As the blue moon climbs over the Potomac River,
I lay my tired body down next to the planted field.
Momma tells me that I’ll turn 13 tomorrow; my birthday wish….to be free
Like brail, the scars on my back speak to the humility in my life.
My dog Jip lays beside me and with a warm tongue conveys everything will be fine.

It’s the early fall here at Georgetown University
My name is Cornelius, Cornelius Hawkins and I write these words so you know my plight.
Here with me are my father, mother and 2 yr old sister.
We toil the field from dawn to dusk…the salt herring and cornmeal give us strength.
And my hands are forever clinging to this rosary and I pray God will hear my prayers.

I can’t begin to tell how afraid I am each and every day.
I try not to dwell on our strife and struggles, but day dream of downright happiness.
My family and our ancestors before us have been confined to slavery for 200 years.
Momma always says “There is no slavery, just ignorance”.
I hold her words near and dear to my heart and I never give up hope for a better life.

She walks down this path so many Mothers have walked before her,
Crisp uniforms line the path..a heavy heart..Tears in her lap.
An American Flag snaps to attention as if to say we know your pain Mother, but we don’t.
Through this all, she carries on the pride and resolve despite an unthinkable loss.

The twenty-one gun salute resonates through every city in America
Reminding everyone to take a moment to honor this fallen son.
On the 6 O’clock news Taps plays on every television.
And we shake our head in disbelief.

An unbroken line of Patriots that passed before him,
Line the stairway to heaven to welcome their brother home.
And a banner hangs in Moms living room window..Displaying  one Gold, two blue stars
“Lord please bring my boys home safely”, she prays

I hope you’ll think of some of the reasons why our brave sons & daughters make the ultimate sacrifice…..Here are just a few……..

The American Flag
Our military men and women
Freedom
Patriotism
America the Beautiful
Land of the Free
Home of the Brave
4th of July
Memorial Day
The Bald Eagle
Democracy
Free Enterprise

God Bless America!

Daily I Pretend To Be Happy
Writing Romantic Love
Poems
Trying To Find Comfort
In Them
Deep Down Torn,
Still Stuck In The Past
My Heart Refuses To Accept
What Is,
I Cry Myself On The Inside
Wearing Artificial Smiles
On The Outside,
I Though She Loved Me
I Loved Her
I Lived For Her
And In The Process
I Lost Myself
Because I Once Loved

©Taetso Jojo.

By Arcassin Burnham


....So the next morning comes and he's slumped halfway off
The bed with drool spewing out from his mouth,
Must of had a good dream inside a kerosene filled with doubts
Thinking about his future spouse,
Gets up , does everything that he didn't think he would do
To get ready for school,
Saw his friend walking to the bus stop and decided to join him,
He said "Man those shoes are cool, are they new?" He bragged
"Yes my friend it's called shop lifting", looking in astonishment,
He said "are you telling the truth?" He sarcastically admitted, "haha
No I got them from a yard sale", he replied "you *******" and then they
Got on the bus, knowing that his friend on the bus , is really the only
Guy he could trust,
Which brings us,
To first period , fixing his hair in the bathroom and talking to
Himself in the mirror saying , "the day is only as bad as you make it",
Aligning his collar and pants to at least in the slightest look presentable
But his hands started to shake, oh what a day! You couldn't possibly
Say that if you've made it to the end he thought,
He walks out of the bathroom and into the hall looking into first
Period and then ducks so he wouldn't get caught,
Sitting by the door , he looks down and sees that one of his shoes isn't
Tied and then looks to his right only to see Felicia walking down the hall coming towards him, thinking to himself , what I am I gonna do
If she wonders how stupid I look sitting outside of this door I need help,
He stands up quick and she walks right in front of him as graceful as a
Million swans and a thousand beautiful smiles put together and says ,"Hey",
Brushing her hair passed her face shylike,
With sweat on his face he replies nervously , "ahh ...he...hey",
They stare at each other for like 4 minutes almost like syncing into each other's minds using eyes and raging emotions, she looks down and looks back up and says ,"so umm , you gonna let me through or should I be worried?" As
She giggled, he replies ,"no not at all ... I'm um ... Actually in this class too",
Blushing a little...........To Be Continued.

