Geetima Baruah Sarma, 6 july 2013
Dreams began to wane
as she faced distress
and she proclaimed
there were lots to express.
Physical tortures
day in and day out,
character assassination
by holding doubt,
restrain imposed
on pursuing her career,
severe criticism
for not being fair,
harassment by
demands of dowry
and an heir
on the first delivery.
Her endurance one day
lost the bound
and extreme courage
she finally found.
To get rid
of the evil monster,
she sprinkled pesticide
in a fried lobster.
Hours later,
the neighbours gathered,
'self-slaughter'
they all murmured.
None suspected
it to be a mystery,
'self-defence'
she sighed silently.
[Published in ‘Indus woman writing’ in July 2013 issue]
Satish Verma, 6 july 2013
In the absence of a consenting moon half
my night was in disarray, the density of poems
was draining out the grape wine from the eyes.
This amphitheater of your life: where you
are spectator and you are a player, past
the tears and past the happiness.
Find out the lost baby, where we slept.
A crying bundle on the tracks of bones.
You cannot carry the outstretched alms, need to stop
the train of thoughts.
Green boys were hiding in their sleeves.
Did you perform your role well in speaking
your dialogue on the stage and give a loud
laughing call?
Satish Verma
Salvatore Ala, 5 july 2013
This is a poem that fills
The emptiness of a bowl.
This is also a poem
That empties the fullness of the bowl.
This is a poem.
Salvatore Ala, 5 july 2013
In your own words
You can take the road not chosen
And arrive at the idea of order at Key West,
Or gather at the river
Where the branch will not break.
What lips my lips have kissed
Are words for the wind.
This is just to say, America,
I carry you in my heart
Like a dream deferred.
Gert Strydom, 5 july 2013
When I loose my job, my possessions and wife
FW is charmed by his new spouse,
while my whole country is given away
and what a big friend I have got in FW.
When affirmative action brings me to disaster
the government treats me as if I deserve it,
as if this country does not care for its own children
and what a big friend I have got in FW.
The borders are now open for the whole of Africa
while millions of people just walk in for citizenship;
his smile is gone, but he is never embarrassed
and what a big friend I have got in FW.
My years forced into the army is forgotten
and with his pension he does not worry about a day;
even military victories is now wiped from the table
and what a big friend I have got in FW.
I am now totally free from my possessions,
free from two cars and do not have to drive again;
in secret dark plans are made
and what a big friend I have got in FW.
I see that age is now taking its toll on him,
from the end of life nobody can escape;
to hell my best wishes will be with him
and what a big friend I have got in FW.
Gert Strydom, 5 july 2013
It’s strange that some foreign soldiers
seems too illiterate
uncommon with signs,
even with the alphabet
in places which they occupy and conquer
to comprehend
the universal phallic finger that is raised
and think that candy bars
and money will buy goodwill
and still the foreign secret service meddles
into the affairs of other countries
and one message is not understood:
to return to the motherland,
whose enemies
are treated without dignity,
whose enemies are abducted
from foreign countries,
(where the citizens of that countries
who want to interfere
with these criminal acts
are threatened by their very lives
with machineguns being pointed at them),
where those abducted
are thrown without trial or any avail
into huge secret jails
and the star speckled banner flaps
while the lamb roars
and belches fire like the dragon
that she in reality is.
[Reference: The abduction in the middle of the night of a Indian speaking person, in the town of Esctourt (Kwazulu-Natal province, South Africa) by members of a foreign secret service who drove two black four by four pickup-trucks without number plates, pointed submachine guns at South African citizens and threatened their lives when they wanted to interfere to help their neighbour, hereafter these foreign intelligence officials transported the abducted person to a waiting foreign military aircraft at Waterkloof military airfield in Pretoria (Gauteng Province, South Africa). (As showed on the MNET / DSTV in depth news program: Carte Blanche before the South African government stopped any further news items on this indecent. As witnessed by some people living in the town of Estcourt, Kwazulu-Natal province, South Africa.)]
Satish Verma, 5 july 2013
Unmoored in twilight, my most visible
hands were ready to slam on the moon
of stains to bring out the water of life.
A secondhand night was waiting for
an explosion,
which never came. How long will we go
to find the peace in surrogate truths
surrounded by thorns on lips? I was hanging
a painting of a fall in happy valley of
gender artists,
which I never appreciated. The high heeled
power of legs was no match to beautiful nails.
The walk on the ramp betrayed the ancient
footfalls reaching nowhere to nothingness on
revolving planet.
The masqueraders are still roaming free on
parole to snatch a prize for extraordinary
darkness generated by stars on the faces
of orphans tattooed by the whips of silence,
after all they were flung flowers.
Satish Verma
Gert Strydom, 4 july 2013
My stupid fingers write words to you
as you do notice me while my whole world falls apart,
as there are something bright in your eyes
in which I find a great familiarity
that like a ray of sun throws light upon my life
and at times your smile wants to enchant me
when I catch your eye
as if a life-time is already between us
and then the whole world suddenly looks different
as if a big adventure lies before us.
Gert Strydom, 4 july 2013
(after Andrew Marvell)
Far too easily she captivates
with sheer beauty,
I could resist her if she was but fair,
in harmony
her great voice in song ensnares my mind,
tranquillity
is in each word and feeling at her sight,
like a slave I follow her day and night.
[Reference: “The Fair Singer” by Andrew Marvell.]
Gert Strydom, 4 july 2013
This morning like every other one
you touch here and there in your preparations
and outside a myriad of sparrows fly past
when you put on the light and sleepy I open my eyes.
After a hot bath you comb your long hair
and you blush your cheeks and your lips get a bit of red
and in your bath water the tiredness of my body disappears
and to me even without makeup you are lovely.
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