Author: poetryfest

Where life was conceived,
Where the hungry ghost feeds,
Where even the gods bleed,
For they are not gods but
Ancient flawed mortals with
Mystical stories of humble deeds,
Where the edge of existence
Falls into darkness and the cosmos
Shines upon the horizon that we all see.

‘Tis here that when she
Drew her last breath,
The Elysium flowers blossomed and
Beget life in her once again,
Many venture on this perilous voyage,
For redemption or for solace,
Their life travels to Elysium,
Where the flowers
Compose a cosmic garden,
Overlooking the terrestrial ground.

‘Tis here where one day,
We shall all gather and meet,
‘Tis here where one day,
We find lost friends and family,
‘Tis here where one day,
We dine together over a feast,
‘Tis here where one day,
We share our mystical stories.

In a story from My Muscle Book
The words of the diary are paralyzing
From the bullet hole
In the wrong mouth of this corpse
No good prayers
Not for you
They drop the sea in your ears
Not to hear of all this
Deadly poison
A Hamlet female like me
That being or not being
It is the same
That should and should not!

Some of them watch over Earth
Some of them see stars at birth
O’er sea and land, and low in power
By the sun, shine hour by hour

Deep space probe sees distant moon
Inhabitable? Then is boon
But waters, gases, rings and crust
Reminds us where we will in dust

Satellites for television
Multi channel indecision
Telephony for sleuth or spy
Giant switchboard in the sky

Humans beings in space station
Representing every nation
Peace above while war below
Partnership will maybe grow

One day maybe trek we will
To distant planets, alien hills
The future is perhaps elsewhere
New abode, to live with care

And so the satellite does look
Above, below, cranny, nook
Arthur C Clarke’s vision true
His face in stars and yonder blue

A candidate must not be soiled
Virginal as the freshly fallen snow.
So that with his first thrust all will know that the issue is his, not another’s.
Her beauty shall be as the airbrushed ads
That taunts us into buying their products to achieve what is beyond our grasp.
To deny herself and her needs will bring happiness ever after.

Once upon a time
There was a prince.
Dumbo was his name
He searched for his Snow White of porcelain beauty.

Woman after woman threw herself at the prince.
He flicked them aside as a hunter does a wayward branch
Alas! He found his true Cinderella
Not sweeping cinders but nurturing young minds.

“Marry her. Marry her quickly!
She must not know.
Marry her to maintain respectability.
She is of a noble bloodline”
Said the queen grasping at straws.

“But Mother, I love another who is not free” he whined.
“Spare this kingdom the shame. Form the alliance!”
He rushed to his true love’s side presenting her with a token of his love
Then he scurried off to marry his princess-to-be.

The princess truly loved her Prince Dumbo
And despite his large ears gave him two heirs.
She lived for him and his happiness
Was not this her royal duty?
Whatever happened to happily ever after?

He never loved her and made it clear
I will hunt and keep myself busy.
Appearances are everything to mother.

“Behave yourselves,” said the queen
“I will not have a scandal.
Put on your makeup and take your places.
Your audience is waiting”

The princess ate and purged the loneliness
Let me die and leave this spotlight I cannot escape
The crowds adore me, but not my love
He has no love, no compassion.

Using her notoriety as a conduit
The princess channeled her unreturned love on charity
Follow me if you dare
Across the hidden minefields
To the orphans of the aftermath of war
To the other side of the tracks
To the children, especially the children.

“Conduct yourselves as expected of one in your standing.
Image is everything to the crown.
Deny the truth and squelch the rumors.
Remember you are a happily married couple.
And don’t forget to wear your hat!” said the queen.

Please! I beg of you
No longer can I pretend
If the show must go on
Let it go on without me and my sons.
The princess wanted to free her wings
Feel the wind as she soared on her own
To live without the spotlight.

The vultures circled
They were used to waiting
It was a way of life for them
Give us anything
A tidbit here, a tidbit there
We’ll blow it out of proportion.

Finally, the princess gave in
Her blood splashed across the headlines
Screaming the truth.
Flash! Flash!
Prince has a lover on the side
Read all about it
He loves another, not me!
I know and can do nothing.

The queen rolled up the red carpet
Tiptoeing, the press and biographers gained access through the back door
Tongues wagged incessantly as puppy dogs’ tails.

Quick to the press!
Because mine is the truth
Mine is the best
Chide the salivating vultures
The predators return to pick over the bones.

