4.) WORTHLESS, WANTING FOR DEATH Jasmine Nolasco 1ST Place
I feel worthless, helpless, hopeless Why do these words overpower me? Everyday waking, going about These words will forever be the death of me
Fighting against these words is hopeless When I am sleeping, more words Began to crawl around my body digging inside of me Every time I dig into my skin They will go deeper and deeper into my heart
I feel weak, sick of pain My heart beast faster and faster, My head felt dizzy, my skin turning pale white My body feeling pain and sorrow, shaking from fear These bugs will be the death of me
I wish for death, will they come for me Hug me for warmth or will they guide Me to another place My loved ones will forgive me but, in the end, They will cry for me I want death to be mine forever
REMNANT Gracie James 2nd Place
I look around my room at everything I can no longer touch or wear because your remnants could never be purged out of it. Parts of your love are fused with the metal and conditioned in the cotton. It's all a reminder of something that no longer exists.
Promise-filled silver that hangs around my neck like a ball and chain. Fabrics that make my skin burn and blister because they are so warm with your touch. No amount of sage could scare your memory away.
But what sucks most of all is finding the little notes I wrote about you in the pages of my favorite book. And even when the rubber scratches away the words, the indentation of you will always remain deep within the margins. It's silly how much of you still haunts me once you're gone.
SILVER AND RED Haniah Harrigan 3rd Place
Two because I wasn't good enough, Two because I wasn't smart enough, Two because... Why do you hate me again? Four for broken promises, I'm sorry.
(Running, running, running, all day) Yona, don't look back, just look forward, Everything gets better at the end, they said, (Running, running, running, non stop)
Oh, I was too weak, and now I've looked back, (Please, please, please, save me) Monsters, everywhere, I'm surrounded, (Keep running, keep pleading, why doesn't anyone hear me)
What did I do, what did I say, I just want to be enough, (I changed only for you, now I don't know me) Suddenly I'm never enough (never).
(Hurry, hurry, hurry up) 6 because I couldn't lead, (Hurry, hurry, hurry up, I'm slipping) 6 because I couldn't help my own family.
Noona, Unnie, donesaengs, I'm sorry, I miss you, (Understand, understand me, please) I run from you, run to you, always running, (Don't be hurt, don't be sad, don't cry)
I was too weak to save you, too weak to save me, Too weak to realize I fell (ah everything hurts) I wanted to be your angel, but I lost my wings, What hurts most, oh there's too many tears to count.
A black rose, a blue rose, a yellow rose, (A crushed petal flailing in the wind) Red, blue, black, yellow browns, (A sinking ship in wild waves, why this)
I was too weak to save you, too weak to save me, (Please, please, please save me) Monsters, everywhere, I'm surrounded, (Keep running, keep pleading, why doesn't anyone hear me) "
THIS LIFE. Zachary Bassham Discipline, determination, grit and grind; The things I've been taught to have At every point of my life in time. But anger! pleasures, accepting the devil’s bribes And I was ashamed, ignoring the Lord’s pleads and signs.
But I’ve come to realize It was never the pleasures that called me astray It was myself, my thoughts, my so-called ways That led me away from my destiny Oh so far away
Through prayer, humility, courage and strength I will get back on track and focus and reconnect And as I play carefully like a game of chess I will tread happily to ensure kindness Isn’t this all that we deserve? Kind words, harbors, to please God and our ancestors?
And I call all Christians to recognize To deliver your worries to God and reconcile That this life is way too short For us not to assist our loved ones And become the people that we desire.
TORN Patrick Dancy
Innocent yet curious, Naïve yet ambitious, Dark versus right, Black sheep of the family, Crossed over to the other side, Life of ups and downs, Trials and tribulations, Core values versus peer pressure, Clean upbringing to corrupt lifestyle. Torn between doing right and wrong, Torn between living honestly and street, Torn between being popular and regular, Torn between a job and crime, Torn mentally between what I was taught and what I learned from the streets, Torn into a million pieces.
