Author: poetryfest

She wanted to be a soldier
And they told her, yes, you can
she donned her garb
and went to war
as brave as any man.
They set upon the road at once
assigned an armored truck
She sat in back and did her part
until the wheels got stuck
They all got out
and viewed the scene
They pushed, it all seemed fine
The truck began to move ahead and no one saw the mine
They sent her to her family
A hero in the city,
her body carried to its grave
they said it was a pity
She only chose a soldier’s life so she could prove it true
A girl can do what boys can do
and die as they do, too.

We thought we surely knew
The good, the bad, the true.
But study will dispel
Those lessons learned so well.

But wait! They were so clear–
Those truths that we held dear.
‘Tis hard, as days grow long,
To gather we were wrong.

Reality is not
As simple as we thought.
Most simply do not know
The truth behind the show.

The media declared
That we should all be scared
And hate the souls who crawl
Behind the prison wall.

Fists raised above our head,
We duly damn and dread
Those buried in that lair–
Condemned to perish there.

This beaten path we tread
From fictions we’ve been fed.
But most—they failed to tell
That prison life is hell.

Those stories never said
That prison’s dark and red,
And souls who try too hard
Die quickly on the yard.

Those teachings never told
How youth turns rarely old.
And hearts, afraid to beat,
Soon rupture in defeat.

These men don masks to sell
Indifference to their hell,
To shield them from the glare
Of those who do not care.

Truth, too, dies in the yard,
For honesty’s too hard.
Their masks, a devil’s hood,
Hide any hint of good.

These convicts, to be sure,
Deservedly endure
Some measure of our scorn
For evil they have borne.

“Impossible to see
They’re anything like me.”
Becomes our trite refrain
To vindicate their pain.

But faces behind bars
Are not so unlike ours.
Their hopes turn quick to sighs—
Dreams murdered by their lies.

They live in senseless strife,
This irony of life:
Hate spews with every breath,
Lest decency bring death.

We wonder now aloud
To people who are proud
To banish to their graves
This lot of kindred knaves:

Did they who lie within
Commit the greater sin?
Or we, who cast their fate
To graveyards groomed with hate?

What is this thing
that mum calls a cup?
It’s hard as a rock,
and which way is up?

I cried ‘cause I’m thirsty;
mum quickly appeared.
But then she brought this thing;
it sure does look weird.

I’m told, “Take a sippy”;
whatever that means.
My mum’s getting trippy;
says, I must be “weaned.”

I need some assistance.
She helps lift the cup,
then stares from a distance
as I pucker up.

Hey, there’s something in here;
I quite like the taste.
Reminds me of mum,
but no boob in my face.

No boob in my face?
Hey, wait just a minute!
This cup’s not a trade-off,
no matter what’s in it.

Now, give me a boob
and take this away.
I don’t want your sippy;
not now, not today!

My mum looks quite shocked;
as I sit here and pout.
But I’ve won this battle;
a boob just popped out.

I had no clue of things to be
in the dismal day ahead
‘cause if the future I could see
I would have stayed in bed

Some coffee and some cornflakes
Is how I start my day
Curdled milk would be my first mistake
Because I ate it anyway.

Then on my daily walk to work
I passed beneath a tree
I must have scared a giant bird
Because It took a crap on me!

I had no choice, could not be late
So I threw away my sweater
But little did I know just then
Things would not get much better

I took a shortcut through a park
That was a big mistake
Halfway across I heard a bark
A dog was charging me.

I dared not run, I stood my ground
Friend or foe I could not peg
I soon was mounted by this hound
As he began to hump my leg!

I screamed until I lost my voice
But he must have eaten spinach
I was no match, I had no choice
But to let the damn thing finish.

I could not throw away my pants
was already late for work
I hoped my boss by slimmest chance
Would for once not be a jerk.

I ran the final hundred yards
My stomach was in knots
My breakfast was not sitting well
My eyes were seeing spots.

My boss was waiting at the door
A pink slip in his hand
The sight of being unemployed
Was all that I could stand.

I swallowed hard, it mattered not
My stomach did so hurt
My breakfast came up wet and hot
And hurled on boss’ shirt.

Oh, what a day, turned out to be
I should have stayed in bed.
My boss he won’t stop chasing me
If he catches me, I’m dead!

