Long Swarthy Poems

The Mirror

When I look in the mirror I don’t see me, I see who I used to be.  A little lost girl that was so abused and so misused, so ashamed of who she...

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The date of the celebration
(the second day of February) coincides
with medieval feast of Candlemas,
and its pre-Christian predecessor,
Imbolc, a day also rich in folklore.

An old Scottish prophecy foretells
sunny weather on Candlemas
means a long winter.

The tradition is...

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Rampant and endemic police brutality... 
flourishes against United States citizens of color 
going on three years 
post George Floyd 
short lived heightened awareness
when #blacklivesmatter 
in conjunction with 1619 project
wrought upwelling of progressive surge
hinting at positive...

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Coloring smiling faces donned with faux missing teeth,
and waxing poetic lip schtick adorned with moustaches

Swarthy, spooky, scary carved
pumpkin faces thickly materialized 
out of thin air
as Halloween holiday loomed near
yes... just an innocently naive fickle kid,
who...

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Wave a sea softened
                  and a pain and a tenderness
        ...

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this culinary humble verboten pie eating older mwm 
   in sore want of coital aid
with no intent to rile nor up braid
certainly not prompt ye to call military enfilade
nor cause nerves to get...

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Tom Mboya, son of Ndiege
From the craggy islands of Rusinga
--the craddle of his progenitors
He sprouts like avens in the loamy knoll
And out to the urbs he sets off his journey
A parlous journey to his martyrdom

Look...

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When Enrique came too, his head aching,
and his memory scrambled royally,
he found himself firmly tied to a chair,
his eyes were bleary, it was hard to see.

Something…a man, was standing before him,
who this person might be,...

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Ah, the life surreal.  Nothing like wearing the weirdness like a greatcoat as I sip bad hotel coffee and muse over where the last few years have taken me while watching ice flow around old...

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Das Don doth debilitate democracy
driving a collateral wedge
deliberately dividing differences
collaborating, collapsing, and collaring
disparity amidst ever
increasing homogenization

extant within contiguous United States
across world wide web for that matter
attested by increased
spike among multiracial
amalgamated enclaves, individuals mixing,
where preponderance of...

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Groundhog day 2021 - Tuesday, February 2nd

Coincides with astronomy's cross-quarter day,
marking the midpoint between
winter solstice and spring equinox,
which will occur at 5:37 AM on
in Northern Hemisphere
Saturday, March 20.

Small consolation old man winter
spans fewest days
of all...

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Manila folder,
Growing older,
Lying on table,
Watching other files,
Grow bolder,
It was earlier looked upon,
Now ignored,
As if it was dead,
After a bloody gore,
They had submerged in its custody,
A lot many papers and notes,
Carrying dates and events,
About people and...

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That dormant feeling of insecurity arose,
when travel journal got thrust adjacent
     to my tattered (holey tattooed) clothes
while I knew with crossed eyes

     aroused anger from peaceful doze
my...

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EBONY BUTTERFLY

We all can fly
With powdered colored wings
Different you and I
But we're of the same being
BUTTERFLY
Look at me
At my mastery
See the beauty within

And surrounding, ever holding me
Is the many colored wings
Fluttering, embracing, holding me
Above this...

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5:02 AM Eastern Time Monday,
December 21
Location: 2 Highland Manor Drive
Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
40.2562° N, 75.4638° W
Daylight 7:21 am – 4:39 pm
9 hours, 18 minutes

Mine circadian rhythm pulsates bright
imperceptible increments of daylight
increase fantasy fanciful heavenly flight
as I imagine...

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Archie Bunker at the Pearly Gates

By Elton Camp

Archie almost died at the loading dock
The experience, to him, quite a shock
“If the crate hadn’t missed, I’d be dead”
The scary thought ran through his head

That night he...

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Nirvana protégé podcast/youtube
phenom quite mature
talented young lass promising future
media attention did capture
overnight starlet exhibits bravure
generates profuse nonstop
outstandingly positive conjecture

nine year old greeted in France bonjour
mademoiselle so innocent and pure
guaranteed future success 
near anonymity one day
household...

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Enrolling as a pirate is much harder than it seems,
You’ll need to speak in present tense and chase your wildest dreams. 
Well, once you’ve trained a parrot and been measured for your hook,
You have to...

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The Red Devil, Bronco Johnson in 75

I lived in Morningside, moved in a massage parlor girl
2 kids a Kangaroo dog and a white rat called Merle (Greyhound roo catcher)
We had a druggie ambo man, so...

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That little drive ~ filled ~ waiting cars
just others, counting "lucky stars"
Paul did it right, not many marrs!

Paul also was this small town's cop
to just curb violence, drinking's flop
so many years can use you up!

One...

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I preach to myself first
I will not attack your worth
Comparative of many, much I show up
In the love of Christ
For my blessings cause
If not you'll get mine 
A greater or additional amount or degree
I am...

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Prejudice, inferiority and abuse
maligned, hashtagged, and dogged
heels of peoples uprooted peoples
south of the equator, or elsewhere
whose epidermis strongly hinted
fifty plus shades of ebony.

They found themselves in debasement
within complex edifice housing
facade of equality
ofttimes receiving punishment
their sole...

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A calm morning with the nippiest breeze of October,
the moss-covered rocks shed the surf:
as it is thrown back into the tumultuous surge,
and on the glimmering and soggy sand... 
the writhing shellfishes won't survive without the...

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Playing With Fire




Afraid for your miscreant soul
While the Devils licking tongues of flame at your heel
With oh so dirty thoughts

Afraid for the flesh
As you are lead to the pits
All the torture there in of your...

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She will rise up from the water, in the midday afternoon
Lightly vaulting from the darkness, wearing beads of jewel-toned sea
Splashing forth as if a fountain,  spilling locks of brilliant gold
Wearing combs adorned with seashells,...

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