By Winnie Louise Sjoquist I’m told that I must open up my heartInstead of keeping it buried down deep The world is loud, selfish, and meanSo it’s easier to put my soul to sleep They say I must speak more cheerfully But they smile with swords in handWeapons garnished with roses But they still all … Continue reading My Mask and I
Broken
By Cynthia Pitman My bones ache, cracked by emptiness.I long to be lowered into a bath of soothing nectarfrom the wild honeysuckle.I will vine to the skyand sprout leaves of spring green.From my vine will blossomtiny, white-petaled flowers divine – flowers with a pink-tipped kiss withinand with pollen-topped stamensstained gold from an alchemist’s rain.When the … Continue reading Broken
Pigeon and Dove – II
By Dr. Vahidhusen Sayyad Originally published in "My Son & Other Poems" A pigeon has fallen in love.Not with a pigeon but a dove.They are so different from each otherBut not departed from one another.They talk the same love language.Their feelings no one can discourage. Though none around them can accept.The world cannot understand their … Continue reading Pigeon and Dove – II
Love Poem
By lilith connor I used to be able to spin words like poetry to suit my will. Curve around the entrances and beginnings, soft as snow, beckoning you to come inside. Close the exit, it's doors twisting shut, pulling strings at my wish.I used to be able to have others do what I wanted.But now … Continue reading Love Poem
The Appearance of Disappearance
By Alex Andy Phuong Vanish as a result of banishmentLost without a traceUnderstanding lossAnd being out of place,But when it comesTo the nature of love,And being gone,There is still the possibility To continue on,So rise like the dawn,And reappear,No matter how hard it isTo cope with all that has disappeared,For there is still hopeFor a … Continue reading The Appearance of Disappearance
April Poetry Contest: Gold Winner: “What I Write” by Matthew Lee
My poetry is written in the dark.A promised secrecy — thatis my antidote to persisted remembrance,an echolalia of incomplete things.I give myself out. In my momentof vulnerability, the lonely hour,I think I see before me a wallpaperof a thousand thundering eyes,boring bullet-holes into my sternum.But they will find no heart, for I have alreadylaid it … Continue reading April Poetry Contest: Gold Winner: “What I Write” by Matthew Lee
April Poetry Contest: Silver Winner: “Depth Valley” by Alex Andy Phuong
Flashes of flickering lightWithin a valley of ashesCould offer hope for humanity As well as overcoming adversity,And given the nature of reality,Venturing into the depths of the abyssCould provide a thrilling adventure That could be hit or miss,So understand the significance Of the depths of the soulWhile marveling at the wonderOf the world as a … Continue reading April Poetry Contest: Silver Winner: “Depth Valley” by Alex Andy Phuong
April Poetry Contest: Bronze Winner: “What Holiness Lay in Bug Bodies” by Salem Burdett
the bug bodied boy sweptthe once green now brownbarren ground with tiny dirty handsjust like he once was swept picked from ground that once grew something and that something was beautiful once it must’ve been.he found a tiny bug body accidentally founditself in his careful hands and wondered how it would livehow would that body … Continue reading April Poetry Contest: Bronze Winner: “What Holiness Lay in Bug Bodies” by Salem Burdett
The Old, the New
By Kyle Hina New is a thief.A bringer of empty promises and false hopes.It sneaks into your house and takes your contentment like an apple from your fruit bowl.New is discontentment wrapped up in a shiny ball of happiness, greed disguised as ambition, always over promising and often under delivering.New is a job stealer and … Continue reading The Old, the New
Taonga
By Kit Willett I bow, and she places around my neck pounamu in the shape of a toki. She says, this is who you are now: I see your courage in its sharpened edge, your nuance in its varied tone, your humour in its speckling, your bite in its kawakawa shade,your voice in its silky … Continue reading Taonga
Academy of the Heart And Mind 