The Earth was shook down to its core

The fiery mantle spewed,

The surface lurched, opened and tore

Violence sure ensued

She dove into the wood doorway

Hoping to survive

Things fell down without a sound

She was happy to be alive

The ground, it stilled, at least it seemed

She waited for awhile

Then she crawled out from her spot

And puked up all her bile

She looked up to see her house on the ground

A bundle of wood and stone

Her grief was so terribly profound

She felt it down to her bones

She fell down to the ground and wept

For everything she lost

Her money, her pets, her wedding dress

Nothing but melted frost

He knew it was her

From the stare in her eyes.

The mask gave her no advantage,

The facade provided no way to hide.

He was to ask her a question,

A very important one indeed.

He was to ask for her hand in marriage.

A "Yes" was nearly guaranteed.

He begins to walk towards her,

But she does not recognize his face.

She walks away swiftly

To some other place.

Discreetly, he follows

And what he sees make him deeply swallow.

His dreams and plans flee from his mind,

And he begins to think of better times.

He doesn't want to acknowledge what he sees,

Can't explain it without blaming it on fantasies...

There she is, mask removed,

Her love for him unproved

As she tenderly kisses another man.

Turning away, she takes his hand.

He looked around, unable to find

Cushions to make him comfy

Instead he felt,cold hard cement

Apart from something lumpy

He felt the sun beating down

Buses rumbled loud and fast

Smells unknown drifted through

Muddling memories of the recent past

He sniffed and sniffed with all his might

Searched and searched without respite

Walked and walked on dusty roads

But could not find the one he adored

As night fell, so did he

Lying down on a pavement

Panting hard, grumbling tummy

His ears cocked up for any sign

Despite it all he couldn't hear

Her sweet voice calling his name

Her soft touch, patting his back

All he wanted was to lick her face

He has lost his true love, his only home

And will never feel safe ever again.

(This was inspired by stray dogs, abandoned by unsympathetic owners due to several constraints, the primary one being, cost of medication required for dogs who fall sick. Its a common practice in several parts of the world, one that breaks my heart. I'm not sure if this is a proper ballad....but I tried to stick to the 4 lines per stanza rule and just threw in a couplet in the end. Hope you like it!)

Once lived a lad in Danville Town

whose name was Johnny Severn.

His legs were long and shoulders strong;

He toiled in every weather.

Aye Johnny war a fair young lad

who sailed upon the sea.

"Oh mother dear ne'er be so sad,

and never fear for me."

"We fish the seas in howlin' gales

with furies that blast from hell,

they rip and shred our tattered sails

but nary worry as will come well."

He loved a lass whose name was Anne

her hair was woven sunlight

with lips of cherry wine

and eyes so filled with moonlight.

He loved her deep he loved her true

with every bone and sinew

and swore his faithful tribute

to heaven's eyes of blue.

They tarried long among the fields

exchanging sighs and telling lies.

Where harvesters reaped their yield,

they dallied under starlit skies.

Her windswept hair hung long as wheat;

they lay entwined within the grass

and made love with kisses sweet

His soul, he gave to the comely lass.

Alas his life lay on the sea

where men must fish to eat,

and many moons must he

be gone before again to meet.

Will you be mine alone to marry

when I return in spring?

Anne whispered sweet, "I promise here to tarry."

He hung upon her lily neck a chain with golden ring.

With fulsome heart and gladsome soul,

our Johnny took his leave

and never feared how cruel winds blow

or whether sweethearts grieve.

For seven months he faced his fate

as storm flayed skin and tattered sails.

He mended nets and buried a mate

when rats and scurvy took their toil.

In troubled dreams, he saw her face,

a vision more than fair.

Hung round his neck ,a string of lace

and kept a locket of her hair.

Seven months of brine and rats and lice

can send a man to hell.

With rations gone, the cook fried mice.

Besodden, the ship wallowed in swells.

With the changing of the seasons

they followed the good stream home

with cargo fit for a king's ransom

to Danville Town bathed in foam.

The ship she was a-leaking

in every rib of keel

and with her topsail breaking

and still they made her heel.

With aching arms and doughty hearts

they plied their wayward vessel

to Danville Town to disembark

and unladen their weary souls.

And in the hidden trouser pocket

now tangled with torn lace

Johnny kept the precious locket

and dreamt to caress Anne's gentle face.

His mother was working in the garden,

planting kale and stringing beans

with her skirts tucked up in the apron

and her shoes split at the seams.

"Goodness my boy, let's take a look at you,

How thing you've grown and old.

The sea's done take its toll, forsooth,

and hand so calloused and cold."

She spoke with pride as mothers do

when sons return home safe

and nary let the flickering fear cloud

the gladsome joy of her face.

"Will Annie come round tonight to sup?"

Johnny asked impatiently.

He stripped his shirt, began to wash

the crusty brine of a thousand seas.

"Ye all your time from now to eternity

to wait for your fair Anne.

She's gone away with a rich man's lackey

for lord's manor in the land."

"And nary a word she said to me

before she left the town.

A neighbor brought a packet wee

with your name writ large and round."

"So take your time and sit ye down,

much sadder things to say

than fickle maids in Danville Town

that breaks your heart today."

Once lived a lad in Danville Town

whose name was Johnny Severn.

His legs were long and shoulders strong;

He toiled in every weathern.

He loved her true, he loved her deep

with every bone and sinew.

With winter wind and sleet

her love had frozen, too.

What's wrong.

Let me tell you.

You see, I'm fairly happy. But my heart aches. I long for you like the sun longs for the moon, like the moon craves to caress the sea.. Without you my chest hurts. Something's missing. You are missing from me.

I wish that we could still talk and dream together. I feel it. I know I've lost you, and there's nothing I can do.. I know you're falling for her.

Why wouldn't you? She is fun and beautiful. She's with you.

I cry every-night for lack of you.

Eventually I might be okay. But as of now. I hurt. I ache. I crave. I break..

-ashleyanne

Brave cherry.

Lost their cake.

To a feindish piece of lettuce.

Brave cherry.

Lost their cake.

"Give it back!" poor cherry cried.

Brave cherry.

Lost their cake.

A magic thing. A reluc.(relic)

Brave cherry then proposed a duel,

In which lettuce was thwarted.

Brave cherry.

Lost their cake.

And gained a type of magic.

Brave cherry.

Lost their cake.

Though now the cake was haggish.

"Oh darn!",cherry yelled

As loud as a fog horn.

And went to the deli

near home.

Then cherry

bought a cake.

More yummy than the rest.

(intentionaly grammarz bad.)