Poetry competition CLOSED 4th February 2023 8:01pm
WINNER
Anonymous
Anonymous
Funeral: The Last Rites
Everavalon
Forum Posts: 89
Fire of Insight
6
Joined 19th Dec 2022 Forum Posts: 89
Four of Spades
Come rot with me
The philosophy
of atrocity
You smite the children to make the mother bleed
Down on her knees
Won't hear her pleas
Merciful fate
Where do I heed
While you splinter your creed
Marked trilogy
You seal their essence in virginity
You spared your seed
Sophistic mimicry
Paled and rest
Arms crossed
Tense chest
You killed yourself to avoid arrest
You left the family with a mess
Redress the tailor, morrow less
In the church, their spirits met
Combine the mourners
Hallow set
Seats row on row
Pine on mesh
Weak in the knees
Their tears are fresh
Secure life's promise
In a cleansing prayer
Centre them darlin', fill the air
With melodic honour
With echo and hum
Never forgetting their presence
Or where they came from
Jealousy,
The hell I see
Unrequited love; lay waste to Autumn's past
The philosophy
of atrocity
You smite the children to make the mother bleed
Down on her knees
Won't hear her pleas
Merciful fate
Where do I heed
While you splinter your creed
Marked trilogy
You seal their essence in virginity
You spared your seed
Sophistic mimicry
Paled and rest
Arms crossed
Tense chest
You killed yourself to avoid arrest
You left the family with a mess
Redress the tailor, morrow less
In the church, their spirits met
Combine the mourners
Hallow set
Seats row on row
Pine on mesh
Weak in the knees
Their tears are fresh
Secure life's promise
In a cleansing prayer
Centre them darlin', fill the air
With melodic honour
With echo and hum
Never forgetting their presence
Or where they came from
Jealousy,
The hell I see
Unrequited love; lay waste to Autumn's past
Written by Everavalon
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Razzerleaf
Forum Posts: 525
Fire of Insight
27
Joined 15th Sep 2019 Forum Posts: 525
Perfect weather
We stood around you
as cold as tomb stones,
each epitaph etched on our ribs.
The anger of death rolled
heavy northern clouds,
that hissed hailstones
onto black polished shoes.
I didn't recognise your words,
the service spoke of a child
I had never met,
still I offered them a piece of you
that they had never seen.
Your mother had lipstick on her teeth
I held her warm gloved hand
as she thanked me for coming
and invited me for sandwiches
and tepid tea.
I drove the car home too fast,
annoyed at the weather
at you,
Julie said that she didn't want to die
so I slowed down
and decided not to cry.
as cold as tomb stones,
each epitaph etched on our ribs.
The anger of death rolled
heavy northern clouds,
that hissed hailstones
onto black polished shoes.
I didn't recognise your words,
the service spoke of a child
I had never met,
still I offered them a piece of you
that they had never seen.
Your mother had lipstick on her teeth
I held her warm gloved hand
as she thanked me for coming
and invited me for sandwiches
and tepid tea.
I drove the car home too fast,
annoyed at the weather
at you,
Julie said that she didn't want to die
so I slowed down
and decided not to cry.
Written by Razzerleaf
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Jordan
D.O.C.
Forum Posts: 245
D.O.C.
Thought Provoker
13
Joined 4th May 2022Forum Posts: 245
Related submission no longer exists.
Honoria
Forum Posts: 204
Tyrant of Words
70
Joined 22nd July 2019Forum Posts: 204
For The Living
Vigil and Visitation
If you think of me at all, remember me fondly. Look upon our time together in cherished snippets that will bring you joy and peace. Hail Mary, full of grace…
Funeral Liturgy
Life has not ended my love.
I’m with you everyday in every action. Weep not for me, but carry forward the love we shared. We will see each other once again.
Our Father, who art in heaven…
Committal
In final farewell, know I am laid to rest in divine comfort. Wrapped in a love pure and eternal. Go in peace to live your lives in joy.
Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…
If you think of me at all, remember me fondly. Look upon our time together in cherished snippets that will bring you joy and peace. Hail Mary, full of grace…
Funeral Liturgy
Life has not ended my love.
I’m with you everyday in every action. Weep not for me, but carry forward the love we shared. We will see each other once again.
Our Father, who art in heaven…
Committal
In final farewell, know I am laid to rest in divine comfort. Wrapped in a love pure and eternal. Go in peace to live your lives in joy.
Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…
Written by Honoria
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Abracadabra
Forum Posts: 3497
Tyrant of Words
21
Joined 13th Nov 2009Forum Posts: 3497
Clutching Ashes
A nurse in tears
our missing years
the hardest hospital chair
Funeral suit
and flood of cards
the kiss to show I cared
Whispers stained
in windows
beyond the final prayer
then sunlight
and a sparrow
glimpsed through
curtains of despair
our missing years
the hardest hospital chair
Funeral suit
and flood of cards
the kiss to show I cared
Whispers stained
in windows
beyond the final prayer
then sunlight
and a sparrow
glimpsed through
curtains of despair
Written by Abracadabra
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LostViking
Lost Viking
Forum Posts: 41
Lost Viking
Fire of Insight
8
Joined 2nd Apr 2020Forum Posts: 41
Broken Promises
O worthy and eternal Judge,
do not let the pains of death
turn us away from you at our last hour.
-Book of Prayer
All was silent and the room smelled of old orchids.
Her lips were pursed as if remembering a kiss.
Her hands lay soft below her breasts, beautiful,
but now so pale. She would have liked the color of her nails.
She wore her mother’s wedding ring, a gift from her childhood.
It held the promise of purity she kept until we met.
My eyes drifted over her remembering,
thankful for broken promises.
do not let the pains of death
turn us away from you at our last hour.
-Book of Prayer
All was silent and the room smelled of old orchids.
Her lips were pursed as if remembering a kiss.
Her hands lay soft below her breasts, beautiful,
but now so pale. She would have liked the color of her nails.
She wore her mother’s wedding ring, a gift from her childhood.
It held the promise of purity she kept until we met.
My eyes drifted over her remembering,
thankful for broken promises.
Written by LostViking
(Lost Viking)
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DanielChristensen
The Fire Elemental
Forum Posts: 239
The Fire Elemental
Tyrant of Words
36
Joined 27th Feb 2016 Forum Posts: 239
Thank you to everyone that has been entering the competition, I think it's wonderful to see so much participation and I know it will be difficult for the public vote to decide amongst so many amazing entries.
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND
(This piece, based on the Elton John song of the same name and best read while listening to the music)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3p_xAToFzck
Solemni Pompa
Under a dark gray sky
the mourners come
beckoned by the church bells toll
and a distant organs lament
undeterred by the chill Winter wind
they come to remember
the life of a friend
Alta Tristitiam
The church doors swing wide
the mourners enter in
greeted by the anguished dirge
of the thunderous organ
played in a vain attempt
to quicken the dead
and banish the demons within
Spera Triumphi
A single white dove
is released into the gloom
as if the soul rises triumphant
from the dearly departed
and travels upward to paradise
only to return on Resurrection day
Miseratiónum Monimentum
The pews now filled
with family and friends
the tender requiem begins
what a wonderful father he was
a devoted husband too
a poem is read
his favorite hymn is sung
projected images are viewed
Lamentatione Flebili
The grieving wife loudly weeps
rushing to the coffin
crying NO! NO! NO!
others join in sobbing
the widow turns to meet their gaze
the tear stained faces
of many women she doesn't know
Celebratio
Close friends ascend the pulpit
to celebrate his life well lived
funny things he said
crazy things he did
the sound of his laughter
the warmth of his smile
memories that keep him alive
Laetus Exitus
Fueled by happy thoughts of him
smiling the pall bearers lift the casket
on shoulders they carry
his eternal vessel
not as a box with a corpse inside
but as the victorious hero of the game
Pompa Sepulturae
The mourners turned celebrants
follow their friend’s mortal shell
outside and into the ancient church yard
made glorious by the sun’s rays
penetrating the dark sky
as if heaven has descended
to welcome him home
Ultimum Vale
Family and friends encircle
the newly dug grave
nestled between ancestors
long since departed
the final resting place is blessed
the widow overcome with grief
christens the coffin lid
with a handful of soil
she kisses a single red rose
her tears, like morning dew
glisten on its delicate petals
she places it near his heart
as he is lowered into the ground
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3p_xAToFzck
Solemni Pompa
Under a dark gray sky
the mourners come
beckoned by the church bells toll
and a distant organs lament
undeterred by the chill Winter wind
they come to remember
the life of a friend
Alta Tristitiam
The church doors swing wide
the mourners enter in
greeted by the anguished dirge
of the thunderous organ
played in a vain attempt
to quicken the dead
and banish the demons within
Spera Triumphi
A single white dove
is released into the gloom
as if the soul rises triumphant
from the dearly departed
and travels upward to paradise
only to return on Resurrection day
Miseratiónum Monimentum
The pews now filled
with family and friends
the tender requiem begins
what a wonderful father he was
a devoted husband too
a poem is read
his favorite hymn is sung
projected images are viewed
Lamentatione Flebili
The grieving wife loudly weeps
rushing to the coffin
crying NO! NO! NO!
