Three Joke Poems
Three short joke poems
by ARHuelsenbeck
Why did the poet
cross the road?
To get to
the end of the line.
What’s black
and white
and red
all over?
A poem
that met
a violent
end.
An editor, a poet, and benevolence
walk into a bar.
The bartender looks at benevolence and says
we don’t serve you’re kind here.
Video of the Day: Your Peace Will Make Us One
Today at church, we sang this hymn:
When I heard the opening line, I thought, oh no, not the Battle Hymn of the Republic. I can’t sing it, not with the political climate of our country as it is.
But as the song continued, I saw it was the opposite of the Battle Hymn. These are Audrey Assad’s new lyrics:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
You are speaking truth to power, you are laying down our swords
Replanting every vineyard til a brand new wine is poured
Your peace will make us one
I've seen you in our home fires burning with a quiet light
You are mothering and feeding in the wee hours of the night
Your gentle love is patient, you will never fade or tire
Your peace will make us one
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Your peace will make us one
In the beauty of the lilies you were born across the sea
With a glory in your bosom that is still transfiguring
Dismantling our empires til each one of us is free
Your peace will make us one
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Your peace will make us one
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Your peace will make us one
May the peace of our Lord be with you.
How Do You Save a Starling in a Snowstorm?
A profound little story by Frances Rogers:
The Poem Speaks
The Gestation of a Poem
by ARHuelsenbeck
my creator is struggling
bungling
crumbling
trying to put her vision and emotions
into words
my gestation is taking too long
well beyond her self-imposed due date
she’s close to giving up
I could be another poem
that languishes in a file
the last line reading
"not finished"
that last line in red
to remind her
that I can’t be shipped out yet
submitted to a classy journal
or a prestigious contest
or included in her next chapbook
she may tackle me again
some other day
or she may abandon me altogether
to languish
stillborn
List Poem
Things that are precious
by ARHuelsenbeck
a baby’s laugh
a silver dollar
an old piece of jewelry
a family portrait
a sunny spring day
the first snowfall
the beach early in the morning
a mountaintop
an intergenerational group roasting marshmallows
singing Christmas carols
playing board games
friends watching a funny movie together
discussing a good book
a school play
a field of wildflowers
the smell of bread baking
a hug and a kiss from a child
a hug and a kiss from the one you love
an old diary
a ticket stub
an old valentine
a newspaper clipping
a christening gown
a child’s drawing
memories





