dessert.  Comment upon it? No.

That’s it, dear stomach.  I appreciate you. I know you are vital to my health and happiness.  You provide me with countless pleasures–those pleasures increasing with the years.  But, sweet middle of mine, if you could see your way clear to not increasing at a rate commensurate with my pleasures, I would appreciate it very much.  Oh.  Talking again, I see.  And probably not listening.  Oh well.  I hear your message loud and clear.  A pint of triple chocolate extra fudge gelato in the freezer?  Well, honey, this time you are speaking my language.  No one is around.  And it is totally acceptable!

Love, Judy

The NaPoWriMo prompt Day 2 is to write a platonic love poem in the form of a letter. In other words, a poem not about a romantic partner, but some other kind of love – your love for your sister, or a friend, or even your love for a really good Chicago deep dish pizza. The poem should be written directly to the object of your affections and should describe at least three memories of you engaging with that person/thing.

April Fool

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“The Fool Doth Think He Is Wise”

April Fool

The April breeze comes in a wave,
loosening words I’d like to save.
I’m afraid if I use them today,
I’ll simply throw the words away.
I’ve been keeping them around
for when I’m feeling more profound,
but errant winds have tossed them so
I feel I have to let them go.
Here they are, all madly sprawled
across a page they should have crawled
ornate and planned, all neatly sown.
Instead, they’re scattered where they’ve been blown.

 

“What a Turtle Has and Hasn’t” for Wordle 648, Mar 31, 2024

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What a Turtle Has and Hasn’t

It’s true that turtles can make do
with fewer bones than mortals do,
for all the bones that they may lack
are compensated by their back
which curves skyward and then back down
to form a solid armored gown.

They spill no blood, pray not for healing
with such protection  for their ceiling.
Thus does creation seed the waters
with its tough-shelled  sons and daughters,
for though they may lack fins and gills,
they can overcome these ills.

If, perchance, you’re given to wonder
how a turtle breathes when under
water for up to an hour,
it simply executes its power
to hold its breath instead of breathing,
and when it comes to turtles teething,

instead of teeth, they have a beak,
(although it’s ill-advised to peek
inside a turtle’s mouth for proof)
its mouth is toothless, jaw and roof.
Please leave turtles their private places––
whether under shell or in their faces.

Consider sacred what God hath wrought,
instead of thinking of what they’re not!

 

I am so happy to have an excuse to use this photo of a turtle that I snapped last week! 
Thanks for this fortunate prompt!!!! For the Sunday Whirl Wordle 648 the prompt words are: creation seeds waters blood breathe turtle sacred bones curve sky pray heal

Hot Tomatoes!!! for RDP

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Hot Tomatoes!!!

Cut them, slice them,
Chop then, dice them.
No matter that tomato’s fate,
alas, I must admit I hate
to put my teeth in it at all.
I just can’t stand that juicy ball!

But, sauce and squeeze it,
pasta, cheese it?
I’m tomato’s biggest fan.
And ketchup? Man o man o man!

On fries or burgers, it’s the best.
Can’t get enough of its red zest.
Which goes to prove, whate’er the cost,
tomatoes just taste better squashed.

For RDP:Tomatoes