THESE ISLANDS

these islands
these enchanted isles
chain of pearls
'pendant on mainland
breast

these islands
enchanted isles
chain of pearls
unclasped
without clasp

each one
the medallion
each one
planted in chains
each one
worth fighting over

pirates
pirates and earthquakes
havens
havens and hurricanes
ports of royal
treasure
sun sin and pleasure

these warm seas
once treasure chest
chain of pearls
these warm seas
cooling breeze

these warm seas
once sepulchre
their cool coves and caves
still echo
sombre past

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance

TIME SLIPS BY

Time slips by,
Oh my, why,
Does time slip by
So swiftly;

Birthday unto birthday,
Age along the way,
Night stalks day;

Cat caught up
With picoplat, at play,
So stealthy;

Time slips by,
Oh my, why,
Does time slip by
So swiftly?

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance

SATURDAY SOUP

Yes, go ahead and tell her
Call her now to the wire fence
Whirl around and spin your tale
Scream to high heaven that I was careless
I let you slip from my grip
I let you fall to the floor
Whirl around and spin your tale
Cantankerous pot cover
Clap out your tale on the floor
My woebegone metal pot cover.
I can see her through the kitchen window
Craning her ear for more of your news,
As she pipes up in her grating voice:
Aye Neighb', like you cooking soup today?

Copyright ©2010 by Judy Rocke

CORBEAU

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing," (Edgar Allan Poe)

In the nastiness of existence,
This nastiness of existence,

I, King Corbeau,
Sovereign of Sewer City,
Ruler and Lord of the Labasse,
Mayor of the Malodorous,
Connoisseur of Carrion and Carnage,
Corpses, Cadavers and Carcasses,
Dark Bird of Death and Disgust,
Fowl of the Foul and Decay,

I, Gobbling Gobbler of Ghoul,
No sweet songbird, say,
Could I sing,
Would sing you songs,
Stories of the ones found,
Flesh never found;
This raucous caw,
A dirge for the lost and the missing.

Plastic rivers dumping cargo,
Lagoons and bays abused
All along the coast;
Floods exposing dirty minds
And habits;
Streets of Sewer City.
Rural roads
Throughout country,
One contiguous Labasse.

I, Supreme Scavenger, can clean
Labasse from land
But not Labasse from minds,
No more than can the garbage man,
Minus mask, underpaid and scorned,
Or CPEP cleaning, cleaning, cleaning,
Litter mounds, cycles never ending,
Of dirty, dumping, minds
And habits...

Constellations of Blimps,
Corbeau at carrion, clamour under clouds;
True stars shine silent against night sky
Above constricting clouds,
Sodden with Labasse smoke.
Land of limbo,
Lost and missing;
Who will rise above bar,
Clouds and empty bluster?

I, Supreme Scavenger, keeping
Close eye on plastic land and river;
Lagoon abused,
Lacuna of local culture,
Allowing foreign vulture
To pry out eyes and entrails;
Keeping closer eye
On sister isle;
If needed I will go.

In the nastiness of existence,
This nastiness of existence,

I, King Corbeau,
Sovereign of Sewer City,
Ruler and Lord of the Labasse,
Mayor of the Malodorous,
Connoisseur of Carrion and Carnage,
Corpses, Cadavers and Carcasses,
Dark Bird of Death and Disgust,
Fowl of the Foul and Decay,

I, Gobbling Gobbler of Ghoul,
No sweet songbird, say,
Could I sing,
Would sing you songs,
Stories of the ones found,
Flesh never found;
This raucous caw,
A dirge for the lost and the missing.

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance

YOU MADE ME FORGET

Made a promise to myself,
The last time I was hurt by love,
It was the last time I’d ever fall for anyone.
Seemed like all of my life,
My heart was broken enough,
To write a book filled with sad songs.
But the first time my eyes fell on you,
I realized you were a dream come true;
Cupid’s arrow pierced me through and through,
Through and through, with love for you.

You made me forget, all the pain I used to feel inside,
You made me forget, the many times I cried, I cried and cried;
You made me forget, that I said I’d never love again,
You made me forget, the many tears I shed, they flowed like rain.

Since you came into my world,
You chased all my blues away,
So much sunshine I have never known before.
You bring love untold,
To me night and day,
Love so sweet I want to love you more and more.
Cause the first time my arms embraced you,
Caught by your charms, there was nothing I could do;
Cupid’s arrow pierced me through and through,
Through and through, with love for you.

You made me forget, all the pain I used to feel inside,
You made me forget, the many times I cried, I cried and cried;
You made me forget, that I said I’d never love again,
You made me forget, the many tears I shed, they flowed like rain.

I’m so glad I took the chance,
One last try at romance;
You fulfill my fantasy,
How wonderful true love could really be.
I thank the Lord you came my way,
And that is why I say a prayer,
Your love will always stay, stay with me.

You made me forget, all the pain I used to feel inside,
You made me forget, the many times I cried, I cried and cried;
You made me forget, that I said I’d never love again,
You made me forget, the many tears I shed, they flowed like rain.

