They sat holding bottles
In their hands
And armpits
Pouring mouthful
Of liquor to fill
Their hollow stomachs.
They gazed at each other
As cat and mouse
And spoke a lot of
Inglish with slain syntax
To devirginate
Their motherland.
The two drunkards!
Spoke of a nation's illusions
And the wilted state of
A nation's elites
Raping the cultural norm
Who raped the temple?
They said something
About Lubowa hospital
And praised the Bus Kingdom
For Grazing well the Gen z's
Digging the tax hole
Who murmured a secured Future.
They gazed at each other
As hare and hyena
And shakily gasped for breath
Of the holy bribe paid
For their nocturnal duties
Poverty pasted on muzzled faces.
Oh, the two drunkards!
Finally hit the climax
And roared at each other of
An accusation of not belonging
Reached for each other's neck
To strangle a refugee within.
© Ankwasa Harlord
The mirror.
Then stoicism.
Frozen and calm.
Focused.
Then moving shakily.
Movements, and jolting.
Then I’m focused again.
Moving.
Calm but ready movements.
Knocking on the door, but I don’t react.
I can no longer move.
I can blink a little bit, still.
The mirror is blinking with me.
I am focused.
The mirror.
I am in the mirror.
Misty muted days in Scotland
part before you
making room for your own silence.
Now Beinn Mhòr's summit is under my feet
There was no spectacle,
no one to shake hands with.
Yet as I stood, shakily at the top,
looking down
upon 'Loch na Keal' far below,
I felt like a real climber.
That night back at an Isle of Mull pub
an old timer,
(a small dog at his feet),
leaned toward me.
He appeared to be blind
and used a white stick.
He politely inquired
had I gained the peak?
With some pride I declared
that I had conjured the mountain!
He supped his beer thoughtfully.
”Aye laddie,
tis good to stretch yor legs a bit,
I used to climb her twice a day
but yer see
yon wee dog is getting old noo.”
I paid for his ale and quietly left.
At Life’s Early Phase,
Your feet on trembling base,
It is Evil that pays
And its music that plays …
At life’s Incipient Stage,
When one isn’t of Age,
Vice A Thousand Kilos weighs
Not what The Bishop says …
And at vice Youths intently gaze,
Not at Virtues’ Sublime Rays;
Wrongs rejecting with “Sickly Nays”;
Not much from Life-Changing Sundays!
The whole picture asserts ‘A Craze’,
In sincere circles denied a half praise …
It is in youths habitual
To be shakily spiritual.
Creeping, crawling, braying, bawling
What’s that sound inside my wall?
Scratching, grasping, voices rasping
Through the door I shakily crawl.
Heavy breathing, gasping, writhing
Something grasps and pulls me in.
Screaming, I am somehow diving
Into unknown worlds within.
Shapes and figures make me shiver
What’s this hell that I have found?
Down the dark black Styx, the river
I am floating, now hell-bound.
I am gone from Earth forever
No one knows where I have gone.
Burn the house down so that never
House traps victims, Devil’s pawns.
10/5/2021
I try not to crumble--
you do not see my
break
downs —
I simply
will not let you—
till somehow,
some way,
in the cracks—
unblinking insect
eyes peep through.
They are my own eyes
and they are stunned.
The eyes speak—
shakily do they
speak:
"You are still with me
after all this time."
When Reggie was in the army
He lost a leg
His fellow soldiers
Renamed him Peg
He was extremely brave
Soon forgot the pain
Although without this limb
He would never be the same again
Jake was a friend
Peg met in the local pub
To have a game of billiards
And a bite of grub
One day when they were talking
Jake mentioned Reggies leg
He asked if Peg could kick a ball
So that they could visit the park instead
Peg agreed so off they went
To play out in the sun
Jake had an advantage over Peg
He had two strong legs
Peg only one
They started to kick the ball
Boy this was fun
Reggie's wooden leg was heavy
It made it difficult to run
But run he did and kicked the ball
It flew up in the air
Jake ran to kick it back
That's when the pair
Collided and fell
Peg landed on top of Jake
What a sight to see
Reggie's peg pierced Jake's ankle
Also twisted his knee
The two men lay on the ground
Suffering great pain
Silently both thinking
We won't play that again
Shakily they got up
Jake feeling a little wimpy
Reggie smiled ruefully
And changed Jake's name to Gimpy
The gin is starting to wear off as the boat tour comes to an end
Heartache sets in as I remember seeing you and your new mate
I feel saddened and hurt and know we can't even remain friends
Life is complicated again with even more added to my plate
I walk unsteady for miles trying to find my way back
To the little bungalow we rented on the sandy beach
Feeling irritated, if she is in there, I just might crack
Not knowing what to expect as I start to plan my speech
As I get closer, the bungalow looks abandoned and dark
I find my key and take a deep breath as I open the door
To my surprise, it is empty, the walls are bare and stark
I then notice your ring and the little note left on the floor
I feel hurt and angry, not sure if I should read the note
I shakily read the note and cry, I can't believe my eyes
"Sorry my love but I am bored and need to sow my wild oats"
I pick up your ring, no longer a symbol of love, just your lies
Crusty old oaks
wave brittle arms angrily
overhead, threatening
to drop dead
crushingly
heavy limbs
Down
Taller trees
having achieved
the highest heights
pine away, lonely
jealously pouring their
sharp needles
Down
Towering above
terrifyingly insecure
in their position
they shakily
throw their shade
blocking sun and rain-
trying to keep me
Down
What did I do
to deserve such spite
but struggle to survive
with limited might
a dogwood sapling
that could never possibly
grow to over-shadow
them?
