April 2018 Showcase Of Poems For And Written By P H Members ….[ Some Of This And Some Of That; Some Are Lean And Some Are Fat; From My List Of ‘favorites' ] Poem by Bri Edwards

My PH "Main Page" says that I, Bri, am 70 years young; SOME say "OLD"!
For goodness sake, I'll not be 70 till the end of June; PH I must NOW scold! !
But THAT is ‘neither here nor there'.It's time to begin my monthly task …
of letting you view some poems I've enjoyed, …………not that YOU've asked …
me to do so.Ha!

I think I have ten picked out so far.I did not (yet)ask permission to use ANY,
but if one submits poems to PH, one "must" be "in for a pound, if in for a penny"***! !

As usual, I accept submissions of poems to me for my consideration as well,
but I don't guarantee I'll use them, ….even though I may think the poets are swell,
i.e. ‘nice people'.
If YOU submit a poem PLEASE send to me the link to its PH page if available,
sending to me as a ‘Message', ……as long as it's not too "heavy" to be mailable! !

(March ….20th …..2018)


*** [from Dictionary.com]"For example, All right, I'll drive you all the way there—in for a penny, in for a pound. This term originally meant that if one owes a penny one might as well owe a pound, and came into American use without changing the British monetary unit to dollar."


Bri Edwards
aka Brian Edward Whitaker
aka …………..bri :)

Any questions? Feel free to ask! Or you can look at some earlier showcases [all found in my list of PH poems] for guidance.

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The POETS, the titles, and ‘partial links' to each poem's page (when poem has a PH page!) :

I THINK THERE ARE POEMS BY 8 MALES AND 9 FEMALES, ...but who really knows for SURE! ? IT doesn't matter (much) , but I tried
to have equal numbers of females and males........damn! I just can't 'count straight' tonight! ! ! The total (I think) is 17 poems from 17 poets.


A …. Lodigiana Poetess

title: Age- Bring It On! ! !
‘partial link': /poem/age-bring-it-on/
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B …. Simone Inez Harriman

title: Love Takes Hostages
'partial-link': /poem/love-takes-hostages/
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C …. Brian Johnson

title: I Call Him Friend...aka...Ph: Friend: I Call Him Friend
'partial-link': /poem/ph-friend-i-call-him-friend/
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D …. Laurie Van der Hart

title: Happy Hens!
'partial-link': /poem/happy-hens-2/
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E …. Carl Austin

title: Death Bed
'partial-link' /poem/death-bed-18/
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F …. Kostas Lagos

title: In Vain?
'partial-link': /poem/in-vain-16/
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G.... Valsa George

title: Morning Musings
'partial-link': /poem/morning-musings/
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H.... NHIEN NGUYEN MD

title: Two Cats Napping
'partial-link' /poem/two-cats-napping/
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I.... Lora Colon

title: No Time To Waste
'partial-link': /poem/no-time-to-waste-5/
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J.... Tom Billsborough

title: Invasions Of The Poltergeist
'partial-ling': /poem/invasions-of-the-poltergeist/
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K.... Loke Kok yee

title: Death In The Bush - The Sow
'partial-link': /poem/death-in-the-bush-the-sow/

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L.... Aqua Princess (The Princess is)

title: Rude
'partial-link': /poem/rude-5/

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M.... Ruth Walters[Ruth just changed "Sherry" to "Jelly"! ]

title: Jelly Belly
'partial-link': /poem/jelly-belly-2/

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N.... Andy Brookes

title: Change Down
'partial-link': /poem/change-down/

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O.... Howard Simon

title: Old Age
'partial-link': /poem/old-age-26/

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P.... Rose Marie Juan-Austin

title: My Still Bank
'partial-link': /poem/my-still-bank/

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Q.... Nudershada Cabanes

title: A Rainy Night
'partial-link': /poem/a-rainy-night-8/

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[see texts of poems below ]

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The POEMS, the authors, and the ‘partial links' to poem pages:


A …. AGE- BRING IT ON! ! ; Lodigiana Poetess; /poem/age-bring-it-on/


Age- Bring It On! ! ! - by Lodigiana Poetess

When I hit 80 I'll wear pink……
And I won't care what others think,
‘cause I'll be old enough to know
that I'm the boss of me!

I'll dance without shoes- in the nude,
and no one dares tell me that's rude.
I'll swear and cuss and drink neat gin,
and when I've done I'll start again.

I'll braid my hair, what's left of it
and take up smoking finest ‘shit'.
A tattoo on my cheek I'll ink
and just not care what others think!

I'll get bejazzles done ‘down there',
And wear short skirts so people stare.
Go clubbing till the morning light,
eat, drink and smoke
Get really tight!

I won't control the things I say
I might even decide I'm gay..
I'll swipe on tinder left and right,
and partay every single night

So bring it on-I want to age
and move up to this crazy stage.
Life's boring when you must behave,
Cause being young makes me a slave!

