Brisk walking around the citylane People’s lives choices Where houses become homes Pulling over my rose glassed vision Chasing Atlantic coast cry faraway A sea gull hawks in Moorland of giggling girls Paintbrushes underneath Uncover an artist’s phase Greenspaned across Acronyms of wordthings Kindness expressed interesting factoids Kitchen sink cabinet dramas In television screen A city dapples in homeboy land Young eyed Peas pots kites nestled Baby eyed blue things It helds nestled in casement cases Parrots squeak through The reel of cinematic universe A journey to seek a pair of Ballerina shoes It holds many escapades Brisk walking tower merchandise Fairyland of open case library It nestles.
I remember that I am here not because of the path that lies before me but because of the path that lies behind me. I remember that which matters most… We are still here!
Morpheus, character in the Matrix movies, spoke these words to inspire the resistance force during one of the darkest times in their long battle with oppressive machine overlords. He encouraged them to keep fighting not because they were sure to win that night, but because they had withstood many other obstacles in the past.
This quote, and the release of a new Matrix movie, makes me think of the world surviving injustice and a pandemic for the past two years. I acknowledge and mourn that not everyone has survived, and some have been left with lasting scars. That said, sometimes just living through a global crisis and remaining a person with the capacity for love, courage, kindness, humor and creativity, even without any other visible achievements, can be a serious accomplishment. Sometimes being ‘still here’ is all we can do, and we can be very proud of that.
Contributors to this month’s very large issue are all asserting that they are all ‘still here,’ and referencing the different sources of strength that have gotten them through these seasons.
Abigail George describes her psychological struggles and the medication, books and creative writing practice that keep her sane. Chimezie Ihekuna and Dave Douglas take refuge in their Christian faith, where God’s love expands their perspective on life and comforts them during loneliness and regret. Hongri Yuan, in works translated by Yuanbing Zhang, talks of stepping outside of our human experience to find spiritual transcendence.
Michael Robinson reflects on having made it through very dark times and come out the other side, while Mahbub’s speakers seek rest and solace on land or at sea.
Abdulloh Abdumominov urges us to make the most of the time we have, while Scott Kaestner shares pieces about being okay with living the life in front of you and not shackling yourself to unrealistic expectations. Duane Vorhees reminds us to ‘count the cost,’ to think of what’s involved when we seek revolution, spirituality, or wisdom.
Laura Stamps describes lives and relationships that have fallen short of our dreams, and the surprising ways we care for each other, and ourselves, at crisis points. Ashley Wang’s piece affirms relentless hope, always asserting that tomorrow will be better. Christopher Bernard resolves to take action to preserve the environment and inspire the rest of the planet to do the same. To him, we can kick our carbon addiction the same way he quit smoking.
Katrina Kaye reminisces about love and the memory of love, about small tokens of others’ presence and care. John Thomas Allen seeks to capture and personalize a bit of his abstract love, to have a token in his hand as well as in his heart. John Edward Culp compares the creativity required to adorn a canvas with the imagination required to understand another person.
Some writers bear witness to difficult times. Christine Tabaka speaks of mothers’ empty arms, the death of relationships, and other human griefs. Bruce Mundhenke captures the fear and dread of a planet under attack. Howie Good relates death and destruction in a more surrealist, darkly humorous manner while J.J. Campbell conveys the loneliness and quiet dignity of caregiving and the end of life. Ahmad Al-Khatat longs for love in a landscape depopulated after war while Nguyen Thanh Hai mourns a missing companion. Karen Boswell writes of a random memory made sweet through loss.
Susie Gharib also writes of relationships hurtling towards inevitable ends. In subsequent pieces she celebrates the life enrichment brought through travel, as Robert Thomas does with his extensive depiction of Marrakesh’s street markets.Sterling Warner’spoems incorporate more ordinary venues (cities at dawn, carousels) along with the exotic locales. Ian C. Smith’s speakers sail into maritime adventures of strength, bravery, and beauty.
