User Poetry

[Joebill]

poem: Lunar drive

[ background music: 'Moonlight Drive' by Satchmo and 'Moon River' by The Doors ]

(Yes, I know they didn't sing those songs. But if they had, this is the poem I would write.) ( addendum: The Doors had a song named 'Moonlight Drive'.)

[ with a bit of Satchmo playing 'Stardust' here and there ]

[ Copyright by me, 2009. All Rights Reserved. ]
[ but you can printout my poems or put on your ereader any poem I post here.]

Now, it is kinda hard,
going for a moon light drive,
around the moons of Mars.

Not enough of them !

Jupiter's magnetic field can make,
your day feel all like lightning,
in an ouchy kinda way.

So let us head over to Saturn,
for a moon light drive !

A drive past the rings,
a wonderful time,
just floating past the moons,
out Saturn way,
as we glide along,
as Saturn glows in reflected light,
off, above, and below us.

Oh, the galaxies are bright tonight dear !
As we cruise along,
on a lunar drive !

Little bits of rock,
and mighty moons of ice or stone,
glow and gleam,
in the planetary light,
as we sit,
in our two seat roadster,
gliding and looping,
amongst Saturn's moons and rings !

Oh yeah !

[ exit ]

[Joebill]

poem: Planetary Ship 'Hot dancer'

a little something different based on a bit of previous work.

[ Copyright by me, 201o. All Rights Reserved. ]
[ But you can download it and read it.]

[ opening background music: 'Light my Fire' by The Doors ]

Narrator voice over:

This isn't your parents' sojourn to tropical climes, nor a visit to
the relaxing tourist spots in the outer solar system. This is a bit
of a dancing space ship, where its warmer. After all, not everyone
wants to visit the Giant planets of Sol System... space-rad hardened
suits required. Meals and drinks will only be provided during the
return journey.

No eating for 2 hours before liftoff, from Venus Station.
No full bladders allowed. No tourist vac-suits. If ya
can't handle sudden acceleration shifts,
and gravity changes,
no need to buy a ticket for the flight.

Scene on the view screens:

A few departures after the equipment checks, some didn't have the
required gear. That ticket agent will be retrained. A few arrivals.
Suits checked as they walk on, one rejected.

Passenger cabin:

Heavily padded and hydraulic seats. Water cushions underneath the
foam.

Passengers buckling up for safety.

Warning signs everywhere.

'If you fail to buckle up, we are not responsible for death and
major body damage !'

'The crew is fully insured. Are you ? Insurance available at the
ticket boot on Venus Station.'

A change in cabin pressure as the hatch closes. Several people
hastily close their face plates.

Warning signs flashing 'Buckle up ! Check your suits and safety
harness !'

The crew floats through and checks the multi-harness system of each
passenger. The computer does the same, but its always good to check
it manually. Reassures the passengers.

Adjustments are made to the ship's orbit. now that it is no longer
attached to Venus Station.

Some must not have read the brochures... they gasp as the ship goes
past Venus, and continues inward.

Mercury couldn't be the destination, its on the other side of the
Sun right now...

The ship continues onward.

The local star, our solar system's Sun gets closer and closer. The
corona glows and twists.

FLARE !

A massive chunk of the Sun leaps outward, dwarfing the tiny metal
ship of passengers and crew.

Twist, engines accelerate, drastic orbit change.

The ship manages to dodge the matter.

For those with the gear, they notice a slight increase in the
background count.

The passengers don't know why the slight hesitation, but it was the
pilot who froze. The Captain has taken over the ship handling. The
Captain uses a metal replica of a small version of a wooden 1870s
steamboat wheel to guide the ship. Never had much trust in the
joystick used by the pilot anyway.

The Sun is coming closer and closer. It now fills the 'sky'.

[ background music: 'Crystal Ship' by The Doors ]

The ship's hull becomes transparent.

It starts a slow Immelman loop, while slowly twisting on its
longitudinal axis.

Snap roll to port, snap roll to starboard.

The corona approaches. Mercury's orbit is left behind.

Diiiiiive ! towards the solar surface.

Hard aport, the gravity field increases...

in and out of various parts of the corona.

the prominences leap upwards licking at the ship. Yum. Yum.

snap roll to starboard while rolling sharply forward.

The ship is now halfway back out to Mercury's orbit.

A slight pause for the ship's hull to cool down.

Diiiive !

The sun fills the view.

Snap roll.

Snap roll.

A few faint screams.

One was a deep bass voice.

Snap roll.

Loop the loop.

Full stop.

Narrator's voice over:

This concludes our orientation for this flight.

Flight Attendant's voice:

"We are now approaching the Sun. Diiiive !"

