Read Poem: TO BELIEVE by Gary Bertnick

To always believe
Though surrounded in an atmosphere of doubt,
Truth always more powerful
And gripping the heart with Divine strength,
The mind battles for pure and clean honest thoughts
While the winds of deceit and perversion move constantly about,
Sometimes in a roar
Sometimes in a whisper
The war on the mind rages forth!
Holy Words always a much sharper sword
Common thoughts in daily languages fall to the ground
As Scripture quoted and meditated upon surges steadfastly forward
From the very beginning the “Evil One” was crushed beneath the omnipotent heal,
Prophetic Words long ago fulfilled!
Authority of the Name above all written on our foreheads
More than tablets, inscribed on our hearts;
Inner knowledge has already surpassed simple belief
As faith in Messiah’s power grows and matures in deepening Peace
Love reaches out with broader, longer touches in tenderness
Caring as our Shepherd, rich kindness and gentleness flow,
Wisdom rises within, wings of brilliance
As we begin to see as He sees;
Belief in Yeshua as an early seed
Has already grown more than expected,
More than even prayed for!

https://garybertnick.wordpress.com

Read Poem: BRANDS MAKE THE MAN by Kunal Thakore

BRANDS MAKE THE MAN

Came into a cool couple of million through a Nigerian scam
Thought I’d go splurge to better who I am

Clothes maketh the man, so with a craving for all things luxe
What better way to spend a few easy bucks

Donning these fancy labels and tags
They’d add way more style to my swag

I’d get a designer closet, oh so bling
Swish stuff that’d make my heart sing

Anything to look better than I currently do
And perhaps feature on the cover of the next GQ

So off I flew first class to Paris, Milan, New York and Dubai
London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and then back to Mumbai

First on the list was a cravat from Prada
So what if I don’t wear slick jackets, I just hadda

Next, a little something from Gucci
It promised to make me forever sans souci

A tote from that Italian fella Ferragamo
To show off to all my still-poor amigos

Belts, buckles and trunks from LV
Ha! Let them be the cause of my friends’ envy

Then a boat-load of stuff from Bvlgari
My bags were so heavy, the concierge had to carry

Some scarves and fragrances from the house of Hermes
Baubles for the mistress and of course, my missus

A quick pop in across the aisle to Tiffany’s
Five or six trinkets… is that too many?

Some bold printed silk shirts from Versace
From downright tacky to take me straight to classy

Jimmy Choo’s shoes and also a little something
Just so he doesn’t feel left out, from Christian Louboutin

Tuxes and shirts from Boss, Burberry and Brioni
For trousers, Tom Ford, Canali, YSL and Armani

Bespoke suits from those chaps on Saville Row
I tell you, the outfitting was such a bore

Next, a chunky Rolex or a Patek Phillipe
To add to the wrist, yup, they’ll do the trick

I threw in a couple of things from Dolce & Gabbana
Didn’t much care for them, but I just wanna

Bottega Veneta, Valentino and Givenchy
Flashy boutiques, exclusive and so very chi chi

Chanel, Fendi, Dior, Carolina Hererra, Nina Ricci
Umm, naah… oh, okay, may as well (sorry if I’m bitchy!)

Ties, cuff links, socks, hats, shades, accessories… check
And a box of Havanas just for style, what the heck

Bally and Miu Miu beseechingly called me back
Could they interest me in something and have it packed?

And before I forgot, I dashed across to Zegna
You just can’t miss out on a good thing, can ya?

Finally, since I still had some change left over
I ordered a Bentley, just to see the jealous guys glower

Look at me, people! Looking nouveau riche spiffy
Yeah, I know the losers will call it kitschy

Now that leaves me with just enough for branded underwear
Any suggestions on what and from where?

