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Humor

‘In Praise of the Helicap’ by Jeff Eardley

The Society
May 14, 2021
Humor, Poetry
15 Comments
. in response to Mike Bryant's "CDC: New Guidance" “The Helicap’s a wondrous thing,” I heard the salesman say, I ordered one from Amazon, it came the other day. It fits just like a bathing cap; it's...

‘Epigrams for Today and Tomorrow’ by C.B. Anderson

The Society
May 11, 2021
Culture, Epigrams and Proverbs, Humor, Poetry
24 Comments
. Raw Now, listen, if you want to know the truth: The world's a battleground of claw and tooth. . Spare the Details Elections, like the spawning of the salmon, Are something we would rather not...

‘Ode to Numbness’ by Thomas Benstead

The Society
May 11, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
7 Comments
. Piteous Fools! The time has comeWhen all men seek to be is numb.The toils of our daily lifeDo overwhelm us all with strifeWithin ourselves; we aim to findA refuge somewhere for our mindTo have its day of...

‘For a Friend Fighting Cancer’ and Other Poetry by Lee Goldberg

The Society
May 10, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
8 Comments
. For a Friend Fighting Cancer And so it seems before the dawn that darkness reigns and hope is gone. I understand that is the way you feel. But dawn will come, and then bright sun. One day your struggle will...

‘How to Be Trendy on Campus’ by Sarban Bhattacharya

The Society
May 9, 2021
Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
. Entering college is an easy way Of making lots of friends, a herd of mares; Just drink a toast to Lenin any day, Down vodka’s revolution with your cares. Attending climate rallies might just aid Your...

Split Nursery Rhyme Poetry Challenge

The Society
May 7, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry, Poetry Challenge, Poetry Contests
69 Comments
. Split a line from a nursery rhyme and use the halves to open and close a poem. Post yours in the comments section below. This challenge comes from Joe Tessitore, who offers the below two examples: . "The...

‘Living in a Purple Wood’ by Roy E. Peterson

The Society
May 5, 2021
Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Humor, Poetry
16 Comments
.. Whoever said that change is good Is living in a purple wood Behind a tree behind a bough; A purple horse and purple cow, For progress is a purple haze Confusing nights; confounding days. Our education...
poem/gosse/humor

‘Dactylic Proverbs’ by James A. Tweedie

The Society
May 4, 2021
Culture, Epigrams and Proverbs, Humor, Poetry, Poetry Forms
19 Comments
. Set your priorities—don't be uncouth—know the Secret to happiness lies in this truth: “Though the Sum of all things is a secret worth looking for, Perfect lasagna is something worth cooking...

‘Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliaphobia’ by Mike Bryant

The Society
May 3, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry, Readings
33 Comments
.   "To indulge in hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian tergiversation is not to show your erudition: rather, it is to be superficial.” ---Steven George Krantz Thalamic tarantismLed to...

Epitaphs of Great Poets and Writers

The Society
May 3, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
46 Comments
Compiled by Roy E. Peterson Readers are encouraged to add other great poets' and writers' epitaphs in the comments section below, or write a poem for their own epitaphs. . Prologue Both authors well and...

On the Hypocrisy of Gov. Newsom, and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
April 27, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
17 Comments
. The Tale of Governor Do-as-I-Say-Not-as-I-Do-som It’s funny how Democracy In many states now colored blue Produces rank hypocrisy, A birthright of the privileged few. And there we notice Gavin...

On the Couple Who Accidentally Painted Over Modern Art, and Other Poetry by Julian Woodruff

The Society
April 26, 2021
Art, Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
.  Brush with Shame In reference to “Couple accidentally paints over $500,000 artwork,” Ben Cost, New York Post, 4/3/21 The whole world over they are in a stew: Our artists and creators share the...

‘Spring Fling’ by Cheryl Corey

The Society
April 26, 2021
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
8 Comments
. O Spring, you’re such a tease, Fickle as a good-time lover; Temptingly, you hover Warm against my cheek, Windless, save a zephyr; And oh so soft your whisper Of promise, only to hide Away again. I...

‘A Tribute to Prince Philip’ by Paul A. Freeman

The Society
April 24, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
6 Comments
. The gaffe-prone Duke of Edinburgh has died, who asked if native Aussies still chucked spears and told some Brits they’d end up slitty-eyed for living in Beijing too many years. Yet what a gap this man of...

‘The Seven Dwarves of Old Age’ by Roy E. Peterson

The Society
April 24, 2021
Humor, Poetry
10 Comments
. The Seven Dwarves of Old Age The seven dwarves of old age __Have come to live with me, But what could be the use of them __Is more than I can see. First Napper came and gave a wink __And slept upon my...

