Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Second Coming

The shroud of Turin from year one
Was held by Christian faith to be
The final wrapping of God's son,
Before he rose immortally.
Fibers of microscopic size
Were taken from the sacred shroud;
So scientists could analyze
If human link be there endowed.
They found some trace of DNA.
Using modern technology,
Science computed out the way
To reproduce who used to be.

The sampling DNA sufficed.
A clone was made of Jesus Christ.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Befall

It was called the fall of Saigon,
When Uncle Sam withdrew support.
I watched from the bus that I was on.
One of the last for the airport.
A man ran alongside the bus,
Holding a baby in one arm;
Pleading with those he saw of us
To take his child away from harm.
The bus began to pick up speed.
My arms reached out; the man then smiled,
And ran the faster to succeed.
But he stumbled and dropped his child.

Ever I'll hear that babe's last squeal,
Then crushed beneath the bus'es wheel.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

How Cow

One morning on the eastern side
Of what is Great Lake Michigan,
Two Indians were on a ride
In a canoe, just out for fun.
As darkness disappeared in light,
To the far west, across the lake,
Huge clouds of smoke came into sight,
Blackened against the bright daybreak.
One Indian asked the other,
"What do all those smoke signals mean?"
"Palefaces," replied his brother,
"Are always making a big scene."

"Mrs. O'Leary is hot now -"
"Fired up over her kicking cow."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Hoodwinks

My neighborhood is where I live,
Along with lots of other folks.
Each one of us has much to give,
In hating blows, in loving strokes.
Conflicting forces flow among -
The whorehouse madam helps the poor;
The pious reverend rapes the young -
Pretense or truth behind closed door?
I walk the streets in day and night.
Blessing and danger ever be;
What's wrong is walking with what's right,
And all are walking within me.

My mind is like the neighborhood,
Filled with a mixture - bad and good.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Insight

I was blinded, taking a spill.
Maybe my vision would return.
Till then, I needed blindness skill.
I also needed help to learn.
A teacher came; her name was Flo.
As her student, I was no prize,
Repeating that she could not know
What it was like to have no eyes.
But, finally my pain gave way,
And Flo taught me the gift of grace.
My sight came back one summer day.
I turned and looked upon Flo's face.

She stared ahead with eyes so kind,
And I could see that Flo was blind.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Mind

He grabbed me on my way to school,
When I was eleven years old.
He told me if I'd just be cool,
Then I wouldn't be dead and cold.
He did some awful things to me.
I tried to block out all that stuff.
He came to be like family,
Loving me no matter how tough.
I didn't go to school no more.
Computer games were my main scene.
Didn't think about life before,
And in no time, I was fifteen.

Most of me said to run away,
But something inside made me stay.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Not Knowing

My son was eleven years old,
A great kid in every way.
The school called me and I was told
That Matt had been absent that day.
At once I knew something was wrong.
Matt was not one to just skip school.
We'd had discussions all along
That bad behavior wasn't cool.
I called around to no avail.
Police helped search the neighborhood,
Then looked on a nationwide scale.
Nothing yet has done any good.

Matt has not been heard from or seen.
If alive, he is seventeen.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Odds - A to Z

The aardbee, with its snout did sting
The crocoduck, with quack did jaw
The elefox, sly trunk did swing
The gorilhawk, did chest beat claw
The ibjackal, did wade to bark
The kangalizard, did tongue hop
The monknewt, with tailspin did mark
The ocepig, did spotted slop
The quailrat, with its strut did rut
The swordtiger, did pierce with growl
The univicuna, cud gut
The weasxantho, with hoot did howl


The yak zebra, did drag in stripe.
Strange bedfellows - alphabet type.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Constant Variable

It was the morn of Christmas Eve.
Beside ourselves, we wondered why
We found it such sweet sorrow to grieve.
The funny business made us cry.
Excessive deficits to pay,
To let benevolent despots,
Those jumbo shrimp - catch of the day,
Wage civil wars like drawing lots.
"Killed by some friendly fire," so said
Military intelligence.
Riot control - cold comfort, dead;
Live coverage, but same difference.

From the four corners of the Earth,
Broken connections on Christ's birth.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Going Beyond

A dad and son walked by the sea,
Along a pathway high and steep.
The ground beneath the boy broke free,
Sending him to the waters deep.
The boy's predicament was grim.
He cried out for help to his dad.
But his dad never learned to swim.
An old rope was all to be had.
The dad threw an end to his son,
Who grabbed it tight, but felt it break.
The dad called down what must be done,
"Grab beyond, son, for your own sake."

Beyond the break, he grabbed the rope.
Beyond despair, he grabbed for hope.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Thing Unknown

He was hiking in hills remote,
And came upon a hidden cave.
Inside a wet vine grabbed his throat,
And ooze engulfed him in a wave.
He struggled helplessly in fear,
And could not see what held him fast.
But then he saw himself appear,
And watched him hike just hours past.
This scene dissolved before his eyes,
And he again prayed desperately.
He heard the sound of searchers' cries,
And felt their arms that pulled him free.

