Read Poem: Lightning Oh, Lightning, by Nicholas Hollander

lightning, oh lightning
oh, lordly me
striking out truth ‘til eternity
oh, come to me now
won’t you ease me body and soul
as you strike down through a hole
in the clouds
let the rain come to follow me down

I’ll go talk to the wind
oh, lordly me
chasing the dreams of eternity
oh, come to me now
won’t you ease my body and soul
as you blow pole to pole
in the clouds
let the rain come and follow me down

moonlight, oh moonlight
oh, lordly me
cool and profound as eternity
oh, come to me now
won’t you ease my body and soul
as you shine down through a hole
in the clouds
let the rain come and follow me down

let the rain come and follow me down

Nicholas Hollander, 2021

Read Poem: Tired, by Ellen Orris Jørgensen

I’m tired
I’m tired of sleepwalking when I’m awake I’m tired of myself
for putting on a fake smile
and for putting up with things I don’t deserve I’m tired of being lonely
and I’m tired of being afraid of
what my loneliness could do to me

I’m tired
I’m tired of waking up every morning to a society I don’t want to be a part of
knowing I have to help change it
and I wanna fight
I wanna fight so bad
so give me a sword
help me straighten my spine
hold my head up
for I can’t by myself
but I wanna fight
I wanna fight

Part of poetry collection, loud mind, silent voice, out December 2021.

Read Poem: Isolation, by Sharon Clark

Can you hear me?
Are you there?
Do you see me?
I’m sitting here…waiting…
just waiting.

Time has gone by,
days have passed…
can you see me?
Do you hear my cries?
My hand is out stretched…
reaching towards the world that goes by…
can you see me?

Weeks have gone past…
time has no meaning,
can you see me?
I’m just sitting here…
waiting…
can you hear my cries?

Months have past…
my hand is limp beside me…
my cries are silent…
Do you see me?
I’m still sitting here…waiting…
just waiting.

Read Poem: My Little One, by Mary Dimino

Upon your arrival, you came here from love
Upon your departure, you must go back

Love all ways

Will you remember me when I see you again?
I trust yes

Will you tell others you meet about me?
I dare say you will

Will you know how to get to where you are going?
You always have before!

You showed me how to live
You showed me how to die
Silent warm looks deep into my eyes.

You have thanked me for a good life
but it is I who needs to thank you
For you have made me love unconditionally
Have I you?

You have made me laugh
You have made my heart sing

You have made me feel pain
For that I can only hope you have not felt the same.

I have lost nine pounds today –
And what a difference nine pounds can make
So much wisdom, so much glory
only such a small package could take.

My big little one.
My little big one

Love surrounds you everywhere
For you are just That
So, I will always know the
vicinity in which you may be at

Eyes half shut but heart wide open
Kitty kisses with your eyes

Love surrounds us everywhere

All I need to do when missing you
is to simply look anywhere.

Read Poem: A Thought, by Don James

If this frail frame of mine could for all eternity bear,
The heartaches and pain of mankind to achieve for him
Total happiness, I would for such a cause sacrifice myself.

The Christian doth say that Christ, The Son of God,
Died for us, and as such, suffered for mankind for all time.

I, being a Christian do believe in Christ,
But forever seeing what I have seen,
Hearing what I have heard,
And feeling as I am feeling,
Am deeply moved as to say,
I would forever bear the pain for all mankind.

I would bear it alone, in a lonely place,
Where my cries of agony can only be heard
By the passing wind, the sun, the moon, the stars,
The land and its dwellers, and me
Where my tears would quench my thirst, and wash my body,
Where the sound of my voice is my only companion, and unusual
comforter.

This I would do for mankind to make him totally happy,
A foolish thought though it may seem.
This my one desire to end all pain.
Life is cruel, and it’s cruelty I would gladly bear if it were possible.

Don James
blog: https://warrior4peace.wordpress.com/2021/09/20/n-e-x-u-s-1/
“You can never do a kindness too soon for you never know how soon
it will be too late.”~ (Ralph W.

Read Poem: Broken Ties, by Joanitah Rebecca Mbeiza

She called me twice and I did not pick up. Why? I was too pissed at her for snatching my boyfriend.

She did it intentionally. I know it because when we were young I and her boyfriend by then fell for each other and they broke up.

She acted so ok all these years. I thought she had forgiven me and forgotten about the incident.
All along she was packaging her trap.

She now had the audacity to call me.
She thinks everything is about tit for tat. I treasured her and it wasn’t my fault that her by then boyfriend loved me. Even then she had obstructed his focus on me to herself.

The stars were on my side when he told me everything and we started the journey of love. Though it didn’t last long. It was worth it.

