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Post by beth on Feb 22, 2014 20:16:10 GMT -5
Carry on.
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ladylinda
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Post by ladylinda on Apr 4, 2014 9:35:10 GMT -5
Another poem I wrote in Romani but not for a contest this time. It's a humorous exchange between two sisters, one of whom is about to get married.
Dui pheni rocka
Tiri shaia, tiri kis mange komi lovo
avra, tacho, ne kis kish andral mandi's posoti
Za andro foros mishto? Me drabarav, tu gilabav
kak, bisko miri rummerin wafr warfedo miri's yog, kana mande si miri sonnakaj darro, kek ruppeny shon, i miri zhamutro hum tato cam i mande joovi, mande rovvel, ne komi ruv, baxtalo ne bokh, me kam, me bareav, me dav pakiv, bisko mande dai - mande mislinel kana day booti, booti, akai, varekai!
Two sisters speak
my sister, your purse wants more money
yes, true, there's no silk purse inside my skirt pouch
do you want to go to town? I can tell fortunes, you can sing
no, until my wedding another low fire for me, when I get my golden dowry, not silver like the moon, and my bridegroom will be hot with love and I a woman, I a wife, no tears, happiness not hunger, I love, I honour, I obey, until I'm a mother - I think when I'm a Mum work, work, here there and everywhere!
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Post by ladylinda on Apr 30, 2014 10:40:29 GMT -5
Probably more of a song than a poem - I wrote it after listening to a lot of soul music.
Moving on, moving up
You stand in judgement on me, say The pain I feel Is all unreal, I’ve got no right To struggle and fight, Life’s good for you. I say:
Moving on, moving up the hill, They think we’ll still Take the scraps they throw our way And say, thank you; that’s okay
We have to learn how to adapt, you say, Give up our values, live a different style, Greet the ray baro and glox with a friendly smile, Make out like everything is fine and dandy, Take the white pill coated with sugar candy, Forget we’re trapped. I say:
Moving on, moving up the hill, They think we’ll still Take the scraps they throw our way And say, thank you; that’s okay
We’ve got to stop our longing to be free, Our fight for justice, being treated right, Shove our proud language into endless night Or history books, where scholars study us Like some dead freakshow seen from a passing bus, Assimilate, disintegrate. Instead, for me:
Moving on, moving up the hill, They think we’ll still Take the scraps they throw our way And say, thank you; that’s okay
It’s not so easy when you walk that road, Lined with sharp stones, Lashed by the wind and rain, our weary bones Keep trudging up the hill, Knowing in time we will Get to the mountain top and shed our load
Moving on, moving up the hill, They think we’ll still Take the scraps they throw our way And say, thank you; that’s okay
We’ve got to keep on pushing through, Got to cast our weary cares aside, Stand tall and walk with pride In spite of all the world can throw our way We’ll struggle on and say Our path is true
Moving on, moving up the hill, They think we’ll still Take the scraps they throw our way And say, thank you; that’s okay
Brothers, sister, we’ll be winners When we climb that hill And drink our fill Of the pure free air That fills us everywhere Every one of us a winner
Moving on, moving up the hill, They think we’ll still Take the scraps they throw our way And say, thank you; that’s okay
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Post by ladylinda on Apr 30, 2014 10:41:12 GMT -5
Darkness descending
Easing itself away from rooftop and mountain the branches of trees drift into shadow
the cool water in the stream so recently touched by sunlight fades to an opaque pool
as the dark expands definition is lost, the shadows echoing over our living world no longer visible
the flowers close up and the wind stills
all vanishes into the dark shroud with its sinister calm
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Post by ladylinda on Apr 30, 2014 10:41:30 GMT -5
Hope deferred:
Now is the heart grown cold, Precious but icy as yellow gold, The fire within all turned to embers And the year become everlasting Decembers.