ABANDONED Patrick Dancy
Young with only the love of my mom, The son of a man who’s never around, The hurt I feel looking for him daily, The feeling of not being loved, Son without a loving father, A boy full of resentment, Sitting day after day waiting for his father, The shame of not having him in the stands, The anger from not being supported, The fate of a hardened heart, A man without parental guidance, The cycle of mistreatment of kids, A prince looking for his king, A son who doesn’t trust words, A man full of trust issues, A man with an abandoned heart
COUNTRY GIRL Jeannie Falls
As a country girl in a big world I was taught to scratch and crawl I learned at an early age To get back on the horse if you fall One thing about us country girls We just don’t know the word defeat We are always one step ahead Like the cowboy boots on our feet Country girls grow up with superpowers We can add a little sweet to the sour We can change a room by adding spice That’s our superpowers of being extra nice Growing up as a country girl We learn how to be Southern Belles But most of all we learn How to lasso the big world
LIVE LAUGH LOVE Jeannie Falls
Live life for tomorrow isn’t promise Live life for the good moments Live to be a blessing to others That means love your sisters and brothers So Live life Laugh because laughter is good Laugh because you should Laugh to keep from crying Laugh if you ever feel like dying Because laughter is medicine for the soul Laughter value is that of gold So, laugh often Love is a sweet gift you can share Love can show others how much you care Love has a way to heal Especially when love is real Love with a purpose and love strong Love is blind and knows no wrong So, love truly
MOTHERHOOD Jeannie Falls
Slowly his eyes begin to open and gaze at mine Quickly I feel it; a shivering down my spine I am now awe-struck by the feeling of joy and relief From a moment of pain to a burst of hope and belief I cannot believe it: look what God has done for me This precious gift, this beautiful treasure He will have a piece of my heart forever He was made good and very good Isaish! He has been wonderfully formed and molded And as I hold his small body in my hands I will never forget the footprints in the sand And Thank Him for this gift again The gift of motherhood
LIFE MOMENTS Jeannie Falls
Life has a way of surprising us We are a part of a moment in time Which we cannot unwind So, live like it’s you last breath Go out and smell the flowers Carry an umbrella incase of showers Dream big and open your heart Let your light shine bright Always remember to keep up the good fight So as the grass withers And the leaves begin to fall Seasons come and go so stand tall
MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY Jeannie Falls
I love the holidays When family come together But my favorite one of all Is Christmas We get to hang lights And get to decorate the tree We get to stuff stockings And hang them by the chimney I love driving around with my family During the holiday nights There are so many wonderful decorations And beautiful lights The night before Christmas is also great We get to bake homemade cookies And place them on a plate The kids seem to always go to bed early Ready for the next day Because they already know that Santa is on the way I love Christmas and my family time This is why it is the best holiday of mine
A NURSE LOVE Jeannie Falls Is it because of my passion? Or is it because of my compassion? I just love being a nurse I get to help those in need And bandage those who bleed I just love being a nurse My job is to help administer love As if I was an angel from above Sometimes I go above and beyond Because I consider what if that was my mom Some days are difficult And my feet do hurt But no matter what I love being a Nurse
PEOPLE USE YOU TO THRIVE Dora Marie Hernandez
People use you to thrive Others wish you didn’t exist You rip families apart Or bring them together Physically, Emotionally, Mentally, you’re there. You can ruin a moment Or make it more special. You’re seen as a friend And also ignored. No matter what we do You always make your presence known You’re my friend and foe For you are my Pain.
