Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Vow to Play Cribbage

When I got married to the wife,

She insisted I learn to play

The game of cribbage and for life,

And so we would play every day.

The wife taught me to play and we

Lived on and on in wedded bliss.

Wherever we happened to be,

Cribbage playtime we would not miss.

I do play well enough so that

The wife believes I play for real.

Happy is our habitat,

Cuz the wife wins most every deal.

We have a cribbage cult of two,

And peggin' rituals we do.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Blue Toronto Maple Leaf

This maple leaf did leave my tree

When I was still the color green.

Color blue I wanted to be,

So found some dye to intervene.

And now a blue maple leaf, I

Am and so happy to be so.

Of course many do ask me why,

And I'm happy to let all know.

In Toronto town I grew up,

And was an avid hockey fan.

Someday into the Stanley Cup

Is where I'll end up if I can.

Toronto Maple Leafs I do 

Be that hockey team fan true blue.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 May Young Be Warm

Around the world, powers that be

Blow lies and threats from towers high,

So cold and hard and heartlessly,

So all below should not deny,

Always been blown but always will?

When young, we're told this by those old,

But all young have dreams to fulfill.

Dreams can be kept warm from the cold.

And as young grow older dreams can

In thought and deed turn into real..

And the warmth kept through the lifespan,

And all the world that warmth may feel.

If warm young just continues on,

Then old cold sometime will be gone.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

 Evil Wins

If evil were to win on Earth

And the devil claimed victory,

Singing a song of glee and mirth.

"For heaven's sake, how could this be?"

Asking so spitefully of God.

"What went wrong with the grand design,"

"With humankind becoming flawed,"

"Never coming close to divine?"

And God would hear the devil boast

That Earth had gone from good to worse.

Humans gave up the Holy Ghost,

Now elsewhere in the universe.

If evil were to win, do tell,

The devel'd tell God, "Go to hell!"

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech in place and time

Is more and more used as defense

As more and more are charged with crime

Of causing some hearer offense.

Whether the hearer's wrong or right

That the speaker broke some law is

Dependent on powers that might

Sit in judgement in such speech biz.

Whether the speaker's innocent

Or guilty of this crime charged so,

Hinges on judging sentiment

As to how the verdict will go.

Though speech may be rightly divined,

Oft is deemed wrong by humankind.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Lingering Love

I love you all in my own way.

With each of you we have some fun.

You ask if it's a game I play,

A question asked by every one.

When asked, I answer truthfully,

That, yes, I lied to each of you.

I want all of you to love me,

And lying's easiest to do.

So for a time there can be us,

And for a time it's all so good,

Until comes time you start to fuss.

Just a matter of time you would.

I let love linger for a while

For each of you, cuz that's my style.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Valentine's Day Gift

At breakfast I heard the wife say,

"I know it matters not to you,"

"But today is Valentine's day."

I guess what she did say was true.

I hadn't given any thought

To Valentine's Day because I

Didn't care for romance a lot,

So just a grunt was my reply.

The wife wasn't finished of course,

And followed up with this tidbit,

"So your gift should be a divorce,"

"Sooner the better I get it."

I was not happy to hear such.

I had not planned spending that much.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Martha the Dominator

Martha the Dominator be

A legendary lady who

Dominated a dragon, she,

By her faith in God, did subdue.

During the fourth century dwelt

A deadly dragon who caused grief.

Courageously, young Martha felt

She need give people there relief.

With holy water and a cross,

Martha fought the dragon until

Win for Martha and dragon loss.

No longer did the dragon kill.

This legend gave brave Martha fame,

And later a saint she became.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Abraham Be Chosen

In Abraham, God did bestow

The knowledge certain of God's will,

Not just for Abraham to know,

But for Abraham to fulfill

The teaching to descendants of

How to live lives in the Lord's way,

Live right and fair with the Lord's love,

And hold full faith for future day.

Then Abraham did know that he

Was chosen by God to reveal

The promises of God to be,

And in obeyance he did kneel.

Abraham be the chosen one

To teach the will of God be done.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Tuuru

In Siberia, the larch tree

Was called Tuuru by shamans who

Believed that this conifer be

Cosmic gift from spirits that grew,

Allowing the shamans to go

Into the outermost realms of

The night skies for wisdom to know.

The Tuuru nurtured shaman souls,

Better their travel through its wood

To connect to the higher goals

Of seeking knowledge for the good.

