No he vivido una guerra,
no he notado en mis manos el peso de la carne
y nada más.
No he respirado la ceniza,
ni los gritos me asaltan por las noches;
no he sentido la vulnerabilidad de la trinchera
ni el temblor del rifle ante mi enemigo.
Genre: Spanish Civil War, philosophical, social, motivational.
Hijo pródigo de la desgracia by Francisco Fernández
No he vivido una guerra,
no he notado en mis manos el peso de la carne
y nada más.
No he respirado la ceniza,
ni los gritos me asaltan por las noches;
no he sentido la vulnerabilidad de la trinchera
ni el temblor del rifle ante mi enemigo.
Sin embargo, eso no impide
que me sienta como un ángel
con el culo lleno de metralla.
Los libros me han susurrado la desgracia
de ser esclavo de esta historia,
de la Historia de España,
de la Gran Historia Universal.
No he sentido el frío del exilio
ni la orfandad de la infancia robada.
No merezco cartas ni medallas.
Sin embargo, no creo que mi lucha no tenga sentido
por estar lejos de las balas,
por ser mi espejo el campo de batalla.
La guerra a la que me enfrento cada día
es controlar al animal que habita mi estómago,
y prepararme para, llegado el momento,
impedir que la Historia se repita.
Lottie and I had our garden party, with teddy and Barbie
We ate jam butties and chocolate bunnies,
We made them together, it seemed we would be forever
Lovely jammy and chocolate messy
I swept her up, laughing, heading through the gate, late
As always, stealing time, making it mine
We ran through the field, a path revealed
By other scurrying, worrying feet running to the beat of life
Sky so blue, a warm breeze as soft as a feather
Genre: Inspirational
Lottie, we can fly! by Elaine Longworth
Lottie and I had our garden party, with teddy and Barbie
We ate jam butties and chocolate bunnies,
We made them together, it seemed we would be forever
Lovely jammy and chocolate messy
I swept her up, laughing, heading through the gate, late
As always, stealing time, making it mine
We ran through the field, a path revealed
By other scurrying, worrying feet running to the beat of life
Sky so blue, a warm breeze as soft as a feather
Our hands entwined we slowed to a walk together
Starlings watched us, Jackdaws seemed to forbid us
Sky Larks sweeping and swooping before us
Greeting us with merry chitter chatter, scattering around us
Why do birds sing? Soft voice imploring the all knowing
Lottie they sing to remind us and invite us
To follow what makes our heart sing
Why do birds fly? Lottie they fly to remind you and I
We too have wings to fly,
Wings to make our dreams soar high in the sky
Bringing them and us alive with the beat of our heart song
Lottie, we can fly! Scooping her up, whizzing her round
Her feet off the ground, giggling to our momentary heart song
There were two seasons
I sensed it the day we met
Before her and after her
Before her I walked alone
Before her I was sad
Jealous I was of the couples I saw
On the street, holding hands
Genre: Relationship, Love
There Are Two Seasons By Neville Johnson
There were two seasons
I sensed it the day we met
Before her and after her
Before her I walked alone
Before her I was sad
Jealous I was of the couples I saw
On the street, holding hands
Before her, I was serious
Then I rarely smiled
Life we an obstacle
A mountain to climb
Then the rainy season stopped
Finally the sun came out
I looked up and thought
It’s time for change
That wind I caught
After her began the time she walked into my life
I refer to it as happenstance as the birds did sing
I mustered up my confidence, gathered my thoughts
Went over to the pretty girl and proceeded to get lost
Into her charms, so many I can’t count
After her, after her, how my life has changed
After her, I no longer mind the rain
For I am with her, an umbrella we share
Made of love and kindness
Never the worse for wear
There are two seasons
Before and after her
Before I was lonely
Then came a love so pure
Dude was rich
How was life a b**ch
They thought
When they heard his onslaught
Cos they were mis taught
That wealth means only money
He laughed hard
Cos he found that funny
We can trade places
But this is real life
Genre: Rhyme, Satire, Life
Dude was Rich? by Anthony Nneke
Dude was rich
How was life a b**ch
They thought
When they heard his onslaught
Cos they were mis taught
That wealth means only money
He laughed hard
Cos he found that funny
We can trade places
But this is real life
No friends in unfamiliar places
Peace be his oasis
But he don’t know what that feels like
Cos all he got is pressure of expectation
Waiting to exhale
His relationship has failed
His hearts locked up
like it went jail
cos it was sentenced for breaking hearts
flirting with tarts
that look sweet
but their ingredients are foul
their make up covers up their crooked smile
but in the meanwhile
he trying to justify
why he has struggles
to those
who can’t imagine what
its like to be him
2 | P a g e
they cant accept him as one of them
cos he up on a pedestal
that they put him on
so he cant complain
take the gold, take the platinum chains, show a bit of brains, screw the chicken brains
play your part, stay in your lane
man just shut up and play the game
what the hell you know about shame
man you don’t get to talk about pain
look at what you’ve gained
this is what the dude was up against
so he spent
time breaking it down
talking about his double life in one timeline
there was a time when all he wanted to do was shine
be the best do his best, give his best
when he aspired to be rich, and known
so he understand how far he grown
reaping what he sown
