Liberty, equality, fraternity,
beautiful chimeras carved into the republican marble,
yet behind the motto, the Black Code,
the papal bull,
and the slave-trading betrayal as backbone.
Slavery, colonization,
xenophobia, negrophobia,
these are the legacies they disguise as civilizations.
Human zoos, colonial trading posts, the colonial pact,
the savage plunder wrapped in a tricolor flag.
In banana republics, tyranny is always under contract,
Françafrique and its neo-colonial military bases
feed African dictators at the service of the West.
Africa, the third world, whose misery has been planned for millennia,
this is how they name the cradle of humanity.
Under their blades, raw materials
become a procession of genocides,
and neo-colonial poaching devours heritages.
Assimilation, integration, alienation,
these three chains forged by the schools of the empire of Enlightenment.
But human dignity refuses to be sold,
the integrity and identity of courageous souls will never prostitute themselves.
Humanity and Africanity,
these two flames proclaim aloud
that the womb of oppressed peoples
shall never be reduced to the dust of servitude and submission.
SENSE PLEASURE
Red honeyed apples
autumn leaves dewed
****** merge with sun streams
whilst children sleep dear dreams
Bobbing bubble baths
yogurt on hot chilli pie laughs
smell the sour dough
nourishment oh oh oh !
Blue moon paints front stoep
knobbly hand whispers stories
of heritages and future glories
skin ripples aptly rapt
Prancing clean laundry dance
mother’s milk in melting mouth
puppy grovels dirt digging south
sound frequencies simmer smoothly
Von Gogh sunflowers float in
mental notes skipping
Mozart phantom pianos airwaves
come dine alive then to jive
Pleasure finding the lost gazed
glance glimmer with God at no cost
Earth to Heaven find
THE JOYOUS JOURNEYED CONNECTION !
©GhairoDanielsPoetry&Song
2000
Brecon Beacons
for pony-treks
Cumbrian fells
& bubbling becks
Dartmoor
with rocks rain scarred
Lake District views
beloved of bards
Northumbria on moor & hill
where Roman echoes linger still
Stone-bridged hamlets
in the Dales
with enclosed leas along its vales
Snowdonia one thousand yards high
reached by slow trains up to the sky
Pembroke with its distant trail so long
heritages for us to protect & prolong
National treasures to preserve & enjoy
by rich,the famous &hoi poloi.
Copyright © Brian Strand | Year Posted 2007
Memories of a country past
Growing up in a simpler time
when things were unplugged
fresh air was the norm
playing ball with family and friends
riding bike fast on the gravel, scrapped knees
playing kick the can and hide and seek
going to the lake, swimming till sun burnt
catching fish, watching the scales fly every where
Being proud to be part of a wonderful community, town, and state
Having respect for parents, teachers, firemen, police, service people,
clergy, heads of state & president
Proud of a country that was egger to vote
and no matter the out come we cheered the winner on
Proud of our men that worked, helped with the family and community
Proud of our women that took care of the home front, kids and worked
Proud of the this country we live in
Proud of our heritages that brought us here
Proud of the way our ancestors come with nothing,
but expected nothing but hard work
We should dust of the our pride and stand up again
this is still our country
We have a generation that has not seen what we us to be
Lets show them what we can be again
Christmas Tree, Menorah Meet-Up
A Christmas tree and a Menorah,woke one morning right next to
one another!
Both were shocked to be so placed, thinking this was such a total
disgrace!
Well, being immobile there was nothing either could do!
They each avoided looking at one another, in a stubborn stew!
Eventually they did, then a great friendship was launched and they
even developed a fondness for each other.
I heard them chatting and talking about their commonalities.
And even..how better this world could possibly be!
Someone lit them at sundown, and the lights of each..glowed.
With their loving brotherhood and whispers...shimmering on the
beauteous, silvered-falling snow.
They taught each other songs of their respective heritages.
Swapped stories of what their lights represented.
There was no chatter of who was wrong or who was right!
They were there to simply light the human spirit, tonight~
I, silently and helplessly, wept in utter delight!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah
From:
Panagiota Romios
December 16, 2019
Brecon Beacons for pony-treks,
Cumbrian fells and bubbling becks;
Lake District views beloved of bards
Stone-bridged hamlets in the
Dales with enclosed leas along its vales.
Snowdonia ,one thousand yards high
reached by slow trains up to the sky.
Pembroke with its distant trail so
long,
heritages for us to protect and prolong.
National treasures to preserve and
enjoy by rich,...the famous ...and hoi poloi.
Would that we stamp these words
On foreheads, as soon as an infant slides
Through the open birth canal:
White privileged
Underprivileged
Poor
Rich
Thug
Fat
Terrorist
Hater
Lover
Etcetera etcetera
O how innocent, and pure
A sweet baby!
God has only labeled us:
Loved!
When the world is churning in cyclonic fashion,
When earthquakes threaten to tear us apart,
Can we grab each other’s hands, and pull
Them from the devilish hole?
Who are our friends? Even their silent voice,
Would raise an octave to kill
The prejudice and hate spewing
From all sides.
