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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA

0 posted 2000-06-20 07:14 PM



In that forgotten part of town
Where wasted hopes and dreams abound,
A wrinkled man with life near end,
In hopes to have at least one friend,
Fashioned bits of wood and things
And made a dummy run by strings.

He sat alone for hours on end,
Conversing with his only friend
And found delight within the fact
That he controlled it's every act.
He told it how he never had
A chance, since all his luck was bad
Although he'd tried so to succeed -
The dummy nodded and agreed.

And how his journeys in romance
Had never given him a chance,
And wasn't it a crying shame
That he was always held to blame
When everyone knew, oh so well,
That life is but a living Hell,
Controlled by lust and power and greed?
The dummy nodded and agreed.

With patience that would rival saints,
That dummy sat through all complaints
And, with each little expert tug,
He'd droop his head or bow or shrug
And give some comfort to the man
Who held his lifelines in his hand
And helped to fill a lonely need
When he just nodded and agreed.

Senility increased with time
As did the old man's phantomime,
And feverish fingers pulled with glee
The dummy's dance of misery.
They never left each other's side
Until the day both stopped and died.
We found them lying, hand in hand,
The dummy - and his wooden friend.

© Copyright 2000 Michael Mack - All Rights Reserved
Marge Tindal
Deputy Moderator 5 ToursDeputy Moderator 1 TourDeputy Moderator 1 TourDeputy Moderator 1 Tour
Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384
Florida's Foreverly Shores
1 posted 2000-06-20 07:20 PM


Balladeer~

And YES !
Excellent, excellent choice.
Love you~
~*Marge*~


~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~
noles1@totcon.com



Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612
Hurricane Alley
2 posted 2000-06-20 07:36 PM


I've been waiting for a chance to do this! I love this one sir..but then I love all your poetry...    
Novacaine For The Soul
Member
since 2000-05-26
Posts 122
New Orleans
3 posted 2000-06-20 08:45 PM


dear balladeer,
     this is absolutely magnificent work... i'm going to have to look up some of your older poems in the archives, seems you write according to my poetic tastes   definately got my vote...

sincerely,
a sad tomato

you're such a beautiful freak... i wish there were more just like you...

linda munday
Member
since 2000-06-17
Posts 315
Adelaide, Australia
4 posted 2000-06-20 08:52 PM


Intense and powerful... with a hint of quiet remorse... I loved it.. I love your style too so I am going to look for more of yours right now.

Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA
5 posted 2000-06-20 10:31 PM


Marge, WOW! your puppet is better than my poem!!!! Thank you  

deVine one..you've always been there for me. Thanks again  

Novacaine...I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate your vote.

linda...What a nice thing to say. I thank you very much......

Denise
Moderator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-08-22
Posts 22648

6 posted 2000-06-20 10:54 PM


Wonderful poem, fantastic ending! Love it!  

Denise

Janet Marie
Member Laureate
since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554

7 posted 2000-06-20 11:31 PM


perfect choice to reflect your work...
and i hope this wont be the only one
jm

wayoutwalt
Member Elite
since 1999-06-22
Posts 4870
TEXAS (it's all big)
8 posted 2000-06-21 12:47 PM


i was wondering when you would arrive balladeer yuh this is so great yuh so great yuh so great yuh yuh big time yuh with big time fonts for you!!
Jeffrey Carter
Deputy Moderator 1 TourDeputy Moderator 1 TourDeputy Moderator 1 TourDeputy Moderator 1 Tour
Member Elite
since 2000-04-08
Posts 2367
State of constant confusion!
9 posted 2000-06-21 01:10 AM


AHH!!!  I finally get the chance to vote for the man with his very on "back" button LOL

Great poem Balladeer

All my love,
Jeffrey

I lie awake in a world filled with dreams,
but dreams can be so real when you don't know you're asleep



bsquirrel
Deputy Moderator 5 Tours
Member Rara Avis
since 2000-01-03
Posts 7855

10 posted 2000-06-21 02:20 AM


Bal,
I've always admired how you can write subjects while keeping your wit and not losing sight of the characters in your poems. This one is exceptional -- I love the end; you give your opinion on the matter without being overbearing. Great work.

Mike

serenity blaze
Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738

11 posted 2000-06-21 02:27 AM


I do so admire your expertise...even if I do relate more to the "dummy" here...thanks so much to you...you've been an inspiration.
Sudhir Iyer
Member Ascendant
since 2000-04-26
Posts 6943
Mumbai, India : now in Belgium
12 posted 2000-06-21 04:13 AM


An excellent choice, my revered story teller and poet... Sir Balladeer, awesome work from you as always...

humble regards,
Sudhir

[This message has been edited by Sudhir Iyer (edited 06-21-2000).]

Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA
13 posted 2000-06-21 05:28 AM


My favoritest....
Elizabeth Santos
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-11-08
Posts 9269
Pennsylvania
14 posted 2000-06-21 06:10 AM


This is my first read on this one. Where have I been? Excellent poem, my friend
Liz

Kit McCallum
Administrator
Member Laureate
since 2000-04-30
Posts 14774
Ontario, Canada
15 posted 2000-06-21 06:29 AM


Excellent Baladeer ... wonderful choice!  Your stories just take on a life of their own and flow so smoothly with such rhythm ... I just find myself caught up in each one! Loved the ending! (click)  

Best wishes,
/Kit

Mike
Member Elite
since 1999-06-19
Posts 2462

16 posted 2000-06-21 10:09 AM


Good selection.  add one more vote.
Nicole
Senior Member
since 1999-06-23
Posts 1835
Florida
17 posted 2000-06-21 01:08 PM


Excellent as always, Sir.

*vote!!*

FlyHigh
Member
since 2000-06-21
Posts 84
Bekkestua, Norway
18 posted 2000-06-21 01:41 PM


Oooooo, nice one.. Hope I can write as good as you someday.  

--
"Luck affects everything. Let your hook always be cast; in the stream where you least expect it there will be a fish."
Ovid (BC 43-18 AD, Roman P

FlyHigh
Member
since 2000-06-21
Posts 84
Bekkestua, Norway
19 posted 2000-06-21 01:42 PM


Ooooooooo. Nice one... Hope I can write as good as you sometime..  

Geir Jakobsen

--
"Luck affects everything. Let your hook always be cast; in the stream where you least expect it there will be a fish."
Ovid (BC 43-18 AD, Roman P

FlyHigh
Member
since 2000-06-21
Posts 84
Bekkestua, Norway
20 posted 2000-06-21 01:43 PM


Ouch, the lag monster took me.. Sorry for the duplicate..

GJ

Corazon
Senior Member
since 2000-02-02
Posts 1209

21 posted 2000-06-21 04:05 PM


yes yes yes...but you know I don't envy you...yours are all so wonderful, how do you pick the ones to post to the book?
Colin
Senior Member
since 1999-06-05
Posts 596
Callington, Cornwall, England
22 posted 2000-06-22 07:06 AM


Over here in Britland we call babies pacifiers "dummies", and if you had written about that, I could say "this poem sucks  " but it's not about that kind of dummy and no way does it suck.

Eric.

"We are the music makers and we are the makers of dreams." - Willy Wonka.

Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049
California
23 posted 2000-06-22 04:10 PM


Balladeer--I just love this poem!!  
Honeybee
Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-26
Posts 5372
Ontario, CANADA
24 posted 2000-06-22 04:45 PM



Balladeer, such a sad tale, but beautifully penned by you, the master of poetry.

Take care,
Melissa Honeybee

Irish Rose
Member Patricius
since 2000-04-06
Posts 10263

25 posted 2000-06-22 09:28 PM


Ah! I'm glad I didn't miss this one.
Now, this is loyalty. A dummy.
why didn't I think of that, and loyal, always agreeable, never giving me a bit of trouble
head bobbing up and down, saying exactly what I want him to say.

GOD I love this one!!!!!!



Kathleen

"How do I love thee? Let
me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace." Elizabeth Barrett Browning



Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA
26 posted 2000-06-22 11:07 PM


Again I thank you for the wonderful replies!

Corazon, I just pick the ones I personally like best. That's all I can do.....

In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him.

X Angel
Senior Member
since 1999-11-07
Posts 1521
Oregon
27 posted 2000-06-28 12:55 PM


ahhh the King of Ballads
I love this one 'Deer, truly I do!

~Heather

Craig
Member
since 1999-06-10
Posts 444

28 posted 2000-07-04 03:00 PM


Vote!


Yes, I admit your general rule. That every poet is a fool:
But I myself may serve to show it. That every fool is not a poet.


Di
Junior Member
since 2000-06-29
Posts 19
Ontario, Canada
29 posted 2000-07-04 10:45 PM


You never cease to amaze me!  
Wonderful once again.
Hats off to you sir  

~People shine from the inside out~

WhtDove
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-22
Posts 9245
Illinois
30 posted 2000-07-04 11:37 PM


In all seriousness, with the way you write, you should have a book to call your own!  
Your writing is superb and I hope one day I can at least achieve 1/2 the gift you hold~

Severn
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-17
Posts 7704

31 posted 2000-07-05 08:51 AM


Oh 'deer - that last line!!!!!!!!!

WOW WOW...

awesome hon...

K

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