but what he saying is he now feel all alone
cos he cant tell a friend from a foe
a lady from a hoe
when he had little he had real friends
who like him for him
they told him he had potential
helped him believe
go get it and achieve
now fast forward
he surrounded by people he don’t know
cant take a break
so many shows
3 | P a g e
he just a piece of gold
selling the dream he was sold
moving fast and he just wanna pause
and slow
do you understand if so
can I get an Oh
Oh
Verse Two
Time to put his mask on
Put on a show for the world
But what he mean is just saying hello
Being cool, being nice
Cos he feeling cold like the north pole
And he about to break like ice
But if he speak out about it
The response is
Man
How can he be unhappy
When he got more money than he can count
Girls at his feet
Worshipped by the streets
Man he mean on a beat
So he feel trapped
Like mother nature gave him a bitch slap
Perhaps is that what he deserves
For all the shit he been talking
Or that’s another song
Ok write another wrong
4 | P a g e
Man he just trying to be
Not conscious, not righteous
Not an idol
He himself just a man
Trying a ting
To do better for himself and his family
Don’t begrudge him that
2) How would you like people to respond when they read or watch your poetry reading?
This poem is a satire on life. I think people may respond with feelings of humor and pathos. I wrote this poem at the age of fifteen. Although I had not yet experienced a full life back then, I felt brazen enough to express my deepest, satirical feelings on how I envisaged the cycle of life. ‘The Eternal Dance’ expresses both the eternal highs and lows of the different stages of life.
3) How long have you been writing poetry?
I started writing poetry at the age of eleven when I was diagnosed with scoliosis. I was confined to a Milwaukee brace (from neck to hips) for four years. I was permitted to remove it only one hour a day. I was a also a ballet and spanish dancer at the time and so I removed the brace sometimes for two hours a day but slept with it at night. It was a traumatic period in my life and writing poetry enabled me to best express the emotions I felt at the time.
4) Do you have a favorite poet?
Favorite classical poets:
William Shakespeare
D.H. Lawrence
Victor Hugo
Geoffrrey Chaucer
Sylvia Plath
Emily Dickinson
13th century mystic poet Rumi.
Favorite contemporary poets:
Kenyan poet Chris Mukasa
Russian poet Vera Pavlova
American poet Shel Silverstein
5) What influenced you to submit to WILDsound and have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
I have written many poems and feel its time to expose my poetry. ‘The Eternal Dance’ is one of my favorites and I chose to submit it to Wildsound. I hope viewers enjoy it.
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
I have written a whimsical, classical fantasy novel where the setting is a reptile-driven kingdom and the characters are serpents. I am busy with the sequel and the series will be a trilogy, ‘The Snaygill Trilogies’.
Writing this series is challenging but such fun and it allows me to transport my imagination to the highest places. I am so excited to see the outcome of the series.
I write short stories and poetry and enjoy exploring different genres. I have not embarked in script writing training but endeavor to teach myself.
7) What is your passion in life?
IMy passions are my children, my family and my friends. I enjoy solitude but I also love to socialize and have fun. Creativity is immensely important to me. I love art, music, reading, fashion, decorating, gardening and simply musing. I love the ocean, nature and animals. I dream of peace on earth and how we desperately need to make this world a better place and a better environment for all, quoting John Lennon’s eternal words ‘Imagine’.
Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo
Casting: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
How a harsh land shapes the people who survive its challenges. In this case, it is the desert along the Mexican border in Arizona.
2) How would you like people to respond when they read or watch your poetry reading?
I would hope the reader will get a feeling for how life at the margins might be for ordinary people, and for the law of unintended consequences. I hope this piece will allow for some empathy for those who know how to survive.
3) How long have you been writing poetry?
For a little over two years. I had a career as a writer for about 35 years, mostly in journalism (newspapers)
4) Do you have a favorite poet?
I have two or three favorites, actually. My first is Carl Sandburg but lately I’ve been reading the excellent work of Jim Harrison and the North Carolina writer named Sheri Smith. I think my favorites tend to be for those who write more in the narrative style, almost prose, but not quite. And I like those who have a basic affection for our common humanity, rather than those who moan about things too much.
5) What influenced you to submit to WILDsound and have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
You mean besides the ego trip? ?
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
I’m working on a novel, mystery, with lots of sex.
7) What is your passion in life?
At my, age waking up every day is all the passion I need. I figure if I wake up then everything else is irrelevant, and I try to have the best time I can.
Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo
Casting: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
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