others join in sobbing
the widow turns to meet their gaze
the tear stained faces
of many women she doesn't know
Celebratio
Close friends ascend the pulpit
to celebrate his life well lived
funny things he said
crazy things he did
the sound of his laughter
the warmth of his smile
memories that keep him alive
Laetus Exitus
Fueled by happy thoughts of him
smiling the pall bearers lift the casket
on shoulders they carry
his eternal vessel
not as a box with a corpse inside
but as the victorious hero of the game
Pompa Sepulturae
The mourners turned celebrants
follow their friend’s mortal shell
outside and into the ancient church yard
made glorious by the sun’s rays
penetrating the dark sky
as if heaven has descended
to welcome him home
Ultimum Vale
Family and friends encircle
the newly dug grave
nestled between ancestors
long since departed
the final resting place is blessed
the widow overcome with grief
christens the coffin lid
with a handful of soil
she kisses a single red rose
her tears, like morning dew
glisten on its delicate petals
she places it near his heart
as he is lowered into the ground
Written by Gahddess_Worship
(Osomajestuoso)
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AaronBraveHeart
Boyana Popova
Forum Posts: 51
Boyana Popova
Thought Provoker
1
Joined 4th Sep 2020 Forum Posts: 51
"Fear of Loss"
Always the same scenario...
repeated in my head.
Long days now rarely do
stop haunting in my bed.
The wind is rather quiet;
alas, a whispered song.
I'm blind, my eyes are shut.
For I must be wrong.
No one has died yet;
but I attend a funeral;
for my love is upset
to lose, though presumable.
The weepers shriek,
but can't revive,
along the corpse still vivid.
A mourner, I'm weak,
deader inside,
than the soul forever lifted.
The dead are gone;
but I am here.
Lonely,
on a graveyard.
So, please respawn,
Grim Reaper dear,
my homely
nostalgia inward...
And suddenly, I am awake.
My healthy relative is home.
Under the cozy sun they bake
and our heart feels warm.
God, please put the pain to end.
For I carry an illness inside.
As the years pass, I try to fend
for myself before they die.
I can't retain the sands of hours.
So I hug them,
A new morning...
The smell of bread is ours,
the early sun then
soothes my pre-mourning...
It is always the orange ray
that gently caresses my room...
and as I start the day...
I blush and I bloom.
I love our sun encouraging,
it keeps my family safe.
So please, keep nourishing
us.... for my brutality's a grave.
Always the same scenario...
repeated in my head.
Long days now rarely do
stop haunting in my bed.
The wind is rather quiet;
alas, a whispered song.
I'm blind, my eyes are shut.
For I must be wrong.
No one has died yet;
but I attend a funeral;
for my love is upset
to lose, though presumable.
The weepers shriek,
but can't revive,
along the corpse still vivid.
A mourner, I'm weak,
deader inside,
than the soul forever lifted.
The dead are gone;
but I am here.
Lonely,
on a graveyard.
So, please respawn,
Grim Reaper dear,
my homely
nostalgia inward...
And suddenly, I am awake.
My healthy relative is home.
Under the cozy sun they bake
and our heart feels warm.
God, please put the pain to end.
For I carry an illness inside.
As the years pass, I try to fend
for myself before they die.
I can't retain the sands of hours.
So I hug them,
A new morning...
The smell of bread is ours,
the early sun then
soothes my pre-mourning...
It is always the orange ray
that gently caresses my room...
and as I start the day...
I blush and I bloom.
I love our sun encouraging,
it keeps my family safe.
So please, keep nourishing
us.... for my brutality's a grave.
