Girls could not wear pants to school
When I was just a kid
And on our feet were shoes, not sneakers;
That’s just what we did.
We got dressed up on holidays
Or specialized events
Like Broadway shows or graduations;
There were no dissents.
Grown-ups also went to work
In dresses, suits and ties.
Decorum was the rule of thumb then,
Meant to civilize.
We’ve come a long way from those years.
Now there are no set rules
And most would claim they like this freedom;
Dress codes are for fools.
Yet there are times I look around
At people at their jobs
And what I see is the result;
So many look like slobs.
I wouldn’t want restrictions like
The ones we used to know,
But it bothers me that sloppiness
Is now the status quo.
My mind is tribal, I hunt in the mud and slurry,
I track the stars in a wooden chariot
made from the ribs of a blood-clan crib.
My thoughts are armored, yet as articulated
as any youthful flesh, they cannot be washed,
or manipulated, I have an ax for every hand
against them, a caress for those
who choose to fight on the battlefield
of inspiring ideas,
a painted arrow and shield to defend
the commandments of ever-mutating gods.
A green tree within a high mountain
is my mind, a solar flare of endless creation
are my barbaric prayers,
the same orisons that now civilize the corrupt
and morally spent.
I am the heart of existence, my tribal markings
cannot be scrubbed away, by smooth-skulled
manikins or the slick prattle
of any grandiose legion.
Tread not on me, brother!
To live is to expand.
Deterrence! Slay the Other!
Cold core countermand!
Boots a-click-clack, cobblestone.
Midnight raid and how!
Help the boy to hold his own!
Sacred, O my cow!
Written in the ancient s blood?
Time to cause a flood!
Rill and river, ricin, rud!
Break, fade, flash, firewood!
Bats before the bayonets?
Batons too can kill.
Settle in before she sets?
Providence, thy will.
Wild as any modern force?
Stranger than the sea?
Shift, O river, from thy course?
Not the likes of me!
Covert action! Civilize!
Cut them down to size!
Aim for whites of foemen eyes!
Dare to criticize?
Thunder, roll o'er city street!
Alarums to ring!
Riot team, best ye complete!
Jerk them on the string!
Silent aftermath, thy path.
Kingdom, how ye grew.
Pour out poison on the math!
Hope, need talking to...
I
The Reeds rest in water by faith
You may recall Baby Moses' name
Or you may forget the Prince of Egypt
And his name, "Up from Reeds"
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
Also sings to and in the Weeds
The Reeds that feed, sing, civilize us
As in Egypt of Papyri fame, flames
Of music remind us to remember
For we are wont to forget, forget, forget ...
Then Mole, Rat, Boy Otter will be Teachers
Ii
The music rises & falls among the Reeds
Ancient themselves, translators for us
From teachers from another Kingdom
We do remember, if we listen, above our din
That serenade the Presence, Healer-Helper
A name Hebrews knew in Exodus of Moses
Yahwah Rophikah, THE LORD MY HEALER
The Otter, the Mole, the Rat rarely forget
Even if they miss some of the words
That meander among the Reeds, rising ever
Lilting - seek my helping power, in that hour
I do not have a perfect life
Blue, brown, yellow, black...
Orange and silver, civilize my emotions
Correspond to justify my ambiguity
Like a swarm of bees, protecting its hive
I have succumbed to my delicacy
It magnifies my efficacy
The roar of a lioness.
Lay to rest the troubles of thy self
Unfold the folded and iron the crumbled
Take a closer look in the mirror
Take a closer view in the puddle
Yes, the mystery is muddled up
You dread to look at your own soul
But nothing is much more stabbing
Like the hearts sore.
Different views, different tastes
She is not you, You are you
You wish for clarity, but
Charity you never tried
Purity was never your choice
I smell darkness
The roar corresponds to the howling howls of the night.
Sleep my emotions sleep
The night is still young,
So are you?
It was never promised to no man but,
Tomorrow is another hectic day
Pathetic is no fit to define
Lock the voice-box, sustain the roar
Sleep well my love,
Sleep well.
This has got to stop: Killing our citizens and Police Officers. Fourteen and thirteen year olds by their counterparts, this must stop. We have lost two very virbrant Officers of the Police Department, this can't continue.
It makes me fear my going out and coming in. Praying it's not my turn. All the lives taken are from people who have not reached their full potential in life. Why? We cannot just stand and look, We cannot just look? What can be done?
It is more than sad, going to young people's funerals. Just tell the reason for this senseless violence.
I am a senior and can't understand why this has to be. Is it the laws we have made, that no longer protects us? Have the people changed so drastically, there is nothing to be done? Is it necessary for everyone to walk with firearms? Tell me what is happening.Can we not go back to civilize behavior. Where is all this hate coming from?
I pray no wars between states again. Have we not learned anything?
Bwana wanna boogie on safari.
Bwana wanna porter fetch his gun.
Bwana wanna bag a bloody trophy.
Bwana wanna kill it just for fun.
Bwana wanna rumble through the jungle.
Bwana wanna rummage through the bush.
Bwana wanna buy a pagan baby.
Bwana wanna snag himself some tush.
Bwana wanna colonize the tropics.
Bwana wanna rule from pole to pole.
Bwana wanna civilize the heathen.
Bwana wanna circumcise their soul.
Bwana wanna drink his gin and tonic.
Bwana wanna party like a sport.
Bwana wanna play a little polo.
Bwana wanna build a tennis court.
Bwana wanna condo in the suburbs.
Bwana wanna manicure his lawn.
Bwana wanna customize his kitchen.
Bwana wanna throw some burgers on.
Bwana wanna watch a game on Sunday.
Bwana wanna drive an SUV.
Bwana wanna bear the white man’s burden.
