Sense Sonnet - Chiller

One Last Bite

I come across a rattlesnake.
It's slithering through my backyard.
A bit too close for me to take,
So with my hoe, I smash it hard.
With one clean stroke, off comes its head.
In the garden, I dig a hole
To put that snake, now that it's dead.
Then back to its body I stroll.
Reaching for its head, suddenly,
That head does a flip in the air,
Lands on my hand, striking at me,
Leaving its fangs embedded there.

And then, my tongue begins to swell.
Bit by a dead snake - what the hell?

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Ground In

Coal mining grief is never done.
The mountain mined is never still.
In the blood from father to son,
To empty out the mountain's fill.
For days now, miners have been trapped
Deep within the bowels of the earth.
As time passes, the hope is sapped,
But, rescuers give all they're worth
To save their own. The news came
That there was another cave in.
Rescuers died. There was no blame,
Just more grief for lost kith and kin.

Coal mining grief is never done.
The mountain moved and claimed my son.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Going for the Green

I decided to rob a bank.
I wasn't into strong armed threat;
And if I may be somewhat frank,
My weird disguise would hit the Net.
I cut a branch off of a tree,
That had a bunch of leaves on it;
Then attached the limb onto me,
In front so that it snuggly fit,
And leafly camoflauged my face.
As the bank opened, I went in.
While I was holding up the place,
Leaves covered up my impish grin.

Man oh man, that teller did blanch
When she saw this branch rob that branch.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Be a Sport

Man has always enjoyed blood sport.
Over the centuries dogs were
Specially breeded to support
The thrills that fighting fans prefer.
Critics call us savage and worse.
Poor puppies are victims of crime.
Well, whether it's blessing or curse,
Animals get hurt all the time.
High profile publicity
Will only provoke for a while.
For dog fighting will always be.
It will never go out of style.

The do gooders are inhumane.
'Cause they give sports folks such a pain.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

For Father

A Founding Father, he was one,
That gave a new nation a birth.
Author, teacher, librarian,
Publisher and inventor well worth
All the tributes given to him,
For his ideas and deeds of good,
Put forward with vigor and vim,
For the best of citizenhood.
Serious, when needed to be;
But, preferring humor and wit
To emphasize humanity,
And how we all might benefit.

For Father and for me, I'm glad
Benjamin Franklin was my Dad.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Cut and Run

I had watched her for quite a while -
Her left hand specially so.
She wore jewelled rings worth a big pile,
And a bracelet - big pile of dough.
Had to get my hands on that stuff,
And do it quick, then get away.
It would be time consuming tough,
Piece by piece could take all day.
Having her remove at my urge,
She would be nervous and afraid.
A quick fix began to emerge,
Involving a machete blade.

It was easier than I planned.
After I chopped and took her hand.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Remains

The skull is kept as evidence
Of a murder 12 years ago.
A girl committed the offense.
Convicted, she sits on death row.
She murdered another young girl,
She thought was stealing her boyfriend.
Her hateful fury did unfurl,
Crushing the skull with a rock's end;
Taking a piece of bone with her,
Hung on a chain around her neck,
Found when her arrest did occur.
A piece of that life she did wreck.

When the skull gets legal release,
Then my daughter can rest in piece.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

What's Up?

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
Were in the boonies, camping out.
Their bedtime sherry toots were done.
They retired to the tent about.
Later, Holmes shook Watson awake.
"Look at the sky. What do you note?"
Holmes asked. Used to such strange partake,
Watson replied, "I see God's coat,"
"Made of billions of brilliant stars,"
"Pockets of astro purity,"
"Buttoned by Jupiter and Mars."
"So tell me Holmes, what do you see?"

"Watson, you've missed what's evident."
"Someone has stolen the damn tent."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Hit and Fun

I am at the grocery store,
Moving with my cart down an aisle.
In the middle of the aisle floor
Is a sight that raises my bile.
A lady and her cart loom still,
Leaving no room on either side.
She's talking on her phone - quite shrill,
Ignoring my "excuse mes" tried.
So, with my cart, hers gets a bump,
Pushing it over from its rut.
The lady's cart makes a loud thump,
As it plows into her rude butt.

She shrieks. I say in a terse tone,
"Shh - You're trying to use the phone."

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Child of Mine

My ex-girlfriend, pregnant by me,
Never bothered to let me know.
She had the baby and then she,
Through adoption, let my son go.
It was only by accident
That I found out about the birth.
I tracked down where my baby went,
And my lawyer earned his worth.
When I finally won my case,
My son had just turned 4 years old.
He'd only known the time and place
Of the adopting folk's household.

