We are not all successful business people,
We are not all rolling in discretionary funds,
We are not all the most exquisite writers the world has ever seen,
We are not G*d's guift to mankind,
We are not the most compassionate of poets.
We are not the most empathetic humanists, either.

But being a diverse and resourceful lot
We have found each other here on this new medium,
Perhaps to find out who we really are,
To explore poetic minds and hearts
And maybe, offer some amusement,
Or perhaps, even be amused.

All, can not be pleased all the time...
We can not all be titillated by the words of strangers,
This is not Playland, nor Six Flags, nor Disney World.
This is the Brave New World,
This is a Think Tank of poetic muster,
A Happening, in quiet expectation.

Yet the Rubicon of oblivion awaits all of us,
A few keystrokes and we age gone,
To sulk, to distance oneself from rough hewn cohorts,
Because this ain't cool enough for the coolest,
Exclusive enough for some posh mind,
Or maybe not poetic enough...

One can only suggest that we should see...
Tone along with color and character along with looks;
Spirituality along with dogma and culture along with origin.
It is a small world, and getting smaller.
And if Genius can't stand its brothers,
There is no song we can sing...

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It was there when the first settlers cut
the old trail we now call Bedford Road;
Then perhaps just a sprig besides the rut
that buckboards, carriages and Conestoga erode.

Bundled travelers needing a warm bath
shuffled by through drifts of blizzard white,
not noticing the oak back a bit off the path,
a future famous tree awaiting Summer's light.

Barely noticed for hundreds of years,
it was just another tree, and no one's care.
Then, cars and trucks going through the gears
replaced the teams of gelding and mare.

Broad porches and lawns of urban delight,
picket fences; baby buggy brigade!
By the library, Great Oak Lane turn right,
under cool shade from a canopy of jade...

Little wonder about its ultimate demise.
To blizzards and storms impervious, it seemed.
Through nature's wrath and man's destructive guise;
a future bright, immortality surely deemed...

But, in Fall of Ninety Nine there came a day....
with wind and rain from morning 'til night.
In all, about thirteen inches, they say:
El Nino's effect and a hurricane's blight,

brought traffic to a halt with disbelief.
How and why it could possibly happen?
Men with chain saws praying for relief
dismembered its remains to thunder's clappin'...

Sadly, a symbol of life's strength is now gone,
and what it would take to fill that void,
are three or four, long- millennium's dawn,
'cause the might oak fell...
to a mere moment - named Floyd.

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Psychological Sonnet - by Paul Stuart Nachbar

Who on this earth has not his dirty laundry?
Who is to say that mine's beyond compare?
I find myself befuddled, in a quandry
And think of sins which are and aren't there.
For yesterday I had put on a dress shirt
Despite this May's precocious summer's heat
I couldn't find a single blasted T-shirt!
And all could see I'd sunk to dark defeat;
For I was far too lazy with my laundry
Which rises like the Alps beyond my bed-
I think today I'll wash some of this mountain
Or maybe I shall take a nap instead...?
Perhaps it's such with every human madness
The line is thin between the joy and sadness.

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Billy Bob - by Larry Gowdy

Billy Bob is a new employee, 
He had special Army training you know. 
He can spout dogmas insanely, 
He can flex his one long eyebrow just so, 
He thinks telephones run on 120 volts AC. 

Billy Bob is an Army specialist, 
He thinks tripping breakers will fix anything. 
At new construction with wires in a rat's nest, 
He flips breakers while believing it will make the telephone ring. 
Boom! Billy Bob pauses as sparks rain like a mist. 

Billy Bob is college educated you know. 
He has the wrong answer to everything you could imagine, 
He's just as smart as Larry, Curly, and Moe. 
Billy Bob's breath could fuel an engine, 
Vroom! He makes our faces emit a green glow. 

All the color codes he holds in his mind's hollow pit, 
Billy Bob is an electronics expert rare to find, 
Being color blind doesn't phase him a bit. 
Billy Bob is subdued of mind... 
Even huge blunders don't make him say "Oh spit!". 

Billy Bob is a helper I did not seek, 
For every day he pretends to work, 
I get further behind by a week. 
Tomorrow again he will stand and lurk, 
Not even smart enough to be called a geek. 

Billy Bob is college educated to a Ph.D., 
Billy Bob's diploma we all got to see. 
Billy Bob was Army trained to be all he could be, 
Billy Bob doesn't think 300 yards possible for a .223, 
Billy Bob is our new employee. 

Weeee!

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Love Could Not Find A Better Portal - by James DiVietri

There is something the other knows 
That keeps the other going 
Pumps the other up 
Brings life from decay of mind 
Heals and anoints us with what we have received 
From each other--and more.

Love could not find a better portal 
To give me the truth of itself than you 
To express that in words is a task 
That only the silhouette of emotions 
Through my poems can address 
As one drop of water into an ocean 
The ocean is love and we're adding to it.

We are love if we want to be 
The ocean sings, we hear and answer 
Then there is harmony 
As our fragrances become one with its mist 
As our drop in the ocean Becomes one with love.

 

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OF THE GLORIOUS RACE BETWEEN THE TACHYON AND THE TORTOISE AND IT’S SURPRISING CONCLUSION

It was decided in the Tortoise Court
That in the interests of Royal Sport
There should be held a Noble Race
Among the many youngsters of the Place
To see, or put the knowledge to the test
Who of all the generation was the best.

It was decided in the Tortoise Court
That in the interests of Royal Sport
The winner of this competition
Would reap all honors of Tradition
And is his character held true
Would serve to lead the young ones too.

Five million turtles they competed
And most, alas, were just defeated
Though, I would say, despite some rumor
That gain and loss were met with humor;
At last, two tortoises remained
Of all who had to Virtue pained.