DanielChristensen
The Fire Elemental
Forum Posts: 239
The Fire Elemental
Tyrant of Words
36
Joined 27th Feb 2016 Forum Posts: 239
Thanks again to everyone posting, the response has been overwhelming and the entries have been wonderful and meaningful to me. I hope everyone is having a similar experience.💖🙏🏻
jemac
Forum Posts: 237
Dangerous Mind
4
Joined 25th Jan 2013Forum Posts: 237
Forever My Sky Man
she dreams of you
in long corridors
where you'd expect warmth
but there is none
where lights are too bright
bringing water to her eyes
a distant slam of a heavy metal door
then absolute silence
she's alone
except for the memory of your smile
that left her astounded
by its mere presence
how warm you still were
how peaceful in those last moments
first thoughts were
how dare you
and damn you for looking
so pleased with yourself
you had slipped from this realm
"Death Be Not Proud"
hands shaking uncontrollably
desperate to hold onto your warmth
slowly leaving us both
whispers that seemed so far away
that were her own
repetitive screaming song
no no no
life became a blur
his beautiful lingering
lips curled in abject curiosity
the blessing he gave her
to remember him this way
forever held
yet still makes her weep
longing to see it again and again
people wanting to recount
to talk
phone calls
messages
from distant voices
that don't
bring her comfort
caught in the "wake"
you are a rising sea
of stories empty of your presence
her hands once so full
lay empty
so foreign they are
without him
they have become only
appendages she doesn't know
what to do with
except reach them
towards the sky
where you live
before her is a container
where you now reside
returned to dust
so small yet so heavy
a shock to every
sense
funeral director
asking with concern if
she is okay
tears just fall
watching them
from what seems a
great distance
floating in time
they drip melting
down blushing cheeks
over lips swollen with grief
staining her clothing
droplets hit the jar
with a resounding ting
clutched protectively
in her arms
she has no answers
in his honor
she creates an alter
of their love
her own personal service
a collection of Earthly wonders
things he had held
shells
ocean glass
beach sand that has no memory
of time
dried flowers
angels
candles to light his way
she feels his presence
gentle hand on her shoulder
breath brushes her hair
away from her cheek
room filled with his aura
she sighs
into it
her air cascading
against empty walls
she gathers his things around her
immersed in his perfume
she sits
for an uncertain amount of time
candles have burned themselves out
their home is drenched in dark
she falls into its depths
pulled towards a glowing
outside the front door
where the Moon is playing
hide and seek behind the clouds
she sees him dancing
and racing with the Moon 🌙
forever her Sky Man
"all good things must come to an end"
🦋
in long corridors
where you'd expect warmth
but there is none
where lights are too bright
bringing water to her eyes
a distant slam of a heavy metal door
then absolute silence
she's alone
except for the memory of your smile
that left her astounded
by its mere presence
how warm you still were
how peaceful in those last moments
first thoughts were
how dare you
and damn you for looking
so pleased with yourself
you had slipped from this realm
"Death Be Not Proud"
hands shaking uncontrollably
desperate to hold onto your warmth
slowly leaving us both
whispers that seemed so far away
that were her own
repetitive screaming song
no no no
life became a blur
his beautiful lingering
lips curled in abject curiosity
the blessing he gave her
to remember him this way
forever held
yet still makes her weep
longing to see it again and again
people wanting to recount
to talk
phone calls
messages
from distant voices
that don't
bring her comfort
caught in the "wake"
you are a rising sea
of stories empty of your presence
her hands once so full
lay empty
so foreign they are
without him
they have become only
appendages she doesn't know
what to do with
except reach them
towards the sky
where you live
before her is a container
where you now reside
returned to dust
so small yet so heavy
a shock to every
sense
funeral director
asking with concern if
she is okay
tears just fall
watching them
from what seems a
great distance
floating in time
they drip melting
down blushing cheeks
over lips swollen with grief
staining her clothing
droplets hit the jar
with a resounding ting
clutched protectively
in her arms
she has no answers
in his honor
she creates an alter
of their love
her own personal service
a collection of Earthly wonders
things he had held
shells
ocean glass
beach sand that has no memory
of time
dried flowers
angels
candles to light his way
she feels his presence
gentle hand on her shoulder
breath brushes her hair
away from her cheek
room filled with his aura
she sighs
into it
her air cascading
against empty walls
she gathers his things around her
immersed in his perfume
she sits
for an uncertain amount of time
candles have burned themselves out
their home is drenched in dark
she falls into its depths
pulled towards a glowing
outside the front door
where the Moon is playing
hide and seek behind the clouds
she sees him dancing
and racing with the Moon 🌙
forever her Sky Man
"all good things must come to an end"
🦋
Written by jemac
Go To Page
MadameLavender
Forum Posts: 5726
Guardian of Shadows
90
Joined 17th Feb 2013Forum Posts: 5726
Yes God, I Know
I know the line
“O death, where is thy sting”
and every other scripture about
how we really never die, just
our bodies do
and our spirits and souls never cease
to exist.
