Best Neighbouring Poems
Blind panic
There was a warning came one day
It said disaster’s on its way
An old volcano in the distance
It could erupt in any instance
The molten ash came pouring out
As neighbouring village was in doubt
Folk were running to and fro
It seems they had nowhere to go.
Buildings were cracking one by one
Blocking out the golden sun
This thing did turn our day to night
As everyone was filled with fright
As the Earth did turn to lava
Many prayed to the holy father.
Vera Duggan 16 August 2014.
Dazed as the phone wire strangled my neck
End of my youth faded with you
Noise of my tears echoes neighbouring walls
Innocent dreams dimmed in stardust so prematurely
And still every day I ask the sky why you are a star
Lost in the solar system without a glittering goodbye.
A summer kiss on winter night
precious gift enough to ignite
my teenage mind with burning flame
a neighbouring dame with sweet name
a cage-free bird on its first flight.
Many years ago but still bright
in my mind like day's first sunlight
and how I enjoyed when it came
a summer kiss.
Like molten wax of candle light
lips melted as she held me tight
passion's fire was hard to be tamed
a surprise gift from that sweet dame
taste of manhood on winter night
a summer kiss.
© kashinath karmakar (19th December 2011)
===============000=================
Placement:7th (Dec.2011)
Contest:Gifts Given,Gifts Received a Rondeau
Sponsor:Cyndi Macmillan
Little blades of grass touching my naked feet
Oh, the soft pleasant touch, the trodden path
I am treading again; though this is my first
Venture, my maiden hike towards the peak
The great heights of the neighbouring mountains!
Have you ever lost yourself in the benumbing wilderness?
Have you ever heard the silent call of the Titans, metamorphosed
Into rocks? Little nameless flowers swaying their heads
In an enchanted dance; the chill in the air
Gently touching my mortal body, making a grand statement
“If the heaven exists anywhere, it’s here, it’s absolutely here”
The eternal path leads you from crag to crag, from bends to bends
Like a child of nature I play hide and seek with the impish fountains
And waterfalls, oh how majestically they cascade down
On the wings of wild butterflies,
Swiftly hiding
Into impregnable gorges
The hairpin bends
Beckons
Oh, the wider stretch again
Looming, there is before, the endless and bottomless
Gulf of the sky, kissed benevolently by the sunny morning
High and hoary oaks and pines
Standing on both sides like insomniac sentries
The intolerable ache, nearly paralysed feet
One
Step
Forward, another
One
Inflated lungs
Is it the end of the road?
Oh, god, at last, yeah, at last
I am on top
I am looking beneath towards the inviting clouds
My eagle soul outstretches its wings
The sky kisses my forehead like my mother
17.09.2014
Contest: Pinnacle
Visitors I saw in my garden today were:
9 starlings noisily squabbling
1 duck casually waddling.
1 robin - a handsome little chap
1 bumble bee, that landed on my lap.
2 neighbouring cats, stalking the same prey
1 little mouse, who wears a coat of grey.
3 worms wiggle above the earth I dug
1 fat, juicy, giant, orange, slimy, greedy slug.
5 spiders spinning their intricate webs
1 fly cocooned, in delicate white threads.
3 frogs sitting by the garden pond
2 doves flirting, cooing as they bond.
8 skater bugs, danced the waters top
1 blue dragonfly, hovering near a flower pot.
2 brown butterflies resting on my fence
3 foaming snails, their second line defence.
1 pushy wasp, that wanted my half eaten bun
3 baby rabbits playing in the evening sun.
1 majestic blue peacock, from the neighbours farm
1 owl swooped in from the farmers barn.
2 swallows aerobatics, as they build their family nest
4 tiny bats skilled navigation, at it's very best.
Tomorrow will bring more visitors, some different and the same
The honour was all mine, for it was my garden to which they came.
