COMEDY Poem: Hate You, Pig Farm At My Grandmas House, by Rylee Larson

It’s quite disgusting the way
it invades your sinuses. You
cannot help but scrunch your
nose, giving yourself whiplash
in any attempt to reprieve. The
thick scent of lake only adds
to the torment. Dead fish guts and
sun-dried seaweed and Geese crap
all blend together with dense,
still water. Even better is when
a hot breeze sweeps its way through,
gifting you with everything all
at once. So, to the pigs that of
their own accord must eat and
after that must shit, I sadly hate
you. Take no offense, it is afterall
a very surface level hate. I know
next to nothing about you besides
the stench you bring forth on hot
summer days. But because of that
same glaring scent, the passing
of farm fields sends me back to
my grandma’s house. To days
of being pushed into freezing June
water by brothers and burning
marshmallows over the embers of
a dying fire. To wearing my hair in
pigtails and crying because I could
never catch a fish. Reluctantly, thank
you to the pig farm that sits across the
lake from my grandma’s house.

COMEDY Poem: The Fisherman’s Wife, by Chaim Wachsberger

The fisherman who caught
the mermaid said,
she is beautiful
and, if she lives with me,
the world will say I am handsome.

And, if she has my children,
the world will say I am kind.

And, if she stays with me,
the world will say I am rich.

And, when she leaves,
the world will say he is old,
and when he was young was ugly,
cold and poor, and she had
never seen a man before.

COMEDY Poem: He Left Me in a Pickle, by Drew Martyn

He left me in a pickle
I don’t know what to do!
He took my books and records
And left for someone new.

His Daddy owns a factory
Makes jams and fruit preserve:
He’s a fruity millionaire, I thought,
And just what I deserve.

I loved him for his money
I’m not ashamed to say.
But he left me in a pickle
The day he walked away.

Our friendship soured swiftly
For he’d often scream and shout.
He’s the kind of undead psycho
They wrote Zombieland about.

I’m not complaining, really
I don’t care he ran away,
But he stole my books and records
And he’ll sell ’em on eBay.

He never liked my music,
Liked some books (but not a lot).
And since he left, I’m now defined
By what I haven’t got.

He’d often leave me in the dark
While he raved and slept about.
He’s the sort of man lights up a room
Just by walking out.

I met him at Dad’s factory,
Where I begged him for my books.
He looked at me with vitriol
And scornful, dirty looks.

I got nowhere pleading
Amongst the berries and the fruit.
He stole my books and records
And he didn’t give a hoot!

The factory was busy:
All noise and fruity smells
All steam and huge machinery
– And a scream, his yell from Hell

I didn’t push him, honestly!
Maybe frightened by a rat
He tripped… slipped off the walkway
Into a giant vat…

His end was truly painful:
In boiling syrup drowned,
Amongst the berries vanished
Without a single sound.

I’ve lost my books and records
Yet I no longer give a damn!
Because he left me in a pickle –
But I left him in a jam

RHYME Poem: A POEM FOR TIFFY, by Your Human

When I got home,
I always fumbled the key
I couldn’t hold back my tears
you’re no longer with me

I was so tired today, I rushed
and sat into a chair
with you I found solace in my heart
I hope you were here

In my daily life with full of
boredom and thrill
I always longed for your
wagging tail

I can hear you growling
I know it’s time for breakfast
with you beside me every morning
hope this wont last

Every time we walk its not just a walk,
I walk with you slowly
so we could enjoy
the moment day by day

When I cannot describe
what are the words
this kind of love you made me feel
it was so pure and tender

RHYME Poem: WatchBox, by Lance Flowers

My first fight felt like rebirth.
Dying time and time again.
Seconds, minutes, minutes, seconds,
Chopped by hour hands.

Time lost its pattern,
And forgot it’s rhythm.
The sapphire cyclops rattled,
No longer indifferent.

Alarmed and unwilling
to hold time together neat.
It was wrestling with its inner core.
It was just like me.

Prying at the balance wheel,
Pressuring gears from within,
Unraveling the mainspring,
Unable to conform or pretend.

Parrying ghostly shadows,
I winced then gave a grin.
First I prayed to make it out alive,
Now dying for the win.

I saw it happen all at once.
Every advance closer to the grave.
Lessons in impermanence.
Nothing will be saved.