I believe it all
And I had every intention
of going to your wake, with
a smile on my face, because
I knew you weren’t really dead.
But I became a blubbering hot mess
anyway
and my makeup ran, and I looked like
a trailer park hooker
who’d gotten caught in a downpour.
I saved it, though, until I was driving home—
didn’t want to drip all over your own makeup, since
they did such a nice job on you.
(^^I know you laughed at that--they don't call them "fun"erals
for nothing....)
Yes God, I know
I know he’s still alive
I know, I know, I know, but
I was still upset with you, Jesus and the Holy Spirit,
and I had no valid argument to be,
except for selfishness—
he was “the one”, he loved me
and we had plans for the future
and I wanted that.
Ah, Michael, eight years later
and I still can’t bring myself
to want to try and love another.
I’m afraid if I do, I won’t see you
in dreams anymore
and your voice will fade
and your sly humor
and your guitar.
Yes God, I know
I know that he was at his own funeral
standing next to his own coffin,
head of his own reception line.
I know you showed me that, in my sleep
and it drove all those scriptures home
and I still believe them all,
and you told me why he couldn’t stay here,
and
and
and….
And I’m okay now, but I still tear up,
once in a while.
Written by MadameLavender
Go To Page
cabcool
Forum Posts: 783
Guardian of Shadows
14
Joined 27th Feb 2014Forum Posts: 783
first wrongs—last rites
i don’t want to talk about
sickness and death
and funerals and things
for last rites
are the first wrongs
of those who belong
to adam’s throng.
in eden came first wrongs
and today we perpetuate
last rites
but what of the in-between
for from the first wrongs
to the last rites
there can be forgiveness
or even a bigger mess
like bigamy
or the lust of the unjust
who eat the crust
we thrust
into the faces
of the races
through the ages
seeking wages
but the wages of sin is death
don’t hold your breath
unless you’re already dead
for last rites
cannot rectify first wrongs
or pacify in-between
inconsistencies
it is a mournful hymn they sing
but i shall rise again
when the last rites
shall be washed clean
of the first wrongs
and a new song
shall belong
to the whole throng
of adam’s fallen race
who after this first going
will welcome the second coming
at the first resurrection
redemption story
when my Jesus
comes in all His Glory
when the last rites
and the first wrongs
shall be reconciled
forever
© Copyright 2023 January 20
by Clyve A. Bowen♫
sickness and death
and funerals and things
for last rites
are the first wrongs
of those who belong
to adam’s throng.
in eden came first wrongs
and today we perpetuate
last rites
but what of the in-between
for from the first wrongs
to the last rites
there can be forgiveness
or even a bigger mess
like bigamy
or the lust of the unjust
who eat the crust
we thrust
into the faces
of the races
through the ages
seeking wages
but the wages of sin is death
don’t hold your breath
unless you’re already dead
for last rites
cannot rectify first wrongs
or pacify in-between
inconsistencies
it is a mournful hymn they sing
but i shall rise again
when the last rites
shall be washed clean
of the first wrongs
and a new song
shall belong
to the whole throng
of adam’s fallen race
who after this first going
will welcome the second coming
at the first resurrection
redemption story
when my Jesus
comes in all His Glory
when the last rites
and the first wrongs
shall be reconciled
forever
© Copyright 2023 January 20
by Clyve A. Bowen♫
Written by cabcool
Go To Page
Solomon_Song
Forum Posts: 333
Tyrant of Words
110
Joined 28th Sep 2012 Forum Posts: 333
She who when younger caught my eye
I see laid in the ground to lie,
on bed from which she will not rise
again. Tears join mine, from the skies.
I see laid in the ground to lie,
on bed from which she will not rise
again. Tears join mine, from the skies.
DanielChristensen
The Fire Elemental
Forum Posts: 239
The Fire Elemental
Tyrant of Words
36
Joined 27th Feb 2016 Forum Posts: 239
Thanks again to everyone participating in the comp, I hope we're all having a meaningful experience sharing our talents and perspectives on a subject with such innate gravitas.