Dried land with the shallow mud cracks
Barns remained with the empty sacks
Rolling tyres in the soft soil dust
Stained the leaves with brown coated rust
Scotching waves blowing all over
Unsown plants turned into stover
A curse of God! A few grumbled
Global warming! The learned mumbled
The farmer looked up at the sky
In dejection, he made a sigh
On the eyelid, a pearl drop splashed
At once, a thousand watt smile flashed
Fireflies in my bourbon
(PART 4 OF 10)
The bar looks haunted today,
Jukebox playing requiems as long songs,
Cigarette smoke suffocating air in between inhalations,A man knows he needs air to fill his lungs.Yet here i am bending knee so you don't leave my lungs ,however I'm gasping for air as if I'm drowning in words such as you are my world.
Your name keep slipping out of my mouth as that last prayer of a man who lived recklessly without care, your eyes are Fireflies I vowed to follow in my darkest hour, however what do I do when the Firefly fell into a glass of bourbon .
Now I'm hankering a place for my staggering feet, for darkness is a firefly now
Every step a scotching flame to remind my soul what happens when a moth flies closer to the light.
You predict that dense clouds will bring drizzles.
Wild West wind, you say, causes scotching heat
Time's chisel, in your skill and will, fizzles.
In you, weather's ups and downs, take backseat.
Have you ceased seeing the deiform dawn?
Virtues and vices charm you as choices.
Towards past and future, you're often drawn
Can't you hear the present time's sore voices?
Both questions and answers are in your hands.
Your innocence should win over all.
Shouldn't harmony be your best of plans?
Isn't there a dawn after each nightfall?
Could the sun ignore any of its beams?
Reconcile! Foes too will flow with your streams.
I saw Jesus Today
I saw Jesus this morning… in shredded clothes, shivering, begging and all he wanted was just to eat!
I saw Jesus this morning, on the street… under the scotching sun. He had no shelter on His head.
I saw Jesus today
In my neighbor’s house…
Frail… sickly… He has no money for hospital.
I saw Jesus today
In the church…
He could not pay his school fees.
I saw Jesus today
Yet still at the church
He has nothing to feed His children as He walked home , head bow and dejected.
I saw Him… I always see Him .
Oh yes, I saw him, yet again in my child’s school, with a torn uniform and a worn out sandals!
I saw Him, I always see Him.
But a number of times, I see him, but I did not know Him.
Yet oftentimes I see Him, I did not discern Him.
Many atimes, I encountered Him, but I did not have an encounter with Him.
Lord can you have mercy on me?
I saw Jesus Today
I saw Jesus this morning… in shredded clothes, shivering, begging and all he wanted was just to eat!
I saw Jesus this morning, on the street… under the scotching sun. He had no shelter on His head.
I saw Jesus today
In my neighbor’s house…
Frail… sickly… He has no money for hospital.
I saw Jesus today
In the church…
He could not pay his school fees.
I saw Jesus today
Yet still at the church
He has nothing to feed His children as He walked home , head bow and dejected.
I saw Him… I always see Him .
Oh yes, I saw him, yet again in my child’s school, with a torn uniform and a worn out sandals!
I saw Him, I always see Him.
But a number of times, I see him, but I did not know Him.
Yet oftentimes I see Him, I did not discern Him.
Many atimes, I encountered Him, but I did not have an encounter with Him.
Lord can you have mercy on me?
911 affirmation: "remember to breathe"
Because to hold my breath is to keep myself from holding you
Poetry breathes you, the way I always miss how much I need you
The next door neighbor to my heart
You can borrow as much sugar as you need
Because I have a sweet tooth for your lips
I need your kiss
I could do without the freedoms of air
This is the war for love so all is fair
Under this weather where unpredictable is the norm
When I was born all the stars pointed to you
So I find myself having late night conversations with constellations because my dreams carry over into the day and my smile falls asleep as I pray, then wakes up to a new May, so may I please have this dance?
My heart is hop scotching to the lou
Where did you go, I can't find you
p.s. "Remember to breathe..."
scotching sun I've seen
to concerts of birds, I've been
between nature's zones
seen seedlings slowly mature.
seen too moons and stars in lure
between nature's zones
season's weather beat
fog, dewdrops, showers, and heat
between nature's zones
I've seen, like guests, come and go.
at random, their fashions show
between nature's zones
chants of gravediggers
trumpet of the god of death
between nature's zones
as though an adieu, I hear
and start my rove with no fear.
between nature's zones
There was a time not so long ago
When my children still ran on little legs
Wading through ocean green evening summer grass
Their faces bright as lamps with laughter
Hop-scotching up to their knees
In polka dotted waves of fireflies
If you can imagine Osiris and Isis awoke from their married womb
Walking wind through chandeliers
When galaxies fell to the mirrors of Earth
Sifted like gold from sand
Oh the reflection of gods we have forgotten
How to walk on water
At my knees in the woods I stir the stars of a small fire
Chant a ritual to bring back the magic
A diamond dislodges from the crown of Oak
Flitter of soul enchanting the shadows
To the children I say dance and sing
Ring in again the vegetable spirits
Swirl your feet with allure of dreams
At your ankles the twinkle of constellations
Comb with sparks your beautiful hair
All may be shared
The return of angels from yesteryear.