PS – And when it’s time for the next set of swanky clothes
I might need to break the bank at one of those Vegas casinos

Picture credit, Google – from the Bollywood movie ‘Hindi Medium’; a particular scene in which a loaded country bumpkin with no taste or class, ODs on high fashion brands to make a statement

Read Poem: FORWARD by Gladys Muturi

Forward
Time to move forward
I got to move forward
No time to change the past
Looking back is the thing in the past
Chapter ending
No open wounds
Closed tight with a thousand stitches
Scar is healing
Vanquished from my soul
Endeavor to stay
Never be the same
Forward
That’s where I’m going
My head facing the horizon
A vision to the future
I see the bright, yellow sun rising above the heavenly blue sky
The light from the sun shines from the high echo mountains, pushing the dark shadows to make a clear arrival
It’s my time to shine!
Here I run faster
Heading forward
to the sun, to the skies and to the mountains I go
waiting for me to start a new journey
I cried a thousand tears looking back in the past
Wondering how I made it last
Now I face the truths and realities
Laugh off from the bad memories
Shake off the fear that deepens my skin
Grin even if the day is unpleasant
I will move forward
Befriend with loyal individuals
Walking with pride and dignity
Meet someone new
Fall in love with each other
Live together in our happy ending
Produce our population
Together in our own kingdom
Replace individual “I” to an assembly of “we”
We are moving forward together

Genre: Moving On

Read Poetry: JUNE 26, 2015 by Felice Picano

Had he lived
would we be celebrating
our momentous today
or simply let it go
having had it, lived it
for ourselves so long?
Not ever requiring
The officious,
official authentication.

Would the sidewalk
revelers we do not stop
to embellish, recall
that evening’s evening star
kiss a crescent moon
and splashily silver the plaza?:
the Chilean pianist’s final,
near-silent, pianissimo —
in c minor: astonished
to hear our wild applause
–so deep in meditation?

Had he lived
would palm and frond and fern and cedar
be spiny pine and elder alder
rimed icy tight?
And night’s aromas not be
soft Hollywood honeysuckle
but copper nasal hot
as sunsets on the Hudson
still stupefy and hurt?

Had he lived
would his photo’s face be replaced
by one that’s less familiar?
like that infrequent, five a.m.
r.e.m image
that makes me wake up in wonder
and feel blessed all day long?
No mirage — I swear —
but across that Wild Divide,
a kind of true communication . . .

Had he lived?

© 2018, Felice Picano
.

Read Poem: The Beholder by Darienne K. E. Jordan

We are taught that

Beauty is in the

Eye of the Beholder

We always assume

This means eyes

Outside of our own

Someone not us

Is supposed to approve

Using some arbitrary standard

We seek validation

From every passerby

And shrink into ourselves

When we aren’t deemed worthy

Beauty is in the eye

Of the Beholder

But wouldn’t it be

The loveliest thing

If the only Beholder

We cared about

Was ourselves

What if the only

Standard we had to reach

Was our own

Would we finally

Understand self-love

And honor our unique beauty?

What a wild thought.

Read Poem: CLOUDS by Gary Bertnick

Clouds of doubt tumble about
As temptations and deception parade with false motives,
Though the Surveyor’s line runs straight and true
Still men rationalize Absolute Truth
Women compromise what they know
Even Sovereign and Holy Words written and spoken-
All out of nothing
In he Book of Genesis from the Father’s will
Creation through the Hand of His Son, the Ancient of Days;
And the Holy Spirit still moves over the entire Earth
Sky above and depths below
Nothing hidden from God’s touch;
A pool of crystal waters set before the Throne
And the Lord humbles Himself to gaze into it.
Falsehood rules and has become more than pandemic
Grounded in the “father of lies”
Rooted deeply in human nature
A man’s selfish motives, a woman’s base desires,
Even the best fall short as “self consumes self”
And both remain empty, spiritually dead
Lost in “nothingness”, forever!
Fog drifts continually across the city
Blocks the early morning sunshine
Carries pollution, chemicals and worse
Darkens the eyes of the soul
Dirties the body, suffocates the human spirit;
But Spirit Truth rises above
Cannot be held back
Stands high above the dark clouds of deceit
And self-destructive poisons of humanity.
A Savior stands True with most powerful deliverance
Always seeks the one who is lost
Who cries out at last with her heart needs laid bare,
His emptiness revealed in Heaven’s honesty;
Salvation for them both waits at their door
Yeshua’s Voice calls in faithful Truth as He knocks!

