Poetry competition CLOSED 31st December 2023 5:03pm
WINNER
LongTubiFree (JustinSizemore)
LongTubiFree (JustinSizemore)
RUNNER-UP:
javalini
Page:
What’s In Your Junk Drawer?
If I Have A Junk Drawer
I don't
know if I
have a
junk drawer. But if
I do, it would be
filled with a bunch of
vintage
comic books
I have.
know if I
have a
junk drawer. But if
I do, it would be
filled with a bunch of
vintage
comic books
I have.
Written by Green_Arrow
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What lies within?
At first glance it may not seem like much
items no longer needed, cool to the touch.
Airplane glue from models that are now broke,
lighters to make the BBQ grill smoke.
Ah those sweet summers of yesteryears,
oh look! Some tissues for your tears!
Tape of all kinds for every sort of need
ribbons and bows for gifts under the tree,
tools from screwdrivers and hammers
to rulers and planners.
Mostly it's things too valuable to toss
but when it comes to their use, I'm at a loss
pens and markers, some dried up with no cap,
for the valuable letters you read in your lap.
Yes, the gang is all here
heros of all types, from yesteryears.
items no longer needed, cool to the touch.
Airplane glue from models that are now broke,
lighters to make the BBQ grill smoke.
Ah those sweet summers of yesteryears,
oh look! Some tissues for your tears!
Tape of all kinds for every sort of need
ribbons and bows for gifts under the tree,
tools from screwdrivers and hammers
to rulers and planners.
Mostly it's things too valuable to toss
but when it comes to their use, I'm at a loss
pens and markers, some dried up with no cap,
for the valuable letters you read in your lap.
Yes, the gang is all here
heros of all types, from yesteryears.
Written by LongTubiFree
(JustinSizemore)
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Related submission no longer exists.
My Junk Drawer.
What is in?
Bits of string, bottle tops, vinegar sprinkler,
(just the top not the whole bottle this slips
inside the next bottle if I've forgotten to get
one with a sprinkler, see?) I haven't the
patience to use a cruet set besides I use
my one egg cup for salt. & pepper comes
with a built in holed shaker/sprinkler top.
Sardine keys, corned beef key, ( these are slot
B thingies where tab A on the tin slips in then
you can kinda screw them open and not like keys
for a keyhole type key and lock. Can opener,
a corkscrew I've never used, fuses for plugs
a screwdriver kit of which I've lost the handle
(these kits are brill they've got loads of
those things for undoing screws in all shapes
and sizes and only £1 but no good without the handle, twats!)
some swizzle sticks, loose pain killers, the packets
long since ripped apart, O god, in frantic haste...
An unused dummy(pacifier) just in case
broken rings, broken pens, pencil stubs, lighters
vape juice (I've long since quit but I'm a ' just in case'er '
*see siege mentality) a tape measure
(the cloth one) half set of measuring spoons.
1 egg cup (usually used for salt, see above)
tin opener different from can opener
cos this punctures to let liquid out the other
one cuts the top of the tin can to get solids out
or is it the other way round?
Plastic bags bread is sold in for reuse as freezer
bags, these get pushed to the back of the drawer
then, inevitably slip through to the kitchen cupboard
underneath, to join up with toothpicks aka cocktail sticks
previous Christmases serviettes, little paper cups for
baking little cakes in and who on earth could truly be bothered...
Bits of string, bottle tops, vinegar sprinkler,
(just the top not the whole bottle this slips
inside the next bottle if I've forgotten to get
one with a sprinkler, see?) I haven't the
patience to use a cruet set besides I use
my one egg cup for salt. & pepper comes
with a built in holed shaker/sprinkler top.
Sardine keys, corned beef key, ( these are slot
B thingies where tab A on the tin slips in then
you can kinda screw them open and not like keys
for a keyhole type key and lock. Can opener,
a corkscrew I've never used, fuses for plugs
a screwdriver kit of which I've lost the handle
(these kits are brill they've got loads of
those things for undoing screws in all shapes
and sizes and only £1 but no good without the handle, twats!)
some swizzle sticks, loose pain killers, the packets
long since ripped apart, O god, in frantic haste...
