Planting Seeds – Poetry Reading by Abu B Rafique

There are multiple themes that I try to touch on in my poem, love, wanderlust, youth, memory, but the biggest one is how people affect others. Everyone leaves some sort of an imprint on someone else, I like trying to look at how that can influence where people go from there and how they are as people afterwards.

Watch the Poetry Reading – PLANTING SEEDS

Poetry performed by actor Amaka Umeh

Get to know Abu B. Rafique

1) What is the theme of your poem?

2) How would you like people to respond when they read or watch your poetry reading?

Preferably in a good way, I’d be a little put off if someone absolutely hated me or something. But the fact that they react is the most important thing no reaction would just make me feel like I did nothing with my words.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

Since I was six years old. The first one I remember writing was about chicks. It’s the definitive work of a generation honestly.

4) Do you have a favorite poet?

That’s a hard one. If you threw together William Carlos Williams, Sylvia Plath, Rumi, and Allen Ginsberg, that’d probably be my favorite poet.

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

The chance to have another platform to share my work with people.

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

Yes. I’ve got four books out actually, “Leave the Rice on the Windowsill (short story collection),” “Let’s Go Wandering (poetry collection),” “The Other Side of it All (more short stories),” and “The Chaotic Caffeine Fueled Collection (short stories and poetry).”

7) What is your passion in life?

Trying to connect through my writing.

SURVIVAL, Poetry by Nwoko Alexandre

Many feel survival is more in the animal kingdom. Some years back, I was watching a TV station on animal survival documentary. And to be quite honest with you. The very day an animal is born, it starts surviving till its death. What I envy about them is the fact that the don’t seek pity, the keep on trying and adapt quite quickly to everything.

Genre: Society, Survivor

SURVIVAL

Truth is animals aren’t in fact too different from we humans. But the difference is when we start growing up, we forget about survival. But the animals grow up with only one thing on their mind which is survival. Our growing up is meant to be preparation for survival. Truth is that isn’t what we are doing right now. The world is getting to the stage whereby your academic excellence doesn’t determine your survival in the real world. Statistics over the years has shown that people who do well academically don’t transform that success in the real life. I think it’s only true for us to say that your fathers success isn’t enough to keep you throughout life without achieving anything yourself. The world has come to the stage whereby if you don’t prepare thoroughly for survival, you’ll literally die.

So since survival is very important, why isn’t it taught in schools, why isn’t it taught by our parents? The world isn’t for the patient anymore. Its for those who have the balls to go out there and take what’s theirs. The world isn’t for the weak no more. Learn to survive. Learn to be an animal when humans surround you.

By Nwoko Alexandre

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Words from Emmanuel, Poetry by Emmanuel Griggs

Genre: Life, Rhyme

Words from Emmanuel by Emmanuel Griggs

I have a passion for the art of word
And the lines and phrases that my heart beats
Always go unheard
From similes and metaphors
The words that I’m about to give you
Will soon sing higher than any chord
Please believe what I say
My dreams will become the greatest light of day
And when I speak to you that I am before
For me
It’s just another opened door
When I speak these words it’s the most fulfilling ecstasy
But only because of its lack of complexity

I can’t believe l’ve gotten this far
Keeping prying eyes, concluding
That this little black kid is up to par
These are words for Emmanuel from Emmanuel
Manually breathing
Annually
And
You’ll get what I mean
When you bare the burden of being awake
Emmanuel? I have a question
Do you know what’s at stake
Baring the energy of hate
Smiling at what’s fake
Just standing on stage…speaking
Letting the privileged kids give you a number or rate

Now Emmanuel answer me this
Do you remember?
Do you remember the now deceased girl you kissed
Do you remember? Calling Seattle Sundays bliss
I bet you remember avoiding the name calling and fist
I may sound pissed
But it’s only the hours of sleep I’ve missed
ProMISE
Now Emmanuel breath
Be calm
Read the chapter psalms
Not a Christian?
What?!
Emmanuel shame on you
These problems aren’t little anymore
Like stubbing your toe or getting the flu

Emmanuel
Listen!
You’re your best friend
Breath
Now beginning

You can do this

Now Emmanuel…who are you?
I am but a silhouette of who they see on stage

Speaking words that slumber on my heart awaiting awakening
I am but a name within a sea of names
Drifting upon a tide to a shore I’ll soon call my own
I am but a entertainer who’s audience crave a play on words and comfy tones

I am but a bored cloud on the airwaves
Who will sometimes get a bit of rain here and there
I am but a gazelle among the lions
Watching, running, dodging, the cunning
I am but a dream within the mind
Who can disappear at any given time

I am but a novel with no plot
With an infinite amount of pages
That captures, intrigues, and fascinates my readers
I am but a weak illness with enthusiasm
With an accepted fate yet immune to a cure

I am but a male born into a stereotype and statistic
I’m always sad
But still optimistic
I am but what you see as wrong
I am the melody, lyrics, and notes to your least favorite song

I am but a vowel
That’ll never make an A
Longing to close my I’s
Jumping through O after O
Born to the letter E
Yet
Will always stand tall for U
But I’ll sometimes ask Y
Is it worth it?
Do I deserve this?
Is this a privilege?
Have I earned this?

