#walked
This morning,
I walked with god and man, and animal
I've come to believe,
no other possibility,
He denies me sleep
as His insurance policy
some One wants to be sure,
someone sees His sunrise poem,
He selected this ancien regi-man
to be His admiring audience,
with deer, squirrels, rabbits, a red fox, an osprey
always complaining, why do they get
the cheap seats
so up at five,
no jive,
gotta get there early,
for a good seat,
on the dock by his name
watch the color blue transgender
from feminine elegy elegant pale
to peacock royal male,
the water,
a contributing editor,
phases in with a steely grin,
with ermine whitecap hints
and an orange marmalade sky homage,
I cannot try to describe
and here is where man comes in...
as the tableau reveals a still life
come to be,
a painting enlivened,
come to me free,
bursting with
effervescence and
animal life tribunes,
paying on...
strange...
my Pandora app
back to back,
plays for me
Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue,
hard upon it comes
Saint-Saëns's
The Carnival of the Animals
and I
enfeebled amateur,
needy for a
word titan Titian,
can think only
this trite thought:
*I know not who is the
instrument and who
is the
artist,
but virtuous us,
We, all, now-capital-buddies,
now, all, well-color-capitalized,
god and man and animal,
crooning a chorus of appreciation
let this "accidental" miracle,
this collaboration,
enthuse me,
to live happily
with anticipation
for just one more day...*
June 2014
Jun 15, 2014
Jun 15, 2014 at 6:56 AM UTC
What if I hadn't answered that
Wrong number.
Heard your voice calling on
The other end.
Two people a worlds apart,
But a once in a life time
Error.
I said wrong number,
But my heart was wrapped
Around your voice that captured
In the moment between me
Putting the phone down
and redialing my destiny.
I paused and I said,
"Hi,
Awkward silences lasts a lifetime,
Till you answered me,
"I said I heard you on the other end
and I just wanted to
know who's voice could capture me
with so few words..
She said my name is,
and I said my name was,
we giggled and I wondered how far
could a destiny have called from.
And we realised that even though
our voices had connected
that we were just five floors apart
for us to for so long ourselves
five years never meeting eyes,
voices, not even a glance.
But I'd now found you,
we rushed from our doorways,
down the stairways..
We reached the floors we were meant to
reach, but you weren't there,
I wasn't with within your reach.
We stared out the opposite windows,
and found we were further apart than
we'd thought I saw you, seeing me.
Waving at each other.
We didn't run we walked,
down each flight of stairs.
Waiting so long for each other we walked
miles in tandem till we reached the
sidewalk.
What are the odds to meet this near
on a crossing of life.
We waited a moment till red turned green.
That was our moment
to collapse in to each other,
and it seemed like we kissed for our last two lifetimes.
Feb 22, 2020
Feb 22, 2020 at 6:39 PM UTC
I'll never walk in your footsteps.
because you walked
that path and it was personal to you.
I may shadow you, as I take wonderment
in the delicate breath of each moment
you trod upon the soil.
Showing that for some, we will never tread
upon others imprints.
But we will not look above, but always
below to see that some paths
are worth following,
stepping side by side to others life.
Make a path anew, follow the footsteps
of others you look down too.
But every path is unique, no path trodden
is ever the same in life.
Oct 8, 2019
Oct 8, 2019 at 5:35 PM UTC
We've walked too far to look back.
If we look back,
we'd think we've walked too far
from where we are coming from
and too close to where we are heading to.
But If we look forward,
we'd realize we've walked far
from where we're coming from,
but far from where we want to be.
—JIBRIL ABDULMALIK ©2019
Apr 20, 2019
Apr 20, 2019 at 8:40 PM UTC
Upon my soul
he gallantly walked
he gave no mention
nor sensation
so here , I am left
to question
what , I couldn't feel
no warning
that I was his victim
he'd leave me questioning
ever moment
how'd I not know
this stranger I thought
I knew
So gallantly he walked
So to never make a sound
so I never could ?
till he was out of sight
that I'd then dare find
All that was never true
© Jennifer Delong 2/2019
Feb 11, 2019
Feb 11, 2019 at 9:11 PM UTC
I lost track of me
i got addicted
to the worst kind of drug
you
i struggled to realize
how much you impacted
every choice, every action, every move
i can't wear that blue shirt
because it reminds me of the way i
felt with you
the happiness, the smiles, the laughs
i can do this
i wore that shirt today
i didn't cry
but i did smile
not because of you
because the happiness that came from my friends
my teachers, who I see as parents
the boy, i call my best friend
i latched on to his hug for about 30 seconds longer than usual
he asked "you okay"
"all because of this"
i smiled and walked to class
happy
Jan 31, 2019
Jan 31, 2019 at 5:55 PM UTC
I had a dream the other night,
took a bullet to the head.
These racing thoughts control my mind
thats why I fear laying in bed.
I had a dream the other night,
I took a pill.. or two.
Sent shivers running down my spine
yet somehow, I was thinking of you.
I had a dream the other night,
Trapped and couldn’t move
You looked me straight into the eye
But didn’t bother let me loose.
You made me believe that you were mine
Your presence was my feene.
Then you turned and looked the other way
Except.. this time it wasn’t a dream.
