Write a quatrain (four-line poem) on the topic of America. Post your submissions into the comments section below with your general location, such as city and state.
When: From now (June 30) until July 24 midnight. Winner announced August 1.
What: A quatrain (four-line poem) on anything within the broad theme of America. On your honor, it should be newly written within the time frame of this competition. Rhyme and meter is recommended but not required.
Prize: An Official Winner’s Certificate awarded by the Society and the addition of your name to the increasing list of accomplished winners. Winner announced August 1.
Entry fee: none
Judge: Society Advisory Board Members (who don’t participate in the contest) and Society Staff.
Submit: Post your poem directly into the comments section of this post or on our Facebook page. (No more than two poems per poet please)
Winners
Participating Judges: William Ruleman, James Sale, Bruce Dale Wise, Michael Curtis
FIRST PLACE
So young, this nation of searching souls,
among a world of ancient schemes.
Growing pains that make us whole
stretch our will, expand our dreams.
L. W. Owen, Mississippi
SECOND PLACE
America, your greatness does not lie
In billionaires, or towers that pierce the sky.
You were the light of hope to common men.
Be so much more than great: be good again.
Lorna Davis, California
The pilgrims came and died or lived
in fealty to an oath they swore,
and bought with pain the precious grain
that made them rich though they were poor.
Michael R. Burch, Nashville, Tennessee
THIRD PLACE
Ablaze with freedoms bright desire
America remains
The kindling of the raging fire
Democracy sustains.
Don Shook, Texas
Through Ellis Island’s gate they came
with hopes of living free
in this land we love, and think highly of,
our land of liberty!
Wendy Lee Klenetsky
HONORABLE MENTION
For what we stand, for what we believe,
for what we work, for what we receive,
for heroes, sheroes, and home of the brave,
for Stars and Stripes, for still She waves.
Shari Jo LeKane-Yentumi, St. Louis, Missouri
My dear country, I fear for you
My heart and soul are near to you
The land of the free and of my birth
The last frontier, here upon the earth
David Paul Behrens, La Verne, California
A red bandanna and blue jeans,
One Rand McNally atlas.
Stone monuments on village greens,
Driving the kids to practice.
Reid McGrath, Pawling, New York
George Washington—on Purgatory Hill—
Feted his men to beer and barbeque.
On this same slope—loafing in laurel still—
I peer out at the pyrotechnic view.
Reid McGrath, Pawling, New York
Boom
Pow
‘merica coming at you now
With fireworks
Bret Mantyk, Brooklyn, New York
Land of the plucky trier,
the world longs to kiss you.
Our friendly high-flier
– in Britain we miss you.
Cathy Bryant, Derbyshire, Great Britain
The fragrance of grilled meat wafts by
And greets old friends as they arrive
The fluffy clouds dissolve to sky
And I am glad that I’m alive.
now listen kid you must behave and learn to control your rage
better it is to refrain from anger for actions reveal your age
but mom I think it’s ok to shout scream stomp and loudly vent
when I master the most obnoxious behavior I’ll run for President
I awoke from the American dream all covered
in products from a large communist state.
I thought, “Since when have our people cowered
From fights that once long ago made us great?”
There’s an election going on this year,
And surely one will win, and one will lose.
Though as I look over the meager choices,
I just wish we had more from which to chose.
The pilgrims came and died or lived
in fealty to an oath they swore,
and bought with pain the precious grain
that made them rich though they were poor.
Apache blood, Comanche tears
were shed, and still they went to war;
they fought for earth and freedom’s birth—
these were Her riches, and still are.
I lived as best I could, and then I died.
Be careful where you step: the grave is wide.
And if I am “only Muslim,” who are you?
Was I not American too?
For what we stand, for what we believe,
for what we work, for what we receive,
for heroes, sheroes, and home of the brave,
for Stars and Stripes, for still She waves.
Amerigo Vespucci
Which name ought be chanted,
Wherever songs rejoice,
The same wrought in granite,
And magnified, in voice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerigo_Vespucci
Through Ellis Island’s gate they came
with hopes of living free
in this land we love, and think highly of,
our land of liberty!
Youth and man, rich and poor,
From college, farm and store,
They march again to war
Through dawn’s uncertain door.
The Pentagon has just greenlighted transgender recruits,
and voted yea to women on the front-line battlefield.
God forbid that friendly-fire’s eventually revealed,
or women soldiers have to fight physical abuse.
Fourth of July
Sandra Sowers Platt
Red, white and blue stars fall from July’s night sky;
Explosions of celebration serenade amid summer air!
Citizens rejoice with freedom’s loud musical reply.
We watch our American flag fly with pride’s loving care.
Still standing strong, this seven-four
Our destiny still calls
By mountain side and ocean’s shore
And blue sky over all
America
Untactful, yet as sharp as any knife;
Loved or loathed; the popular girl in class.
We wonder how she’ll govern later life
Once—if?—the Glory Days have passed…
Pawling, New York
America, your greatness does not lie
In billionaires, or towers that pierce the sky.
You were the light of hope to common men.
Be so much more than great: be good again.
I land upon a distant shore
where we may try anew.
Though these words were said before,
I must believe we are the chosen few.
if two submissions are disallowed, please let this one serve as mine.
Half – past Britain, Half – past France,
Old School, Liberal had their dance,
Cut a rug and stomped the floor,
Musket, cannon, bar the door.
Ablaze with freedoms bright desire
America remains
The kindling of the raging fire
Democracy sustains.
