NaPM April 9 2015

[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 9: Write a poem inspired by a game.
Form : any
Line requirements: 8 lines or more

Questions?

[just mercedes]

Pawn to Queen 4
 
 
 
I started trading patterns in the game of war
with Dad’s friend Casey, a Dutch migrant.
I liked to use his moves back at him, and won
with his best set piece that used three pawns
for centreboard control. His chess club met
at the pine plantation club-house Tuesday nights
to play timed and graded games. I made them
pots of tea and coffee, quietly set out crockery,
cookies, sometimes cake, and washed up. Then
 I practiced with old Mr Weiss, who drew me
great detailed influence maps of all the pieces
including overlays of coloured intersections.
He taught me to think differently. I saw his maps
again, years later, in paintings by Paul Klee.
 
 
 
 

[billy]

maMPy aPRil ninie that's a big niner. 2015.

It Depends what you Mean

In genral games on boards and I
do not mix well; they make me sigh
In Cludo I've no clue to who
should murder someone with a shoe.
Monopoly is much the same
it seems I just can't play the game,
and so it goes when asked to play
I always think please go away.

Obversly playing games of love
I'm often found stretched out above
with metaphoric hand in glove
I'll give my partners slot a shove.
If comming first denotes the win?
Then count on me cos i'm all in.

[milo]

In Cludo I've no clue to who
should murder someone with a shoe.

love it!

[rayheinrich]

                               
                                < lip 1 to lip 2 >
                               
                                  lip 1 to lip 2
                                  lip 2 to lip 1
                               
                                tongue 1 to mouth 2
                                hand 2 to breast 1
                                hand 1 to crotch 2
                                finger 2 to clit 1
                                hand 1 to dick 2
                                hand 2 to bra 1
                                breast 1 to breast 2
                                mouth 1 to dick 2
                                tongue 2 to clit 1
                               
                                  lip 1 to lip 2
                                  lip 2 to lip 1
                               
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                               
                                  lip 2 to lip 1
                                  lip 1 to lip 2

                                        - - -

[Tiger the Lion]

                               
                                < lip 1 to lip 2 >
                               
                                  lip 1 to lip 2
                                  lip 2 to lip 1
                               
                                tongue 1 to mouth 2
                                hand 2 to breast 1
                                hand 1 to crotch 2
                                finger 2 to clit 1
                                hand 1 to dick 2
                                hand 2 to bra 1
                                breast 1 to breast 2
                                mouth 1 to dick 2
                                tongue 2 to clit 1
                               
                                  lip 1 to lip 2
                                  lip 2 to lip 1
                               
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                                dick 2 to vagina 1
                                vagina 1 to dick 2
                               
                                  lip 2 to lip 1
                                  lip 1 to lip 2

                                        - - -

Cigarette to lip 3. I almost didn't want it to end!! - but the finish was nice. 

[rayheinrich]

...
                                  lip 2 to lip 1
                                  lip 1 to lip 2

Cigarette to lip 3. I almost didn't want it to end!! - but the finish was nice. 

"Every good fuck ends with a kiss." - Susan Bailey

[Erthona]

Take a Ride on the Reading

I always took the race car,
you the dog.
Nobody ever wanted the hat.
What a remarkably stupid
game piece that was.
As we always started with
much more money than the game said,
the outcome was assured
within a few rounds of the board.
Toot, toot!
It was just a Short Line
between winning and bankruptcy.
Five hundred dollars was a lot of money
for just landing on free parking.
The rules?
Oh, we lost them years ago.

Erthona

©2015

[Todd]

Last Words
 
It was enough that you would cover
my eyes with a plum handkerchief,
but to place this filtered twig
of a cigarette to my lips—
how like this generation.
You are all a blighted forest 
begging for the axe. 
 
Life should be more than a car loaded down
with wife and brats. I would not be reduced
to a peg stuck in such a tiny hole.  I saw 
the world’s four corners, and wouldn’t have
my steps counted out for me.
 
There was war college or naval academy—
Burma or Battleship. I was a Stratego
with the commanders in their tents,
but war without Risk is for politicians.
I mustered out as a colonel, and took home
more than medals. An Operation
on this wrenched ankle makes me gimp
along like a hunchback from the talkies,
my nose now red ever since
from cognac and long winters.
 
If I am to be shot, professor,
with my own Browning,
then it will be seated as a gentleman
in this wingback leather chair.
You can pour me a drink first,
while I roll a proper smoke.

[milo]

Last Words

 
It was enough that you would cover
my eyes with a plum handkerchief,
but to place this filtered twig
of a cigarette to my lips—
how like this generation.
You are all a blighted forest 
begging for the axe. 
 
Life should be more than a car loaded down
with wife and brats. I would not be reduced
to a peg stuck in such a tiny hole.  I saw 
the world’s four corners, and wouldn’t have
my steps counted out for me.
 
There was war college or naval academy—
Burma or Battleship. I was a Stragego
with the commanders in their tents,
but war without Risk is for politicians.
I mustered out as a colonel, and took home
more than medals. An Operation
on this wrenched ankle makes me gimp
along like a hunchback from the talkies,
my nose now red ever since
from cognac and long winters.
 