Watching the stars that shine, All diamonds forged from a cosmic mine, So cold and dead above, Utterly lacking in love
Standing in silent glades, Beneath the moonlight shades, Hearing the still pursuit Of hidden fruit
Oh, as the nightingale calls, Even in this place where darkness falls Heavy as concrete clatters Her song still matters
Evidence of music that thrills Even among these stagnant chills, A melody louder than dynamite Puts iron winter’s tyranny to flight
Oh, in that spark of song Freedom and love belong, And when the world wakes into joy The music of that bird will never cloy
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Post by ladylinda on Apr 30, 2014 10:44:34 GMT -5
The Face in the Mirror
when I look in my mirror what is it that I see in my reflection? I know the glass distorts, and the image of myself I catch is nothing real. We’re all illusions, wraiths floating in an imagined world constructed out of sense data, just simulacra that we, seeking an order out of the chaos of the whirlings of sub-atomic particles, name ourselves as homunculi, as homo sapiens
how sapient my thoughts are at this moment is dubious, contingent at best on the mood I’m in, which right now is growing dissatisfied with analysis, wanting firm certainties to grasp
so back to the beginning: gazing into the mirror I see long black hair, brown eyes, a small nose and thin lips, a face I do not love yet which is mine, a tawny-skinned complexion, still nicely smooth
so I step back from the mirror, ask myself what it was I saw. I saw me, or at least an image of me
and if you in turn look into the mirror what will you see? white man, white woman. black man, black woman, or will you, like me, see only an image of yourself?
and what’s for sure is if you look into that mirror you won’t see me
now I’ve stepped away, into the broad daylight: what do you see?
do you see a dark-skinned, tall, rather chubby woman, a dangerous thieving gypsy, or do you see me?
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Post by ladylinda on May 1, 2014 15:03:48 GMT -5
The Gypsy Girl’s Song
Alone in the forests I dream, And as I sing my song in the dark woods The leaves and branches of the trees Rustle in answer
The house in which I stayed was welcoming, The shiny windows gleamed at me in friendship, The door opened eagerly at my entrance, The table was set with food and drink And the hosts greeted me warmly. Even the son of the house Kissed me and offered me gifts. But when he asked me to stay I sang this song::
Alone in the forests I dream, And as I sing my song in the dark woods The leaves and branches of the trees Rustle in answer
A gypsy girl am I, loving the long roads Stretching out into infinity, The mountains, valleys, woods and streams, And walking in freedom, the fresh air Moistening my cheeks, kissing the curls of my hair And calling me ever onwards, forwards, To who knows where, knowing only The endless call of the road and the faraway places In which each sunrise brings us a new story
Alone in the forests I dream, And as I sing my song in the dark woods The leaves and branches of the trees Rustle in answer
When the sun lifts its head above the cloak of night And the first rays strike the cold dark earth That has been my bed I sense the wanderlust within me stir, Hear the call of the road’s harsh music And my heart dances, Wild with the passion of freedom, Scouring the world around me For another vision to remember at night
Alone in the forests I dream, And as I sing my song in the dark woods The leaves and branches of the trees Rustle in answer
The shade of a rinkeny boy drifts into my dreams As I lie peaceful in the forest on a bed of bracken, Each night he comes to me and kisses me And asks me if I love him. He wears a bright-coloured diklo, And a churi stashed in his belt. Ah, the glint of his eyes That flash like a yog And the peach of his ardent lips!
Alone in the forests I dream, And as I sing my song in the dark woods The leaves and branches of the trees Rustle in answer
For him I have given up My necklace of sonnakai, My bracelet of ruppeny, My ring that sparkles like cheiz. Kasko san? So he pooches me, And I answer him so, Mande tiri’s, ale Kathal, miri dom; Me cam tu!
Alone in the forests I dream, And as I sing my song in the dark woods The leaves and branches of the trees Rustle in answer
[Used a few Romanes words in this poem; here’s the translation. ‘Rinkeny’ means pretty or handsome; ‘diklo’ is the neckerchief the Roma often wear; ‘churi’ means knife; ‘yog’ is fire; ‘sonnakai’ is gold; ‘ruppeny’ silver; ‘cheiz’ means stars; ‘kasko san?’ means ‘whose are you?’; ‘pooch’ is to ask; ‘mande tiri’s, ale kathal, miri dom’ means ‘I’m yours, but go gently, my lord.’ ‘Me cam tu’ means ‘I love you’]
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Post by beth on May 1, 2014 16:28:14 GMT -5
Lin, there used to be a local BBS here (late 90s) that had a Filk (scifi/fantasy folk songs) section. One I enjoyed and remember slightly was called Mistress of Wandering Highways and started out "I am the mistress of wandering highways. Mine is the keep of the wind and the rain. As my feet travel, I wander the byways. Kiss me but softly, I shall not remain.".
I'm pretty sure it was inspired by the Anne McCaffrey, Harpers of Pern, books. Your poem reminded me a little of that and gave me a smile. Unfortunately, it must not have made it to the WWW. Either that or I don't know what to google to find it.