Bwana wanna live like you and me.
A wonder why some people does behave suh
Greedy foh dem mattie own
Always want but never like to give
I can't live with these people no moe
Dem does get on my nerve now
A de thinking dem gone change they ways
But it getting worse by the days
Tell meh why we can't be civilize
Is like dem see a plum tree
And ain't waiting fo de plum get ripe
Always wanting the first bite
When you see dem get money
Dem whole attitude change
But when dem get broke
Oh lawd
Dem like uncivilized ape
I can't tek dem now
But every dog get dem day
A gone hide meh fang
And give dem a taste of they own medicine
You wait and see
My house ain't get place fo bad minded people
Period !
To take to wings of virtue, peace, philanthropy and truth
White in purity and eyes that spread beset the flight to take
To greater heights imagined dreams too lofty to the test
Be not the single soul as time shall have its trial be
Its consequence, constancy and principle to prove
And what prevails the story read its bravery doth find
Its hero's valor founded on the betterment of all
For this is our oath to civilize our virtue's latitude
Our humanistic element, our affirmation kind
So fall sweet Icarus from grace your soaring altar lifted
To be humbled by the path you chose of useless significance
October 14, 2019
Pick A Title, #10, Blank Verse Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Edward Ibeh
Title #Icarus Falling
Noble heritage they cannot erase
Ancestor’s plight laid bare for all to see
Tribal identity etched in each face
Invincible spirit their pedigree
Various attempts meant to “civilize”
Expanding demands for more and more land
Pogroms by forced removal terrorized
Extreme suffering they had to withstand.
Only unshakable resolve saw them through
Providing strength to mitigate their fears
Lives lost, yes, their memory we’ll renew
Endless remembrance of the Trail of Tears.
***
December 6, 2019
F G I series 23 tragedy
Brian Strand, sponsor
Submitted 12/20/2018
"Contest 530, Any Form, Any Theme, Up to Max 20 lines" Poetry Contest
Brian Strand, Judge and Sponsor
Asinine alcohol alters me into a paper sniper
Ready to bounce and pounce on any challenger
Who dares to dance his lance in the path of my pied piper
Primed to civilize and sanitise viewpoints of an avenger.
Asinine alcohol magnifies my crucial social strength
Metamorphosing my frail figure into a Gulliver
With mesmerizing might in both girth and length
Although in reality a midget differs from both Oliver Twist and McGyver.
Asinine alcohol rolls my eyes, my world, my brain
Turning every reel of reality topsy-turvy
In a kaleidoscope catapult in which the reign of my refrain
Immortalises illusions, imprisons reason giving way to scurvy.
Asinine alcohol forestalls balls, walls and calls for sobriety
Pouring scorn, whittling away sapience on the horn of moderation
Measured on a scale of propriety, sobriety and impropriety
In the context of consideration, celebration and cerebration.
And there...
unlikely as in our world
cold mountains peaks
are grab by top
towards the foot of vale
where springs are flowing
from oceans depth
In to the rivers lair
no bird can freely fly
without the wings wide spread
theirs haven is liquefied
in kind of melted lead
they pulled their eyes outside
and underneath of deepest gulf
they hid...
theirs sins beneath the eyelids cut
instead of hairs they bred
subcutaneous larvae
lice have eat their lips
burned to dust
by meaning
of an imposturous act
their children are as old as oaks
already turned in to a fairytale
and mothers so bravely young
that all their tears
where shed at once
before almighty set aside
a hem of brittle sky - tornd apart
they done such things
that we shall never dream
they fetch such truth
that is unseen
by holiest of the holly books
they do prevail upon
nor love nor death
or madness all along
they stayed as wild
as we consider ourselves
so rapt and not enough to state
- so civilize
she chooses to begin
where ever the nearest end of the road bends
she chooses to share an identical heartbreak
for pains he painted
she cannot mend
she chooses to see no other men
her fiery red eyes
love now disgusting to her
but in her he is deep within
growing pains
nightmares
moans and aches
the road leads to open sea
a place where introverts roam
free
she and he may never be
so disturbing
these two distant lovers
destined to be
traveling carefully
carelessly
ambitiously
aimlessly
defining and defending
some new definition or new dimension of love
doves soar high above this open sea
where last and sudden embraces were shared
she and he may be no where
but love
the blossoming of intimacy and friendship
the busts and bursts of insanity and fear
the world blows winds of life
and life experiences new world leaders
leaders that warned them
of the end
and even still
she chooses to begin
again
and with him
to domesticate and civilize
the brave new world
a new old world
with him
here comes the New YeaR
And its time to make resolutions
For I promise to be sincere
And bring in me a revolution
In class I’ll talk less
In studies I’ll surely progress
All my lies I’ll confess
I’ll go to play with egress
To my friends I’ll be kind
Have my character refined
To a helper of mankind
With a sound mind
I’ll follow my teacher’s advice
Regularly I’ll exercise
My mother I’ll idolize
Beyond doubt I’ll civilize
These are my resolutions
To bring in me an evolution
To follow them I’ll try my best
Until then I’ll not rest
they’ve taken my sister
she’s all I’ve got
our home here in K-Mart
shelves our parking lot
she’s gone through the check out
I’m sure I saw a tear
in the crowd lost for ever
this loneliness I fear
yet the very next day cheap
in a gigantic sale
an innocent looking little boy
got me out of jail
the joy was short lived
an imp in disguise
showing me no feelings
a thing to chastise
I spy a pair of scissors
the bubble has really burst
a plunge to the head
life at its worst
an arm a leg
here in a civilize bed
a split down the belly
the stuffing the thread
fantasy of the play station
acting out his ideal
one of life’s assassins
guess this is for real.
© Harry J Horsman 1999
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