Sense Sonnet - Acher

Proposal Rock

Along the Oregon shoreline
Is a place called Proposal Rock.
Surrounded by Pacific brine,
As tides recede, lovers do walk
Out to the rock to stand upon.
And to propose their love be wed.
I took my love in early dawn
Toward the rock. In shallows I led,
But suddenly, a rogue wave hit.
When I surfaced, I looked around.
But hope flowed away bit by bit.
No trace of my love could be found.

I clutched the ring and watched the sea
Where my love was taken from me.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Pricked

Cleopatra had wily charm.
The Romans sent Marc Antony
To be in charge. So to disarm
This man and persuade him to be
But a pawn in her queenly game,
She summoned him to her bedroom.
But before Marc Antony came,
She ordered that roses abloom
Upon her bedroom floor be spread
From wall to wall and up waist high.
Then she awaited in her bed
For Marc Antony to drop by.

But instead of getting horny,
Marc Antony just got thorny.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Christmas Rush

'Tis the season to be jolly,
Hunting for bargains at the stores.
I stood at Walmart's by golly,
For hours, waiting for the doors
To open. When they did at last,
I was one of the very first
To make my entrance with a blast,
And toward the specials, I did burst.
An employee stood in my way.
Didn't he know mark downs won't wait?
I guess I knocked him down, but hey,
Deals I wanted were in aisle 8.

The guy I hit, running inside,
I heard on the news later - died.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

As the Spirit Moves

Serenity of heart and soul,
Peace of mind for unknowns ahead -
Integral parts to form the whole;
Reaching for good with arms outspread.
Inside of self is found the seed
To grow beyond into the vast
Universe, with each thought and deed
Anchored in nurtured faith steadfast.
Love of being a child of God,
In harmony with time and space,
Treading the truth the blessed have trod,
Yielding a journey filled with grace.

Mortality measures in time
One poet's progress with this rhyme.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Fright Rite

Dad's funeral was traumatic;
Moreso than just a time so sad.
Looking at him made me heartsick.
In the open casket was Dad.
He looked as though he was asleep.
Mom wanted it open that way.
I watched her trying not to weep,
As the pastor asked us to pray.
Suddenly, I heard Mom scream out,
And saw her faint down in her chair.
Dad was sitting upright, no doubt,
Eyes open in a lifeless stare.

The embalming was not done right,
And rigor mortis caused this fright.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

White Owl

White Owl, my mother, was prepared
To make her journey into death.
It was her time she had declared.
She struggled so with earthly breath.
So as the tribe left to go forth,
Southward to make the winter camp,
White Owl stayed in the valley north.
Upon her, snows fell thick and damp.
That was my last sight of her seen.
Then with the others, I went on.
This was my people's way between
Leaving the dusk for a new dawn.

From the valley where was White Owl,
I heard the sounds. The wolves did howl.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Flowery

The baby's breath breathed through tulip.
A poppy puppy peony.
A dandelion made cowslip.
A periwinkle and pansy.
The violets the blue bell ring
On a snapdragon the larkspur.
Daisy a daffodil do sing
Petunia in key lavender.
Sweet pea rose in a marigold
Of morning glory, yes mum did.
Forget me not, I lilac bold.
Lotus not do just joke orchid.

Hyacinth all these phlox of bloom.
Iris carnation of rhyme doom.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Cheating Online

My husband joined with Second Life,
On online interactive game.
I became the suspicious wife
When his being online became
More and more secretively sly.
So I joined up and found out how
To hire a game made private eye.
The Second Life rules did allow
The tracking of my husband's play,
Most of which was playing around
In computerized carnal way.
Such technology does astound.

It's infidelity of course.
I'm gonna get a real divorce.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

The Man Made Self

Years of struggle, and he became
The most powerful man on Earth.
His triumph days ended in shame,
To cloud the measure of his worth.
Resigned to exile to do time
As a political outcast;
Pardoned on paper for his crime,
But unforgiven for his past.
The man had known defeat before,
Yet time and will were on his side.
He triumphed in his world once more,
And still was rising when he died.

Death finalized his destiny.
Now, Nixon is with history.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Inquiring Mindless

They said they were my family,
And that their love had brought me back.
They were there, I could hear and see,
But remembering was all black.
They seemed so happy I was there,
That ev'rything would be all right.
They said they'd give me such good care,
And I would never leave their sight.
They started filling in the hole.
It seemed to me what was unsaid,
They did not talk about my soul.
So I asked them if I was dead.

They then said they voodood me
Into a thing called a zombie.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Dear Santa

Dear Santa, You're busy I know.
I am writing to ask you please
To skip gifts to me this year, so
There's more for other families.
Lot's of parents just like my Dad
Are out of work and can't find jobs.
Most of the stories are real sad.
It seems bad luck comes by the gobs.
I'm writing down my new address,
And I just want you to know that
Your coming here would really bless
This shelter that we now live at.

