A sonnet by this arrant bard, an other,
whose sole half-brother, a real piece of work,
and single parent (mother like no other!),
together were no warm nor loving perk.
In her heart, mother disowned me in life.
My younger half-brother begrudged my genius,
whilst being a rival who sowed seeds of strife,
in mother, against me (how very jealous
was he?). But I, an outright bard, complete
and sheer, make their dysfunction a rhymed affair
to exorcise these memories: defeat
this duo by whom I'm “an other” in despair!?
But if I could return my estranged mother,
I still wouldn't—and call my half-sibling, “Brother!”
Two Fridays ago, a fowl thief
Ruled over hearts, pets, relationships
Broke in (burglary) during my absence
Took Mr. Five (her half- brother) for his unearned pot
I just pray Kaalnek, our baby & pet, was not
Twice victim of a teen thief, safe in my hood
Why? The questions in south Africa, coddling crime
II: We forgive but Justice is the LORD'S:
Please join my miracle prayer, Kaalnek yet lives. The thief was trying to sell a chicken 4 days after the theft. I do surrender to God's will in thus matter, too
Amen. Shalom, shalom
P.S. Neighbors disclosed the thief, Jojos, son of Man-man, a shebeen owner or homebase alcohol seller. I did give chase when folk pointed Jojos out to me, but he got away. A police report has been filed
I
She's now almost four months old
He is at least four months older
She is half-sister, sharing a mother
So far, she, Kaalnek, somewhat bolder
Than her half-brother, somewhat Christian
Remains pure, virgin, or I'm no "farmer-observer"
II
Kaalnek is the bare-necked pet, my Chicken
She refuses the advances of Mr. Five
He courts so arduosly, like other species
Of bird and fowl, clucks with excited voice
And delicious tidbits, morsels for poultry
She may have enjoyed his attention
But remains on the run ... Incest unwelcome?
I
In a land of crime, pets too are killed
A goose was struck by an upset Ouma
I saw it in a fenced yard, life bleeding ...
It came close to home, with Kuiken
II
Kuiken is Afrikaans for baby chicken
But my name for my pet is Kaalnek
Her variety, subspecies, unfeathered neck
She learned to sleep in trees, after month1
III
The next day, her freedom ended (by me)
Not cat food, victim of domesticated cats!
In her cage (hok) she recovers from a wound
That made me cringe: skin on head, out!
IV
No cat, dog, or combination got Kaalnek
She is with her half-brother now, 'locked'
Though more lives than cats, I dont exaggerate
But my hero and I will not tempt fate
i
Kuiken, five-week chicken little
cares little for half-brother
walks indoors all day
ii
Kuiken little looks, recalls
faces, responds to BABATJIE
when called, plus clicks (for chicks)
Ruler of the Cataracts-Maiden of the Mist
The thundering waters of the Niagara.
Voice of the mighty spirits of the water.
The natives believed and yearly sacrificed
a white canoe with fruit and flowers
and a chosen daughter, until the Christians
came and told them Jesus paid. Not until
Lela-Wala, an only child and motherless,
was chosen did the practice subside.
After she dived, her father Chief Eagle
ran out of the woods and followed her.
1/11/2022
HANDSOME LAKE
He was born as Hadawa'ko “Shaking Snow.”
Handsome’s half-brother was Cornplanter.
My heritage from People of the Longhouse —
John married Margaret, a French woman.
She birthed Helen, my great-great-great grandma.
Together they lived on a reservation.
Handsome was born in 1735 in a Seneca village
on the Genesee River into the Turtle Clan —
later he was adopted into the Wolf Clan.
Doubtless my relatives knew of Handsome Lake.
He signed the U.S. treaty with the Six Nations.
1/11/2022
Referenced Wikipedia.com and webwinds.com
Chicago native Emmett Till would no longer be alive
after he was lynched in the state of Mississippi in 1955.
Till was on summer vacation in a village called Money.
It's located in the delta region of the river Mississippi.
The fourteen year old was beaten and shot in the head.
His body was dumped in the Tallahatchie River when he was dead.
Till flirted with a white woman in a grocery store, allegedly.
What really happened there remains a bit of a mystery.
The woman's husband and his half brother were the culpable party.
They were acquitted of all charges by an all-white jury.
Since the Constitution protects citizens against double jeopardy,
the two later admitted their guilt in a magazine's story.
This was one of the most infamous events in our history.
I thank wikipedia.org for information I obtained to write this poem
There is one concrete fact nobody can deny:
In every great story, there has to be a bad guy.
This is one unscrupulous character everybody must know:
He is Don John, the half-brother of Don Pedro.
