must a man lose everything
to divine those truths inside -
must he bare his marrow else
deny what flesh should hide -
and will he open up his veins
thus through his blood, abide:
there is a thrumming stronger
than what beats in his breast?
must a kingdom wage a war
to stand and prove its might -
pave its streets in solid gold
and show its doctrine’s right -
oh must it build its parapets
in stone, to grandest heights
to know without one question
there’s a paradise that waits?
must a god be sacrosanct
through all that he applies
faultless in his form or law
while innocence thus cries
must he let his redress act
midst truth as passion dies
or is that err of humankind
how love so finds its breath?
for love is yet the only force
that triumphs over …
death.
Copyright © 2025 Gregory Richard Barden
( photographic art created copyright-free by the poet with GALA AI software )
Though fate appears a riddle yet unsolved,
Its edges blurred, its pieces hid from view,
By Nature’s grace my worldly needs resolved,
Her gifts like morning rain, both rich and true.
Yet in my heart love’s branches twist and break,
A garden bright but strangely bare of bloom;
Misread affections, words we can’t remake,
Bring shadows creeping through my inner room.
Some pattern weaves itself, unseen, unkind,
A cycle spun of silence, doubt, and fear;
And though my cup is full, it leaves behind
An echo where love’s music should appear.
If heaven grants me every other part,
Why must a puzzle still divide my heart?
Genocide Joe was killing them softly
his bombs though slaughtered thousands loudly
killer Kamala was more worried about the price of eggs
than bombing babies in Gaza's cage
now we have Trump
a criminal being a super criminal
openly stating
he will commit genocide
kill them all he proclaims
Israel's chief Rabbi said the same
kill we must, a million or more
Gods Chosen, spreading terrorism and hate
laughing, as they have Trump on a leash
the bomb makes Zionists aroused for their profits
If you remain silent now, let make a new name
a silentist following silentism
I promise you, you should be ashamed
the only thing greater than your shame
the victims pain
I’ve seen the world change, transform in sight,
My country has taken on so many a plight.
On one side, poverty’s face is shown,
On the other, prosperity has grown.
One side gleams with bright faces, full of cheer,
On the other, life trembles, caught in fear.
The rich walk proudly, the poor quake in dread,
Like wolves chasing prey, they’ve fled.
The strong push laws aside, trample them down,
They’ve legalized their wealth, in every town.
They stash their riches, send them abroad,
Planning their escape, making the law their fraud.
Cut wages, take mothers' dues away,
Taxes and fines growing every day.
Some chase titles, lost in the quest,
While others wander, just trying to rest.
The good spread their kindness, hearts so bright,
The bad hide their wounds, concealed from sight.
Why must a young life be taken in vain?
Why must they hang, filled with sorrow and pain?
We lie in the fields, shot or hung,
No matter how much we try to run.
The cause of it all lies in the deceit,
And the wrongs proclaimed from the podium's seat!
Though ice may coat my outward guise,
Inside, my Kazakh flame still flies!
Oh, my people, for your rise,
I was born to seek the skies!
Why must a chosen few divide,
The land’s vast wealth, its rightful pride?
The fight goes on, unyielding and strong,
For every soul here should belong.
From child to elder, none denied,
In this nation's treasures, all have a side.
Gold, copper, gas, and uranium’s glow,
God has blessed this land below!
A noble people, pure of blood,
Once sacred, now tainted by greed’s flood.
The system corrupt, we point in blame,
But we must cleanse hearts to heal the same.
The greedy devour, their hunger obscene,
True equality could only redeem.
Yet those who bring strife, chaos, and shame,
Will bear the curse of the people’s name.
Though death may come, a shroud their due,
They’ll lie in earth, no riches in view.
With my verses, I seek to inspire,
To light the youth with a brighter fire.
Empower the youth, and watch them soar,
Dreams fulfilled, they’ll strive for more.
Proudly they'll call this land their own,
In a future of peace, the Kazakh is known!
Dear manipulative muse,
I have watched you calligraph your craftsmanship into oblivion.
I must say, your concoction is a wild enterprise,
Dreaming in the darkness, you have sketched me an aura of rose
From an oasis that sings a broken lullaby,
Playing chemistry with macabre metaphors.
Such a shame…
Did the bittersweet sun in your sky teach you only black and white?
Must a woman almost always be the mosaic mind?
Spare me the brain-blistering sad songs on the 1900 radio.
Now witness! Observe!
See what it means to be the dawn of pain in familiar torment,
Time stolen and a heart far beyond broken,
Dust lost beneath the hidden October embers.
Why wait for a volatile vortex?
When your indigo moonstone stirs up like a furious faucet,
Impatiently waiting to explode into the aftermath of a war?
Are you done keeping score?
Or does your pride need to see how I can walk out that door?
You are barely a quest,
You pathetic flamingo!