15.06.22
Cashew…..known as Cash or Big Nuts….is the owner of The Nuttery
He is rich, generous and fair
A gym junkie who pumps iron daily
If not at The Nuttery , you will find him there
Walnut… Wally is the Manager at The Nuttery
A scruffy man always in crinkled clothes
Don’t let his appearance deceive you
There are two sides to his personality and about nuts there is nothing he doesn’t know!
Hazelnut… Hazel is the Assistant Manager
A lovely little lady who lives in the neighbouring town called Nutella
Popular with all the staff
She is always The Nutterys top nut seller
Almond… known as Big Al is a staff member
A big ,tall, humorous bloke
Always making both staff and customers laugh
With his continual ‘nutty nut cracking jokes’
Pecan… known to all as Sweetpea , is a beautiful girl
With a sweet heart and equally sweet tooth
She loves to bake and eat sweet pies
Nuts and baking are her true joy and truth
Brazil ….whose name is Miguel
Is a very likeable smooth, exotic ladies man
He refers to himself as the “Number one ladies nut”
Swooning ladies every opportunity he can
Peanuts….called Barry is a funny playful lad
Who always makes everyone laugh
Calls himself a real ‘true nutter’
A fun member of the The Nuttery staff
So , if you like good nuts and good banter
Get down to The Nuttery
Enjoy the ambience and fun vibe
Relax, enjoy, eat nuts and just be!
No earthquake, no thunder, no volcanic eruption
Or even there was no any of natural calamities,
A sudden loud sound broke out all through the bush
With whizzing, shuddering, cracking, tearing, echoing,
Fear, horror, dark, terror, misery and ill spirits spread
Committing destruction, death in a horrible situation,
Dust, dirt, smoke coiled over the whole atmosphere
The harmless animals are quite perplexed, helpless
They began crying, shouting, running, rushing, fainting
Seeing reddish spots and innumerable torn bodies,
They blamed one another for committing the crime,
Brawling, harming, plotting hardened in them
A long conflict complicated and awful tangled,
Loosing the worms of crime, injustice and corruption,
The virtues sunk and the vices rose everywhere
Envious state of barbarism, terrorism inflicted on them
The poor animals lost peace and principles they had
Centuries curse engulfed all what was out of thought,
Ferocious animals are in the neighbouring big forest
They always wait for chances on the helpless ones,
They do not care for hesitating in violating terms
Committing all sorts of hyenas and monstrous harms,
They know how and when to cook poisonous broth
And how to throw an unseen net to catch the rest,
Once some cats were quarrelling nearby the bush
Some wild dogs of the big forest made an instant rush,
For repeated barking mewing was beyond of hearing
Foxes and monkeys also joined within a quick haste
Crows, kites and vultures started crowing for the feast
What more, rats and mice left the bush being frightened
Dreadful tumult, commotion, collision, conflict took place
At the arrival of buffalos, deer, bears, wolfs and hyenas,
But with the unexpected appearance of lions and tigers
All the surroundings became instant silent and isolated
All went away murmuring without a single looking back,
The victorious were excited having got all easy victory
But they found troubles to enjoy the whole empire lonely
So there were roaring, shouting, blustering, threatening
Of occupying empire, power, lordship and over lordship
‘Might is right’ established in the ruleless bestial state.
The birth place of world war II
after an invasion void of any declaration.
Stamps on history’s book by feminine hands
to ascertain the first death sentence of the same human disaster.
A time frame marked its stolen identity
signifying its absorption into the world map
when three neighbouring nations rolled dices on its existence.
Roman Catholicism is advertised by the sun
in this place where it’s the pioneer of oil refinery
and the continent’s most important reproductive clinic
to border-crossing summer birds.
The father of Europe in king Kazimierz Jagiellonczyk
married off his three seeds of fertility
who were carrying rich humus
to the germination of Europe’s greatest dynasties.
Another king flatters history when he re-based back to his origin
to honour a coronation conflicting the poles’ election.
