They swaddle me in sugar
sweet platitude to ease
the rasp in my throat and
force my screams into my
stomach. This world is dry
I ache for the warm wet
of the womb where home
was in the soft soothe of
my mother’s voice. I am
living a life that blinds me
daily and folds me thinner
than fresh linens. My heart
is soft like my newborn skin
these bones are yet too brittle
for the heavy of this new life.
Sometimes my branch sticks out more,
it gets lonely.
Although, I’m first to touch the sun,
I’m also first to feel the wind and rain.
People, passing by, take turns swatting at me.
Drops of water settle on my upturned leaves,
I study the many reflections.
Until the air changes,
and my bloom falls away.
My core remains unchanged,
just more bare.
I’ve traveled a bit more outward,
while trying to reach the sun.
The others are following my lead,
but, remain conservative.
I know that I will be first to feel the cold settle in deep,
and the first to gather loosely falling snowflakes.
My voyage to see you
became perilous,
my boldness faded,
my heart was poured
on a note and placed
in an empty bottle,
even if i do not make it,
i hope you read my
heart on this note
when it gets to shore.
Have eyes that have cried seen God or pain?
Why must the appearance of emotion seem so insane?
And over time
Do the scars on your skin show affliction or a story?
Why does growing seem so gory?
And what of the stretch marks on your bosom belly or backside?
Have you been crucified for your imperfections or praised for what has stretched you on the inside?
You know
Wombs carry wounds
Each month we shed blood for the sake of preservation
And we hold blood for mankind’s creation.
It’s sad how our strengths are perceived as weaknesses
How our tears are signs of distress rather than joy
And our beauty is defined in flawless appearance
Rather than honored for its everlasting changes
The strength it carries throughout the ages.
The wears and tears
We wear it well.
Women are essential pieces of the broken pieces of this tattered specie of mammal called humans
As protons are to a nucleus
Our uniqueness is a vital part of our existence.
Treat us as more than just property.
Make love to me as if it’s the first time you fucked me after we met.
I know things about you that you aren’t capable of knowing.
Some, many times I crawled back to us,
You pretended that emotion no longer bind us, and we’re not allowed to have sex.
Every time I see you I force myself not look at the watch,
Because time stops and besides we’re not right for each,
This is practice for new people we might meet down the road.
I can count things, that hold you back, up to a hundred,
Faster than my pretend-luxury car goes zero to sixty.
I won’t ever be able to tell you the words that will save your life,
If I whisper them into your ear, you won’t hear me.
I no longer fear rejection and lie to myself about things that give me anxiety,
So that fake me will made into the man I always I wanted to be.
It’s make-belief, but it soothes my chapped lips and bruised ego.
Performed by Carina Cojeen
Get to know the poet:
1) What is the theme of your poem? The transient nature of love.
2) What motivated you to write this poem? My feelings for my wife when we first got together.
3) How long have you been writing poetry? A long, long time.
4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be? John Keats.
5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor? Curiosity.
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..? I have had 15 non-fiction books published, 5 novels published and 5 short stories.
7) What is your passion in life? Writing.
Mary Mother, You are the Universe
O My Lord, we bowdown to you ǁ
Feel happy at the natural sites
Pleasantness comes in life
Feel happy at River-flow site
One’s ideas flow like Water flow ǁ
Pray my Nature and Mary Mother Goddess for my Birth
God-ness is beautiful nature
Nature belongs to living beings
Preserve my beauty land ǁ
I feel happy to adore my Nature
My loving the Nature, is my loving the Universe
My breathing the oxygen, is my living the life
I can’t pack the Air, but for my deeds ǁ
Beauty lies in the farm land
Waterfalls is the life-line
Life’s happiness is the river flow
No pollute the Water and Air ǁ
Am here in this glittering World
Nature has compositions
Nature knew its compositions well
Nature has hidden healing powers ǁ
Avoid and avoid, Conflicts and Combats
Mind vary from Leader to Leader
Hope to be optimistic for Peace and Tranquility
Don’t suggest for Gun and Bomb Culture ǁ
People in Power, can’t act fast
Power is not for Combats and Conflicts
Souls weep if lives are lost
Cursing can ruin the heredity’s soon ǁ
I miss those days
when we were together
hands in hands always
never caring the other’s case
I smiled for you
you laughed for me
and we had a giggling base.
You stared and i blushed
time was still very smooth
never ever rushed.
You looked into my eyes
and i blink them twice
we smiled at each other again
cause that moment has no price.
And now we are far
just thinking of each other
what the other one is doing
just worrying for one another.
I guess lets do it again
give another try
as life always give a chance
provided you know to fly.
Come on, lets reunite now,
lets yell again together
and allow our happiness
to once again gather
gather with love
affection and smile
to have everything again
in heaps and pile.
Please walk with me again
again so many miles
so that we can gain
gain back our smiles
Just thinking of you today
made me so alive
if you miss me this way
please come back to my life…
Performed by Carina Cojeen
Get to know the poet:
1) What is the theme of your poem?
ANSWER: The power of love in a dramatic setting.
2) What motivated you to write this poem?
ANSWER: I always wanted to know what might have happened next in the original poem. In the end I decided to write my poem in a ghostly, yet intriguing way with a new point of view.
3) How long have you been writing poetry?
ANSWER: About 14 years but from a very slow start.
4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would
that be?
ANSWER: The late Dr Douglas Baker because he impressed me with his attitude to living and all the medical work he did..
5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a
professional actor?
ANSWER: The invitation to submit and then when I saw the chance of having my poem read by an actor I was thrilled enough to grasp the opportunity.
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
ANSWER: Yes.I’ve always considered myself a writer of short stories, flash fiction ,essays and articles. I do have a MG novel(WIP)called ‘Skull Drum’ and a short audio book.
7) What is your passion in life?
ANSWER: I want to publish my novel and a long ballad as a tribute to the many interesting people I’ve met and who have helped me.In particular my late son Michael who was my rock and such a generous person in all he did.
Performed by Carina Cojeen
Get to know the poet:
1) What is the theme of your poem?
To stand alone against all odds is courage, we all fight our own battles, some with health, some in the mind, some with fate, and we generally all feel as if we fight these battles alone.
2) What motivated you to write this poem?
I am disabled after an accident and a stroke, I am fighting back and whilst I know there are many that are helping me, it feels like an uphill struggle that saps my strength and I need to remind myself it is not just my courage that will see me through but that of those around me helping me too.
3) How long have you been writing poetry?
For myself, since the early 80’s it has been my creative release.
4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?
Hans Christian Andersen
5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
As a person with disabilities, I understand the importance of access for all, people who are sight impaired, dyslexic, or unable to read can still and should still enjoy access to poetry.
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
Yes, I have 11 published books, some novels, some historical and some on Metaphysics, I am also compiling a book of Poetry at the moment with each poem associated with an original piece of Art by me Oil on Canvas. I have seven scripts for features and TV dramatic episodic which is under option.
7) What is your passion in life?
To write and to learn.
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