you are not
the sun
you are not
the moon
you are most certainly not 
the earth
you must learn
as i did
(when you were once my whole world)
you are a star
yet
you are one 
of seven billion

the day you realize
that humans
are so carefully crafted
so delicately designed
so infinitely intricate
will be the day 
you start to treat them
the right way

M’hemm ebda mod ieħor
Li stajt niddivina, biex forsi tisimgħuni –
Bil-Malti issa qlibt, jekk forsi qegħdin tinnutawni.
L-ewwel ħaġa:
Fehmuni għalfejn għadha tezisti d-duttrina.
Akkost li xi ħadd jibgħatni nieħdu jien u nirfes il-bankina,
Ser ngħidha!

Għax ma ngħallmux lit-tfal tagħna
Jifhmu l-imħabba lejn il-proxxmu
Minflok il-liġi inuffiċjali
‘Min mhux magħna kontra tagħna?’  
Għax ma nitgħallmux niddiskutu u niddibattu,
Forsi nċedu ftit, flok dejjem nċaħħdu u nirribattu?
Forsi immexxu bl-eżempju; flok immorru sa’ tempju
Nitpaxxew b’deheb misruq u b’moħħ magħluq,
Nitgħallmu nieqfu niskappaw u nistaħbew,
Wara wiċċ imżejjen falz, jew xi metafora.

It-tieni ħaga, u għalissa nieqaf haw’:
Fehmuni għalfejn lesti li l-futur taghna ninġazzaw?
Nikkompromettu, nidħlu fid-dejn,
Il-valuri tagħna nirremettu, basta fl-aħħar tax-xahar
Jidħlulna imqar dawk l-elfejn.

Qabli hawn oħrajn li dan il-kliem diġà qaluh –
Malta m’hijiex ward u żahar u kollox ifugħ.
Anzi, l-intiena tal-korruzzjoni tqanqallek id-dmugħ.
Jien ma ġejtx hawn biex immaqdar u nitlaq,
Nixtieq li nkunu konxji u nieħdu dak li jixraq.
Jekk inti tixtieq hekk ukoll,
Mela ejja ningħaqdu, għax għandna ħafna xoghol.

__________________

­[in English]

There is no other way I could divine
To make you hopefully listen to me –
You may have noticed I switched to Maltese.
The first thing on the list;
Can someone explain why (religious) doctrine still exists?
Although this may elicit someone’s anger as I step out on the sidewalk,
I shall say it!

Why don’t we teach our children
To understand loving one’s fellow man
Instead of the unofficial law
‘Whoever is not with us, is against us?’
Why don’t we learn to discuss and debate,
Maybe concede a bit, rather than deny and rebate?
Maybe lead by example; instead of going to a temple,
Awed by stolen gold and closed minds,
Learn to stop escaping and hiding
Behind a fake, decorated face, or a metaphor.

The second thing on the list, and I’ll stop ‘ere:
Can someone explain why we’re ready to ruin our future?
Compromising, racking up debt,
Our values we are regurgitating as long as, at the end of the month,
We get a couple thousand (as in, money).

Others before me have already said these words –
Malta isn’t all flowers and roses, and not everything is fragrant.
Actually, the stench of corruption will make you cry.
I am not here to complain and leave,
I just wish we’d be aware so we can get what we deserve.
If you want this as well,
Then let us join together, for we have a lot of work to do.

I woke, a leaden blanket of dread,
Trapping my brain, muscles feel dead,
It was hard to talk, harder to move,
Six hours later, still waiting to improve.

Up high, where I want to be,
Like the clouds, I can be free,
Shedding drops in form of words,
Flying from my pen, punctuated birds.

Blur lines between fiction and fact,
Until my heart feels intact,
Poetry heals poisonous burns,
But will not settle my stomach, so on it churns.

It is a burden bringing this bleeding body from bed,
I ache, the heaviest part is my head,
It's too full of regret and shame,
I do not know why every day starts the same.

(alternately titled random axe of violence)

I calculated an average
     of ~10.16.... deaths per year
of mass school shootings since Columbine,
     a morbid benchmark where,

iGen / Gen Z 1995 - 2012 bore significant hit,
now students require armed guards to learn - veer
really within purportedly "safe places",
     which statistics tracks a unilinear

trend, and justifiably causing
     absolute zero reassurance
     countering alarmist state of mind dust tear
ability to accept rationale

     dismissing greater probability
     prevails lightening will strike loved ones,
     nonetheless share
ring understandable expressing

     rightful salient concerns with school board
     quotidian possibility son(s) and/or daughter(s) rare
lee remain mum at every opportunity,
     how second amendment does not square

with democratic e pluribus unum firmament,
     lieutenant management,
     quintessential reverent tenets
pointing trigger finger of accountability

     at lax gun purchasing rare
lee does emotional uproar demanding
     immediate controls, limitations, restrictions,
     et cetera on firearms scare

the bejesus from stalwart National Rifle Association,
     whence spokesperson doth prepare
convincing rebuttal (lock, stock at barrel) overbear
ring lee outgun legitimate

     parental concerns, now near
daily occurrence hardly cause a flinch glossed
     inducing similar reactions as
     sports home team defeated, sans mere

slightly raised eyebrows while headline news
     when another tragedy gets tacked
     unto the 122 students killed since Columbine
     took the lives of innocent lives 19 plus years ago

which ** hum sacrifice of youth or teachers bare
     lee induce ripple despite an increasing number
     of spent bullets fallout inflicting
     more than 208,000 vulnerable
     impressionable psyches sorrows need a lifetime to air!

Bye Bae!
waves..
Your so sweet your so kind.
Bye my boo.
always admire you.
aye aye.
waves and smiles..babe.
sorry you didnt want me around bae..
still smilin cuz in my face you seemed so sweet bae.
I'm walking with..
gentleness..
comforted in what I'm use to, my old ways of working building and creating it hasn't failed to keep me company.
a coat on my cold shoulder..
with it I've grown fonder.
At least now I don't have to wonder.
if its me..or if it's you.
who dunno what to do.
about the harmful ways we fall into.
sunlight so bright appears as a new connection.
a bright new friend.
I want to let its light in.
sunlight come hold my hand.
A glow..willing sweet without demand.
winks.. blows kisses my old boo.
wishing the best to you.
I've ******* gloomy and doom.
Tucked them up away in a locked off room.
Hope just kissed my cheek.
Loves dancing teaching me new steps at my feet.
Peace is feeding me dreamy new treats.
and doubt has fled from my door.
As I'm handed a broom to  make sure losers can't enter any more.
Fly swatter in hand to chase out the pesty flies of despair.
Losing we are no longer a pair.
No worries ex boo.
I'm gettin over you.
Text me again.. bae just text me once more again..
Call me again just Once more again.
Never mind we'd just probably repeat the same steps all over again.
Destiny get a hold of run away desires.
Ropes tie away unwanted admirers.
Hey hey.
Bye bae!
selinasharday rose. S.A.M