When we are blessed enough,
That God stretches us out,
To give us a family and friends -
From many rich heritages
And colors,
That we might feel!
I also hurt when you pinch me -
It leaves a horrendous bruise.
The world spreads
Its media butter on bread,
And tries to disengage our hands.
But my loved ones, my friends
I won’t let go, I love you so!
Cul du sac
Blood tears
Leaking
slowly
the empty face
emotions raped
red raindrops
fancy lollipops
empty glass
filling with sanguine color
drip
drip
drip
We are smiles
en chante
tous
les petits moulins rouges
tombe
casse
drink well from my veins
sleep in my tears
robbed of heart
faceless
fate has fermented
barrels of laughter
in the silent chamber
of broken dreams
Notes: Translations
Cul du sac = dead end
en chante = cheers
tous = all
Les petits moulins rouges = the little red windmills
tombe = to fall
casse = broken
Many have attempted bilingual art, music, song, film, and very few have had success, and yet for me, doing so is a bridge that joins the best of all cultures and heritages whichever they may be, so seeking less success, and more bridges to travel I carry on.
Superstition
A belief in the mind
Learned from another kind
Baseless only a customary
Born from cultural shine
Easy to preach but difficult to practice
Educated brain and grown up science
Always defunct why such immaterial!
When practised for good from bad
It is acceptable follow just to obey
When it evokes bad from good
Heinous deeds to believe and follow
But as it came from a chain of life
There should be a primary cause
Simple men adopted it for letting it be
As two sides of a coin front and rear
When unnatural charge upon men and other
Implicates doing harm mind and body
A mere matter of trouble accepting unruly
Accepting purpose of would be
Many heritages are most beautiful
Letting human beings matter of glory
We should preserve them gift of ancestors
Let it spare for our progenitors
Abstract may be considered only a feeling
But who have seen their mind and soul
Still all should believe they are within
Is superstition or pure final act of the God supreme
The Church is one, holy, Catholic and apostolic
Find these words from the Creed, Professed at Sunday mass
4 marks indicate the essential features of the Church
Each mark viewed as a reality and a challenge
Church is one
Bond of love between Eternal Father and Eternal Son
Unites as one people of Eternal God
Church profess one Lord, one faith and one Baptism forms one body, the Church
Church is holy
In the Holy Trinity is the source of her holiness
It is holy from her founder, her saints and means of salvation
The Sacraments, 10 Commandments, charity and prayer presented as holiness of the Church
Church is Catholic
Catholic means universal
Have their own ecclesiastical disciplines, liturgical rites, theological and spiritual heritages
Dialogue is a form of evangelization
Church is Apostolic
Built upon the foundation of Apostles
The college is understood as the principle of their collegiality
Holy Spirit ensures she will not err in faith and morals
Die Hinterlassenschaften des Seins sind unsere Spiegelbilder der Ewigkeit
The heritages of being are our reflections of eternity
Los patrimonios del ser son nuestros reflejos de eternidad
And your son
Fathered you
To carry him against the disbelief
And anger of conventions
And you gave birth
To the death of old traditions
That will not die
That stones your memory
With silence
For children are not products
Of wedlock
That die in new crucifixions
On crosses in the womb
And the old lie
Of third world overpopulation
You were a gift from him
And he the gift in you
Telling us
We are heritages of the Lord
Like Solomon
Building a sacred place of prayer
For the culture of our sins ...
I do not call you intercessor
I call you courage
Of the better example
Of love's perpetuity
Brecon Beacons for pony-treks,Cumbrian fells and bubbling becks;Dartmoor
with rocks rain scarred ,Lake District views beloved of bards.Northumbria, above
on moor and hill,where Roman echoes linger still.Stone-bridged hamlets in the
Dales with enclosed leas along its vales.Snowdonia ,one thousand yards high
reached by slow trains up to the sky.Pembroke with its distant trail so
long,heritages for us to protect and prolong.National treasures to preserve and
enjoy by rich,the famous and hoi poloi.
From Wisconsin the American walked the streets of Lagos
To black Africa welcome! To the pearly continent
Cradle of creation, primordial of civilizations
To the thickest jungles, haven of gigantic elephants
Den of fiercest lions and colourful gazelles
Ours is the blazing sun, golden in the horizon
Rains in seasons in the rainforest
Wildest plantations, lush vegetations
The mighty oaks, cedars, and irokos
Our is the heights, the pinnacles
Kilimanjaro, a supral-archectrural piece
Olumo, a refuge, a fortess and a stronghold
The towering Zuma rocks, Idanre hills, and the Mambilia plateau
Ours is the depth, the length
The Nile, the Niger, aquatic splendour
The riches of the earth depth, oil diamond and gold
To us belong the ageless heritages, a living culture
The talking drums, the festivals and the dances
Ours are fashion and style, regal and noble,
Batik, adire, kente, Ankara and aso-oke
And flowing African milk, palmwine, burukutu
Ogogoro, kunnu, fura de nunu.
And to us the millennium bestowed
Welcome to Africa, the motherland Nigeria.