SUMMER

By Ken Collier

The contrary music of summer

The death dirge and thundering shouts

The contrary music of summer

To counteract to dim my smile,

   so as not to appear foolish

The awkward beat of my heart

Its lurks are tribal rhythms, hold brown notes

The awkward beat of my heart

Its pound threatens to break its tender,

   binding stitches

The movement of our kiss

The slick passivity of heated pulsation

The movement of our kiss

A thing of beauty, and aching comfort

The loss of your embrace

No more can I feel that sensation

The loss of your embrace

My only comfort is that I shall return

   to your arms and feel that bliss

A Great World
Bill Albright 

The joy of children

     is kept secret in a Great World

which worships somnambulant guitarists,

     game players, thieves.

Admiration for aged survivors is fragile.

     Few rewards for those who toil at

minimum wage, strum guitars off key,

     play for fun, never steal.

Oh, what a Great World it would be, if

     newborns were twenty one years old,

gods' advocates followed the scripts,

     and elders exited quietly.

    ~!~

                            " Passions"

As I sit here beside you and gaze into your eyes,

that sparkle like diamonds in the sky on a crystal

clear night; my heart is filled with wonder and amazement

and such pure delight.

As I feel the warmth of your hand in mine,

passions begin to rise as we sit here and recline.

I'm entranced by your beauty,

the likes of which I've never seen.

You've taken me to places of which I've never been,

but often have dreamed.

Again the passions rise,

like doves taking to the sky.

As we walk through fields of clover,

see the beauty of God's nature grand;

you make me feel proud to walk beside you,

You make me feel like a whole man.

Life is complete again, the passions rise.

As I take you by the hand and feel the warmth of yours in mine,

as we walk along the sands of the oceanside;

underneath the moon and the starry night,

again the passions rise.

I long always to be beside you,

never to leave your side.

As long as there is breath, as long as there is life,

the passions between us will rise.

HAY. HOW ARE YOU DOING? I'M ALRIGHT, JUST CHILLIN I MY CLASS. THINKIN, CONTEMPLATIN, WAITIN ON THE TIME TO PASS. I'M THINKIN OF YOU, WONDERIN HO WE'RE GONNA DO. IS IT GONNA BE FOREVER, OR JUST A  MONTH OR TWO? I'M WORKIN ON A WHILE, NOT PLANNIN ON FOREVER. JUST WANNA GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE STORMS AND ALL TYPES OF WEATHER. I WANNA BE YOUR FIRST IN EVERYTHING YOU HAVEN'T DONE. I'LL DO IT SO WE'LL AND ALWAYS BE YOUR NUMBER ONE. ONE DAY YOU'LL WANNA MARRY AND ASK ME TO HAVE YOUR SON. BUT BELIEVE ME I AINT RUSHIN , JUST WANNA KEEP THINGS SIMPLE. WE FLOW SO SMOOTH, I'M THE VOICE AND YOUR MY INSTRUMENTAL. IF I SEEM TOO FORWARD, EXCUSE ME FOR DOING SO. YOU SAID YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL, JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW. LIKE I SAID, NOT GONNA PLAY YOU CAUSE I ALWAYS KEEP  IT REAL. ANYTHING YOU WANNA KNOW I'LL SAY EXACTLY WHAT'S THE DEAL. SO YOU CAN FEEL ME, THE TYPE OF WAY I'M FEELIN YOU. REACH UNTOUCHABLE PEAKS, SURROUNDED BY THE BLUEST BLUE. RIGHT NOW DONT WANNA BE THERE WITH NO ONE BUT YOU.

                                        SINCERELY YOURS,

                                                      YOU KNOW WHO

ALISHA SHOCKLEY

True Beauty Defined?
Audrey Brown

Beauty is a quality that gives pleasure to the mind,

Your example is matchless-your beauty cannot be defined.

But I'm not talking about your facial appearance or even your attire,

But the beauty of your heart that so many try to acquire.

A beautiful African queen you are, your smile shines like the sun,

The intellect of your character is something that cannot be undone.

You are truly a priceless pearl, a treasure to behold,

For many have tried to explain, and still your story has yet to be told.

