Once a man went near a sea and said to the water, “Tell me something about you.” The water said to the man, “I can bring flood and can destroy a country, People drink me when they feel thirst, People use me to wash their bodies.” After hearing this the man again said to the water, “You have so much power that you can destroy a country but you always take the shape of the thing where you’re kept.” Saying this, the man took water in a pot and went from there.
into the adult years
longing for a kiss
on a hot summer
day
never had much luck
when i was younger
and that has carried
right into the adult
years
and i know, when i
give up they will come
out of the shadows
tell me all the things
i wanted to hear years
ago
back when love had
a chance
when dreams weren't
extinguished
when desire still
resided in this
house
-------------------------------------------------------------
as fleeting as they may be
ponder death like
there is some other
option
childhood memories
come flooding by
the pain, the joy,
the heartbroken
nights of all
those years
remind yourself
of the good times
as fleeting as
they may be
they are all you
have left in times
like this
when the first kiss
was so much more
the night you spent
in a stranger's arms
lost in the stars and
the futile belief in
hope
and when tomorrow
doesn't come
will everything be
a mess
all that could have
been has expired
i suppose the best
thing about death
procrastination is
no longer possible
---------------------------------------------------------
her soft hands
a black woman
cut my hair
today
brought back the
memories of what
i always thought
my adult life
would be like
a black wife
cutting my hair
in the kitchen
her soft hands
gently caressing
my hair
different kind of
small talk than
today of course
she thanked me
for the tip
ten dollars
she told me her
daughter has
discovered
brand names
so, i knew she
needed it
--------------------------------------------------------
a public enemy song
got a letter from
the government
fuck, my life is now
a public enemy song
they declined one
of my medications
obviously, i'm starting
to live better than they
will allow
i guess we no longer
want people striving
to be better, etc.
just fucking die
already
i suppose that's one
way to balance
a budget
all it really does
is feed into my
inner child's long
held belief that
they are out
to get me
i'm just about at
that age where a
mass shooting
really makes
sense
--------------------------------------------------------------------
come around and say hello
a bottle of rye
to keep you
warm
these are the nights
where you wouldn't
mind a few ghosts to
come around and say
hello
there's a longing
in your soul that
cuts deeper than
anyone knows
a tragedy waiting
to happen
the endless pursuit
of endless possibilities
of endless mysteries
there must be a
breaking point
of something
good
they don't
understand
the pain
the pure fucking
misery of tomorrow
escaping death
yet again
once your number
is called just accept
it
it is the only way
out
J.J. Campbell (1976 - ?) is old enough to know better. He's been widely published over the years, most recently at Disturb the Universe Magazine, The Beatnik Cowboy, Mad Swirl, Yellow Mama and Horror Sleaze Trash. Most days he is taking care of his disabled mother. In the rare moment of free time, he'll be making bets on sports or finding a few seconds for a nap. You sometimes can find him at his mildly entertaining blog, evil delights. (https://evildelights.blogspot.com)
Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa was born January 14, 1965, in Manila Philippines. She has worked as a retired Language Instructor, interpreter, caregiver, secretary, product promotion employee, and private therapeutic masseur. Her works have been published as poems and short story anthologies in several language translations for e-magazines, monthly magazines, and books; poems for cause anthologies in a Zimbabwean newspaper; a feature article in a Philippine newspaper; and had her works posted on different poetry web and blog sites. She has been writing poems since childhood but started on Facebook only in 2014. For her, Poetry is life and life is poetry.
Lilian Kunimasa considers herself a student/teacher with the duty to learn, inspire, guide, and motivate others to contribute to changing what is seen as normal into a better world than when she steps into it. She has always considered life as an endless journey, searching for new goals, and challenges and how she can in small ways make a difference in every path she takes. She sees humanity as one family where each one must support the other and considers poets as a voice for Truth in pursuit of Equality and proper Stewardship of nature despite the hindrances of distorted information and traditions.