Accuse me lies confusions of no use
For history there is a term broken
And reasoning wit through words I abuse
Decreasing thy trust as painful token.
Or tell faults sorts my inconstancy born
That precious minutes with this I dost waste
Breaking vows to thee I shakily sworn
Depriving love's full thou deserve to taste.
Speak to me like thou feel none but regrets
For all idle hours to myself I blame
Question me of things composing my breath
So thou canst feel that I am still the same.
I love you so much behind all past lies
Now more than ever that will never die.
Daily Poetry #43, March 12, 2017
Word: Dementia
I can no longer see your face,
And everything seems out of place.
I cry out “Just end me already!”
But I'm put back in this empty space.
I don't want to live, for I can't see,
I can no longer see your face.
My memories are long gone by now,
And no one can tell me why or how.
This short life isn't worth the wait,
I see death in my mind, so I bow,
For I'm already dying, and at this rate,
My memories are long gone by now.
Chained to this world by life,
Though I've given up my strife.
These blurry people simply lie,
So I reach over shakily for the knife.
My opportunity is gone, so I sigh,
Chained to this world by life.
I am awoken once more by your voice,
I finally remember. With it, I have a choice.
I smile and reach toward you, the real you,
Because I have this memory, I rejoice.
“Take me away, lead me through!”
I am awoken once more by your voice.
I can see your face,
And everything is in place.
I am gone already,
And free of the blank space.
I can finally see,
I can see your face.
I feel it building, overwhelming,
I am a card house and there is a storm,
Refuge itches my brain, begging for attention,
I can’t ignore it,
It is my oldest friend,
Always there in my time of weakness,
My skin welcomes it,
It’s all too familiar sting,
And the storm rushes out my body,
There is no more storm,
No more acid in my veins,
I admire the carnage,
Rain is still pelting down but the card house shakily stands.
those beaten eyes glazed with a film
of bitter almond
shakily receiving her post partum reward
of a broken thyroid and a lumpy lack of form
once upon a time she lived
a lighter life
‘til procreation drubbed her good
these days she’s flesh in a black bag
of tightly straining clothes
mother-love keeps her upright
dead on her feet several months ago
but no-one’s noticed she’s gone off
under the wafts of the morning bacon
was that a giggle or a sob
or perhaps both, for things past
caring she is but it won’t help her now
as the hormones take a dive
and psychiatry pricks up its ears
still her occult self eludes her
skips laughing through months of therapy
peeps out behind the tumble dryer
to whisper “take the pills”
they want to help, they cannot help
those people who mean well
there is no holding dock
for deadweight mum
she sails away with breakfast things left clean
performs a joyful whale-dive, drifts
unseen
©C Watkins All rights reserved.
Still the Worst Job Ever
How do I hold thee, let me count the ways.
I hold thee trembling, beneath kitchen sinks
crouched in the darkness of the brightest days
guiding thy beam as his patience shrinks.
I hold thee dulled by lightning’s fearsome flash
shakily awaiting unseen anger
tortured by the inevitable crash
intrigued by the neediness of danger.
I hold thee wide eyed in dirt-floored cellar
your flame slow flickering on edge of sight
dimming through the range of yellowed color
draining the darkness from a darkened night.
I hold thee, for my brothers all have fled
I hold thee, not knowing what they dread.
11/13/2014
Submitted for - Sara Kendrick - Jobs – Poetry Contest
I was trying to be fair
Hiding all my fragile tears
From a man who didn't seem
To notice all my future dreams
Magazines of pretty brides
Tuxes, suits, and fancy ties
Romantic movies on date night
Love songs playing in the night
Pointing out rings in the store
A man I will always adore
Oblivious to all I want
Even though I've tried to flaunt
Signs on front of his blind eyes
That I want our heartstrings tied
Together for now and always
Maybe adding extra foreplay
Will entice him to begin
A day of really noticing
We were meant for one another
When he's near I start to shudder
With excitement and the joy
Knowing he's my sexy boy
Even though my wedding day
Seemed to never come my way
Until one morning he was there
In his eyes were lots of tears
With a ring and bended knee
He took my hand so shakily
A timid voice and loving speech
Now were lying on the beach
This honeymoon will always last
The hints I gave him in the past
Joined us forever till the end
We'll always be best of friends
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