Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Loser

I asked the clerk if I could get
Five tickets for the lottery.
She said six were left in the set,
And wondered if I would agree
To buy all six instead of five.
I'm sure I could have bought all six,
But for some reason told her I've
Just cash enough for the five tics.
She told me that was fine because
That last sixth ticket would be bought
By her, and she smiled with a pause,
Handing me the five tics I got.

Worth one million bucks, F.Y.I.
That ticket that I did not buy.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Winner

I found ten dollars on the ground,
As I was going into work.
For a single Mom, that's food found,
Not making much as a store clerk.
A customer wanted to buy
Five tickets for the lottery.
A sixth ticket remained, so I
Did ask the customer if he
Wanted to buy that last sixth one.
He said that he was short on cash.
So, I bought the ticket for fun
From the found ten - yes, I was rash.

It was 2 for 1 in good lucks.
That ticket paid a million bucks.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Power Source

I cannot remember how long
Ago my whole life changed about.
I woke and knew something was wrong.
It took time to figure it out.
I am by myself in a cell.
I can eat, sleep and watch T.V.
I always feel healthy and well,
But know that I'll never be free.
The cord is plugged into the wall.
It cannot be pulled out or cut.
I'm used to it now, all and all,
Implanted in me through my gut.

We humans now are "food" for thought
For machines, believe it or not.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Dying Breath

The home furnace was working fine;
Then some mechanism went out.
There wasn't any warning sign,
As the killer began its route,
Through the house's heating air vents.
The lethal carbon monoxide,
On its way to dispense
The breath of death intensified.
My bedroom vent was closed because
While I slept, I preferred it cold.
We read his book, Wizard of Oz,
Then I tucked in my four year old.

My son went to sleep in his bed.
The next morning, I found him dead.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Pussy "Purr"adise

Oh, I'm a lucky cat, I am.
I've the run of this house, I do.
The precious pet of the Madam,
I do my job and have fun too.
The girls all treat me really nice,
'Twixt and 'tween their turning of tricks,
And 'tween and 'twixt my chasing mice.
Rodents and sex stuff just don't mix.
Sometimes I watch them one on one,
And give each pro and john a grade.
Getting all horny looks like fun;
But, alas, Madam had me spayed.

Here's fair warning to any mouse -
You'll be caught dead in this cat house.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Gun for Good

Violence has always been with man,
With who was wrong or who was right.
The weapons used have gone the span
Of clubs and spears to firearm might.
Today, the gun most represents
What's used in crimes and tragedies,
Causing victims of innocence
To suffer from the shooting sprees.
But, a hero might use a gun
To act in an heroic way.
Tribute to what the hero's done,
Might put the gun's good on display.

The one who uses the gun would
Determine if it's bad or good.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Family Time

The cicada insects in mass
Emerge from their underground homes,
So their cycle can come to pass,
To mate and share their chromosomes.
The males make a clackity noise,
Females check out with big red eyes.
Girls will be girls, boys will be boys.
Eggs hatch with little gals and guys.
This occurs in June and July,
And when their mate duties are done,
The cicadas then bid goodbye.,
And back underground, all and one.

Tick, tock, the cicada adheres -
Will be back in 17 years.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Mutated

I awake lying on the ground.
Weak, I cannot get to my feet.
I see no light and hear no sound,
Yet sense a thirst that's strange but sweet.
I remember having a dream
About walking along a lake.
A humming, reddish cloud did seem
To float across the water's wake.
A mosquito swarm came at me.
Frozen, I feared that I would die.
I craved the blood unconsciously.
Suddenly, I remembered why.

I was enveloped by the swarm,
Sucking me, red blooded and warm.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Passing

I had known her for many years.
We lived just a few miles apart.
Our lives had but few common spheres,
But what we shared came from the heart.
She endured a lot of bad health.
But with me, she always conveyed
An inner spiritual wealth,
On the wings of humor displayed.
A few months ago she told me
That she was terminally ill.
I took it as a chance to be
Good in her mind and heart until...

I got word she died yesterday.
I'm so grateful she passed my way.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Paper Cut

The actress, Tallulah Bankhead,
Detested any bad review.
When biting words of here were said,
She'd bite the sayer back and chew.
One time a critic wrote of her
With not one word of compliment.
Anger within began to stir.
A message needed to be sent.
Tallulah read it all, and then
The actress wrote a note to say,
"Critiques are useful to me when"
"I'm sitting here on my bidet."