When the sun rises up there
I greet her “Good morning”
But the deaf woman is quiet
She answers me not in humility
Towards me she comes angry
Fiery, hot, fighting and firing
Without mercy shows me her tongue
Hot, piercing, scotching and wild
Off to my grandfather’s hut I dash
There she comes threatening
“Coward, coward, cowards, come!
The bee knows to find pollens;
the spider, to bridge a gorge—
driven, as in the blood.
Stream follows a slope
and locates the sea
in a rustling meander,
gathering moss, throwing up gloss.
None can stymie the racing sun,
or slow the course
that providence set
till decked with a garland
of purple rose.
It's in the blood;
in a genetic transmutation
wrought by the ageless hand
that sculptured and hungq
floating moon and winking stars.
The sun cuts through dense jungle,
drills a way in pitch darkness;
he sucks honey from rock,
draws the fury of fleas in the lea.
Cry against his blazing rays,
the scotching heat,
but hug the warmth lest
winter whines while summer
flees for lack of spring.
© 2017 Celestine Ikwuamaesi
I want to be a dire criminal
against the Dark powers of my times
if corruption knocks at my office door
I shall shoot it with arrows of my heart
Let cheating woo me with her luring eyes
bravely I shall assault her with sharp mouth
immoral stars, lies, slander destructive gossip
in the tombs of rejection I’ll bury them alive
When desire for revenge visits me at night
I’ll throw him in the blast furnace of sorrow
sectarian angel with her persuasive smiles
hot scotching water I will pour on her head
Let Dark powers arrest and persecute me
A criminal to Darkness but free before God
Surrounded by numerous faces
An intangible feeling lingers
Lost in this treacherous world
Of a nightmare such as this
You were my strength,
My shield in the tumultous rain
In your presence I had peace
Safe in your warm embrace
In an instant it vanished
A figment of my imagination
You became a vile creature
My handsome prince disappeared
The same familiar hands
Which gave me comfort
Now stung like a wasping bee
Scotching my very soul
A willowy shadow of sadness
Eyes Erupted like a big dam
Big droplets hit the counter-top
Beside the shattered glass
The pain pierced my soul
Plunging me into a bottomless pit
Drowning in the deep despair
Of your great betrayal
Birdsong serenade
Sun beams streaming;
Abrupt illumination
~~~~~~~~~
Food mall gallery
Tempting flavours;
Sensational buzz
~~~~~~~~~
Busy feet scatter
Muddy puddles;
Rain water gushing
~~~~~~~~~
Humid weather burns
Dehydrated faces;
Scotching heatwave
~~~~~~~~~
Severe flu bout
Head dizzy drowsy;
Coughing frustration
~~~~~~~~~
By this bench
Watch busy people;
Pursuing taut agendas
~~~~~~~~~
City fringe footpath
Workday buzz zigzags;
Toils and pursuits
~~~~~~~~~
Old couple walking
Stop to review signposts;
Figuring the way home
~~~~~~~~~
Old man sits here
Watching each day;
No one for company
~~~~~~~~~
Curious brown squirrel
Searching up and down;
Ancient tree trunk
~~~~~~~~~
Movie glimpses
Home entertainment;
Siesta comes quick
~~~~~~~~~
Walking meditation
Silent mantra chant;
Focus frames feelings
~~~~~~~~~
Bumper to bumper
City traffic moves;
Slower than snails
~~~~~~~~~
Drama flings
Melodrama curves;
Afternoon matinee
~~~~~~~~~
Leon Enriquez
04 May 2016
Singapore
Short Snort of Scotch
We will be going on trip week from tomorrow
And a bright idea I recently tried to borrow
Must be careful making sure I don't botch
By forgetting to bring along a bottle of Scotch.
Finally the ship so sleekly away had sailed
Everyone had to pass test after they exhaled
To see if any Scotch on their breath had been
And later would they want to drink more again.
Top of ship deck was marked for hop-scotching
Which is where we would always enjoy watching
After too much Scotch all over were jumping
With much anxiety their hearts were pumping.
After hopping and hoping were over and done
Each hopper and drinker became the only one
Who ended up without any secrets to hid
Now are members of crew and there they abide.
Ship hasn't sailed since in straight line anymore
Soon as it finally could near complacent shore
Had one more Scotch which was a short snort
And looks like they landed in the wrong port.
James Thomas Horn, Retired Veteran
Blazing sun scotching
Blue skies shrouds me from vile heat
Cotton candy clouds
Kisses of breeze cools warm skin
Daylight dreams visions of love
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