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Emery Feine Sep 2024
A bird sat on a ledge, calling for air,
“Please, give me merely a share!”

A breeze came and lifted the bird off the ground
The breeze ruffling the bird’s feathers was the only sound

Every day, the bird decided to sit and wait
The bird was drawn to the wind, perhaps even fate

The wind always listened when the world did not
The bird had found something it had always sought

Then one day, dark clouds came and rain poured down
And the wind lunged forwards, without even a frown

At last, the bird saw the wind’s true power
The bird wanted to hide, but the wind didn’t let it cower

The wind ruffled the bird’s feathers as it had done in the past
The bird took off, flying ever so fast

Then the storm passed; the rain was gone
The bird looked at the sun from the ledge it was on

“Wind, let me once again soar!”
But the wind replied no more.
This is my 9th poem, written on 1/15/23
relahxe Jul 2024
that comes along at 3 a.m.
to wake me from the dreams
I’ve been living in.

An unwanted visitor
that doesn’t leave,
as I try to get rid of it,
push it away
with desperate hands
waving in the dark tranquility
of early morning.

A visitor here to teach me
all the ways we resist the world,
all the ways we wish we were elsewhere,
trying to control what’s not ours to control.

Desperately waving our hands around
as if that would do it.

As if,
as if what we want matters to the world.

One mosquito can ruin everything;
you can turn on all the flashlights,
stay up until 5,
but you won’t see it unless you do,
standing there on the edge of the wardrobe.

With a certain resolve:
“smack.”
Gone,
away with your worries,
and now you can return deep
into your dreams.

If only we could smash away the problems,
all that buzzes around in our heads,
all questions unanswered,
all that torments us deep into the night.

“Smack.”
Gone.
Zywa Jul 2024
Submissive people

often hide a hidden force --


An underground fire.
Novel "De stille kracht" ("The Hidden Force", 1900, Louis Couperus), chapter 4, § 2

Collection "Thinkles Lusionless"
Zywa Jun 2024
The pamphlets are blank,

that is their message, surely --


it's commonly known.
Novel "Victory City" [Vijayanagar >> Bisnaga] (2023, Salman Rushdie), part 2: Exile, chapter 11

Collection "Low gear"
Zywa Jan 2024
Reluctance wants to

be alone, unobserved not --


doing what you want.
Poem "Over de weerwil" ("About reluctance", 1970, Gerrit Krol)

Collection "Willegos"
Zywa Jan 2024
No one's listening,

so there is no censorship --


of the protesters.
Column "Je stem zal je niet beschermen" ("Your voice won't protect you", 2024, Ellen Deckwitz)

Collection "Actively Passive"
Zywa Oct 2023
My ear is colour positive
the red rim boils
from your words, a bright
light bursts from the auricle
and hangs in front of my mouth

in front of my held breath
my lips not quite open
my thoughts unspoken

my look colour negative
with well blooded brains
crossed arms, glowing
with suspicion and defiance
with the desire to attack

You won't get away with it
you won't get away with it
you won't get away with it
Painting "Genetiese Heimwee (Genetic Longing)" (1984, Marlene Dumas)

Poem "5. Genetiese Heimwee" (2000, Antjie Krog, bundel "Kleur kom nooit alleen nie" ("Colour never comes alone")

Collection "Changing Times"
Malia Oct 2023
In the past
People used my past to control me
But I’m past that so I smack back  
What they told me.
Try to hold me back
But you can’t tack a label
On a fable, I’m a legend
Even if you say I’m unstable.
If in competition, they done lost to me
Take a shot at me, you intelligence apostasy.

Mockingly, they call me an oddity
Probably a product of my comedy
Step back, laugh, then step on me,
See, free entertainment for the public glee!
“Gee, why the negativity?” they say to me
But I am not listening, glistening
In my eyes, but it ain’t tears
Fears, I forgot ‘em, buried ‘em last year.
Originally a rap, but poetic enough to put on here
Ken Pepiton Sep 2023
Autobio. Belief. Cautious ****,

dear, the cost, of time lost, while aching,
after sitting as still as you can imagine
for as long as you can imagine,
ignoring bowel and bladder,

yawn, and feel the stretching, think again
any work in progress
works best with conjoined minds of the kinds
one finds in old texts, and sometimes, illustrations.
Suddenly life has people init intuitive arting on letting peace be.
Zywa Sep 2023
Days of street protests

stay with me, the repugnance --


the anger, the wound.
Poem "#FeesMustFall - Oktober 2015" ("#FeesMustFall - October 2015", 2022, Antjie Krog)

Collection "May the Might"
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