1

The drummer beats slowly, the drummer beats loud
     as he beats of humanity wrapped in a shroud.

Well he beats of the **** and the killing of war
     and the mind mangling sorrow we blithely ignore
          and he beats of combatants who’re dying deceived
               while the merchants of ****** count profits received.

And he beats of civilians so savagely slain
     and of bundles of bodies cast off in distain,
          and he beats of the butch'ry that's feeding the flood,
               clogging drains with our flesh, filling swamps with our blood.

And he beats of cadavers, by famine defined
     that has ravished and plagued since the dawn of mankind,
          and he beats of big biz letting oranges decay
               while a child suffers scurvy and passes away.

He beats and he pounds till our consciences gnaw
     and his fingers are battered and ****** and raw
          and his hands are all broken and bleeding and raw.

2

The drummer beats slowly, the drummer beats loud
     as he beats of abuse that we try to becloud.

Well he beats of the barons and princes and kings
     who have broken broad backs with their clubs and their slings,
          and he beats of the toll of divine royal rights
               when the droit du seigneur sullied white wedding nights.

     And he beats of the bribes that the powerful make
          to the pale politicians who wax in their wake,
               and he beats of the waifs bound by chains to machines,
                    and of slaves sporting nooses, and other such scenes.

And he beats of the tyrants in clerical garb
     who have tortured with ******* and thumbscrews and barb
          and he beats of decrees claiming all men are free
               while ignoring cowed thralls and their agonised plea.


He beats and he pounds till revealing the flaw
     and his fingers are battered and ****** and raw
           and his hands are all broken and bleeding and raw.

3

The drummer beats slowly, the drummer beats loud
     as he beats of the strength of the rebels so proud.

Well he beats of the spirit the rack couldn’t break,
     and the fragrance of flesh that was burned at the stake,
          and he beats of gray witches submerged in a pond,
               being swum to nirvana and even beyond.

And he beats of the minds that could never be chained
     by the faith that was living while ignorance reigned;
          and he beats of bold battles when Spartacus rose        
               having tired of shackles and slavery’s woes.

And he beats of bent women who’ll fight to be freed
     and will never give up till they finally succeed,
          and he beats of their progress, belying the jeers,
               overwhelming the pessimists' fatuous sneers.

He beats and he pounds till we stand back in awe
     and his fingers are battered and ****** and raw
          and his hands are all broken and bleeding and raw.

4

The drummer beats slowly, the drummer beats loud
     as he beats of the sights that he’s seen from a cloud.

Well he beats of the passion when lovers have lain
     with their bodies entwined midst a field of fresh grain;
          and he beats of the joy when a mother has smiled
               while she’s nursing a baby, her newly born child.

And he beats of the sorrow upsurging inside
     leaving shadows and ruins when loved ones have died.
          Then he beats of an image that looms as a dream
               of a time when compassion and love reign supreme.

And he beats of lush meadows pale yellow and green,
     shining lakes in a woodland, a river serene.
          Then he beats of a planet that dies in a sweat,
               and of smirks of the dullards denying the threat.

He beats and he pounds till we see what he saw
     and his fingers are battered and ****** and raw
          and his hands are all broken and bleeding and raw.

*

The drummer beats slowly, the drummer beats loud
    
     And he beats of humanity wrapped in a shroud
          And he beats of abuse that we try to becloud
               And he beats of the strength of the rebels so proud
                    And he beats of the sights that he’s seen from a cloud.

     And he beats and he pounds till our consciences gnaw
          And he beats and he pounds till revealing the flaw
               And he beats and he pounds till we stand back in awe
                    And he beats and he pounds till we see what he saw.

And his fingers are battered and ****** and raw
     And his hands are all broken and bleeding and raw.

          And his hands are all
               broken
                   and bleeding
                        and raw.

He came from a land unrefined;
Encompassed by violence, poverty yet possesses clarity of mind.
A mind built from Hardwork and Determination,
A soul inspired by Intrepidation
Freedom, Release and an infectious sense of inner Peace.


They met in a state of flux,
Going, coming, nothing left but to give it up,
So heart broken, she took his hand,
The adventure began on water but would end on land,
Meadows, Beaches, Visions left them speechless.


She saw a flash, a light;
Precautionary measures tested the capacity of his might.
Slow Down! She'd lost sight.
Tried to keep up but her heart said "Flight"!
Escape! Hide from the cruelty clawing from the inside.


