I'm five and it's a fire-dive -
sweaty-skinned and flambé-limbed,
kindling tingling in my throat,
matches scratching sandpaper skin.
Lying on the terracotta velour settee
watching sparky scenes igniting the room -
a terracotta army of sparks
marching through the grate,
grating like bars on the old forest gate,
black bars of night growing tall on the wall
and I'm always up against it
hearing echoes of the ethereal eternal
Help us help us we'll help you...
I want to be well, to enter the well
cooling the heat and heart of the house,
dousing bouquets of firelight
petals flickering on amber glass bottles of medicine,
her hooked hands feeding me aspirin, penicillin,
cream and green torpedo tablets
fever-spearing, strobing swirling the room.
Now nightshade creepers spine-twine in dark dreams
black echoes build on a sonograph screen
descending into the no-way-out well,
the inescapable hell of not well.
This Atmosphere — of Tempest —
Reveals the Souls that stay —
When others — like the withered Leaves —
Are frightened — blown away —
Conviction is a Lantern —
Held trembling — in the Gale —
Yet still — it keeps its Yellow —
Though every Light may fail —
The Quiet ones — will startle —
Their Courage — like a Drum —
Beating in the silent Streets —
Announcing — “We have come —”
And History — a stern Witness —
Will note — in careful Ink —
Who rose — against the Thunder —
And who — refused — to Think.
Wahala Yon Trouble Problem
Man, I am in hot water
In a jam wit out peanut butter
Nothing personal man
been in the soup up against it
Yet in all this N that
I am renewed in Christ
Wahala Yon Trouble Problem
Life's annoyance unpleasantness tribulation
I am of the perfect nation
we've hear a man born of woman is full of trouble
so in this in that unpleasantness annoyance
disquieted issues end results
blessedness
Wahala Yon Trouble Problem
pidgin
Wahala Yon Trouble Problem
wahala yon gbege wahala
man, i am for hot water
for a jam wit komot peanut butter
nothing personal man
been for di soup up against it
yet for all dis n dat
i am renewed for christ
life's annoyance unpleasantness tribulation
i am for di perfect kontri
we've hear a man born for woman na full for gbege
so for dis for dat unpleasantness annoyance
disquieted wahala end results
blessedness
4/11/25
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2025©
The cardinal that we see today
Started out being a brilliant snow white
Until one fall, it noticed a young rose bush with a small new red rose
As it grew colder, some flowers in the garden started to slowly fade
The white cardinal flew in close to the new red rose
Brushing up against it many times with its wings and body
Absorbing and preserving its color through fall and winter
Returning it to the rose in spring
Over years, as the rose bush and the rose matured
Each spring, the rose needed less color back from the cardinal
Gradually, the white cardinal kept more and more of the red hue
Eventually matching the rose and becoming totally red
When I am honest with my belongings
I am amazed to find that I have surrounded myself
With things that I thought I could not live without
Once upon a time…..
But once upon a time is long gone, and these things
no longer give me joy, or make me happy in any kind of
weird way.
That sparkly spangly pillow I did not think I could live
without two months ago Is uncomfortably hard, and
scrapes my fingers in an unkind way when I accidentally
brush up against it. But here it sits because I did pay
Twenty-three dollars for it, right?
Wrong!
It is going, and so are thousands of other items that
no longer give me joy. I am loading up the truck with
buckets and boxes of insane things when my husband
starts to stroll around the corner. Whisk! He is now
hiding behind the edge of the porch.
He has seen me in this mood many times, and he
always comments that he is surprised I have not
yet hauled him off. I glare at him. Wishing he would
get just a little closer for I am in that mood.
Here she comes. You’ll see.
The room got quiet.
Yes, she was an unknown girl.
Her knockers were not only enormous
They were practically loose.
The women did not seem to notice.
Grandma was stirring up a big pot of spaghetti.
My mother, the Den mother, was chopping salads.
There were eight of us boys, and we were twelve.
We were eaters.
The girl was unknown to us.
But we were fascinated.
We had never seen them out in the open like that.
We began to giggle.
