Beautiful Distraction

As dreamy dusk kisses the dusty dawn
At the stroke of midnight
When dreams are born
I think of her
If wishes were horses
They say beggars would ride
I'd wish upon a wishing star
That this queen would be my bride

Her luscious hair crowns her head
Black as the bark of the ebony tree
She has that gentle smile
That arches from cheek to cheek
Like the bow of the crescent moon

When night falls
And the stars line up in procession
As the owl sings her doleful tune
Her silhouette isn't frail
She stands strong
Hewn from beautiful cedars

Her eyes beckon to me
"Come, young poet, come"
Yet...
She stares aloof
Oblivious of the effects of her charms
On this poor wandering soul
She's a siren
Her voice envelopes me
Like a sailor I am drawn
To the shores of her affection
Words fail me
Would I drink from her lips
The sweet nectar of love refined
Or taste the delicious pinot noir
That drips with every kiss

Who is she?
Hidden beneath the shroud
Of words and rhyme
My mysterious woman
A voluptuous vixen?
A sassy saint?
Or the girl that haunts the dreams
Of every man
The ever elusive femme fatale
I call her
My beautiful distraction...


By Damilare Maverick ( Nigeria )

picture credits: fineartamerica.com

The gathering

Dear beloved we are gathered here shivering, quivering
Standing beside the abyss, the sobbing chasm of a grave.
Sobbing, throbbing, in its eagerness
To the wailing of the gathered masses on the lonesome edge.
I shall never hear her voice calling.
The crowded ebb pushed forward to see her descent.
Farewell fair one, the harsh reality of life scraped your life.


 By Lebohang Kuenane ( Lesotho )

photo credits:  travel.nationalgeographic.com

Letter from the other side

I am that seed that was denied the chance to
grow.
That cock early morning did not crow,the fifth wheel terminated without my will.
I am the child you aborted
that child you denied the warmth of your
womb,tenderness of your breast
that child you relegated to the tomb.
But No! I refuse to rest,
because am that child whose loss you didn't grieve.
That child you denied the right to live.

Am the child you obliterated,mercilessly
annihilated,callously incinerated
am the soul who's life you separated
that child who's death you celebrated.
A product of your reckless behavior
Juvenile delinquency,"Miss know it all".
I am that sad soul you destroyed
the abortion pill you employed.
Am that being you erased,that life that can never
be replaced.

Dear mother am that child on your conscience.
Your secret yes!,but your daily torment.
Like a stain,my memory will ever be your daily pain.
Am your mental anguish,disposed of me like
rubbish you selfish being.
I am the life that could have been.

Quickly erased deprived of the right to see the
light.
Am that child who hopelessly lost his life without a
fight.
I pour out my heart as I write that which you don't
want to hear.
I refuse to rest,No!, I shan't rest till you receive
your
punishment.
I write this letter to you without fear
Yes to you mama,
this my letter from the other side.


By Chris Chakwana ( Zimbabwe )


photo source   thegrio.com  

Journey Through The Mind

Words to impress & poems to last;I....
Spit the best & cause thoughts to manifest;I...
Speak my mind & what's inside my chest.
With volcanic ideas ready to blast...

My imagination's making love to fantasy.
Through its pregnancy it experiences diversity
And gives birth through the lips of Sympathy!
I mean;
A bunch of great words,sweet melodies & harsh tones.
Mother-"shesess" flows mesmerising those coming to poetry shows,'cos to quote is what they chose.
Graffitising their minds with words of the ancient gods. As they applaud,words keep moving back & forth,shuffling their thoughts.

As they try hearing what I'm quite saying
Quite frankly,words become quite heavy
'Cos quite obviously,these are the words from a member of the Living Poets Society!
Words that cripple your consciousness with one verse & creates a mess with the second verse.
You can even guess...with the third verse;it becomes quite worse!

Just like the rhythms of Big Foot echoing the drumbeats of fear;
My words tears psycological walls apart,and yeah;
My words are heard loud & clear.
Basically,I send my sympathies to you if you cannot see that it's in my nature to moonlight my path & walk freely...poetrically!

Sometimes.....
Sometimes there are rhythmic pictures flashing through the thoughts inside.
Wondering inside my mind with no place to hide.
These are the pictures whereby the great Mona Lisa smiles. But the question still stands....
What lies behind that beautiful smile?!
Now broken pieces must be reunited to get some answers.
But the chances are slim 'cos fear glances down beyond the fences of your contact lenses.
That's where I went blank;everything went blank.
I guess the butterfly effected my thoughts
And my system was enterupted by the darkness that was attracted & my mind was disconnected ofcourse. Eventually,I woke up from a journey through an eccentuated poetic mind of Sympathy!




By Simphiwe "Sympathy" Nkabiti ( South Africa )


photo source  africaisdonesuffering.com

Move on!!!

You lack merriment and money?
Move on.
You are disturbed and disgraced?
Move on pilgrim.
You are lonely and almost lost?
Move on.
You are sick and sad?
 Move on and never give up.
You are evicted and exhausted?
Still keep moving on.You are hopeless and helpless
keep moving forward.
Sunshine must follow a downpour,
Light must conquer darkness,
Never mind the delay or denial
Move on!
I command you to move forward.


By Passy  Amaraegbu  ( Nigeria ) 


photo source best-messages.blogspot.com

If..

If thoughts could leave invoices on the face of the bearer,
then you would understand how much I think of you.
If contentment was measurable like mass on scales,
then you would understand how happier I become by just seeing you.
If you could count all the stars in the sky and multiply the number by ten,
then you would understand how my heart accelerates every minute I converse with you.
If chests were transparent, then you would see how glowing my heart is when you are next to me.
If milk supplies calcium to bones,
then your warmth supplies liveliness to my soul.
If religious devotees meditate three times a day,
the my devotion overlaps the hands of time.
If emotions could be archived,
then you would see through my eyes from the day I first saw you.
If fairies roamed the earth-space in tales,
then you parade my thoughts everyday till this present time.
If only you knew how much my heart yearns for you,
then you would know how much I love you...


By Teboho Joseph Mtabane   ( South Africa )


picture source kumekucha.blogspot.com

To Pretoria and back...

As you go to Pretoria and back, I hope you'll think of me,

just as I am thinking of you.


Think of a field where your flower blossoms,

Where the white lily blooms.

To Pretoria and back please travel safe

and dream of me before you wake,

I'll think of you with every move I make,

and I'll dream of you with every new dawn.

Come back safe,

come back to me.

Do take care as you go to Pretoria and back.





By Nala Lahru   ( Zambia )