© 2018 Michael William Hogan

The monster lurks behind the door
please God don’t let this be.
‘cause if its feet come ‘cross the floor
there’ll be no rest for me.

I’m nothing but a little girl
it doesn’t seem to care.
It has an endless appetite
impervious to prayer.

I wish this were a nightmare
from which I could awaken.
This is too much for me to bear
my innocence he’s taken.

The monster lurks behind the door
please God don’t let this be.
How can my mommy just ignore
when step-dad visits me?

A lonely stars and stripes
is clapping with the wind
In the warm afternoon,
it knows, another hero
Will be buried here soon.

The oak trees stand at sentry.
As the squirrels scurry
across the lawn.
Benches eagerly waiting,
for the families.
At each new dawn.
Another casualty, will be, laid down
in this military cemetery.
The ripped and torn body
will be granted dignity.
A being of bravery.
Another stone will be etched,
and placed in line.
A last home in our eternal
stretch, of time.
In the night
The chiseled chilled pillars
will start to cry.
Why is there war, and a need
for this warrior to die
From the wrong, is an honor
that is so right.
Solemnity holds
for only so long.
Then we,
dig another site.

A lonely stars and stripes
is clapping with the wind
In the warm afternoon,
it knows, another hero

will be buried here soon.

Sitting, and looking up.
To the sun and then the moon
Another hero will be buried
Here soon

Rich Mind
after Rene Magritte’s Golconda
by ann huang

Strokes of dark suit, brisk air show,
Whose banal awakenings fire up the sky—
Holy Grail bowed by Jupiter’s anti-gravity,
Atonements seek the township of unity.
You arrive at odds in unison, falling here
For better redemption; becoming beguilingly,
You wear your magician’s hat, or caution
By it like wingless angels in disguise.
Collectively, like unhinged gods, flattered,
Continuous and contiguous you live; status quo
You are the visage of the walls for an autocracy
Uprooted; at work constant with uniformity,
Not easy not hard, like memes without stories,
Peoplehood
Without footprints for the sake of humanity?

Sinatra was known as Blue Eyes, and he wore the name so well,
Me I’m just proboscis, with a mighty sense of smell;
Toucan Sam, Cyrano and Durante, they’ve oft been compared to me,
True comparisons though are so fleeting, the real test hangs below my knee;
As a sea captain I’m likened to Hazelwood, but I’ve yet to go down with a ship,
A few have gone down without me, and thanks to insurance it didn’t cost me zip;
But when it comes to creativity, no one can compare,
Just leave me with some plain white paper and trust me if you dare;
The end result I promise you, will be a coup de gras,
But rest assured that final line will be more than ha-chata-ta-cha!

By the bayou, he sunbathes
In a cacophony
Of golden flowers and water lilies
He displays his reptilian charm and flashes

A mysterious smile.
From his shoulders, teardrops of the sun shine
Delicate symphony
The starry scales of dreams
Pitiless yellow eyes
Gentle blue dragonfly
My love, crocodile…

Mirage, chimera, onirism
Bewitching fire, swirling ibises
In the muddy sky, my crocodile lovin’ slowly advances
Devours my heart, infernal animal
He swims, he encircles me
Lacerates my tender flesh with indecencies
Claws his caresses
Sinks its gigantic tail and dances
In the sweet, deep pool of the innocent victim

By the bayou, in a bath of blood, the sun sets
I still love him
And desire him more and more
When he plays dead, at rest
I kiss my great emperor
My crocodile lovin’.

– Isabelle Le Roux

There was a man who had a wife
He thought she would be with him the rest of his life
They had been together so many years
Through good times and bad, through laughter and tears
It wasn’t always easy but as the years passed
They created a life together they thought would last
When one day an intruder made its presence appear
You’re not wanted…get out of here!
But it refused to leave and continued to spread
The man and wife were now filled with dread
There was hope for treatment but she wouldn’t be cured
Their bond was tested yet their faith endured
But things happened so quickly and so fast
The man soon realized this cannot last
As her condition worsened he grew sad
Taking solace in the memories of the life they once had
With each passing week she could do less and less
He tried holding it together but was a bit of a mess
And a decision was made while she lay in bed
Not to continue to treat her but comfort her instead
He thought of all that had happened before
As she closed her eyes which would open no more
And it came to be before too long
This angel named Angela was called home and gone