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I didn't see a thread like this here... thought it might be nice to have one! Written anything lately that you'd like to share? My latest...

The Big Cross-Country

Funny how the landscape changes so slowly
you don’t really see.
One instant you’re driving through the delta,
flat and hot and familiar as your mother’s voice,
then dashed white lines stream past awhile
and you look up to find windmills
flailing arms like clumsy giants,
corn long-tasseled like a thousand Rapunzels
on vast swooping swells of well-turned earth,
suddenly knowing you're far from home.

The road takes so much of your attention
it's hard to notice each new change around you,
the occasional oak or cedar, the new colors
of tiny bright flowers whose names you don't know,
slowly growing in number until the corn that came before
is but a memory. Now kudzu creeps over the trees,
making shapes like clouds (look mom-- a giraffe,
no a dragon!) and the highway turns and stretches,
flowing over foothills, so different from the roads
you've left behind. And there's construction traffic,
barrels striped like prison clothes,
then a storm that turns your knuckles white on the wheel,
sends your mind running to long-forgotten gods
with prayers for safe passage,
and by the time you've come through it you're well and truly
in the mountains. Jutting stone and
mist like smoke and every glance out the window
a study in dark beauty,
awesome in its enormity.

It isn't that you don't know the changes will come --
of course they will, they must --
mountain isn't desert isn't sea.
Yet still it surprises you
when suddenly the road is flat again,
land empty of all but sagebrush
from one horizon to the next, desolate.
Sometimes it's hard not to miss the prettier roads,
the lovely corn, the ooh! ah! mountains.
The sandy ground burns your feet at the rest stop,
land barren all around.
You know the sea is worth the drive, though,
and you've come too far to turn back
so you get back in and keep going, legs stuck to the seat
and a/c on high and hoping you can make it the rest of the way,
wondering if you were wrong to take this route
after all.

Again as always it creeps up on you,
sagebrush slowly giving way
to stately pine processionals, standing at attention in sandy soil
to make way for your passage, salt in the breeze, and soon
gulls crying their welcome, crashing surf making you laugh
with surprise and delight as you catch that first glimpse through the dunes.
Tumbling eagerly onto the beach from the hot car,
towel in hand and wind in hair,
you stand for a moment suddenly overcome,
so glad you made the trip,
humbled and amazed by the vast
and beautiful sea.

Done traveling,
now we stroll green grounds,
among the stately stonework
and cobblestone paths,
so welcoming to busy squirrels and bright-winged fledgelings.
Many trips up many stairs with many boxes,
then the whirlwind as expected:
relocation registration convocation
and it's time to say goodbye.
I hug you once
twice
"I proud of you!" I say
then walk away across a campus blurred,
landscape forever changed.

--(hcm)

Hey, were you a fly on my dorm room wall?  ;)b

You caught me!  ;D

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Silly things I did for class. They've both been edited but these are the unedited ones because I'm lazy.

Marinating in his eyes,
Afraid I'll slip and lose the heat.
He lies next to me,
Ready to boil over.
Licking my lips,
Leaning in closer.
Running my fingers,
Across his tender cheek.
I pull him in,
Tasting his savory lips.
Emulsified as one,
We mix together.
A sizzling hot mess,
We tumble and blend.
Until the bitter moment,
Where our lips must part.

------------------------------------

Sprinkles, chips, chocolate curls
Go into cookies in lovely swirls.
Print out the recipes one by one
Following them is no fun.
Crank up the music, turn up the sound
Dancing through the kitchen, spinning round and round.
Tie on your apron, slip on your heels
Baked goods are perfect for all your meals.
Don't forget to clean up your mess
I usually do, I must confess.

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I love the poems on here, great jobs by hot mama, narcissus, monty, theo, fufu, and sarah. I'm a poet myself and this is something I wrote years ago before my views slightly changed.

