Most clouds have slipped away
pushed south by evening wind sways
in the brief raindrop spin,
breezes remain wide and thin
sliding through the rain
as the outer darkness gains;
by morning light
gone is the leftover black of night
eased as the weather soaks in and dries
in the slowed passing of 2026 July.
Off in the distant trees, locust repeat their calls
repetitious then silence falls,
but for the gatherings of crows
cawing loudly to the earth below,
birdsong melodic rhapsodies explode
in the cool of morning's flows
into the warm of sunlight clothed.
The blue skies return again
speckled with wispy white trends
puffed up clouds push in and out once more
revealing harbored glimpses of heaven's door,
there comes a calm, a peaceful paused interlude
as the sun the moon pursues
that will soothe the day's vermouth
with sweeter ingratiated fruits;
Noon arrives as nature thrives
all in living grateful to be alive
pulled into the rapture of life's inebriated delights
save for the fools whirling in constant human flight.
THE CHANGING WORLD
The age of chivalry and bravery has ended
That of sophistry, rivalry, upon us descended
Those with ability, to charm and talk, are commended
They are now indeed enemies, whom we once befriended
Where has all the love gone, hitherto, unlimited
The human greed for wealth remains unsatiated
For money, men unleash violence unabated
The rich and elite are highly ingratiated
The poor and forlorn man’s woes are unmitigated
Never were people so fearful, streets so deserted
Always under threat, somehow their lives will be disrupted
True, in Eve’s drawl and Adam’s fall, we have lamented
But Devil’s devious ways we have inherited
As peace-loving people, we too were once saluted
Today, hatred and revenge have left us demented
Receding waters allowed me to walk
on the heart of the ocean floor.
The lady of the ocean extended her hand —
the wings of a seashell soared.
God heard boldness tempered with timidity —
cherry redness ingratiated on warm cheeks.
A taciturn excitement parted her lips —
the Lord eager to give her all that she seeks.
One shell hailed from the uncovered sand.
Only one whispered the words: All is well.
March against the rule of guns
March in favour of human life in tonnes
Inscribed in the Book of Life
Although lobbyists promote societal strife.
March against the insensitivity of politicians
Bought by lobbyists, propped up by machinegun magicians
Whose pockets swell with bucks to buy turncoats
Ingratiated and depreciated to wear shame coats.
March for students’ lives
Dignified by educational drives
Ordained from on high to run Uncle Sam’ economic wheels
Despite the passage for umpteenth time of pro-gun bills.
March for human lives with conscience
Although voting for gun control laws hurts your election chance
Diminished but not extinguished by pro-gun lobbyists
Who in anger would put your name on their black lists.
Some day the inconsequential may find itself revealed
Dare to walk this plateau of significant insignificance
this mind of indifferent
and apply such a steadfast mitigated circus
in clogged up self-ingratiated opinions
Better that every servant serves their purpose
and reads their script like everyone else
dance to the tune
along with the trained dogs of celluloid wealth
Portrayed in the skin of isolated pomposity
such an Oscar awarded to political sneers
those outbursts of emotional mendacity
a mere expense of fashion is how easy
life appears
Overburdened with concern
realities unreality of box office applause
pandemonium headlines what a celebrity can earn
and every act is acted by pressing play or pause
Just another show motion, another accolade of pretense
another incontinent photo moment to make them all proud
another vacuous misinterpretation
in their own overpaid defense
just street entertainers blowing their bubbles into the crowd
Then skip down the streets yelling bubbles, bubbles should not be allowed
poetically fractured retractions
gnashing night prayers,
scribbling braille,
written sideways
dipped in holy water's resolution,
compromising statements
of disbelief's proclamation
spinning music the color
of nakedly sick psycho, yet
burnished souls keep on ticking
quarter past total trade-offs
in a spoonful of smoky reflections
sans acid's sugar trip,
anointed of rose-reddish
bloody false pretenses
dancing off center phases
in disillusioned
pirouettes of pseudo redemption,
whirling out of control on
staged tapestry's loftiness
surrendered ballet slippers
in blistered half promises,
as twisted metaphors sprightly
tuned out spun anomalies
below birds on a rusty wire tweeting
admissions' cobalt blue hazed execution,
rendered inky alterations' inquisitions
'pon pedaled pink fluff profundity,
exhaling paroxysms' jazzily engaged poesy
in vehemently enraged deliverance,
naught one is ever as they seem
through pigmented film 'neath
figment's imagined looking glass
of ingratiated delusional grandeur
Poetically fractured retractions
gnashing night prayers,
scribbling braille,
written sideways
dipped amid holy water retention,
compromising statements
of disbelief's proclamation
spinning music the color
of nakedly sick psycho, yet
burnished souls keep on ticking
half past total trade-offs
in a spoonful of smoky reflections
sans sugar's acid trip,
anointed of rose red
bloody false pretenses
dancing off center
in disillusioned
pirouettes of pseudo redemption,
whirling out of control on
staged tapestry's loftiness
surrendered ballet slippers
in blistered half promises,
as twisted metaphors sprightly
tuned out spun anomalies
below birds on a rusty wire tweeting
admissions of cobalt blue executions,
rendered inky alterations' inquisitions
'pon pedaled pink fluff profundity,
exhaling paroxysms of engaged poetry
in vehemently enraged deliverance,
naught one is ever as they seem
through pigmented film 'neath
figment's imagined looking glass
of ingratiated grand delusions
Nature did not understand me,
When it produced me,
But I am understood by nature,
By life’s processes and behaviours,
Thoroughly admired and integrated,
Almost ingratiated,
Unable to complain or dig,
Standing amazed at the plate.