Copyright ©1995 by G. Newton V. Chance

THE WELL

Earth
Drought
Earth
Desert
Earth
Hope
Dig
Dig
Dig
Dig
Hole
Hit
Rock
Eureka
Treasure
Water
Table
Drop
Stone
Plop
Deep

Lower bucket
Pull up rope
Lower bucket
Pull up rope
Lower bucket
Pull up rope

Pour pour pour
Drink drink drink

Well
Creativity
Never dry
Never empty

The well
Of creativity
Is never dry
Is never empty

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance

OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY

street corners without street signs
just like in the jungle
city has no place to piss
quite unlike the jungle

lost

a little further east
dweller on sidewalk

seller on sidewalk
remarks to other seller
on "stupid" passerby
who enquired
then refused to buy

elderly madwoman
uprooted
some weeds
or herbs
(depending on perspective)
with soil
from sidewalk
held it out in hand
walked proudly
as if to say
look at me
plant a plant
plant a tree
or food

(or maybe just keep the damn place clean)

then railed against
garbage
behind gated
abandoned
hallway
saying she could clean it
given the chance
or the employment
(maybe occupy it too)

maybe
that elderly madwoman
may be less mad
than many

and that madman
soliloquising
maybe
may be only speaking
to his hand-

less head-

set cell-

phone

about the phony
city
and the phony
people
on the other
side

of the city

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance

ORCHID

five-pointed star-
tepal
flesh-pink lip-
petal
seduction
six-pointed star-
petal
and sepal
floral attraction
pink-flesh lip-
petal
resupinated labellum-
mmmmmmm
excitement
enticement
six-
leg in-
sect
land on
obsession
flesh-pink perfumed lip-
petal
pink-flesh enlarged lip-
petal
six-pointed purple-stripe star-
tepal
pedicel
in petal
and sepal
equal
polli-
nation

testicles are roots

woman
you must have bee-
nnnnnnnnnn
an orchid
and I a bumblebee
in another life

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance

TO THE WISE

to the wise
wisdom abounds
even in the abode
of the foolish

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance

STORY OF THE MINI AND OTHER MINI STORIES

sitting front row
showing shoes
legs cross
uncross
showing shoe sole
giving priest
confessor of souls
another cross
a carnal cross
to carry

short skirt
short crotch
low cut
high heels
hurting feet
stiletto heels
stabbing holes
in asphalt

can't stoop down
can't bend over
don't pull it down
pull it up further
what you trying
to hide
everything
already outside
breast outside
belly outside
back outside
backside outside
underwear outside
stop bitching

this posing
this posturing
bad for posture
only fostering
some fascist agenda
some sadist fascist
fashionista
designer
of hate couture
out to make you sick
out to make you suffer
out to make you sick
sick and sexy
out to make us sick
sick and sexy

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance

AMANDLA!

(Dedicated to all the heroes and heroines and martyrs who fought against and slew the dragon Apartheid. Viva Azania!)

[Benikuphi ma madoda (where were the men)
abantwana beshaywa (when the children were throwing stones)
ngezimbokodo Mabedubula abantwana (when the children were being shot)
Benikhupi na (where were you?) Hugh Masekela (Soweto Blues)]

I was there,
on Robben Island,
when the fortress walls surrendered
and the dungeon doors collapsed
and the fetters burst asunder
at the feet of the Madiba
as they walked from Victor Verster.
And the people cried, "Amandla!"

You can take me,
you can take me,
take me out from Africa
but
you can never,
you can never,
take Africa out from me.

I was there,
down in Soweto,
when they exiled Masekela
and they Branded Abdullah
and they banned Miriam Makeba;
when they banned, then detained, Walter
as they hounded Winnie 'Dela.
And the people cried," Amandla!"

You can take me,
you can take me,
take me out from Africa
but
you can never,
you can never,
take Africa out from me.

I was there,
in Soweto, ho!
when the bullets flew and hummed
and they murdered Steve Biko
and they mowed the children down;
when they relocated blacks
with stray bullets in their backs.
And the people cried, 'Amandla!"

I was there,
down there in Sharpeville,
when they massacred the children,
armed with stones against the Sten;
when PAC formed the Poqo
and ANC formed Umkhonto.
And the people cried, "Amandla!"

You can take me,
you can take me,
take me out from Africa
but
you can never,
you can never,
take Africa out from me.

I was there,
down in Angola,
when the fearless Fidelista,
side by side, with the Namibians,
stood their ground against P. Botha,
cracked his crocodilian armour,
as they drove apartheid back.
And the people cried, "Amandla!"

You can take me,
you can take me,
take me out from Africa
but
you can never,
you can never,
take Africa out from me.

I was there,
on Robben Island,
when de Klerk capitulated
and the dungeon doors collapsed
and the fetters burst asunder
at the feet of the Madiba
as they walked from Victor Verster.
And the people cried, "Amandla!"

Amandla! Amandla!
And the people cried, "Amandla!"
Amandla! Amandla!
And the people cried, "Amandla!"...

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance

A LITTLE PIECE OF EARTH

a little piece of land
that’s all I want
don’t wait until
I return to dirt
a little piece of earth
is all I ask
never had nothing
from the day of my birth
don’t need no water
cause water still free
don’t need no fire
no pyre for me
the plant has root
anchored in earth
and I a wanderer
without branch
without root
no better than fowl
no better than brute
a little piece of land
so I can belong
birds have their nest
birds have their song
the Son of Man
nowhere to make His bed
nowhere to rest His head
a little piece of property
a little real estate
a little piece of earth
to make me whole
and happy
crabs have their hole
guppies their water bed
the Son of Man
nowhere to rest His head
a little piece of earth
is all I crave
enough to live
or make my grave
one day I’ll have
my peace on earth
one day I’ll have
my piece of earth
to plant a plant
to plant my root
to plant a plant
or plant myself

Copyright ©2010/02/09 by G. Newton V. Chance

A MAN HAS NOTHING

A man has nothing
but his conscience
separating him from God.
A horizontal line
between land and sea and sky.
An imaginary line
running round his world.
A spiritual equator,
stretched around his soul,
stretched and parallel
ad infinitum to infinity.

A man has nothing
but his conscience
separating him from God.
A line, impalpable,
of thought and deed and word.
A gate across the threshold
to light and liberty.
Nothing but his conscience,
the knowledge of good and evil,
separating from the garden
of Eden and the tree.

The angel with the flaming sword
between Adam and his God.

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance