NaPM April 2 2014

[milo]

Rules: Write a poem for national poetry month on the topic or form described. Each poem should appear as a separate reply to this thread. The goal is to, at the end of the month have written 30 poems for National Poetry Month.

Topic 1: Today's prompt comes from AJ (cidermaid). Take a children's game and either write a poem using that as the title or write a poem inspired by that (metaphor).
Form : any
Line requirements: 8 lines or more

Questions?

[ellajam]

double dutchin’ on the street
jumping to a steady beat
chanting names to keep in time
showing off our knack for rhyme
counting on our closest friends
to anchor down the turning ends
concentrate and watch the spin
timing’s vital to jump in
keep your pace until legs ache
change positions for a break
listen to your thumping heart
catch your breath and then restart

[milo]

double dutchin’ on the street
jumping to a steady beat
chanting names to keep in time
showing off our knack for rhyme
counting on our closest friends
to anchor down the turning ends
concentrate and watch the spin
timing’s vital to jump in
keep your pace until legs ache
change positions for a break
listen to your thumping heart
catch your breath and then restart

dammit! I was going to use double-dutch because of the sonics. now I need something else.

Nice job with it, btw. It was an enjoyable read.

[ellajam]

double dutchin’ on the street
jumping to a steady beat
chanting names to keep in time
showing off our knack for rhyme
counting on our closest friends
to anchor down the turning ends
concentrate and watch the spin
timing’s vital to jump in
keep your pace until legs ache
change positions for a break
listen to your thumping heart
catch your breath and then restart

dammit! I was going to use double-dutch because of the sonics. now I need something else.

Nice job with it, btw. It was an enjoyable read.

aw, go ahead and use it, others might be used twice too, and your's will surely be more "poetic".

[ChristopherSea]

Clueless

He had a W.C. Fields persona,
that same snide drawl; medals of honor
paradoxically embellished
his dress uniform.

Colonel Mustard’s war stories failed
to dazzle the widow Peacock. His triumph
in ruffling her tail feathers, pinned a smile
between his jowls and snout. With knife drawn,
he carved a corpulent slice
of mutton, turning his favor
to other delights.

Wandering into the ballroom,
pink knuckles clenching sandwich and scotch,
he bumped into the curvaceous Miss Scarlet.
Her dropped clutch purse coughed up a revolver
unnoticed, cloaked by his pot-roast belly
and her gravy-boat breasts.

Scarlet’s smile seduced
a drive home from an eager Colonel.
A playful shrug dismissed queries
about her escort, who was observed
drinking heavily all evening.

Come morning,
servants found Professor Plum
in the conservatory
under the rosebushes
with Mrs. Peacock,

both dead to the world.

[justcloudy]

Tree tag

She jumps from base to base
never leaving time for me.
I circle, on the lookout
for that perfect moment
to sweep in and claim
her for my own.

She wraps her arms around
their stolid frames,
looks back at me triumphant:
she won't be mine this time.

[shemthepenman]

kill the earwig...

kill the earwig
lil ke gilgig
ich bin gatgot

it's free!

mok the jabrig
nose de fratlig
pienkna bakrot

grand prix!

[milo]

kill the earwig...

kill the earwig
lil ke gilgig
ich bin gatgot

it's free!

mok the jabrig
nose de fratlig
pienkna bakrot

grand prix!

Hey shem! Great to see you playing along this year!

[Keith]

Mouse trap


Mmmm,
nice cheese said Mrs Mouse,
nibble nibble,
Mr Mouse said he agreed,
this for me is the place to be.

But wait, what’s that?
cranking of cogs and then a slap,
this shouldn't happen should it ?
that boot just kicked the bucket.
Look there!
a ball is coming down the stairs.
Stand back!
its racing down the track.
Oh it’ll be grand,
it’s stopped at the pole with the weird hands.
Wait a minute?
There’s a bath tub and a balls fell in it,
(Sorry I just farted, aww did you have too)
Yes! Because the ball has fallen through, (dramatic gasp)

Hello Mrs Mouse….erm hello, who’s that (she said from the corner of her mouth)
Hello Mr Mouse…..erm hello, no idea (he said from the corner of his mouth)
Why is he dressed like that?
Who me, I’m Dave the diver,
do you like my shorts
they only cost a fiver
I’d love to stay for a bit
but the balls about to hit
watch this for a random back flip;
Jeronimooooooo echo, echo , echo.
He landed with a splash (splash)
Its time we made a dash (which way)
we’ll never escape that falling trap (too late)

Well Mrs M; it looks like the end,
behind bars again( he takes her in his claws)
I’ll carry you through this darkest night,
take flight to fields of dimming lights,
to dance inside our delicate dreams.
And I too my lover
shall starve without your every breath,
among the scent of summer flowers,
to kiss with you in morning showers.

(ok you can put me down now, put me down they've gone)

Oook; well that was fun, what shall we do now,
We could eat the rest of this cheese
What do you think?
Yea, why not?
It would be rude not to I suppose,
Yea it would be rude.
Do you think we’ll ever get out of here?
I guess so.
Woa, can you feel that in your cheeks?
It's seriously strong cheese that is,
Oh yes I’m getting it too,
hee hee its making me smile
Ha ha I’ve got cheese sweats.