He's mine, and when all's said and done,
I do not want to share my son.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Loss of a Child

Our hopes for a child came true.
The agency said all was done,
That the adoption had gone through,
And we brought home, Sean, our son.
All was going so very well;
Then, Sean's biological dad
Popped up, and our lives went to hell.
A court fight was the choice we had.
Sean stayed in our custody.
The court case continued for years.
We had high hopes for victory.
But finally, those hopes were fears.

The court fight turned out for the worst.
We should have let Sean go at first.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Loan Approved

A frog hop hops into a bank,
And hops to a loan officer,
"Hello, my name is Frank"
"Paddywack. How May I help, sir?"
"I'm Kermit Jagger," said the frog.
"Mick's my Dad, and I want a loan."
Frank continued the dialog,
"Any collateral you own?"
"Just this glass bug," Kermit replied.
"I'll ask the boss. I'll be right back."
The bank manager smiled and sighed,
"Well it's a knick knack Paddywack."

The boss said, "Give the frog a loan,"
"'Cause his old man's a Rolling Stone."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Your Name Please

At the close of the Civil War,
Robert E. Lee was sought to be
On an insurance firm's top floor,
Serving in the presidency.
Fifty thousand dollars a year
Was what the firm offered to pay.
Lee wasn't sure how his career
Merited payment in this way.
The firm assured the general that
His name was worth that much and more.
The buying public would grab at
The general's name on their front door.

Their sales pitch was to no avail.
Lee said, "My name is not for sale."

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Hammerin' Hank

Hammerin' Hank, the homerun king,
Long held that record of the game.
Earned in time with that magic swing,
Batting into the Hall of Fame.
You gained the prize set by Babe Ruth,
Slowly but surely as you played,
Closing in on that moment of truth,
With each and all homeruns you made.
Though your record has been surpassed,
It does not change your legacy.
You'll be remembered long and last -
A baseball hero meant to be.

Thank you Hank Aaron for your place
With baseball's best in form and grace.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

D.U.I. Doom

I don't remember driving home
From happy hour time last night.
Running late, I grabbed for my comb,
Hung over, and hair in a fright
The news came on the radio,
Reporting a bad hit and run
Last night about 7 or so,
By a red and white Suburban.
Witnesses said that a small child
Was struck in the crosswalk and embedded
Into the car, which drove on wild.
I went and found what I'd dreaded.

In the garage, in the car grill -
The body embedded there still.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Rub

My daughter was just 17.
She was a track and field athlete.
Muscle aches and pains were routine.
Relief came with some soothing heat,
Applied in rubbing ointments found
In any drugstore, anywhere.
Such brand products have been around
For ages without any scare.
If the body absorbs too much
Of chemicals found in these creams,
The body can react to such -
Apparently to dire extremes.

I can't believe my daughter died
From using a cream sold worldwide.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Till Death Do Us Part

The funeral service was done.
The pall bearers with casket went.
Turning a corner, they had run
Into a wall by accident.
Inside the casket came a moan.
The woman was still much alive -
A miracle before not known.
Ten years longer she did survive.
Always seen at her husband's side.
Where he was, she was right there too.
But, then again she up and died.
The funeral was de ja vu.

Pallbearers turned into the hall.
Hubby shouted, "Don't hit that wall!"

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

To Err is Human

Astronauts used to be revered.
They were the modern heroes true,
Risking all as they pioneered
Glories up beyond the wild blue.
Then came a time of news reports
Of astronauts doing bad things -
Drunk in flights, jealous attack torts,
And other whiffs of naughty flings.
The public got fed up at last.
The once heroic were too flawed.
Their time in space was in the past.
Manned rocket launches were outlawed.

Gone is the human astronaut.
Instead it's me - a space robot.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Just Suppose...

Christians believe God has a son.
What if God has a daughter too?
If so, who is the chosen one?
Perhaps someone who's in world view.
There is the possibility
That she has already been here,
Then disappeared in mystery;
And now, she's meant to reappear.
So how would we humans react
If the second coming was her?
Imagine the global impact,
If such a thing were to occur.

The daughter of God, the world learns -
Amelia Earhart returns.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Characterized

An open book, that is my life.
No secrets block development
Of me through all the bliss and strife.
Deja vu keeps me quite content.
But, yesterday I met a man
Who pulled me down from a bookshelf.
He said he knew me better than
I could possibly know myself.
Somehow, I knew his words were true.
Imagination made me be.
I owed my very essence to
This author who created me.

