Son, you’ll rise before the sun breaks its chains
And work your father’s yard ‘til fingers strain!
You will bow and drop your knee to the ground
And soften your roar when grown folk around.
Boy, never dare meet my eye when you speak,
Be brave out there but in here, you be weak!
You must break yourself to my sage command,
This is the respect that I must demand!
Look at us grown, ‘respectful’, and hunchbacked
walking on tight whips that you all done cracked.
We’re still bending to our elders’ designs
Our heads folded and courage in confines,
Our peers push and sway like the sunflower
When we have been made to crouch and cower.
We are without conviction from their stem
For our fathers made us as theirs made them.
See us grown, ‘respectful’, and African,
We’re Perch in a world of the Pelican.
We hide our whimpers and we ground our knee
To all folk — be they grown or be they wee
Wuhan took bullets for humanity to have a chance to fight on
They lay their bodies on landmines to stop the contagion
Their town was silenced and taken over by ghosts
Their freedom was taken away but hope was never lost
Under their face masks smiles and scowls were concealed
They were desperate for hugs but human contact sent a chill
Their eyes tried to beam defiance and hope to one another
As the only grip binding them was the faith of prayer
In the shadows of fear, togetherness shined bright
An invisible menace washed away as a fight fronted fright
Livelihoods and rivalry were set aside for the common good
The world sticking out for each other like an old neighborhood
At the front lines where they brave out the corona virus
Nurses carry an audacious face of the world’s selfless fighters
No matter how far apart, our shared humanity is what binds us
No matter how many have departed, our survival makes them victors
I took a walk in falling rain
And fog, beneath dark looking clouds,
Cool breezes tickling my nose
As I walked through Power’s Pond Park.
Others were brave out walking too,
Gaiting about, out on the go,
Some just walking, more walking dogs
And others jogging or running.
Raindrops were gently falling
While I was out walking about.
Some clouds were parting while sailing;
I thought that they soon would be gone.
But, just as I was nearing home
In my raincoat with hood pulled up,
A cloud burst of rain fell from the sky
As if to be sure it got me.
I walked much faster to get home
But faster brought raindrops the more
And home found me drenched, chilly cold
From my walk in Power’s Pond Park.
W.C.Hull © 2014-27-10-871 (E)
They had already started the lunch the crew in their places the shuttle flew higher into
space. The crew had only seven onward toward heaven it flew seven was doomed to
die. The crowd cheered to the crew of the shuttle. They are so brave out of the blue a
hush filled the air. As they look up at the sky smoke from the shuttle was everywhere.
The rockets broke loose and hit the ground. The shuttle’s explosion was so great the
crew of seven had just met their fate for each one knew they just lost their mate. They
prayed there is no way this could be true. The families and friends of the space shuttle
crew. The search had begun for all the pieces. We watched in sadness at home on are
TV. They search all through the night for any pieces that may come in sight. Day and
night they searched for a clue but there is nothing left of the shuttle crew. For are
nation a great loss but when I look in the sky I see a cross for the seven how’s lives
were lost. What a terrible fate.
prompt: Granite
To The Earth’s Lovers;
I am the result
When a burning, blazing
Untamed love
Is so quickly cut crimson.
Cold feet,
Infidelity,
Death.
Once so searing,
An impossible neon colour
Of passion
Scorching souls,
Engraving in hearts,
I was that obsessive craving
that you so greedily welcomed
into your delicate thermoregulatory system
Feeding, so desperately, until…
Burning begins in a body
So frail, so disciplined, so aberrant
The pure steam of my favoured breath
singed the delicate, innocent eyelashes
right off of your malleable face.
So you put me out
Dumped me, if you will
Froze my love immediately
So that my molten core
was eclipsed by a jagged shell.
My heart; smeared with the ash
of 1000 departed loves.
And now, you walk over me
With your new, wooden woman.
Shaved, smooth, varnished to perfection
She will not leave her stinging kisses
Along your pliable chest.
I long ago became something else
Changed my anatomy
So I could brave out
The cruel stomping of a leaving lover,
But there are always naive flames about.
So as you stand
On my granite surface
Remember, my dear;
That wood will burn.