That I evolved, I know,
Sure as a goldfish of his water:
My ancestor’s genes were modified and changed,
Through everyday behaviour and focus,
By partners’ characteristics and traits,
In the determination to get through and win,
By the physical touch relationship of sex.
No problem at all, that’s fine for me,
That massive statement of gene makeup,
Those free interactions which take effect,
In the enormous chain of descendants,
Through that family ancestry tree,
It made me,
And even more, it does not determine me everyday,
Because I’m free to choose my own rack,
Friendships, partners, jobs and interests,
And I can see that evolution is fair.
He had a great conflict and fight
And his soul was the main site
Heart fell in love from the first sight
As her magic ingratiated it so right
Heart wants this love to grow
As a pine tree covered by snow
To withstand era's winds which blow
But this was against mind's law
As it ordered him just to flee
Cause sorrow is love's famous fee
Fearing loss in eagerness sea
And so ,it preferred safety key
To forget her and close love door
To leave this fascinating shore
But heart said she worth dying for
As passion was so hard to store
Who would lead in this case?
Heart had an etched love trace
Mind wanted to win the race
Soul is torn in between needing brace
By: A. Badr
A token flash from your azure eyes so fair
The snapshot did my ingratiated lids snare
Your sharpened stare did my focus pair
My singed cornea was left in state of disrepair
Your beaming irises cast a searing flare
My dilated pupils your steam did not spare
Reflecting lenses as mirrors cast lurid glare
My glowing retina could not the intense flame bear
Apprenticed to enamoring aviary, Love's cerebral chords to refine
To interpret the alluring tones in each, captivating line
Overhead, a snow white dove in the pure light doth shine
Innocent libido's inhibitions to illumine
On silted ground, turtle doves in beautiful harmony fealty bine
Every silky neck strand in seamless congruence to twine
In enchanting Lilac tree, song birds in melodic chorus rhapsody pine
The titillating rhythms of amorous romance to define
On fibrous pulp, wood peckers their virile aspirations sign
Artfully tracing each groove on hull bared and supine
In golden pond, nubile swans in tantric dance align
With graceful movements gently stirring the foamy brine
Hovering , humming birds' wings vibrate o'er suckling vine
Then with salivating tongues on frothy nectar dine
At dusk, Nightingales' guttural groans in palpitating soliloquy whine
The moonbeam's enticing spell on unwitting lovers to assign
Ebony-caped crows bellow bewitching chants o'er listless ravine
Each ingratiated soul with lustful thoughts to incline
Stealthy hawk with piercing eyes each svelte fiber doth divine
Then with dexterous agility swoops down on silky ermine
Balance of time slights the recurring vigil
Country's pride gleans the depleting residual
Annual tears water the artifices above manicured ground
Unextinguished pyre of tinseled youth still seethes 'neath clodded mound
The drum roll of spent days serenade each, muted mime
As ceremonial taps grant ingratiated minds trite stime
Into heroic feats rendered in soldiers' splintered prime
Human shadows hover in the solace of peace sublime
Sodden warriors' token sacrifice remains layered in lime
Sentient wreaths shroud shallower graves
Each, calcified bone now jading memory's slave
Stoic crosses reincarnate the souls of the fallen brave
Devoted progeny patriotic reserves from depleted fibers shave
Nuptials wrung from ingratiated hand
Purloined hope dripping from each strand
Pristine fibers with leased value you did brand
Quilted folds of ivory now your treasured contraband
Bleached residual your selfish honor did demand
With sinewy clutches my graceful cusps remand
Your jealous stock, with annual annuity planned
Gangrenous envy flowed from your jading band
Opal plains with silky troughs now desert quicksand
Denuded tendrils cannot your cool, callous touches withstand
Now Praying Mantis shells encrusted on a barren island
Cracked, bleeding cavities deeded to your wasteland
Margin was short,
minute and hair breadthed,
he smiled outwardly,
and inwardly grimaced,
hid the inner pain,
and buttered the whole main,
His lordship came forward,
quite ingratiated,
waving hands,
he conjured an ace,
of his grace,
which now began to race,
lordship had obliged,
had the margin hedged,
he came out with a winner's badge.
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