Am beating myself up for not picking up her phone calls earlier because of that childish reason. I called it betrayal but what is happening now is true betrayal.

She is no more. Dead. Gone with the winds. What really happened I can’t tell but I let her down. She trusted me to save her but I was filled with pride thus ignoring her calls.

She needed the best friend she had in me despite our differences but I failed her. She is probably with the angels now or wherever destiny put her. Probably she regrets trusting me with her life.

I heard from my ex – the one she snatched that she was eight months pregnant and wanted to spend her last pregnant days with me. She had left the house in such a hurry.

She didn’t see the other car coming from the other side. Within seconds, she was no more. Will you ever forgive me my bestie? I don’t deserve your forgiveness but am truly sorry.

How I wish I had put my pride aside and answered your call. Maybe we would have talked things out and resolved them. Maybe I would have told you to stay at home and I come for you.

The innocent baby is also gone.
Am eaten up with guilt and blame.
I don’t know what to do. Am ashamed to have been called your bestie because I failed you.

My heart is so heavy. My eyes are too swollen. I have no more tears to shed. Am just empty and lost hoping you would forgive me for not being there for you when you needed me.

Not seeing pretty you to fight with and have laughs with anymore is going to be too much for me but maybe I deserve the heart wrenching pain or maybe not.

Your fiancee – my ex boyfriend has told me to forgive myself as it would be what you would want for me BUT it’s too hard. How can I live past the knowledge that I caused your death?

Please, tell me, how can I? Maybe if you tell me that you have forgiven me, then, I would find a little bit of peace. I am going to miss you forever.
Pride kept us apart.

What we had between us all became broken ties when we chose to betray the trust we so much valued just for the sake of love. We thought living apart was it, forgetting we had a stronger bond.

I can’t say how much am to miss you but I regret all the times we quarrelled and fought and turned our backs to the fights and left things unresolved. Had we known better, we would have been living the kind of life we dreamt of.

A life of pure bliss and fulfillment.
But that is now a dream lost.
One day I will get to meet you again and we will get to do all that we planned together but for now I wish you a nice sleep my bestie.

Am trying so hard to heal and live a better life for us. I know you are watching over me and sending me your warmth. Take care till we meet again. But, before you go. Can I have him back?

Read Poem: Cool kids, by Akshayaa

Fill me with moonlight,
I am feeling alright.
Now let us be the cool kids,
Until we watch the night rests.

Let us own a tree house,
All the plants and cats dogs.
Looking at the roof top,
Making plans to laugh loud.

Fill me with moonlight
Oho..

Whisper secrets, no one knows
Pull me closer, oh my love
Mute and mystic moonlight
Pull me closer, oh my love

Waves, sand and magic !
Waves, sand and magic !
Waves, s.a.n.d and m.a.g.i.c !
waves…

Fill me with the moonlight
I am feeling alright.
Fill me with the moonlight
Oho …

Read Poem:  Friday Night Fight, by Soetan Abayomi Alfred

Right upper cut

Jerks the head backwards

Forward left jab

Throws his face sideways

Another right to the eye

And he blacked out

Ten seconds on the canvass

And he was knocked out

Buried at the third round was his career

One man’s funeral music

Is another’s victorious cheer

Eyes bulging like a wet frog’s

Tears, blood and sweat mixed together

And it hurts more

As they announced the winner

I trashed my dinner

Dear Lord, I’m a sinner

Don’t take my debts to the cleaners

My dirty bad habit is calling for my neck

I rolled the dice on a loser

And there goes the winner’s check

The grim reaper is now my time keeper

My door bell rings and the sound gets deeper

Voices I recognized adrenaline me to the window

Ready to jump

Fresh breeze as the wind blows

Still trying to jump

A kick to the door

Becomes their password

Obeying instinct and gravity

I hit the ground with a thud

Velocity spoke to my legs

And they ran

Thought it was all over

But the night has just begun

Cellphone rings

They got my girlfriend

Stupid as it seems

She is just my girlfriend

Started a long walk

Back to Satan’s kitchen

It used to be my crib

Now they’ve got me wishing

That I never place bets with a big loan

Now Mr. Jackson’s thugs

Will never leave me alone

I had promised to pay

After the fight night

The bookmaker probably let out the word

That I place a huge bet to the world

Now it’s all turning

Into a fright night

I got back slowly to the house

And knocked soft

The door was opened fast

And the welcome was rough

Fist flew into my face,

My back and my stomach

The beating was grand

Way off the mark

“I’ve got the fifty grand”

I yelled to fight back

My girlfriend was tied

To a chair and gagged

The beating ceased

And the boys relaxed

“Let my girl go”

“But where is the dough” they asked

“I won’t say a word

Until you let the girl go

You’ve got me

And I’m the one with your dough”

“Fred, you don’t get to make the rules

Around here

And luckily for you I’m old school

With grey hair

The girl of course is collateral damage

Where’s my money?”

