HALL OF SOULS

Andres Isidro

And now I lay, I lay down to rest.

I can only be eternally grateful

for this gift bestowed unto me.

I shall leave my vessel and traverse

the Great Hall, familiar faces are

all that I see, along with the profound

light at the end. These faces belong to

my beloveds, family, and friends.

Faces I have not seen for an age.

Day of the Dead

         by Jameel Heath

Autumn falling to the ground,

season of sorcery, what's that sound?

I see a portal over there,

can't escape from Hecate's stare,

crossroad candle burning bright,

all but I must just beware,

archer walks through the boneyard with head held high,

cause the future lies up in the sky,

into the desert so my I can dry,

then into the fourth doth mankind fly,

around and around and around,

that's the way time moves I've found,

only for a moment to this matter we're bound,

for many moments my soul has danced atop this mound,

look through the veil on this feast of death,

and imbibe the incense of inspiration's breath.

I BAKED A CAKE

Alison Marie Findler

A room without a door.

I got in...but I can't get out anymore.

A broom swept across a dirty floor,

until I don't care if there's dirt there anymore.

I don't care.

What rhymes with crapped?

TRAPPED.

Sorry, everybody clapped BEFORE this b-movie ended.

Take a bow, and stand there, all alone

with yer new cell phone,

on stage...

you and your old...old age.

I didn't, REALLY, bake you a cake.

Face It

Free your lips

From the daily etiquettes

And the charm of ancient veils

Do not run away

No one runs after drawing one's fate

Did you ever see

The sea running away from its tides

And hiding behind the shores

Take off your veil

And your rings

And the Indian henna

You may not need them

Love journey is like

Crossing the ocean

With a rebellion young boat

And with a little water

Show your feeling face

No need for hate

Hung it against the wall

Like a Victorian painting

Or an African lion scull

Convert your hate

Into a roman wine

Or a Chinese ink

To use later to write a future language

Plan for new fates

Life is hold between your hungry lips

And your tattooed eyebrow

BLUEBEARD'S WOMAN

by ROBERT DAVIDSON

Bluebeard's Woman. Don't open that door.

Don't open that door, your husband said, whatever you do.

Bluebeard's Woman. Don't ever ask - that key no more.

Don't be tempted to have your own way - or forever you'll rue.

Bluebeard's Woman. Don't open that door.

Because you never know what horrors you'll find inside.

Bluebeard's Woman. Don't ever ask - that key no more.

Such ghastly deeds - before you became his sweet seventh bride.

Bluebeard's Woman. Don't open that door.

Temptation is the way he plays his wicked little game.

Bluebeard's Woman. Don't ever ask - that key no more.

Disobey him? Rebel? If you do you'll never be the same.

Bluebeard's Woman. Don't open that door.

Don't open that door, we beg of you, whatever you do.

Bluebeard's Woman. Don't ever ask - that key no more.

Your brothers won't ever get here in time to save you.

Bluebeard's Woman? She opened that door!

'Cause woman today won't obey - nor let no man deceive her.

Bluebeard's Woman. Found all the bones that covered the floor.

Six former wives. Cut up in neat pieces with a meat cleaver.

Bluebeard's Woman. She opened that door.

Now her husband's coming home to kill her as we feared.

Bluebeard's Woman. She had such courage at her core.

She wrestled for his knife, kicked his balls, then sliced off his beard.

The World Needs Me

It doesn't matter who you are

without you the world can't be

even the biggest puzzle missing a piece

will always be incomplete

every person holds inside them

a reason for this life

anyone can alter history

through the power of the heart and mind

Never bring yourself to think

the world will make it without you

a strong heart of a common man is better

than all the money a rich man threw

we can't all be similar

when there are so many roads to take

I let my heart be the compass

because it doesn't make mistakes

this world needs everyone to function

it is the lesson to follow and learn

now I am standing here proudly

respecting everything I earn

 

Bloody Rose

I’d love to take a pure white rose

And dip it into a pool of my own blood

Making a new kind of rose

My bloody rose.

Off the thorns of my rose

Drips my blood

Into my hand

Onto the floor.

While I shed these bloody tears

They flow down my neck and shirt

These stains will never come out

Nor do I want them to

They’ll stay there as a warning

I’m as fragile as my bloody rose.