[ background muisic: 'Desperate, but not Serious' by Adam Ant ]

[exeunt]

[Joebill]

poem: a kinda reverse Walter Mitty

[ copyright by me, 2010. All Rights Reserved. ]
[ but you can download it and read it if you want to]

[ background music: 'Free Fallin' and 'Learning to Fly' by Tom Petty
and the HeartBreakers ]

[ spoken at the same speed as, and kinda along with, the background
songs ]

She gets tired,
of commanding that old battle cruiser,
amongst the stars,
blowing up solar systems,
nebulae,
and maybe a galactic wing of starships,
trying to prevent her,
from doing her job.

She would rather be,
a waitress in a small diner,
serving blue plate specials,
and the most complicatedly bad thing,
would be burned toast,
instead of a hanger, over on the port side,
being mostly not there,
leaking air with no way to repair it,
the repair crew,
floating alongside...

Oh, he does the Vega Run,
on an old beat up starship,
delivering the cargo,
but he would rather be,
a delivery guy in Old Marsport,
bringing flour, sugar, and water,
to a bread company,
( they give him 6 free loaves if he is on time)
so they can bake their daily bread.

Instead he has to watch out,
for the rocks,
left over from forming various things,
and places,
along this part,
of the galactic arm.

Now me,
all that average stuff is not for me,
I would rather learn to fly,
a starship,
beyond the clouds,
a way out there,
oh, but I'm stuck you see.

Driving a delivery truck,
over to Marsport,
with a load of flour and sugar,
to a bread company,
who makes daily bread,
I have to get there quick,
a dust storm is blowing up soon,
have to get back,
and open the ice cream parlour,
so the rock miners can cool off,
before the dust fills the containers all up,
and makes it all gritty and dusty.

Out yonder,
as I travel between towns,
and it gets dark,
except for my lights,
shining along that desert road,
the stars shine so loudly,
way up above,
over yonder is Andromeda Galaxy,
what a sight to behold,
sometimes I can see the Magellanic Clouds,
glowing yonder in the night !

I dream of traveling,
out to some star named Wolf three fifty-nine,
an old pardner,
says he has a more interesting job for me,
way out there.

But I have to learn to fly,
in this thin Martian atmosphere,
and give lessons to the tourists,
and save as much as I can,
as I only have a million or two dollars,
which is about one quarter of the fee,
to travel over to that Wolf 3-5-9 place,
and see if they got a good paying job,
flying amongst the stars !

But I'm free falling,
in this here truck,
just paying my dues,
working for pay,
and living cheap,
so one day I can fly amongst the stars,
not just be,
a face in the crowd,
looking hopeful,
up at the stars.

[ spoken normally ]

I'm a member,
of a long line of planet bound folks,
trying to break that monotony,
of working under gravity,
I think I can,
I think I can,
learn to fly amongst the stars !

And no longer,
be,
just a face in the crowd.

[ exeunt ]

[GeoffC]

Hi Jim - yep, kinda flows with a starry-eyed view of the Outer Space beyond our ken, but within our dreams ... especially the first one....

[Joebill]

Thank you.

[GeoffC]

Okay - post 9,000 from me ...... a couple of these ....

Enough !

we beseech thee, begone! ye cold and dreary days
that blanket our world in winter frocks
with your cruely bleak, unrelentless, ways

impatient man trusts not the returning blaze
of sun, not to wait for nature's turning clock,
we beseech thee, begone! ye cold and dreary days

a-like implacable hunters stalking prey
you forge the bane of winter-shocks
with your cruely bleak, unrelentless, ways

man wastes, swaggers, staggers, and sways
time now, surely, to take full stock
we beseech thee, begone! ye cold and dreary days

ice hard; snow soft; winter you lay
as if to tease and mock
with your cruely bleak, unrelentless, ways

winter never ceases to amaze
but spring soon will come and knock
we beseech thee, begone! ye cold and dreary days
with your cruely bleak, unrelentless, ways

25 February 2010


* * * * * * * * * *

and in hope ......

Thaw

and so it doth begin,
in the silence and the still;
a hushened drip ... drip ... drip ...
a long awaited thaw that
when after all the puny 'tempts of men to pay,
comes forth the might of nature's bill.

endless piles at edge of highway thaw
to flood both stream and path
then rush and wash their way.

a time and labour ill-spent,
a seemingly unremitting folly of expense,
that must be paid as nature's due.

at the end, she tidies up her house,
Herself,
at Spring;
by thanking not the mess
that foolish men had done
at her expense.

25 February 2010

[kennyc]

Congrats on 9000 and the poetry it inspired.

[GeoffC]

thank you - i needed something slightly special to 'celebrate' the
nought-point-nine-kilostone....

[dreams]

Oh, very nice, GeoffC!
Thank you and congratulations on a great 9,000th post!