A Dangerous Mind

I'm the being you've been warned about since an early age
Everyday I plot how to send you to an early grave
Still I spill enough blood to flood any river
I make souls shiver
Like the mention of candy man with repetition
in the mirror
Many minds I manipulate
Give them violent thoughts and evil mind states
Like feelings of rage and hate
To sin they don't hesitate
They can levitate
The heavy weight of the serpent snake
I cause menace within minutes
Since humans made any appearances
You read about what I did to Adam & Eve in Genesis
Once your soul is in my control
I will never surrender this
I'm the sinister head minister of evil
Beware, my mere stare is lethal
To me there are no equals
After me, no sequels
I'll drive you mad if your mind is feeble
I appear in many shapes and forms
I'll give your clear sunny day mystery and storm
Take away your happiness
And replace it with misery and mourn
Your deathbed you land on
Whenever I plan on
Men, women, children, they all get it the same
I'll slaughter their flesh with not a powder of shame
Devour their soul to make my power gain
You must be insane to think remorse I contain
Every morning I wash in blood baths
Hear clearly my eerie laughs
Everyday more choose my path
Sadly, even Mary baby daddy fears my wrath
To the toaster I always try to pull you closer
Since creation to gather thee
That's the real explanation for gravity
I'll come when you want and be on time
That's already more than your sworn divine
Jail cells, wire, and grim moans
Residing in a lake of hell fire and brimstone
Growling, my face is far from arousing
For every soul that goes up
I get over a thousand
>:D

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Another one.

Betrayal

Keep friends close and enemies closer?
But friends hearts can be emery composers
Even though I handle these entities with composure
They get me heated like seventy supernovas
You know the 2 faced back stabbers
They mail roses places like Heather Locklear and Jack Wagner
Then have paramedics zip you in black wrappers
They impact disaster, no laughter
At least with enemies you know their status
You keep the door to them tight as an air lattice
Cause I know their minds resemble clouds of stratus
And maggots compose their apparatus
That's why I would prefer to handle bold haters
Over undercover foes and cold traitors
Familiar with d.t.a
Don't trust anybody, he, she, or they
The treachery you hear but not a curious believer
Then you end up butchered like Julius Caesar
Like Brutus they back stab furious with cleavers
Beware to this, no one has immunity
Even the boss, heard of scrutiny?
With friends like these, who needs enemies?
What's that, your wife made your heart unstable
And you snapped like Richard in "Unfaithful"
Males and females mail betrayal like hail
By clouds that sail over tundra trails
Externally they appealing and sparkle
Internally they're like grilling charcoal
Be careful like Sparkle
With who you trust or be rushed
By ones that bust, crush, and make bloody puss
Gush out your back's crust

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Ok. So..yeah.. I'm sharing one more. This one is not new to me but new to you.

The world around me is spinning
Not sure where I’m being led
Memories of you and me
Have flooded my head

I remember it all
It’s on constant replay
I wish it all back
And for you to stay

I made a mistake
And told you goodbye
Now I’m stuck with a screaming head
That won’t stop asking why

Get out the sadness
That seems to be wearing me down
I just keep falling
And bouncing off the ground

Next time I fall 
It certainly will be the last
I’ll be stuck on the ground
With a head that replays the past

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Turning Back The Hands of Time

If I could make time transition in reverse
I could avoid a lot of controversy
An unwanted birth
A shallow purse cause I'm cursory
Bad luck that seemed cursed
Life would be better
No worse occurs
So I could take back words
That shouldn't have been heard

That shouldn't have been said
Never would I have regrets
Floating in my head
Hunger sheds

If I miss you
And my aim is unofficial
I'll just rewind the issue
Until my 1 inch missile death kiss you

When my enemies and friends in cahoots, test me
I'll counterattack their first move
Before it begins ruthlessly

If the hands of time ever gave me dap
I'll push back until the back on sidewalk cracks
When getting pleasure from hidden buried treasure
Right before we're discovered together
I'll snap a finger before the queen arrive early
Then no going back later to make it right like Earl Lee

If I had the powers of a time machine
The puppet mastery, I'd intervene

Flawless locked gate robberies
Gluttonous with state lotteries
In critical circumstances
have infinite miracle chances
To make first impressions properly

I could tell people what they want to hear
Force enigmas crystal clear
Perform with precision what I did reckless
A forest of trees barked up by detectives
No plan b contraceptives

