Poet of the Week no. 44 goes to +frank key for his powerful poem "Time Stands Still in Aleppo" and for his support of POETS and members. Link to original poem:
https://plus.google.com/114523956703244796815/posts/WTVz3y5dwTU
"Time Stands Still in Aleppo"
The young girl's war weary people
have long since abandoned
cultural havens and libraries
they once sought as refuges
from the bombs and the guns.
Knowing that she is easy prey
for snipers,
she goes to the window
defiant
dares them to take aim and
kill her.
She weeps for her mother Syria yet
reviles those in the outside world
who weep invisible years for her.
More is lost here than lives.
She's too young to know
how she knows that
but she does.
War has its own cruel way
to force grown up knowledge
into a young girl's
fragile and vulnerable mind.
She will remember these days
forever
Images torched into a mind
that will never forget.
Turning her back to the window,
she surveys the destruction
strewn around starvation thinned
torso, limbs, and feet
Yet, still defiant
she calls forth a measure
of her remaining strength,
forms her hands into fists
raises them towards the
smoke filled heavens
and curses the gods who
rain death and destruction
upon her and her people.
She makes a promise
to the blind and deaf gods
beyond the clouds:
"Someday I will write my story and
somewhere someone will read it.
That person will be inspired and
spread word of our fate to many others.
We will become an out of control
virus until those who care outnumber those
who so obviously do not.
A Phoenix rising from the ashes?
A beacon of shining new hope for the world?
An oasis of love in a desert of hate?
I hold no such grandiose dreams.
I only want my life
and my words to secure
for my bothers
for my sisters
for my friends
what all the world's children need -
Anything but war and violence.
Anything but war and ignorance.
Anything but war and hunger.
Anything but war and apathy.
Anything but war and tears.
Anything but war and slavery.
Anything but war and death.
Anything but war and running.
Anything but war and endless waiting,
for a peace
that never comes.
She lowers her arms
returns to the window.
And waits.
For as long as it takes
for the world
to finally care.
©2016.frank.key.
Adapted from prose I wrote and first published on December 2, 2015
Special Mentions go to:
+Marilyn Ward
+jewel ragheb
+Mari Felices
+BlueFlamez Da Poet
for their poetry and support of POETS. Many thanks everyone!
--------------------------------------------------------------
Poetry Book Promotions:
TANKA HARAKO: 短歌 原狐 Kindle Edition - read online FREE
by +Rika Inami 稲美 里佳 (Author)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TANKA-HARAKO-x77ED-x6B4C-x3000-ebook/dp/B01B700SOE/
This is the first Tanka poetry collection of Rika Inami.
She originally composed Tanka in Japanese and translated them into English.
You can read this book in a bilingual manner, Japanese & English.
She lives in Akita Prefecture, Japan, which is rich in nature, so she has mainly written Tanka in praise of nature. Spending her daily life, she has been touched with beautiful mountains, flowers and rivers, and feels even mysteries in nature.
Furthermore she, as a WEB Tanka poetess, composed Tanka lines from her Internet life such as Emails.
It is just expressed in this book that we have to respect and share with nature even in this science-technology age.
作者自選の短歌集です。日本語で詠った短歌を英訳した日本語英語のバイリンガルの短歌集になっています。自然が豊富な秋田県に在住する作者の短歌は、主として叙景です。山、川、花々、日々の生活のなかで目にした自然のなかにある個々の事物の内に見てとった一瞬のきらめき、永遠の神秘に作者自身を投影させて、一気に短歌として詠い上げました。またインターネット時代に生きる作者はWEB生活から題材を得て、携帯メールのやりとり等の科学技術時代に乗じたロマンあふれる短歌も詠っています。
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you have a book of poetry you would like promoted on the Poet of the Week post for one week, please let us know.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Journals
CQ Magazine November 2016 +Paul White Ed.
Published on Oct 29, 2016
CQ Magazine dedicated to promoting independent Artists, Writers and Musicians to a global audience.
https://issuu.com/ramblingawaymagzine/docs/cqnov16v2
------------------------------------------------------------
#POETSPROMPT
You will have noticed our POETS PROMPT category where every Monday a moderator posts a new photo prompt for all members to participate. This week's prompt host is +M Macharia
Everyone is welcome to participate and write a poem inspired by the prompt photo.
Link to the current prompt:
https://plus.google.com/117362926624792473776/posts/TXqE88DkXXA
Please will all prompt participants download and use the image provided by the current week's prompt moderator, and state that the photo is used with permission of that person.
Please don't re-share images that contain the poem of other participants.
Please also use hashtag #POETSPROMPT and do invite at least one or two others to take part too. Everyone is welcome to take part, with or without an invitation.
Please send any queries to our prompt coordinator +James polamz King
Note that the prompt is not a contest, just fun.
--------------------------------------------------------
Please visit POETS blog Castalia:
arthurturfa.blogspot.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------------
Criteria for Poet of the Week Selection:
1. The poet has not been PoW recently.
2. The poet has written a great and original poem.
3. The poet spends some time reading and commenting to encourage and support other members.
4. Mastery of the the language in which the poet writes is also important, although we should make some allowances in terms of spelling/grammar for people using English as a second language.
https://plus.google.com/114523956703244796815/posts/WTVz3y5dwTU
"Time Stands Still in Aleppo"
The young girl's war weary people
have long since abandoned
cultural havens and libraries
they once sought as refuges
from the bombs and the guns.
