Fluent Influences and Other Poems

By Alex Andy Phuong

Fluent Influences

Being under the influence
Implies intoxication,
But the ones who demonstrate maturation
Do have the ability
To help others
Profoundly,
And linguistic speakers
Could utilize language skills
To positively influence
Their own surroundings
To benefit humanity
In a world filled with diversity

Well Wells

Snow White singing at a wishing well
Fairy tales with enchanting spells,
And even though reality
Differs from fantasy,
Timeless tales can still offer
Lessons about what life has to offer
So that all is well,
Especially since
William Shakespeare
Wrote All’s Well That Ends Well

Beyond Barriers

Beyond the impossible
Offers newfound possibilities
Despite the confines
Of reality,
And no matter the difficulty,
Bypassing barriers
Can make the inferior
Feel worthy
Of reverence and respect,
Which is an expectation
That is both great
And feasible
By simply believing
That it truly is
Obtainable

Borderless Design

Sometimes fabric
Forms a design
While offering
A unique paradigm.
Quilts and sheets
That are not bordered
Might not exactly look like
What someone had ordered.
Nevertheless,
Transcending borders
Could help establish
New forms of order
As restrictions give way
To a better day
Starting upon
This very day.

Concrete

Thinking critically
Paving paths
Solid concrete
Avoiding the obsolete
Mindful concentration
Ignoring superstition
Not stuck in cement
No need for tearful laments
Cope realistically

Noble Benevolence

Avoiding malevolence
Not acting like Maleficent
And even villains
Have their origin stories,
So rewrite
One’s own story
By choosing
Benevolence,
And living with
Purity and nobility
While also respecting
Reality

Boxed

Being trapped in a box
Might create feelings of
Solitary confinement,
And yet,
Boxers in boxing matches
Oftentimes play that sport
With passion and determination,
So help such players
Feel included
Rather than excluded,
Especially since the end of a match
Could still start a flame
Even after the end of a game

Loyal Royal

The Prince and the Pauper
Demonstrates the notion
That the grass is supposedly
Greener on the other side.
Furthermore, sometimes royal figures
Abdicate their titles
To obtain an alternative lifestyle.
Rich or poor or better or worse,
Prepare to rehearse
Just in case
People put loyalty
To the test
To potentially reveal
The truly best

The Birth of Rebirth

European Renaissance
Restoration and Reformation
Even when something
Has been stolen,
Giving back reveals
The truly golden,
Especially since
The deliverance
Of reverence
Reveals a possibly
Newfound beginning,
And learning to love
Is always more important
Than winning,
So start over again,
And begin again!

Fair Fare

The Little Mermaid
Wondered the price
To live up on land.
Costs of production
Sometimes involves destruction.
Nevertheless,
Paint with the colors of the wind,
And even as change happens,
Make a better future happen
Even when the old ways of life
Become gone with the wind,
And let a new day begin
With the notion that
Tomorrow really is another day.

Alex Andy Phuong earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from California State University-Los Angeles in 2015.  He was a former Statement Magazine editor who currently writes about literature, film, and culture.  He has written film reviews for more than one hundred motion pictures for MovieBoozer, and his writing has appeared both online and in print.  Alex is a writer who dares to support the ones who pursue their dreams.