To catch a lavender butterfly would-
secure my place in history , speed
of upmost notoriety
A gold medallion leaving a red impression
at my muscular neckline , most fleet of foot
Olympian of all time
Alas winged marvel , thy record ne'er broken ,
for I've grass waiting for the mower , trash cans
seeking the road , Sunday newsprint to explore*...

I Can't hold these tears anymore
I Don't know whether its still love
Or obsession

I tried moving on,
Erasing you in my memory,
Pretending you no longer exist
But like a tattoo
Your name is somehow needled
In my heart

Images of you
Are painted in my head
I daily day dream bout you,
Thoughts of our first kiss
On that college bench
Haunt me Daily,
It was on the 9th of February
Valentine's week
Lovers month

Every time I'm in a relationship
Its pretence and artificial happiness
Reality says I'll find true happiness not
Unless its you I'm with

Its hard  to forget you
When you gave everything
To remember,
More harder to forget
I once meant something to you
But now nothing

I've never been so lonely,
This pain
I've never felt

You always knew
How to put a smile
On my face

You're that one girl
who felt more than a lover
My heart will always
Have a soft for

You're that one girl
I'll always love

I miss you

Yours...........

Taetso

©

Do You Still Remember
The Day We Met

It was On A Summer's Day
The Sun Was Shinny
Yet On A Full Moon
Stars Were Visible
In Broad Day Light
The Clouds Were Coloured
In Rainbow Colours

We Were Led To Each Other
By The Blowing Winds Of Love
Blowing In One Direction
Where Our Hearts
Found Each Other
And Connected It Was Like
We Were In The Garden
Of Eden

My Fantasies
Were Brought To Life
I Was Living My Dreams
You Were Sitting
On A Tree Branch
In All Purple With Pink Lips....
Your Curves Were
Of A Mermaid,
Thighs Of An Angel
With Long Shinny
Black Hair
Your Beauty Was Beyond
Any Word
In the Oxford Dictionary
Your Were So Tempting
Marvellously sculpted
By The Sculpture
The Woman Of My Dreams

Sight Of You Stunned Me
My Heart Started Racing
I Could Feel Love
Running Through My Veins
I Fell In Love With You
From A Distance
Though I Fell More In Love
With The Looks

In You
I Had Found the One,
I Though
I Had Found The One,
A Cheerleader
Of My Dreams,
True Love,
Don't you Remember That Day
Do You Ever Sit and Reminisce
About It
Don't you Wish
You Could Revisit Time
And Relive That Day.............
I Wonder What Went Wrong.....
What Ever Made you Left
Must Have Been Big
Maybe My Mistake
Was Being More In love
With Looks.........

.

We don’t look like they do,
graphic replicas of a life in tatters,
drifting on lonesome clouds
Dove’s wing spread
capturing the wind,
waving goodbye to an existence
that dreams in black and white,
fashioning commercials
like chip and salsa dispensers

Camouflaged by sadness,
greens and browns woven in corduroy overalls
Contemplating the loss
before the beginning creates a title
and words have only meaning
for other who chose to read
and believe that each day
is a jewel in the crown of the month

Floating on seas of discontent
even though heart shaped sails
reflect on horizons
much closer than they appear
but still so far away
that silhouettes resemble unmentionables
as others keep a watchful eye
for anything that even seems
like a tide fueled rumor,
just because they can

Still, we don’t look like they do,
maybe because our visions come through
a brilliant sunrise and we realize
we do need somebody
and we won’t hesitate to cherish,
quietly of course,
those who come to touch us
in the wake of our dreams,
hiding in plain sight,
disguised as no one
in particular