LOVELY DEATH 🖤 Dora Marie Hernandez
You are feared and rejected yet loved and accepted Begged for but not thought of Your presence is ice cold but a warming e embrace Though your known for cruelty you’re also merciful Fast and painless yet painfully slow Yearning for you but hoping you don’t show Waiting with open arms yet turning away A friend but also foe
NEVER GOODBYE Dora Marie Hernandez
You’re happy and sad Forgiven and resentful Often taken for granted Happily welcomed but heartbreakingly painful Meant as later but sometimes never again How I sometimes hope it doesn’t have to be Painfully and slowly starting to accept While also clinging and hoping it’s not Nothing changes how it happens Full of laughter or tears Your arrival is sudden yet you slowly creep up How I hate you but also love you And no matter how things end, it will never be Goodbye
UNTITLED Gracie James
As a girl, there is no worse feeling than when the boy you adore looks at you with eyes of sheer lust rather than pure wonder. I want to be touched in admiration of my well-thought words and underworked deities. Not because your hands are yearning for someone to grasp. I’m glad you can point out my likeness in a crowd, but my real love could draw out my works from a journal shared by many.
I want you to stare at my sweater in hopes it’s keeping me warm this cool summer night, not because your mind wanders to the curves lying underneath. You should pull me closer because the warmth of my skin reminds you of how vibrant my fiery soul is below. Touch me with the electricity of a thousand saccharine words. I’m not interested in your mindless mannerisms or vacant embraces.
I wish for you to worship my everlasting sweetness like it's not so everlasting after all. Fall deep in love with the darkest crevices of my internal being. And pray to your maker a smidge of my glow rubs off on you, leaving you with a single tiger stripe of my wisdom shining brightly on your cheek.
LOVE, YOUR INVENTOR Gracie James You try to reinvent yourself to get away from all the love I gave. You don't want to see the impressions I've left on you. You are scared that everyone will notice my mannerisms when you walk into the room, or that you will recite my lessons as if they are your own wisdom. Telling my jokes to your new friends doesn't make them yours. Especially when even your most common habits stem from me. Choosing a new favorite animal won't let you forget that I knew your real favorite first . Just like how obsessing over her will never fully banish me from your mind. At the end of the day, when you glance into your mirror while pampering and painting your Don’t you notice the whispers in the hall? I know you hear my echoing cries in your head. My sacrificed love left an aura around you, one you are forever trying to scrap. Reinventing yourself won’t make them forget what happened. It won’t let you forget it either. It only shows your cowardness as you throw away your deepest values to try and rid your guilt.
All the love I gave you can never be filtered out. If you knew you wanted me gone, you should have never let me tinker and carve myself into your soul. Because no matter how far you run, the core of you is forever me. I’m your inventor, and I hope you're never free.
ROSE-COLORED GHOSTS Eric Morris
inspired by “Afterlife with Father” by Jeanne Marie Beaumont I proposed to the first girl I fell in love with, and she denied me because I wasn’t a Christian. She asked, Why don’t you believe in God? I was sitting in the passenger seat holding a Coke and staring out the window. I said that I only believe in what I can see. That might not be how it went, but I do remember clearly the time we went to Disney World and she said I love you when I gave her the huge Stitch plushie that she began using as a pillow. Her best friend tells me this never happened, and honestly, I believe her because years later I was watching Lilo & Stitch with my daughter, and I noticed it was released in 2002, and we broke up in 2000— a year before she died—and when I think about her, she seems to appear, unblemished save for crimson-stained wrists, and she tells me sweet memories of swimming, fishing on the lake, watching the sun set from the roof of her house, memories of Italian food, and memories of American whiskey...she says again what she said more than once in the time we were together, I love you... And now she tells me, I love you. I didn’t know there were no angels waiting. I would have said yes...
