(“Multiculturalism Merit Badge”, 2010, original
Oil)
Unhumans
When I was young I was taught to respect all humans
And I was taught to identify humans
By their appearance, whether they looked like me,
Regardless of sex or race, age, size or style.
But I think I was taught wrong.
I think there are in fact a lot of unhumans amongst us
Really not even pretending to be human.
Human means something more
Than our physical form.
It means something elevated
From the bulk of other animals.
Perhaps it even means something you have to grow into
Instead of just being born into.
Today anyone who seeks to enslave others,
Or wantonly abuse and harm them,
Or can’t respond with human concern
To the injustices we see around us everyday,
Is just an animal,
And animals like this don’t deserve human rights.
We make the assumption that if you look like a human
You must be a human,
But what this does isn’t lift the unhumans up,
It just drags the humans down.
(9/9/25)
Categories:
wantonly, animal, culture, humanity, perspective,
Form: Narrative
When at dawn I find three stones at my
Doorstep, I smile at dawn
Prayers, in haste, come to my lips
My eyes rove wantonly and behold a
Poet caressing a naked virgin.
When at dawn I find three stones at my
Doorstep, messages rustle to my ears
I prepare a costly repast for a palmist
My smile is faint.
I am from Caesar’s age, believing my wife’s
Dreams and not her nightmares
I am African, black as soot, and revering
Soot’s commands with it.
When at dawn I hear my dog sneeze
I smile at dawn who had brought forth
The three stones which my dog in three
Sneezes wets.
I nod. My dog winks.
We await messages from the stones.
Categories:
wantonly, africa, culture, spiritual,
Form: Free verse
Written: May 09, 2025, for contest Sponsored by: Constance La France
Quote: "There is a loneliness more precious than life, there is a freedom more precious than the world." By Rumi
****************
The frosty night breeze embraces me tight,
Such as a moth-eaten shield, enticing flight.
Bitter rain lashes against the sidewalk face,
Delicate drops pirouette, each finding its place.
Visions flicker by in headlight, fleeting beams,
Love's echoes glimmer akin to vanished dreams.
How jaded lovers lose spark, turning strangers,
Specters in their home, now cloaked in danger.
Foreign dialects speak in words we once knew,
Widening cracks claim seismic shifts through.
Still, optimism clings as I traverse the city chill,
Dreams still nudge that love may cure what is ill.
Silent tears trace paths down my weary skin,
Longing for dawn light, for a raw start within.
As the sun rises, distances wantonly wane,
As rainfall fuels flowers, may our link heal again.
Categories:
wantonly, analogy, appreciation,
Form: Rhyme
The wind arrived quietly, conservatively,
meandering around my heart with soft words,
playing with tendrils of my being with soft caresses,
lulling my soul with gentle softness and light.
Summer stretched and wove a ribbon
through my emotions given freely and wantonly.
Sucking the possibilities deep within to nurture
a future of happy-scented days before me.
The storm arrived unexpectedly, viciously,
tearing and rending my being with no more caresses.
Now, cast outside the vortex that surrounds it,
my soft words unheard above the roaring noise.
A heart now bruised and silent, missing the mark,
veering wildly towards some unknown destination
in ever decreasing circles like leaves in autumn
as they fall silently from the lofty boughs above.
Quiet now, my soul still forming words in silence.
Never to be heard above the swirling mass roaring above.
Wishing for summer days to return with a soft kiss
or caring caress whispered to a heart once loved.
Categories:
wantonly, anger, emotions, heart, heartbreak,
Form: Free verse
Imperfect indifferent ineffective Ivan Inglebritzen
Was wistfully, wildly, wantonly weird at work.
Not indispensable, but rather despicable, desperate and diabolical.
Cautious co-workers candidly discussed dozens of Ivan’s idiotic decisions.
Determined to alert Alvin, our alluring but not attentive boss.
Bernie, Beaver and Betty bellowed about his shoddy shortcomings.
Providing proof of Ivan’s problematic predictably imperfect performances.
astute assessments failed on prideful, persnickety, president Alvin.
asinine attempts at preventing Ivan from essential employment a bust.
These three did not know that Ivan was Alvin's caustic cousin.
Alvin kept him, not wanting him to crash on his cushy comfortable couch.
Categories:
wantonly, 1st grade, 2nd grade,
Form: Alliteration
Ecstatic eye of night
thoughts tangled tangent
tint of orange moon
slivers were just hazy
incipient learned launch
as the querulous quirk
indented ingress idly
still desperate to capture
though less likely
lavishness connoting mood
human forest focal point
I dream in dribbles soppy
though never flagged yet
as futile aspiration amid
hues strictly night bound
might benefit wistfully
when strident slumber
indigenous to townscape
has its muted rippled
riddle not tactfully
resolved due to blind
daylight tinctured template
aroused by the clangour
of mint medley lure of
Arcadia circus dangle
of inchoate promise known
as crystal carrot jewellery
box whose flecks fly a riot
before the milling cluster
who wantonly wonder
at collapsing fortress inside
whilst rugged resilience
that tower block of prime
revitalised endeavour bent
on a fantasy forage with
disposition a pointless block
though underbody wobbles
if left without the widest
custodial watch of the self
one might be elated finally
Categories:
wantonly, beautiful, beauty, celebration, color,
Form: Imagism
Away in the Heather
The hillside adorns
A day of bright weather
No thistles or thorns
The meadowlark's singing
The willows are dancing
The bluebells are ringing
The bees are romancing
Soft lavender breezes
So gently it hovers
And wantonly teases
A respite for lovers
Categories:
wantonly, longing, love,
Form: Rhyme
You are creatures from outer space;
No one knows your dwelling place.