"Your review is in front of me;"
"And soon, behind me it will be."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Mwambura's Choice

Mwambura scavaged off the land,
To feed his hunger's burning call.
Some strangers came with word in hand,
To spread the Christian faith to all.
They also came with sticks of fire
To use on those who would not heed
The chosen way of God's empire.
Mwambura joined the Christian creed.
He was rewarded in fine bribe.
With much prestige and property,
Once held by others in his tribe
Who did not choose the word as he.

Now others scavaged off the land.
Mwambura - he could understand.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Run Around

Robert Garside, the Running Man,
Took a 30,000 mile jog
Over a 6 year plus time span,
A 6 continent travelogue.
Running through China, he was jailed.
Venezuela gave him true love.
Running on ships across seas sailed;
Chilled through Himalayas above.
A few countries found him fair game,
With potshots hard to overlook.
But, on he ran to get his name
In the Guiness World Record book.

Robert Garside is the first one
To circle the globe on the run.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Vulnerable

A nurse entered the mother's room.
"How are you both doing today -"
"Tired but so happy, I presume?"
The nurse asked in a friendly way.
"Fine," The new Mom said with a smile.
"My baby here is such a joy."
The nurse said, "For a little while,"
"I need to take your darling boy."
Another nurse later came in,
And Mom told her what did occur
About the baby's tests and when
Would her baby be back with her?

A code message was sent to warn
Of a likely kidnapped newborn.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Pop High

Keith Richards is one crazy guy,
Too often through life rolling stoned,
Trying to outdo the last high,
And keep the party's end postponed.
No behavior was too far out,
The more bizarre, the better told.
Keith's persona was all about
Keeping front page while getting old.
So much such stuff - been there, done that,
Fallen from grace and from a tree.
But always hitting where it's at.
How close was Keith to family?

Snorting cocaine alone was bad,
But mixing in ashes of Dad?

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Political Heat

He had been a Republican
For ninety years of politics.
A lot of deals he'd seen and done
In back rooms, putting in the fix.
Before he took that final kick,
He'd give the left one damn defeat.
To get in right with one last lick,
He visited the county seat.
The GOP learned the old guy
Reregistered a Democrat.
The party leader asked him why.
He had this to say about that,

"If one must die, then might as well'
"Let a Democrat go to hell."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

God Knows Why

God - nature seems to do so well
With just the animals and plants.
Then man comes along bringing hell,
And all your work is left to chance.
God - acts of nature are and were
Events that man must question why
Do such bad disasters occur,
Causing innocent lives to die?
God - a lot of manmade stuff is done
In your name, but then you know that.
Having been around since day one,
You've watched the mess humans begat.

God - word is that you are divine.
So why keep man in your design?

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Jamestown

The Queen came to commemorate
The Jamestown English settlement.
400 years passed since that date,
When England moved in permanent.
On a muddy riverside bog,
With not much good of anything,
The settlers built shelters of log,
And named it after the English king.
The native neighbors were not thrilled
To have these English right next door.
So lots of Englishmen were killed,
But they kept coming - more and more.

And so began a new world quest
Of English roots from east to west.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Earee

It was like snap, crackle and pop,
Going on inside of my ear.
And the feeling would just not stop.
It didn't hurt and I could hear.
Mom got worried and so she took
Me to the doctor fast enough.
With some gizmos he took a look,
Then rinsed out my ear with some stuff.
And two pea sized spiders washed out.
Otherwise, I checked out ok.
Well, that solved that ear thing, no doubt.
I have those spiders to this day.

My teacher did not look so well,
When I took them to Show and Tell.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Numbers

The company made many brands
Of varied foods for dogs and cats.
When there were safty check demands,
Execs looked at inside test stats.
Test animals were fed the food,
And based on those that did survive,
Probabilities were construed
Of the market staying alive.
The choice of a massive recall
Was to choose a market death knell,
Sending the inc. in a freefall
Into a swift financial hell.

There was no recall nationwide,
If too few animals had died.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Oops

The new employee was all set
To start her business career.
Her boss was in a meeting yet,
But left instructions, short and clear.
The new employee should please take
The file full of pending claims,
Go to the copy room and make
Copies, collated by last names.
The first machine she came upon,
She put the file papers into;
Then pushed the button to turn on
The shredder. And the file went through.

The new employee looked in doubt,
"Hmm - where do the copies come out?"

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Full Circle

Two farmers' farms were side by side.
One was poor; the other was rich.
The wealthy one was well supplied -
But with the bounty came a hitch.
The more there was, the more the waste.
The wealthy farmer saw his farm
Becoming ruined and defaced.
Money should buy away this harm.
His poor neighbor agreed to take
All his garbage for a fat fee.
Both farmers died from this mistake.
Money was no immunity.