“Off with their tongues!” Shouted the queen.
They tell nothing but lies
The vultures ignored protocol
And the denouncements of the queen
.
And what of the princess?
She cleared every hurdle
And moved forward with Prince Dumbo
Temporarily forgetting the happily ever after ending
Peace of mind and a rested soul were more important
No longer did she seek relief with her finger.

Take care and beware of princely knights
Roaming and sowing their seeds
They know not what they are doing
Unless. . .
They follow the cue of the queen.

—for my brother, Gary

A hundred-twenty pounds on a home-hospital bed

a catheter filled with urine

a bag of liquid shit

one bereft fifteen-year-old daughter

another daughter, twenty-one, grieving but okay

an infant granddaughter

a divorced, crazy woman, once your wife

a cup of stale water on a makeshift nightstand

a mother who will always see you as a promising boy

a sister—me—to whom you refused to speak

five pills on a paper napkin,

fourteen-hundred dollars stashed in a dictionary

the metallic smell of your liver cancer

two gambling debts to the Miami mafia,

your half smile before letting go

your bones turned to ash,

the smell of you and then

nothing.

Written by Christopher Almeida

Lunch Truck
Tell me your dreams
Breathe life into me
Let’s soar away
Orbiting earth
Water and air
Love and pain
Healing its just us
Let them have it
Access Granted
Bienvenida welcomes Kingship
The devil is nervous
Strangled the liar
Eagle strength
Talons shredded
Air battlefield Serpents powerless
Under my footstool Prevails my spoken word
God son witnessed Boldness clothed in humbleness
Presented my petition

Mi gente por el amor de los barrios
Canto al sonido de un cajón
tráeme un plato que mi madre lo sirva
Todo lo Que brilla no es oro
Mi mama mi dicho
Un gran honor de todo corazon
La dicha mia llego
Por las manos de corrección
El nińo curioso
Le falta disciplina
Que Dios lo bendiga
Hijo tu papa te quere mucho!
Un error fue
Enamoradismo estas de mi que lujo
Un momento… slow your tempo
Ya ves hasta el inglés si mi sali
Urbanization my heart to the nations
Thanksgiving established
Hermano soy yo!

Come on
You had Frank
Y yo Hector
Traditional fruit
Legacy speaks Reciprocated greatness.

Proud like the mountain, untamed like the sea
waves…
Like a quiet swamp, any fierce like the storm…
Cold like steel, hot like fire…
Like Mona Lisa’s smile, like Munch’s Scream…
Like Michelangelo’s sculpture, like Mani’s
painting…
Like Zuleikha’s heart, like the scent of
Joseph’s shirtLike David’s sweet songs, like
Jesus’s heavenly breath…
Like Rumi, like Hafez, like Shakespeare…
Like… like… like… Uh… Damn words fail me!
Your eyes make words meaningless, you just have
to be silent.
Before your eyes like…;

I now just recall,
Those paintings on a wall.
A dark empty hall,
And a stair with a ball.
A morning rainfall,
After too much alcohol.
A late-night phone call,
From a friend with a drawl.
Miss Lauren Bacall,
And a white parasols.
The harm of a law,
A report of a brawl.
A trip to Nepal,
I had to forestall,
For old Montreal.
A baby so small,
Showed up in the Fall.
Now a person so tall,
And a life with it all.
As I sit and I loll,
I now just recall.

A slow stabbing with a with a knife without grip
It digs deep, impales my organs, blood doesn’t drip
Running fast in a field
Where I’m wearing a shield
To cover me.

My mood stabilizes then goes back off
I’m a walking time bomb but you’re the one to talk
I’m insane but don’t go
Because I love you so
You’re so lovely.

I hideout in this drought full of doubt
I try to get a drink but no water in the spout
My exhaust pipe is rust
Why do I always trust
Dark strangers?

I get online and there’s no freedom here
I am grabbing the wheel but it’s so hard to steer
I can’t lie
There are times
Where I just want to die
Because psychotic breakdowns are so tough it’s hard to even try.

He is coming
He’s got those eyes
He’ll destroy you
Don’t even try.

Please give me a mental break before I breakdown
Please give me a mental break before I breakdown
Please give me a mental break before I breakdown
Here I lie.

Bovine friends with dark starts and finishes and a milky way belt
live on a farm with retirees & frequent nuptial revelries
It’s the light in the middle that accentuates
the beginning and “the end”
whether which way the animal bends