A Poem for the 457th Birthday of Shakespeare, by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
April 22, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry, Shakespeare
43 Comments
. Bardolatry He boasted an iambic ear, That playwright with insight, Shakespeare; Yes, Measure for Measure He’s given much pleasure With Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear. The Bard’s jealous...

‘The Madcap, Rambler-Driving Poet of Ogden’ by Tonia Kalouria 

The Society
April 22, 2021
Humor, Poetry
12 Comments
.   __Like Don Quixote’s windmills, rhymes keep spinning in my head! My dark-passion is to write Light Verse; my curse, to go unread. __I keep submitting—vain attempts!— though earnest, judged a...

‘Pilates’ by Jeff Eardley

The Society
April 19, 2021
Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
. She started her Pilates class, Upon the Internet. The city was in lockdown, So, she knew, some work she’d get. She started on her webpage, Working hard into the night. She knew it wasn’t easy, So, she...

‘Lumbar-Fusion Post-Op Blues’ by Jeff Kemper

The Society
April 18, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
21 Comments
. The Odyssey of a recovering patient of the Orthopedic and Spine Specialists (OSS) hospital in York, PA; January 2019. (My hospital experience could not have been better. Surgeons, nurses, aids, therapists,...

Four Petrarchan Sonnets by Peter Austin

The Society
April 17, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
9 Comments
. . On a Starred Night derived from a George Meredith poem On a starred night, Prince Lucifer uprose; From smoke and stink and howl of the distraught And sulphur stench and brimstone, change he sought. Garbed...

‘My Magic Machine’ By Norma Pain

The Society
April 16, 2021
Beauty, Children's, Humor, Poetry
23 Comments
. I wish I could build me a magic machine, A magic machine that would last, Till the octopus sings and the Orca grows wings, And the lowly worm ceases to cast. I’d fashion the walls out of wonder and...

‘The Game of Life (CCP Edition)’ by Bethany Mootsey

The Society
April 15, 2021
Deconstructing Communism, Human Rights in China, Humor, Poetry
4 Comments
. We appreciate your purchase of this version of the game That caused Mr. Milton Bradley to become a household name. Though we cannot laud the methods for his capital success, We endorse Life, with some...

‘How to Write a Formal Poem (That Doesn’t Seem Like One)’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
April 14, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
23 Comments
. How to Write a Formal Poem(That Doesn’t Seem Like One) abandon capitals at all times. TrustYour sense for sound but, please, avoid rhymes. ChooseA rhythm you can readily adjustAnd phrase what you mean so...

‘CDC: New Guidance’ by Mike Bryant

The Society
April 13, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Humor, Poetry
37 Comments
. Dillard “Sparky” Barker Is a Doc at CDC. He’s announced a market- Driven cure for you and me. Helicaps—not beanies Are the answer to our prayers. The downward blowing breezes Now defeat all virus...

‘Messed Up Doesn’t Rhyme with Best’ by Phillip Whidden

The Society
April 13, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
5 Comments
. Is poetry that’s free as free as all That?  Surely it’s the poet who is free Or not.  He makes the choice to make a sprawl Of words (and punctuation?) dribblingly Straight (straight?) along the...

A Poem on Biden’s Infrastructure Plan, by James A. Tweedie

The Society
April 11, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
11 Comments
. Dear President Biden You act as if you were elected To spend my great-grandchildren’s money. By spending trillions you’ve infected Each one of them with debt gone viral, And I don’t think it’s wise...

Short Pandemic Poems by Joe Tessitore

The Society
April 10, 2021
Covid-19, Haiku and Senryu, Humor, Poetry
27 Comments
. The Plague They muzzle their breath, Sealed in rooms as if in tombs, Scared to death of death. . . A Tale from the City They’ve worn my patience very thin So I wear my mask upon my chin “Nose...

‘Unfit for Purpose’ by David Watt

The Society
April 7, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
9 Comments
. Our neighbours bought a sheepdog: a heeler brindled blue, And all was well (or so it seemed) until his faults showed through; For when it came to penning sheep, he lost a large amount, And bit the hand...

Four Poems for Early Spring, by C.B. Anderson

The Society
April 5, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
20 Comments
. Rededication The sullen days of winter Remain a galling splinter Within my thickened skin, So let the games begin! Though I’m inclined to focus Upon the blooming crocus, The loom of April fills My mind...

‘Dedicated to Those Who Give up Chocolate for Lent’ by Tonia Kalouria

The Society
March 30, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
16 Comments
. A Box of Chocolates is like Life: (That Mrs. Gump she got it right.) You  never know just what you’ll get, so take a chance: Jump in; don’t fret! Life’s Bittersweet---both dark and light--- but...