No More Lies

Peace through war cannot be achieved

But only lead to more until everyone bleeds

And leaves the earth scorched, scarred and scorned

Marred by cities torched, turned and torn

 

Fires filled with raw power devour with an endless appetite

People will have to fight their own kin just to last the night

Choking on the smoke in the air

Prayers go unheard through the moans of despair

 

The conquerors can never truly be victorious

Although the constant battle will be deemed as glorious

While soldiers die trying to kill soldiers that want to live

And world leaders tell the public that’s just the way it is.

-0-

     

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B.sankar
       

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Kesi 

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Mothra keeps under the cherry blossom tree

As I am out searching

trying to find the why

Like a book with blank pages

of no intent of being filled.

Bar fights with out the drunkards,

what’s the use.

Like ceremonial tea parties

but Teddy has gone aloof.

Orion's home lies among the stars

Brother star and Sister star

I am not

I am a meteor shower

separated by the atmosphere

until there’s nothing left

Of

me.

Here and Now

When the dawn dims and the embers glow

take the bright moments of the day and

store them in your grandmother's cupboard

When the wind howls and the candle flickers

take the warm moments of the day and

rest them near your hearth

When the sky darkens

and the clouds drop rain

stoke the fire with the

sorrows of the day

Illusions 

Noiseless wrinkles

on our forehead

the frontiers of history,

shed oblique glances

at Homer’s verses.

Illusions

full of guilt

redeem

wounded whispers

that became echoes

in lighted caves

of the fools and the innocent.

Three Line Thoughts

by Bill Albright

1.

Sleeping, all dogs lie

As do all  politicians

pillowless

2.

Storms everywhere

fell the lowly sparrow

idols do topple

3.

Butterflies tease

kittens play at the game

prizeless

4.

One color, one hue

no need to order

true crows are black

5.

Adam, Eve, frogs

have no belly button

happy birthday

EVIL IN THE OCEAN

There is evil in the ocean

Birds that fly about

The sun was shinning brightly

And at night the light was out

Coral looks like candy

And the sandy beaches south

When the tide is rising slowly

You might catch a big ole Trout

Boats are frozen lazy

On the winter's icy snow

Underneath the surface

What lies there we don't know

At the dock we anchor mainly

To avoid a tidal wave

In the summer we go fishing

And may sink to an early grave

There is evil in the ocean

No troubles just bubbles here

Put some suntan lotion

On the backside of your ear...

THE  MYSTERIOUS  DARKNESS

BY  LIP  SAI  LIN

BEYOND  MANY  TINY  BULBS

THAT  ARE  HANGING  AND  SHINING

EXISTED  THE  MYSTERIOUS  DARKNESS  AND  SOLARS 

THAT  ARE  INVITING

AND  BEYOND  OUR  IMAGINATIONS

A STRAYED  THE  MANY  STORIES  OF

MISCHIEF  AND  MISHAPS

THAT  ARE  NEVER  TOLD

There once was a cat who played the fiddle, and a dog who sang a little, and a mouse who played the drums, and a louse who was never glum.

The cat, and dog, and mouse, played at the louse's house, the louse thought they were grand and showed them a newt named Rand.

That newt could play the flute and they thought he was grand. So they hired that newt named Rand, now he's a part of the band.

Brad age 12

WHY
ingrid cooper

have you ever wondered..or perhaps maybe not

why a zebra has it`s stripes and a leopard has it`s spots

or why the grass is coloured green..and the sky above is blue

why does it have to be that way...isn`t there a clue?

and where did man evolve from..where`s proof he was created

and if we were all born from one...why aren`t we all related

or why do clouds appear some days..up in the sky so blue

and on other days where do they go..have you thought that too?

and why does it have to rain so much..it washes townships out

and why does it rain in cities..when the countryside`s in drought

and why does a week have seven days...why not eight or nine

who says it has to be this way..with day and date and time

and why do some things walk thew earth..while others are given flight

and who determines for us all..what`s wrong and what is right

so why are we all so goverened in all the things we do

I`ve often sat and wondered why.....haven't you ?

My Test

Now I lay me down to rest, a pile a books

upon my chest if  I shall die before I wake

That's one less test I'll have to take

yankee pillhead

    hey  hey  hey  pillhead  could you tell how  have  you  been  doin?

