Poetry from Trust Tonji

 

The beautiful face in my scars

 

my heart is a pot on fire

I am cooking darkness

I am in love with a girl that

doesn’t hold my hands

gloom is having me for dinner

but you won’t find me crying

I am my lover’s experiment

on dating a broken boy

you touch me, you say I’m beautiful

like the smile on your lover’s lips

I am not the smile on my lover’s lips

.

they say she’s beautiful, my lover,

I say “yes, –

like a sharpened sword”

then slip into a soliloquy on

how to quench unsensed thirsts

show unreciprocated love

how to call my lover without

calling my tears

.

I don’t know if

she is a sharpened sword

but tonight all my scars look like her

 

* * * *

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Art from Jeongeui Son

My name is Jeongeui Son.
My major was illustration but I also like to paint landscapes, mainly with acrylic color.
I studied in university with a full scholarship for four years until I got a degree in art.
I began teaching art in school, mostly with kindergarten classes, meanwhile I had several exhibitions with others.
I am always fascinated by seeing things that have different meanings.
My artworks are basically grounded in my life. There is my spirit, my emotions, and my hope in my paintings.

I love myself.
l love the way I live.
I love even my past life which had lots of painful days.
I just love my life.
All of that is the basic theme of my paintings.

 

The mountain in the distance represents strength through patience.
The Cherry Blossoms represents new growth and birth.
The water that falls in the mountain flows down hill to nourish the cherry tree.
I can grow old in stronger like a mountain.
Life is circular.

The calmness of nature.
The water is calm.
There is my life, besides something positive around in the corner like my hope.
The rock represents strength.
Everything exists in the shadow of the hill even in the water calmly.

jeongeui1jeongeui2

Elizabeth Hughes’ Book Periscope

Storm Over South Africa: The Rutherford Chronicles Part 1 by Michael G. Bergen
stormoversouthafricacover
Storm Over South Africa: The Rutherford Chronicles Part 1 is the history of the Anglo-Boer War that happened from 1899-1902. Mr. Bergen has done an impressive and extensive research into this very short war in South Africa. He begins with the major people in the war from short bios of their lives to how they became involved from the very beginning. The extensive research into each and every one is interesting and comprehensive. He brings all of it together and brings the story of the war alive for the reader. This is and excellent read for the history buff, particularly someone interested in South African history. This book is a must read for the home library of the history buff. I found it highly interesting and amazingly detailed. I highly recommend this book.
My Name Is Tom by Jon Reeves
mynameistomfrontcover
My Name is Tom is the story of Tom Joyce. His parents were two teens that lived in England in the 1970’s. The girl’s parents were staunch Christian, her boyfriend’s parents were not. The decision was made after Tom was born that the baby be given up for adoption. When Tom was born, the adoptive parents chose to name him Tom With their last name of Joyce. The adoptive mother was a staunch “Christian”, her husband was not, but went along with his wife’s decision. They also had a daughter. They adopted Tom so their family would be complete with one girl child and one boy child. As Tom grew older his mother became indifferent and always seemed angry or upset with Tom. He found solace in listening to rock on his record player. He became well versed in the latest bands, particularly those in England. When he became a teen, particularly an older teen, he became friends with guys that like the rave scene of the 80’s. He began going to raves on weekends and also began taking drugs, particularly Ecstasy with his friends. My Name is Tom is an excellent coming of age story set in England in the 70’s and 80’s. I enjoyed it very much and am sure that you will too.
Boston Darkens by Michael Kravitz
bostondarkensfront cover
Boston Darkens by Michael Kravitz may be fiction but it is completely plausible. It might be only one hundred pages, but a very powerful story is packed into that one hundred pages. It is about EMP’s, these are electromagnetic pulses. An EMP nuclear device has been set off and has completely stopped everything electronic, including all electricity, cars, cell phones, cell phone towers, all media except for survival radios. The Randal’s live in a nice neighborhood in Massachusetts. Most areas have been taken over by gangs, looting murder and other crimes. In Mr. Randal’s neighborhood the neighbors have come together to form a collaborative. They work together and share what they have to try to survive. Boston Darkens is a very plausible suspense thriller. It is very well written and will engage the reader to the very end. In just 100 pages it is not only a powerful fictional story, but is important to get people to start thinking of what could and might happen in this age where everything is run electronically. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.
Supremacy by K.M. Lovejoy
supremacy
Supremacy by K.M. Lovejoy is a humorous political thriller with S and M erotica. If you liked Fifty Shades, you will love Supremacy even more. Supremacy makes Fifty Shades look like a PG rated beginners manual for S & M. Peter Graves lives in Oakland, CA with his wife and they have two daughters. He is suffering from a cancer called astrocytoma. The only hope he has is from embryonic stem cells created from his own sperm. However, the Supreme Court justices need to pass it into law. The only one standing in the way with his vote is Justice Sylvester Johnson. Peter is also heavily into porn and meets Aletha Maxwell, an ex-CIA and gets heavily into the S&M scene. What happens next gives the reader a well written erotic political thriller that will keep you intrigued until the very end. If you love S&M erotica you will love Supremacy by K.M. Lovejoy.