Two More Poems with ‘Conceits’ by Joseph S. Salemi

The Society
March 27, 2021
Beauty, Blank Verse, Essays, Humor, Poetry, Poetry Forms
10 Comments
. The Bibliophile’s Birth Certificate Marius Michel (1846-1925) was one of the most prominent and gifted bookbinders in France. He produced work in strikingly beautiful and unique designs, and today his...

A Poem on Dictionaries: ‘Panlexia’ by C.B. Anderson

The Society
March 24, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
39 Comments
. Don’t you love the Oxford Dictionary?  When I first read it, I thought it was a really really long poem about everything. —David Bowie A dictionary is an indispensable Companion on the journey through...

‘An Australian Kangaroo Visits the Second Impeachment Trial of President Trump’ by Jan Darling

The Society
March 23, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
16 Comments
. A kangaroo visiting from Australia beholds the kangaroo court attempting to impeach President Trump for the second time and, taking the current kangaroo judge’s momentary absence as an opportunity, dresses...

‘For John Whitworth (1945-2019)’ by Dwayne Barrick

The Society
March 21, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
15 Comments
. A touch of wit is worth its writ in gold. We miss you, John, for being ever bold. You spoke your mind or, rather, wrote it down with learning lightly worn, and played the clown. Your loyal readers...

‘The Second Roman Empire’ and Other Poetry by Sally Cook

The Society
March 18, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
22 Comments
. The Second Roman Empire Those were the days, when Julius Caesar Saw a country and would seize her, And the busty Roman matrons Ran the house and bossed the patrons. Christians, at the least suggestion, Gave...

A Poem on the Canceling of Dr. Seuss’s McElligot’s Pool, by Julian Woodruff

The Society
March 13, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
34 Comments
. Jelly Guts Rule The book, we’ve been apprised, is most uncool— Young Marco and the farmer by the pool, Wits locked in friendly if serious duel, And Marco sends the farmer off to school. One Dr. Seuss,...

A Poem for Daylight Savings: ‘The Puppeteer’ by Norma Pain

The Society
March 13, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
22 Comments
. Oh hail the master puppeteer, Controller of the strings. The altruistic engineer, Sagaciousness he brings. With breathtaking dexterity, He moves us all about. From rich and famed celebrity, To every...

‘Gonfalon’ by Paul Erlandson

The Society
March 12, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Humor, Poetry
10 Comments
. Around the rearview mirror of my car There hangs a gonfalon of love divine. My talisman, my bright and guiding star, From which both fortitude and healing shine. What is this mighty banner hanging down? Not...

‘Advice from Dante’ on Mask Wearing and Other Poetry by Cynthia Erlandson

The Society
March 11, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Dante, Deconstructing Communism, Humor, Poetry
20 Comments
. Advice from Dante “If you hear nostrums* in the market cried, Behave like men, and not like witless sheep.” ---Dante, Paradiso, Canto V Behave like men, and not like witless sheep. The CDC has shown no...

‘The Final Solution, Take Two’ by Joe Tessitore

The Society
March 10, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Humor, Poetry
27 Comments
. I heard the harvested remains Of infants coursing through my veins Will save me from the Wuhan Flu--- I’m gonna get some, how ‘bout you? Those babies were already dead, Their blood’s not really on my...
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  1. Margaret Coats on ‘Wedding Night’ by Christine de Pisan, Translated by Margaret CoatsMay 24, 2025

    Thank you, Roy. The fine young husband's name is Estienne [Stephen] de Castel. He and Christine were happy for ten…

  2. Frank Rable on ‘Kissing Cousin’ and Other Poems by Joseph S. SalemiMay 24, 2025

    Okay. I will ask this as a student to the professor, and absolutely no criticism is intended. When first hearing…

  3. Cynthia L Erlandson on ‘What the Caterpillar Calls the End’: A Poem by Scharlie MeeuwsMay 24, 2025

    This is beautiful! My favorite lines were "Wrapped in a thread the dusk supplied." ; "But Time, that patient artisan";…

  4. Margaret Coats on ‘Sumo’s Winning Ways’ by Margaret CoatsMay 24, 2025

    Thanks, Warren. Glad I noticed this just as 24-year-old Onosato won the May tournament with two days of fighting yet…

  5. Roy Eugene Peterson on ‘Kissing Cousin’ and Other Poems by Joseph S. SalemiMay 24, 2025

    Actually, Dr. Salemi, I found myself in similar situations, but without kissing on the lips my beautiful cousin. When I…

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