Well, what is it that you have that makes you stand above the rest,

It is the way that you remain polite when people put you to the test.

Many struggle to understand the endurance of your pride,

All of the courage that you display and the love that you have inside.

The self-sacrificing spirit you have is shown clearly each day,

To you it is a ?code of ethics? from it you never sway.

A woman you are but your courage cannot be measured,

And the determination of your soul is truly your biggest treasure.

Your esteem and presence transcends all the diamonds and gold,

Even though precious jewels, they can be consumed by mold.

But the qualities that you reflect, no one can take them from you,

And because of your display of inner beauty, I want you to know...I love you!

Found that point
David Turner

Found a point in my life

I’m there

A month ago I had no life

It left me

She left me

I was alone

It was sudden

Love left

I knew it was love

You just know

You know when it’s over

You can’t move on

It sent me into a pit

I couldn’t get out

She was in my head

Screaming in my head

Needed Attention

I wanted to give it to her, Hold her

So what happened

Why am I alone?

I treated her like a queen

I loved her

She left

She found someone else

Found a point in my life

I’m happy again

Ready to love

Ready to play

Feeling uplifted

I had loved and lost and came away happy

########

Lauren Schneider

Tired, how I feel.

30 seconds of insanity,

then crashing.

Drained, physically.

Sitting here as his beauty echo's

from the other side of the room.

Writing, as he sits and draws.

Awkward, somewhat, for it is me

he is drawing.

His eyes, repeatedly gazing up from

the book in which he draws.

And I, as I sit, I try not to notice

the sound of the eraser hitting the paper.

Rain, it drizzles outside and the sound

is somewhat comforting.

With quiet music playing, imagination

has its own game.

Tired, I feel it again as he tells me

not to move my head.

Eyes growing heavy, but I continue

to write, as he draws.

Loving You
by K. O'Neal

 

                The tears

                of love's suffering

                softly falling down

                The salty drops of meaning

                saturate the pulsing frown

                Keeping

                the constant tempo

                the consequence of a lie

                The time that gave it substance

                is weeping from the eye

                And with

                No hesitation

                I tell what is true

                and openly admit

                I'm still

                In love with you.

In just one minute

people come and go

you meet the girl of your dreams

but does she even know

her beauty so discouraging

but you know you must go on

for wherever it may take you

you know its just begun

Ambrocio Galzote III

Nothing Else To Say
Marina Cantu

I've said everything that needed to be said.

I told you how I felt about you but you ignored me anyway.

I've got nothing else to say.

I told you time and time again how my heart used to race

every time I saw your beautiful face.

I tried to make you understand.

I wanted to make you my man.

I've got to show you I'm strong.

I've always promised myself I can't let you

see me cry.

There's a void between you and me.

I'm speechless, I can't find the right words.

I've just gotta ask one more time,

won't you be mine?

I have to remind myself before saying another word

that the love I once felt for you has faded away.

I am left standing here with nothing else to say.

What I Must

Jacob Skands

As night calls, I must answer

Bring good tidings, hold a bad omen

Clinging on here by the edge of nothing

The abyss welcomes yet another permanent guest

As the past calls, I must reply

I scrape the earth, my provider

I bow my head in gratitude and quench my thirst

A scratch in eternity, my remembrance

As time calls, I must succumb

Lay down my tired head so bent by pain

Clench my fists, and anger in my heart

Bite my lips to contain the curses of regret

"Good Bye" 

Kevin you broke my heart into two

and there's nothing nobody can do

I cry everyday

wishing you could stay

My friends say you're nothing but a hoe

and all I can do is just sit here and say so

I want to give you my love

but I'm scared you're just going to give it a shove

I want you to be my man

but you just don't understand

I tried everything to be with you

tell me what else can I do to spend my life with you

Everyday I sing a song

saying why is my life going so wrong

I don't want to like you anymore

Because you make my heart so damn sore

I wish you you was my guy

but everything you tell me is a lie

and so now I have to say good bye.

