Visual art from Mark Young
Category Archives: CHAOS
Poetry from Stephen Williams
Overtaking
You’ve led a life of doing many things
but now shadows overtaking
slowing of your stride
slit of eyes and cold hands
sudden and surprising
longing for when you’re ultimately free
humming your story
only part of your remembering
tightness in the throat
hero and fool
balanced in-between by circumstance
love hopefully
a someday soon apex
as the world chaos
judges you
not caring of the evidence
jail or to the barren desert
perhaps a guillotine
but a pardon from an unknown source
yet knowing in your spirit the truth
a release at midnight through a squeaking gate
the long walk
searching for the lost family
where are they
how to find them
building endurance
time of little time
striving on for contentment
the hope
in the breath of a new believing
of the old belief
racing over earthquakes
shaking streets and rattling windows
people watching you but most in the quick
stir of their own silliness
their own fear turned backward
and you realizing
you were and are one of them
an endless family
so you pray
oh how you pray
cup of hands filling with salt and tears
some of the who and what of God
praying and praying
until the climax finally overtaking.
Poetry from Jake Cosmos Aller
Christmas Bombing in Nashville
There was a Christmas bomber
In Nashville one day
While watching the news
About the Christmas bombing
I am filled with curiosity
Who was this monstrous man?
Who was he?
What did he want to do?
Why did he do it?
What is the deep meaning behind it all?
The suspect said
To a neighbor
The day before Christmas
I have good news
I will become so famous
Nashville will Never forget me
Then this 63-year-old –white man
A reclusive strange man drove his RV
A believer in the shapeshifting lizard conspiracy
Perhaps a Q cult member as well
Drove his RV
filled with home-made explosive devices
To an ATT office building
Blew himself up inside the RV
Damaging 43 buildings
Knocking out power
The internet and cell service
The silence from the political leaderships
Speaks volumes
If he were a Muslim, an immigrant
A foreigner, a black or brown man
Authorities would be denouncing it
As an act of terrorism
And everyone will anxiously be wondering
When the next bomb will go off
And authorities will be hunting
The land for his associates
Fanning the fear
Driving the news cycle
Instead, we find out
he is just a pathetic old man
Who was sad,
which make us all mad
That he could do such a thing
And soon this will fade
Into our collective memory
There was a Christmas bomber
In Nashville one day
And we all forget it
Soon enough
It was just another day
In our crazy whacked outland
In these sad days of the pandemic
We see the homeless people
Men, woman, and children
The strangers sleeping on the streets
In the richest country
In the planet
Millions were driven homeless
The strangers Sleeping on the streets
As rents go up and up
Jobs disappearing
Coronavirus spreading
The strangers sleeping in the streets
Social safety nets unraveling
Forcing more people
Into dire poverty
There but for the grace of God
We do not say to the Strangers
sleeping in the streets
As we walk by
The nameless men, woman, children
The strangers Sleeping in the streets
We seldom wonder
How they got there
And whether we can help them
The strangers sleeping on the streets
All too often
We walk on by
Consumed by own problems
Having little empathy
For the strangers sleeping on the street
Just enough for coffee
A homeless man
Stood on the street
Counting his change
From panhandling all morning
Just had enough for a cup of coffee
All in all
A good start
He ambled off to his favorite coffee shop
Where the owner
Was kind to the homeless
Sometimes
Treating them to a meal
On the house
The man said
I was in your shoes
Once years ago
And you never forget
When you are down
And out
Everyone forgets your face
No one knows your name
For you are now
Invisible
Almost a ghost
The old man tried to pay
The owner said
Keep your change
You need it more than me
Have a meal with me
My friend
On the house
He ordered up
The homeless man’s favorite
Lumberjack special
Eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon
Cornbread
Lots of hot black coffee
To wash it down
The old man
Often had just one meal a day
Usually, a late breakfast
Sometimes if he were lucky
He would have dinner
And on a red-letter day
He would have three meals
The homeless man
Had been on the streets
For too long
Barely remembered his life
Before early-onset Alzheimer’s
Robbed him of his job
His dignity
His wife
His life
His money
Now he drifted
Waiting for the grim reaper
To call him home
Any day now
He prayed nightly
To a god
That he no longer believed in
Eve in the Garden Eats the Apple
Eve was in the garden
Talking with Mr. Snake
Her new best friend
She was complaining about Adam
And about the management
Of the garden
The snake suggested she eat
The forbidden fruit
She said but the man
Said that I can not eat
That fruit
It is forbidden
Yeah that is what the man said
That is what he does not want you
To experience
The man and Adam
Are in on it together
I heard that Adam
I Will eat the apple tonight
But you need to get there first
Do you trust me, Eve
Of course, Mr. Snake
So you know what to do
Eve ate the apple
Called Adam over
Told him to eat the apple
While the Snake chanted
Eat it eat it
Set yourself free
And so Adam ate the apple
And joined Eve
In knowing everything
God came down
Banished them from the garden
Telling them
Well you made the bed
You will have to sleep in it
Go away
You disgust me
Humans…..