Time was chasing, they had to keep up,
He left as she collapsed into the mouth of a half empty cup.
She gobbled up the cup with no thought of tomorrow.
"He is strong, he'll be fine," focus deflected from sorrow.
Regret, Remorse, shall Fate be trusted to run it's course?


Smiles and Mischief were all that could remain,
She slowly began to learn to becloud fruitless pain,
She's walked away from tough stains,
In memory of his arms where enthusiasm never wanes.
Growing, longer, when he returns she shall be stronger.


If Fate knows Love and Love is true,
Fate shall be entrusted to do what it do,
But Fate can be twisted, Fate can be cruel
And the little girl knew the twisted Power of Fate's Rule

The Paragliders like ravenous vultures flew
to southern Israel to predate on soft targets.
Like swarms of bees, they snuck, *****, maimed, shot, burnt and slew.
Terror did every man's fragile conscience becloud.
Hate made their embittered hearts to mercy forget.
Abductions followed, having to terror avowed.

Then came the IDF's genocidal intent,
having intended global laws to circumvent;
Children, women, all consumed by mighty vengeance.
A disproportionate response beyond balance.
Homes, hospitals, Mosques, Churches and schools are levelled,
as Gaza is by torrents of bombs bedeviled.
I do not with a livid Israel sympathize,
nor do I with a besieged Gaza empathize.
With humanity I have my affinity,
for my deep love for it, tends to infinity.

dark
dim
gray
haze

this will be my shortest day

shade
shelter
shield
veil

I give up, my bones are frail

becloud
bedim
belittle
me

close your eyes so you don't see

touch
trace
gasp
rest

my final breath will leave this chest

Cracked wits
Sentiments leaking
Dripping to the floor
Hollowed out mind
Gray and void
Holds memory no more
Character retracted
Personality hides
Fearful behind black shroud
Shadow shivering
Nervous wreck
The aim is to becloud
Soul withdrawn
Vacant eyes
Stare through eternity
Tempt fate
gamble life
This could be you or me

Here's a poem to celebrate poetry month!

Challenge by Jean Nette

Life, I challenge you to try me,
Doom me to unending pain;
Stay my hand, becloud my vision,
Break my heart and then-- again.

Shatter every dream I've cherished,
Fill my heart with ruthless fear;
Follow every smile that cheers me
With a bitter, blinding tear.

Thus I dare you; you can try me,
Seek to make me cringe and moan,
Still my unbound soul defies you,
I'll withstand you--and, alone!

scrambled words
ripped papers
blue ink
scratched lines
taped pictures
heart shaped drawings
darling i'll write for you
even if
the pages worn out
i'll scream my lungs out
even if
the sentences struggle
i'll reminisce the memories
even if
the polaroids becloud
darling i'll write
a thousand poetry for you
even if
it's dreadful
darling i'll do
till i'm weary
till there's nothing left
but this shattering pieces
of heart
that loves you
terribly
tremendously
unconditionally
here's for the unspoken
the untold feelings
here's the one
for you

The vision of your words can read through my core...
My naked existence sighted,
Just not deep thru yet.....

Wrap me in your words give me refuge in your insane creations. ....
Veil my exposure, becloud in your  sphere of phrase. ...

Outlined in alluring aesthetic grace....
Let the meaning give soul to the expression of me.....

The vision of your words can read through my core...
My naked existence sighted,
Just not deep thru yet.....

Wrap me in your words give me refuge in your insane creations. ....
Veil my exposure, becloud in your  sphere of phrase. ...

Let the meaning give soul to the expression of me.....
And that would be you recreate me. ....

Written by Noorulain S.

Billboard stood at alert
At the meeting point of Èsù
Like an awoken manhood
Ready to dive into the ocean.

Reasons for gathered heads
In front of it like crusade time
Struck a chord in me
"Check it out!" He told me.

Since my mind never for once
Politrick me to any good vices
I opted for his suggestion
And off to the site my leg went.

A closer look at the inscription
Boldly lettered on the board
"Vacancy for the revered
Post of Jesus Christ!"
That got laughter to **** me.

Come to think of it
Should that post still be vacant?
My thought kept rubbing me
Of the reality I lost.

We lust after the lostful desires
That becloud mankind's mind
With a zero knowledge of where
The master claimed he'd prepared.

Two millennia ago and nineteen
The reporter told the tale
That the master even almost
Lust after his creation with his cross.

Fast forward to now
Many robed hungry souls
Carry placards of repping him
Only to live by bread alone.