The first was John, and most expected
Quite famous in the tortoise places
And one almost always elected
By all the smiles on tortoise faces
Though some who’d known him from his school
Had rumored that he could be cruel.

The second well, was just a lad
By some thought “good”, by   others “bad”
By most just lazy in the battle
To divvy up the tortoise chattel:
But he was second in these races
Despite his past of mild disgraces.

Well, judges they are human too
Though each will have a point of view:
You couldn’t just disqualify
This young one who had gotten by...
Despite his lack of tortoise dues
Besides - of course - he’d simple lose...

“What is your name?”  inquired a Judge
“It sounds..well...somewhat different...”
The tortoise said, with just a smudge
Upon his face, “They call me Tachyon sir”;
“The name is odd, son -what does it mean?”
“Well nothing you or I have seen-“
And then p erceiving the displeasure
Upon the older turtles features:
“A nickname sir, when I was small
And meaning nothing much at all.”

With pomp and with much circumstance
The Noble Course was soon decided-
From Mexico to Southern France
And all God’s creatures were invited-
And lest this course should fairness lack
The tortoises would race right back.
A thousand million creatures then
Bought tickets for this chance of chances
What man would be the better man?
Along the route, there would be dances,
Fireworks, carnivals, and buffet dinners
For all who’d guess at future winners.

Till finally things were simply started
Both turtles waiting in their places
For signals of the fiery kind
Which oft begin such Noble Races:
“Say, friend,” said John, “you might make France,
Beyond that you don’t stand a chance!”
“I know” smiled Tachyon, “I might lose:
Somehow in life one pays one’s dues!
It’s clear that you’ve done very   well-
Perhaps I need a bit of hell?
So go on fella, I will follow
And somehow my sad pride will swallow.”

At hearing this, John simply smiled
Then turned to humor somewhat mild:
“They said to me that you were mad
And though I thought this fairly sad
I said here goes an easy race
And I shalt leave thee in disgrace!”

But seeing then as folks do lie
You are a fairly pleasant guy:
Yes, you will lose - yes you do know.
I think I might even go slow
Or perhaps in victory be gentle-
Odd that I’m this time sentimental!”

The race was on, the tortoises
Crawled, ran, hop, swam, leapt unerring
All this time just filled with daring:
John ahead, by several places
Sometimes Tachyon, by the same
For both of them, a simple game.

“Hey Tachyon” cried the further tortoise
In a soon-familiar chorus:
“You look quite sick, are you all right?
I’ll beat you easily this night!!
It isn’t that I really care-
But sometimes you don’t seem quite there.”

“Oh John, you are , well, quite perceptive
I don’t intend to be deceptive
But will tell you, as I crawl..
I really wasn’t THERE at all!”
“Oh nonsense, friend...you are quite clever
But victory? For you that’s NEVER.”

Much of the same went to and fro
As brothers they did somehow go
Across this route quite rigorous
For even the most vigorous
And John would say “Why do you fall?
I know, I know - you weren’t there at all...”

And then “I do not understand:
Here had you easily command
-Of such and such a single course-
“If I were you, then I would force
Some rapid form of victory”
But Tachyon said, “Well, we shall see...”

     And then when race was almost done
     And John was positive he’d won
He turned to Tachyon lagging back
    And said, “It’s not , friend that you lack:
    You simply simply aren’t competing
    Perhaps some thoughts are just defeating...”

“Oh no, “ laughed Tachyon now rather merry
“There is a reason ordinary:
Well, I was mainly merely  thinking:
Go on, go on, just claim your prizes!”
Said John” You forfeited the pot
My friend - for thought is free and life is not!”

 

       * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

The years they passed - John was the ruler
Of a vast good tortoise kingdom
And though he had become much kinder
Life itself seemed far, far crueler
To poor Tachyon, now remembered
As one of those who could have, should have,
Of reputation much dismembered.

“Say Tachyon”, cried John to the fellow
“You seem most days well, sad or mellow
But just stay in your feeble traces
Do not you long for other places?
You have become, it seems, a debtor
And I am sure you could do better!”

‘Well John” smiled Tachyon, “I’m still thinking...”
“I am surprised you aren’t DRINKING-
What can one, can one ever do
With tortoises the likes of you?”
“Well John, my case is sort of odd
And you are many, we are few!”

“Again, my friend, the same old nonsense!
You could have won, had you, well, my sense
Of what is, just, well, practical:
And you were merely fanciful!”
“Well John, I am well...just debating....
Of course it seems like futile waiting.”

Now John was gentle with this duffer
But things in turtle-land grew tougher
And all was ruled by Noble Races
And now there was no longer humor
But ‘neath the peace was constant rumor
Of so and so simply defeating
The virtuous, by simply cheating.

And though the land was filled with money
Almost gone was all pure honey
For all the folks were simply working
And then when any were caught shirking
They were adjusted for ‘behaviors’
Or shouted at to pray   to ‘saviors’
To help them through expected labors.

And Tachyon, he, now seemed a sinner
Who would not break his back for dinner
And John with tears of honest grieving
Could not but think him just deceiving
And put him in a house with double
Locks against all who’d be trouble.  

So Tachyon stayed beyond the border
Of all that could cause grave disorder
And John, himself, did not ignore him
Though he somewhat did abhor him:
“How could you simply just not care!
Tachyon replied, “ I wasn’t there-
My friend, I simply wasn’t there.”

Then through  process long and steady
Tachyon found himself just ready
To repeat what he’d been thinking,
And the notions he’d been linking:
“Tachyon, you’re a USEFUL fellow”
Cried King John, “once merely messy
Social jello”.

“Now, my   boy, we sure could use you
And this time we won’t abuse you:
You can get a great position
You are high above division!.
Though, indeed, I have some questions
Please, my friend, I seek confessions!”