An unused dummy(pacifier) just in case
broken rings, broken pens, pencil stubs, lighters
vape juice (I've long since quit but I'm a ' just in case'er '
*see siege mentality) a tape measure
(the cloth one) half set of measuring spoons.
1 egg cup (usually used for salt, see above)
tin opener different from can opener
cos this punctures to let liquid out the other
one cuts the top of the tin can to get solids out
or is it the other way round?
Plastic bags bread is sold in for reuse as freezer
bags, these get pushed to the back of the drawer
then, inevitably slip through to the kitchen cupboard
underneath, to join up with toothpicks aka cocktail sticks
previous Christmases serviettes, little paper cups for
baking little cakes in and who on earth could truly be bothered...
Written by Rew
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Chaos
my junk drawer is a curiosity
I have candles from my dismantled altar
for conjuring spirits or hexing people
a little prymaid made of resin
different charms
my sage
a lost keychain
odds and ends that I couldn't throw away
my dreams are there too
in lost or forgotten poetry
some junk jewelry
I love it more than gold
my chaos is contained there
the one thing in life I can control
I have candles from my dismantled altar
for conjuring spirits or hexing people
a little prymaid made of resin
different charms
my sage
a lost keychain
odds and ends that I couldn't throw away
my dreams are there too
in lost or forgotten poetry
some junk jewelry
I love it more than gold
my chaos is contained there
the one thing in life I can control
Written by crimsin
(Unveiling)
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Treasure Trove of Love
My mother’s dressing table drawer
tucked away with tender care
an ivory comb with strands of grey hair
a weathered hand held mirror
an old photo of her in her youth
staring at the camera in a half-smile
her lush hair held up in a bun
collar of her blouse up to her neck
an old purse gifted from her husband
cracked now but kept lovingly
inside it, a few coins, no longer shiny
just mere memento of a past
at the bottom of the drawer
photographs of her children’s wedding
youthful faces smiling at the camera
but one of the four had gone to glory
within this drawer, a treasure trove of love
when the owner went to her home above
She needed them not for those she loved
were all there waiting for her
tucked away with tender care
an ivory comb with strands of grey hair
a weathered hand held mirror
an old photo of her in her youth
staring at the camera in a half-smile
her lush hair held up in a bun
collar of her blouse up to her neck
an old purse gifted from her husband
cracked now but kept lovingly
inside it, a few coins, no longer shiny
just mere memento of a past
at the bottom of the drawer
photographs of her children’s wedding
youthful faces smiling at the camera
but one of the four had gone to glory
within this drawer, a treasure trove of love
when the owner went to her home above
She needed them not for those she loved
were all there waiting for her
Written by Grace
(IDryad)
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Junk Drawer
In the corner of my room, a drawer
full of things I don't need anymore...
Old papers, pens, keys, and coins
and some emotions that I avoid:
There is anger, that burned me like a flame.
There is guilt, that made me feel ashamed!
There is fear, that kept me from being brave!
There is sadness, drowning me like a wave.
They are buried under the clutter, out of sight
but sometimes they resurface to the light.
They haunt me with their resets and pain.
They remind me of what I could not gain.
But I don't want to face them, or let them go,
I don't want to feel them, or let them show.
So I keep them in the drawer, lock sealed
and hoping that one day, they will be healed.
Written by PAR
(PAULO ACACIO RAMOS)
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Bite Your Tongue--It's Not Junk
Define "junk"...
I don't have just one "junk" drawer
I have seven of them....
Yes, an entire (vintage from Craig's List) desk full.
I know exactly what's in each
and exactly where "it" is, in its drawer.
(there's a method to it)
One drawer has scissors, stapeler, zip-ties, staple gun.
Two of them contain all the pens
pencils, envelopes, packing tape, and
sticky-notes paper
that I bought, dirt-cheap
at a hoarder house estate sale
(yeah, go ahead, laugh-- let's see you get all that for ten bucks at Staples or Office Max--
I have no shame, shopping in someone else's house after they die)
Two more drawers
contain all the antique hardware, iron brackets
doorknobs, and
paint color chips---
I need these things.
I'm saving them for my Victorian mansion
by the ocean, once I win Powerball.