Poetry and prose from Xuan Ly

Sinus Rhythm 
hEa- rt  thUmP,
thuMpiNg
faSt fuMinG steAm poinTeD
eArs reD, bLooD,  fLusHed.
breAtHe iN  bReaThe oUt
cAtcHinG  oN thE laSt bRowS  fUrrOweD eNouGh to toUch
liPs aJar  pUllinG hAir fRoM thE  rOots
shAtteR  sHattEr
cLouDed miNd

bReaKinG wAllS uN- til itS o v e r

Knock, Knock, Knock: Series of Haikus

do you go knocking  on death’s door every time you take a wrong turn
do you knock and knock and wait and wait until it opens, just to run
are you scared of what  is behind those big dark doors or ready to see
Mindless Chatter
My lips move always, attracting annoyed stares and icy eyes. Wait, the bus passengers are actually sitting next to me! A record of three minutes before they scoot two inches away.
I’m sorry that I can’t help my mindless chatter. “I like milk. A funny thing. Milk from cows, goats, almonds, moms! Wow! Hey. Hay? I wonder what it is like living in hay. Itchy, I bet. Oh, how awful. The poor bugs stuck in there. Maybe they love it, the safety, until an animal chomps its way through the golden stack, I guess.”
Maybe I can be poetic. The sun and moon chasing each other, sharing the spotlight, oh a typical idea. Shall I get off here? Oh, but the ride is pleasant today, no need for walking.” “Me and window. I tag you. Blow gently on you, and rub my finger against you marking you like I see the children do.”  The people around me mind their own business and sometimes, I wish they didn’t. I wish someone would talk to me, but I guess they think that I already got who I need. Just myself. Always talking with myself. I’m not anything dangerous, just a little lonely.
I see a family that gets on, each one of them putting in the dollar thirty-five. “Raised right. Yes. Not many like that anymore, no no no. Oh are you staying in the front? I miss smiles, please. Maybe I can feed the pigeons. It’ll make something happy. Happy. Oh that’s a bad word. Is happiness real? Everyone spends so much time looking for happiness! What is the point? What if they never find it. Oh no, I’m scaring the children.”  I can’t look over at the children’s flushed cheeks without a concerned mother shielding them. Why is that?
The seat is getting moist. Maybe I should go.  “Yeah, yeah, maybe I will go now. Oh, there’s a place nearby. Got the best candies. For sure. Yeah, yeah. I will use that dollar thirty-five I so kindly neglected to pay. I am a good citizen. Oh! Hope no one heard that. Heh.” I cackle, amused with myself. All I receive are more spines turned towards me.
Man, how I used to dream of rows and rows of people, clapping when I bow, or say something funny. Now, these rows and rows of filled up bus seats just turn their backs and stare at the ground. Shoot.  “Next stop,” I mimic the bus lady, “Sallen and Walt.” I will get off, yes. Oh it is a nice day today. Light jacket weather. Yes, I suppose I shall grab some candies and bread then feed some pigeons. Ah yes.  A nice day it is.
Xuan Ly

