I once knew a chap
who wore a cap
when he wasn’t wearing
another hat
made from canvas
or something
like that
I called him
Hat Man Do
because he
always looked cool
in hats of every design
rocking Derby’s
to top hats
all the time
Author: Dave Stancliff
Retired newspaper editor/publisher, Vietnam veteran, freelance writer, blogger. Married 51 years. A sense of humor. Defender of truth. Give my poems, essays and short stories a read. I look forward to feedback. Write on!
Lighten Your Load
are you carrying a rucksack
of worries?
a load of emotional rocks?
a stack of negative stories?
stuck in a mental box?
then it’s time
to lighten your load
and shine
cast away
your worries
enjoy your day
there’s no guarantee
another will come your way
Seeking Serenity #1
when it comes to
seeking serenity
each one of us has
a choice to make
a path to take
sometimes serendipity
determines fate
on our trail
resulting in
an eternal
fairytale
A Clean Slate
left behind
a lifetime
of regrets
no more
senseless
moments
to answer
for
I’ve closed
that door
and cleaned
that slate
forevermore
Loving You Is Easy
the first time I saw you
your eyes carried me away
before I knew what to say
your beauty
made my day
loving you is easy
my Aphrodite
my heart
my goddess
my deity
Stupid Things
You see it all the time
people doing stupid things
like making batches of slime
there’s no end in sight
of people
who aren’t too bright
we live with them every day
shaking our heads in wonder
at their disarray
they’re at home and on the street
doing dumb things
and being indiscreet
it’s not about being bad
we all do dumb things
like following a stupid fad
it’s about the realization
that stupid things happen
in any kind of situation
Emerald Dreams
in the dream there was an emerald glow
that enveloped me
as I walked
through the snow
seeking the mystery
that led me
into an unknown land
guided by the emerald glow
I sought answers from the gods
and wizards I didn’t know
my dream guiding me
into unknown country
where I walked on clouds
to see what I could see
it’s always exciting to me
when my emerald dreams
take me to new places to see
and I begrudge the long days
that are reality
waiting
patiently
for sleep
to envelope me
Just One More Sip
just so you know
I’ll be needing one more sip
before I go
I know where
you want to take me
so let’s avoid a row
but before I go
another sip I’ll need
for my suppossed
misdeed
if you must know
I’m sipping
an expensive Bordeaux
on this nice night
the last thing
I want is a fight
so
step back boyos
and I’ll finish my wine
then you can take me
anytime
Dance of the Hypocrites
they go through each day
doing the “Hully Gully”
in their hypocritical way
they do the “Twist” with facts
holding reality at bay
hypocrites always dance
to the opposite side of sense
doing the “Hokey Pokey”
and a “Tango” on a fence
they go “Gangnam Style“
when caught redhanded
they do the “Moonwalk”
down denier’s aisle
you can easily see
a hypocrite
doing the “Monkey“
A “Macarena” line forms
when hypocrites gather
defying norms
They do the “Shimmy”
and the “Shake”
whatever it’ll take
to hide what’s true
recognizing the dances
that they do
is a good warning
for you
With These Eyes
I can tell when people tell lies
with these eyes
their body movements a tell
making it easy to see
for an old man like me
decades of experience resides
compartmentally
in my brain
lurking behind my tired eyes
I’ve seen the horror
of war
I keep it behind a door
behind these eyes
I look forward
to each new day
putting aside yesterday
a daily exercise
behind these
still alert
eyes
The Creative Chronicles of Dave Stancliff 