So get your head out of my backyard
And bury it in a forgotten graveyard.
must a man lose everything
to divine those truths inside -
must he bare his marrow else
deny what flesh should hide -
and will he open up his veins
thus through his blood, abide
there is a thrumming stronger
than what beats in his breast?
must a kingdom wage a war
to stand and prove its might -
pave its streets in solid gold
and show its doctrine’s right -
oh must it build its parapets
in stone, to grandest heights
to know without one question
there’s a paradise that waits?
must a god be sacrosanct
through all that he applies
faultless in his form or law
while innocence thus cries
must he let his redress act
midst truth as passion dies
or is that err of humankind
how love so finds its breath?
for love is yet the only force
that triumphs over … death.
For a sky to be blue what light might praise,
towards the newly dawning greys,
for white cloud, embers, a sunset bright,
praise to heaven, praise to light,
Oh why must a sky keep changing,
arranged by painted shapes and form,
just as the seasons too do change
From hot and cold too warm.
Let the children be
The carefree laughter of a child, sweeps across the sky
The joy of playing and happiness can be seen
Eyes sparkle and cheeks are flushed with fresh air
The beauty and innocence of a child is everywhere
Man with wicked thoughts and perverted mind
Come to ruin the innocence of a child
To destroy that little world before it begins
To leave that life filled with scary things
Why must a child's innocence from him be taken
They don't deserve man’s evil intentions
The innocence of a child is the way to heaven
Evil men must pay for their actions
Preserve the beauty and innocence of a child
Permit them to be happy and free
God's children can show you a true smile
Let them be happy, let the children be.
By Cathrin Stuart
Let the children be
The carefree laughter of a child, sweeps across the sky
The joy of playing and happiness can be seen
Eyes sparkle and cheeks are flushed with fresh air
The beauty and innocence of a child is everywhere
Man with wicked thoughts and perverted mind
Come to ruin the innocence of a child
To destroy that little world before it begins
To leave that life filled with scary things
Why must a child's innocence from him be taken
They don't deserve man’s evil intentions
The innocence of a child is the way to heaven
Evil men must pay for their actions
Preserve the beauty and innocence of a child
Permit them to be happy and free
God's children can show you a true smile
Let them be happy, let the children be.
By Cathrin Stuart
Let the children be
The carefree laughter of a child, sweeps across the sky
The joy of playing and happiness can be seen
Eyes sparkle and cheeks are flushed with fresh air
The beauty and innocence of a child is everywhere
Man with wicked thoughts and perverted mind
Come to ruin the innocence of a child
To destroy that little world before it begins
To leave that life filled with scary things
Why must a child's innocence from him be taken
They don't deserve man’s evil intentions
The innocence of a child is the way to heaven
Evil men must pay for their actions
Preserve the beauty and innocence of a child
Permit them to be happy and free
God's children can show you a true smile
Let them be happy, let the children be.
By Cathrin Stuart
Let the children be
The carefree laughter of a child, sweeps across the sky
The joy of playing and happiness can be seen
Eyes sparkle and cheeks are flushed with fresh air
The beauty and innocence of a child is everywhere
Man with wicked thoughts and perverted mind
Come to ruin the innocence of a child
To destroy that little world before it begins
To leave that life filled with scary things
Why must a child's innocence from him be taken
They don't deserve man’s evil intentions
The innocence of a child is the way to heaven
Evil men must pay for their actions
Preserve the beauty and innocence of a child
Permit them to be happy and free
God's children can show you a true smile
Let them be happy, let the children be.
By Cathrin Stuart
Let the children be
The carefree laughter of a child, sweeps across the sky
The joy of playing and happiness can be seen
Eyes sparkle and cheeks are flushed with fresh air
The beauty and innocence of a child is everywhere
Man with wicked thoughts and perverted mind
Come to ruin the innocence of a child
To destroy that little world before it begins
To leave that life filled with scary things
Why must a child's innocence from him be taken
They don't deserve man’s evil intentions
The innocence of a child is the way to heaven
Evil men must pay for their actions
Preserve the beauty and innocence of a child
Permit them to be happy and free
God's children can show you a true smile
Let them be happy, let the children be.
By Cathrin Stuart
How many times must a man come to grips
with all of the troubles in life,
where voyages tend to become sunken ships
and seems every path leads to strife?
How often must he try, despite what he sees,
a battle that’s too big to win?
Where forces are meant to bring him to his knees
and make him start over again.
How many times when rock bottom he’s reached
and no light above finds his eyes,
will he fight to gather the words he’s heard preached,
declaring that he’s meant to rise?
What is the potential of a man who won’t quit,
who holds fast to all that he knows?
There’s power to change the whole world where he stands
if he goes on… despite how it goes.
First love proves itself but once
To leave a blessed scar.
How foolish must a mortal be
To fade such a shooting star.
But time shall not be trifled
And old age will play a part.
When death displays its icy grip...
First love will warm your heart.
The End
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