[GeoffC]

I have been struggling through this for nearly 6 months - it may be finished, maybe not ....


who opened Pandora's box
unto this caring, dear life of ours?
why unto us
does the sword swing so perilously close?
who wanted to change our world so much
and bring such rack, and such ruin?
who commanded the legions of hate
and released the hounds from hell?
who took the cares that we had, away;
and shook up the rights and the wrongs?

[badgoodDeb]

Nice! Let us know if there ever becomes more to it -- though I like it this way, too.

[GeoffC]

Snow now lying ......


snow now lying is ready to thaw
as earth tilts slowly towards our star,
it can't stay forever, says nature's law.

it must not stay, that'll defy the law,
come on Winter; who do you think you are?
snow now lying, is ready to thaw.

snow is not forever, to shock us and awe;
it cannot, it must not, it would be bizarre,
it can't stay forever, says nature's law.

battle's now over, no-one's won any war,
bane of season, no longer do we spar
snow now lying, is ready to thaw.

winter's had its bite and a jolly guffaw,
anything more would be more than its par,
it can't stay forever, says nature's law.

spring is now due, winter should withdraw
and leave not a stain nor a scar.
snow now lying, is ready to thaw
it can't stay forever, says nature's law.

[dreams]

Both poems are so very different in how I percieve them..

Your first feels of some passion... as though there is something inside the written words.

Your second poem feels playful in its way of wanting to have winter over and spring return.

Very beautiful, GeoffC. Thank you for sharing them.

[GeoffC]

Bedtime ....

One cat beneath the bed,
purring away contentedly.
downstairs on floor so cold,
the dog sleeps soundly, rumbling her song.

One cat beneath the bed,
gladly falling asleep.
two cats jump onto the bed,
not caring a jolt where they land.
downstairs on floor so cold,
the dog dreams what dogs do dream.

One cat beneath the bed,
fast asleep, no cares at all.
two cats on the top,
one either side of us.
a third cat jumps on my head,
slumps down between me and mine.
downstairs on floor so cold,
the dog shifts and rolls.

One cat beneath the bed,
snortling along, rumbling along.
two cats on the top,
one scratching, t'other grooming.
third cat, in the middle,
settles down to sleep.
fourth cat clambers up
to the foot of the bed.
downstairs on floor so cold,
the dog snorts and dreams of snow.

One cat beneath the bed,
surfaces up for air.
two cats on the top,
squash us, tightly, like book ends
third cat, in the middle,
squarks and pushes.
fourth cat sleeps with a purr,
sniffs and sneezes with a stir.
fifth cat clambers up,
makes two at the foot of the bed.
downstairs on floor so cold,
the dog rolls over, yips and dreams.

One cat from beneath the bed,
jumps up and collides.
two cats on the top,
one attacked, screeches, scratches then sleeps.
third cat, in the middle,
purrs and rumbles, shivers and stretches.
fourth cat sleeps on,
rolls into a dip and shortens the bed.
fifth cat sleeps soundly,
rolls into a dip and weighs a ton.
Sixth cat leaps,
All hell breaks loose
Cats a tumble
Me and mine grumble.
Downstairs on floor so cold,
the dog snorts, yips and dreams.
Upstairs peace now reigns
two human owners trapped tight in sheets
mummy and daddy now wrapped as mummies.....

[dreams]

Wait.... you forgot to add the rest..

The seventh cat arrives to find
a spot warm and cozy
snuggled close to mommy's ear.
Downstairs on floor so cold,
the dog quickly paws the air,
deep in rabbit dreams.

The eighth one, not one to be late,
jumped and quickly shoved
to find his cozy place,
while number nine was just
in time to claim daddy's pillow.
Downstairs on floor so cold,
the dog rolls over and continues dreaming.

This poem is not complete
if we did not meet
that sneaky number ten.
Curled up downstairs in mommy's chair,
enjoying the last of evening's fire.
The embers now long since dead,
his cozy spot grows cold.
A plan is hatched and he stirs himself
to find the perfect place from which
to carry out his deed.
A mantle perch, his target in his sights,
number ten prepares to launch himself.
A perfect landing, squarely on Dog's
sleeping form.
Loud barks and resounding yowls
quickly wake the sleeping mass upstairs.
Chaos begins as all scramble to reach
the sounds downstairs.

Mommy stirs, smiles a little smile,
and rolls over, making sure to grab
a bit more of the cover.
Nine more cats and Daddy are added to the fray.

Peace and quiet finally meets the ears
and Dog curls up once again.
The furry troop scamper up the stairs
with Daddy in the rear.
The bedroom finally reached
and his side the goal,
Daddy spies number ten.
He's curled up warm and cozy
on Daddy's side of the bed.
As Daddy shoves and wiggles to reclaim his spot,
he swears he hears Mommy giggle.

Very cute poem, GeoffC. I just couldn't resist adding a few more cats to the group.