poetryfest

Read Poetry: Into Hiding, by Brian Wake

Hiding from me at bedtime, my daughter

sneezes and giggles from inside the wardrobe.

I wonder where she is, I act. Pretending

not to see her four small fingers clutching

the door but, fearing the dark far more

than she does me, she surrenders. I gasp

in mock surprise. Soon she will be sleeping.

In Germany once

whole families hid in cupboards

while friends pretended not to see.

But, seventy years on, most would say

forget, forgive, let ancient horrors be.

Me? I am reminded tonight of the mother

who, on hearing footsteps on the stairs,

hurried her children into hiding; four hearts

thumping in a wardrobe.

Like mine, perhaps her daughter

would have giggled had she sneezed.

Sneezed and giggled, giggled and sneezed,

sneezed away four lives.

I smothered her so the others might survive.

It was Thursday, the ninth, in nineteen thirty

Nine. November, she says, I remember, thinking

even then how all her little movements

were as earthquakes when matched against

the stillnesses to come.

Read Poetry: Fallen Angel, by Marysa Monkey

The angel with the broken wings

Doesn’t fly, they lie in slings

The light from her halo extinguished

Powers are slowly being relinquished

She sympathizes for the vessel possessed

She took away everything from them

Only to have her fate condemned

She wanders around in the dark

Knowing she never fulfilled her part

Heaven now finds her redundant

Leaving her feeling despondent

Ready to quit, she looks to the sky

And shouts the only thought in her head-“why?”

But whomever above, won’t answer this time

She’s left alone with the pain that she feels

As she realizes that heaven’s not real

Genres; Life, Dark, Death, Hurt, Painful, Redemption, Religion, Rhyme.

Read Poetry: Love and Words, by Butch Dias

Your love and your words,
Encouraged my heart.
You saw me broken,
And falling apart.

I was so broken,
I was a broken man.
But you told me I was special.
And that God had a plan.

You brought me up,
When others cut me down.
You said I was one in a million,
When they said I was a clown.

You sent me a huge hug,
When I began to weep.
You walked with me,
When my mountain was steep.

You encouraged me,
In every step.
You dried my tears,
When I hurt and wept.

You were there,
Every step of the way.
And built me up,
And by my side you did stay.

You sent me a picture,
To give me some hope.
Your words of wisdom.
Gave me comfort to cope.

Read Poetry: New Old Friends, by Deborah J. Johnson

Genre: Friendship

“New Old Friends”

5 years ago last night my best friend had an aneurysm in her lung and passed away at 61. You just can’t go out and meet OLD Friends.This is the one sentence I keep telling people that don’t understand why it is still so hard…You can’t meet someone and have them know all your secrets, or have laughed til you can’t hold it anymore… or be there at each others weddings. The kind of friend in serious situations you cannot look at or you’ll both burst out laughing because you know what they are thinking…You are blessed if you have an OLD FRIEND still in your life. Let them know you love them before it’s too late.

OLD FRIENDS

Going to high school and meeting there,

The first of many memories that we would share.

Going to different colleges we drifted apart

Our jobs brought us home our adult lives to start.

We both became teachers for the love of a child,

God touched both our hearts and smiled.

We talked of our classes,the hurts and joys they brought

Learning together to balance discipline and love as we ought.

We shared in the joys and frustrations of life.

With husbands and children, loves and strife.

Our hearts so close like the pages of a book,

We knew what the other thought with just a look.

In serious situations we didn’t dare take a peak

Or we’d bust out laughing without having to speak.

Going on vacations many memories were made

Laughing so hard, those memories would never fade.

Sitting with you all day, the day you were ill

Sharing memories and laughing until we were filled

With a lifetime of love between two OLD FRIENDS.

How were we to know it was the end.?

Hold those you love close to your heart until the end

For it’s certain in life you cannot make New Old Friends.

—
Deborah J. Johnson
author of:
Sunrise, Sunset-Recipes Through Four Generations”

“For Just five Minutes-Heaven, YES-Hell.NO”

Read Poetry: They Were Told, by Colin Ward

They were told they’d troop with honour
to defend our nation’s grace;
how fortitude would be enough
to save the human race.

