THE NIGHT BOAT

If anyone asks,
I will say it is not an adventure
Setting a boat in an evening tide,
But on a misty morning
With agile waves
With no clear figure
What the day holds in her folded hands is
This is to say that,
It's better to travel at night than in the day
Because, that was how my grandmother was taken ashore 
And she didn't return
And when I will visit the Island in the future,
I pray that I row in a night boat too
Without our soul sitting in the dock, a leg in, a leg out
For that costs twice
To put both legs to sea at once.

HOCUS SCOTUS 
             I'll Ride that
Kangaroo with or without the
                 Gavel.

EASE UP and JUSTICE is
       NATURAL with 
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE 

These poems were composed by means of a deterministic process called Natafero. Birth/death dates are used to create a number sequence which is used to read through a source text in which words, and or phrases, are extracted, creating a found-text poem.
 

delacroix

France,
settings,
saw brushstrokes
looked	for
restrained	Romanticists
turbulent	contemporary
Flemish
The Greek’s Romantic movement :

painting.”

was he
the enduring Delacroix
vivid		lasting		proud
the lions almost decorative

well
lived


 
hopper


had study
Although
styles			effect
was began to

who of work

Railroad,
From whether New
even all-
       night	own
by example
suffused dark
despite
palette,

 
o’keeffe


O’Keeffe
individ-
      ual child
York.

of ideas	friend
Alfred
influential
seen later,
that	personal
promoter
O’Keeffe	stark
of there
inspiration
close-
ups compel
new	the shadow.

the simple austere

Welcome to July’s first issue of Synchronized Chaos!

This month’s issue explores themes of tension and solace.

Are there unavoidable sources of tension in life, and is a life without anxiety even desirable? Where can we find solace and peace when we need them? Where do we need to maintain a certain level of awareness and vigilance?

Satis Shroff comments on the continuing human cost of Russia’s war with Ukraine. Steven Croft reflects on how soldiers and civilians endure the other armed conflicts around the world.

Jelvin Gipson expresses through a fable the need for wisdom to prevent endangering oneself or committing hasty acts of violence. James Whitehead’s poetry speaks to the impact of reproductive legislation and sexual assault on women’s lives.

Richard LeDue and John Thomas Allen highlight moments of humor and beauty found within hospital settings, where patients make the most of their encounters with illness and injury.

Ike Boat reports firsthand on a destructive flood in Amanful, Ghana. Stephen Jarrell Williams explores themes of society’s end and nature’s rejuvenation.

Closer to home, Yusuf Olumoh seeks comfort in the sea and solitude after the loss of his parents. Linda Crate describes the recovery of one’s self after an unbalanced relationship, while Scott Strozier illustrates the need for maintaining relationships and how they stay intact or fall apart. Shakhzoda Kodirova’s short story highlights the importance of maintaining our natural and human communities.

Andrew MacDonald’s poetry captures the moments that may seem fleeting or mundane, but which cement relationships.

Thadeus Emanuel comments on change and creativity in nature and in a writer’s mind, and how our creativity and relationships can be derailed by hypocrisy and deceit.

Candace Meredith’s short story illustrates the horror of not only the monster attack its protagonist survives, but of how she’s completely alone in her perception of danger.

Linda Hibbard expresses ambivalence about change and progress: will making things different make them better? Mahbub’s poems draw on dual meanings: bridges between the past and present, symbols that can represent multiple concepts.

Doug Hawley explores the limits, nuances, and paradoxes of personal and political freedom.

Peter Crowley humorously dramatizes various sorts of literal and metaphorical birth pains, looking at the cost of different sorts of creation.

Jason Ryberg contributes vignettes of middle America looking into the drama of ordinary life and little moments of grace or annoyance, while Peter Cherches dramatizes an unexpectedly familiar encounter with jazz great Mingus.

John Sweet shares the ways in which many ordinary people in middle America can become stuck in life, left behind in modern Western society.

Mark Young’s amusing poetry explores the different sorts of “deliveries” we receive in life while Debarati Sen waxes poetic about the joy and beauty of the plethora of words and figures of speech available to all of us.

Ian Copestick’s narrators simply check out of their ordinary lives, using whatever means are available to them. Jack Galmitz delves into a photograph of a man cooking at a barbecue who’s deeply engaged in what he’s doing.

John Edward Culp sends in a somewhat ineffable piece on transcendent travel by means of light, while Diana Magallon contributes a mixed media meditation on discordance. Alan Catlin’s Southern Gothic poetic landscapes, after Sally Mann’s visual art, immerse us in the murky history of swamps and American Civil War battles.

Jim Meirose relates a piece with humor, charm, and dialect while Nathan Anderson breaks language down to syllable and syntax and nonlinguistic symbol.

