The Poetry Marathon

I sat by the seashore
To dream my solitary dreams
I looked upon the water
Nothing is as it seems

To dream my solitary dreams
I stare solemnly at the horizon
Nothing is as it seems
The evening fog comes in

I stare solemnly at the horizon
I sat by the seashore
The evening fog comes in
I looked upon the water

I used to miss him, then I corrected my aim.
I used to love him, but he lost that game.
I used to want him, but now that he’s gone
I am happier without than with him.
I lost the one I thought I would love
Forever and a day.
I gave it my all, had a ball
And then he walked away.
“Don’t let the door hit ya’
Where the good Lord split ya’”
I hollered at his retreating back.
He turned around and stared
Thinking I cared
I blew a kiss, smiled and said, “See ya!”

Who am I, but a convict?
Serving out my time
I have a sentence I do not deserve
It was bread I took to save a life.
When I am finally given release
Even though a convict I’ll stay
I steal a Father’s silver
I’m brought back, but he saves the day.
He gives me all the silver
Adds candlesticks to the lot
He called me his brother
A term I thought I had forgot.
In going on to find my way
I leave the past behind
I will no longer be Jean Valjean
Monsieur le maire I become, so kind.
I spend my life avoiding
Javert’s arm of the law
When I choose to help Fantine
He corners me in a draw.
Fantine dies and I escape
I run so far and free.
I rescue Cosette, from awful people
And raise her as mine, instead of I, it’s we.
Cosette she grows so sweet and fair
I’m her papa, all that she’s known.
Then I find out she’s in love
With Marius, I can’t condone.
Once the shock wears off, I find him
Marius on the barricade.
When he is injured
I silently give him aid.
When Marius awakes,
He finds his Cosette there
He grieves for his friends who died
On the barricade, so unfair.
They marry as I leave them
I am old, but they are young.
They somehow manage to find me
But my time left is not long.
I confess to them who I am
The convict Jean Valjean
Cosette forgives me, Marius too
Time’s up, I must be gone.
In death I meet with Fantine
She is thankful I did love
Her beautiful daughter Cosette
We go together to Heaven above.

A symbol of purity and grace
A noble legend was born
I speak of none other
Than the graceful unicorn.
He had a coat so snowy white
And a preference for maidens fair
The brave would thus assemble
Only if they dared.
With nets flung wide, the hunters
Would taunt the kingly beast
With the help of a pure virgin
In their grasp the beast would cease.
As time went on the numbers curtailed
Of the creature strong and true
Until the day the unicorn
Vanished from their view.
So people can you listen
And learn from the unicorns plight
Never hunt the majestic likes
Of the unicorn for spite.

I stand at the open window
On an evening warm and damp.
The steam rises off the canning pot
I slowly switch on a lamp.
The tomatoes in their canning jars
The children at my elbow
At the open window I stand
Hear the frogs croak their nightly show.
One great mystery in life
Is how I came to be
Standing in my raincoat
With a sea of children surrounding me.

What if the color blue never existed?
What then would we do?
The sky would no longer be what we know
We’d lose beautiful bluebirds too.
The oceans would turn to grey
Rainbows would break apart
What if blue never existed?
We’d lose so many works of art.
Van Gogh would lose his Starry Night
Picasso’s Blue Period would not prevail.
Chagall’s Blue Angel would lose her wings
So many paintings would surrender detail.
Even our moods would suffer.
If you are sad, you couldn’t be blue.
Some people’s eyes would not be able to conquer
If there never, ever was blue.

Death is not a solution, my dear
     It is only a final escape
From the tortured emotions you are living
   And the love you cannot find.
You asked if he cared….about you…about the two of you
     Nothing….not a word.
Echoes rang in the void of his frigid indifference
   His silence threatened you with the thought
That you would lose him forever.
   That threat is now a reality
He is gone by this point.
     No way to get him back.
If he would just give love a chance
     No more tears you’d cry….alone in your room
Until he left you again.

In the darkness of night the band came to town
Dancing and jigging until the dawn
The fiddlers were playing till they were almost on fire
The dancers feet were surging, nary a yawn.
They bounded around the room with intense energy
The people surrounded them, hands clapping along
With gleeful voices they cheered in time
Joining in the spirited song.
A drunken sailor tried to follow the dance
His feet tripping over themselves
The rest of the dancers linked arms with him
Helped him dance like a troupe of elves.
With a shout and a bow, the band left the town
Following the morning sun
The townspeople sighed and went home to their beds
Sad to see the end of such fun.

• Colors swirling in the night
  Dark blue, yellow, cream
  I stare in fascination
  At this artistic scene.
  The dark sky churns in restless motion
  The wind agitates the air.
  I close my eyes and see the echo
  Feel the breeze flow through my hair.
  In my minds eye, the reflection of
  The colors swirling in the night.
  I see the stars, reach out my hand
  To this pleasure I hold tight.

Spiders come in big and small
Its legs so long and hairy. (ew!)
Eight of those legs they use to crawl
To find me where I hide.
     I gasp!
          I bolt!
               I whimper!
If I was to speak about my son (and I am)
All 6’2 of him
He would scream like a little girl (he has)
And run hysterically out of the room
Only to have his daughter get the spider
The big, mean, ugly spider
Just so he would not have to.