MINOTAUR (THE MAN-BULL) Eric Morris “Silence accompanies the bull’s death. Where once the screams of madness filled the yard and echoed through the cell walls, now there is only stillness, a cacophony of muted noises made manifest by the absence of his vitriol. Tales of blood, of skulls shattered and limbs rent, of human meat torn from bone, now pass away into woeful mourning. The bull, the keeper of the yard, the tyrant of the cell block, is dead. Long live the king.” They asked me to write this eulogy, but it’s hard. I mean, the bull was respected, feared even, but it’s not like anyone really liked him. He was fucking crazy. I watched him nearly twist a guy’s head clean off and then start chewing on the dude’s bicep while the guards were tasing him. No shit. All because the bull thought that poor bastard got a bigger lunch portion. I been here five years, and I know of at least a dozen he’s killed in that time. Truth is, I’m glad he’s dead. We’re all a lot safer. They told me all about him when I got here. Said his mother was some lot trash from Louisiana, made pornos with animals. Said she got knocked up by a Brahma that tore her up so bad she couldn’t walk afterward. Died giving birth. Whatever you want to believe, I guess, but that’s how he got the name, and he never denied it. Granted, he didn’t really look like a man. Seven feet tall, and his head was as wide as his shoulders. He had huge eyes, six inches apart from each other, and gaping nostrils that jutted straight from his face. Strength of five guys. He could pick a guard up with one hand, and he did a few times, right before he crushed their heads like empty soda cans. The bull was a beast in every meaning of the word. Any inmate caused trouble, they’d find themselves wandering through the cell block after lights-out, with the bull on the hunt. We called it the maze. It never took long for the screams to begin, first the maniacal bellows of the bull, then the agonizing cries of his prey. We’d hear from the cleanup crew the next day where they found all the body parts. Until this one rich kid got put in; daddy was some CEO. Said he didn’t fear the bull, that all beasts could be tamed, that he could beat the bull with his bare hands. That kind of gall don’t get you too far in here, and we let him put his money where his mouth was. The bull was fast, but this kid was faster. Wore the bull out, hour after long hour of running and dodging. It’s said some love-struck female guard gave the kid a layout of the maze beforehand, but if rumors were currency we’d all be rich. We watched as the bull stopped hunting, sank down to one knee, exhausted, trying to catch his breath, right in the middle of the commons. Rich kid walked up behind him, silent as a mouse’s breath, and in a split second reached around and tore the bull’s throat right from his neck. And that was that. There wasn’t even a fight. Rich kid was transferred out this morning, probably got released because of daddy’s money, but no one really knows. They’re cremating the bull today. Some of the boys want a funeral, want me to write some kind words for the dearly departed, just because they know I write poetry. Well, I ain’t writing this fucker no poem. I ain’t got nothing to say, except good riddance.
LIFESONG OF TEARS Kaylee Nance
Sometimes pain drives me to purpose. Sometimes it keeps me stuck. Sometimes I find meaning, Other times the pain just hurts.
It’s the silent battles, the ones fought in solitude That seem the hardest, Because I’m afraid to tell anyone, ashamed to confess The depths of the darkness.
So I silently wage war within myself, Wondering if anyone will understand. And fail to realize there’s nothing new under the sun And nothing unheard of to man.
Even so, in fear of judgement I choose to fight it alone. I store it all within in my heart, And tears have become my Lifesong.
Secrets make me sick, But I still keep it inside With the expectation of myself To conceal it until the day that I die.
As of right now, I remain still Because I’m too weak to push through. But one day I’ll choose to move forward. After all, what else can I do?
UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE Kaylee Nance
Finally free from the tyrant, The one they call addiction. But it lurks within the shadows And awaits me as a predator stalks its prey.
As I go through this life, My predator is buried where eyes cannot see, But its presence is felt underneath the surface, As it awaits to be revealed in my moments of weakness.
It has set up a snare to entice me, And sits wisely with great patience, Anticipating a tear to fall from my eyes, To make its face known as it seeks to consume me.
On edge knowing that I am prey to something bigger than me, The tears fall and my body grows weak, I then feel it rumble from underneath the surface, Shaking the ground I stand on.
Can I be strong and not show my vulnerability? Can I escape this trap beneath my feet? I must be strong, I can’t succumb, It’s my only choice if I want to survive.
THE SOUND OF HEALING Kaylee Nance
Another tear streams down my face and falls unto the pillow. They say “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but how much, a tear?
