Metaphor Poems
The Forerunners
by George Herbert
The harbingers are come. See, see their mark;
White is their colour, and behold my head.
But must they have my brain? must they dispark
Those sparkling notions, which therein were bred?
Must dulnesse turn me to a clod?
Yet have they left me, Thou art still my God.
Good men ye be, to leave me my best room,
Ev'n all my heart, and what is lodged there:
I passe not, I, what of the rest become,
......
If I Were Tickled By The Rub Of Love
by Dylan Thomas
If I were tickled by the rub of love,
A rooking girl who stole me for her side,
Broke through her straws, breaking my bandaged string,
If the red tickle as the cattle calve
Still set to scratch a laughter from my lung,
I would not fear the apple nor the flood
Nor the bad blood of spring.
Shall it be male or female? say the cells,
And drop the plum like fire from the flesh.
......
Spelling
by Margaret Atwood
My daughter plays on the floor
with plastic letters,
red, blue & hard yellow,
learning how to spell,
spelling,
how to make spells.
I wonder how many women
denied themselves daughters,
closed themselves in rooms,
......
Marginalia
by Billy Collins
Sometimes the notes are ferocious,
skirmishes against the author
raging along the borders of every page
in tiny black script.
If I could just get my hands on you,
Kierkegaard, or Conor Cruise O'Brien,
they seem to say,
I would bolt the door and beat some logic into your head.
Other comments are more offhand, dismissive -
......
Sonnet Ix: As Other Men
by Michael Drayton
As other men, so I myself do muse
Why in this sort I wrest invention so,
And why these giddy metaphors I use,
Leaving the path the greater part do go.
I will resolve you: I am lunatic,
And ever this in madmen you shall find,
What they last thought of when the brain grew sick
In most distraction they keep that in mind.
Thus talking idly in this bedlam fit,
Reason and I, you must conceive, are twain;
......
The Marriage Proposal
by Richard Randolph
I built my house of wood and stone.
I built my house with sinew and bone.
I built it strong to withstand war,
but I put a welcome mat at my door.
I built it here near the sea,
so I can watch the ships sailing free.
And I built it with windows wide
to better understand the world outside.
From here you can feel the ocean breeze
and hear the songbirds singing in the trees.
......
The Birdfeeder
by Tyler Morello
A bird goes to a feeder
And finds it full of seeds
He seeks to grab a mouthful
Of the sustenance he needs
But to the bird's displeasure
The seeds are stale and old
Some spicy, moldy, soggy
Some too hot and some too cold
......
A Fruitful Fusion
by Evelyn Judy Buehler
I was aspiring to be a professional dancer, which had long been my dream,
As rogue planets head out on their own, from the stars that reign supreme.
I was awash in unbounded enthusiasm, like yellow sunshine's fresh sheen,
Or premier, perennial days of springtime, the time all is budding and green.
But, despite my unfailing readiness, I had a likely insurmountable problem,
In the fact that my dancing was mediocre, artless to the beat of the drum.
Though this was somewhat discouraging, I continued practicing and trying,
......
Cycle of Life: A Journey Through Growth and Decay
by Filip Hammarström
Sunrise, the beginning of day, awakening of life
Bringing new light, creating a story
With that which can’t be bought
But only with cherish, tender and humble
The dispersal of seeds, a migration of life
Ever reaching, wanting growth
Like birds roaming the skies, longing, searching
The young forever seeking, hoping, wishing
......
Adventure of Poets (feedback please)
by Monica Ellis
The ending starts here and now, right where you are sitting.
You might be reading this aloud, wondering just what you're beginning.
Entwined and bound together with leather,
These pages, these words once simple thoughts
Transferred from my brain to yours, and with my pleasure.
Endless adventures await, some we have sought, and even more
Show me experiences you'd like to explore.
Yes, fun and laughter we shall share!
Let's dress for the occasion
......