Little wonder, his post on earth
Seems vacant thirsting for
Who's really get enough to fit in
The filler must be void of blemish.

Off I go to my abode
To search for he who
Can fittingly wear his cap
Else, he won't come back.

For as long as black bears black
He won't come at least to the blacks
We let him buy us
Now we sell him to eat.

Till the song cease to be
"Jerusalem on high!"
And turns torrent to become
"Africa on high!"
He ain't ready for us yet.

So, let the vacancy linger on
Till we sense...*light out!

Tosin Morakinyo
@RexMorrisson

We must be hoodwinked & lured into demeaning one another through the dogmatic strictures of animalism/animalitarianism ("atheism") in order: to deny Spiritualism; to wage total war; to value animal life above human life; to commit clinician-assisted ****** by aborticide; to befoul the water with fluoride and pediatric serums with mercury; to becloud the air with aluminum oxide via military tanker jets; to burn tumorous growths with x-rays; to subject our hearts to allopathic diagnostics namely radioactive dyes & Adrenalin-based stress tests; to venerate amoral men.

We must be hoodwinked & lured into demeaning one another through the dogmatic strictures of animalism/animalitarianism ("atheism") in order: to deny Spiritualism; to wage total war; to value animal life above human life; to commit clinician-assisted ****** by aborticide; to befoul the water with fluoride and pediatric serums with mercury; to becloud the air with aluminum oxide via military tanker jets; to burn tumorous growths with x-rays; to subject our hearts to allopathic diagnostics namely radioactive dyes & Adrenalin-based stress tests; to venerate amoral men.

A Poem: No Time For Love

When you said goodbye
I never knew this day would come
I cried and almost ended it
You thought you already won
But the tears were not for you
They were reminders of the wasted years
The ones we shared together

Making fake promises in the moonlight
We painted our world with red
I shut the door against serious minded prospects
I was carried away by your lines
Oh! How heaven blessed you with those sweet lies
I teared because I truly love you

Let me even ask you
How do you want your madness?
Actions begets reactions you know!
Do you want it with clothes?
Or you prefer to form Adam
All I need is your mothers' maiden name
It cost just a little over two dollars

Now, you think you found an angel
Suddenly, you are ready to settle down
What happened to those promises?
Every tear I shed, dots your  future
When things fall apart
Just like a park of cards
Don't look too far, you earned it

I allowed my sense of judgement
Becloud my sense of reasoning
I fought everyone for you
I thought I found a soulmate
But in you my love, i found "The Devil"
I might be down, but not out
Maybe love is not fair after all

I have learnt my lessons
Henceforth, no time for love
I was very good and humble
You turned me to a very good bad one
For years I sacrificed for you
I could give you my life without hesitating
But this is where it ends

My life does not depend on you
My joy lies not in your hands
It might take time, but I'll get there
Like the Eagle, I will watch and wait
And in this Zeus' green world
Love will find me again
This time, for better for best

Babatunde Raimi (c)
Dedicated to all victims of heartbreak...

Righting beautiful wrongs.
His name comes forth as a poet.
A ship goeth upon the sublime sea.
First this wonder swims the cool streams.
Ship that it is, that becomes as one with time.
Here takes the shape of over there, that shipyard, that dock, those waves, and the mighty horizon.
No will to press for ship's sake save to meet another ship.
Wandering in the waves for water's ways.
The magnificent mystery of puzzles catches my eye.
While there is no other ship straying here I will becloud myself with this beauty encrested in man's reality.
What and how will I find a drizzle of a drop that he should proclaim to be truth.
Forth he finds who can hear him.
His name is Noble, the Middle Way, the Bridge.
Don't fall lad, don't fall.
Should the fall hurt, reflect on how one may not bleed again.

You bailed out
Just when I needed you the most
I thought we were building a castle
Because I saw me in you and vice versa
What a castle this turned out
A castle built in the air it seemed

She lured and flashed it at me
Then I lost my sense of reasoning
Allowed logic to becloud judgement
This is on me, I know
All I ask is one more time to make it right
Please come back, please

Let me lock "The piece"
And give you the keys
As a sign of my repentance
I lost your trust on the laps of Dellilah
If only you grant me a second chance
Never again will I stray

For every tear you shed
It ripped my heart into shreds
Took a piece of me away
And turned me a social misfit
My holy voice will I lift
To God of second change
Please, bring my love back.

The Irish becloud me.
Now more then ever,
Europe thresholding
and yet, they endure
the stygian gloom of
this eternal cumulus.