So much emotion packed into a single drop and the weight of the world So gracefully falls from my face, without making a sound. Siting by the chimney, near the scorching fire Makes one feel warmth and cozy within them
WEATHER POEMS Jasmine Nolasco
1.) Rainy days When the clouds began to cry Hearing the gentle droplets of tears Feeling a calm and relax self Knowing it would wash your fears away The glooming sky will ease you from sorrow
2.) Thunderstorms Hearing the bombastic roars of lightning Listening to the thundering noise Seeing the dark clouds brewing Can make one be anxious in fear
Feeling the booming deep thunder Seeing the dark air forming Comes crashing down all together
3.) Winter Seeing the white glistening sheet Feeling the cold frigid air Makes one shiver in their arctic icy land But can make one feel joyful to play Siting by the chimney, near the scorching fire Makes one feel warmth and cozy within them
MY OWN FEELINGS Jasmine Nolasco
5.) Why does everything hurt? Why does everything hurt? When children cry, they will Cry those who lost their loved ones Adults cry for those who lost their own loved ones too Seeing those with hatred and rage Wanting to crush anyone with their own thumb
Seeing our leaders stand by and watch Becoming selfish for their own lives Seeing loved ones feeling exhausted Slaving away while being drained from life
Looking into people's life to see them In suffering wanting everything to change But none will care for them, listen to them No one will look at them
Why do we suffer from being humans? Why do we all feel this way? Why do people want to see other hurt? We are nothing to them but worms
How can a person hurt another person? Everything hurt, children are hurt, adults are hurt The elderly are hurt, and I feel hurt I feel sick and tired of feeling helpless but Does everyone feel this way or it this nothing But an illusion to my own mind?
6.) I love my happiness Happiness is a gift form humanity Feeling the warmth from someone’s touch The feeling of seeing someone’s happiness Feeling hope for being alive, experiencing Anything from the world
Tasting the food from every diverse place Listening to music, hearing the beautiful chords and beats Seeing the wonders in the world Enjoying unimportant things that matters Loving my loved ones, feeling their warmth
Looking at the weather Loving my pets, I have Sharing the love towards my friend Make on feel whole, feeling complete
I am in love with happiness They are my joy, my pride, my loved one Feeling the warmth fussing feeling Wanting happiness to last forever
LIMERICKS Herman Sherman
There was once a Green Jay named Ray Who skipped class and played games all day. But getting F’s felt cruddy So he started to study And now he’s getting all A’s
There once was a student named Kay Who felt stressed and down every day But she gave a shout Asking, “Please help me out!” And now she’s a happy Green Jay!
Students come to our college locations To get knowledge and find their vocations. We all work together Like birds of a feather As part of the Green Jay nation!
Said an English professor named Tony, “Limericks are poetic baloney.” A bear who wrote some Said, “I’ll chew on his bum!” Then decided the prof was too bony.
Eric edits the mag called Spilled Ink To ensure the writings don’t stink. But to make you all grin This piece was slipped in While Eric was catching a wink!
THE SUN Ellis Jane Wade
The Sun is arrogant With its warmth that it knows you crave It’s left you bereft for months, Knowing the loss and downward spiral You’ve sent yourself on. Hoping. Waiting. Wanting for the Sun to come back to you And wrap you in what you want What you so desperately need. The Sun knows this. It slowly starts to come back. To give little Sights of itself. To promise sweet kisses. To promise to come back to you. To promise to give what you need, All the while, reminding you that it is the Only one who can provide.
The Sun is obsession Back to give you everything you asked for And more. So much more. It comes to you ready to fulfill its promises Of better, warmer days. And it does. And you love it. For now. But then you realize the Sun won’t leave. You Wanted, needed it. Even begged it to come back. But now the Sun is smothering, Its intensity far too great to bear. So, you retreat inside, all the while, knowing The Sun is sitting, waiting to give you Its full attention. An attention that Promises to never let up or stray again. This is what you wanted, right?
The Sun is spite Sensing your withdrawal and discontent. It starts to colden. Starts to withdraw as well. It can play the same game too. It can take away its love and give To some other, appreciative soul. And on those days that it leaves, and you sigh, It hears and comes back just to remind. To remind that You were the one who called. You asked it to come back and stay. But you couldn’t handle the Sun and its love. So, you don’t get to have its gifts. You don’t get to pull only when you want And then decide what’s enough. If you want to be One-sided, the Sun can happily accommodate.