She turned and they knocked a lamp off.
“No worries!” Grandma said. “Just pick it back up.”
As she was picking it up, she said “ouch!”
Because they were slapped up against it.
“Loosen your grip,” Danny one of my friends said.
She did, and it worked.
She came over to thank him and hit him in the eye with one of them.
He jumped up and ran out screaming.
He had never been hit like that before.
All that bragging about his experience.
Grandma turned and looked at the unknown.
“Go get more clothes on!” she ordered her.
Taking away our fun.
Apparently she is my cousin.
Who knew?
Would you still love me,
But hold, have you ever loved me at all?
Say,
if you ever had trembled for me
With what little ardent affection,
Pray tell,
Would you still love me?
Would you-
When the world is ending-
Put my life above yours?
Pray tell, if I ask you to
Stay by me uncomplainingly
To follow me into the dark,
Would you still love me?
Would you
Visit me in jail?
Talk to me through a pane of glass
Pray tell, if I ask you
To put your hand up against it
Mine on the other side,
Would you still love me?
Would you still love me,
if I lost myself completely
Spit a dozen pretty rhymes
Pretend it’s poetry
Walk, talk, act like I am supposed to be?
Hey,
You in that mirror there staring at me.
Pray tell,
Would you still love me?
14/12/18
Edward Ibeh
The shadow that has turn with me made me afriad to turn with thee
The shadow has its own way of turning to something evil and unpredictable the shadow isn't underaable, I caught a quick glimpse to see what the dark shadow were it was another face but I demon blur, The shadow has brock me in a way to catch me for my soul just because either was cute not old,The danger shadow has made me fearful to cross to the light all I know the shadow hates the light
Citical thinking about the shadow changing to be me please don't believe that **** is not me
I try to catch the shadow so it won't get away I pushed it and it faded away, The shadow has a staus that you can't control stab it so the batteries can get old,The light has push so much power from this shadow but it keeps coming back through?
BUT I got rid of this demon shadow by facing me fear I stood up against it and said "
here I am"
Facing both ways to figure out who it was it was my shadow beating it up just because!
Every hateful and harmful thing spoken, I will spit you out,
I have no room in my heart for this doubt,
I refuse to injest, I will throw it away,
I will stand up against it to see love again,
When the winds beat against me or the ones that I love,
I will trust through the tears of compassion from my father above,
If my feelings get hurt I will not pretend not to feel,
Because underneath all that pain the love is very real,
And when tears start to fall I'm reminded I'm alive,
That I have no doubt or regret and nothing to disguise,
You could be placed on my heart from a million miles away,
Or you could be standing right across from me face to face,
And my heart will not budge, for the love remains the same,
Even when you don't seem to see it this way.
My back is against the wall
Your memory lingers amongst the shadows
I want to gather you to me
But like a cool mist on a spring night
Memories of you slip through my fingers
My back is up against it now
I'm alone and it's meant to be
I made all those promises
Swore I'd make it right
You told me it would all be ok
I see you leaving and I don't blame
You had promised as well
I see you walking alone and searching
Looking for answers
Your back is held proud
My back is filled with bone
I knew I had it in me
You were right all along
It's too late now for the keeping
But I hope you know I'm fulfilling
I plod through the shadows
Your memory my compadre
It warns me and foreshadows
If I am about to make a wrong turn
Thoughts of you steer me home
I'm back and the night
Turns slowly toward the dawn
The sun warms me and helps my journey
I keep my word now unbroken
It's always been with me
Words and my memory
Whispers that everything will be fine
Can't go back on them now
I see you amidst the shadows
Watching me and waiting
the enemy tries to temt us in many diffrent ways
the enemy tries to tempt us every single day
but the lord helps us with anythign that may come our way
giving us oppertunties to pray
prayer helps us through anythig that lies ahaead
so if you ever feel tempted
just talk to God instead
God will make you stronger
and wont let you stumble or fall
no matter how great the temptations
God will Help you stand against them all.
PROMISES FROM GOD:
1 Corinthians 10:13 . . . Remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
No temptation is too great to resist.
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