Hiding the Garbage - by - Bob Atkinson

Hiding the Garbage

(c)2016 Bob Atkinson

Nobel Prize for Literature Announcement

we see bios written long

profuse in praise of poet's songs

those who know words to say

tell stories endless in many ways

he's this or that

she's teacher of

awarded trophies

because of.....

but where do they give

humanity something solid

fair value designed not with
ego driven noshings

no monument to carry in our minds as we resolve
to accept as truth these

openly divine belongings

hidden away, vanity books
to add to bios padded
like a mimic of some ancient crook
hand out for purses grabbing

and when you find a snippet

of words for which they care

one sees there's not much to read

wisdom lacking in a tirade of greed

so tell your institutions please

before awards please this junk read

don't throw us under a long black bus

and feel you've done some good for us

The Compulsion of Barbarity - by Bob Atkinson

The Compulsion

of Barbarity

(c)2015 Bob Atkinson

some see living in their dreams

a different world upon

which we rely

to carry ourselves toward dawn

some see peace and justice

as goals for which to rise

toward that institution

of derelict disguise

me, I find unusual

a soul who cannot see

simplicity of our germ of life

when we set it free

free to wander openly

beyond constraints of pride

free to send our children

toward the other side

free to search our feelings

for all who walk near us

and free to find sincerity

as a well defined plus

while jumping on those teachings

which never were that good

for faith in understanding

tells some what's absolute

absolutes have no place in life

leftovers from those times

when life carried less of value

than a pocket full of dimes

The Critic - Art & Poetry - by Bob Atkinson

The Critic - Art and Poetry

(c)2014 Bob Atkinson

The Critic

'tis always easier to criticize

than is to do it yourself
although in truth the latter
contains far more fun and mirth


my point lies somewhere in between

good and bad of poetry
adjustment for the mainstream
how we absorb ideas

to see this in a different light

with crystal covers on the lens

we can, with open eyes

love writers with sharp pens

those who look beyond the fluff

and understand good meaning

divest themselves of constraints

and pursue a different dreaming

they see a world with tearfulness

not holding on to chains

which produce establishments

that grate and agitate

my desire in this arena

carries to all a simple message

don't let the future be determined

by past usage and direction

what you see is fabricated

a reality far from real

poo pooing things that matter

holds their only zeal

me, I've grown accustomed

to my meaning zipping by

heads of those who look

only at the surface side

doesn't mean I'm disheartened

to try is not hard at all

when you feel compunction

to rearrange it all

The Tempest of Poetry - by Bob Atkinson

The Tempest of Poetry

(c)2014 Bob Atkinson

Poetry

there blows in stiff wind

created by the word

an everlasting frozen

collection of nouns and verbs

like a whirlwind of change

these letters spell the thoughts

of minds evolved to think

and report facts back to boss

here, in an open world

where flies the dust of change

we find restitution

in words thus re-arranged

cannot give to the giver

much more than we have done

for in an underlying thought

he knows what we have spun

stories of our past

tales of our future deeds

garnishment of life

on all we can agree

freeze emotions for all time

let thoughts be translated then

into a world evolved from us

as simple mortal men

let them know all we were

let them like us some

let them know we tried our best

as we from danger run

let them see what we were

back when we were young

and how we gathered wisdom

when older we'd become

trade our sincerity

for that truth of which we knew

let them see our tears of pain

when success we couldn't view

hopefully they will exist

if we don't destroy their seed

for if we continue on this path

we'll be devolved by greed

Sir - by Bob Atkinson

Sir

(c)2014 Bob Atkinson

Sir, can we sit and talk

so I can give you my concerns

about this life

and all its worth

no, not for something profound

just for my own device

to keep me centered in my life

satisfied and soothed by pride

thank you

softly, I see the scene, displays a dream

velvet in its touch, smooth, sweetly draped

across my eyes visible, told with pride

as if a work of art derived from emotion

prevailing winds keep this life

upon an edge, as if a knife

whispering go on, keep your mind

centered on your dreams

brave in your leaning

toward your constant dreaming

all arranged so elegant

from dusk to dawn visible in effect

then, during the night

dreams fold as if so frightened

afraid to show their openness

asleep or under sheepskin carpets

dormant

Sir, if you will pretend

that my meaning has recompense

can use some support

thank you for all your help

I'll sleep now

Statesmanship - by Bob Atkinson

Statesmanship

(c)2014 Bob Atkinson

Dwight D. Eisenhower

"... we hold it to be the first task of statesmanship to develop the stength that will deter the forces of aggression and promote the conditions of peace ..."

Dwight D. Eisenhower

here in that time of crisis

those wayward days of mud

when those who would be powerful

gain fashion with use of gun

not seeds of perfect charity

no love do they possess

just overriding purpose

by thumping of their chests

here in our development

nature has our crossroads made

do we digress to the point

where progress reverses trend

back to a time when people lived

a life so badly blessed

with slavery, toil and pestilence

given to their masters' whims

or do we define the nature

of progress to be made

a simple organizing statement

which carries to the grave

all we seek of accomplishment

all love grown for our friends

no enemies designated

we're all just mortal men

so first we can define

the void of useful souls

that underlying demon

we can't allow to grow

when some seek to gain power

by force or use of gun

intimidation, recklessness

they need to understand

society cannot fathom

such willful negligence

needs of the many for peace

herein takes precedence

Sound Turned to Silence - by Bob Atkinson

Sound Turned to Silence

(c)2014 Bob Atkinson

Oceans

we all, in our own way

struggle through pursuit deranged

broadcasting our thought processes

in that in life of little gain

how much snaps your memory

to where you hear my tune

and sift your own experience

to drive home my good moods

how much of who I am

rubs right off on you

am I just noise in your cabin

as you ignore my attitude

silence knifes the book pages

as if cutting sentences in half

spewing waste out through a gate

and pulling shards of glass

silence feeds the open echoes

trundles through my past

and forms that open crust

of my ocean as I laugh

silence fills my need for clarity

non-ambiguous in its tone

the world defined by nature

or total lack thereof