Abby Ripley describes the power of thought and ideas in shaping prehistoric human lives. Far from being a luxury, imagination helped our ancestors find food and water and shelter on the savanna. Saurav Ranjan Datta also references history, celebrating the lives of powerful women leaders in a new book, Goddesses of Fury: History’s Most Daring Queens. In the spirit of the Matrix films, Andrew Dibble’s short story probes the linguistic systems created by humans versus intelligent machine-learning algorithms.
Mark Young’s impressionist literary pieces reference art, creativity, and learning by experience. Vernon Frazer’s work elides the ordinary rules of syntax, creating its own world of sound and syllable arrayed on the page. Patrick Sweeney arranges phrases on the page in a semblance of meaning. Michael Todd Steffen’s words paint canvases in homage to visual artists’ work, while Norman J. Olson reflects on his legacy of art based on the nude human figure.
James Thurgood crafts pieces that seem simple but encapsulate deeper thoughts and truths. A boy’s unevenly tied shoelaces evoke parents’ inability to ensure children’s lives will be free from risk, a teen’s romantic gesture becomes a meditation on the passing of youth.
Peter Cherches also references ordinary life, sharing the thoughts and memories coming to his mind when he thinks of formerly popular songs and TV shows.
Ike Boat promotes the writing of a children’s author and literacy advocate, Dennis Mann, while John Grey ponders what items we collect and what knowledge we seek, as some facts inevitably slip out of our grasp with time, like water evaporating from a thirsty land.
We hope that you will take comfort and find strength within these submissions and join in the literary exchange of ideas.
The purpose of this book is to erase a wrong notion from our minds that the history of this world was shaped only by tough, unflinching, strong men who were physically active as warriors. On the contrary, this book proves that women influenced events as much as men. They even surpassed all their contemporary males in bravery and intelligence many times. This book also analyses certain occurrences in world history that shook our past. Here, the readers will get the chance of travelling more than 3000 years in time through the lives of these daring women. The chapters would also read like crime thrillers because of much vengeance and bloodshed that happened in our past. To sum up, Goddesses of Fury is a work which narrates our complicated bygone days from around the world.
The book is available over Amazon for purchase. Grab your copies now.
Graciously, as a gifted poetic fellow I often like titles of whatever I write to differ from others. Thus, I hope this title BBR & BRR will not take you on wonderland but a special roller-coaster to ensure that you read deeper to the punch-lines as a means to absorb within the mental faculties of knowledge acquisition in the world of literature. Well, the twist and turns of words by a rapper makes him or her a tongue-twister, but in poetry we often prefer to describe it as ‘Word-Play’, hence every poet or spoken-word figure becomes a ‘Word-Player’ to bring-out a sensible story-line in relation to performance. Any-way, let me not be like ‘Hum-Ani’ beating around the bush or even the adventures of Berganda finding a solution to ensure afforestation.
Lo, BBR is the chosen abbreviation Berganda Book Release and BRR means or refers to Berganda Reading Review as I’ve spent quality day-to-day time to engage in the usual Read Aloud Session – RAS of this educative and informative second (2nd) book of Ghana’s fascinating kids author in the personality, Sir Dennis Mann, founder and president – Wide Reading Among Kids – WRAK.
Philip Marfo and Ike Boat with Berganda Books in Hand
On faithful Friday,3rd December,2021 at 10am Greenwich Mean Time – GMT (Ghana Man Time). It’s commencement of the much anticipated and highly promoted Berganda Book Release ie(Launch),thus took place at the finest air-conditioned event-space dubbed Dreamer’s Hub under the leader-ship as well mentor-ship acknowledgement of Author Raphaelle Antwi in North Legon,Accra – Ghana,West Africa. Such a beautiful divine atmosphere with nicely created wooden bookshelf seen bold R-E-A-D. I meditatively absorbed and creatively came-out with Revise Every Acts Daily based on READ. Thus,such an aura to learn from AURA being Audience Of Ralph Antwi,an anointed and gifted man with ministerial as well mission-inspired speaking engagement both locally and globally. Aside,with over fifty (50) books under his author-ship and mentor-ship of multiple chaps. Factually,prayer points and topics of faith marked the commencement of program order as organized strategically by the author of Berganda book himself,Mr.Dennis Mann.