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Post by ladylinda on May 2, 2014 14:27:15 GMT -5
Ah, I did read a couple of Anne McCaffrey's 'Pern' books but a few years ago now.
I'll see if I can track down the 'Mistress of Wandering Highways' which I don't know.
If anything lately I've been revisiting some old Romani folk songs and being inspired by them!
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Post by ladylinda on May 2, 2014 14:29:36 GMT -5
The Fountain of Tears
The sun is shining; put aside your sobbing, All who pass by this place Never return, drawn to a distant land Always out of reach.
Out of the fountain of tears I saw myself reflected, but that was not all that gushed out as I gazed upon the explosion of living water.
The sun is shining; put aside your sobbing, All who pass by this place Never return, drawn to a distant land Always out of reach.
I came to bathe my face, and drink from the water leaping out of the fountain, to quench my thirst, yet could not drink.
The sun is shining; put aside your sobbing, All who pass by this place Never return, drawn to a distant land Always out of reach.
As I bent down the waters of the fountains brimmed over, the taste salt tears that were bitter in my mouth.
The sun is shining; put aside your sobbing, All who pass by this place Never return, drawn to a distant land Always out of reach.
I trembled in fear, seeing those tears form first into icicles, and then, more dimly, the shape of a young girl’s face.
The sun is shining; put aside your sobbing, All who pass by this place Never return, drawn to a distant land Always out of reach.
All the water flowing from the fountain was nothing but cascading tears, leaving her eyes. In fear I gasped and yet at her command drank up her tears and drained them dry.
The sun is shining; put aside your sobbing, All who pass by this place Never return, drawn to a distant land Always out of reach.
I felt the chill wind sweep across the earth, the scent of honeysuckle filled my breath and my mouth briny as the endless sea blossomed to sour cherries, and I kissed the mirage of the girl, and blessed her soul.
The sun is shining; put aside your sobbing, All who pass by this place Never return, drawn to a distant land Always out of reach.
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Post by ladylinda on May 24, 2014 15:42:14 GMT -5
Here's my most recent (and in many ways most personal) poem. I use myself as a symbol for the Roma people and their journey through slavery, transportation, genocide and deliverance.
It's written in Romanes but of course I've given the English translation at the end of each stanza.
Mande Roma (I am Roma)
1)
Andral i opre mandi’s muj cato i chuti andral i c'uc'i gelo cana cato miri mish miri bul tu djan mandi’s jekh borri chey!
[From the top of my head to the milk in my breasts all gone now, from my pussy my bum you know I’m one big woman!]
2)
Baro trupos, baro sherro, baro muj, borri ozi!
[Big body, big head, big mouth, big heart!]
3)
Ale mande rig in zi kana me delled panshlo drassium miri pharo kairipen kana cato miri camlo ming wel miri tawnie yek apopli cato o bul amaro poov wel o ray baro wel o bitcherin mushi amaro folki shan cannelo mas lenke lenke amaro chior shin chiklo lubbeni ne koskipen wendror lende dovor bonnek chukni vast simen vaneshu lenke
[but I remember when I gave birth my hard labour out of my loving cunt came my little one then out of the arse of our earth come the big bosses come the judges our people are stinking meat to them to them our girls are dirty whores no goodness inside them they hold the whip hand we are nothing to them]
4)
akai wafodu tan lensar chungale mannochendar kaj asarlas sicker kostipen yekkoro i sollibari werrigi i chokini bute butsi
[this is an evil place with evil men where no one shows kindness, only the bridle chains the whip much work]
5)
kek-kushti sas mande pooch amaro dickimengro kerava boona leste ker yek dosch a si mande’s muj rockra chiti mi amaro divvuskoe morro eskey shom te buti miri kinyo bul cana charma i cocal
[no good if I ask our overseer to do good; he only harms us, and so my mouth says nothing. For our daily bread I must work, my weary arse now skin and bone]
6)
dikiomis inna amaro baro them cana si dur avree ili ha i jinnepen dick i bajo av mandi’s jass kulath miri kumpania i me ka gilavgjum sine kana me kulath lenke i yoi miri odjus chey cana monchimo desrobireja chai
[if I had seen in our big land so far away now, or had the wisdom to see the trouble to come I’d run away, find my Romani families, and I would have sung when I found them; and she, my beautiful daughter, now enslaved, a free girl
7)
ali me nicobar paurdál i pawni bitcheno wafr tem
[but I was taken away across the sea, sent to another country
8)
chi hacharav soski; miri glas cana yekkoro gilabav brigaki djilia
[I don’t understand why; my voice now only sings sad songs]
9)
bangjaràv o guero: savo lescro chiv leste maklo-matilo vasti miri bark oprey-lou miri ming oprey-lou a lel i bestipen i mestipen ja mander cana leste kar adrey lis miri ming kerdo luripen
[I accuse the jailer; who has put his drunken hands on my tits, on my cunt, and he takes the treasure, the life goes from me when his prick inside my cunt committed robbery
10)
cana mande prastlo miri tropus ratválo mande shom te praster ale astis ne mangue Na azba mande khote! me rockered ; ale yo sicker me ne kostipen: gelo miri romipen, marime, yekkoro miri lubbipen
[now I am dishonoured, my body bleeding; I need to run but I can’t. Don’t touch me there! I said, but he showed me no mercy; goodbye, my gypsyhood: now I am dirty, just a whore.