And Satan
You won your bet
You damn Snake
Poetry from John Culp
Let Principle cohere focus As unconditional Love Entirely allowing Focus appreciation Through all perspective's Intervibral coincidence, Enjoying Allow I self the hand of preference. Born Free Sense Know Less resistance Allowing, You're Worth it. Get caught, Satisfied with your own natural grace. Turn time on a dime. Freshen your focus, NOW.
Short story from Eva Petropoulou Lianou
Once upon a time, in a village near the forest,
lived a man with very dark hair and a serious countenance.
He was living alone in a wooden house. He was
making everything with his bare hands.
Every day he walked, before sunrise, deep into the forest.
He picked the highest tree and worked from day to night.
All his furniture, even his plates, spoons and forks, was made of wood.
The man did not have a lot of friends, or neighbors,
and the closest house was miles and miles away. He
never married and he spent all of his life working the
wood. His work made him famous in the nearby
village and they came to him and ask him to repair
everything that was broken. And the man gave all his
time and attention to the wood and it was as if he and wood
understood each other. The wood was given new life and
became a beautiful table, a beautiful chair, or a very
nice door.
People were starting to come to him from far away,
from the big city, asking for more furniture and other decorations.
One day he was preparing a wooden chair, and he
was out in the open air, when suddenly a rare
perfume came to him. He looked around but
nobody was with him. So, the man continued to work
the chair and try to give it a nice shape and wanted to
put also some beautiful colours..
Again the perfume made him turn his head and
then he noticed on the earth a very beautiful
strange flower with several colours…
“I do not remember seeing this flower before” he
said.
“No, you don’t. Because I was a seed and some
days ago a sparrow brought me here from a
foreign country. But as the sparrow got tired
from the long journey, he hid me in the earth,
and he thought that he would come and eat me
later…. But he forgot. I am a seed and if u bury
me I will grow up and become a… “
“A beautiful flower that smells so nice” said
the carpenter.
“Yes, but I smell like that only if I am happy..
Some minutes ago an ant passed and we spoke.
He gave me news about my
family, so I am more happy.”
The perfume was exceptional. It was like the
perfume of the orange flowers with a bit of ylang
ylang. The man had never thought he could speak
with a flower.
“I must finish my chair, I have a lot to do. I must
finish before night comes, ” said the carpenter and
started again to work on the chair.
“Why are you so hurrying to finish your chair?
I see nobody else here with you. Do you have
family, a wife or children?”
Asked the flower.
“No, I am alone and I am very busy. So do not
ask me silly questions, I must work because I
have a chair to deliver….”
“How is possible to work in such a beautiful day,
Look up, the sky is so blue, look at the forest and
the trees, such a beautiful picture.” said the
flower, and continued ” I need some fresh water
and if you have some more grass, you can bring
it close to me, so I will have company. “
“Love yourself… “, said the flower and turned his petals
to the sun.
“I feel much better, but I really need some
water..” repeated the flower again.
“Ohh OK. I will go to bring you some water.”
The man left and went to the house. He took a big
vase and he put some water in it. Then he went out and
he threw the water onto the flower.
“Ohhhh you almost destroy my little petals. I tell
you, you really never love anything or anyone.
You just threw the water, with all your force.
You must be gentle with my petals.”
The flower explained to the carpenter for hours the gentle way
he must water him. And that he must from time to time
change and cultivate the soil. And he asked the carpenter if
he would find some other seeds, and plant them close to
him, so he will not feel alone.
Then the carpenter had a better idea, to take a big
pot. He put some soil inside and he suggested to
his friend the flower to grow in there so he will not
be alone anymore.
The carpenter and the flower became friends; he was
strong enough to carry the pot with him
even when he went to the big city for buying
new tools.
After months passed the carpenter was so
attached to his flower that he started to read books
about gardening and every day tried to make his
friend happier.
He bought a new pot and he placed it near the
window so his flower could have a sun bath all day.
When he went to the forest for cutting wood for his
work, he carried the flower along in a small wooden wagon
so they were always together.