~!~

~!~

Alisha Wolf

A TEARS  CAUSED BY A ROSE
Dennis

Who may say, that a rose  is a simple flower?;

For thy rose deserve respect, love and honor;

For thy virtues seems never end;

As true love never be in blue;

Why a rose has different colors?;

For thy beauty only shade of rain;

As the love has shade of  pain;

For thy here, after rainbow only see;

That gives joy, hope and tender smile;

I never see a rose which has great intellect;

For thy love; it might be wisdom;

Oh! Rose!;

Look thy tears!;

For thy petals;

Is thy tears of true love;

How I wish….

A rose of my life;

Once I been in the garden of love;

Three roses I never see;

I never felt thy love;

I  never see thy rose…

HALF OPEN HEART

Pain seeped in and caused my heart to freeze. over time it caused me to live behind my iron wall.

You don't understand because you don't know why I'm in pain at all.

I could show you my softer side, but it would cause me to expose everything I had to hide.

Slowly I could open up each layer and let you take a peek and understand that there was happiness my heart once was trying to seek.

I could show you all the tears I've cried and the small dreams that died.

The lack of pursuit of happiness caused me to let go and drown myself with no emotion.

Turn the pages of my life and get and understanding of how the story is going to end.

what you don't understand is that it won't end and its sometimes hard for me to bend.

I could tell you what's missing but I've got it under lock and key.

Understand that I want you to see the real me and I hope one day I'll realize that's the way it should be.

You have to be patient if you want to see inside my heart and learn all the struggles and pain that tore me apart.

And learn the possibility of my vulnerability.

Please don't go

I just love you so

With out you

I'm so blue

I stare in your gorgeous eyes

You leave me with nothing but cries

How could you leave me here

It is all so clear

now I see

You never loved me

Ashley Tyner

Mistake

Nattie

can you still see me when im not around?

do you hear my voice when you answer the phone?

do you miss me whenever im not there?

do you see me when im no where near?

do you wish i was there with you?

and do you wish it was my voice you're hearing?

do you wish im right there beside you?

do you really wish you're still with me?

i wonder if you still see me walking around

i wonder if you're hoping its me, when you pick up the phone

i wonder if you wish i was right there with you

i wonder if you make-believe we're still together

Because that's what I do.

a mistake too wrong to be corrected

a step too far for me to retreat

a maze too confusing to be freed from

a day gone too fast for me to see the sun

our friendship is something i would cherish

something i will always miss

its a stab in the center of my heart

whenever i recall the day we part

because I knew it would be a mistake

to say whatever it is i've said

my pride and ego got in the way

and sad to say, i've let it stayed that way.

LOVE FAILETH

Wehtam

“Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink”?, I pondered,

Vagabonding miles and miles, in vain my attempt for a drop,

Evading the sensual pleasures, I went out for tranquility,

Escaping from the busy world of excitements and idiocies.

I thought of the gentle breeze, with the fragrance, natural,

Spreading in to my sense, giving pleasure, keeps me awake;

In the “day dreams”, in the drizzling honey dews, I saw her,

I tried futile, to forget the smell her charming face gave.

I dreamt of the golden days making love each other, piques;

The sunflowers smiling in the bright daylight, danced anew,

In the waves of the moonlight, her skirts glazed, sparkled,

Her bangles murmured, the necklace came down to her cleavage.

I saw the golden rays of the evening sun patting her body,

The waves created by the whistling wind, recited poems;

In the night, she sang like a cuckoo, echoing in the planes,

Melancholic, about the shattered dreams of the lost paradise.

Back to reality, I thought of the changes I had, dotage;

Leaving in my mind soaring memories, oozing out like wounds,

Whenever, I think of her, my heart aches and a dullness,

Pains my senses, as though of a sedative drug I had taken.

6:23 AM
Tom Wilson

 

My slumber is executed,

The ringing of the alarm the executioner,

The sun peering through the blind his assistant.

I want to ignore my sentence - to drift back off

But my fiscal responsibility reminds me of the

Motivation I need to get on with my day.

Step over the dog - fortunate to never have

Learned debits or credits or fiscal economics.