(ok, that's 5 drawers accounted for)
Drawer #6, has paper clips
elastics, in-use tape dispensers.
Drawer #7 houses power strips
(you never know when you'll need one)
flashlights
(for rummaging in dark basements and attics, at estate sales)
and printed directions how to program
the thermostats in my house
These things are important, you know.
(oh, and I forgot to mention the keys are in the pen drawer, too-- they go to the padlock on the chain that keeps people from stealing my mailbox mounted on the antique dairy can, which I have secured to the railing on my front stairs )
It's not junk!
None of this is junk!
It's mine and everything has its purpose...
Y'all got nothin' on me!
My "junk" is the most stellar junk, ever !
I don't have just one "junk" drawer
I have seven of them....
Yes, an entire (vintage from Craig's List) desk full.
I know exactly what's in each
and exactly where "it" is, in its drawer.
(there's a method to it)
One drawer has scissors, stapeler, zip-ties, staple gun.
Two of them contain all the pens
pencils, envelopes, packing tape, and
sticky-notes paper
that I bought, dirt-cheap
at a hoarder house estate sale
(yeah, go ahead, laugh-- let's see you get all that for ten bucks at Staples or Office Max--
I have no shame, shopping in someone else's house after they die)
Two more drawers
contain all the antique hardware, iron brackets
doorknobs, and
paint color chips---
I need these things.
I'm saving them for my Victorian mansion
by the ocean, once I win Powerball.
(ok, that's 5 drawers accounted for)
Drawer #6, has paper clips
elastics, in-use tape dispensers.
Drawer #7 houses power strips
(you never know when you'll need one)
flashlights
(for rummaging in dark basements and attics, at estate sales)
and printed directions how to program
the thermostats in my house
These things are important, you know.
(oh, and I forgot to mention the keys are in the pen drawer, too-- they go to the padlock on the chain that keeps people from stealing my mailbox mounted on the antique dairy can, which I have secured to the railing on my front stairs )
It's not junk!
None of this is junk!
It's mine and everything has its purpose...
Y'all got nothin' on me!
My "junk" is the most stellar junk, ever !
Written by MadameLavender
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One Man's Trash
I've had enough of all this clutter, its driving me mad
So many useless items strewn about this drawer
Wasted space could be of better use for more important things
Trash, wrapper, wrapper, loose change....wait
I remember this picture, it was my first day of kindergarten
I met my best friend that day, I had almost forgotten
Oh, how times change when age takes hold
A broken flashlight, more change *sigh
"Hey, that's where you've been!"
The pocket knife grandpa gave me, I still have the scar to remember it
No sooner did he tell me to be careful, I cut my finger
I miss the old man
Trash, trash, do I not know what a garbage can looks like?
Ah, my first homerun ball
It was so hot that day, and my hair was full of dirt
I still remember how the bat felt hitting the ball
My teammates cheers still echo in my mind
Ew, what did I have have that was sticky in here?
"Oh, why did I keep you?"
I never got a chance to give you to her
You would have looked good around her neck
I spent months looking for you, but you'll never see her smile
Well, that takes care of all the trash
I guess I was more disorganized than
anything
So many important memories mixed in with the clutter
I feel the swelling ocean I'm my mind revert
to serine seas
This will be my special drawer from now on
So many useless items strewn about this drawer
Wasted space could be of better use for more important things
Trash, wrapper, wrapper, loose change....wait
I remember this picture, it was my first day of kindergarten
I met my best friend that day, I had almost forgotten
Oh, how times change when age takes hold
A broken flashlight, more change *sigh
"Hey, that's where you've been!"
The pocket knife grandpa gave me, I still have the scar to remember it
No sooner did he tell me to be careful, I cut my finger
I miss the old man
Trash, trash, do I not know what a garbage can looks like?
Ah, my first homerun ball
It was so hot that day, and my hair was full of dirt
I still remember how the bat felt hitting the ball
My teammates cheers still echo in my mind
Ew, what did I have have that was sticky in here?
"Oh, why did I keep you?"