They spoke a lot about everyday life and sometimes
about the future. But the flower always said that we
must show our love now, not in the future”.
Today is so important for the
flowers, from the first sunshine that catches us, we
must take as much light we can, and drink water,
and have someone to care for us, as we are so
fragile.
The flower grew up and became even more beautiful.
And his perfume also became so popular that
when neighbors visited the carpenter, they
asked for the name of this flower, so they can also find
the seeds and plant it in their garden.
The carpenter told his neighbors, “My flower is
very rare and I do not know if you will find the same
seeds. I named my flower “Love”. But as this flower
has a deep impact on my life, I give him this name.
Because he helped me understand that today is more
important than the future.
And love is a free energy and the more we give away,
the more comes back to us. “
The carpenter and the flower stayed friends for a long
time. And the carpenter always left some hours free
after his work for gardening, as he got so many
secrets from his friend, that he could grow any
strange seed and see it grow into a mighty tree or lovely flower.
His garden was very famous and people came from
all over the country to see it.
And when someone asked him about the secret of this
beautiful garden, the carpenter responded, with a
smile:
“Love, is the secret.”
The End
Poetry from Hongri Yuan, translated by Manu Mangattu
Gold Heaven
Written by Chinese Poet Hongri Yuan
Translated by Yuanbing zhang
Ⅰ
The golden sidestep of the days,ah!
arranged golden ladders years.
A mirror
let me saw
countless smiles of time.
The long corridors of gold
leading to countless crystal space-times.
On golden gates
carved with the rounds of
golden sun.
I walked into the rounds of
the mirror of the sun
and saw the palaces of gold.
The big birds of gold feathers,ah!
singing the prehistoric stories to me.
I’m the giant in the sun,ah！
I am the golden sun.
Countless centuries ago
I flew in the crystal universe.
To date the magnificent gold palaces
still waiting for me in the sun
To date the golden sun
Singing in the universe.
I am the king of the sun,ah!
The dragon and phoenix are my mounts.
The wheel of the golden sun
It’s all my hometown.
The countless golden suns
Laughing at me in the universe.
The huge dragons and phoenixes
Flying in the crystal space.
The golden rivers,ah!
Flying down from the sky
and turned into
the new golden seas of time.
I saw the huge castles,ah!
Standing above the ocean.
In the sky with red clouds wafting
sparkled the colourful lights.
The cities of crystal,ah!
like the lofty mountains in the sky.
The aerial gardens,ah!
like the colorful clouds floating in the sky.
I was riding on a golden dragon,ah!
flew to the golden space,
turned into the golden lights,ah!
and flew into the wheels of the sun.
The golden flames of the sun
like a huge and beautiful wreath.
The sacred temples
Smiling and opening to me.
I saw the giants,ah!
Lived happily in the sun.
Their sweet smiles,ah!
like a beautiful garden.
Their great art,ah!
sparkled the divine joy.
The magnificent palaces of gold,ah!
Were exactly their masterpiece.
The flowers of the jewels and gold,ah!
Were in full bloom in the gardens of the sun.
The pavilions and towers of crystal,ah!
Sparkled the strange light.
The lines of words of jewels
enchased in the walls of gold.
The huge statues
smilling to you gladly.
The massive painting that engraved by gold
hung in the center of the main hall.
Inlaided with gems
like the cities of gold.
The huge dragon and phoenix
singing joyfully in the sky,
like the pieces of mysterious movement
made me to forget the time suddenly.
Every giant sun
was the kingdoms of gold.
The countless holy giants
lived their miraculous lives.
They had neither night
nor years of the world.
Ten million years of mankind
seemed to be their one day.
They had no worry
sparklling the light all over their bodies,
like the rounds of sun
smiled gladly all the time.
Their divine wisdom
could change the universe,
Let every star in the sky
to turn into the beautiful home.
Countless hundreds of millions of years ago
they created humans.
Even the little earth
was also their works.
With their own spirits
they created the universes.
The countless shining stars
like their words.
In that distant space
they were engaged in creation.
The whole change of minkind
has already existed in their eyes.
They were the ancestors of mankind
And were filled with affections to mankind,
and all the wisdom of mankind
had come from their transmission.
Many centuries ago
they have come to the world,
created the sacred civilizations
and the cities of gold.
Their offspring from generation to generation
lived and reproduced on the earth,
experienced numerous changes
To have humans today.
Those ancient civilizations
are still shining in space.
All the past time
are all in another space.
The prehistoric civilization of mankind
will come fortunately again to the world,
As if the underground seeds
sprout and bloom on the ground.
The countless great arts
will be brilliant youth!