[Truerenigma]

Monopoly Man

My father never went to school, he played
his life just like a game. He always won
Monopoly by charming everyone
into accepting offers that were made
below the market value - then he paid
us off with kisses when the game was done.
Daddy would put the board up after fun -
never displayed, or bragged about his run
of fine hotels, or boardwalk barricade.

The first words that he taught us were "I can":
he knew the power of possibility;
an uneducated, modest businessman,
and yet we started sharp at six and three -
our father showed us how to understand
this life by teaching us Monopoly.

[milo]

Chinese Whispers

I hear your voice like Chinese Whispers in the grass -
the ghost of silence on the telephone.
Down at the churchyard mother shushes children, as they pass
I hear your voice. Like Chinese Whispers in the grass
you travel mouth to ear and ear to mouth at mass
like candles lit from candles. Now alone
I hear your voice. Like Chinese Whispers in the grass,
the ghost of silence on the telephone.

[Truerenigma]

Chinese Whispers

I hear your voice like Chinese Whispers in the grass -
the ghost of silence on the telephone.
Down at the churchyard mother shushes children, as they pass
I hear your voice. Like Chinese Whispers in the grass
you travel mouth to ear and ear to mouth at mass
or candles lit from candles. Now alone
I hear your voice. Like Chinese Whispers in the grass,
the ghost of silence on the telephone.

You've got ghosts stuck in your head this year, heh?

I know this is just a quick poem whipped up for NaPoM - but is it wrong to love it?

The sonics are fantastic, and to fit that ear to mouth candle to candle riff into such a short form as you did is superbly entertaining.

---

double dutchin’ on the street
jumping to a steady beat
chanting names to keep in time
showing off our knack for rhyme
counting on our closest friends
to anchor down the turning ends
concentrate and watch the spin
timing’s vital to jump in
keep your pace until legs ache
change positions for a break
listen to your thumping heart
catch your breath and then restart

This is a fun verse Marcella -nice rhythm, clever rhymes - I love the restart at the end.

[milo]

[quote='milo' pid='159542' dateline='1396489956']
Chinese Whispers

I hear your voice like Chinese Whispers in the grass -
the ghost of silence on the telephone.
Down at the churchyard mother shushes children, as they pass
I hear your voice. Like Chinese Whispers in the grass
you travel mouth to ear and ear to mouth at mass
or candles lit from candles. Now alone
I hear your voice. Like Chinese Whispers in the grass,
the ghost of silence on the telephone.

You've got ghosts stuck in your head this year, heh?

I know this is just a quick poem whipped up for NaPoM - but is it wrong to love it?

The sonics are fantastic, and to fit that ear to mouth candle to candle riff into such a short form as you did is superbly entertaining.

---

I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

---

Clueless

He had a W.C. Fields persona,
that same snide drawl; medals of honor
paradoxically embellished
his dress uniform.

Colonel Mustard’s war stories failed
to dazzle the widow Peacock. His triumph
in ruffling her tail feathers, pinned a smile
between his jowls and snout. With knife drawn,
he carved a corpulent slice
of mutton, turning his favor
to other delights.

Wandering into the ballroom,
pink knuckles clenching sandwich and scotch,
he bumped into the curvaceous Miss Scarlet.
Her dropped clutch purse coughed up a revolver
unnoticed, cloaked by his pot-roast belly
and her gravy-boat breasts.

Scarlet’s smile seduced
a drive home from an eager Colonel.
A playful shrug dismissed queries
about her escort, who was observed
drinking heavily all evening.

Come morning,
servants found Professor Plum
in the conservatory
under the rosebushes
with Mrs. Peacock,

both dead to the world.

Nice use of all the clue characters, chris. It's great to see you doing these.

---

Monopoly Man

My father never went to school, he played
his life just like a game. He always won
Monopoly by charming everyone
into accepting offers that were made
below the market value - then he paid
us off with kisses when the game was done.
Daddy would put the board up after fun -
never displayed, or bragged about his run
of fine hotels, or boardwalk barricade.

The first words that he taught us were "I can":
he knew the power of possibility;
an uneducated, modest businessman,
and yet we started sharp at six and three -
our father showed us how to understand
this life by teaching us Monopoly.

Love the elision on power. Monopoly is another one I was considering, glad you got to it first.

[cidermaid]

Kerplunk!
I draw another straw,
and one more unthawed rod
is dropped. It took me ages
to select and place my last chance.

Now it rolls
through your transparent plastic maize,
the lattice web you set.
Helpless, I meow and mew my protests;
the inevitable tumble sequence starts
and I lump thump in the wash
of victory in your eyes.

You simply rotate the numbered tray
and Arf arf a victory bark.
Your alignment was perfect,
one last marble chugga – choogas
down the tracks of your trap.
Not once did you touch
without being fully committed.

Kerplunk! I’ve lost my mind to you again.