11)
miri bark se baraskey ale miri chaia-eskey shom te buti, miri ming si leste cana
[my breasts turned to stone. but for the sake of my child I must work, my cunt is his now.] 12)
amaro rat kaulo, ale men si delled lolli heris, men jib
[our blood is black, but we are called redlegs, we survive
13)
atraish, aladge, mi g' e-g Duvvel, fordel: kekomi
[afraid, ashamed, I beg God, forgive me: no more
13)
Yo lel shunaben, miri desrobireja, miri welling pali
[He heard my prayer, and set me free, my transportation over]
14)
wafur tem, wafur besh, cana mande desrobirejed, jaul i drom bucca ando wesh, miri bushalo dosch cana gudlo, cana sadullos, miri ozi gilabav ando baxt, me cam kil, rocka i chik kisi kushti si for mangue
[Another country, another time, now I am free, can walk the road, live in the woods, my sour pain now turned to sweetness, now I am safe, my heart sings in joy, I want to , to tell the whole world how happy I am 15)
andral miri tugnipen apopli baxt, cavo tem dovo bicked mande adrey monchimo cana desrobireja me!
[from my sadness joy again, this country, that sold me into slavery, now sets me free!]
16)
andral bengako tan, adrey i vesh, i lungo drom, savo cana me jaul lasar, miri bitti rinkeni chai, kettaney apopli, ker apopli, kosko bokht apopli
[out of hell, into the woods, the long road, now travelling with me, my beautiful little girl, together again, home again, happy again] 17)
cato soro tem aprey amaro poov, natsiya savo vitsa, prala a shaia, bovalo, choredo, dur, nashado andrali miri yakkor, ale kak varebesh andrali miri camlo ozi. akai sava cana me rocka tooti, cato miri mestipen, cato miri dosch, cato i dosch miri folki, cato i dosch i chollo folki coin jib aprey amaro poov, me rocka-avava tooti cana
[to every country upon this earth of ours, nations and tribes, brothers and sisters, rich, poor, far away, lost to my eyes but never from my loving heart, here and now I speak to you, out of my life, out of my pain, out of the pain of my people, out of the pain of all the people who live on our earth, I will speak to you now
18)
Dick, mande klism-hev andar savo astis dick jinnipen is tu yekkoro dikk
[see, I am a keyhole through which it is possible to see wisdom if you only look
19)
mande mer andral i pawni mer andral ‘drey miri manoush i sore lengue tugnipen; rigguring, sikkering miri doschipen, sar barearav-engri
[I am drowning in the middle of my people and all their sorrows, bearing, showing my wounds like scars of honour
20)
šun miri djilia šun mande lavi jinnipen, muk miri rat chalav ti, rig kettaney soro miri aswinos, miri poggerdi ozi, adrey tiri ozior, a kair miri dosch, kair i tugnipen miri manoush, tiri dosch, tiri tugnipen, asa
[hear my songs, hear my words of wisdom, let my pain touch you, bring together all my tears, my breaking heart, into your hearts, and make my pain, make the sorrow of my people your pain, your sorrow, too 21)
ale men jib, jibbing sim pureno folki, ale amaro choripen kerred men odoi chiros cana men chored ili lóovernied a apopli i bistering mush rockered men shom te bitcheno pawdel, bítchado pardál, bitchady pawdel i pawnee cato bitcheno padlengreskey tem, temenge tem, kai men jin ne gueror,
[but we survive, living the old ways of our people, but our poverty meant there were times when we stole or whored, and the magistrate said we must be deported, transported, sent across the sea to Botany Bay, a foreign land, where we knew no one
22)
men dikked bero-rukiskie plakta rig men cato amaro nevi tem
[we watched the ship’s sail bring us to our new land
23)
lensar yakkers dikked tuley oprey amaro nevi poov, a lender aswinos velled
[our eyes looked down on the earth of our new land, and out of them tears flowed
24)
lengue tem sa tatto sim tattra-mengri, tatto sim bov, bute tawnie brichindin
[their land is hot as a frying pan, hot as an oven, very little rain
25)
palal dui trins ta yeck, lungo beshor, amaro welling pali. Lensar bute baxt men jauled amaro tem apopli
[after seven years, long years, our return from transportation. With much joy we walked our native land again 26)
wafodu tem, wafodu besh, wafoduder denne dovor men jin coin angle. Ne Naziran, amaro folki; mukhenpe te khan la lumia dovo amoro moarte
[an evil land, an evil time, more evil than those we’d known before. No friend to Nazis, our people; if they conquer the world it means our death.