So here i m on my own,
Standing with myself..
Far from this world
It is cool may be that is best now,
Im gud to be alone in this world,
Counting the hours until..
I can come home..with no one else to argue but myself,
Walking away wen i can,trying not to be,reeled bck into things..
Just sprinting on nd onn..
So as to jst console myself..
This is the life i was given,
Nd i’ll continue weaving it..
Here im talking abt free to be me..
Preparing for the next phase of my life…..
4 lines?
Where pine encrusted mountains meet with golden ocean sands
And where weathered paths are tried by justly true
Comes flowing like a fountain from both young and olden hands
Untethered oneness tinted red and white and blue
Austin, Texas
My mistake. I took it for meaning four lines of rhyme rather than a literal four lines.
I live in freedom’s breast
I breathe in freedom’s air
The grand red white and blue
Shines freedom true and fair
The grand red white and blue
Shines freedom true and fair
Firming the boys and lads
Making the maidens fair
In true digital fashion i posted this before ready. but, alas! I can reply to my reply :-)!
The grand red white and blue
shines freedom true and fair
blessed with virtue and peace
a people true and fair
blessed with virtue and peace
a people true and fair
Abiding heaven’s will
raising a progen fair
thus i am submitting these two quatrains, not the previous two. and leave unto your committee to implicate the laws of conduct in this poetic space 🙂
Freedom true and fair
peace and virtue filled
a grand light noble air
a destiny fulfilled
America
A red bandanna and blue jeans,
One Rand McNally atlas.
Stone monuments on village greens,
Driving the kids to practice.
America
A soldier bears extra ammo
Wife bears an infant low
Healthy happy happy joy joy
Pair greets dad’s ship ahoy
Land of the plucky trier,
the world longs to kiss you.
Our friendly high-flier
– in Britain we miss you.
likewise: “are Dover’s walls still white?”
I think that’s from Kipling
as in “we miss you all as well”
I know I’m disqualified because this poem is longer than four lines (it IS written in quatrains, though!), but since writing for the contest inspired me, I thought I’d post it anyway!
America: An Idea
America is more than land,
A walled-off, guarded arena,
Or the people inside its gates;
It’s something greater—an idea.
Not for gold did most risk their lives,
Nor for flag spill their blood on the
Soil at home or in distant worlds.
Their cause was greater—an idea.
The notion all humans are free,
And despite their place in the saga,
Deemed equal by the God above—
Such was that transcendent idea.
For a right, if bestowed by men,
Is sound as shade or chimera,
Given, or taken, at a whim
Whenever it suits their idea.
But our Founders fought for much more—
A Truth that outlives the era.
They saw rights fixed in the Heavens,
Not subject to earthly ideas.
And free hearts will always outshine
Those who slave for fear or drachma.
Our efforts thus far have prevailed
Through force of a greater idea.
So long as we eclipse our land,
We’ll merit more than a stanza
In the epic of history.
But we can’t forget the idea
That has made America great
Since muskets clouded our vista.
If we do, we’ll risk joining ranks
With dead states who had no idea.
Land of the Free
Cheers to Paine although he’s gone, his ‘Common Sense’ brought freedom,
For unbound ties from kings and queens bid more than one’s martyrdom;
Hitherto, yet still enslaved strict to fleshed hues of his own,
‘Men [all equal]’ fought sir Abe: Rule only thy self—thy kingdom!
Pasadena, Ca
Boom
Pow
‘merica coming at you now
With fireworks
Who I am is how I identify
Be it fruited plain or azure sky
Be it Buffalo roaming free
I’m an American for all to see
Since the theme is patriotism here is Robin Williams on the subject. He was a true genius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_L1vLv84vs
My Dear Country La Verne, CA
My dear country, I fear for you
My heart and soul are near to you
The land of the free and of my birth
The last frontier, here upon the earth
Drinking a Beer and Watching the Fireworks over the Village of Pawling
George Washington—on Purgatory Hill—
Feted his men to beer and barbeque.
On this same slope—loafing in laurel still—
I peer out at the pyrotechnic view.
Pawling, New York
From Emily Dickinson’s “rhymes”
To McDonald’s and its fries
Or even to Obama’s new vibe
The American dream is and will always stay alive.
American Banner
Morning blue unites our sky above
before the red of evening’s sunset widens.
Moonlight-garden-white completes a field
of stripes and stars within hope’s grand horizon.
This soil’s soul sings pioneers, brims
bread that fed a feathered ‘First Folk’
and now fashions a rainbow yolk
to hatch no gun of hate but hymns
America…
Where ideals begin with idea,
the storming of change in order.
Where a simpleton may ever be a,
the Katrina pushing in border.
America…
Life is what you make of it when in a dilemma,
dilemma is never a stopping for the souls living in America.
America never sleeps till the dreams are turned into reality,
reality is that many are never stopped by the society.
Trump is america
he gonna take care a ya
Trump Trump Trump Trump
Trump Trump Trump
America
So young, this nation of searching souls,
among a world of ancient schemes.
Growing pains that make us whole
stretch our will, expand our dreams.
Mississippi
Dependency Independence!
This Independence Day let’s show who’s boss!
Let’s grow a pair from sea to shining sea!
Let’s every firework in the trash can toss!
Let’s prove to each child maimed and dead we’re free!
Dependency Independent!
This Independence Day let’s show who’s boss!
Let’s grow a pair from sea to shining sea!
Let’s every firework in the trash can toss!
Let’s prove to each child maimed and dead we’re free!