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Bri's Notes: This contains some words I was unfamiliar with. "Partay" IS another form of "party".There is a fantastic illustration on the poem's page.

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B …. LOVE TAKES HOSTAGES! ; Simone Inez Harriman; /poem/love-takes-hostages/


Love Takes Hostages- by Simone Inez Harriman

Have you ever been in love?

Love is always patient and kind
It is never jealous
Love is not complicated or conceited
Indifferent or selfish

Love endures all adversity
Ready to trust and forgive
Love takes no pleasure from pain
Love does not lie or cheat
Or begin and end in vain

Have you ever been in love?

It rips open your chest
Stealing your vulnerable heart
And from then on
Your life is no longer yours

Love takes hostages

It's hostile
Intimidating, humiliating
A kick in the guts that messes you up
It hurts, it's heartless
And leaves you crying alone in darkness

And a simple phrase like:

'Maybe we should just be friends'

Turns into a bloodied glass splinter
Slowly skewering all hope
Stabbing, piercing, cutting
Profoundly wounding
For there is no bargaining

No mercy

And during this killing
This murdering
When all is said and done
A monster you become

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C.... I CALL HIM FRIEND; Brian Johnston; /poem/ph-friend-i-call-him-friend/


I Call Him Friend- by Brian Johnston

I have a friend with no bound'ries, no corners,
Preferring to just sleep around,
If he should vanish, I know where I'll find him,
For sure, a new girlfriend he's found.

As a lover, I know, he is quite ardent,
The passion he shows you seems real,
But then there's a change, he's like weather's brother,
You've suddenly lost your appeal.

In spite of this weakness, he remains loyal,
To ex-wives, ex- girlfriends, it's true,
Though now just a friend, if you get in trouble,
There's nothing that he wouldn't do.

I have had girlfriends at whom he's made passes,
These days I accept it with mirth,
For we have been buds now for so many years,
His weakness? I witnessed its birth.

In East African Peace Corps we were best friends,
We too both had girlfriends at home,
Faithfully writing girls we hoped to marry,
Neither had thoughts we'd ever roam.
 
It was bad news when a letter from home said,
His love joined a sorority,
All bets were off then, her letters less frequent,
He was no more, her priority.

I watched as he entered a downward spiral,
Working on roads to help bushmen,
My weekly letters a painful reminder,
He might not see, his love again.

I think that she tried to let him down easy,
But he felt her slipping away,
A better choice perhaps, to make him angry,
Less of a loss, she didn't stay.

This marked the beginning, behavior now different,
Love cheapened somehow going to bars,
With many others contracted diseases,
Romance‘s lost home - under stars.

I think to this day he carries this wound and
Takes blame for a roll of the dice,
One life changing event, so filled with portent,
Surrender to love was its price.

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D.... HAPPY HENS! ; Laurie Van der Hart; /poem/happy-hens-2/


Happy Hens! - by Laurie Van der Hart

What would we do without wonderful eggs?
From cheerful chickens strutting about on two legs?
But no, that's not the life of a battery hen
Cooped up in a cage, or a crowded CAFO pen

In our house, Friday is, happily, egg day
Our old man neighbour brings us a tray
Of delicious eggs, some with double yolks
Hand-picked by him just for us folks

From the little hen house in his yard
Which is not ideal, but I tend to regard
It as a lot better than a factory farm
Where chickens come to much more harm

But it bothered me that we didn't ever see
Our feathered friends who feed us continuously
Just heard their gentle coo-curroos
And the occasional cockadoodledoos

And when mid-winter struck
My neighbour was out of luck
No eggs from the feathered crew
Or only very few

For they had to use all their strength
Just to build up a bit of warmth
And no energy left to provide us
With perfectly packaged breakfasts

But this year something surprising occurred
I was overjoyed one day when I heard
The chickens celebrating in the yard
Running about free as the birds they are

Old man let them feed on his pumpkin vine
Oh, they were having such a fine time!
Being chickens - free to scratch in the dirt
Chase each other around and flirt

And when the vine was all eaten up
I thought the chickens would get locked up
Again in their house, but the old man let them be
And they continued to about walk about carefree

They got their daily food - scraps from the bistro
Nutritious nettles fetched daily from the meadow
Even when winter came, they'd go sleep in the pen
At night, but by day they were in the garden again

And what was his reward for his humanity?
For helping the chickens keep their sanity?
Eggs the whole winter through!
Yes, I promise, I'm telling you true

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Poet's Notes:
A CAFO is a concentrated animal feeding operation, also known as a factory farm.

I'm not sure why the hens kept laying eggs through the winter. Maybe because they kept themselves warmer moving about the yard. And/or maybe because they were happier.