The heart of the world of European Jews
where their rescue during the holocaust was second to none
where the first artificial language, created and sustained;
and having a patriot decorated five times on physical masculinity.
It is the home to the famous Nicolaus Copernicus
and the birth place of the globally applauded Marie Curie.
The last will and testament of the expiring country
marks the first European constitutional state.
The underground salt cathedral is significant in its global age ranking.
The Bialowieza Primeral, epitomizes the continent’s last ancient forest
and the piwnica Swidnilka ranks the first
in the pride of the continent’s aged restaurants.
Its historic medicinal use of vodkas
and the blossom to the stem end direction
of peeling Bananas ready for consumption
beautifies the grit of a nation which stood firm
even after a forty and three attempts of invasion.
One would think that the feeling of being a slave would create understanding
One would think that racism would die off and cease to overtake our surrounding
Equality has become but a faint memory buried with a man Africa once so greatly looked up to
Labels still floating around, separation amongst people. All subject to the race or ethnic group they belong to
Don’t you think there was a little furry passed with a law?
Just a little vengeance kneaded in, tables turned, no longer holding the short end of the straw?
So arose the system with a pretty name “Affirmative action”.
5-1 the number of bullets in the gun gradually making a subtraction
Acquiring our positions based on our skin colour instead of based upon or level of education
Supressing the “Suppressors” with lethal repercussions and lack of evaluation
So carry on placing the one colour above the other, turning us against each other until the streets run red with anarchy
Then hypocritically teach your kids about equality, living one foot in and one foot out of controversy.
One would think we as a nation would learn from a neighbouring sunken country. Stay united and grow far beyond expectation
One can only hope for these lines to be erased, for skin colour, gender and religion factors to be cancelled out and do away with exaggeration
The world is the way it is and shall remain as such, the universe will be the way it should be keeping the balance as top priority
So even if I cannot change the world. With my words I keep spreading the love! One of the minority.
An elderly man I knew ,
( who had no issue)
about fifty years ago
was well known among the local
and neighbouring residents
for his knowledge of the native pantheon,
evil spirits, and ghosts .
Often he conducted rituals
to ward off the ghosts and evil spirits
from the homes and
individuals possessed by them
and to cure people of the illnesses
primarily attributed to sacrilege.
One day, his wife fell ill;
yet, he did not call doctors,
but performed traditional rituals,,
sought guidance from the deities
in his somber dreams.
Of no avail ,
she died after prolonged illness.
But he did not grieve for long.
"What can we the humans do
if God already destined her fate ? “
he asked.
The old man lived a long life,
cared for by a close relative.
He never consulted a doctor
nor took pharmaceutical drugs,
as he did not have faith
in their medical efficacy or sanctity.
(The poem dramatised under the title FAITH, PAIN( Latter rechristened as Thajabagi Cheina) by People's Arts and Dramatic Association ,and directed by Laishram Randhoni Devi was the Second Best play in the Creative Directors' Short Play Competition 2022 organised by THEATER CENTER under the aegis of SANGEET NATAK ACADEMY,NEW DELHI.In all the play won seven different awards.Among the notable awards are Best,Director,Best Actor,Best Actress and Best Script etc.)
Wrested from my writing by a drone
which signified that I was not alone
in its black and yellow jumper it had come
fat and furry, bigger than my thumb
it cruised around the room in lazy eights
before it worked itself into a state
against the window wings fizzed on the glass
as fruitlessly it struggled to get past
annoyed at every corner on inspection
too close to even see it's own reflection
the outside world all plainly in it's sight
but out of reach, no this cannot be right
it thought “the flowers in the garden I can see
but cannot fly to them- how can this bee?”
I pitied this paradox of aviation
for being in a desperate situation
it's compound eyes with panoramic view
blind to the neighbouring window it flew through.
“ I feel your pane” I told the frame inspector
too knackered now to gather any nectar
and went and fetched a beaker and some card
then scooped it up, released it in the yard.
