Growth Poems
To the women from the graves
by Priyanka Roy
Women are rising from their graves, from their coffins in tattered clothes and battered bodies from the circle of death and are now marching down the streets, in flocks to let the world see them, borne in blood, tied to their mother's cord, they ascend with countless scars on their bodies, amassed over time, by centuries of oppression.
Thwarted and bodies fatigued of years of tales of protection and tenderness by agonised chaps.
They are marching downtown pouring stories like mud on their way for other women, mothers to collect and preserve.
Some crawl, some limp, some crouch -
Does Lord know what they have been through?
Some walk, steadily, clenching the burden of their breasts, oozing milk, neglected by their haughty inborn, defending them from strangers in congested buses, markets and clubs from uncles, cousins, paternal-maternal male relatives.
They are rising from their graves again
after a blistering deluge on Earth.
Dispersing and pinching out through the dark clouds - smiling, humming, lullabying
in languages local, rusty, thick.
......
Months of Saturn
by Hope Norton
Be a father to me
place a hand on my head
keep me rooted, my mind
Oh father, why won’t you let me levitate?
I understand that you are distant
for me to grow above you
but please, that searing shield you carry,
put it down.
Embrace me warmly
......
Mr. Tree
by Rohan Dhulipalla
the sakura tree
in the dusty ol’ dark corner of the failing shop,
(although the owner would beg to disagree)
priced at $7.95
with a cardboard sign fastened with white cable ties
reading “UNLIKELY TO STAY ALIVE”
it appears that it was trying to expand,
to spread its branches,
but expansions weren’t in demand
......
Give Chance To Grow
by Rafiq Pasha
Let there be no restrictions
let there be no limitations
for the poor and needy.
For skint if any opportunity arise
let them reap the surprise
just support the weak and weedy.
Under the shadow of poverty
these beings exhibit honesty
......
The Ville
by Corey Alpough
The Ville, established in 1948.
Despite the violence it was a place that made me great.
Killers, robbers, crackheads too.
Wasn’t really scared cause that’s all we knew.
Mother, Father, Auntie’s and Uncles,
They was raised in the Ville like a lion in the jungle.
Big family so they came with a rumble,
bad influences that can make you stumble,
maybe even crumble.
......
"The tree that grew upside down."
by Dylan Wu Rong
The mind of a child is innocent,
through the eyes of an adult it is ignorant,
stuck in the middle,
like the earth in an eclipse,
my being protects the innocent ignorance in the shadow,
while the ignorant innocence is shined upon.
Belief?
Beliefs state my choices as wrong,
but what are beliefs,
when the idea in itself
......
Letter to Self
by Adelana Victor
Dear Adelana Victor Blaqhárt,
I need to make this crystal clear: stay out of my way. The path I’m on is one I’ve carefully crafted, and the vision I have for myself demands no interference—not even from me. I’ve spent enough time second-guessing, doubting, and overthinking. I can no longer afford the luxury of hesitation or the noise of self-imposed limits. So hear this—if you, I, ever attempt to sabotage what we’ve built, if you hesitate when you should leap, or if you take one step back instead of moving forward, I will not forgive you.
You’ve fought too hard to let yourself remain stagnant, to let fear or insecurity hold you back. Do not test me. I’ve been patient, I’ve been understanding, but I’ve had enough of this struggle. I have set goals, I’ve placed myself on a trajectory that demands all of my focus and strength. If you ever even think about derailing that, I will shut you down. There’s no room for doubt, no room for weakness, no space for hesitation. You either rise to meet the person you’ve promised yourself to be, or you get out of your own way. This is no longer a negotiation.
I know you, your brilliance, your creativity, your drive. But I also know your tendencies to question, to overthink, and to stall. The world won’t wait for you to find the courage; it won’t wait for your permission to move forward. So here’s the deal: stay out of your own way, or face the consequences of wasted potential. I won’t tolerate it. We’ve come too far.
From Adelana Victor,
You.
......
Never let go
by Sonja D.
Those steep stairs
I walk alone
thought I'd slip
sure I'd trip
come tumbling down
you held tight though
never let me go.
My path to walk
cycles of hell
......
Growing Pains
by Gus Krueger
Achy bones like brittle tree bark
Stretching skin ripping like paper
Numb tendons lagging behind
Emotions mixed like soup on a cold day
Confused in finding a footing
Changes etched in aging eyes
Renewed perspective aching with stretching numbness
Growing up means experiencing new Pains.
Lost and found
by Sonja D.
Waking up naked
On the cold forest floor
Shivering, thirsting, fearing.
I have to go now,
But I am just lost.
Calling for help
My sisters, my brother
Trembling, crying, despairing.
I need to leave now,
......
