Now that the secret's out
up to you to make your move
~ what's ahead in our future?
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
[Poet’s Note : this is a wry autobiographical memory written in traditional pirouette verse viz. 2 quintains, line 5 & 6 repeat, which is the toe turnaround. I wanted to write a narrative of a weird syncopated vignette, when I was knitting a pink mohair jersey at the time of my imprisonment. I reduced the narrative to a pirouette. When in prison, one of my interrogators was knitting the EXACT jersey in the exact colour & exact wool ! ie. in the final analysis, (in retrospect) everything in human life can be reduced to a pirouette, a turn-around dance ! ]
knitting a pink jersey
mohair with cables fine
to process flying thoughts
political activist
south africa turmoiled
south africa turmoiled
security police
came with casspirs and cuffs
interrogation chamber
police knit jersey pink
~~~~~~~~~
November the Fifth )
layered in a liquid fog ) SHOW
firework party starts- )
sweet chestnuts roasting slowly )TELL
potatoes baking harden )
memories of Fall
bonfired in smoky embers-
re-light once again
Traditional Sayings
Traditional sayings that are
widely understood as
being true clog the
arteries of
the strange.
On a winter evening,
along a lonely country road
I rode my bicycle and saw,
far ahead, a young couple
dressed in traditional
ceremonial clothes.
The setting sun cast it's light
as they crossed the wide paddy field,
brown with stubble,
quiet and still
May be they were returning home
from a religious ceremony,
a beautiful moment
I know will never happen again
in my life
Today, the paddy field
by the roadside is disappearing
and the road has started to buzz
with the noise of change
So conservative the wild animals habits are
And the birds are behaving traditional
But there’s a one animal who’s gone too far
To show off he progressed from original
The results that were reached are impressive
No one dares to deny the Man’s genius
Man was destined to become progressive
Self-boasting and often fastidious
Though his tastes can be fickle at times
He owns one or two constant traits
He kills other men for the reason he likes
To get what he deserves, then he bates
So a Man seems a bit contradictional
In comparison to other animals
Whose behaviour still goes like traditional
Withing their own kind, they’re not enemies
Hear the Orangutan speaks to his son:
“Seen a man, then rush quickly to hide
They spoil what they touch, and they cease everyone
Man’s a killer, who haven’t yet died”.
A poor little girl's gone missing,
Where's the knight to rescue her,
There he is and he's insisting,
He will find poor little Blair.
First he found a treacherous lake,
Full of sirens so alluring,
Slaying them was a piece of cake,
And the bloody screams reassuring.
After sweet song came a homely village,
Full of helpful denizens aplenty,
They'd seen no girl so the knight did pillage,
Taking all til the town was empty.
With plunder from the raided village,
Was he ready to face the dragons visage,
The third hurde to be overcome,
Was real difficult, how irksome.
The dragon was immortal but slain,
Incapacitated for a bit, killed in vain.
To the girl the knight ran,
Justifying all that he had done.
The girl turned and her face was gone,
She'd no mouth with which to sing a song,
Her limbs were thin as twigs,
Her starved body as heavy as bricks.
The fire in her eyes was gone as well,
With no strength left to quell.
She was too far gone he said,
About her they didnt have to worry,
Off and rolling went her head,
The killing was a mercy.
as seeing royal well trained fighters, all folks regain hope in battles.
October 13/2023
Loyalty symbols to one’s ancestors,
Who never saw yesterday’s asbestos,
Heard not of China’s radio transistors,
Let alone U.S Trousers Investors…
What one puts on and with every passage
Releases an historical message:
Their patrons Advertizing Passers-by,
In robes they would not want to tell “Goodbye…”
The wears that bodies cover at less cost,
No fears of the seduced eyes being lost,
Yet, while Traditional Clothes are quite cheap,
Money-saving users have had to weep,
Rather few by the next fellow approached,
Save the bold planner to have them reproached;
“Heh you stop there Grossest Masquerade…”
A prompt warning against bringing off raid;
And emergency flights in them quite hard,
When killers appear one has played Bad Card.
Bantus
Are well known as
The ancient hibrow Israelites,
In all Africa and abroad,
They protect their
Culture and
Traditions which reffer
To Deuteronomy and
Laws
Of Moses.
When you go to vira,
Shi, ngala,
Luwa, kongo,
Nyamwezi ,mongo,
Makuwa ,sotho,
Chewa, shona,
Bemba , luba,
Bembe, zulu,
Fuliru ,hutu,
Ganda, and fulira.
They all know that
They came from
Northen Africa
To central, east and
Southern Africa.
By Alfonso Warally Ngengethe
Mussabwa Chris
when a tree desires
to doff its withered dress,
~it whispers to breeze
Her independence deferred
History wipe, silenced in denial
Component of family unit secure
Current form stands as emblem
Entirety kindly quiet unheard
Cleansed of horror occured
Corpses buried won't stand trial
Heinous parade she could endure
Hosts pretense without problem
Outline dent, identity blurred
Safe matriarch role preferred
Sedating sandarac sent via smile
Dizzying aphrodisiac calamine cure
Disarming smooth cabochon gem
Exhibits traits 1950's referred
Dissolved scrag, unburdened
Drama curtains pull closing titles
Screenplay prosperity props are pure
Scripted mid century holds them
Outcast character murdered
Eleventh of New Year Era
I
Experts say use known to understand new
II
If what is known is Past, how can it be new
III
Experts theorise but the wise are curious
IV
Curiosity about places, persons... open a mind
V
Education starts at home, without theory
VI
Good education flows from family values (read in Socrates method, minus classroom, and India's traditional Guru- Chela schools).
fluttering trees sing
a blue stream bubbles
beyond
tangled ferns
_____________________
January 10, 2022
Poetry/Non Tradition Haiku/beyond
Copyright Protected, ID 01-1420-523-10
All Rights Reserved, 2022, Constance La France
Written for the Standard contest, A Strand (1049)
sponsor, Brian Strand, Judged 01/11/2022
First Place
beneath
a green veil
tree branches
hold tight a stone-
nature reclaims
_______________________
January 05, 2022
Poetry/non traditional haiku/beneath
Copyright Protected, ID 01-1419-241-05
All Rights Reserved, 2022, Constance La France
Submitted to the Standard contest, A Strand (1046)
sponsor, Brian Strand, Judged 01/06/2022
First Place
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