I'll be richer than Fort Knox
When I go back to the future like Micheal J. Fox
Only senior citizens buried at family funerals
To manifest this, I'm only missing a few minerals

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Paranoia

With hands too fast for Pacquiao or Hoya
More shooters than the Oilers and dream team lawyers
I still can't avoid the paranoia
A pinky ring wearing marksman
I still feel like I'm bleeding in a bear and shark's den
It's like I sometimes think danger lurking in the rear
My fear is for my unclear nightmare to appear
I must persevere if the near future seems austere
How long will my physical see years
Who whispers these thoughts in my ear
A personal Paul Revere
Warning me anonymous like the colonist as a volunteer
Made me form an alliance
I'm the brains it's the brawn, flaws are mindless
Look at me with the naked eye I might cause bizarre blindness

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You Came Back

I was blind now I see
I was deaf, then whispers, then loud pleas
Then silence again and no z's
When I had you I didn't appreciate
Or create an open mind to relate
To your feelings that help elevate your escape
How could I violate and desecrate
Something so great soul mate
Realization of possessions don't kick in until you lose it
I'm confused with how you didn't look from out my view miss
Abused, never used, you choose

I was playing a game I thought I couldn't lose, no loops
Then you broke the rules and flew the coop
Soup for the soul can't heal a heart that's departed
For you, no more hardship
Just come back, take plane, car, or ship
I daydream of holding you in the physical
I'm never far in the mystical
The fact that I'm far from typical
Is what magnetically attracted you to my gravity
Now it makes me criminal
I'm not miserable, I overstand this chemical
recipe they call love

I'll reach out, I'm on knees, no lord
Just don't behead me, no sword
I tried to pull you back aboard and toward
With no accord
Now my persistence awards with rewards
Through reconciliation, dedication
And reformation everything is restored

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Goodnight

Say good night to the bad guy
I'm the most divine pro incumbent
My home stadium booing me while I run the ball, no fumbling
They try to gun me down like Larry Flynt's chin
And all I do is drop more jewels than Harry Winston
I touched down from the heavens like E.T to spread knowledge
I know ledges are narrow and sharp
I move over it gracefully like out a barrel or a dart
My time here was temporary, like 40 days and nights
To refine an infestation of warts, fleas, plague and mites
Many are mindless and fake like manikins
Frustrated cause the force strong with me like Anakin
But I still get mine like a lease holding mechanic and
Take a stroll in a subliminal maze
The topic of discussion in millennial caves
I once knew this new kid on the block, bossy with wit
Who single-handedly battle school like grandfathered posses and cliques
He was actually god or sire in the flesh upon
His favorites, now he elevates to a higher echelon
My purpose is served, treat my footprints as a guide
My audience is much bigger than the hecklers and flies
There are more spectators than players, with no accounts and replies
Receptive, you are the greatest without disguise
Neutralize lies
Savages throw rocks at thrones and bullet proof glass
Goodnight, it's been a cool blast
I retire the champ, this dance in the ring, my last
My work is done here, more than likely
The last time you'll see a bad guy..

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Hotcooknmama, 'Not' is an absolutely lovely poem.

This is a poem I wrote a couple of months back for a writing challenge, it doesn't have a name.

A heart whose love is innocent!
It petrifies me.
You
petrify me.

Under your enchantment
I am wandering through barren lands,
with only a distant star to guide me.

You shimmer with innocence
and smolder with passion.
I will ignite
in your arms,
consumed by flames and reduced to ash
for you!
All for you!
By you!

Please,
let me leave my mark.
Please,
let me set you ablaze.

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Ok. As I looked thru my stack of old stuff, I found this one line on one page by its lonesome that hit me like a sack of bricks. Maybe because I can still see that person I was. Here it is -

Please don't leave me here..alone..without you.

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Ok. As I looked thru my stack of old stuff, I found this one line on one page by its lonesome that hit me like a sack of bricks. Maybe because I can still see that person I was. Here it is -

Please don't leave me here..alone..without you.

Kind of reminds me of one I quickly jotted down not too long ago when I was doing really badly. It's not great but your post just reminded me of it.

