Category: 2018 Poetry

Poetry Reading: Part Conversation with Homlo, by Bhekuzulu Khumalo

Performed by Matt Barnes

 

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Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com

Director: Kierston Drier

Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne

Editor: Kimberly Villarruel

Camera Op: Mary Cox

Read Poem: THE CEREMONY, by Stephen Ross

The medicine drank clearly, the journey afoot
Down into my belly, I gladly partook
Mystical voyage, from under the sea
And up to oblivion, my soul be set free

Delicate dances and rhythms abound
Swimming through music, the spirits were found
A song to my sister, in absolute bliss
Dismissed relative madness, with the tenderest kiss

Stared right at my demons and gave them a hug
Expelled from my system, aboard voluptuous chug
Through rapture forthcoming, this voice from the heart
My wolf bellowed wildly, tearing weather apart

Then low as a river, guiding splendid refrain
And out the forgiver, once fully explained
Dear loving survivor and glider of love
This vessel so special, when steered from above

Dipped once into heaven, and twice into me,
Third time into honey, released victory
Intentions becoming, through gentlest embrace
Manifesting the blessings, a smile on my face

That panther inside me, rested easy on hearth
An owl prowled outside Lee, perspective so smart
Guided back to my person, rebirth started anew
Earth spurted deep visons and through them I grew.

Conducted the weather, energetic symphony
Through channels forthcoming, our world be set free!!

Together in kindness, administered plain
Come back now together and call out my name

Beautiful hew, man!
hu-man-be-ings,
be-you-tea-full-hu-mans.
Being means dreams xx

Read Poem: Testimony, by Michelle Owusu

You called me by name
You called me daughter
When I forgot your name
You remained My Father

You spoke wisdom and I noticed I was naked
You sent me Comfort, when I couldn’t make it
You used humour to bring me joy
You gave me hope; more hope than any boy.

You gave me faith that made me calm
You gave me a peace to brave the storm
You gave me encouragement to make lemonade
You gave Your Son; the light in my shade

You grabbed my hand and showed me Our dreams
Before I felt a dying thirst, you led me to your Your living stream.
When I spoke death, you spoke life
I’m waiting for your return Papa, for when you marry your bride.

Read Poem: BACK HOME, Michael Lawrence

(Poem for Don McCullin)

Back from the wars, a veteran
of ten thousand images of massacre,
rape, disease, despair, every horror
known to and devised by man dutifully
recorded in every dung-heap, shit-hole,
rat-infested pocket of the world:
the fly-pestered faces of wide-eyed orphans,
naked screaming babes,
gaunt cadavers in shallow graves
uncovered by the rains, soldiers
pirouetting over trenches for posterity,
women in rags, the old, the middle-aged,
the young – some, in these perfect compositions,
as beautiful as fashion models for other cameras,
back home.

Back home,
an old stone house, darkroom down the path,
a different kind of perfect composition:
moody studies of tumbling English skies,
the rain and sun on English oaks, sane,
controlled, serene – yet haunted, scarred,
smeared by all those gritty, grainy years,
the stench of burning flesh,
the empty eyes that never knew tomorrow,
the tortured, the savaged, the sundered;
that other world,
shoved aside but never quite forgotten,
of innocents ground down into this bloody earth,
blood-saturated earth, that we call civilised.

The photographer has come home.
But he rarely smiles.

Read Poem: CONFLICT WORLD, by MANTRI MARK

What I Thought, This World Today
Is Not That World, I Expected
Reigns of Rulers, Years Rolled
Rules Have Gone, it’s Dictators Era ǁ

Confrontations and Conflicts Still In Vogue
There Is No Day without a Conflict
Combats Have Become Order Of The Day
Intra-Country Combats Are the Regular Features ǁ

No Day Left For Inter-Party Conflicts
Whole World Watches Ongoing Combats
Who Support Whom, For Support and Sanctions
World Combats Sure, A Day Is Not Far ǁ

War Like Conflict, Looks to Be Common
People Suffer Due To Power-Sake Rule
Value to Life, No Country Thinks
War May Erupt, Can Lead to Casualties ǁ

People Gave Power, To Rulers to Rule
People Gave Power, To Keep the Environment Good
People’s Ambition, Enact the Rule
Peoples Aspirations, Hope To Be Good ǁ

Misunderstandings and precipitations are often seen
Who is not great, as said and done?
All countries are great, as countrymen feel so
Dangers are seen through terrorism strikes ǁ

People are hit and killed through wars of terrorism
Countless casualties in war hit zones
Epics and diseases hit the people for long
Properties get damaged and never recovered in life ǁ

Lives and property hit through chemical bombings
Normal life dislocates throughout the world
Lost economy never regains for decades
Hopeless conditions people have to confront ǁ

Governments collapse over the years
Peoples’ sufferance’s lead to epidemic diseases
Wiseman decisions lead to avoidance of conflicts
Ceasefire agreements can stop combats for a breathe ǁ

Judgments and decisions are good for peace
Who blames who, is the point of thought
Policies and governance are the duty of government
Efficiency of Rulers prove the handling of situation ǁ

__________________________

Read Poem: untangled, by Erin Touponse

Romantic/Spiritual Poetry

SibylSong.com also on Instagram: sibylsong222

“untangled”

This push and pull
That governs my life
Is but the outer shell
Of a darkness that’s yet
To be faced

Until this darkness is converted
Into something else
I will continue to pull you close
And then push you away
It’s an unease that I cannot
Fathom.

So here I am trying to peel back
The layers of myself
To get to the center of my
Ancient pain
So I can be free to love
With my heart untangled.

Read Poem: Do You See Me?, by Poet4God

Do you see me?
Or the color of my skin?
Can you see what I could be?
Or just see me as the word that starts with the letter N?

Do you see me as a gentleman?
A man that will hold the door open?
Proving that chivalry isn’t dead I’m hoping
Or do you see me as a threat because the system is broken?

Do you see me or the clothes that I wear?
How about the way I style my hair?
You pass judgement on me and call it an opinion
Is that because all you see is someone that fits the description?

I find it real funny
When you call me a monkey
But if you say man started this way
Then I ask you this question humbly
Wouldn’t that make you one of me?

Do you see me?
Or do you see a stereotype?
Walking on the same side of the street while you clutch your purse real tight
Heart filled with fright; did you then realize all of that was hype
Because I smiled real bright and said good morning…I was just being polite

Hopefully when you look, you see the God in me
That’s who I am trying to be like honestly
He’s the soothing voice I hear in my ear
When you are trying to tell me, I do not belong here

See you don’t define who I am
God has already defined who I am
I show you love because that is what God commands
But best believe I fear no man

Can you see me?
I want you to see me as a God fearing man
But weather you do or don’t, it is who I am
I am saved and washed by the blood of the lamb

See me as someone God was willing to create
To be salt to the world to help make this a better place
And love everyone regardless of race
So, when you look at me I hope you see his face

Can you see me?
I really hope you do
Because while you show so much hatred towards me
I’ll be the one praying for you!