I am but a flower without a stem
Kissed by the earth
Waving farewell to the sky
I am but an ore among the ingots
Awaiting refinery
I am but a torch in the dark place
Illuminating my surrounding area
I am only Emmanuel

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The night we fell in love, Poetry by Lari G

When our eyes met the first time,

I knew it was a sign,

And when we talked for the first time,

I knew what was next in line

Genre: Love, Romance

The night we fell in love by Lari G

When our eyes met the first time,

I knew it was a sign,

And when we talked for the first time,

I knew what was next in line

We dance one night,

Your left hand holding my right

Together, we sway slowly

But our hearts are beating rapidly

And even when the music has stopped

And everybody wants to take a nap

We keep on dancing that night

That night, where everything felt right

The moon is shining brighter

The wind is blowing harder

And even if the stars are teasing

We just want to keep it going

That night, the night you came,

My world had never been the same,

‘Cause that’s when we knew that we are bound to be together

And we both hope and pray that it will last forever

We dance one night

Your left hand holding my right

And we kept on swaying that night

The night we fell in love.

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Not everyone, Poetry by Pyja Jurid (pyxaz)

Not everyone supposed to get married,
Not everyone should have kids,
Not everyone should have high-end fixed pay nine to five job,
Not everyone could’ve travel overseas every holidays,
Not everyone could’ve partying every weekend,
Not everyone could’ve mind everyone’s business,

Genre: Life, Society

Not everyone by Pyja Jurid (pyxaz)

Not everyone likes uploading everything on their social media accounts,
Not everyone could’ve make a lot of money and drive fancy cars,
Not everyone could’ve differentiate people based on their statuses,
Not everyone could’ve do everything what everyone is doing and,

Not everyone should get mad and listen to this.

Write your own destiny but respect other’s lives and privacy.

twitter.com/pyxaz

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SLEIGH, Poetry by Brian Anthony Hardie

Something not absent about to be spoken…

On the spotlight day, back from the child’s Eye camera eye.

Now stop does what was While you left.

Within a mile I felt the Memories following behind.

Genre: Relationship

SLEIGH by Brian Anthony Hardie

Something not absent about to be spoken…

On the spotlight day, back from the child’s Eye camera eye.

Now stop does what was While you left.

Within a mile I felt the Memories following behind.

Meaningless this is And should be, for the feeling too real to pass on By life.

To sob I need to rid myself of Such tremor.

Yet no possible route the way I came in would relieve pain here and now.

Much worth To grasp for my burning of our flag waving Passion.

These words pull the tears with no such Mercy.

My (I want) panic (to kiss) alleviates (you and)

What love (say I’m) I should have put forth (sorry).

Maybe from the film I project the Audience tear.

Eyes so innocent my mind would Arrest the one invoking.

Flailing around my Panic dance.

Still on the street while nausea

Entertained. To cry would forge the rage

I harmed so badly with.

So to sit with past in

The flame my only way to mend hearts alike…

about.me/BASSCLEFSNCHEE

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WILDSOUND PERFORMERS – Actors in 2016

A MOMENT, Poetry by Oyinkan Agboola

One moment, we are a race who sees beauty in everything

The next, we have devolved into a race that sees beauty only in the vanity of appearance.

Genre: Philosophical, Sad, Semi Inspirational, Humanity, Disappointment and a little hope.

A MOMENT by Oyinkan Agboola

One moment, we are a race who sees beauty in everything

The next, we have devolved into a race that sees beauty only in the vanity of appearance.

One moment, we speak philosophically

The next, we mock our own wise words.

One moment, we weep over the empty voids that are supposed to be filled with emotions.

The next, we celebrate the emptiness of the void.

One moment, we are so willing to fall in love

The next moment, we fear to leave the safety of the loveless heart.

One moment, we cling to humanity

The next, we gleefully tramp on it.

The moment we once again begin to see the perfection in imperfection,

The moment compassion begins to flow again in our blood,

The moment the mockery stops and the loving starts.

That is the moment we regain our humanity and lose the insanity.

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Watch 2015, Poetry Movie by Gloria D. Gonsalves

Best Poetry of 2015 Runner Up.

Poetry by Gloria D. Gonsalves

Narrated by Steve Rizzo

Editing and Visual Design by Yujin Song

Produced by Matthew Toffolo

2015, Poetry Movie by Gloria D. Gonsalves

Best Poetry of 2015 Runner Up.

Poetry by Gloria D. Gonsalves

Narrated by Steve Rizzo

Editing and Visual Design by Yujin Song

Produced by Matthew Toffolo

2015 - 2016 signpost in a desert road background

Silhouette businessman carrying briefcase and walk into a future door to his dream in 2015

Watch the 2015 Poetry Festival winner.

The 2015 Poetry Festival winner.

Poetry by Jane Gill-Wilson

Narrated by Steve Rizzo

Editing and Visual Design by Yujin Song

Produced by Matthew Toffolo

Paris – The Atrocity 13th November 2015 by Jane Gill-Wilson

The 2015 Poetry Festival winner.

Poetry by Jane Gill-Wilson

Narrated by Steve Rizzo

Editing and Visual Design by Yujin Song

Produced by Matthew Toffolo