Incredibly,for me it’s a tip from the Central (Kasoa) ,Estate Top to Capital (Accra),Asylum Down area to kill ‘duo-birds’ with a ‘mono-stone’ in an environment of unfamiliarity, like a forest or village (rural) dweller coming to the city (urban) center with mind of novice about so many suburbs of Greater Accra Region,Ghana. Needless to say,the unfortunate happening of 1st December,2021 became a blow to the mind a bit but faith in God helped me to keep hope alive and focus on our scheduled Berganda Book Release #BBR on Friday,3rd December,2021. Oh,gosh! Airport arrival from Deustchland ie(Germany) as one of our special invited guests turned her home-going due to delay of PCR test results which is paramount for all travelers from all walks of lives. Well,it’s been close to decade since the first trip into Ghana, still Obroni Baa Dagmar Erb couldn’t embrace the triumphant welcome we prepared to offer her at Accra’s Kotoka International Airport. I’ve to state ‘God knows Best & God Knows Why!’
Ike Boat and Author Dennis Mann
Sincerely, your Ike Boat chap as the Anchor and MC of BBR exhibited professional delivery with little infusion of Akan,Fante dialect and high percentage of Anglo-know-how on the microphone coupled with poetic free-style session of Spoken-Word performance as one act I’m popularly known coupled being an awardee. Obviously,salt doesn’t praise its tastiness but the gig of ‘I Live In Amanful’ #ILIA piece was just a nostalgia about conditions and circumstances of where I grew-up in my primary and junior high school days as well as secondary level of academic education. I can say with certainty that the interaction with attendees as audience,WRAK manifesto speech by prime author of the day,Mr.Dennis Mann as well as part of Berganda book reading bring to memory good protocol duty by colleague and bruder (brother),Sir Philip Marfo, a man with hard-working positive spirit and right attitude to works. Special virtual shout-out to all our Bergandalicious team members and participants! Lo and behold,someone nearly cap-sided the float and flow of passionate boat but timely appearance of our special guest Speaker – Author Ralph Antwi really remedied crucial fund-raising moment of Berganda Book Release – BBR than the launch of Mr.Pee Peemaiden book by Mr.Dennis Mann i.e(Author). Suffix it to say,I like the general atmosphere in relation to sights and sounds of BBR in Accra.
Guest Speaker and Mentor and Author Ralph Antwi speaks to attendees
Finally, with respect to Berganda Reading Review – BRR, I commenced my usual Read Aloud Session – RAS on Wednesday 5th December,2021 at Room 15 of St.Sam Hotel in Asylum Down,Accra. Aside, I completed the entire 15 Chapters of it Content on Monday,20th December,2021 at the Mount-Zion International Gospel Church – MIGC Mission House premises, Estate Top, Kasoa – Central Region of Ghana,West Africa. Indeed, being an avid reader Berganda – My Forest,My Home is a must-get,grab and read book full of adventures. Believe you me,it has good story-line,subject-matter and central theme, thus can subsequently be turned into epic movie with wonderful characters, like Ahmed friend of the protagonist Berganda has traits compared to Ghana’s historic woman-warrior Yaa Asantewaa,the queen mother of Ejisu with such a spirit of heroism (heroine). Well,as the saying goes ‘Sweetness of the pudding is in it eating’, therefore I urge or beseech you to get in touch with Author Dennis Mann via E-mail Address: authordennismann@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +233247654113 so as to get and grab your copy for reading or bulk purchase for your children of ages 10 years and above. Better-still,it will be a good resource for your library. Of course, such a readable story-line with soft diction too makes your reading easy,lovely and enjoyable. Until then, from virtual to actual – Kindly,grab to read the Berganda book to experience it Bergandaliciousness! Thank You.
Dennis Mann’s newest book Berganda
Ike Boat – Writes in a serene quiet mood atmosphere with soulful gospel songs playing background at the perching place of MIGC temple located at Estate Top, Kasoa – Central Region, Ghana.(West Africa).