The Sun is cruelty You asked for it and its love, then decided against. It can decide to turn away entirely, leaving you Alone with the cold depression of solitude. It knows you can’t live without it. You do too. You know that the first, early weeks will be Mustered through out of your own spite. But what then? When the sadness freezes you In place? When the dark clouds don’t just gather Outside, but inside? Will you cry out for the Sun yet again? Of course you will. You always do. And always will. You know that its cruelty is easier To withstand than the cruelty of being with yourself. You cry again for the Sun.
You Hate the Sun You Love the Sun You Are the Sun
MY PROMISE TO YOU Zachary Walker
This is my promise to you a promise I will always keep true That as the earth spins and With the dedication of church goers saying amens I will never cease my struggle Of becoming a man worth double To forget the recommended price of my soul and to cast away upon death the price of my toll For if I am to ever become a man worthy of you I must acknowledge that the ordinary won't due To begin my elevation to heights that I can bestow elation I will shed my skin of hypocrisy and begin the process of indoctrinating my body, spirit, and soul To follow the path of men who've breathed in the coals their faces in the fire becoming forged into specimens to be admired For the sake of those they've loved They've captured every speck of resolve To use it as the fuel of their flame and make most of their given names To leave lives of unnoticed oppression And lead their lives to create lasting impressions
How else could a lowly mortal like me Rise to the heights of the lights That come from your seat?
Beyond the allusivity that is my diction I swear to you this is no work of fiction Because beyond the simplicity that is your vanity I have breached the walls that surround your canopy to where you've stashed your heart and the only idea that I'd hope to impart Is that of love Love worthy of you My Muse
END.
✽2021 Edition✽
THE SAGA CONTINUES Bill Marable
The facts are disputiable, contenious at best especially so by the time they reach the West Who started what and when how it escalated and why did fighting begin
One thing that goes without saying both sides for centuries have been laying claim to the Holy seat trying to fit one shoe on two feet
Rockets glear in night sky, reminisent of celebration however the light of morning reveals mass devastation entire families from matrarch to young child vanished from existance entombed beneath a rubble pile
United in their condemntion, Nations advise firig to cease so that medical relief may enter, as both sides sue for peace Oh Garza, Jewel of Palestine, how long must you live in dread How many souls will it take to satisfy the grave with the dead
And Isreal, with your 'Iron Dome" afixed heavy is the hand when cotrols are switched there is no simple smacking of the hand there is only distruction of a people and their land
Can two nations, in co-existance thrive without the demise of one throught genocide That is a quandry of Bibical proportion unlikely to be settled by Mid-Eastern 'Consortium'
KNEELING IS STANDING Bill Marable
P*****g on the press Unwilling to confess To wearing a dress For the Bear Shoes untied since the swearing in Tripping over truth Taking the lead, attacking ‘the league’ Twisting facts Chubby Checker style. “Come on baby. . .” Take a knee Oh say can not you see Bad cops ain’t flags You see stars, we get stripes Run, bet not. Stop, get dropped. Hands up, choked out Hands down, shot Comply, Die You know tha business Stand yo ground. Not if you Black Permit to tote. Now that’s a joke Blue lights lead to red lights Lights out! Funeral lights Cementary lots Kneeling is Standing Standing is Believing Beliving in The National Song Kneeling is standing
YOUR WORDS ARE OUR WEAPON Bill Marable (For Nikki, Soina and Gwendolyn) There is fire in her words She wrote about revolution ”clean my gun” was her anthem Her people marched to “Revolutionary Music ” Sister poet - Preach - Teach ”red rain pours over the land and our fire mixes with the water.” Words meant to inspire, even Insight a people to movement Not just to dance a jig, rather To sway and say “i’m blk, & ready.” Sister poet - Preach - Teach She heralded the “Histoyman” Inking bout a black first and how His “steps are echo makers” Oh, had her eyes to see Barrack and Michelle doing the thang Sister poet - Preach - Teach You give words to our blackness Shedding light on our people Your Words are our Weapons Offering no quarter in victory Nor seeking it, in defeat Sister poets - Preach - Teach