Under the stream of hot water pellets that

Wash away the smells and oils of yesterday

And the sleep of minutes ago.

Awake, dressed, groomed, and ready for caffeine,

I'm ready for the commute - my daily dance

With the 7am ballet - a troop with the same main characters

Everyday, and some guest performers each morning.

I pirouette into the fast lane as another does a spin

And some blindly perform their regular routine.

It all seems so meaningful, so important, even if only in our heads.

But I'm drawn back to the thought of my interrupted slumber.

 

THE CLUB 
Austyn  Njoku

I sit solemnly aloof

in my chosen corner

watching each one of them -

they too, steal glances at me;

every one of them did

in each group in the garden

sitting alone or in a cluster

still lonely, drink to thoughts

and perhaps, lonesomeness,

wishing it would go away

through one two three -

green, black brown bottles.

But still we sit stealing looks

at each other like chance lovers,

the morning after the night -

playing at not-me-first;

maybe that's why we're here

every day at dusk, searching

for someone to reach out to,

waiting, gulping our aloneness.

He walks the trail of His death

Wearing His crown of thorns.

He looks out hopefully for a friendly face

Sees none among the hateful throng

He carries his cross

His responsibility.

In pain, he cries out, "Father, why have You forsaken me?"

And receives no answer.

Death comes and the world is silenced.

A sign is erected

"Here lies the King of the Jews"

The sign was wrong

"Here lies the Savior of Humanity"

SRLENA JACKSON

the spirit sandy
ned kennedy

sandy was a little boy who lived a long time ago running

a chore for his mother he got lost in the winter snow.

they sent out search parties for the little lad they

could not find him it was very sad. although many centuries

have come and gone people say they still see him down by millers pond.

so say a prayer for sandy to put his soul to rest so he can go to heaven

and be with gods best.

~!~

 

JUST LIKE SNOW

by Carlin J.

Beautiful birds way up high,

Soaring softly through the sky.

So many colors and different kinds,

They wander wildly in your mind.

They fly so high,

They fly so low,

Soft and sweet,

Just like snow.

~!~

"SCHOOL DAYS"
Porscha

 

All day long with nothin to do

We usually play a game of spades or two

In tha restrooms are works of art

Is where are the rumors start

While black of milds and cigarettes are being lit

Most of us gurls are dancing to or singing a hit

If tha boys are not doing work

They are either being sweet or being a jerk

With teachers and principals given tha rules

We are cutting class of ditching school

While tha security guard is like "Get 2 Class"

Some just say kiss their a**

Most days are just a whole bunch of fun

Tha bad boys are always on the run

But this year is gone and anotha year has yet begun

We had fun and we are always number 1

                THE CLASS OF 2005

What about the trees

the way they sway in the wind

what about the trees

when they try to mend

what about the trees

how they bring us shade

what about the trees

where children stayed

what about the trees

where people grew

what about the trees

where people knew

what about the trees

that are dying each day

what about the trees

when the children no longer play

what about the trees

that are so old and gray

what about the trees

where i once stayed.

REFLECTIONS OF ME

D.R.Shabazz

I once saw the most beautiful star, hiding behind a tree.

Perfectly designed, yet so few could see.

Other stars stood out blatantly, lining the sky for other to worship their beauty.

But this star shining so magnificently, rested behind a tree.

It was a mystery to me why something so glorious sought refuge behind a tree.

Ignored by most who did not take time to see.

I stepped around the tree to get a better view, and I found something unshakably true.

In front of the tree was the best place to see, this hidden treasure, placed perfectly, guarded by the tree

Earth Chapel 
by Thomas Paul Sterner/Howe

In the city we imagine the cars are wild horses

Buildings become mountains

piled high one on top of another

until they are small and one

under a great expanse of sky

where cave creatures dwell

climbing into the bellies of the horses

making false light against the night

a collective prayer to forestall the dawn

a curious perspective from our eyes we may leave

and leave

We are an old tree

small and wizened, gnarled

our Children flowers at our feet

A soft wind lifts their hair petals

Rain joins the smiles of our tears

rolling down

the ancient bark of our face

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Sushmita 

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