That miraculous science and civilizations
will illuminate the new history.
The old earth,ah!
And will be young again.
The flames of his heart,ah!
Will make himself transparent.
The countless sleeping time,ah!
Will wake up from the stone.
The bright and holy lights
will turn into the springs.
Those holy giants,ah!
Will go out of the sun,
with the wisdom of those lights
Illuminating the time-space of mankind.
The golden halls will appear
in the transparent oceans,
like the giant ships
towards the coast of mankind.
In the silent mountains
will ring out the joyful songs,
the fragrant rivers
will flow into the paradises of mankind.
I opened the doors,ah!
And saw the space-times,
the great civilizations,ah!
laughing before my eyes.
The countless eras of light
are coming up to us.
The cities of crystal
blooming in the new time-spaces.
The great flowers of civilization
blossoming in the seas of time-space.
The rounds of the golden sun
are also laughing and singing in space.
The countless cities of gold
blinking towards me in the sun,
spilt the gay singings
like the colorful flowers.
I saw that heaven and earth
filled with laughters everywhere,
that giant planets
also turned into human homes.
Ⅱ
I opened one door after another
And flew into a sun after another.
The sacred golden civilization,ah!
like an endless long corridor of time.
Those giants of the sun,ah!
working on the sacred creation.
Let the gold of time
To turn into the countless paradises
Their holy spirits, ah!
Illuminated the space-times,
and created the magic sciences
and that holy arts.
I heard the rounds of the sun,ah!
Singing to me in space,
as if there were countless suns
sending out the golden lights.
I entered the universes
and opened the time-spaces
Every crystal space,ah!
There were also the rounds of the sun.
The stars of time,ah!
Shining in the space of crystal
turned into the bright lights
and agglomerated into the sea of the universe.
All the wisdom of the world
came from the deep space.
The seas of time,ah!
were pregnant with the countless suns.
All the futures of mankind
were enshrined in the sun.
The future pictures of the mankind
Will shine the joyful lights.
Every wanderer of the world
are all the descendants of the sun,
The countless centuries ago,ah!
were all the golden giants.
Opening the picture books of the time,ah!
The mankind had been incomparable tall.
The Himalayas,ah!
Was just a little giant.
Before the birth of the earth
mankind have already existed.
The countless stars of the universe
had all been the human homes.
The changes of mankind,ah!
Created the different civilizations.
The another great space,ah!
determined the course of the world.
The future of mankind has been arranged
in the golden palace of the sun,
as if the huge pictures
were enshrined in the rolls of golden book.
The golden books of the sun
shone the words of gold,
the lines of mysterious words, ah!
Gestated the future civilization.
All kinds of issues of human creation，ah！
Came from the revelation of the sun
Only the holy spirit
could understand the words of the sun.
The giants of the sun,ah!
Were the master of the sun.
The rounds of the great suns
were the lights of their hearts.
They were the ancestors of mankind,ah!
They were the earliest human.
In the sun,ah!
Watching their descendants.
Shelby Stephenson reviews Sherry Siddall’s book Sweet Land
Siddall, Sherry. Sweet Land (Finishing Line Press, 2021)
Sweet Land is a Love poem: the unknown, the personal touch. Ark charts a walk on the beach, meditation: the ocean’s tongues lap, and the shells wash up and on as “buttercups,” the whole inner and outer changed for the good.
“Before the Frost” is an example for Love and Hope. Memory of a nursing home, as I interpret: “I never thought it would come to this . . . :” Poem ends:
“winter is coming
it will be glorious soon, all
the light absorbed, done.”
And North Carolina’s state bird lives in the poem “Cardinal.” “I hear fierce birds again, as a brown horse watches me over the fence.”
Sherry Siddall’s Sweet Land rocks and waves with Love of words and surround. Bareness crackles and winter’s gone, “no future here, no joy, but still those buds,” always the breaking in the sweet sweat of living day to day among “supple” twigs that become the red bird that settles all. And then “Elegy,” cardinal dead beneath my window.
Who has not seen this? Siddall lets us spread the “redness where there is no color.”
“Hunting Season” speaks for me, for I feed the small game I hunted for the table when I was a boy, a “hunter.” Her poem’s about hunting ducks; I substitute doves in my memory in her words, “limp feathered bodies” on a rail.
These two lines in Sweet Land sum Hope: “None of earth’s beauty holds us so fast / as this sky, this immensity flying past.”
Shelby Stephenson was North Carolina’s poet laureate, 2015-2018. His recent book is Shelby’s Lady: The Hog Poems.