There's no one here
There's no one there
There's no one up
There's no one down
There's no one round
There's no one found
There's no one anywhere

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Kind of reminds me of one I quickly jotted down not too long ago when I was doing really badly. It's not great but your post just reminded me of it.

There's no one here
There's no one there
There's no one up
There's no one down
There's no one round
There's no one found
There's no one anywhere

Yours reminds me of something I wrote but I think I deleted it. I like yours.

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Kind of reminds me of one I quickly jotted down not too long ago when I was doing really badly. It's not great but your post just reminded me of it.

There's no one here
There's no one there
There's no one up
There's no one down
There's no one round
There's no one found
There's no one anywhere

Yours reminds me of something I wrote but I think I deleted it. I like yours.

Thanks! I used to write a ton of poetry but I'm not that fond of my work. The reason I like this one a bit is because the content is negative but it reads a bit like Dr. Suess so it's not overly-serious. If you read it with a "jolly" tone then it doesn't seem so negative.

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Thanks! I used to write a ton of poetry but I'm not that fond of my work. The reason I like this one a bit is because the content is negative but it reads a bit like Dr. Suess so it's not overly-serious. If you read it with a "jolly" tone then it doesn't seem so negative.

Haha! Jolly negativity. ;)

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Thanks! I used to write a ton of poetry but I'm not that fond of my work. The reason I like this one a bit is because the content is negative but it reads a bit like Dr. Suess so it's not overly-serious. If you read it with a "jolly" tone then it doesn't seem so negative.

Haha! Jolly negativity. ;)

Hey, that's pretty much what reggae is!

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Now that I think about it, yes.. Good point.

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I found these lines scribbled on a piece of paper..

I want to shout out loud
What my head is saying
But I'm trapped inside
If I could break down the walls
If I could get outside
Would you ever listen to what I say
Would you hear nothing but sounds
And hear nothing but mumbles
Take to heart the kind things I say
Ignore the hurt of mine that pushes away
Because I want you
Just notice one thing
I'm sorry

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Kind of reminds me of one I quickly jotted down not too long ago when I was doing really badly. It's not great but your post just reminded me of it.

There's no one here
There's no one there
There's no one up
There's no one down
There's no one round
There's no one found
There's no one anywhere

Yours reminds me of something I wrote but I think I deleted it. I like yours.

Thanks! I used to write a ton of poetry but I'm not that fond of my work. The reason I like this one a bit is because the content is negative but it reads a bit like Dr. Suess so it's not overly-serious. If you read it with a "jolly" tone then it doesn't seem so negative.

You might like Gertrude Stein's writing, particularly her play Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights.. It's the Faust myth with all it's high allegory written in similar twisted Dr Seuss style verse. It freaked me out and confused me the first time, but it grew on me :)

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I've been writing all weekend. Mostly silly things. Here are a few.
-----

I think I'm in a pickle
I slowly said to myself
What a funny way to say
You don't know you're way out
If this puzzle was a pickle
I wonder what kind it would be
Perhaps it would be nice and crisp
Or a pile of soggy relish
Perhaps a slice of bread and butter
Or a aromatic wedge of dill
I probably should stop thinking of pickles
In a serious time like now
And figure out which way I came up this hill
Because I don't know which way to go down.

----

The water on the stove began to boil.
I walked over and turned it off.
Heating it up only to let it cool once again.
I dumped it out and left the room.

I walked over and turned it off.
The light flickered moments before.
I dumped it out and left the room.
The trash had been there for a week.

The light flickered moments before.
The lightning struck and thunder rumbled.
The trash had been there for a week.
And there it stayed, I wouldn't go out and brave the storm.

The lightning struck and thunder rumbled.
The house shook and a picture fell.
And there it stayed, I wouldn't go out and brave the storm.
It would have to wait to get a new frame.

The house shook and a picture fell.
It was a picture of cows, the glass shattered.
It would have to wait to get a new frame.
I stared at the window, hoping it would pass.

It was a picture of cows, the glass shattered.
My dad had given it to me.
I stared at the window, hoping it would pass.
The flood of emotions pulled me under.

My dad had given it to me.
The water on the stove began to boil.
The flood of emotions pulled me under.
I dumped them out and left the room.

----

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