Sep 28, 2018
Sep 28, 2018 at 4:49 AM UTC
I walked for miles afterwards
After I got the news that broke me
Instead of shriveling up like a prune
I walked
I couldn’t stay still otherwise I’d think
And I couldn’t think
I would crumble
I’d fall into an unending abyss of what ifs and whys and how could yous...
I walked
And the night air made my tears dry up
I was hoping it would dry up my pain
Dry up the thought of you with her
The thought of every lie you ever told me
The thought of being alone
I stopped walking
I realized at that point in time, I didn’t need you
I never did
You are no longer the air that I breath
I have my own lungs
You are no longer my hopes and dreams
I dream of other things
You are no longer the love that brings me life
I give myself life
You are no longer my forever and always
I have a new beginning
I walked back home
And I breathed with my own lungs
And I realized I didn’t need you.
Aug 28, 2018
Aug 28, 2018 at 12:17 AM UTC
He could have walked away,
For there were many a reason to do so;
But he never did;
He was there through the highs and lows.
I gave him many a reason
To walk away for good;
And yet he stayed beside me
While I was in his neighbourhood.
There were panic attacks, crying,
Semi madness, paranoia;
All the usual consequences of
Being assaulted a year earlier.
There were so many times
I expected him to be gone;
I warned him in fact that -
I’m not worthy – my people are gone!
There is no need to put up with me,
Its not good for your health;
I’m used to people disappearing,
I’ll deal with things myself.
For I am being punished,
It’s how its meant to be;
At least for those of us assaulted
....in the middle of the sea.
But of course he didnt understand,
He’s from a different culture;
He wasn’t afraid to hold my hand
And protect me from the torture.
He has probably never met anyone
As mad and unstable as me;
Coming to stay in Soweto
And feeling so totally free.
He saw my love of Soweto,
For the children, the people, and more;
He spent so much time exploring his home with me –
He’d learnt which combi to get door to door!
When I had to get to clinics,
Not just one, two, three, or four (!)
He spent two days right there with me
As we waited hours to reach the door.
He didnt have to do that,
He has work to do back home;
Yet even when I shouted at him –
He never left me alone.
Of course I apologised later,
Tried to help him understand;
That my brain does its own thing,
Yet he was still there to hold my hand.
He never once walked away,
And thats when it occurred to me;
What a complete cultural contrast
....to our “people of the sea”...
My “family” are now Sowetans,
Although i’ve known that for a while;
When the clinics registered me as an “African”
All I did was smile.
Of all the times I thought i’d given
A reason for him to abandon me,
There was one in particular –
Where he’d be fully justified to flee.
To protect yourself i’d understand,
You may need to walk away;
And yet he didnt – he put himself at risk
...to protect me, I have to say....
It’s not an easy place to live,
He could have walked away;
I’m forever grateful for his bravery
And that he didnt walk away.
For a place where for so long,
Segregation was the norm,
It has come such a very long way –
Since the day I was born.
My culture, mixed as it is
Has not suffered in this way;
Instead it shuns and alienates people
....if they “dont obey”....
Well done South Africa,
Though the problems you face are not gone;
You could teach a lot to “my people”..
..a culture that needs to be re- born.
Aug 8, 2018
Aug 8, 2018 at 6:58 PM UTC
As my eyes saw you how you
walked out the door
My heart shivers and my eyes with tears are started to fall
You did'nt say anything even when I wanted everytime you leave is a glance ;
Glance, weherein as you walked out it tells me that you're willing to stay with me no matter what
Jul 21, 2017
Jul 21, 2017 at 5:13 PM UTC
I've been there,
I've walked that road,
I've had those feelings,
So many times before,
I've wanted to hurt myself,
Or someone else,
I've felt that pain,
That hate,
And I know,
How hard it is,
To let go of everything you have spent building,
Every nasty feeling,
I've been there,
I've walked that road,
So many times before,
I
Remember when I started punching walls,
Bleeding fist,
Inner anger,
I've been there,
Had those feelings,
I have been angry,
For not doing more,
Don't try and say,
I'm not gonna tell you what happened,
You won't understand,
You have probably never felt these feelings before,
I've been there,
I've walked that road,
We all have one,
A road we walk,
Not particularly knowing where we're going,
In the middle of the night,
Thinking,
What if I don't turn around,
I've felt those feelings,
I've MEMORIZED that road.
Oct 12, 2016
Oct 12, 2016 at 11:35 PM UTC
Someday I'll walk down this dusty road,
And you'll never again see the likes of me.
Amidst my flight I won't turn around,
I won't even be tempted to take a glance back at you, my history.
Because you are nothing more to me than a memory.
Which is stored away inside the cavity I call my mind.
I would pass you by in another life,
Because you do not value the values of mine.
I lied, I tried, and sacrificed the important parts of me to try,
And complete the whole of you inside.
When really this wasn't my place to stay,
And the soles of my shoes were just passing through.
At the end of this road, I will keep my word,
I will walk away, slowly from you.
Jun 15, 2016
Jun 15, 2016 at 7:51 PM UTC
Why do I still care about the people that have walked out of my life?
Aug 27, 2015
Aug 27, 2015 at 10:00 AM UTC