Poetry from T. Haven Morse

Five haiku on the Theme of Evolution
must I evolve, Moon
comfort is my poisoned gift
the sun hides my growth
life is evolving
always growing, all changing
until we thwart it
advance, we humans
evolutionary pawns
learning every day
freedom is stolen
humanity at a crawl
de-evolution
Earth will evolve with
or without us, regardless
along for the ride

Poetry from Mahbub

mahbubphoto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A love body

  

This is my body

A man’s body

For a woman, next to you all over —–

I would like to build a castle for you, my darling

I would like to live in you for ever and ever

But nothing can I make that proves I be for you

I have no speech to express

I have no hand to touch

I have no mouth to kiss

I have no way to move towards you

But I see every item of every wonder

that hangs me with the string of love

I move, my body says ‘I love you, my darling and all —‘.

 

 

Jam-pack

 

Ours  is a life, a jam prone journey

Every moment we are lagging in a certain place

One after another, this or that, here and there

A shabby marshy bog looks not so soothing

Always going on a play of shooting

I am a fearful man, now more feared

All seem to be stopped and fixed in one place and time

I bite my tongue but there no blood comes out from that

At once I pay heed to my beats whether I alive or not

A Moorish land clogs to move forward

The engines are to stand still before our gray eyes

No result comes out for this stagnant muddy journey.

 

 

 

 

I find myself

 

Feathers are sprouting from her

Only head and mouth left to grow

Whole body is covered with wings

On the crystal water light

Reflects as soft as moonlit night

She takes her step in dancing mode

Her glittering eyes,  the sound of rings

Hides me to the surprise, a blessing home

I try to find myself my destination

Towards the end of my whole journey

I discover myself in a fairy land of white feathers.

  

A  Dog’s Cry

 

It was a heart breaking cry I heard last night

I was in deep sleep but suddendly a sound of cry

that woke me up

I was startled to hear the missing cry

I tried to make out the rolling sound

but  I couldn’t find any more

It seemed to be a woman who lost her dear

and was breaking the heart watering the eyes

rolling down to the ground

over night after night

It was a time of sound sleep

but what I heard I could not catch any more

the whole night and my heart also

waves with the dog’s voice

This was a sound stuck me to

the  hundreds and thousands of cries.

 

 

Leaving Me Alone

  

What is creed or what is greed

Would not like to read

Its my creel I bought

So many fresh fishes are collected

Would you like to get one?

You say, ‘yes, I need only one’

Then at once a big slap on the face

‘go away from here and never try to back’

Its my world to exist, only my —-

‘Go to the shore and enact your crank-shaft

Start your day with new speed’

Leaving me alone ‘go away all the evil spirits’

All the items of good and drink

consumed by day and night.

 

Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh

20/09/2016

 

Poetry from Vijay Nair

Mother my first God

01

Babbled a dual syllable:

Mama; my first cosmic sound

While she was in my binocular vision

Mother is not a simple dual syllable

She is a cosmos to all mankind

 

 

 

Ocean of love she my breath; leads

Me that lullaby into sound sleep

Sees beauty on all, she my eyes

 

Fragrance of life she my smell

Taste buds she a tongue of my food

Prayers to God she my soft lips

Smiles at all wonders of life

 

Feather touch when she my hands

Walks hardships through; she my legs

Cries for me for a cry of mine

A perfect gesture she all my emotions

 

Time, space or even death can’t

Separate a mother on earth

God can be experienced by miracles

Mother can be sensed without miracle

Then, who is true God?

 

©-Vijay P Nair -2017

 

Dedicated to all mothers on earth