THE BALLAD OF JUNIOR BROWN Bill Marable Junior Brown on the day of his birth Clotho frowned Lachesis cursed For one spun the thread the other measured it just so and both lowered their head when to Atropos it had to go The third sister’s knife never dull to it’s task cut the thread of life death is her mask From birth to death these spinsters do sew your steps and breath exact, they do know Poor Junior Brown too, they owned the hour when he would lay down his soul would tower Perhaps Lachesis scorned at the manner of his demise Clotho’s heart mourned But Atropos ignored their cries In a dumpster is where they found the body devoid of life, of glee that once belonged to Junior Brown A child of only three
MORNING NEWS 2/3/22 Bill Marable
COVID lurks in camouflaged smiles and frowns deadly as a hidden Sniper’s takedowns
Meanwhile a reticent Bear emboldened, sits on a neighbor’s boarder giving NATO fits
Ex cop -killed a brotha- released from the pen time served, less than half way in
MEGA stock lost market shares in a big way gas prices inched higher for another day
Speculation rises on Biden’s choice of “Sistas” to become the new Supreme voice
Forecast of snow and ice from St Louis to the Longhorn state have experts expecting an increased death rate
All this I discovered as I sat in my car an extra 30 minutes listening to NPR.
I WILL SPEAK Amanda L. Pugh
For those who cannot For those who huddle in the dark, praying Hiding bruises under makeup And black eyes under sunglasses I will speak for you.
For those too young to understand why Who wonder what they did wrong Who hold their breath with every step To try and dodge the worst I will speak for you.
For those whose voice Has been taken away by fear Who make excuses To try and explain away the pain I will speak for you.
For those who are free from the pain Who have joined a better world Your light did not go out in vain Your story will remain And I will speak for you.
For Anna, Kellie, Gabby, and the thousands of others known only to God.
MY BODY IS MY CANVAS Fauram Patel
My body is my canvas I can cover it in the prettiest of blues The fiercest reds And the brightest of yellows I will adorn it in all the beauty in the world And I will cover it in all the darkness that exists Because whether it feels nice Makes me feel confident Or even if it hurts And makes me want to cry At the end of the day My body is my canvas And I will be the only artist who can paint it And I will paint it as I please
I AM WOMAN I AM TREE By Morgan Holman
As the seasons change, Watch as my skin begins to wither. Taste my blood, Isn't it bitter? A skeleton of was once “Beautiful” A damned creation. Confined to hibernation, Naked and bare, On display for you to see. Hold me tight, But all I can be, Is a feeble tree, Shivering and trembling with each blow. Yearning for the sweet relief of falling down below… Falling, Fallen, Fell. I am no more than the soil of Mother Earth’s cell.
As the seasons change, Notice as my petals reappear. Warm with color, Spring is near. Taste my nectar, Isn't it sweet? Firm grounding in my feet, I now sway with the wind, As I bathe in the sunlight, And dance with the moon. I am one with nature, Forever growing, With every season. Forever given, Another chance Every reason to Proudly say I am Woman. And you will too..Soon.
-Happy Women's History Month, for those struggling to find beauty in the process of healing and growing.
LIFE by Dora Hernandez
You’re beautiful and yet ugly Full of surprises and disappointments Most of the time you’re taken for granted While also very appreciated Some have it bad and others have it good No matter how you look at it everyone has you Some wish for better and others sometimes wish for none We love and hate you Even though you can be sweet and cruel I want to thank you for without I would not be here Thank you for the good and bad times
THE BEAST by Kristina Stanfill
Arguments causing animosity, this is where we ought not to be. As we stand divided, we are left vulnerable to the beasts. All because we can’t agree to disagree, and stand hand in hand in unity.