They were trained to fight with courage
being free would fuel their fire,
justify the loss of souls
with peace upon the pyre.

They were led to death with orders,
belief in righteous cries
to qualify the stolen truths
which bleed through tearful eyes.

Colin Ward

from “Ripples”

Read Poetry: (I have searched…), by Mariam Tsiklauri

Translated from Georgian into English by Manana Matiashvili

I have searched everything everywhere:

The sun is here, the earth is here, the winds are blowing…

All the words,

All the ideas are present,

All images, masks and toys we used,

All bits of bread that were eaten

Or thrown to birds;

All the trees under the shadows of which

Our rocking cradles stood;

All the voices we heard in songs

And in frightening spells at night…

Here are all the saints in the names of which

For safety we were wrapped.

But so many things are still missing –

Including original copies of our selves,

And grass of immortality,

And bread of life,

And fear of God,

And laws of heart,

And the ways to unseen houses too, –

Seems intercellular space has expired

From the entire body of universe…

Everything exists for its own sake,

Not for others,

Not for one beloved…

Even time has expired …

Maybe somebody has taken it?

Somebody has stolen?

Maybe I am mistaken,

Not remember correctly if we had it at all…

Seems I have dreamt,

Seems I wished so much

That it was fixed in my mind

As if I had…

Maybe I have kept the white flowers of great moments

Somewhere in an old book

In order to remember later about eternity…

Oh, my God,

Haven’t you kept our original copies?

Wish you had saved and kept us all…

Genres: life, sad, personality

Read Poetry: The Forty Second parallel, by Robert Meskhi

I’ll go into exile
And I’ll say,
That my homeland
Looks like a rubber fish –
looks like a toy –
from where air has been pumped out With pistons,
Then fins cut around
With a blunt knife,
Tearing up gills,
And again they
Threw it back into the beach
It’s mouth toward the north wind.

A circle, sir!
the Forty Second parallel too, is
A noose, sir!
You put your heart into it and …
It strangles you.

Robert Meskhi

Tbilisi, Georgia

Poetry Reading: 03:00, by Selah J’ne

Performed by Elizabeth Rose Morriss

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?
The theme is pain through the night.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?
I had lost my little sister her lungs collapsed and i was really depressed so the poem really expressed my pain.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?
I’ve been writing poetry since the 3rd grade when I learned what an Haiku was haha.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?
If I could have dinner with one person it would have to be Maya Angelou she’s my inspiration.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
It was a leap of faith and dedication to show myself that my work could actually go somewhere.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
Yes, I write short stories, scripts, life hacks, etc.

7) What is your passion in life?
My passion is to become a positive influence to young artists no matter what their form of art is.

Poetry Reading: Fell In Love With You, by Kathy Scott

Performed by Elizabeth Rose Morriss

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

How I met the love of my life

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

The love that I feel for him

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

Since I can remember (Knee high to a grasshopper)

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

My Mom again

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

Hopefully to find a publisher of my poetry one day

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

I’ve tried but all I know is poetry

7) What is your passion in life?

Writing and making people smile

Poetry Reading: Tears For You, by KG Petrone

Performed by Elizabeth Rose Morriss

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

It is a poem from a mother to her children after losing custody of them due to her addiction and mental breakdown. The guilt, shame, and remorse of her decision to leave them in someone else’s care in hopes that they would live a life she could not afford to give them.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

Let’s just say, “personal experience.” Along with a neverending desire and need to apologize for this choice.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

As long as I can remember, but I have just begun to share my talent with the general public. As a matter of fact, my first Anthology of Poems has just been released on Kindle. A collection titled, “The Fractured Ego.”

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

With a doubt, I would need to say, my Mother!

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

Many reasons, but to hear my words expressed by another is a thrill and I couldn’t be happier to share my thoughts and works. I am curious to see how the actor has interpreted my writing. This has been very exciting. Thank you.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

I currently have two other publications. I have a short story on Kindle titled, “The Menacing House” and a suspense mystery novel, titled “Cycles of Time – Revenge is Mine.” And as I stated above, I have a newly released anthology of poems, “The Fractured Ego.”

7) What is your passion in life?

My life’s passion is to keep it simple, enjoy life, continue healing, and to just be internally happy!