We, too, in life in lazy circles go
until whatever circumstances throw
leaves us adrift, no chance of some release
we thrash round for solutions, have no peace
take on our problems close up, face to face
instead of stepping back and giving space
so we may then take in the wider view
the answer is nearby what we should do
so stop banging your head and then you'll see
you won't need glass and card.
Unlike the bee.
Once upon a time there was a palace over a secluded hill
Where lived an Indian blooded ‘Rani’ (Queen) with an inky will
Equipped and armed with a resourceful screen
With the might of her pen, for revolution she would melodiously scream
Each time the ordinary would look up to the hill and see
The flames in her bosom passionately rising to create history
The lushest of Kings from neighbouring lands
Chose to ride for eons to witness the miracles of her resourceful hands
With faith and light, she ruled from land to shore
Glitches out of their virginity; all nipped to the core
Against all bitterness her love spread like the chimes of the Big Ben
To save rebellious souls, she would walk unarmed in to any lion’s den
The Savage, many times would plot for her 'Raj' (kingdom) to crumble away
Not possible! For this Royal tigress each night would humbly kneel and pray.
An invisible wall exists
Between two neighbouring nations
That were once one whole large land
Holocausts of bloody battles
Cold terrorism and bubbled egos
Has cast our irredeemable divide
Generations tilled unitedly
In the undivided country
Whiffing the same gentle air
The ashes of my ancestors
Mingled with their dust
None to separate their fragrances
I'm an off shoot whose roots are buried across
A soft puff brings memories of my predecessors
Luring me to their homes but the wall becomes non-invasive
October 23, 2016
For Anthony Slausen
*References to an undivided India.
It fell from a grey sky
That exhibited darker clouds
From the smouldering of the earth
Over the land of the rhino
It covered all with whiteness
And turned the tone of the continent
Into emptiness
The people and the wildlife vacating the landscape
Experienced a mixture of emotions
Confusion ran rampant throughout the villages
Why now, when the weather forecast was...?
What was is...it’s been sunny all our lives!
Who can explain this phenomenon?
Where’s the witchdoctor?
How will our children walk barefoot in the ice?
They’ve never known winter like this,
No one even owns a winter jacket
The snow fell in triangular flakes
Some rectangular, or circular
And even irregular
But none of this was very popular
The elders recall a day in 1981 when it last happened
The youngsters Google search, but the signal is poor
The entire community is looking for answers
The weatherman cannot be seen
It seems someone is deliberately hiding the truth
A prophet came from the neighbouring village
Wielding a cane, and out of the snow
Built a snowman
He came to life and spoke...
These are the sorrows of those who died in vain
In a land that still harbours so much pain
When Ebola and malaria cannot be eradicated
HIV and TB are still in existence
The snow carries nothing but anger
At those remaining who fail to prosper
Because of dictators and corruption
Inequality, and gender violence
The snow smelted overnight
And the sky opened to the grey of the rhino
The black and white of the zebra
To the pride of a lion
And the joy of the people
Nigeria our great and beloved motherland,
where multitudes of tribes unitedly stand.
Our land of hope by two rivers divided,
with lush vegetation by nature provided.
Nigeria our home of people resilient.
A land of great icons in works diligent.
We hail thee our great and revered black nation,
our land of human dignity and redemption.
God arise and take your place as sovereign Lord.
Enthrone Thyself in Nigeria's seat of power.
Make her edicts and laws Thy eternal word.
Let justice prevail in her courts by the hour.
Our flag will peace and industry symbolize,
whilst our history will always immortalize
the deeds and sacrifices of our heroes past.
Help us Lord to serve our beloved land with zest.
Nigeria the blessed will pervasive peace know,
even when the threats of tumults seem to flow.
Her crops and yields will neighbouring countries nourish,
from her fields that inexhaustibly flourish.