J.J. Campbell captures the wisdom and cynicism of older age, while Santiago Burdon’s tale of teen angst and athletic shoes humorously reminds us there are times to keep our mouths shut.

Gaurav Ojha also encourages us to quiet down. He says we’ll find wisdom when we stop thinking and speaking and directly experience and learn from life, whether a beautiful sunset or a dentist appointment.

Michael Robinson and Sayani Mukherjee reflect upon the spiritual solace and comfort they find through the faiths of their heritages. Chimezie Ihekuna’s poem reminds us of the spiritual meaning of Christmas as a holiday with a message we can reflect on all year.

Matthew Defibaugh and Christina Chin’s collaborative poetry presents images of gentle movement within nature. K.J. Hannah Greenberg’s set of bird photographs illustrate and comment on the variety of ways we as humans coexist with and treat other species.

Thank you for reading this first July issue of Synchronized Chaos. May it invite you to ponder, consider, and engage with the writers’ and artists’ work.

Arti-Blog: Amanful Disastrous Deluge – ADD

            On Wednesday 15^th June, 2022 around 5pm the drizzles of rain which commenced with seemingly no intentions to cause havoc in the suburban community where I grew up turned disastrous deluge outlook in the Amanful West. Slowly by surely, in the 6pm hour unpaved paths started engulfing drops of rain which later affected pavement portions of the area. It’s crystal clear visibility, refrigeration repair shop, kebab selling structure ,seamstress as well tailor shops, provision shops, backyard garden, building hardware shop, pharmacy, mini bars, hospital and various houses within parts of Amanful locality had become like a lagoon or river as a result of such torrential rain. Initially, whilst writing some new songs on paper there’s bit writer’s block so I paused and reached out of the parental room which is having some stubborn disturbing bed-bugs… Oh, gosh, ouch!

They pinch like unseen pins in the living room chairs and the carpet. Among other things, many fell into gutters and holes they couldn’t see due to such massive flood situation which affected cars on the roads here on Amanful West suburban community in Takoradi. Although floods have been taking place more often in the Western Region of Ghana in the wet season, this time around it exceeded previous years of such rainy magnitude. Based on research done, Southern Ghana records two rainy seasons; major season from April to July and minor from September to November. It’s evident that the rate of this recent Amanful Disastrous Deluge #ADD supersedes the happenings which have taken place over a decade. Of course, when I was trying to rescue some items moving away from the house, it’s seen that height or level of flood was around my neck. Thus, it’s capable to cause drawn or death even as it’s seen some birds such as fowls, hens and ducks died because there’s no shelter for them in such a typical flood zone.

            In relation to one-on-one interaction as vox-pop, some of the neighbors’ or folks revealed that the Interchange project taking place on Principal Street of Takoradi at the Kwame Nkrumah round-about has also been the major cause of such disastrous deluge in the area. Indeed, due to the block of water-flow in the huge gutter, aside it’s hard to have appropriate or proper tunnel to ensure movement of rain-water. Another cause as fact is bad drainage system and sanitation because some indecent folks put garbage in gutters causing chokes at the long-run.

Aside, improper architecture planning of the suburb in terms of settlements has various effects whenever it rains cats and dogs. According to some elders of the community where the flood i.e. (deluge) took-place. It used to be lagoon about a century ago so your guess is as good as mine.  Terribly, it’s about 5 hours of non-stop down-pour and those of us using ground-floor facilities were adversely affected as some experienced sleeplessness due to flood invasion. Indeed, some of the spoiled and missing items include the following: television sets, laptops, electric fans, study desks, sound speakers, bed mattress, pillows, shoes, bags, hall tables, chairs, clothes just to mention but a few. It’s quite obvious the rate of disaster cause by such deluge made folks clean almost every part of houses, especially as witnessed at the Amanful West for days. Heaps of rubbish and other broken items seen on the aftermath were refrigerators, television sets, electric irons, stoves and others. 

            Surprisingly, on 18^th, 19th and 20^th June, 2022 those who have traveled and returned to see such mess done by the deluge, they’re still cleaning and putting their items in order. Another point to note in this Arti-Blog at the time of completion it became crystal clear as video recorded in the midst of torrential rains and the deluge had been sent to the Member of Parliament for Takoradi Constituency as well being the Western Regional Minister, Honourable Dr. Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah to ensure possible assistance to the folks affected. However, there’s no rapid response to aid the Amanful West community. Well, his verbal statement to help construct another pavement path on the other side of the flood zone has not been done, thus over seven years since making promise to the electorate of Amanful West in Takoradi, Ghana. It’s obvious, some political leaders in Ghana are often concerned about making their families rich whilst majority of the citizens suffer in times like this due to poverty. Factually, as a leader people look up to you in terms of honoring words you voice-out or state in ensuring fulfillment. 