Knowing that she is easy prey
for snipers,
she goes to the window
defiant
dares them to take aim and
kill her.
She weeps for her mother Syria yet
reviles those in the outside world
who weep invisible years for her.
More is lost here than lives.
She's too young to know
how she knows that
but she does.
War has its own cruel way
to force grown up knowledge
into a young girl's
fragile and vulnerable mind.
She will remember these days
forever
Images torched into a mind
that will never forget.
Turning her back to the window,
she surveys the destruction
strewn around starvation thinned
torso, limbs, and feet
Yet, still defiant
she calls forth a measure
of her remaining strength,
forms her hands into fists
raises them towards the
smoke filled heavens
and curses the gods who
rain death and destruction
upon her and her people.
She makes a promise
to the blind and deaf gods
beyond the clouds:
"Someday I will write my story and
somewhere someone will read it.
That person will be inspired and
spread word of our fate to many others.
We will become an out of control
virus until those who care outnumber those
who so obviously do not.
A Phoenix rising from the ashes?
A beacon of shining new hope for the world?
An oasis of love in a desert of hate?
I hold no such grandiose dreams.
I only want my life
and my words to secure
for my bothers
for my sisters
for my friends
what all the world's children need -
Anything but war and violence.
Anything but war and ignorance.
Anything but war and hunger.
Anything but war and apathy.
Anything but war and tears.
Anything but war and slavery.
Anything but war and death.
Anything but war and running.
Anything but war and endless waiting,
for a peace
that never comes.
She lowers her arms
returns to the window.
And waits.
For as long as it takes
for the world
to finally care.
©2016.frank.key.
Adapted from prose I wrote and first published on December 2, 2015
Special Mentions go to:
+Marilyn Ward
+jewel ragheb
+Mari Felices
+BlueFlamez Da Poet
for their poetry and support of POETS. Many thanks everyone!
--------------------------------------------------------------
Poetry Book Promotions:
TANKA HARAKO: 短歌 原狐 Kindle Edition - read online FREE
by +Rika Inami 稲美 里佳 (Author)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TANKA-HARAKO-x77ED-x6B4C-x3000-ebook/dp/B01B700SOE/
This is the first Tanka poetry collection of Rika Inami.
She originally composed Tanka in Japanese and translated them into English.
You can read this book in a bilingual manner, Japanese & English.
She lives in Akita Prefecture, Japan, which is rich in nature, so she has mainly written Tanka in praise of nature. Spending her daily life, she has been touched with beautiful mountains, flowers and rivers, and feels even mysteries in nature.
Furthermore she, as a WEB Tanka poetess, composed Tanka lines from her Internet life such as Emails.
It is just expressed in this book that we have to respect and share with nature even in this science-technology age.
作者自選の短歌集です。日本語で詠った短歌を英訳した日本語英語のバイリンガルの短歌集になっています。自然が豊富な秋田県に在住する作者の短歌は、主として叙景です。山、川、花々、日々の生活のなかで目にした自然のなかにある個々の事物の内に見てとった一瞬のきらめき、永遠の神秘に作者自身を投影させて、一気に短歌として詠い上げました。またインターネット時代に生きる作者はWEB生活から題材を得て、携帯メールのやりとり等の科学技術時代に乗じたロマンあふれる短歌も詠っています。
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you have a book of poetry you would like promoted on the Poet of the Week post for one week, please let us know.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Journals
CQ Magazine November 2016 +Paul White Ed.
Published on Oct 29, 2016
CQ Magazine dedicated to promoting independent Artists, Writers and Musicians to a global audience.
https://issuu.com/ramblingawaymagzine/docs/cqnov16v2
------------------------------------------------------------
#POETSPROMPT
You will have noticed our POETS PROMPT category where every Monday a moderator posts a new photo prompt for all members to participate. This week's prompt host is +M Macharia
Everyone is welcome to participate and write a poem inspired by the prompt photo.
Link to the current prompt:
https://plus.google.com/117362926624792473776/posts/TXqE88DkXXA
Please will all prompt participants download and use the image provided by the current week's prompt moderator, and state that the photo is used with permission of that person.
Please don't re-share images that contain the poem of other participants.
Please also use hashtag #POETSPROMPT and do invite at least one or two others to take part too. Everyone is welcome to take part, with or without an invitation.
Please send any queries to our prompt coordinator +James polamz King
Note that the prompt is not a contest, just fun.
--------------------------------------------------------
Please visit POETS blog Castalia:
arthurturfa.blogspot.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------------
Criteria for Poet of the Week Selection:
1. The poet has not been PoW recently.
2. The poet has written a great and original poem.
3. The poet spends some time reading and commenting to encourage and support other members.
4. Mastery of the the language in which the poet writes is also important, although we should make some allowances in terms of spelling/grammar for people using English as a second language.
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