By Phan Tan Hai
Curl your legs and kick the coffin—
it’s time for the chanting to begin.
You can’t just lie there forever,
listening to heaven and earth fall silent.
Try to hear the last lines of poetry
before you return to the realm of no-birth;
your body scattered as dust across the sky—
sentient or not, who can say.
Forty years without sleep,
eyes wide in astonishment;
the wind flips through pages of history,
cold across the sky of Kinh Bac.
Forty years pretending to be deaf,
writing Suoi Nguon in the marketplace;
words blooming on every page,
glittering with the colors of impermanence.
— Written in March 2016 to bid farewell to the poet Kinh Bac (Le Dinh Vien - Sau Du), editor of Suoi Nguon Magazine, Hue Quang Sino-Vietnamese Translation Center, who passed away on March 4, 2016 in Saigon.
La vie en rose - Seeing life through rose colored glasses
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
—My Cherie Amour, refrain, sung by Stevie Wonder
A song in my heart; we’ve all been blind to love,
until it appears. Love at first sight, sound, touch, scent
or taste. The masquerade is over; a song in my heart.
—quote by poet
My Cherie Amour
Smooth la-la’s embrace a mysterious love,
One that must find its way in the dark café
Or in a silver cloud, or crowded rue de Bac.
The heart beats for that perfect stranger
Scented with Estée Lauder’s Azurée
Or a Parisian accent - sexy and decadent.
The wonder of a smile, appealing to her,
His eyes hidden behind shades; blinded
By an elusive love, a petite cherie amour.
Intangible, unattainable, a Summer flower,
The warmth of a bodice, yet seen. Galaxy,
his, but so far out of his range, silky cream.
Smooth la-la’s embrace a mysterious love.
Stevie croons ‘he’s confident,’ blinders off.
Someday wishes will emerge, ‘la vie en rose.’
so
man
yp
oemsha
veice
nsored fro
my our sigh
t
iambec omew
orset han al
go
rit hms
des
tro
yero
f w
or(l)dswe
f
eartof aceand
dr e a mtoe
mbrac
eau to cor
rectru
les bac
kward
sto er
as e
view incredible
owl swoops mouse - concrete stands still
rats...inedible
I considered naming this haiku 'An Owls View of the White Dove of the Desert.'
Mission San Xavier Del Bac, in Tucson, AZ aka 'The White Dove of the Desert', a Catholic Church, depicts in its facade, a cat and a mouse on its left and right sides. Legend has it that the world's end will occur when the cat catches the mouse, though nobody knows how this legend came to be, they are intricately displayed on the front of the beautiful old mission.
The White Dove of the Desert on the outskirts of Tucson is well worth a view, but owls beware; those mice are for the cat's catch.....
doves lade the sky like stars
the snowy white peace
a starry night released
over San Xavier del Bac
the cactus fruit and prayer
alive in sanguine petals
the mission gold altar and pews
absolved en pleine air
i sip my keepsake coffee cup
2/11/2022
Bac N tha day
Grand gran M would say
Boy B for y'all sit down
Better wash em hands
Go down to the creek N way them hanzs
Wash them hands O Lord
I need two wash me hands
Need ta eat that manna my God provide
Grand N would say wash them hand b four you eat
B four you pray let your hands and mouth b cleansed
Do not let no dirtiness come out them lips
And keep them hands also clean b four you eat
Yeah, I know the water at the creek
It's dirty water
But we ain' t got no faucet or running water
Gone down to the creek in wash them hanzs
Come on back quick so y'all got yo bacon, eggs and grits
Boy, did ya also wash yo face
So great gran pa lead us N prayer
He said let us all close our eyes now
Fold them hanzs N say aloud
Now
Thank you Father God fer tha food b four us
Thank N Father God fer tha food we have Amen
4/5/21
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr © 2021
AMPHETAMINE
I feel the beating of my heart
and I wake up with a start
not worrying or hurrying
just use the speed that I impart
to transmit, relay or convey
the glory of a brand new day
as the power of a drug
might aid me while I rev my brain
no ambling like a common slug
I break fast… now my coffee’s gone
with my toast to egg on bac on