    I  remember  our  nice  feeling  yet  equally  uninteresting times 

     we had  earlier in our lives.  That's right it's alright on over

      and cross the street.  Something causes me to recall when you

       would  talk with me of our being wed. My beauty of  my life

        I have not a doubt you'd make a very fine wife.

         The pillhead you needs strongly to go into REHAB.

    It could not possibly workout any other way.

     So dearest say to me your fully , truly going to begin

       to start it and complete it. This'll make you renewed.

       Now , now no longer will there be so much        of

      the crud, stupidly unhealthy actions, molding out and strife

      that so smothering accompanied our shared past life.

KALYE 28

( 28TH STREET)

The enigma of life begins

With the sound of melody

While quenching one's thirst

By the bottles of beer

And satisfying one's hunger

On the mouthful of graces,

Laughter and tears rejuvenates

Success and failures meet,

But life goes on, in the world

Of enjoyment and satisfaction.

I was walking down the street

And i could feel the summer heat

So I decided to take a seat

Suddenly a bomb fell on my feat

My body was about to be blown into thousands of pieces of meat

I could feel my heart beat

I decided to stay upbeat

And resist defeat

Free Citizen

              

I am a Free Citizen,

But my hands are cuffed, legs chained

The World is my Home and States the rooms

But the great walls departs one from the other

I am a Free Citizen

Can Think and talk anything that I wish

But my brain is smashed and tongue removed

The Sky is my canvas and mountains the painting brush

But the black cloudscapes obscured its surface

I am a Free Citizen

Lean on my broken chair pondering of a golden dusk

And, as usual, I heard the lamentation of the lancers

And the screaming of the Crowns

And, as usual, I smelt the odor of warm blood

And the fluttering of Vultures

I am a Free Citizen

Lying in my dark den musing of a golden dawn

And for a while, I heard the sound of falling leaves

And blooming flowers

And for a while I smelt the fragrance of melting dews

And virgin land

I am a Free Citizen of a peaceful State

Floating in the river of liberty

But my blood is frozen and soul is caged!

The Sweeper

Every morning the light comes late

And I am not even in bed.

My hands polluted with the city’s dirt

Makes me proud but hurts.

Many do not care, few stop and help

But everybody waits and walks away.

Corner by corner the light does not wait

She is just in front of me and then goes away.

Dark again I find my way

The city will wait for another day.

Through my tired body my mind rests

Makes me proud but hurts.

-0-     

CHOKING OUT

By Alison Findler

The way it feels when the high sets in,

it gets me into trouble...

double the amount of fear...

failure, is what we have here.

And a beer wont wash away the past,

everything's spinning way too fast.

Shut up, you ruin it when you talk.

Sinking? Let go of the rock.

You call it a street...

I call it a block...

A little, lost, sheep...away from the flock.

Chew, REAL GOOD, before you swallow.

What's Done is Done

By Afton Brooker

With every little step we take

We walk closer to our goals in life

Dealing with lies and hatred

It makes us that much stronger till we die.

Walking away may be easy,

Dealing with the pain is not

But if we stand together forever

It'll be worth the fight we fought.

But meanwhile, we've go to consider

The aspects of life we've overlooked.

Life is like a drug we take every day,

Without reading the warning, we may be hooked.

Every little bit of stress we're faced with

We take another dose to ease us

But some times we may think

"Wouldn't it just be easier, to jump in front of that bus?"

This is where all the bad thoughts begin

Thoughts that we would be better off dead.

This is when we think of more and more ways

To get those thoughts out of our head.

We start by thinking who we feel loved by

Soon realizing there is no one.

We have a desperate cry for help

But its too late, what's done is done.

So we turn and walk away,

With no one there to hear us cry,

To wipe away our tears.

We now know, that it's our time to die

Head hung low, not looking at anyone in the eyes

We go home, turn on the TV. and start a bath.

We choose our favorite scent and apply some bubbles

Now that we're here, we can't change our path.

We slowly undress

We get in the tub

We slit our wrists

And fall Asleep.

Now we're gone, to a better place

While we watch from above

We see the tears, the pain, the hurt

In the eyes of everyone we were loved by

But it's too late now

What's Done is Done.

My Mind
Sandy Peak 

                      How does one fight one's mind.

                      Curious as it unwinds.

                      I'm alone here.

                      Waiting to come back.

                      They say I am near.

                      But I fell far away.

