I am a minority man
Full of ambition and knowledge
Racial being the issue
Discriminated across the board
Standing for all minorities
Being forbidden
Having no right to embrace among the nation
One’s assumption in not wanting to know, but draw a conclusion
I am a person
Dignity and honor that follow
Educated with understanding
A life that is sustaining
Not accepted what the Constitution states
I have become a hate and no appreciation
Wisdom gained
Forefather’s reflection
I am recognition
Voices speaks loud and strong
Freedom of speech wants silence
Speak only when spoken to
Created with inspiration and dreams with a purpose
Superiority mounted in efforts to express
Having a cause and effect
The need to prove achievement under the nation’s eyes
Fierce with principles
I am American pure and true
The right to establish
All I ask is believe and respect me
Speak no lies only truth
I speak with American within.
I am ashamed—but I stand unbowed.
I have lived with idle hands,
while men bled, built, fought, and fell.
I hid from fire, feared the flame,
counted comfort as courage, silence as strength.
The cries of the world pierced my soul,
and I turned, trembling, from the call.
Yet shame shall not hold me wholly.
It steels my heart, it drives my hands.
I will rise, though late, and labor,
though courage falters, though weakness gnaws.
I shall shape, I shall fight, I shall give,
lest my soul rot in cowardice eternal.
I bow to none but the measure of my deeds—
and though the night presses close, I remain unvanquished.
Not beauty’s flame that soon will fade,
Nor jewels bright, nor silks arrayed,
But gentle speech that soothes the day,
And steadfast truth that will not stray.
He seeks a heart both calm and kind,
A loyal hand his own to bind,
A quiet strength, a tender ear,
A faithful soul that holds him near.
Not fleeting charm nor fleeting praise,
But love that lights the darkest ways,
A patient hope, a watchful prayer,
A presence constant, always there.
Thus finds he treasure, tried and true,
Not gold nor pearl, but spirit too,
A crown of grace, a guiding star—
Such is the woman loved afar.
She reads with voracious appetite
she has the patience of an angel
~ her future is looking bright
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
My friend is sad and so am I
For different reasons I ask Him, ‘why?’
He looks at me neither bold nor blue.
A light glows pink in merry hue.
She called me up and poured her mind
I felt the same, of a different kind.
When spirit’s measure stretched at length
I woke up to find, I’ve lost all strength.
She has been trying to dry out her tears
While I here, myself was driving my fears.
No one to share my feelings drawn
I gathered strength to fill her morn.
With laughter and light she retired to bed
I worked the night, was awake instead.
Today it was told it’s not required
I had my share of the pain I shared.
Then reasoned out ‘was it all meant
To surrender my wisdom or my strength?’.
He looked at me and waited long-------
Till I blew my breath of scorn
Was that how You cleaned my eyes?
Was it healthy for the spirit to rise?
My friend’s laughter at the end of the call
Made me realize once and for all
My hard work somewhere has paid me well
I have reasons for love to dwell.
Love for Him came naturally, through,
I looked at Him and felt so blue-----
He could have gone but He never did.
He had to show me my greatest need.
Cornwall Security employee has in daylight today exited work vehicle in thousand oaks to initiate false name using another's forcibly removing public utility access from the army corps of engineers in the United States of America. Per declaration
Removing free speech
Time now is 9:59a.m
Interested parties up to the AFL-CIO and all account holders in California have previously been named defendents
Order of city draw from account concludes upon registration entries of harbor house desk pantry fool reception.
As to whom is eating
Typically "fasting" days, rights and laws devolve internment districting rather astutely in history.
That one has as currency and is currently undergoing the burden of halting on side notes for another's labor in a daylights gaining momentum.
Conjectures reposing argument precludes
I lay down and think,
think about everything.
About failures from my past,
mysteries from the present and all
that could come next
to make my heart beat fast.
What will happen and what will I do?
It's easy to overthink it,
but fate is unknown – for me too.
Humanity is dying,
it's the only truth we know.
But faith I will never lose in you.
You're my light every night,
keeping the monsters out of sight.
You're the sound I need in silence,
the sun that lightens up the sky.
Your warmth with every touch I keep,
I feel it
when you aren't near.
Because I need you to live
like I need lungs to breathe.
Without you
I would drown in the sea of my tears
I cry for losing you.
That is the truth
you have to know.
You are my peace I need to remind me –
I'm not alone.
Even when I overthink
and my mind won't shut down.
I'm okay
when I'm not.
Thinking of you helps me a lot.
Your presence heals my world of chaos,
calms my mind and slows down my heartbeat,
like the only drug I'll ever need.
waiting is exhausting ~ I'm drained
If you are looking for me..Its a lost cause i say
I seem to grow more distant and different day by day.' I
Once held ideals and ideas of what man I
Should be..Then Jesus came up cliose to be in front'
And I don't care now..For what once I prized
In truth it was but irrelevance, in deceptive guise.' The Light of Jesus..Is above all worldly worth
In Him, is my identity.' May I loose to Him all
Self importance, unto the new birth."
the dormant splendor
all I need is beauty s l e e p -
tired of counting s h e e p
A poem reflecting on time, ageing, resting, and above all, resilience.
Themes denied to so many.
Occasionally, you can try to do too much.
Title.
Need inspiration?
(A lone voice whispers)
You all know the game.
It's within your power to have an hour.
Be proud to feel old, a fate denied to so many: but never fold.
Recover, then step back into the cold.
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
Poetry does not belong to those who write it, but to those who need it.~Pablo Neruda
A blank page is the bane of all writers.
Examples that are written are blighters.
Frustration would stay.
A word that escapes you for the moment
to capture a perception, you lament.
You should step away.
It has been said that good poetry heal;
it expresses how many people feel;
but others might flay.
If a reader should find it a comfort,
I’ll ignore ever-present discomfort –
I won’t lead astray.
Taunted by luxury, a life of ease.
I struggled to utter the words, “sir, please”?
I’d become distraught by my circumstance.
I saw no way alone; I could advance.
I knew the time in my life had now come,
To lose my ego, ask help from someone.
With all my money, I’d still have to ask,
Or accept my failure at this one task.
With money and self my only allies,
Having no solution was a surprise.
Sometimes our dreams may require another,
Like a friend, stranger, sister, or brother.
With my deepest desire, I long to teach.
Without another, it’s out of my reach.
we need a truck I tell my man
dumpster, shovel, and garbage can
to haul what? he asks suspiciously
proof positive that he knows me
I like to haul, it is what I do
tossing debris like one old left shoe
annually throwing away mood stamps out my brain
better bring a huge dump truck and maybe a crane
Lighting candles pleases my soul
there's divine magic in each flickering flame
~ they dance with unfettered joy
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 2nd place 2025
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