I never got a chance to give you to her
You would have looked good around her neck
I spent months looking for you, but you'll never see her smile
Well, that takes care of all the trash
I guess I was more disorganized than
anything
So many important memories mixed in with the clutter
I feel the swelling ocean I'm my mind revert
to serine seas
This will be my special drawer from now on
Written by ConsequentialChaos
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JUNK RHYME
forgotten things
of little use
screws and washers
rolling loose
batt'ries
whether used or not
dc adapters
earbud knot
guitar strings that
were way too light
broken cellphone
dead flashlight
abandoned watch
with broken band
keys and pennies
rubber bands
lot'rey ticket
(didn't win)
pencil stubs
and dried up pens
mine's almost
the same as yours
a common thread,
our junk filled
drawers
of little use
screws and washers
rolling loose
batt'ries
whether used or not
dc adapters
earbud knot
guitar strings that
were way too light
broken cellphone
dead flashlight
abandoned watch
with broken band
keys and pennies
rubber bands
lot'rey ticket
(didn't win)
pencil stubs
and dried up pens
mine's almost
the same as yours
a common thread,
our junk filled
drawers
Written by javalini
Go To Page
Potpourri and paint
Yes it’s true that materials play their part,
bricks and mortar, wood and glass,
a colour you found for the front door
that makes the Maple burn its brightest,
but they are all just pieces of a collective,
It’s formed in layers not
specific things or places.
It’s the wet nose of a dog that
that nudges onto tears,
a strip of morning sunlight that makes
the dust dance and finds the cat curled,
a coffee mug and its coaster rings
that briefly fog the glass.
It sits beside us all for family TV,
stretches out when someone leaves the settee,
kisses in the kitchen waiting for the kettle
and echoes round a Sunday table leaving
laughter on dried up peas and gravy drips.
You can see it breathe as curtains lift,
Its heart is found on the mantel piece,
tracking life in time-checked glances.
It’s in that box with all the bits
the drawer with batteries and paper clips
the photographs with aging styles
the turning pages that make us smile
the garage cobwebs and fluorescent light
the tins of screws and moths at night
it’s under the sink at the back of a cupboard,
a vessel of life to be discovered.
bricks and mortar, wood and glass,
a colour you found for the front door
that makes the Maple burn its brightest,
but they are all just pieces of a collective,
It’s formed in layers not
specific things or places.
It’s the wet nose of a dog that
that nudges onto tears,
a strip of morning sunlight that makes
the dust dance and finds the cat curled,
a coffee mug and its coaster rings
that briefly fog the glass.
It sits beside us all for family TV,
stretches out when someone leaves the settee,
kisses in the kitchen waiting for the kettle
and echoes round a Sunday table leaving
laughter on dried up peas and gravy drips.
You can see it breathe as curtains lift,
Its heart is found on the mantel piece,
tracking life in time-checked glances.
It’s in that box with all the bits
the drawer with batteries and paper clips
the photographs with aging styles
the turning pages that make us smile
the garage cobwebs and fluorescent light
the tins of screws and moths at night
it’s under the sink at the back of a cupboard,
a vessel of life to be discovered.
Written by Razzerleaf
Go To Page
The winner of this competition and any runners up were decided by public vote.
Thank you to the following members for voting:
Phantom2426, PoetSpeak, Alviola, monovox128, Betty, Ahavati, Marks, MidnightSonneteer, dimpy, Her, ajay, James_A_Knight, ReggiePoet, Louisamay, Zenisith, Voicesinside-9, Razzerleaf, Tallen, u53l355, mysteriouslady, Kinkpoet, Vision_of_insanity, Ambiensse, Riotgirl, PAR, hettra, Grace, MadameLavender, Bluevelvete, SonderNinja, jmcchesnie
Thank you to the following members for voting:
Phantom2426, PoetSpeak, Alviola, monovox128, Betty, Ahavati, Marks, MidnightSonneteer, dimpy, Her, ajay, James_A_Knight, ReggiePoet, Louisamay, Zenisith, Voicesinside-9, Razzerleaf, Tallen, u53l355, mysteriouslady, Kinkpoet, Vision_of_insanity, Ambiensse, Riotgirl, PAR, hettra, Grace, MadameLavender, Bluevelvete, SonderNinja, jmcchesnie