[ChristopherSea]

[quote='milo' pid='159542' dateline='1396489956']

[quote='ChristopherSea' pid='159522' dateline='1396468188']
Clueless

He had a W.C. Fields persona,
that same snide drawl; medals of honor
paradoxically embellished
his dress uniform.

Colonel Mustard’s war stories failed
to dazzle the widow Peacock. His triumph
in ruffling her tail feathers, pinned a smile
between his jowls and snout. With knife drawn,
he carved a corpulent slice
of mutton, turning his favor
to other delights.

Wandering into the ballroom,
pink knuckles clenching sandwich and scotch,
he bumped into the curvaceous Miss Scarlet.
Her dropped clutch purse coughed up a revolver
unnoticed, cloaked by his pot-roast belly
and her gravy-boat breasts.

Scarlet’s smile seduced
a drive home from an eager Colonel.
A playful shrug dismissed queries
about her escort, who was observed
drinking heavily all evening.

Come morning,
servants found Professor Plum
in the conservatory
under the rosebushes
with Mrs. Peacock,

both dead to the world.

Nice use of all the clue characters, chris. It's great to see you doing these.

Thanks for the encouragement milo. I am having a great deal of fun with the challenge. It is a busy month at work and I am sure that I will be derailed from an upcoming metered form. Nonetheless, I will try as many as possible. I am highly motivated to do so for the love of poetry, as a demonstration of my appreciation to the site, its membership, moderators and everything they have brought to me.

---

Tree tag

She jumps from base to base
never leaving time for me.
I circle, on the lookout
for that perfect moment
to sweep in and claim
her for my own.

She wraps her arms around
their stolid frames,
looks back at me triumphant:
she won't be mine this time.

Oh yes, we played a version of this called 'base-runner'. I like the tree hugging aspect of your version.

---

Monopoly Man

My father never went to school, he played
his life just like a game. He always won
Monopoly by charming everyone
into accepting offers that were made
below the market value - then he paid
us off with kisses when the game was done.
Daddy would put the board up after fun -
never displayed, or bragged about his run
of fine hotels, or boardwalk barricade.

The first words that he taught us were "I can":
he knew the power of possibility;
an uneducated, modest businessman,
and yet we started sharp at six and three -
our father showed us how to understand
this life by teaching us Monopoly.

I still love the classic game. We always vacationed in Ocean City and frequented Atlantic City. The board is a familiar reminder. You have a bittersweet take herein. Although a dentist, my Dad did a lot of real estate speculation and investment. He almost always won Monopoly too. Thank you for reminding me of him.

[Erthona]

We All Fall Down

Ring around the rosie,
people full of sores,
I count five dead,
can you count more?
Ashes, ashes
falling, falling down,
Ashes, ashes
we’re all underground!

[jdvanwijk]

I'm a bit slow, and most of my attempts end up rather silly and/or cringeworthy, but it feels good to be writing again!

Spit

Not until my very late teens
did I reach the other side of the road.
(I'd fireball-flick a shining gob from the hand
to get it past my feet, though this got you banned
from tournaments). I did know some heavy spitters
in my day: Johnny-next-door could blast
any bird off any roof you would point at.
And mighty Kevin, with a single load,
could easily soak a medium-sized retriever;
he's a banker now, and has thirteen kids.

[ellajam]

I'm a bit slow, and most of my attempts end up rather silly, but it feels good to be writing again!

Spit

Not until my very late teens
did I manage to reach the other side of the road.
(I'd fireball-flick a shining gob from the fingers
to get it past my feet, though this got you banned
from tournaments). But I did know some heavy spitters
in my day. Johnny next door could blast
any bird off any roof you would point at.
And mighty Kevin, with a single load,
could easily soak a medium-sized retriever;
he's a banker now, and has thirteen kids.

Boys

---

We All Fall Down

Ring around the rosie,
people full of sores,
I count five dead,
can you count more?
Ashes, ashes
falling, falling down,
Ashes, ashes
we’re all underground!

I know! they still teach it in pre-school, I saw a two-year-old do it the other day, creepy.

---

Tree tag

She jumps from base to base
never leaving time for me.
I circle, on the lookout
for that perfect moment
to sweep in and claim
her for my own.

She wraps her arms around
their stolid frames,
looks back at me triumphant:
she won't be mine this time.

I love how this moment translates so well into adult life.

[Mopkins]

Jigsaw


I may well be a puzzle to you
a boxful of bits that need sorting
before you get to see the full picture.

You won’t know who I am
until you’ve seen every part of me
and put it in the proper place.

I wonder if you’ve got the patience
to work me out.




I'm cheating - this is an old one I've just edited, but it fits the topic I think.

[ellajam]

double dutchin’ on the street
jumping to a steady beat
chanting names to keep in time
showing off our knack for rhyme
counting on our closest friends
to anchor down the turning ends
concentrate and watch the spin
timing’s vital to jump in
keep your pace until legs ache
change positions for a break
listen to your thumping heart
catch your breath and then restart

While I read this I felt a childlike bounce in your meter to accompany the topic. Beautifully done.

Thanks, it was a fun prompt. Feel free to jump right into NaPM, the ropes are turning.