Sample Poems by Ronald A. Busse

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A Gem of a Storm

As evening dissolves into dark,
Diamonds dart down from tombstone clouds.
I squint so tight I can feel my
Crow's feet crease. I think, am I on

Saturn? No, it's just my back porch
As evening dissolves into dark.
Wind chimes, once still as stalactites,
Blurt out sharp chaotic chords as

Diamonds jostle their steel rods and
Pummel my frail, bent backbone just
As evening dissolves into dark.
These fierce diamonds, my girl's worst foe,

Butchering the patch of smiling
Daisies planted atop her grave,
Chipping at her mossy tombstone
As evening dissolves into dark.

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This Is No Jolly Green Giant

In its left-brain
she could sense evil plans of
destruction being formulated;
squiggly green matter pulsating,
squishing,
emitting the stench of strain.

In its right-brain
feelings of anger, rancor, and rage
culminate in an invasion call that
pounds out a deranged death-beat.

She stands in the cavity
between the two hemispheres
and pushes on both sides with
all her might, in a
futile effort to escape
from inside the
giant Martian's head.

She would have to wait until
after it lies down to sleep
to attempt escape by
crawling out of the fluted hole atop its head.

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Truth Once Programmed

twist a rainbow
twist the truth
truth should reign
truth without color
color fades
color stains
stains are permanent
stains shaped like continents
continents that divide
continents on fire
fire spreads like hostility
fire steals peace
peace should have come
peace offered from above
above cumulus clouds
above infinity stars
stars that once sparkled
stars now extinguished
extinguished not like wild fires
extinguished like people
people who fought wars
people who sacrificed lives
lives lost in the twisted rainbow
lives now but souls in the wind
wind whooping
wind crying
crying without tears
crying a kaleidoscope of calamities
calamities that struck before ignorant eyes
calamities that should have been avoided
avoided like rancid meat
avoided so lush forests wouldn't burn black
black behind a mask of flames
black as white turned evil
evil built on insanity
evil where peace once lived
lived far away from obsidian skies
lived in harmony
harmony played in tuneful chords
harmony no longer able to soothe wicked hearts
hearts thumping out of tune
hearts churning out lies
lies consisting of lost truths
lies born of sinful minds
minds corrupted
minds programmed
programmed for destruction
programmed by one another
another
destruction

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Defying Death

Time ticks away - for most of us;
Not for those who live forever,
Who can assume another form,
Who never grow old, whatever

It takes to defy death's grip as
Time ticks away - for most of us.
Do some have mechanical hearts?
A saw to sever death's clever

Way of showing up center stage
When 'tis one's time to surrender?
Time ticks away - for most of us.
We wither while Forevers watch

Us turn into dust. They believe
Only if one lives forever
Would one want to live at all, for
Time ticks away - for most of us.