Kindly, E-mail: ikeboatofficial@gmail.com or Whats-App: +233267117700 t0 Advertise or Promote on Time With Ike Boat #TWIB Show on Morrash T
Another Whisper & Triumph
today i declare will be glorious:
revel in the morning gold
the light shines on still, even
when clouds sever the sun &
pieces fly to blinding rays.
endless day again; here,
where night has ceased,
will we truly be happy?
it has been this way,
it is this way,
it will be this way. but
sunlights drench me.
then clothing is just a reminder
we are alive & burdened
the day has gone on
too long & my creaking bones
splinter a bit further.
humanity weeps a
tired anger, fierce sorrow.
when night comes again,
we swear a million times
today,
tomorrow,
someday,
will be different.
Ahmad Al-Khatat
Grape Lips
The liquor store said that
They have sold their last bottle of red wine.
I wanted a woman who rises in my apartment,
and on the balcony like the sun back in Baghdad.
The snowstorm will not change my feelings about her
I am comfortable and independent just by thinking about her
The wine melting its fruits on her lips
-elucidates why I taste grape after kissing her.
Some people faces are breathing not peaceful,
It reminds me of the daylight of a hundred men and women who died
I sob for them, and the world took my tears to a particular forest,
Pour my sorrows’ to lifeless plants, leafless trees, and wasteland creeks.
The moon in the midnight whispers in my ears
I want to kiss her apple blossoms on her cheeks lightly
I hope that I can farewell my grief the moment I kiss her neck gently
By then, her warm hands caress my bitter body against her sweet flesh.
12/24/2021
The calligrapher writes the landscape.
The rain's crow quill points ink across pigeongray parchment sky and draft indelibly themselves upon an eager gravid ground
and sins and memories, and hopes and charities, that take root, grafted into the earth, remain ensoiled past the droughts and floods to come.
THE MARE'S BREAKING IN
Wanting the beads and choirs too,
she took the veil and cincture.
But inside the now
she regrets the vow
since accepting the saddle
means all the bits and spurs too.
COME THE REVOLUTION
Which among you will bring sandwiches?
And who'll organize the selfies?
Which manifesto would you execute?
"The sky must be purged if the earth is to prevail!"
"The earth must be buried for Heaven to reveal!"
Which Utopia would you provoke?
Which of the pasts should be banned?
But don’t be the freak hot on the runway
or the gangster in church,
don't be the priest caught in the whore house
the banker in the line-up.
OPIATES OF THE MASSES
Crucifiction, Failosophy, Hisstory:
Tomorrow is a myth. And so is yesterday. Now is all.
Physicks, Asstrology, Isometricks:
Yourself, as you are at present, is your only guide.
Medisin, Accupunkture, Sighchiatry:
There is no cure for reality.
Litterature, Statuwary, Musick:
Art is a grand mirage -- and it takes great pride in being so.
Soshellism, Dicktatorship, Demockracy:
All government systems are synonyms for slavery.
Kingdumbs, Militearism, Onerousship:
Allegiance to others is suicide.
Noosepapers, Liebrarie. Educashuns:
"Knowledge" so-called is mere pretense.
Relashunships, Guarantease, Freedumb:
Promises are illusions. But illusions may also be promises.
Ambishun, Suckcess, Sellebrity:
Self-promotion is the greatest deception of all.
Syphillisation:
Truth is what you trust.
THE MYTHIC ARCHAIC CUB, HIS MANDALAS, AND ME
I wait here still for the wise old man
and his chatter of universal traits,
how they shape my acts like hands
on a potter's wheel (but hereditary, innate).
"Archetypes are to psychology
as instincts to biology."
I sit in his psyche, peeling my mandarins,
and wonder, is this a proper asana?
Some tables down someone plays a green mandolin
and my self stifles respondent hosannas.
My me was always confused by the we,
and I was never the one I used to be.
I used to take my tea with cream
but now I prefer lemon.
Why do I have all these dreams
about so many different women?
Decades have passed like clouds over seas
as I searched for any available lee.
The minutes pass like birds in flight
and my shadow cowers in shadows
I interpret as monstrous daytime nights.
Mandolinist fingers dissolve into adders.
Duane Vorhees is an American in Thailand. Hog Press of Ames IA has published three of his poetry collections, HEAVEN, GIFT: GOR RUNS THROUGH ALL THESE ROOMS, and THE MANY LOVES OF DUANE VORHEES.