The bell and ropes a tethered trope
more like ball and chain.
Will I make out alive?
Maybe, But that’s not why we came.

Fight to live or fight and die?
A paradox, To time all the same.
A brave man can’t be erased.
A coward can’t be changed.

We only have so little time,
But that’s the object of the game.
Remembered beyond space and time,
The only worthwhile for the pain.

RHYME Poem: The Sky is on Fire, by Lola Hobson

The sky is on fire,
As it burns, embers float.
The sky is burning with my desire.

The sky is falling.
Come, grab my hand,
We run towards our calling.

Our only lifeboat is our love.
Safety, getting closer now.
Out of the blazing sky falls a dove,

Out of the ashes, the question arises,
Is our love strong enough?
Or are we battling love’s devices?

The sky is on fire,
you say you no longer love me.
I crumble down, landing on my funeral pyre.

You broke me, left me to burn.
But now,
I am free.

RHYME Poem: Nations Stand Up, by Nkoyo Nsa

Nations stand up
In a world of diversity and strife
We search for harmony, a common life
Across the globe, we reach and roam
Nations unite, to make our world a home

With cultures blended, and hearts aglow
We celebrate our differences, and let love grow
From east to west, we stand as one
Nations unite, beneath the radiant sun

We’ll bridge the gaps, and mend the tears
And build a world where love and peace appear
With open arms, and hearts so bright
Nations unite, in the warm and golden light.

In the face of adversity, we find our way
Stand strong people, come what may
With hearts united, and spirits bold
We’ll rise above, and never grow cold

Through trials and tribulations, we’ll make our stand
Stand strong people, hand in hand
With love and resilience, we’ll pave the way
For a brighter tomorrow, starting today

We’ll lift each other up, and never give in
Stand strong people, with hearts that win
Our diversity is strength, our unity is key
Stand strong people, and we’ll make history.

RHYME Poem: haunting me, by Liyana Asaria-Issa

mirages in the dead of winter
pressing down wood until it splinters
gold encasing for the door
the sun rising more and more
me in my long blue dress
trying to think about you less and less
my fingers fidget when i’m alone
while you sit silent as stone
everything is gray outside
you and your endless lies
salt shaker next to pepper
you being a homewrecker
the birds outside taunting me
you and your leaving haunting me
seeing your body everywhere
your face filled with lack of care
this table being ours before
me being devastated to my core
you at the table next to me
i hear her voice, the banshee
i have learned how not to talk
it’s your turn to learn how not to walk
me and the sunlight that frames my face
us forgetting to move with haste
you wearing dark blue
me and these old shoes
whispers in the dead of night
all the birds are taking flight
day in day out, you still here
i might need to move on i fear

RHYME Poem: Love’s Idiosyncrasies, by Jah-Femi Telewa

What do I know about love?
I’m a middle-aged man who has only fallen in love once—okay, I lie, maybe twice.

The first girl was as cold as ice;
She thought her kisses should suffice.
The second was more involving,
But her temperament was like a door constantly revolving.

Non-stop arguments, moody spells—
I should have known from her initial displays she would drag me through hell.
But I was enticed by her beautiful curves,
The thought of which I still preserve.

I was pleased for a while;
She had class, sophistication, and style.
But I couldn’t trust her, so I constantly put her on trial—
Constantly bugging her about who, what, where, and why…
Until, for absolutely no reason, she would cry.

My suspicions ran deep,
So I stalked her like a creep.
But no revelations were made;
In time, I got comfortable,

And my jealousy—or shall I say paranoia—faded.
That’s when we went for a random sex test.
I passed. She failed. So I was vexed.
Was it me who drove her to this,

Or was she just the wrong one to have kissed?
In all, I know this about love’s crazy state:
You’ll fail if you ignore love’s fate.
It’s an open gate,

Which you have a key to—but so does everybody else.
You don’t own it,
And at any moment, it could split,
Literally leave you looking to greener fields.

You feel like a warrior,
Armored with the love you wield,
As you laugh at previous encounters—
The love you killed.

But one day, it’ll come around to your turn.
You’ll be in pain, but you’ll just have to let it burn.
It’s part of life, I guess—
That when you pinch at hearts,
Yours gets pricked in return.