_______________________
This three-piece limerick captures universal struggle for one’s identity. How the masks (vain emblems/hats we wear) eventually alienate us from who we truly are.
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I never failed to flaunt my vain emblem
That I wore long years to hide who I am,
Therefore the man I was
For long was held in pause,
And now I scarce know from what roots I stem.
Now, were I to meet him, say in a lift,
I wonder, should I doff my hat or lift.
This dilemma’s dingdong
Has stayed with me for long,
And with this odd impasse in life I drift.
The bell then rings, the heavy doors swing free,
I drop my hat and face the man I see.
I step out of the box,
Unlocking all my locks,
And simply walk away as ah, real me!
_____________________
Reflections | 05.02.2009 revised in September 2026|
A Thousand-Watt Smile
A thousand-watt smile isn't born to hide the pain;
It blooms when someone knows they're not alone.
It rises from a heart that's danced with rain,
Yet still finds hope in places once unknown.
It reaches softly to the waiting eyes,
Where tears and laughter leave their gentle trace.
No mask, no pretense, nothing to disguise—
Just quiet courage shining through the face.
It warms the silence, brightens every room,
And lifts the weight that weary hearts have known.
A simple smile can chase away the gloom,
Reminding us that love is always shown.
Are we the shade of the shadow
or a shadow in the shade.
Are we sashaying toward pinhole dreams?
While trudging above an open grave.
It all seems like a giant garish gothic play
acts and players hand-picked centuries in advance.
Hobbled masses humbly kneel on crumbs to pray.
Realizing opinion nor ballot was ever worth a damn.
These two-legged, greedy, greasy snakes.
Eyes made of slag have no vacancy signs.
Clogging up our gossamer soul veins.
They're here to minimize, intimidate.
Project, disappear, dismiss, assassinate.
Straitjacket the masses with normalized madness.
We, the people, are not the ones playing God.
Poisoning water, field, sky...
Smiling in the light while eating innocents.
In the shadow of ritual and sacrifice.
These devils openly mock and taunt us now.
(byproducts of a boiling swamp).
Yellowing the face of flailing freedom.
A billion greenbacks can galvanize
such audacity and shallow bravery.
Of these deeply soiled oligarchs
and pathetic plastic kings.
dolls from the sixties
pre Barbie days
chubby bodies with round faces
rivaled the cuteness of a toddler
two-year-old leaned into the window
gazing at them with rapt attention
not realizing they were ghouls in disguise
ready to take the soul of whomever took them home
Elders taught us to not tell lie,
To believe what is seen by the eye
No doubts, no questions why?
So if things went awry
To whom are you gonna cry.
No one, no problem then sigh
I'll keep it then till I die
But what if the truth became the lie
And the lie is now a truth in disguise
which is which, can you identify
Maybe yes, maybe not
But who would've thought
Not even a single doubt
then I guess I'm quite dumb in that part
to not defend, to not impart.
but, then I'm just a man
I do mistakes,
I learn sometimes
i fall apart
then come back again
You claim to hate math, but you love division;
Subtracting peace with every calculated decision.
You multiply chaos like it's long addition;
And solve for drama with precise precision.
You divide the bond that once made us whole;
Splitting unity just to satisfy your greedy soul.
You can’t balance love if conflict is the lenses you see your vision.
You’ll never find truth in division, till you divide your own illusion.
She's so perfect, thin and tall,
She's so perfect, feet so small.
Her hair so long, and lashes too,
As if they’ve all been stuck with glue.
Her lips so full, her cheekbones high,
Every curve precise, no flaw to spy.
Her nails so long, sharp as a knife,
Polished to shine, the height of life.
She's so perfect… or is she?
That plastic smile won’t let her be.
A factory doll behind those eyes,
Every detail copied, her soul disguised.
Story of Herzine and Hizzien
-------------------------------------------
She thought ut was a way for acheiving luck.
