photo of a bluebird in Texas (gudonark)‘Mr. Bluebird’ and Other Poems by Susan Jarvis Bryant The Society February 24, 2025 Beauty, Poetry, Satire, Triolet, Villanelle 1 Comment . Mr. Bluebird Your spirit rose before I spied your form. It dulled the winter sting and stilled the storm. Your warming warble quelled the bitter chill— __A merry trill. I saw you perched upon a leafless limb— A feathered chorister of crystal hymn. Your pristine chirrup sliced through ire and ill— __A cheery trill. Your jubilance outshone the gloomy noon In sylvan tunes as mystic as the moon Spilling from your beaver-busy bill— __A chirpy trill. Your zesty zip-a-dee of sunshine glee Zapped the dormant, doo-dah heart of me With an actual satisfactual thrill— __A chipper trill. On springless days when slouching on my couch Your lilting echo slays my inner grouch With songs as jocund as a daffodil— __A golden trill. . . The Last Laugh a villanelle May justice kiss the fringes of the day As mist and mud and smoke and mirrors clear. May karma clobber clowns who go astray. May fate berate the bounders who betray Unguarded hearts that hold devotion dear. May justice kiss the fringes of the day. The unforgiving sun—each roaring ray— Is out to melt some good-as-gold veneer. May karma clobber clowns who go astray. The cosmos cradles dreams that float away On airy pledges from the insincere. May justice kiss the fringes of the day. The stars soothe sorest sighs of raw dismay From souls who sink beneath a spleenful sneer. May karma clobber clowns who go astray. The moon has witnessed jeering jesters pay For every mocking shock and searing tear. May justice kiss the fringes of the day. May karma clobber clowns who go astray. . . The Last of Human Freedoms a triolet The right to choose one’s attitude Outs the inner saint or sinner. Huffy? Happy? Kindly? Rude? The right to choose one’s attitude Sorts the civil from the crude. Grouchy loser? Gracious winner? The right to choose one’s attitude Outs the inner saint or sinner. . . Susan Jarvis Bryant is a poet originally from the U.K., now living on the Gulf Coast of Texas. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: One Response Paul A. Freeman February 24, 2025 You got me with ‘warming warble’, and it was difficult to get ‘Mr Blue Sky’ out of my head once I read the title. Plus, ‘Your ace alliteration’s rather brill.’ ‘Last Laugh’, I found to be a poem of our time. Not much justice or karma around these days, which made Mr Bluebird all the more precious. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Paul A. Freeman February 24, 2025 You got me with ‘warming warble’, and it was difficult to get ‘Mr Blue Sky’ out of my head once I read the title. Plus, ‘Your ace alliteration’s rather brill.’ ‘Last Laugh’, I found to be a poem of our time. Not much justice or karma around these days, which made Mr Bluebird all the more precious. Reply
