It shifts from bad to worse
Expectedly, it does
Suppose it looks quite obvious
For many, counting those
Who claim the empire is to end
Split in a thousand pieces
That’s what the masterminds intend
To do – I don’t believe this
I think what we are witnessing
Is their Golden Age
And this is just beginning
The Chapter Two, first page
We’re in the new edition
That meets time challenges
We’re actors of non-fiction
A dystopian excess
We’re stigmatized forever
But we get used to this
Just never you say never
And never comes a bliss.
The enemies talk, and receive applause
Their repertoire stays the same
Only it’s getting a little bit worse
A step shorter towards the end game
The funny thing is that all understand
We get closer to animals the humans wiped out
The UN may express the best worry they can
May organize the grand meeting about
But it’s obvious, not only to the masterminds
That the point of so called no return
Has already been passed, and no one could find
The alternate route to take on
We are undergoing involution
For quite some time, since the World War 1
And actually, it didn’t end with solution
That exactly states what was won
No rational reason explains how on earth
We’ve come to this state of affairs
Was it written in genes since the first man’s birth?
I’ve no clue, I guess nobody cares.
Morning goes. Noon goes. Evening spreads its spell.
The man in the elevator knows well—
The familiar and the strange
As though beasts in weather change
Cough, giggle, groan, sigh, yawn, sneeze, scream, and yell...
Passengers in tune and tone of their own
Whether one is in a group or alone
The elevator man finds
Simpletons or masterminds
Humans are a universe of their own.
Dusting the floor,
my broom wrestles
with the cobwebs lingering
from yesterday's sales,
all around the ceramics
the threads poke
in all directions,
I kick the dustpan
and the dirt crystalizes
in midair,
for a moment, it was beautiful.
Sirius, bright as always but
Canopus, closely behind.
The vacant moment
stabilizes,
attuning gravity
for the slightest
second.
The image painted its portrait
onto the walls just as
Starry Night captured Van Gogh.
Unlike brilliant masterminds,
the stars fall as gravity remembers
its role.
The glittering dots flake
over my feet blending
back into the ground,
the straws weak grip lifts
the dirt kicking it back
outside, yet again it forms
high up in the skies blending
with nature as it hides,
slowly it vanishes
as its memory remains
within the dirt, stars form.
Freedom comes with a cause
A price to pay
Only the brave pay dearly
Due to the danger of suffering
Even when you're doing your best
It seems like you've done nothing
Due to denials and oppression from opposition.
To be a mastermind
You must master your mind
Knowing what you're made for or of
Then surrounding yourself with masters of minds
Sharing your opinion with others
For a specific or common interest or goal.
To give a masterpiece
You must work with
Masters of the mind
People who know
What they want or need in life
Doing what brings them closer to their goals.
October creeps amid the shadows
Lengthening
The shortness of the day
Dancing amid the pumpkins
Chortling in its chill
Adding boney fingers to the trees
Reaching into our fears
Tickling with terror
The mystery of a gleeful night
As demons dance with ballerinas
Midget masterminds plot
Against larger super heroes
Trembling
As the door opens
A hand reaches out
A shriek, a panic of footsteps
A hollow laughter trailing
October
She scares ‘em every year
But gives really great treats
We are masterminds.
We can be cunning,
But sometimes, we need a break from deception.
They wonder about that.
We smile less, and act as tired as we feel.
Standing with them at the crosswalk.
We never cross, we never trust green lights.
All us masterminds…
Hesitate too long…
Get left behind.
We can try to be cunning.
But sometimes that’s all they need.
To find us out.
When splendor shimmers hypnotized glance
O, glamour, how captivating is your stance,
Aesthetic, harmonious, brushstrokes of art,
Flaring embers of elation in enamored heart.
Opulence of your aura lights glorious flame
Showcasing gems, glittering ornate acclaim
Ravishing pulses-fervid of inflamed desire
From stunning demeanor of alluring attire.
You are a flirtation, an enchanting display,
An embroidery woven, motifs exotic relay,
On fabric of life, teasing impulses of mind;
Fascinations galore, masterminds designed.
Yet, I wonder, if your charm is real, is it all true,
Are you a diamond, through and through;
Be not spurious, be not dubious, divulge a clue,
Behind glittering façade is it genuine you?
Be not a counterfeit to unsuspecting sight,
O, glamor, dazzle not, sparkling false delight
For inner halo is brighter that a phony smile,
Be the authentic grandeur of affluent style.
I know a place where imperialism is hated
So much because majority people don't enjoy
From that system.The place is called,
"Africa"...Where many people praying for its death daily.
I know a place where racism is a popular song,
Majority people speaking about racism here and there
That place is called" South Africa." Majority big
Companies & farms own by some people of same race.