Read Poem: A Certain Infinity In Brevit by Christopher Kenneth Hanson

You knew as I knew;
The deep red balloons that blew via hazy cloud
Filled skies, struck inept via our deepest lullabies

You knew as I knew, of the birds which flew
Throughout the aged yew trees, and stellar

Abatement of the skies, reigning in their deathly ilkOf
lost candidates gone dry. Balloons will pop, and pop they
May through the winds & showers of April and into
The realms of times forgotten.

Thus, relinquish me not –
And forbid me no warm welcome- for you knew as I knew
When the tables will turn
When the doors shall be perceptibly perceived

A stoned parchment to alleviate the guilt
The dearest notion of this wielder’s split persona now

You knew as I knew
And yet we fought & warred
Once we passed
Each other through the gates of hell

he’ll be forlorn & castigated
they whom smelt us for spliffs
Worn to the airs
Which do not dare imprint

Thus,relinquish me notAnd
forbade me no warm welcome
You knew as I knew
And yet you knew me seldom-.

Read Poem: PINK by H.E. Grahame

If beginnings were a color
They’d be pink.
Like the familiar stone-walled frame
I dragged boxes and bags into.

We cluttered the corners with
Inside jokes and vivid tales
And postered the blank walls with
Memories and forget-me-nots

Within the blushing pink
We became a “home”.

If endings were a color
They would be gray
Like our common rose-colored frame
They bathed in a sticky dark paint

They emptied littered corners
Blooming with black mold and dust
And undressed the flowered walls
Exposing all our cracks and breaks

Outside the sullen gray
We became “unknown”

Read Poem: WE ARE FOREVER IN LOVE by David P. Carroll

We Are Forever In Love.

Her smile is truly beautiful
As I feel your love I see your beauty your smile touches my lonely heart as my heart beats
For your forever love
Your soft gentle touch so loving
It melts my heart in true love
As I feel your forever love
Your heart comforts my lonely heart whenever I’m feeling blue
A love song that makes our hearts dance forever in love tonight
When we come together our
True love smiles forever
Words could never express
My utter love for you
So take my hand and never
Walk alone sweetheart
Our hearts resting together
In peaceful love
A smile a kiss a song a gentle
Whisper,

We are forever in love….

Read Poem: ADAM MINUS by Jack Belck

He steps over white coat bodies,
out to corridor–two long walls.
There, another white coat yells,
“You can’t leave without…”
“Hello, my name is Adam.”

He steps over white coat body,
heading to where noises are
and–strange, strange–
no walls around him
or over him!

He had been taught
how to talk to those
with clothes like his
and those in white coats
always with him.

But too many people.
He veers right to quiet
shade-speckled parkway.
50 feet ahead, dark suited
man approaching, casually
scanning left and right.
Closer, slim red-dressed woman
coming, pushing baby carriage.

Front wheel bounces over
some small cast off thing,
jarring swaddled content
which suddenly screams
annoyance.

Screams mean danger!
He hurls carriage 100 feet,
baby flying out noiselessly,
colliding with distant oak.
He speaks to red dress,
“Hello, my name is Adam.”

Dark suit shouts, “Freeze!”
Something black pointing at him,
he grabs red dress’s arm,
from 30 feet, flinging
her at dark suit.

Shield showing
in breast pocket, he ducks,
jumping over now prostrate
red dress, gun barking
one shot to man’s left leg.
No affect.
Next shot to chest.
No effect.
With two hands holding,
gun barking again.
An eye explodes,
bullet burrowing deep.
A hideous, unworldly ,
“Hello, my name …”

Dead, though never really alive.

Dark suit squats anxiously
by red dress flat on her back,
one arm oddly twisted, temple raw,
eyes closed, but a pulse.

“Friggin’ robot,” he mutters
to the sounds of loudening
sirens, angry, plaintive
background music for
Putnam Science Center
white coats and
ordinary business suits
closing in on unordinary
business gone rogue.

“Make them if you must,”
he says sadly to space,
“But for God’s sake,
make them humane-
or we’re done for.”

Half saved, red dress weeps
for her loss and our anxiety.