no matter that me entries will yield little no pay
i offer a small sample of my literary efforts to date
forsooth whence there might arise that day
renown may find me swamped with financially successful fate.

matthew harris

A Bend In The River

The serpentine and ageless liquid

predating antediluvian flood whence zarathustra spoke

commanding phoenix like mercurial possessed snake

eternally swallowed

since the beginning of time

one unquenchable thirst to gorge and slake

slurping up an icy cold mountainous pebbly shake

yet fresh as an irish spring

using thy tongue o gaelic spake

then tumbling down into the cavernous abyss

subsequently carving

a deep criss cross patchwork

across the rock hard rugged topography

like the handiwork of some invincible force

commandeering a humungous rake

affixing legendary signature

quasi-indelible grooves

only for the near indomitable

chiseled masterpiece

to be erased, twisted then wrenched

by that natural landscape altering phenomena

identified as an earth quake

creating a fresh tabula rasa to begin anew

inviting waters from on high to carve

from the ebbing and flowing millennial currents

which eventually find a more direct course

beginning as trickling creek

swells from winter rains

and thence in summer while the sun doth bake

when flora blooms and fauna prance

the firmament then abandons

bent elbow oxbow lake

as a former bend in the river.


2. bartender - oh bartender!


mine eyes espy the glory of the ending of another day work

with no clue what role my efforts play in within the large scheme

and (psst) just between you and me...that new supervisor a real jerk

assigning my exemplary skills and talents what appears as a losing team!



no way out of this death sentence nefarious trap

except to drown displeasure downing booze or even house brand beer

which drunken state the only way to prevent axons and synapses to snap

and quickly cause tenuous grasp on sanity to become rent asunder and tear!



now, not a moment to delay

for this conga line employer manned gravy train

departs the tracks seven minutes to five – hip hooray

whereby i can anesthetize this sorely overtaxed brain!



these remaining 420 seconds tick by like the pace of a snail

to this myopic eyes the clock seems to reverse itself in time

this must be some cruel cheap trick holding hostage this randy male

whose manly fuels excitement meeting babes reason i be like busta rhyme!



hop on the bandwagon the aim

to get out from this cramped cubicle and make a made dash

for fermented elixir cherished like some infatuation with a female flame

which magic to forget cares of an uncertain world wrought immediate in a flash!



now the cogs, gears and wheels that turn, whir and spin

within me mental discerned centrifuge come to a grinding halt

as the modern day whistles blows closing time in that barely audible din

which means the motley crew will be heading to a favorite watering hole for ale or malt!



ah, that cool amber liquid of the gods soothes the palate and the tongue

nothing (nada even bling) compares to dulling the senses under the sun

sipping high proof fermented beverage worth price of a headache to be stung

come the morrow (being closer to week-end) flirt with getting drunk equals fun!



upon drowning sorrows that cascade like some emotional waterfall

inside thine own rocky mountain psychic terrain gets numbed by liquor

until the next morning will find frame of mind obliterated akin to a major squall

finding me embarrassed at previous nights' antics that found me to laugh and snicker!



3. Capitol Hill



house and senate dutifully ply their craft

then end up with the president filibustering their hen pecking bill

submitting unanimous opinion in their legalese drawn up draft

which veto power from the elected chief of the white house doth send a chill

that sometimes warms his cockles vis a vis by a bit of turn the other cheek graft

which comes as little or no surprise to those in the shadow of the hill

whence upon trying to assert their rights seemed scored and laughed

especially when taking a tumble like nursery rhyme characters jack and jill

feel the sharp dejection analogous to receiving the so called shaft

which demonstrative obliviousness to needs and wants prompts the urge to kill

experiencing that sinking feeling like being submerged in a rickety raft

from feeling caught up in the maws of some human like puppy mill

if history serves me correctly, the blame taken out by assassinating mckinley and taft

whereby those who grovel along the boulevard of broken dreams with nil

nowadays sense of security breached by financially levees springing leaks that waft

thru the continental air inspiring this ditty from a figurative quill!



4. Barack Obama


this epistle per mine choice of heir apparent presidential throne
composed from one liberal minded non-conformist rolling stone



prompted awareness that one voice can affect which contestant will win

and occupy the white house after the votes get tallied from political spin



aware thy missive from an anonymous fellow and a self anointed scribe

will be carefully screened no matter opinion already cast with nada bribe



personal opinion of this sole american male of two score and nine years

that barack obama possesses that je ne sais quois diplomatic state craft

despite disparaging broadside starring paris hilton plus britney spears



the land of lincoln candidate exemplifies (to myself) a charismatic charm

in tandem with a relaxed persona and gait akin per a commoner on a farm



that nonchalant easy going affinity speaks nonverbal volumes to this chap

cringes when espying or hearing from opposing challenger whose lips flap

meaning john mccain whose hidden motives and agenda include his trap

to plant seeds of doubt per un-decided electorate causing lead to get a zap



unknown how trials and tribulations rival democratic senator from Illinois

will weather local nor global challenges and said solution he might employ

i opt for said captain to steer ship of state and exclaim to drop anchor ahoy



if via cosmic divine intercession the galloping newcomer in this horse race

ushering biracial as nominal winner televisions would show a beaming face

the political ramifications analogous to betting square outcome on this ace



i gently beg, decry, fulminate counter attack advertisements fast and quick

against those subliminal sly messages that at first blush appear airily slick

and please reach deep in that magic bag resorting to retaliatory artful trick

lest burning from the madding crowd extinguished like jack’s candle wick!





5. CRYSTALLINE SERENADE



Profuse precipitation populated Philadelphia

meteorological heft wrought pinkish glow

plentiful polygons pin wheeled and pirouetted

landscape imprinted pure as driven snow

diminution of visual acuity

accrued from two plus four birthdays

still marvel at freeze-dried raindrops

reaction toward crystalline phenomena continues to grow

kaleidoscope of multitudinous hydrospheric blitz krieg terrestrial show

metaphor wrapped in supreme whiteness

from singular semi-liquid entities high to low

Mother nature imbues testament for rapt observer

teaches to offer rare self for world to know

as individual corporeal of flesh and blood

we forget special identity among human row

subtle riddle well hidden in molecule

two hydrogen atoms against one oxygen in tow

offer quiet sermon to cherish beliefs and personal paradigms vis a vis status quo.



The various and sundry trials and tribulations that buffet my psyche interpreted and processed in the form of poetry and prose. Perhaps on account of many years self-absorbed between pages of well-written book, I tend to express feelings, ideas, thoughts, et cetera in a rather atypical and innovative manner. Literary contests offer me a creative opportunity to communicate this love of English language and hopefully (someday-most likely posthumously) receive even a little bit of recognition.