Your appearance makes us scream;
For us a different species you seem.
You visit our Earth using UFOs;
Afraid, we treat you as our foes.
The powers that you have within
Make us think you and angels are akin.
Wrapped in loose and wrinkled skins,
You appear to one another as ideal twins.
Your bare bodies you wantonly expose,
Wearing no clothes from head to toes.
Categories:
wantonly, 3rd grade, space,
Form: Rhyme
.
in mine torso's
limbs
'long with mine
robot's
grip
az the tin man
left out
in thuh purty rain
ourn lips each
to their other
found stuck
wantonly
we were wedged
ourn lips
there wuz no patience
for
adorable werdz
just whirs
lots uv
please
and
and sexy
sibilating
'bout the wet
"edvard hear her"
can ya
'twuz lisp
hern
whilst
mine rust
twixt firm
hern
churned
Categories:
wantonly, extended metaphor, garden, love,
Form: Romanticism
Why would God give moray eels
A life wherein they live concealed
In a beautiful, bountiful, rapturous reef
Merely to cause the nearby fishes grief?
When the moon and stars shine deep at night
Giving profiles to fishes in background light,
The morays watch and wantonly wait
Until their prey cannot escape.
Are morays just spokes in God’s wild wheel?
Do moray’s consciences not guilt feel?
What is their purpose? What is their ploy?
Is it just to consume those they destroy?
Where is their justice? Where is their joy?
What gives morays the right to annoy
Nearby fishes and affect their fates
While they wantonly lay in wait?
Why would God create such evil creatures
When others’ fates fear their cruel nature?
And why keep morays in ravishing reefs?
Do these evil eels provide the reefs relief?
Is a mindless moray like an inane man
Who bends people’s mores when he can
To languish their lives and besmirch their souls
Just to achieve his iniquitous goals?
Categories:
wantonly, analogy, evil, perspective, sea,
Form: Rhyme
A daydream
as some Africans wait for some western
media to push the agenda of decolonisation
of Africa.
A daydream
when some Africans of diaspora think of being
respected by some westerners
when some African countries
are still in neo - colonisation.
A daydream
when some Africans sing about "free Africa "
and others join colonisers
to remain in neo-colony
for the minority benefits.
A daydream
when millions of Africans
and african descendents
keep promoting some western stuffs
on social networks which ruine
the development of Africa.
A daydream
when some western corruptors
and banks cupture some African corrupt leaders
and end up sabotaging the economy
of their counties wantonly.
A dream
To Free Africa is a good dream
of many loyal african leaders
who continue to stand for the rights
of all Africans.
A dream
To Unite Africans is a good dream
of millions of Africans who are betrayed
by some African traitors.
Categories:
wantonly, imagery,
Form: Free verse
hypocrite leaders continue to bite other Africans daily.
as the rebels M23 "Rwanda defence force" bombed
bases of burudian peace soldiers
in DRCongo wantonly.
many people astonished
and claimed that Kenyan,
Ugandan and
South Sudanese soldiers
of East African
Community
are with the rebels M23 to divide
DRCongo into many countries.
It seemed as burudian soldiers did not agree
in some dark deals and continued doing their mission
Of restoring peace in some affected zones.
many Congolese continue to appreciate
the work of burundian soldiers
than monusco and other troops.
Categories:
wantonly, africa, political,
Form: Free verse
Softly, Sensually,
She walks into the room.
Sheer poetry in motion,
With a hint of lust and doom.
Boyishly, Breathlessly,
He takes her by the hand.
Smitten by such beauty,
A soft touch to her command.
Wondrously, Wantonly,
They dance across the floor.
Contented cheek to cheek,
And expecting nothing more.
Jointly, Joyously,
No time to be remiss.
So close now eye to eye,
The first and sweetest kiss.
Categories:
wantonly, beauty, dance, first love,
Form: Rhyme
Most hard thing in life
is to force to live
where you found
hated by majority
people innocently.
It will take longtime
for this people to love
you no matter they know
your big contribution
among them.
They will always try
to put you down
So you may
doubt yourself
which is very
impossible.
As a big thinker,
called by God to
do his Will, very smart
in planning your things
no matter thousands
of ignorant challengers
who don't see your loyalty,
courage , confidence
and self dedication
in the hard journey which
will benefit them generally.
It always happen for some
ignorant people to reject
good vision which is
to enlightened them
And continue dwelling
into darkness wantonly.
Majority pharisees and
scribes leaders found
hard to join Christ Jesus
due to collapsion of some
church businesses which
enriched them in the
name of the Lord.
June 22nd 2023
By Alfonso Warally Ngengethe
Mussabwa Chris
Categories:
wantonly, confidence, courage, dedication, encouraging,
Form: Free verse
Can you believe it, indicted again,
By a bunch of pure zealots, callous grey men,
Political hacks given the task,
To take down the Don and in the limelight then bask.
Find any cause, invent a good ruse,
Just make it stick, all tricks good to use.
But boxes of stuff, how low can they get,
Papers with socks stacked in the shower, some wet,
All safely collected in my place at the beach,
Easy to find, easy to reach.
Just mere mementos of my time as the Boss,
Not something I’d part with or wantonly toss.
Now they accuse me under some act,
With great media fanfare like milk to a cat,
Gloating, backslapping each other in turn,
Pouring on fuel, hoping I burn.
Little sick people don't they recall
They tried this before and I embarrassed them all.
To be top of news is clearly my ace,
Providing the fame and my favorite space,
For me to then weave my own brand of spin
And just like last time, that got me straight in.
But if this turn they're sure I've been finally licked,
They won't even feel how hard they've been kicked.
Categories:
wantonly, america, humor, leadership, parody,
Form: Quatrain
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