Don John is a soldier in Don Pedro's army.
They have arrived in a town called Messina in Italy.
This legion has come from winning a great victory.
Don John despises another soldier named Claudio.
He's especially angry when he learns Claudio loves Hero.
To stop the wedding is what Don John must do.
He devises a plan to separate those two.
Based on the play "Much Ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare
Intuitive.
I am honest to a fault, overly sensitive, tough as nails and dependable.
I have two stepsisters, a half-brother and half-sister.
I love birds, antiques and old houses.
I feel anticipation, frustration and happiness.
I fear spiders, being misunderstood and being totally alone.
I would like to see more kindness in the world, no more abuse, no wars.
Resident of a cold northern place.
Considerate
1/13/19
Bio Contest
Sponsor: Dear Heart
One day my half brother Eric
From Oklahoma, visited us
He brought with him some fake vomit
Just to see who he could disgust!
When he was close to my grandma
He heaved and dropped it on the floor
We laughed at the look on her face
First a giggle, then up to a roar!
Then we saw her sweeping it up
At the trash can she threw it in
Even though we said, "It's not real!"
She shuffled off, and I saw her grin!
I sat and watched the drama unfold on the TV
Wondered what I’d do if it had happened to me ...
Just seventeen and pregnant, when her boyfriend is killed
Frances is so heartbroken and many tears are spilled
She places an ad for someone to adopt her son
Then interviews couples to choose the right one
After many years her son tries to trace his birth mum
He discovered she’d died and he looked terribly glum
But he finds a half brother; he lived one mile away!
Their reunion on TV was such a special day
Sadly within a few weeks one of the brothers died
I read it in the newspaper; then I sat and cried
Bittersweet Contest
Sponsored by Kevin Shaw
A true story based on a TV programme called 'Long Lost Family' and also a newspaper article I found on the internet
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/niece-man-who-died-weeks-11044570
09-03-17
Susie Lee done fell in love.
She planned to marry Joe.
She was so happy 'bout it all,
She told her pappy so.
Pappy told her, Susie Gal,
You'll have to find another.
I'd just as soon yore ma don't know,
But Joe is yore half brother.
So Susie put aside her Joe,
And planned to marry Will,
But after telling Pappy this,
He said, Thar's trouble still.
You can't marry Will my gal,
And please don't tell yore mother,
But Will and Joe and several mo,
I know is yore half brothers.
But Mama knew and said My Child,
Just do what makes ye happy.
Marry Will or marry Joe,
Ye ain't no kin to Pappy.
Author Unknown
(Jes like Pappy)
(Kinda brings a tear to yer eye, don't it)
A Brother Never Met
I wish I could tell you a story of brotherhood
now that my siblings are dead, I was the youngest one
but knew I had a half- brother in Arizona
a product of my father who was quite active on
this field, the woman- his mother- conceived when my
mother was pregnant with me; I didn`t know this
before I was in my forties. I contacted his half- brother
in Norway to get his address since he had been
adopted and had another surname, but he wouldn`t
give me the address he had forgotten it I knew this was
not true but left if at that. To my surprise, my nephew told
me the half -brother had been on holiday at a village
where I go shopping and buy medicine. I wish I could say
I bumped into him and a new brotherhood blossomed.
Alas, it is more likely he does not want to know about the past
and our parents’ transgression.
================================
You've never really been a part,
you feel, of this rare tribe you've met.
Kept separate from them from the start,
you fear they won't accept you yet.
But now, re-called to places where
you've never really been, a part
of you in all the faces there
will chase disquiet from your heart.
Like you, they're handsome, fair and smart,
the others in this group of which
you've never really been a part -
perhaps you'll find a common niche.
Though introductions can be stiff,
you were begot, the lot, by Art
and all may soon find it's as if
you've never really been apart.
================================
Poet's Note: My 4 siblings and I recently learned
that we have a half brother, sired 34 years ago
by my father, Arthur and this poem was written
to welcome him into his extended family.
Wisdom and experience are gained from different people
acquaintances triple, exposure amazingly quadruples,
little efforts give positive multiple responses
and to mythical success stories, I’m an example.
Accentuating the happy countenance of survival like the dimple
but the road isn’t straight and not everything is simple,
making the beautiful side of Life my gentle half brother.
Before walking fine, I crawled like a cripple,
within the gland of prosperity, my success was like the nipple,
subjected into quality discipline in Life’s temple,
to bring out a fighter and a worthy disciple.
My rewards and rags, going side by side as a couple,
making me a self sample, hence growing my own permanent apple
as the beautiful side of Life confirms me a merited champion.
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