Queried Mr. Jackson with rage

Face down, I prayed for an earthquake

Or better still a wild hurricane

Heaven answered my prayers

With four big bangs on the door

“It’s the police,

Open the bloody damn door”

Mr. Jackson’s street rules were useless

His boys looked so dumb and clueless

Panic attacked their ego, so careless

They became vegetables, so helpless

Furiously, the cops burst in

On the TV screen, news just in

The boxing match has been cancelled

And dismissed

The winner was arrested

And of his titled stripped

His opponent, my bet

Was pronounced dead

Food poisoning was the cause

The autopsy cleared

A smile gave my bloody face

A weird look

My girl was loosed

But she had a sorry look

I rushed to hug

And comfort her

She pushed

And slapped me really hard

I tried to plead

But she will not heed

I blame my greed

She was hurt indeed

And now she’s gone

My debt is done

The battle is won

The fear has gone

I had called the cops

On my way back

Mr. Jackson cursed, puffed and shout

As the cops cuffed his boys and pushed them out

I cashed the fifty thousand

The next day

And fell in love

With a horse named blue jay

I lost twenty thousand

When blue jay broke my heart

Went back home and packed

From town for a while

I had to depart

If life is a game

I’ll gamble it all

Drink to my win

Or miserable loss

Read Poem: EARTHSONG, by Lew Osteen

Prologue
This orb or ours we oft abuse,
whence came the bang?
Who lit the fuse?

Canto One
O, lost of homeward eyes,
seeking upon the mocking skies,
where can be seen the founding plan,
or why or where it all began?

Out there somewhere is Genesis denied,
on some other world yet untried?
A Garden of begets without the sin,
a new Eden to begin again?

Chosen to be blessed and Festooned,
or orphans of creation forever marooned?
Is there truth in books took from shelves,
dried of words, we wrote ourselves?

Words of heavens to abide?
Or maybe not, if Adam lied.
Who are we? Where do we belong?
Is Earth our home or is our Earthsong – wrong?

Canto Two
So, yearning hearts and hopeful eyes,
seek upon the mocking skies.
No fear of what might be out there.
What might scare someone from here?

There is no fear that will stop us from knowing,
why life advances or ceases going.
Is it so that silver might buy another lie,
to crucify the other guy?

Or gold might drop,
upon a counter top.
To bind and seal,
a bloody deal?

The soul aches to know and the mind to find,
what in heaven or hell left us behind.
To know is why, you and I, so very soon,
on warm July, flew the earth and walked the moon.

Canto Three
Does anyone care out there?
Are we alone upon this sphere?
Is this all there is and ever will be,
we alone, in splendid singularity?

We of the midnight power,
holding at bay the midnight hour,
counting down the doomsday wait,
inside a burning house by a broken gate.

Canto Four
For what reason,
was God, man for a season?
Is there such worth,
upon the earth?

Here it’s plain to see,
only traces of divinity.
Not God? Then what?
Out of nothing is not.

Are there worlds far away,
where gods mold other clay?
Some golden universe,
not seeking us?

Perhaps by other measures,
our souls are not treasures,
but spirits of chance meant to be,
castaways, forever adrift, on a lonely sea.

And if we saw the truest light,
cutting through the distant night,
would we run away and hide,
or welcome strangers to abide
For hard it would be,
for us to see,
to understand,
some distant land,

When among the being,
within our seeing,
that we can touch – we don’t touch, very much.

Canto Five
And weary as we all are,
long-turning a burning star,
who knows, but that it glows to warm some other place.
And may someday, go away to warm another space.

Or do we trust that we must, by heavenly decree,
be ever warmed by the firestar, just because we are?
On any god-talk wherever gods might walk, is it said: humankind is rising – or humankind is dead?

Which Earthsong
is wrong?
Do we belong outbound on some unseen sea,
or probing inside for our destiny?

Perhaps we are, as we have decided, with reason and with rhyme,
casting lots upon the blankets of our time,
the fairest and the best of all the rest, and there is nothing anywhere,
that would dare compare to our sphere?

The answer is as old as history.
We seek where lies life’s mystery.
Is it upon the near or far.
The closest moon or the furthest star.

Desperate souls seek to see
the source of creation’s majesty.
To be redeemed out of Nod
and look upon the face of God.

FIN