27)
cavo i booti amaro doshman-or: te nash men sar bavolos grommening, dovo sar del-engros kele a paurdál men, a anglo lengue kistur o stor kistri-mengros i fund beshos , lengue del yekkoro muleni-mukhtaror a múlladipóovor
[this is the work of the enemies of our people: they destroy us, like winds thundering, that like kicking horses ride along and across us, and before them ride the four horsemen of the apocalypse, their only gifts coffins and cemeteries
22)
i kachardin aruninvahros, i mulengi djilia, àba bercinaving apopli padlo i poov: mor rakker sä drován; soro drom sa cana pherdo moarte
[the sad cries the dirges, already echoing across the earth: don’t talk so loudly; every road is now full of death
23)
i tugnipen kairing hekta padlo chumba, veshor a tem, toving i bareskey poov lensar bute rat; cana kak comorrus te fake dosta mulleno-hevor, kak cosht te fake si bute mulenit-mukhtaror
[the sorrow making haste across hill, forest and valley, washing the stony ground with much blood; now there is no room to dig enough graves, no wood to make so many coffins
24)
astis lengue sa amaro folki mor-avava; te rocka o Roma shan mokardi manoush, yekkoro beano mirava
[it’s possible all of our people will die; they say us gypsies are dirty people, only born to die
25)
Ausvicate men shan bikunyie, pandlo, ali ne sim i pandipenor men jin angle. Kak pandipen akai: cavocoi men jib innar akademíya moarte bisko men kulath ako men ruv i moarte amaro aswinos shan kek lende; men yekkoro beano moarte
[In Auschwitz we are undone, imprisoned, but not like the prisons we’ve known before. This is no prison: here we live in an academy of death until we learn even if we weep our tears are nothing to them; we are only born to die
26)
amaro cocalor amaro mas, amaro bala, i tuti amaro mushior’s c'uc'i, sore dovo fashono men mushi, gelo, rumindelgjol, gilo
[our bones, our flesh, our hair, the milk of our women’s breasts all that made us human, gone, destroyed, departed.
27)
astis ne vaneshu mestipeneskey akai; i summa moarte i drab drey i bavol, sim amaro rat a cocalor drab drey i poov
[it isn’t possible for life to continue here; the stench of death poisons the air, just as our blood and bones poison the earth
28)
Ausvicate, nav lashav, ‘booti fashono slobuzenja’ i lavior chinned oprey cavo ken’s moarte
[Auschwitz, name of shame, ‘work makes you free,’ the words written above this house of death
29)
men coin barjoled innar slobuzenja’s zuhno bavol, i zuhno poov tuley amaro piri sa pherdo jivipen, amaro glasor hasandor; cana adînkonès agorimáste, gelo, Ái, Dévla!
[we who grew in the pure air of freedom, the pure earth beneath our feet so full of life, our voices laughing; now deeply ended, gone, Oh God!