She tied both male and female underwear
with a guitar string
poured wine over it
and passed it through the oboe
she said a fella had told her
that this bought him luck
and she should try it.
She knew he was tryna score! But it was cute
and he was kind and she said she liked him.
When days turn to nights
might the evening keep us closer together.
She said after they became freinds
he asked her to marry
she said yes but refused to agree to a day.
He knew she was devaint and in this
case she was most despective.
He found someone else
and married without fanfare.
When she found him and his new wife together
she throw books and instruments at him.
He said he honestly thought she was trnyna deceive him
she said her feelings were geniune
but others knew she was only
holding on to have talking points.
A Doorway in Disguise
Closure is peace
Sadness is sometimes the doorway
through which happiness enters,
wearing a disguise.
When you release the rope of fear
you’ve been gripping so tightly
afraid you’ll sink once you let go
you discover instead
the taste of joy.
A full vase cannot receive more.
To welcome God’s blessings,
you must first make room.
Empty the vessel of fear,
of doubt, of helplessness,
and trust His power
to refill it
with abundance.
Fear numbs the senses.
It dulls our ability
to receive light,
to recognize gifts.
Never doubt yourself.
It is okay to slow down.
It is okay to lose your way.
It is okay if the journey
takes longer than expected.
It is okay to fall,
to get hurt.
It’s okay to start all over again
This, too, is part of the process.
It was meant to happen.
Now rise
and become the maestro
of your own orchestra,
and dance
to your own pace,
your own rhythm.
He begets the inferno within
Such impediment to one's
own happiness
Covetous in his own disguise
A condemnation to misery
Constrained to emotional infantilism
All forlorn and empty
He can't attain anything
other than froth…
masqueraded as you like it
most cleverly wooed under a suitor's guise
played up most compelling disguise
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Behind the smile lies a troubled heart.
Beneath the laughter resides a tortured mind.
Underneath the beauty of flowers is hidden clutter,
And below the shine, a trail of mystery waits.
The tortured often become celebrated figures;
Their struggles remain concealed within their chambers.
The troubled tend to be gifted,
As darkness quietly penetrates their spaces,
With the recalcitrant night communing with them.
Timeless pieces of art are crafted by the burdened,
Those who unburden through their creativity.
The most memorable quotes come from seekers of Light,
Who travel through ever-changing meadows,
Encountering challenges, fighting battles, and learning along the way.
The elements of freedom are like mist,
Disappearing in the fullness of the sun's light.
Though these elements are transient,
They urge us to remain persistent.
August 18, 2025.
They’re killing innocence because that’s what they do. Bullets are made to fly and bombs to fall too. The animal is alive and disguised by a soft smile. But it will rip out and eat your heart and then politely say thank you.
The animal lives a cultured life, educated and true. The animal exists in your life and walks, breathes, sleeps and talks around you. The animal disguised may indeed show concern for your pain. But it would happily end your life if living came down to a choice of it or you only to remain.
The animal inside is ferocious and true.
living behind the disguise of a face with soft eyes just like me or you.
For no matter how polite and peaceful you are finding your truth in nature and the sun. If your animal had to fight for its life it would destroy by hand, by foot, by tooth, by blade or by gun.
Suppose for a moment
Superman had no nose
Three eyes
And one leg three inches too short
He’d surely need a better disguise…
Or would he?
I never said the fish was that big,
just long enough for your surprise.
Yes, the sky did fall down once -
though not in ways you've come upon.
The art of the little white lie
is a Trojan horse disguised
to catch your attention.
To trick you to pose or question
what you'd never otherwise ask.
The lie, error or mistake,
flips the mind to correction,
demanding reparation.
It works a treat for advertisers
lecturers, presenters, debaters and charlatans.
It begs the question, demeans the ask-er,
but masters the magician's
conjuring tricks of deception.
A fool takes the bait,
a wise one casts acting the fool.
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