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E.... DEATH BED; Carl Austin; /poem/death-bed-18/


Death Bed- by Carl Austin

As I stroked her coarse grey hair
And squeezed her bony hand
Was she aware?
We all laughed at her little ways
As though already
She wasn`t there.

Fading lines on monitors told
The end was really getting near.
Busy nurses did their best
To comfort us, but not the dying
Help her not me!
I`m only crying.

Sprawled discarded on the bed
Machines now all turned off
Tubes in her head.
A macabre, awkward rag doll
That was my mother.
So this is dead.

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F.... IN VAIN? ; Kostas Lagos; /poem/in-vain-16/


In Vain? - by Kostas Lagos

The ants are
working so hard.
Is it in vain?

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G.... MORNING MUSINGS; Valsa George; /poem/morning-musings/


Morning Musings- by Valsa George

Over the East, the sun luminously gleamed
And bid the nebulous vapours fly
Changing the murky gloom into radiant blaze
And cheering the languid drowsy sky

Lying in bed, I looked around
And saw my room so cozily set
With things just enough to make it fit
For a sweet haven for me to rest

Each little thing in it began to muse
In a language discernible for me to grasp
Of the secret of success so elusive to man
Which striving to catch, slips out from his clasp

The clock ticking away at the centre of the wall
Alerted in a tone of rhythmic resonance
That ‘each minute is precious and dear'
And not to waste time in trifling appurtenance

While the ceiling fan, spiralling above
Discreetly hummed, 'Be cool and do not fret'
The open window, to me did urge
To ‘look out' and watch the world in rising beat

The mirror neatly fitted on my bureau
With a gleaming countenance beckoned me
Asking me to ‘reflect', ere venturing into anything
That from fatal fallacies, I shall ever be free

The calendar hanging inside the room
Reminded me not to lag or put off things
But keep my assignments and learning ‘up to date'
That in a life of fast pace, I can be on soaring wings

And the woolly carpet gently mused;
'Bend your knees and kneel down to pray
With a heart in gratitude, copiously filled
Before a God who never left you homeless to stray'

With such counsel, silent and salient
I got out from bed with resolutions profound
To greet the morning and start the day
With greater zest and mind so sound

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H....TWO CATS NAPPING [a translation of his poem: HAI MÈO NGỦ TRƯA ]



Two Cats Napping- by NHIEN NGUYEN MD


Two cats rest on their cat tower,

One is on lower level while the other on top.

Light rain continuously and steadily falls.

They watch nature through the veils of afternoon rain.

After watching for a while, they begin licking their hair.

Each cat is busy with its own affair.

Gradually, they close their eyes and they fall asleep

These cats enjoy their sleep while afternoon rain steadily falls.


(9/13/2014)



(Translation of this poem which is in Vietnamese) :


HAI MÈO NGỦ TRƯA- by NHIEN NGUYEN MD


Hai mèo nằm nghỉ chòi cao

Một con tầng dưới, con nằm tầng trên.

Ngoài kia mưa bụi rơi đều

Hai mèo ngắm cảnh một chiều mưa rơi.

Ngắm chán rồi lại liếm lông

Hai mèo bận rộn chỉ lo truyện mình.

Thế rồi nhắm mắt thiếp đi

Trong nhà mèo ngủ, mưa chiều vẫn rơi.


(9/13/2014)

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I....NO TIME TO WASTE; Lora Colon; /poem/no-time-to-waste-5/


No Time To Waste- by Lora Colon

Come, my love, we've no time to waste,
The clock is chiming eleven,
Just enough time to get one last taste
Of the Sweet Elixir of Heaven

Autumn's love is no less sublime
Than Spring's first love, daring and grand;
But the hourglass has turned its last time.....
We must outrun Life's fast-falling sand

Pace cannot be arbitrary - -
The river is starting to freeze;
Hurry, my love, try not to tarry,
If you must, crawl on your hands and knees!

Love is calling in the distance,
Offering us her glorious shroud;
Lest she think we offer resistance,
Let us claim all the joy we're allowed

Autumn's last buds will soon depart,
As icy winds nip at the vine;
Soon nothing will stir this dying heart -
Neither love, nor song, nor vintage wine

Time is anxious to take its toll,
The sun's setting..... let us make haste;
No longer at leisure can we stroll,
Come now, my love.... we've no time to waste!

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J....INVASIONS OF THE POLTERGEIST; Tom Billsborough; /poem/invasions of the poltergeist/


Invasions Of The Poltergeist- by Tom Billsborough

My outdoor shoes, when not in use,
Remain on duty in the lounge,
Discretely stationed out of view
To claim a broken limb or two.
But not today! Some supernatural
Power had whizzed them through the door
To reappear upon the kitchen floor,
And in full view. This won't do.
And yesterday my bedside clock
Had flown away together with a new pack
Of twenty cigarettes. And not by chance.
Serious heists, in fact.
Conclusive evidence
Of mischievous poltergeists.

