Blind John Ellsworth – Page 25 – Unfiltered Thoughts

Every Day

I will write a poem every day.
Unless I have nothing to say.
Then, I have to write free verse.
Or haiku, sonnets or even worse.
So, I have to have a decent thought.
Or all this scribbling is for naught.
My thoughts of past were very bold.
They’re all gone now. I’m very old.

Progress

The Cutty Sark made seventeen knots,
From London Town to China.
She used the wind to carry tea.
For a time, there were none finer.

The clipper ships were eclipsed
By new ships powered by steam.
The steamship beat the ships with sails,
But sails are still a sailor’s dream.

So, today I’m doing twenty knots,
With diesel-electric power down below.
Three knots faster than the Cutty Sark.
Is it such a better way to go?

Black Sox Scandal

Did you never see “Queer Eye”,
My dear gay friends on board?
Can’t you fix the black socks with sandals?
They’re an abomination to the Lord.

At Sea

Waves.
That is all.

Aging

We’re falling apart.
From head to toes,
From North to South,

All parts must go.

We’re forgetting things
We used to know.
From basic to complex,
From fast to slow.

There’s other problems,
This was just a little bit.
I had even more problems,
I don’t know where I wrote it.

Columbus on a Cruise

Imagine if Columbus didn’t have
The Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.
What if he just took Norwegian?

Sailing out of Barcelona.
Nothing but blue skies and blue seas.
(Maybe a Carnival ship, but that’s confusing.)

“Sir! We’re out of salt tack!”
The buffet is on deck 10.
Washy, Washy. Happy, Happy.

“Sir! I burned my eyes with the sextant.”
Why aren’t you using the GPS?
Why are we steering manually, anyway?

“Sir! When will we arrive?”
We should be in Miami on Tuesday.
I’ll be in the casino.

Furosemide Blues

My doctor found excess water
In my ankles and my feet.
He said, “I have a cure for you,
Here’s a pill that can’t be beat.”

I never used to exercise.
My feet were made of clay.
But now, I take Furosemide.
So, I run around all day.

I’ve located every bathroom,
Between my office and my home.
I’ve panic stopped at most of them.
I’m never far to roam.

I’ve found the shortest distance
To every rest room on my floor.
I know how to avoid the talkers,
I’m not distracted any more.

I’m running more than ever,
From sea to shining sea.
I’ll complete this in a moment,
But first, I have to pee.

Fifty Five

Wine improves with aging,
So does imported cheese.
My life has turned to vinegar,
So, can I stop aging, please?

I wrote a poem at fifty-four,
It wasn’t bad, I think.
But that was a year ago,
Now, I need a drink.

I don’t really feel that old.
Age is all in the mind, I see.
So, I guess I’ll pick a random time,
Let’s say, I’m forty-three.

In spite of all the Facebook posts,
My expression is still stony.
I’ve finally admitted to myself,
I’ll never get a pony.

Shades of Gray

A woman’s gray is pure evil.
Bottles fight it all their life.

A man’s gray is distinguished.
It starts once they get a wife.

Pets Are Not Children

Pets are not children,
They don’t even date.
They never go to college,
They can sleep in a crate.

Pets are not children,
Even if they wear clothes.
Do you think about your child,
Where did he last stick that nose?

Pets are not children,
They will play all day long.
And the other parents
Can’t say they’re doing it wrong.

Pets are not children,
They can play all alone.
But when it gets really quiet,
They’re destroying your home.

Pets are not children,
Some would say they’re more.
However, I don’t think my child
Ever peed on the kitchen floor.