Hallucinating rescuing,
As he was eaten by the thing.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

So Long My Friend

I woke up feeling something wrong.
Prince was lying there next to me.
A sense of loss was getting strong.
He was the first up normally.
I reached over and stroked his side.
No response - he was stiff and cold.
My dog, my lifelong pal had died.
My tears fell on his coat of gold.
Prince and I were born the same day,
Were one for both and both for one.
We were together all the way.
But now those times were past and done.

The draw of death had come between
Two friends who'd just turned seventeen.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Some Shootin'

Davy Crockett woke up one morn,
And saw outside a chilling sight.
As a result of winter's scorn,
The sun was all frozen up tight.
Davy quick pondered what to do,
And grabbed his rifle, taking aim,
Shooting like no one else could do,
'Cause Davy Crockett was his name.
The bullet balls, fiery and hot,
Melted the ice hold that was on
Ol' Sol, and thanks to that crack shot,
Once again the world had a dawn.

Davy reached right into the sun,
And grabbed some rays to clean his gun.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Join the Club

On a tree branch, dark and narrow,
I spied six birds all in a set.
There was a fine henson sparrow,
Sitting next to a great egret.
An upland sandpiper looked gaunt
Beside a black-crowned night heron.
A double crested cormorant
Quietly watched the early dawn.
A northern harrier was last.
For a while, they perched together.
Then suddenly, they flew off fast -
Birds of a different feather.

Being endangered species now,
Perhaps they wonder why and how.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

The Gift

Pen pals, they were from grade school on,
All the way into middle age.
He lived hither and she lived yon.
At last they met on fate's shared stage.
He needed a kidney transplant.
So far a match could not be found.
Both time and hope were getting scant.
Then she proceeded to astound.
Since their blood cell types did concur,
She came to him, and by design,
He received a kidney from her.
Both he and she are doing fine.

If we shall seek, then we shall find
The very best in humankind.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Time to Kill

It started off as just a dare -
To test myself if I could kill;
No matter whom, or when or where,
The randomness became the thrill.
That was about nine months ago.
My first kill was a traffic cop.
I drove at him in heavy snow.
Too late, he saw I would not stop.
Since then, I average one a week.
A mix of color, size and kind,
Indiscriminate - so to speak,
Just someone who I chance to find.

Well, I must close; it's time to play.
Perhaps you'll be my fun today.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Wake

I want to leave the here and now,
To bid this life a last farewell.
I feel relieved to know somehow
I can escape my living hell.
It is the darkest time of night.
The water's still and dark and deep.
Serenity dispells my fright.
As I submerge to go to sleep,
The waves of comfort beckon me.
I pull their essence in deep breath,
And feel the numbness set me free,
Into the welcome wash of death.

The doctors take away my dream.
I am alive. I start to scream.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Hares Bewares

Four rabbits were out for a hop,
Enjoying a breath of fresh air.
"Does any bunny want to stop?"
Asked one quite horny mister hare.
"Yes." "Yes." "Yes." Came back in reply.
They stopped beneath a maple tree,
A lovely spot to multiply.
"oh, oh - we got some company."
Six hawks stared down and smacked their beaks,
Perched on an overhanging bough.
The rabbits knew hawk havoc wreaks,
So what to do they pondered now.

"Should fleeing be the strategem?"
"Or wait 'til we outnumber them?"

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Out Smart

I see my sexuality
As part of why and who I am,
And should be kept in privacy -
Not subjected to cross exam.
Whether I'm gay or bi or straight
Should be of little relevance.
The labels only can create
Confinement due to circumstance.
If acts or health of mine cause threat,
Then that is something to make known.
But otherwise, a news out let
Lays one bare to the nosy prone.

When people ask me if I'm gay.
"With doubt an out," is what I say.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Fairy Tale Love

Once upon a time, a young prince
Rode his stallion into town.
A young maiden fell from a fence.
The horse's sharp hooves struck her down.
The prince's heart broke when he heard
The girl would be crippled for life.
From her bedside, he rarely stirred.
He wanted her to be his wife.
She told him gently they should wait,
And let their love grow strong a while.
Some time went by, and by some fate
The bride and groom walked down the aisle.

They lived with loving and laughter,
And happily ever after.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Roots

At a session of the U.N.
They just appeared out of thin air,
Long limbed creatures with greenish skin.
"We come to warn," one did declare.
"You must stop killing trees and plants,"
"Or we will stop you with quick force."
"This warning is your final chance"
"To change your fatal human course."
To show the power of their threat,
In just a blinking of the eye,
The whole U.N. complex was set
Above New York, up in the sky.