The Tuuru let the shamans soar,

Keeping connected to its core.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Couple in Love

Mister and Missus Frog have shared

Many a nice Valentine's Day.

Both are so grateful they've been paired

To hop through life together, they

Have many memories so fond

Of Valentining 'twixt and 'tween

On their lily pad in the pond.

He is her King, she is his Queen.

The couple exchange their gifts of

A red heart and a red rose to

Express to each other their love,

And ever be faithful and true.

Then the couple croak a love song,

And all the pond does sing along.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Crocus

Crocus was a handsome Greek lad

Who became immortalized with

Versions of two lovers he had,

Becoming two tales of Greek myth.

One version, Crocus was loved by

Messenger god, Hermes, who did

Accidently make Crocus die,

Threw a discus and hit the kid.

The other version, Crocus was

In love with the nymph, Smilax, who

Rejected him, and Crocus does

Die heartbroken, feeling so blue.

Either way Crocus met his doom,

The gods turned him into a bloom.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Grieving

The great wolf howling through the night.

Upon a mountain ledge is he.

His white fur glowing in moonlight.

In sound and sight the wolf does be

Messaging to all his domain

That tragedy has struck his soul,

After his efforts were in vain

To stop fate out of his control.

The great wolf has faced this before.

This is a loss that he has known,

Feeling the pain and grief once more.

In time and place he's so alone.

With sadness the great wolf is filled,

His long time mate having been killed.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

 Just Imagine

I was in bed, ill, when she came.

The wife had medicine to give,

But I knew foul play was her aim.

The wife did not want me to live.

I knew she'd found someone else to

Take my place and to share my wealth.

Bedridden, nothing I could do.

Death would be blamed on my ill health.

She had plotted a wicked scheme.

Alas, there was no hope for me.

Then I awoke from this bad dream,

And such relief I felt there be.

The last thing I wanted to hear,

"Time to take your medicine, dear."

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 First U.S.A.  Flag Design?

Designer of first U.S. flag,

Francis Hopkinson claimed to be.

Wrote letters to Congress to brag,

And sent several bills, did he.

His flag had thirteen stripes, each one

For a colony that was then.

Seven red and six white stripes done.

A smaller blue rectangle in

The upper and left corner with

Thirteen white six point stars arow.

Some say this fact and some say myth.

Truth, we'll probably never know.

Hopkinson's bill for this design,

"Quarter Cask of the Public Wine."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Viking Horned Helmet

Writings read and in pictures seen,

The Viking warrior often wears

A horned helmet, menacing mean,

To the foe in battle affairs.

But research into Vikings real

By those experienced do persist.

There's no evidence to reveal

That such horned helmets did exist.

It seems horned helmets were a prop

First seen in an opera show,

And such depiction did not stop,

And in modern culture still go.

Viking helmets depicted with

Horns apparently is just myth.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

 Loony Loo

A way to cheer me up I hear

Is a ditty telling me to

Do stick a finger in my ear,

And then go ting-a-ling-a-loo.

So, since I did feel so down, I

Did as this ditty did advise.

All 'round me must have wondered why,

Cuz after while, to my surprise,

Guys in white suits took me away,

And stuck me in a padded cell.

The shrinks tell me there's hope someday

That I will once again be well.

Ting-a-ling-a-linging too much,

Society must frown on such.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Border Bridge

This bridge since 1953

Has spanned the border 'twixt and 'tween

Two nations hostile and still be

Tensions always to intervene.

Oft the bridge has been used to trade

Humans in supply and demand.

Prisoner exchanges have been made,

And each prisoner to understand

That once this bridge the prisoner crossed,

Never could the prisoner return.

One time only choice be the cost.

The bridge is a one way sojourn.

"Bridge of No Return" bridges forth

Between Koreas, South and North.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Different Approach

Panhandlers have it tough today,

So many out and about, so

Less compassion's coming their way.

Most of the time most folks say no

To the panhandlers because of

Their being now so commonplace,

Too much begging, too little love,

So slim pickings panhandlers face.

Student of human nature, I

Panhandle with lots of success,

Not like most panhandlers is why,

Helps not being human, I guess.

Busy street corner's where I'm at,

A fine panhandling alley cat.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Passenger

Winter time in Chicago town,

Cold place for a homeless to be.

I ride the Red Line up and down,

Back and forth to stay warm goes me,

From 95th to Howard Street,

Then back again each night I go.