30)
amaro jivipen cana sutho amboldyas, yekkoro brigaki djilia andar amaro glassor cana
[our lives now forever changed, only sad songs come out of our voices now
31)
collico chik a summa, sungella dovo men avéltar vi jiving cato dovo moarte ken, i moarte-yogos, i drabbened poov, ale akai men sa
[tomorrow’s dirt and stench, it stinks that we even came out alive from that house of death, the death-fires, the poisoned earth, yet here we are
32)
astis asarlas artapen, dou i vastor amaro folki innar kámmoben, ki shala soski dhon wafodu-pen hin fashono ke to dovo besh; ne sebepi bengesko niamso, ale Alemanyáko lensar zi rumindelgiol andar bengalo hokkanor
[it is impossible ever for forgiveness, to give the hand of our people in friendship, to understand why so much evil was done at that time; not because of cursed Germans, but Germans with minds destroyed through devilish lies
33)
ale jivaben kele, amaro bokh jiv cana amaro lavior, amaro gillia, hum yekkoro deramor drey narkedpen, camlo, ne chingaripen, amaro drom o nevi jivapen. Apasavello collico ferreder denne callico
[but life continues, it was our luck to live, now our words, our songs, will only be lights in darkness, love, not warfare, our path to new life. I believe and hope tomorrow will be better than today
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Post by ladylinda on May 31, 2014 7:22:29 GMT -5
Here are two poems I wrote as tributes to Maya Angelou on her recent passing.
This is the first:
A Caged Bird Singing: For Maya Angelou
out of your cage of illusion you parted deceitful clouds with your golden voice
you sang the freedom of angels through the darkness of sky's bitter hate, a star of hope to guide the suffering souls across the mountain to the promised land
the strings of your harp were broken, yet with your voice alone you soared above the earth with fierce pride and angry joy
the music of your song made the world turn, embrace you, one of its own at last, singing your free songs
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Post by ladylinda on May 31, 2014 7:23:03 GMT -5
This is the second of my tribute poems for Maya Angelou.
America's Queen of Hearts:
I wrap my arms around you, princess of America, queen of American hearts, the warmth of you, hot blood like mine, black blood like mine, sugar of love oozing from every pore and turning the dark prison of hatred into blinding sunrise of liberation
O, my sister in soul, each of us knowing contempt and rejection simply because of our race, my arms hug you with the powerful electricity of love that's always stronger than the hatred of those who'd destroy us
all woman, your curves are the mountains of the world from which, as of old on Sinai, God raised the cry: let my people go
down from the mountains they came, faces glowing with pride instead of shame, busloads of freedom riders daring to challenge the hurricane of hate and standing serene in the eye of the tornado like a mighty Amazon, your lightning of truth swept through the miasma of hatred, knowing as all oppressed people do that 'we shall overcome'
now, even in your passing, your black sun is not eclipsed but rises above the earth in an eternal dawn of freedom singing
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Post by ladylinda on Jun 7, 2014 12:16:46 GMT -5
My most recent poem:
The loving came easy Linda Marshall
i
to you it was always the same.
loving came easy to you;
charm oozed from you like honey,
curly brown locks rustling in the wind
but never out of place
ii
to me it was different.
love came hard to me:
the core of ice within my heart
that the pain of a murdered love
etched inside me like an acid bath
iii
my iceberg remained rooted in its grief.
even when the seas around me warmed
there was no thaw within,
no gradual receding of the ice,
and my heart's striation grooved for ever
iv
my sun was always Arctic.
then somehow a few faint rays
pierced and slowly melted
my frozen floe.
so I awoke from frost to find
even the joy of love
seared me with an angry fire.
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ladylinda
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Poetry Editor
July 2011 Member of the Month, May 2014 Member of the Month
Posts: 4,901
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Post by ladylinda on Jun 20, 2014 15:58:56 GMT -5
Echo: For Linda
once your heart lay shattered, fragmented inside a cage
your wings clipped, forever as they thought but the power of imaginatin always eluded them
love's hammer broke their wall, gathered up again the pieces of your shattered self and blew on them to warm them into life
sewing a delicate thread an interlocking tapestry of hearts conjoined, separated only by the distance of years and space
we danced our aerial ballet of mutual delight
now you have gone from me I shout your name aloud into the mountains, hear their resounding echo chanting it back at me
I know for you the sea was always home, and, like a beached whale, you were lost on land
I would be the porpoise upon whose back, like Arion, you stride the ocean, mighty as Neptune
in the perfect stasis of my charred earth and your drowned Atlantis we achieve balance
(This is a poem NOT about myself but a dear friend called Linda who's disappeared over the last couple of months and, to be honest, I'm worried about her. If she can read this (I know she followed me about on internet sites for the last three years or so) know, dear Linda, I mean what I say and say what I mean, always.
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