My sense of self got somewhat shook.
I'm a character in his book.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Beyond the Boy

Ryan White lived and died with A.I.D.S.
The youngster was the pioneer
Who upfront faced the barricades
Of human ignorance and fear,
Found within his own neighborhood.
Ryan took the taunts and shuns,
And he turned them from bad to good.
He was the heart of the chosen ones.
In the few years, before he died,
Ryan grew beyond time and place,
And gave his hope and strength worldwide -
Gave A.I.D.S. a sharing, smiling face.

Ryan did not get to enjoy
The time of being just a boy.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Peest Arteest

A disgruntled French painter chose
To exact his revenge upon
The Louvre, which had turned up its nose
At his fresh retrospective on
Napoleon Bonaparte's life,
As a prisoner in exile,
Cross-dressed in the clothes of his wife,
And with a Mona Lisa smile.
The painter snuck some dynamite
Into the Louvre, and set it off
On the main floor to give insight
Into his scorn of those who'd scoff.

The floor exploded into art
Of linoleum blown apart.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Mugging of Hugging

I'm at my next door neighbor's place,
Having a patio cookout.
Suddenly, a gun's in my face;
And then I hear a masked guy shout,
"Give me your money or I'll shoot."
The host calmly gives him a glass
Of wine, which the guy takes instead of loot.
Says he's sorry for being crass,
That this has all been done in fun,
And how about a big group hug?
Which we all do - he's got the gun!
Then off he goes - one feely thug.

We all hurry inside like hell,
And call the cops - a tale to tell.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Resource

I was working in a cafe,
Trying to save all that I could;
So hopefully, there'd come the day
I'd afford college - knock on wood.
She was my favorite customer,
Always so nice and so polite.
I'd heard what had happened to her.
In a car accident one night,
Her daughter and husband had died.
One day she gave me a check tip.
I looked at it and I cried,
$10,000. dollar scholarship.

She took from her own tragedy
To give a better life to me.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Tourist Trap

I am driving through Salem, Mass.
I stop at a filling station.
I go in to pay for the gas,
Then continue my vacation.
I can see in the rear view mirror,
A painting sits on the back seat.
When in the hell did that appear?
I pull to the side of the street.
It shows the burning of a witch,
With her shadow against a tree.
My God, the shadow starts to twitch,
As though it's trying to break free.

The shadow of the witch has spread.
It's hovering above my head.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Off Camera

George Reeves became a household name
During the early T.V. years.
The Superman role gained him fame -
Fleeting in Hollywood careers.
Cancelled after four seasons run,
The series had worn George enough.
Glad that it was over and done,
George was ready for better stuff.
But, he soon learned that it was hard
To overcome a typecast role.
The final part in which he starred
Was out of work, out of control.

"Good night," were the last words he said,
Then put a bullet through his head.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Downer

I dropped 4 nickels on the floor.
But just then, the front doorbell rang.
It was the mailman at the door.
Coming back with the package - dang.
My 2 year old was sitting there,
Clutching a nickel in his hand.
The other 3 weren't anywhere.
I figured Zach swallowed them, and
We headed off for the E.R.
They took him in for an xray.
Later, I checked progress so far.
I must have asked in a tense way.

"There's no reason to be upset,"
The nurse said, " But, there's no change yet."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

All Call

How did we ever manage to
Survive when there were no cell phones?
Soon, they'll be no one left who knew
Life before addicting dial tones.
We've moved beyond the hand to ear.
All the better to avoid harm.
Doctors were noting all too clear,
An epidemic of lock arm.
So now, the gizmos are attached
To ears and other body parts,
Allowing calls to be dispatched
Limblessly - what state of the arts!

The next "must have one" to attain -
Implanted cell phone on the brain.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Filling In and Up

I brought the kitten home with me,
When I found it under the hood
Of my car. It meowed helplessly,
Scared and hungry in kittenhood.
My Lily met us at the door.
The dachshund did a sniffing strong.
I wasn't sure what was in store
On how the two would get along.
They seemed okay, and later on
I found Lily nursing, as though
The maternal phenomenon
Could spur the milk of life to flow.

The once momless little feline
Now has a supermom canine.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Mosquito Bite

I'd stepped outside for some fresh air,
Holding my baby, and I saw
A mosquito land and stay there,
On my little Jenny's jaw.
With my hand, I brushed it away,
And then took Jenny back inside.
Her face swelled up later that day.
The E.R. doctors notified
Me that the West Nile virus had
Infected Jenny, and that her
Breathing function had gone bad.
She was on a respirator.

I have to be hopeful somehow.
My baby's in a coma now.