We are lost in madness by their decrees. Trapped in fear, and it’s spreading faster than the covid disease. And this is poetry to the liars and thieves, who thrive on hatred between us human beings. Implanting mental complexes such as the idea of superiority. This fuels the ego and affects the majority.
But we have a mind to think, a heart to love, and eyes to see, that you and me are but energy. One in the same. Regardless of race, last names, or ethnicities. Pride here is the enemy. Keeping us from standing united and truly free.
SEASONAL BLISS by Hannah Gore
Sometimes I ponder the pear tree blossoms of spring And the lichens of late winter And the honeysuckle of early summer And how they come and go They ask for the permission of no one But they grace the presence of us all Before fading listlessly
ON TRAGEDY by Hannah Gore
Russet red lips Cherry blossom cheeks The streets stained red Red stained Mugunghwa May The universities weep How much more can the divided divide? City after city after city Bleak, red, black rain of fire Largely forgotten But how could it be heroic? Hazy hues of smoke in a yellow sky Those houses meant for safety Turned into soot-filled havens For crescendos of explosions And the people ran, and fell But what was it for? Dreams of golden sunflowers Under a blue sky The world watches The people wait Some below, some above Some behind, some never to come And they ask, What is the cost of wanting to be free?
PURGE by Emma Franklin
Late at night she called out to me an offer I couldn’t accept of shallowness, vapidity, a sudden urge to feel empty but I ignored it, so I slept.
The feeling comes and goes, it seems, while always just behind my back a vatic force within my dreams becoming real as moonlight gleams, when I’m vulnerable to attack.
When I am weakest, she is strong, spewing bile that I’m loath to hear I hadn’t heard her in so long, I’d finally thought the voice was gone I should have known she’d reappear.
No happy ending to be found I never will be truly free of that self-criticizing sound growing louder with every pound: the violent need to be empty.
LET THE RAIN FALL by Ariel Ellison Rain drips down my forehead The sun is all but gone, keep going strong Let the rain fall
Clouds produce their thunder Like the storms within my soul, but I must go on Let the rain fall
Yesterday’s shine is but a memory Water soaks me to my bones, but still I trudge on Let the rain fall
Drizzles graduate to pouring Sights can’t be seen at all, but come on Let the rain fall
Lightening illuminates the sky The wind howls its mournful song, yet still move on Let the rain fall
Rain drips down my forehead The sun is all but gone, but life goes on Let the rain fall
BITTERSWEET SUGAR by Heidi Crutchfield As honey drips from my limbs all I can think is is this it? Nothing more than basking in my shame. As merely a woman, how am I to blame? Down the sugary syrup flows First from my eyes to my nose. You spread your sticky words across my fingers and elbows. It's hard to see when sugar coats your eyes. Makes you believe in beautiful lies. Your syrup drips down my sides. Warm and slow I just want to go. Dip, drip, and I slip Into a bath of gold. But nobody listens to what I've told. I never asked to be submerged. I never asked to be touched at all. But as a woman, it's my fault. Sugar is sweet but this feeling is not. Honey is warm but my body is not. As the tub drains, I am still stuck. Alone and out of luck. I try as I might but your honey won't wash away. And your touch will always stay. I never asked to reek of nectar. So why am I treated like I did? Has your honey dripped into their ears? Silencing any suspicion before it appears? I sit here covered in a burning dew Knowing that I have forever been touched by you.
NOCTURNE (야상곡) by Hannah Gore
Originally Written in Korean & translation in English
Korean (Hangul) Translation:
차라리 백일 동일 달빛 속을 걷고 싶어. 지친 몸에 흐르는 별빛 과 함께 잠들고 싶어. 부드럽고 천천히 달콤하게 흐르길 원해. 밤 의 공기는 내 불안한 영혼을 사냥한다.
I'd rather walk in the same moonlight for a hundred days. I want to fall asleep with the starlight flowing through my weary body. I want it to flow softly and slowly and sweetly. The night air hunts my restless soul.