[Damian Balassone]

A link to some memorable short poems for anyone with a spare minute - only criteria is that poems must be five lines or less.

https://damianbalassone.wordpress.co...6/short-poems/

Please let me know me if there are any obvious short poems that I have missed. Would love to continue to add to this page.

[Duncan Gillies MacLaurin]

That's quite a project you've undertaken, Damian.

Here are a couple. Another by Wendy Cope:

Favourite

When they ask me, ‘Who’s your favourite poet?’
I’d better not mention you.
Though you certainly are my favourite poet
And I like your poems too.

And "Self Pity" by D.H. Lawrence:

I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself.

Duncan

PS This one is surely a must:

IN A STATION OF THE METRO

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.

Ezra Pound

And here's one that is not so well-known:

The Rhino

My horn stands me apart
And I have a passionate heart.
My skin is a thick crust.
I walk in the wonder of dust.

Ben Okri

And here's a lovely haiku by Michael Dylan Welch:

children's
book
sh
elves

[Matt Q]

Originally Posted by Damian Balassone

only criteria is that poems must be less than five lines

I notice you have some five-line poems, so I guess the criteria is less than six lines?

Matt

[Damian Balassone]

Thanks Duncan, some truly wonderful suggestions. This was exactly what I was after.

Apologies for the typo Matt, I meant to say five lines or less (that way I can get the odd limerick in there!).

[Jack Land]

deleted April 21

[Martin Elster]

There was a young lady named Bright
Whose speed was far faster than light;
**She set out one day
**In a relative way
And returned on the previous night.

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/12/19/lady-bright/

[Martin Elster]

A Man Said to the Universe
BY STEPHEN CRANE

A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”

[Martin Elster]

These are probably too long, but I like them.

In the Desert
BY STEPHEN CRANE

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;

“But I like it
“Because it is bitter,
“And because it is my heart.”


I saw a man pursuing the horizon
BY STEPHEN CRANE

I saw a man pursuing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
“It is futile,” I said,
“You can never —”

“You lie,” he cried,
And ran on.

[W T Clark]

Any of these might be worth consideration
Leaving Santiago
We stretch out our lives, like brief lines with ellipses,
and swallow each speech like a snake oil potion.
We live in a country of cowards and corpses;
both roll down the river en route to the ocean.
— D.P. Kristallo

Circumference thou Bride of Awe
Possessing thou shalt be
Possessed by every hallowed Knight
That dares - to Covet thee
— Emily Dickinson

First Fig

My candle burns at both ends;
BANNED POST BANNED POST It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
BANNED POST BANNED POST It gives a lovely light!
— Edna St. Vincent Millay



O Western Wind when wilt thou blow
The small rain down can rain
Christ! my love were in my arms
And I in my bed again.
— Anonymous

[Roger Slater]

I forget the title, but Ed Conti has a poem I have memorized:

Life is a journey
that ends on a gurney.