Lots of kids here have less than me.
Please give to them. Thanks. Love Billy.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Swallow of Absurd

I am at home and all alone,
Swallowing a vitamin pill.
I feel it lodge in the gulp zone,
And it will not budge from stucksville.
Unable to breathe, I panic.
My throat is locked and will not clear.
I'm getting dizzy and frantic.
My situation is severe.
On the phone, I punch 911.
An operator's on the line.
But no response from me is done.
For now, unconsciousness is mine.

I dreamed I was a whale that blows.
I woke with the pill up my nose.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Swallow of Disbelief

I am at home and all alone,
Swallowing a vitamin pill.
I feel it lodge in the gulp zone,
And it will not budge from stucksville.
Unable to breathe, I panic.
My throat is locked and will not clear.
I'm getting dizzy and frantic.
My situation is severe.
On the phone, I punch 911.
An operator's on the line.
But no response from me is done.
For now, unconsciousness is mine.

Just a simple vitamin pill.
Hard to swallow that it could kill.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Swallow of Relief

I am at home and all alone,
Swallowing a vitamin pill.
I feel it lodge in the gulp zone,
And it will not budge from stucksville.
Unable to breathe, I panic.
My throat is locked and will not clear.
I'm getting dizzy and frantic.
My situation is severe.
On the phone, I punch 911.
An operator's on the line.
But no response from me is done.
For now, unconsciousness is mine.

I live to tell of this. Thanks be.
They gave a tracheotomy.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Swallow of Late

I am at home and all alone,
Swallowing a vitamin pill.
I feel it lodge in the gulp zone,
And it will not budge from stucksville.
Unable to breathe, I panic.
My throat is locked and will not clear.
I'm getting dizzy and frantic.
My situation is severe.
On the phone, I punch 911.
An operator's on the line.
But no response from me is done.
For now, unconsciousness is mine.

Paramedics get here too late.
An autopsy told of my fate.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Swallow of Sorrow

I am at home and all alone,
Swallowing a vitamin pill.
I feel it lodge in the gulp zone,
And it will not budge from stucksville.
Unable to breathe, I panic.
My throat is locked and will not clear.
I'm getting dizzy and frantic.
My situation is severe.
On the phone, I punch 911.
An operator's on the line.
But no response from me is done.
For now unconsciousness is mine.

Unknown of dying brings such dread.
That fades away with known of dead.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

The Great Beyond

Old friends, Melvin and Dave agree -
The first one dead will make a try
To reach the other if can be.
His heart stops - Mel's the first to die.
A month later, Dave gets a call.
It's Mel, "Dave - things are goin' great -"
"An eatin', sleepin', sexin' ball."
"Breakfast, then screw, then lunch, then mate."
"Next - take a nap, then hump away."
"Till dinner time, with bang desserts."
"Then beddie bye till same, next day."
"Heaven sounds perfect." Dave asserts.

"Heaven? Who the hell's in heaven?"
"I'm a stud bull in Wisconsin."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Bailing out Santa

Uncle - you're giving Santa Claus
A run for your money - no joke.
Throwing those dollars without pause.
Santa's too big to let go broke.
A billion here, a billion there,
Turning the North Pole greedy green.
Billions, billions everywhere,
Spitting from your money machine.
It's for the children don't you know?
Whether or not they're good or bad.
So up ol' Santa's credit flow,
Because he's not one to make mad.

Uncle Sam - you are no doubter,
Cash strapped Santa's big bailouter.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Right on Cue

The lights were on, the cameras rolled
To catch the essense of each scene.
Box office stories to unfold,
And make the magic on the screen.
With charm and wit and grin - take one.
The comedy was soundbite pure.
In drama scenes, the takes were done
To freeze effects that would endure.
Taking the evil empire on.
Taking the bullet in the chest.
The jellybeans were never gone,
Before time took the next screen test.

President - body, mind and soul.
The perfect Ronald Reagan role.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Repeater

Police respond to some shots fired.
A tourist is found down and dead.
But, it's determined she expired,
Not shot, but heart attack instead.
Witnesses say a man appeared
Out of thin air with pistol drawn -
Like in the old west. It was weird -
Like a gunfight was going on,
A fierce gunfight that is well known
In that historical locale,
A strip mall in downtown Tombstone,
The site of the OK Corrall.