I know a place where tribalism is like musics.
Tribal conflicts rise most times in certain countries,
That place is called "Africa." Most masterminds
Of those conflicts and other troubles are outsiders
May 26/2023
Written for poetry contest sponsored
by Edward Ibeh
Chosen tlitle: I KNOW A PLACE
Taxi violances
Many taxi owners
Are always murdered
For different reasons
In their taxi industry,
Crime prevention securities
At many ranks and
Houses of taxi owners
With big guns mostly.
Trapping each others
Due to secret coflicts
In some families and
Businesses.
Hate,
Jealous,
Envy
Sounding loudly,
And very
Heavy to carry.
Turning hunters ,
Hunting each others
Publicly.
Very
hard
life,
Yoh!
Yeah!
Yebo! Yes
To live
With much fear daily.
Being riches
But sleepless nights
Thinking of being killed
At any time,
Like some people
With no rights.
Hard
For the government officials
To monitor those crimes,
In many taxi ranks
Of different cities
And
Rural erears.
Hope
Love
And
Peace
Will find
Place
In hearts
Of Crimes
Masterminds
And
stop taxis
Violances.
By Alfonso Warally Ngengethe
Mussabwa Chris
My accountant’s forever twisting truth
between glasses of generous tall vermouth,
forever conniving to save face
while under breath reciting grace.
Endlessly playing the most convoluted charades,
he masterminds the grandest schemes and escapades.
Inevitably he comes to the same conclusion
that one day there will be no absolution;
still, he refuses to abandon hope
that he’ll find the way to get richer than the pope
AP: 3rd place 2022
PLAYING THE GAME Of POKER
At the table,
the dealer begins the game,
passing out set number of cards,
players ready to exhibit mental acuity.
A full house of masterminds,
getting familiar with the cards,
playing different variations of the game.
everyone with a target.
We fold, check, call or raise,
strategizing on how to topple the other,
straight, stud, draw or community,
mostly, same rule applies.
The game of poker,
quite similar to life.
simple,yet complex!
requires a lot of maths and psychology.
It's a bet, full of trials and errors.
Some rely on their tenacity and courage,
their adroitness and tactics,
for maximum result.
Some compromise it all,
yet, no aroma of fresh fruits.
some run out of chips, even before they get a chance to play.
We all are players,
playing the mean game of poker,
round the clock,
with dexterous manoeuvre.
The difference is,
some have mastered the soft skills,
and have become connoisseurs of the game.
while some are still baking in the oven.
In this game of life,
sometimes we win,
sometimes we lose.
we all bet,we all play.
Sporting in lightening spell bounds of nature
Caressing the coolness of the peaceful sky
Worthy stake embellish wings adventure
Cordially exploring weather so bright
Two placed up on high heaps wings sojourn
Innate drives mount the hope cum disturbed winds
Fright of possible fall is thereby spurn
They are the airborne rocking the headwinds
Masterminds of the muse behind aircraft
That clothes human envies to flying
Through necromancy braced up in witchcraft
Beyond imaginable horizon
Both enjoys the openness that caress the grace
Which journeys them along peacefully in space
My awe and fascinated find
Lost deeply in a human mind.
Its fancy fonts, not easy read,
And yet it masterminds each deed.
Incessant innovative source,
Societies’ fierce driving force.
The scope of knowledge, wide and vast,
What minds grasp is designed to last.
Dishonoured defaults of mankind
Sit heavy on a human mind.
Gloom, ecstatic joy and sorrows
Hide in crevices and burrows.
Its stoic strength, rare and unique,
Exudes an aura of mystique.
Motion and progress in its prime,
Sparking the bright minds of all time.
And never fails to fascinate -
Mind’s lust for wit, insatiate.
May 20, 2022
The shaman knew of it's great power.
Of its ability to show the reality of life.
When those demons are driven out.
Breaking the bad habit of living cheap.
Instead living an examined way of life.
In the war of truth and love against sin.
Always a lopsided challenge of ideology.
Well known in the land of masterminds.
As per the Great Gathering of Gratitude.
Where the dying release the propaganda.
And accept the notion that it doesn't end.
The humans are vested in fleshly armor.
Not aware they use it each and every day.
How instinct preserves the power of thought.
To raise up the common man's use of will.
Until we each control ourselves to the end.
To follow a new kind of love relationship.
A love that holds no secrets or false fielty.
Where there are wide eyes and throat lumps.
And a desire to follow the voice of conscience.
To fear not that your life be as an open book.
For the pure of heart is the lighthouse of love.
And has a face like a moment of freshness.
That looks out with still eyes...at nothing.
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