Long Cowrie Poems

Before They Came

Sitting here with my daughter between my knees, I braid her hair; One by one I place the lucky cowrie shells in her hair. I hear the call and response in my village....

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"The 50 Move Rule"



Thomas Crown 
rolled his smile 
around her frown

Romance blew a warm breath
over her pristine cowrie shell
Voodoo Mojo Bag

There, 
just there, 
an Ocean made a Blue move

In the Red
Life
Black Black White

White White Black
Read,
A...

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Written: June 23, 2023
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Bonds packed with zeros—harmony, grief, regrets,
In this endless cycle, memory no longer begets. 
Your poetry is a symphony that stirs my soul.
But also a river of nausea in which I swim, whole.

Lonesome, dispossessed,...

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When
The Arrow Of God is
No Longer At Ease
Things Fall Apart
The Voice of
The Enemy Within 
Whispers At Dawn saying
Weep Not Child as
The House Boy named
Maru looks at
The Sterile Sky and
The People Of The City run after
Samankwe...

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When
'The Arrow Of God' is
'No Longer At Ease'
'Things Fall Apart'
'The Voice' of
'The Enemy Within' 
'Whispers At Dawn' saying
'Weep Not Child' as
'The House Boy' named
'Maru' looks at
'The Sterile Sky' and
'The People Of The City' run after
'Samankwe...

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The strange men made strange fruits 

Point.
	
Strange 
Strange fruits
fruits and Men 
the difference only in color 
Multiply the hate. divided. but blood is same 
Between strange fruits and strange men, what is with us and...

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I feel the hand of the invisible smothering my skin
The rule Maker up in the sky 
Lull my heart of a better tomorrow
With a make-belief smile i retorted 
But the departure of grandpa
In September drained...

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At the beach, digging beneath the pier
harvesting minute shells;
sharks teeth and all sorts of goodies; 
I make jewelry you see; Cowrie earrings paired
exclusively with brown Tiger-Eye; a tasty treasure, 
eye candy of a semi-precious nature.

Naticas,...

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Upon the crest of a whispering wave, 
A love letter sealed in a bottle's embrace, 
Tossed by the tides, an age ago, 
Lost in the depths, where mysteries flow.

Within its parchment, emotions reside, 
Ink stained...

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His skin is coated in red ocher,  
making it hard for his enemies  
to notice him midst termite mounds.  

He wears a headdress of cowrie shells  
and ostrich feathers, for his...

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Head honcho, forever bristling
Bleached exterior, this mask of 
countenance
Princey, let me kiss you, my liege
We are only Men in Black -
Chieftain for the cause
Priest of neoclassism
Maestro of Propriety
You are.

He stamps and huff - truth or...

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His skin is coated in red ocher,  
making it hard for his enemies  
to notice him midst termite mounds.  

He wears a headdress of cowrie shells  
and ostrich feathers, for his...

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what you do not feed will burn itself out

disconnect ....

from malcontent

  ...cool removal

just bouncing light off

like a cool moon.

 gasoline

...searching  for a match

   step back  .

 

what you do not...

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