Lots of regulars I do meet,

To share a swig, a puff, a blow.

When not passed out, sometimes I look

Out the window at lights go by,

Taken to dark like my life took.

It hurts too much to wonder why.

Train passenger from here to there,

Riding the rails, going nowhere.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Delilah

Freddie Mercury wrote a song,

And sang it with Queen to the world.

All heard how great we got along.

Cuddled together, we'd be curled.

When Freddie'd be about to cry

I was there and would make him smile.

And would bring Freddie hope when I

Gave him "purr"fect love for a while.

Yes, there were habits that I had.

Bites and claws Freddie got from me.

And Freddie would get slightly mad

When on his fancy stuff I'd pee.

By end of the song, you'll know that

I was Freddie's favorite cat.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Paris In, Paris Out

I came to Paris for a break

From  love affairs I was a part.

Then found a French lover to take

Place of all others in my heart.

But two other past lovers came

To Paris, maybe more to come.

My many charms I have to blame.

I've tried, but cannot escape from

Being the sought after dreamed of

Perfect soulmate ever be found,

Be together for life in love,

But to just one, I can't be bound.

Leaving Paris I think is best.

So much loving, I need a rest.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Alternative Ending

"Titanic" movie ending is

Thought by many to be too sad,

Jack and Rose torn apart, gee whiz,

Happy ending should have been had.

James Cameron says proved did he

That door could not hold Rose and Jack,

Thus, one of the two had to be

Absent from the final film track.

Jack was the one chosen to go,

Was a chivalrous sacrifice.

What the heck, it was a hit show,

But happy endings do feel nice.

An alternate "Titanic" close,

E.T. beams up both Jack and Rose.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

 Reflection on Rejection

Always throughout my adult life

I've been rejected every time,

In pursuit of finding a wife.

In all truthfulness, I guess I'm

Not a good prospect to become

A husband a wife could trust in.

Unfaithfulness, I do have some,

So gave up trying, to begin

A book on rejection which I

Finished, and copies sent out.

How could a publisher deny,

Rejection expert I am no doubt!

The publishers replied en masse,

All with the same reply, "We'll pass."

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 To Know or Not To Know

For sure is coming my death date.

If I could, would I want to know

Exactly when I will be late

When comes my precise time to go?

I could make sure if I know this

Of living till, well as I can.

Then again, ignorance is bliss,

Hoping for the longest life span.

There's lots of pros and cons, I guess,

That could let me lean either way.

But all in all I would say yes,

To know my expiration day.

I want to know so I can tell

What I may do so I die well.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Down Beat Bones

Down Beat Bones did with his guitar

Stumbled one night into a cave.

Drunk, he did wander deep and far,

Fell and died in a hole, his grave.

Search parties searched for him a while,

After some time gave up, thinking

He'd be found somewhere with his smile.

Playing guitar and booze drinking.

But years passed and nobody would

Ever see Down Beat Bones again.

He was missed in his neighborhood

Bar, and some there did still maintain

That they could hear the guitar tones

Played underground by Down Beat Bones.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Rumor Afoot

Many believe a rabbit's foot

When carried by one brings good luck.

Non superstitious are hard put

To believe this and give a yuk,

Daring believers to show proof

That such a claim is really true,

Not just a fancy of some goof

Making up some mischief to do.

This is a tale rabbits don't need,

Humans spreading such silly stuff.

Rabbits get targeted indeed

Already with troubles enough.

Rabbit's foot did not help a lot.

This rabbit with four still got caught.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Tripping Beyond

All human knowledge I could find

Is crammed into libraries of

The many volumes of my mind,

Which for a long time I did love.

But just knowledge of nature known

Seems too small and confining for

Such an intellect as my own.

I have deep yearning to learn more

Of supernatural domain.

Quick study of old alchemy,

I mix a potion to contain

The making of all knowing me.

And through the window I do fly,

Find out that not so smart am I.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 The Qutub Minar

The Qutub Minar, minaret,

Built in early 1200's in

Stages in varied storied set,

Construction on and off again.

In Delhi at old Lal Kot site,

The tower planned and financed by

Islamic Ghurids to bring light

To their new home to edify.

Over years, story by story,

Rose up in red and gray sandstone,

In time and place to build glory,

Centuries later still be shown.

The Qutub Minar built to be

"Victory Tower," sight to see.