The high price for a dumping ground
Goes and comes around and around.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Second Opinion

My son called one night, sounding ill,
"Mom," he moaned, "I'm down with the flu."
"My body flops from sweat to chill."
"I ache real bad. What shall I do?"
"I'm sorry to hear that," I said.
"Take a couple of aspirin."
"If possible, just stay in bed,"
"And drink a lot of fluids in."
"Take care of yourself - that's the rule."
"But, you should already know all that,"
"With two years of medical school;"
"Treating the flu should be down pat."

"You're right Mom, "he said. "I just knew"
"I wanted to hear it from you."

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Unearthly Ultimatum

The alien beings came from
Another world in time and space.
They were called Zeq and they had come
To subjugate the human race.
The Zeq had watched as we progressed
From clubs to supersonic jets.
At last they knew what they first guessed.
We were useless, except as pets.
To try to take the Earth by force
Was deemed to be too nebulous.
The Zeq chose first a simpler course.
The second choice was up to us.

"Surrender by tomorrow noon,"
"Or else, we will blow up your moon."

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Down Time

It's depressing when I recall
My past - so angry and alone,
Not sharing any love at all,
An addict whose bad seeds were sown.
It's depressing now, taking pills
To try to chemically make
Moody mountains into molehills.
How many pills will that job take?
It's depressing thinking ahead,
Of all the things that could go wrong,
Of fears far worse than being dead,
Of living life too sad - too long.

It's depressing trying to guess
Why I'm so easy to depress.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

One Last Shot

Old Robin Hood lie near to death.
He beckoned Little John to hear
His final words in gasping breath,
"Bring me my bow and arrow near."
"And through that window, I shall fire;"
"Where ere in Sherwood it shall land,"
"Shall be my final funeral pyre."
The arrow shot from bow in hand.
Shortly thereafter, Robin died.
Little John and the Merry Men,
To do his bidding bona fide,
Took Robin where his arrow went in.

They buried him midst pinafores,
Inside his wooden chest of drawers.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Garden Spot

In the beginning, God did make
A perfect place, so fresh and clean -
Eden, a garden for the sake
Of life in harmony, serene.
But, all of this was not to last.
Adam and Eve committed sin;
And out of Eden they were cast,
Never to be allowed back in.
After Eden, mankind lived on.
The world was left to manmade fate.
Since paradise was now long gone,
What became of the real estate?

Eden, God's garden of delight,
Is now a toxic waste dump site.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Old West Fest

For me, here's How the West was Won.
Legends bigger than life they were -
Roy Rogers and Bat Masterson,
Maverick and The Lone Ranger.
Gunsmoke blurred The Wild, Wild West,
As Wanted Dead or Alive ran
From Wyatt Earp and all the rest
Into the sight of The Rifleman.
By Wagon Train, by Wells Fargo,
By Iron Horse through The Big Valley,
From Laramie to Laredo
Came the Bonanza filled Fury.

Tall T.V. tales full of fast guns,
Reloading glories in reruns.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Envious

I saw her in the checkout line,
As prego as prego can be.
I wished that baby could be mine.
Nothing ever goes right for me.
I asked her real nice if I could
Feel it moving inside of her.
Asking nicely did no good.
Her icy stare at me was br-r-r.
She hurried past me for the door.
I yelled she thought she was so great,
But she was really just a whore.
She glared at me but did not wait.

I can rescue it from this slut.
Her belly's gonna feel my cut.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Encounter

I saw a man I thought I knew;
Someone who used to be my friend.
But his friendship did not run true.
He only wanted to pretend.
Because my memories of him
Were only of his past deceit,
The thought of meeting him was grim,
A forced reminder of the cheat.
But, as I pondered, suddenly
This man, who left me feeling hate,
Was standing there in front of me.
The time had come to face my fate.

I looked that man straight in the eye.
And saw the mirror tell no lie.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

On Impact

A jaywalker is what I am.
I lure the vehicles into
Giving me a real body slam.
Any make or model will do.
Battered in the no walking zone,
The rush of hit is all I felt,
As vans plowed through my flesh and bone,
And sports cars hit below the belt.
But, best of all was this last one.
I timed the movement perfectly.
It was the ultimate in fun.
A steamroller rolled over me.

A hospital is my confine -
Rooms 25 through 29.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Child Abuse

I raised my children all alone.
When they were bad, I spanked them good;
And told them that when they were grown
I hoped they'd act as people should.
It takes a lot of work I guess,
Coping with such a busy life.
He's under so much strain and stress,
With two jobs, three kids and a wife.
Most times he treats me very well.
But when I make him become mad,
He hits me; but I can tell,
Afterwards, he feels very bad.

It doesn't matter what he's done.
He loves me and I love my son.