When asked why care about the trees,
"Because we once were plants like these."

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Love Child

Long, long ago I left my child,
Abandoned on a pile of hate.
Then, I took back the hate I'd piled.
Leaving the child to its own fate.
As time went by, I played the game
Of life, but didn't play it well.
I dreamed of fortune and of fame,
But lived an angry, fearful hell.
At times I'd wonder what became
Of my child, long bargained away.
Please take my guilt. Please take my shame.
And give me back my child, I pray.

I'm looking for the child to be
A child to love. That child is me.

Sense Sonnet Tickler

His Men in Blue Period

The victim of a hit and run,
Pablo Picasso did assist
In profiling the guilty one,
By sketching out a suspect list.
In company of male police,
(Ladies distracted Pablo's art)
He assembled his masterpiece,
Pouring into it soul and heart,
He toiled with angles day and night.
At last authorities did see
The art reflecting his insight.
The suspects were narrowed down to three:

The Eiffel Tower, a shot gun,
And, of course, a one legged nun.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Thanksgiving

Giving thanks is thoughtful I think.
The Pilgrims did it long ago,
With a fine feast of food and drink
To thank the natives ever so.
When that Thanksgiving day was done,
The red man's gifts were soon forgot.
The white man took the land by gun -
Too good to share with savage lot.
Throughout Thanksgiving history
The thanks we gave and gave and gave,
While ever on a taking spree
To make us master over slave.

So giving thanks, I think is fine;
But, living thanks is life divine.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

In Good Company

The sonnet came from Italy.
It was the offspring of Petrarch,
Who told of love, that would not be,
In rhyming patterns, sad and dark.
Then Shakespeare wrote of his love pains,
In numbered sonnets meant to send
His deep laments in three quatrains,
With a catch couplet at the end.
I use the Bard's rhyming measure
With tetrameter iambics,
To pour out my pain and pleasure
Into the poet bowl to mix.

Each sonnet is my turn for tale -
In fourteen lines to leave a trail.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Rat Race Blues

After work, I wait for the train,
At night, at the Jackson street stop.
The track pit down is the domain
Of a rat, I watch from atop.
A brownish blob that's gotten fat,
With beady eyes and snakelike tail;
I call the critter, Cool Jack Rat,
Scavaging on this piece of rail.
I toss a chunk of candy bar.
Jack gobbles it in fearless nerve,
Oblivious to what's not far.
The train is coming round the curve.

Jack Rat too long stays on the track.
I get sprayed with the guts of Jack.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Spelldom

In Britain in an ancient time,
There was a wizard, wise and good.
Merlin took power to his prime
To give the kingdom what he could.
He raised the boy and taught him right,
Put Ex Calibur in his hand,
Brought a nation into the light,
Bid King Arthur to rule the land.
And for a while it all went well.
But, as with matters human kind,
The best intentions of his spell
Be Camelot of Merlin's mind.

Merlin could not divine one thing -
A lifetime of a perfect king.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Pandamonium

A panda comes in a cafe,
And orders the veggie delight.
The waitress serves without delay,
And hopes that the order's all right.
After the panda's meal is done,
He says thanks with a lot of charm,
Then stands up and pulls out a gun,
And shoots the waitress in the arm.
As all bear an astounded look,
The panda walks out through the door.
The wounded waitress asks the cook,
"What's the panda doing this for?"

"It's just his way, if one believes"
"That a panda eats shoots and leaves."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Trappings

We've all seen pictures of the man,
Tall and gaunt with white beard and hair;
Not changing over time's long span,
The same old hat and suit to wear.
Stars and stripes in a clownish style,
Red, white and blue, do not disguise
The pain behind that tired, forced smile,
The worry in those haunted eyes.
Beneath the brightly colored wrap
There beats a bruised and heavy heart.
So many hopes have turned to crap.
He looks and feels like one old fart.

Nieces and nephews - give a damn
About what's inside Uncle Sam.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Songfest

It is the fresh, new life of spring,
The sense of truth and hope in rhyme.
Of bright rebirth, the birds do sing
On breezes off to summer time.
The birds encore in tunes to call
Of nature's hot and mellow spree.
Then come crisp colored days of fall,
With blended burst in symphony.
The varied wondrous sounds and sights,
They dance away for winter's scene.
Amid the chilling days and nights,
The notes of birds echo serene.

The seasons bring the wings of song,
To make the music all year long.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Uproot

We had to leave the home we'd shared.
The farewell visit brought some tears.
Nothing could ever be compared
To our thirty life filled years.
We raised two sons here - both fine boys.
Each room had special vibes to send
Of family - the sorrows and joys.
We mixed it all and loved homeblend.
The time seemed to go by so fast.
Facing a bright and sunny day,
We shut the front door on the past;
Then holding hands, we walked away.

The house was empty of "bought" things,
But filled with shared rememberings.