There are moments
when I feel more clearly than ever
that I am in the company
of my own person.
This comforts and reassures me,
this heartens me,
just as my tridimensional body
is heartened by my own authentic shadow.

There are moments
when I really feel more clearly than ever  
that I am in the company
of my own person.

I stop
at a street corner to turn left
and I wonder what would happen
if my own person walked to the right.

Until now that has not happened  
but it does not settle the question.

A rook, a rook
Flew from the sky
And landed on a tree.
Spoke to the snake
That lie there:
"Snake, what do you see?

"I rise above,
I fly high,
Know all the human breed.
Seen kings and queens,
Even a princess-child
And all the warrior's deeds."

"Rook, oh rook",
Hissed the snake.
"You are so naîve.
You see strength
And beauty, too,
But they lie just as they breathe."

"Snake, oh snake,
What do you say?!
That is not true!
It's merry a life;
That I do know
I watched from high blue."

"Rook, oh rook,
You flew too high,
I know what they've got;
To ******, deceive,
Fight and ****,
Their tales are full of blood."

"Snake, oh snake,
You must lie,
I haven't seen such thing.
But let me tell
Of what I saw
Of wars and weddings.

There was a man,
Vain and full of greed,
So proud and so old.
Would never spare a coin,
But as a beggar he saw,
He gave him a coin of gold."

"Rook, oh rook,
I saw it too,
But that was not the end;
The beggar him stalked,
To his home,
And with a dagger in he went."

"Snake, oh snake
Let me tell
Another one:
Of a wedding so bright,
Of a king and his queen,
He kissed her and gave her the crown."

"Rook, oh rook,
Don't believe all you see!
Didn't you hear the queen cry?
The marriage was forced,
Their bond forged,
And she jumped down her tower high."

"Snake, oh snake,
I've seen battles grand,
Where heroes and legends fought.
The earth shattered,
The elements they've torn,
And flames from the sky they brought."

"Rook, oh rook,
That was no battle fair,
Just unglorious assault.
They died like flies,
All of them,
And were buried in nameless vaults."

"Snake, oh snake,
Listen close,
As I tell you of heartens blaze;
Once I saw two lovers,
Kissing under moonlight,
At a lake that mirrored their grace."

"Rook, oh rook,
That I saw as well.
They soon had broken up.
The next day,
She was found dead,
He murdered her out of love."

"Snake, oh snake,
If you speak true,
Then all I knew was wrong!
But then, dear snake
Wouldn't they be
Nothing but spoiled flesh and bone???"

"Oh, but that's it,
Rook, oh rook,
The inhuman, human lot.
They are alive,
And vivid they breathe,
And yet
They
Rot."

There is sight, but no insight
There is light, but it's not that bright.
Brain says good night,
Finding myself in a sorry plight.

Shut myself in a cocoon
Body and mind out of tune
Confusion and ignorance attune
Didn't think it'd happen so soon

Closed my eyes to see the colors dance
Felt the nerves going in a trance
Unaware of the surroundings
Flew with the my newly found wings.

One deep breath and thoughts die away
The warmth of the lips forgets the fray
Smell of liberty heartens the soul
Mind opens the door to the ultimate goal

As I exist without control
I feel my fingers burn like coal
Sense come back with a drum roll
Nicotine rushes in like a parasite.

Between the cool-quarried kitchen
and paint-faded south facing door
runs a windowless wall
sugar-papered with childhood dreams.

Memories of roughly folded gifts
squirreled in satchels,
crossed creases still intact;
curled corners fixed with shiny pins.

Luminescent paint heartens the darkness of a pitch grotto
anticipating a flicked switch
to illuminate dimmed histories
of abstract symbols, visionless figures and countless fingers.

The small pink fists that captured
Time's most precious pieces,
now live with vaguely painted hope
of sheering unsteady walls
in their uncertain world.

the paved country road swells under the heavy footfalls of the weary warrior

it is the dawn of march and the roses will remember the blush of death no more.

no more that is due to the sullen rock which the freshly smeared crimson slumbers upon

no more that is due to the holy droplets hauntingly trailing their way home from the sky

like divine reprisal

the heavens cry the loss which will be remembered no more that is due.

no more that is due to the village folks strutting about

rejoicing the return of the weary warrior

and his dripping sword.

no more that is due to the chaste maiden weeping in the wet meadow

for her freedom is gained

and another one’s lost.

the weary warrior moves along the muddy path still

while the dripping drizzle heartens his tired soul

for he know that someone does weep for the life which has been forcibly and heartlessly taken that day

that warm day of april struck by lightning and  thunder and fragile fury.

it is said that to slay a monster creates another

and to save a life a debt is repaid

for the cost of life

is a life still.

and yet the warrior moves along and does not weep

he’s coming home

and does not stop his heavy footfalls nor the beating of his erratic heart which has been yearning for it.

the fire will burn the remains of the day no more

but the fire was home too

the fire was life

and it has been extinguished.

the wary long-battled warrior is coming home through the cave and the meadow and the country path

for he has seen and lived it all and can never turn away from the scorching tear in his chest

and the village is his home no more.

the village is water and rain and it will not stop just like his tired steps

the whole world has sank away into the water

therefore the tired warrior does not return to the world

and instead he decides to return home.

Oh yes I talk about trying, don't pardon me
Innocence has nothing to fear, this is what hardened me

Just quit man, give up, be the pawn in world chess these thought never cordon me
Rise for you may not reign, but rise for you may be right.. this is the lesson that gardened me

I was in the zone too, I still feel low at times, but I fought and will fight everytime, atleast now I know what my stardom is
Never counted much on anyone, because sometimes when did I got to know what the word phantom means

And trust me I do have dreadful nightmares, but i don't let them warden me
Because what's much bigger and brighter is my dream and the ones I want to live it with, that is what that heartens me

Over expectations, just like over exposure to light, gives you darkened s(K)in
Same people, same situation but different faces, learnt allotropes are not found in carbon only

Was down and low and in pieces, survived, now I am coming thundering for the win
Dream, travel, love, express, experience so the world knows you not just some iron molding

Everyone's at war, some fighting for glory, some voicing their story.. latter is how I unburden me
Miseries in abundance, it's HOPE that forms the basis of my ardent leap.

Praise to Modesto members
Of this radical society
This medicinal space
That tolls the bells of fellowship
And heartens creative release
Tribute to stalwart members
For each a cog
In a global clock
Turning its handles onward
Toward a loving world
Each a cyber tallow
Melting morsels of care
Keeping the wick of hope aflame
Each a feather
Of a mystical bird
Lifting its wings
To pleiades presents.

Think not
That the journey is fated
For the work remains
And the future's serrated.

A pair of black eyes heartens me to forget all my cries.

THE GAP

The gap is wide and none can bridge
Between pure love and hateful grudge,
Between who love to beatify
And those who live just to decry.

Some live to see the smile spread
On lips of beauty with cheeks red,
While others want those lips to ail
And make cheeks' redness seared and pale.

Some love the rose on branch to live,
To give its charm and love receive,
While others break the branch and go
And cause the flower greatest woe.

Some speak with smile on their cute face
That heartens you to start discourse,
But others say just one rude word
That makes you hate them and the world.

My Lord, Your creatures are like verse,
Some to adore and some to curse.

BY JOSEPH ZENIEH