then rush outdoors to greet the dawn
I’m flushed with energy and brawn
I sit to put my Nikes on
a moon walk from my quaint abode
to jog on to the open road
I know I can no longer wean
on what is called Amphetamine
Your Amphetamine Poetry Contet
Sponsored by Anthony Slausen
April 7, 2019
We were making our way from Whyalla to Port Lincoln
For a day of sight seeing on the west coast driving along
We were about 20 kilometres south of Whyalla town
When we saw a Toyota 4 WD utility ahead going down
But there was something wrong with the driver ahead
We could see that careful driving was off the agenda instead
For he swerved all over the road from the left to the right side
And at times causing approaching traffic to veer away from him wide
Although off duty it became apparent that something had to be done
So we stopped and spoke to a drunk driver an investigation begun
He had two children in the vehicle and along with a flagon of wine
And had come from Cowell to his shack on the shore for fishing so fine
It was the only time that I recalled myself to duty in this unusual way
And we took the driver to Whyalla for a reading of 0.285 BAC that day
Losing his licence was a price to pay for being foolish as his fee
But taking two children on a drunken dangerous journey
Could have meant an end to the lives of his children so hard to comprehend
Being a common drunk behind the wheel of the Toyota could have meant the end.
© Paul Warren Poetry
fact is facts
don't hold bac
do it any way
got something say
stop the wept
be stronger than any one els
and
EXPRESS YOUR SELF
Why is it that we can't control who
we love
Bac and forth we go. We push we
shove
We kiss, we hug. We give a new
meaning to the term making love
One day I want you, the next, I can't
stand you
But still I have to have you. So
addicted to the things you do
How is it that you can have me this
way?
My head shouts for you to leave but
my heart screams for you to stay...
Please stay...
5 droppin
6 poppin
thats what we use to scream
hood til we die
but dying was only a dream
then one day a phone call brought that dream to reality
2 shots to the chest
made me realize there is no immorality
cause a week later i was laying your flag to rest
me the crew was planning on how to retaliate
make a slob c they color splatted on walls
but then another gangsta was gone quicker than a earthquake
a true blue once again took a fall
cuz it wasnt suppose to go down like this
me you against the world
dang if i could only wish
wish you bac ill take your place instead
without you there's no me
id might as well be dead
lost two cousins all over a color
blue dont seem so true no more
so for me this gang bangin is over
Retched scent en fuego
Wet bac-te-ria infested
Flatus monkey poop
come on honey
forget the money
my love comming down
can't you hear the sound
lay down on the bed
lay bac your head
move your hips let dip
and sumba
BABY LETS DO THE RUMBA
thinking about the
times we had,
about the
loved we shared,
but,
was it worth
the pain
i felt?
the hurt u
caused?
thinking bac
on the time we
had,
the time we
spent in love
lying
at each other's
side saying those
rememberal
words...
"i love you"...
those words
ring in my ear today
with your sweet voice saying them....
as i think bac into the
past...
of our friendship
and our love...
i'm thinking.....
thinking...
thinking...
and thinking.
Kee n Mark.
where do we start.
bac when GRAM puched us n that cart.
Mark & Me.
how happy we b.
settin drinkin feelin free.
he's my best friend he does agree.
my cousin & Gramp u c.
Gramp smoke's TREE.
we been drivin cause the weather's feein fine.
us FRYE's we just shine.
Big burtha n fatty that's who we are.
will tonight go far.
when it get's dark i'll Find me a star.
MAKE a WISH whatever u want.
BE yourself put up NO front.
smoke a blunt.
we always stunt.
watchin espn.
the life's thats been.
on my face is a grin.
even tho i sin.
Mr. frye.
i look hoim n his eye.
4 a second a tear i cry.
ask me y.
cause when i look at him i see me.
KEELEY.
everything's the same u c.
It's not me IT'S WE.
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