It’s so unfortunate and sad, even the Assemblyman of this Amanful West by name Nana Baiden has not even come to visit or see the rate of damage caused so as to find long-lasting solution to this bane. Even my private message to him about meeting-up to share communal development related ideas with him never yielded positive result. Well, are people elected to leadership positions in Ghana worthy to be called Honourable if they’re not honouring the words of promise to the masses? Indeed, this Amanful West has got lots of issues and problems with the youth in relation to reckless living and such disastrous deluge has compounded it environment bitterly. Obviously, solutions of fund support can only come from the outside world like USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and other great nations. Its estimated $3500 is needed to assist the rate of damage caused in the Amanful West suburban community so as to ensure our lives turn around in goodness.

Kindly, make use of the attached pictures as proofs or evidences with regard to this Amanful Disastrous Deluge #ADD in order to bring about support. Thank You.

Ike Boat writes from Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana, West Africa.

Synchronized Chaos International Magazine – SCIM Regular Contributor

Email Address: ikeboatofficial@gmail.com

Artiste WhatsApp: +233 267117700

WhatsApp Biz: +233 552477676 <—> MTN Mobile Money Number.

Registered ID Name: Isaac Adjei Boateng

"The End Again"
(Trilogy)

"Depopulated"

Desolate the land of cities
buildings like decapitated statues
streets covered in chucks of ruin

slump shouldered we wandered for months
finding the rims of the far mountains
forests covering where we hid

our quiet settlement
of the depopulated
survivors thankful and now unhurried

accepting weak walls and roofs of tree
rain and ponds and a lake of sweet water
faraway from the sea full of past pollutants

our children now no longer afraid
they play and sing and we listen
trying to forget the long ago explosions

my wife tenderly touching
scars on my back
loving me at night

darkness still
memories of the dying
and what we could have done.



"The Wind"

My brothers often visit
trying to give me a constant of cheer

telling me where they've been
and what they've seen

assuring me the sea recovering
stench of death disappearing

schools of fish returning
without sores that never heal

my brothers have found and married
young wives with unblistered skin

boats rebuilt and sails tall in the wind
many new islands blossoming

some seeing a gondola balloon
with people waving above the clouds

wind cleansing past the horizon
world freeing flowers again.



"Just Like the Old Days"

The old man walked into our new village
claiming nothing changes

men fighting again
over land and women and beliefs

shaking his head with tears
beard matted like his hair

prepare yourselves he warned
they've repaired their guns

bullets reclaimed from the ruins
helmets and knives and brass knuckles

with a maniac in charge
speaking smooth words dripping with poison

promising the power of hell
in his back pocket

the old man laughed and spit
looking at my wife and kids and peaceful land

you should tell the others
chaos is coming again

returning with twisted faces
eyeing every direction
where you dream and live

but this time
maybe you will pray
a little more and mean it.

Freedom Or Freedumb

There isn’t a simple answer to what freedom means to me.  There are things that it is and there are things that it isn’t.

I have freedom of movement, but that doesn’t mean that I get to drive a Cadillac or take a cruise around the world if I can’t afford it.

I can believe or not what I want.  That doesn’t give me the right to force people to believe as I do, or do as I want them to do.

I can own a firearm with limitations according to whatever local law and the Supreme Court is saying on a given day.  I’m not in a regulated militia and don’t want to kill, so I avoid gun ownership.  As I am writing this, fourteen people were killed with a gun or guns in a school in Texas.  Revision – nineteen people.

I can support or vote for the candidate of my choice, but for several years I’ve had a choice between different losers, so it doesn’t do much for me.

I get an education, but it is up to me to evaluate it and use it.  Many ignored or forgot most of what they learned in school and now depend on conspiracy nuts, talk shows, and celebrities for their information.  The loudest, craziest, and most partisan are responsible for most of the noise.

I get health care, but if I weren’t on Medicare, it might not be good.  While many in the USA get inadequate health care, some get too many tests and waste doctors time.

I can live where I want if I can afford it, but it might not be a pleasant place and I might not be wanted.  Depending on my race, religion, and looks many places that are technically open to me are not practically available.

I have freedom from want, but it isn’t guaranteed, it depends on my bank account.

None of us have freedom from fear because of hateful people who might want to kill us because of our race or religion, or some other reason.

I can live and love with the person of my choice if that person agrees to it.  Unfortunate people end up with abusers or alone.

I have freedom of expression within legal limits (plagiarism, libel, perjury), but no one has to offer me a venue or listen to me.

I have the right to pursue happiness, but I’m not guaranteed of attaining it.

I have the freedom to try for the occupation of my choice, but nobody would pay me to play basketball or sing.

I can’t speak of other countries, but in the USA freedom is frequently unused, misused, and abused.

To appear in Written Tales