Poetry

POEM OF THE WEEK

We Stand

We stand

With every Christian

in Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran

To those suffering at the hands of Boko Haram or the Taliban.

In Christ we are one

To every Christian Syrian

He said stand strong,

It won't be long

Today you give your lives away as a sacrifice

So they will know Christ

Tomorrow you'll rise

Great is your prize.

- Seon Lewis

The Golden girl

(Tribute to Alia Atkinson who recently equated the world record in Qatar)

A dynamic young woman

A strong, strong swimmer always unsung

Year after year

An unassuming woman with a calm face

As she entered the race

A multi talented woman

With an indomitable will

Determination and skill

Mindset to win the breaststroke

At the World Short Course Swim meet

A rocket start that nearly broke our hearts

Bolstered the swimmers

As she outpaced her rivals

Building up a commanding lead

In her quest to succeed

Swimming with power and might

Moving out of sight

Beaming with delight

This early winter's night

Pushing, pushing away

Arms silky smooth

pressing, pressing, pressing

Every inch of the way

This defining day

Setting the pool on fire

Fulfilling her heart's desire

In a golden swim far, far away

In the heart of Qatar

A woman in unbeatable form

And way ahead of the game

Romping to victory

A unique story

And the rest is history

A swim to remember

In the month of December

A golden swim, by a great

Jamaican girl

On top of the world.

- Ferdinand Boyd

It's a New Year

The old year is gone

And another starts anew,

Resolutions are being made

So many things to do.

Last year is no more; it is in the past,

Try to move on in the New Year

So you can have a fair weather forecast,

Think not of the bad things that happened in the previous year,

Look forward to the future,

Come on, let's meet up there.

Last year is gone; there is not even a trace,

But passed memories will be kept

Locked in our mental space,

We should all thank God, that we made it alive to be here,

So open your eyes and realise!

IT'S A NEW YEAR!

This time you can cover a new beginning,

Forget your loss yesterday,

For today you will be winning,

This year is last year's solution,

And I aim to be a better person this time

So what's your resolution?

Try to think positive this time around,

Imagine you are a bird

And don't anchor yourself to the ground,

Tell yourself you are going to be what you want to be,

Imagine you're the wind,

So wild ... but free!

Free to choose your own destiny this year,

I'll walk with you hand in hand

So you can overcome that fear,

I'll walk with you and tell you my story,

Because last year I was quiet and I fell short of glory.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6

Count your blessings and work on what needs to be fixed

If you've never hugged someone, let it be the first this year,

Say hi, hold a hand, cry,

Look life in the face and stare

With that being said, means you should live on

And be the brightest flare,

And so the countdown continues,

5, 4, 3,2, 1,

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

- Fabian Gabay

Keep In Touch

The conversations that we never had

The words we never said

Yes, it is easier said than done

But if we never spoke of it

Then how do we expect there to be correction?

Communication is more complex

Than you first thought

Dialogues are often taken out of context

The message is then lost in translation

We should listen to understand

Not just only listen to critique

Two ears one mouth means we should listen twice as much

Practise this in conversing in order to keep in touch

Think before you let the words free

Yes, freedom of speech may be liberating

But it comes with great responsibility

Sometimes it's not the words themselves but the tone

That makes the difference between picking or hanging up the phone

Talking is naturally instinctive to man, it's innate

Speech without teeth is just another form of rhetoric

Talk without action will not make the problem dissipate

Language can be expressive or weapons of mass destruction

Words that incite anger tend to be grievous

Soothing words, however, pacify the soul and ease the tension

Exercise this in conversing in order to keep in touch

- Adriel Williams

Father

I'm reaching but I can't feel your hands.

I can't feel the hardness of labour, wanting more for me.

I can't feel ... you.

I am reminded though that this process is like a slow fire.

And every so often I get burned ... I hurt and there's no you.

No shoe polish, no ointments, no bandages wrapped by you.

When I close my eyes, I have nightmares about fighting with myself and they look like you.

And I ache in places that only more pain soothes.

I stay up late taunting myself and I wake up imagining I was dead like you.

Because I, because I, because I, fatherless; I'm fathering the things I've used to replace you.

Raising beautiful monsters that hurt me like you.

I'm feeling kinda confused like me.

Vaguely remembering some of things I think you would have wanted for me.

I fuelled me with you and a lot of it died with you ... wanted to prove I could do it without you for me you.

I know pain demands to be felt, to be 'validated'. So why can't you acknowledge me?

- Deon Morris