An eeriness that sends out chills -
The ghost of Wyatt Earp still kills.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Rejoin

Pearl Harbor attacked. I was there.
A blast threw me into the sea.
The fatal fate, I did not share.
My shipmates died, but without me.
Over the years, I would return
To these waters where comrades died.
The more time passed, the more I'd yearn
To once again serve side by side
With my crewmates aboard my ship.
This last visit, I feel my heart
Tell me this will be my last trip.
I will no longer be apart.

For my time here, I do give thanks,
And now go to rejoin my ranks.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Dinner Talk

The family sat down to eat.
Dad's boss was the invited guest.
As he was being served some meat,
The boss saw that, across in zest,
The young daughter watched him close.
She would not take her eyes off him,
And kept on staring in engross,
Making the boss feel a bit grim.
"Mary, why are you watching me?"
He asked pleasantly, with a wink.
She replied, polite as could be,
"I'm just watching the way you drink."

"Have another sip if you wish."
"Daddy says you drink like a fish."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Cursed

The express line - it better be.
I knew that I was running late.
Only one gal ahead of me.
I shouldn't have too long to wait.
Moments later, my turn came next.
I pulled the items from my cart.
Then for an hour I was hexed.
The speedy checkout fell apart.
The damn cash register got stuck.
The checker was worthless as s**t.
My ice cream melted - what the f**k?
This piss poor place - the hell with it.

Why do they call this line express?
Four letter words thrown out, I guess.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Twindom

We were born identical twins.
Roger and I were teamwork kids,
Competing in those baby sins -
Who would leave the best diaper skids.
As kids, we did engage in fights.
With and for each other we fought.
Roger was quick. I favored rights.
I loved to brawl; Roger did not.
The teenage years were tight and cool.
Roger's grades were top notch, of course.
I didn't really care for school.
We both joined up with the Air Force.

We stay best friends come all what may.
Roger is straight and I am gay.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Madness Sights

A Dad and his two sons are out
Trick or treating from door to door.
At a house there is a loud shout,
And through the air, the bullets pour.
The Dad and his two boys are dead.
The homeowner says that he thought
They were robbers, and so in dread
He grabbed his gun and then he shot -
An AK-47 brand.
The Dad and his two boys are gone,
Because they did not understand
The danger posed by this ex-con.

Trick or treat is halloween fun
For the deranged who have a gun.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Causing

My wife and son were shopping, so
I waited in a bar until
I got their call of time to go,
And then gulped down a quick refill.
They were waiting there at the curb.
When they got in my wife could see
I'd been drinking. She voiced perturb.
I just ignored her silently.
And also ignored the red light,
Too late thinking what I had done.
The wreckage was an awful sight,
Especially my wife and son.

I chose to drink and then to drive,
And they are dead and I'm alive.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Rookie

A rookie cop in the squad car,
With an older cop on patrol,
Was very gung ho insofar
As keeping tabs on crowd control.
Stopping at a corner, he saw
A bunch of people standing there.
Sure that this was a broken law,
His bull horn echoed through the air,
"You all are ordered to disperse."
"There is to be no loitering."
The people fled, fearing the worse.
Rookie asked , "How am I doing?"

"Oh great," chuckled the older cop,
"You ran off folks from a bus stop."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Eminent Domain

It is called eminent domain.
The power of government to
Seize private property of plain,
Ordinary citizens. True!
Reimbursement of value paid
To the owner, who has no voice
About the decision that's made.
Just take the money. That's the choice.
It doesn't matter more or less,
The government has the last say.
It's called for the public progress.
That's just the American way.

My home was domain eminent,
Now a mall in development.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

AA

Bill and Bob, they started it all,
And step by step they scaled the slope,
Dropping the chains of alcohol,
And picking up the tools of hope.
Along the way, the word was spread.
Others came to join the journey.
No longer given up for dead,
We learned to live life soberly.
So full of promise for the good;
That we would share with those who came
For help. And doing so, we could,
Like Bill and Bob, enjoy the same.

These steps have saved a lot of us -
Alcoholics Anonymous.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Under

I remember driving alone,
In my car on a mountain road.
I hear a distant rumbling moan,
And look above to where it's snowed,
Covering the steep mountainside.
High up the slope, I see a wall
Of white, pulled in a mighty tide.
I gun the car into a stall,
And just stare upward helplessly,
Knowing there is nowhere to go.
The avalance envelops me,
In blackness under all that snow.

I wonder if I will survive.
Here, I just sit, buried alive.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Last to Rest

They said they had received a call.
Worried that something here was wrong.
I said that here at home we all
Were doing fine, getting along.
My brother and 2 sisters were
Sleeping peacefully in their beds.
The passing of time is a blur,
As the loneliness of life spreads.
One sister went to sleep in May.
The other left 3 years ago.
20 years, brother's been away.
In beds, their bodies rest just so.

They took away my family.
Now what is to become of me?