                      Like a Hummingbird here and there.

                      I don't know if I can bear.

                      This silent then loud.

                      He is here now, I am back.

"CONTRAST"

To be a refugee

I have to come from somewhere

A satellite out of orbit

is just junk

Mind over matter

doesn't matter these days

There's no modest way

to worship you

Lost in a new freedom

Skeptical of happiness

You used to sleep in my bed

Now we share our past

I'm only moving in a place

without time

Now you seem to stroll the streets

holding some unknowingly man's hand

Passionately hiding

what I left

inside of you

I'm a visible ghost

on those same streets

Climbing them

in every direction

So members of world:

Don't party so carelessly

when I'm down

Don't broadcast the normal magic

Don't you run

in front of a paralyzed man

And neighbours:

Keep your orgasms quiet

Even if somebody got paid

Now your grass is sickingly greener

and your eyes are filled

with valuable presence

Wanting to be where you are..

You can afford tolerance

to life's little accidents

cause you got

each other

That Which Misery Bears

A storm creeps up behind her.

It’s surreptitious.

It’s cunning.

It lays a trap in which many fall.

She doesn’t see it coming

Until it’s too late.

Dark clouds swirl inside her mind.

They consume her

With seemingly loving limbs.

They embrace her and

She is strangely comforted by

Things that should not be comforting.

Those around her fear that

She is slipping farther and father

Into this vicious storm.

But she does not care

For it is too late.

Those loving limbs tighten;

They wind around her mind

Until they are inextricable.

She is trapped forever.

Now she can only feel

That which misery bears.

MORNING
Alina Grigoryan

I love this morning and the dew

so cold and fresh ,so crystal pure

The drops- the diamonds on the grass,

I'll touch the leaves, take some for us

these sparkling gemstones, two carats

Or maybe these are tears of moon which didn't want to leave

it also loves the morning's tune

these singing birds

and waving fields ,that 've just woke up after a dream

Or if this morning is a child, who starts his new short life

This wind - his breath, so free and wild,

And his first cry - tears on the grass

I'll go and meet this new born day

I'll greet him with the song

Through open fields it'll make it's way

Up to the sky and sun

My Neighborhood

      My neighborhood is a crazy hood,

            A hood misunderstood.

     Leaves losing their color of life,

       People killing each other with

               guns, and knifes,

    Crack heads looking for another hit,

      hoping that would be the stuff to,

               Paralyze their body,

             and zone out their mind,

          Wishing they were in heaven,

        and they were God's one of a kind,

        Old roads covered with new roads,

          Hiding the dirt and blood,

            That was once showed,

           Teen pregnancy on th rise,

             Aborting their babies,

               This is no surprise.

             People crying for help,

   Trying to escape this hood we call home,

              While singing a song,

            that would inspirer us to,

                Hope and Dream,

                Dream and Hope,

           of a life we wish we had,

              or should have had,

                    but,

               this is our home,

               this is our hood,

               this is our place,

  This is our history that could never be...

                   Erased

CHILLY NOVEMBER IN CAROLINA

Chilly November in Carolina

Leaves crucified on trees

Starbucks smelling café au lait

Gothic music on Live365

On Halloween catching demons

With your manly net

To have wild sex with

And never fall in love

Too fallen to fall anywhere else again

Fallen through the hollow earth

And landed in Chapel Hill

On Halloween

Chilly November in Carolina

Tongue-in-cheek south

Laughing coughing out chills

Having chilled out in Cat’s Cradle

You get out into the freeze

Half naked with a girl

For a one night stand

Or a one night lay or lie

Lies cheating pretentious weather

Sick leave sick leafs chilly

Zipping up

Making love on the backseat

With the heating on

Smelling your shrimps

And coke

Tasting your saliva

You my little Halloween demon

Sick

WINTER IN TENNESSEE

Slowly, waning, was the moon

Of the night; the Earth had ceased spinning too soon.

Darkness hit the heart of Tennessee,

Leaves, falling sadly, from a near-by cherry tree.

I traveled into the timeless  universe

To search for my lost verse...

A lonely city, lying in stillness

For the ice to cover its ground; there was no liveliness.

In the air, white snow hanged,

Beneath the auburn sky, a mother, her child she spanked.

The snow- flakes, upon his heart, they fell,

Little by little, his pain diminished as he heard Santa's bell.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!