If I am to be shot, professor,
with my own Browning.
Then it will be seated as a gentleman
in this wingback leather chair.
You can pour me a drink first,
while I roll a proper smoke.

Stratego?

[Todd]

oops fixed (thanks milo)

[Tiger the Lion]

Risk

 
It starts with a roll of weighted dice.
High roller gets to strike first—
a huge advantage when
aggression usually wins the day.
 
Next, we choose colours:
I always pick yellow.
I find it least conspicuous;
you can hide your little yellow men
all kinds of places
before they even come looking for you.
 
You’re dead if you wanna to be red.
You only gotta have a handful
of little red men in Central America
before they go spilling into the gulf
and you stick out
like a smashed thumb the size of a Cohiba.
 
Anyway, if you ask me
the colour shouldn’t matter, provided you play hard.
 
The best trick is don’t forget
who’s holding the cards.
Even when they're weak and seemingly scattered,
they may be a big, big problem later.
You’ll need to take them out completely
if you want the spoils—
so find a solution.
 
If you’re playing with a trusted friend,
remember he’ll turn too
when it’s rendered down to him or you.
So never take his word.
He’ll remind you it’s only a game,
right before the Coup de grace,
but this is not the time for nostalgia.
 
Finally:
Protect the board!
Nail it to ground if you must.
You never know when some sore loser
with little green men is gonna flip it upside-down,
toppling all your little plastic dreams
of domination.
 
 
***   “It is doubtful whether our soldiers would be maintained if there were not pacific people at home who like to fancy themselves soldiers. War, like other dramatic spectacles, might possibly cease for want of a “public”“ – George Eliot from Mill on the Floss

[ellajam]

I Think I've Lost Mine

colors roll
click
head to ground
sightlines

colors roll
click
click click
scoop 'em up

smooth hard cold
click
colors roll

[milo]

The Fox and the Weasel an Aesop's Fable


A weasel, thin as a stubborn weed, went
To Fox to beg for just one loaf of bread
To get him through hard times, but fat Fox said,
“I’ve scarce enough for one and not a cent
To spare. Although, I know a store with bent
Bars on the windows. I’d go, but my round head
Would catch, though you could pass if you consent."

When they arrived the skinny weasel passed
Right through the bars to find a storehouse loaded
With grains and meats.  He gorged and only stopped
When fox cried, “you’re too fat you’ll need to fast!
You can’t fit through those bent bars bloated!”
Instead the weasel ate until he popped.

[cidermaid]

Rainbow ducks bob in the bath,
fishing rods are poised.
The decks are covered in suds
and water a shade of turquoise;
it’s a record time for shedding clothes,
the first wave has just been chucked.
So begins the next episode
of deadliest catch (of ducks)

Not very proud of this one this one ...but is all I’ve got – (sound effect of raspberry being blown)

[Keith]

Body-building

Sweaty hands shovel tea time peas
to be excused, to be set free
straining on a summers leash
playing out on quiet streets.

British bulldog one, two, three,
tackled hard below the knees.
Queenie eye-o-co co
who's got the ball y-o-co co.  
Farmer, farmer has a turnip patch
allowed to pass if the colours match.
Under army, off-ground tick,
hide and seek, run till your sick.
Speak with a  Wolf in childish rhyme,
ready to run when its dinner time.

---

Last Words
 
It was enough that you would cover
my eyes with a plum handkerchief,
but to place this filtered twig
of a cigarette to my lips—
how like this generation.
You are all a blighted forest 
begging for the axe. 
 
Life should be more than a car loaded down
with wife and brats. I would not be reduced
to a peg stuck in such a tiny hole.  I saw 
the world’s four corners, and wouldn’t have
my steps counted out for me.
 
There was war college or naval academy—
Burma or Battleship. I was a Stratego
with the commanders in their tents,
but war without Risk is for politicians.
I mustered out as a colonel, and took home
more than medals. An Operation
on this wrenched ankle makes me gimp
along like a hunchback from the talkies,
my nose now red ever since
from cognac and long winters.
 
If I am to be shot, professor,
with my own Browning,
then it will be seated as a gentleman
in this wingback leather chair.
You can pour me a drink first,
while I roll a proper smoke.

Very clever Todd Cluedo, battleships, operation I must have missed some but I enjoyed this one very much.

[jasmine.m.wardiya]

They call it Memory
but they start face down:
random, telling nothing
of the pictures they wear.

Nothing at all
and yet I'm supposed to recall.
Recall what? The shadows
the carpet sees?
I'm a carpet - not;
I have eyes
and the carpet none

and even if it did,
how is that recall?
My reasoning begs for a quick peek first
before I guess.

Otherwise, this is just a move of luck.

[Todd]

This prompt was a lot of fun. Ray's poem probably represents a game with that we cam return to again and again. Like Dale's poem one in which we've probably lost the rules to years ago. Irreverent, unexpected and fun. In some ways Ray out Billyed billy.

This was one of the days where the poems were laid out like the autism spectrum. We went everywhere. If you didn't know the prompt you wouldn't put it all together like this. It was a cool mix.