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K....DEATH IN THE BUSH-THE SOW; Loke Kok yee; /poem/death-in-the-bush-the-sow/


Death In The Bush-The Sow- by Loke Kok yee

The spear swished through the sodden air and ended in her pounding heart
She threshed and squealed in her death throes, as dogs tried to tear her apart

The herd stole silently through the swamp, which ran through the rows of palm
Rolling clouds hid a beaming moon, the darkness comfortingly calm
The fruits had just been harvested and tempting nuts bestrewn the ground
Allowing foraging close to the swamp, where safety could be found
Stealing a few nuts from the edge, she would crack them while well concealed
Then waited for a response, her way for danger to be revealed
They then fed voraciously, but paused awhile when a storm swept through
As dawn neared and their feeding done, slowly to the swamp they withdrew
Rooting contently, they headed home to the safety of their lair
But left a trail dangerously clear, their smell hanging in the air
Suddenly the peace was shattered, with shouts and barking from afar
Hunters starting on a pig drive, had caught them with their way home barred
The dogs swiftly picked up the trail and forced them through the ambuscade
Spears flew indiscriminately and a hit on the sow was made
She dashed on desperately, till pain and exhaustion took its toll
Then stopped and faced her attackers, after making it to a knoll
The dogs salivated profusely, sensing an imminent kill
They then closed in like a lynching mob, long before the sow was still

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L.... RUDE; Aqua Flower (The Princess is) : /poem/rude-5)


Rude - by Aqua Flower (The Princess is)

Your comments are crude
you are just plain rude!
hurting me down to the bone
making my house an unhappy home
don't want you living here
no longer do I want to hear
your talk that is so rude!
so take your rude mouth
and get the hell out!

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M.... JELLY BELLY; Ruth Walters; /poem/jelly-belly-2/


Jelly Belly- by Ruth Walters

I'm celebratin' bellies,
mine wobbles every day,
it follows me in bed at night,
it just won't go away.

I've kneaded and I've teased it
but fear it's not receded
and so I'm drinking Sherry
to make it more appealing.

We old'ns like a Sherry,
it's good for fadin' wrinkles
and beats a Lemonade by far
to make our worlds twinkle.

My belly seems to thrive on it,
it's growin' all the while
and there's a perk to all this work,
it makes my hubby smile.

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N.... CHANGE DOWN; Andy Brookes; /poem/change-down/


Change Down- by Andy Brookes

I try to balance my ego
Which is fragile to the touch.
A thin veneer too easily broken.
Pain at least makes us feel,
better than the frozen thoughts that come unbidden
Served cold in midnight black.
Promise me you'll never change
You said, with a glint that hinted of lust.
But then you changed and left,
Changing me irrevocably.

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O.... OLD AGE; Howard Simon; /poem/old-age-26/


Old Age- by Howard Simon

The hand shakes
The back aches
The heart quakes
Then life breaks.

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P.... MY STILL BANK; Rose Marie Juan-Austin; /poem/my-still-bank/


My Still Bank- by Rose Marie-Juan Austin

When I was a little girl
I have a tube coin bank
An enclosed bamboo segment
With a slit at the side
It was one of the walls
Of our little house.

I inserted a nickel
From time to time
The remainder of my school allowance
My parents gave me.

Sometimes I want to put a dime
And I will buy
A boiled banana or sweet potato
For lunch.

Some years later
My father worked overseas
Our simple abode
Was renovated
From a bamboo house
To a stone house.

My coin bank
Was hammered and crushed
The money within
Were scattered all around
I cried when I got
My nickels and dimes.

My mother gifted me
A porcelain piggy bank
In lieu of the damaged one
It came from the finest pottery maker
In town
With holes in the belly
And in between ears.

My school allowance increased
I put quarters in my new coin bank
When it was full
I got all the money inside
And went straight
To the nearest bank.

When I finished school
My piggy bank
Is still fit for use
I handed down
To my favorite nephew
He kept it as the foundation
Of a valued trait.


Copyright 2018, Rose Marie Juan-Austin, All Rights Reserved

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Q.... A RAINY NIGHT; Nudershada Cabanes; /poem/a-rainy-night-8/


A Rainy Night- by Nudershada Cabanes

The moon is hiding
Her face veiled by thick, dark clouds
On a rainy night
Darkness wrapped the sky in black
Bereft of stars and moonlight

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THAT'S ALL FOLKS! THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! ! My EYES are TIRED! ! !



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I HOPE THERE ARE/WERE SOME READERS OF MY FINISHED PRODUCT, AND THAT SOMEONE ENJOYED SOMETHING IN THIS SHOWCASE.

I remain your ‘humble' servant on PoemHunter! Bri :)

See YOU in May? ? ?