"He who closes a school door opens a prison." ~ adapted by poet
“Closed!” hangs on gate a frowning note;
Gusty wind scatters his neatly combed hair;
Mockery screams; love lost his way home;
Back to jail plods he, with a ragged heart,
For jailors with rifles guard the school gate.
“Closed!” pouring fountain of love, a nest,
A greener lawn, fawns run wild with glee;
A school of love, love heals pains of love;
Gate grieves; a road leads to rusty bars;
Back to jail plods he, with a tattered heart.
“Closed!” paused his feet, not seeing road.
A black bee rumbles, freezing a rose bed,
Petals flee; dusty floor wipes their tears;
Earth wails; sigh rises; softly clouds sob;
Back to jail plods he, with his battered self.
Feb. 15, 2021
They Closed The Brothel Poetry Contest
Kai Michael Neumann
Love will keep me going
Love will keep me sane
Love will do whatever it can do
For a tortured brain
Love will up the ante
Love will bridge the gap
Love will take responsibility –
Love will take the rap
If I ever wronged you,
Well you know I did not mean it
If I’ve hid a secret from you,
I probably haven’t seen it
Our lives can look like prisons
With the jailors and the keys
Love will break these shackles
And send me to my knees
Love will keep me going
Love will keep me sane
Love will do whatever it can
To ease a tortured brain
Love will up the ante
Love will bridge the gap
Love will take responsibility –
Love will take the rap
In the eyes of strangers,
We claw and we fight to survive
Worrying about the outcome
Too busy to feel alive
How do we keep on floating
If not for that raft called love?
It’s like a solemn, holy messenger
On a mission from above
Love will keep us going
Love will keep us sane
Love will do whatever it can to
Rescue a tortured brain
Love will up the ante
Love will bridge the gap
Love will take responsibility –
Love will take the rap
Jesters jokers juggle
Jink joke as journeyman
Jag up one jocose notch
Jougs jesserants judder
Jussive jokes demand the
Jutty jailors’ justice
Juxtapose jolterheads
Dawn again in this gaol
The jailbirds are imprecisely numbering
One hundred and sixty million
Or more of my countrymen.
The jailors are three hundred and sixty humpty down
And 109 dumpty members up.
You will never see vessels that
Could be emptier.
Empty headed riggers; we never elected
The two other estates of the realm
Are but a sham.
Even the fourth just stroll
Through the corridors
Hoping to be beckoned in
To share of the loot.
They call it national cake.
The ignoble governors are known
For stealing huge funds
And they show no shame;
You can't show what you don't have.
And so nothing works anymore.
Yesterday, Yusuf John stole 23 billion naira
Worth of of public fund.
He was taken to court and he confessed.
The the lead-headed judge,
Slapped his wrist with an option
Of seven hundred thousand naira
Worth of fine.
The thief paid instantly from his back pocket
And walked away free.
Never has there been a country like mine
Never will there be any like it.
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