Some of you have read some of the poetry I'm putting up here. Enjoy.
Cheers,
Sam
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1. I have decided
I have decided
To ban all well intentioned resolutions
No more
New Year and
Birthday resolutions
No list of ten things to do
By the end of the year
Or before I die
I have decided
Diets and gym memberships are out
Somehow I end eating more food than normal
Swamped by guilt for paying a gym
I’m not using.
I have decided
No twelve week exercise plan
That leaves my knees rattling
No arbitrary deadlines to get published.
Chuck all shoulds and have tos
To focus on what is and can be.
This ban does not mean
That I’m giving up on life
Or getting lazy
This ban does not mean
That I’m planning
To live without drive or purpose
I have decided
To live well, work hard
Say what I want to say
Take care of my body
Spirit and soul
Spend time with people I like
But always, always
Remember that
Today is the only day I can be sure of
Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
2. African woman
Skeletal and defeated
Staring out of dead, hopeless eyes
That is not who I am.
Hunger, war and pain-ravaged
Carrying an assault rifle
That’s only part of the story.
Half-naked, sitting on uncovered soil
Baby sucking on a dry sagging breast
The pictures don’t tell the full truth.
The other side of me:
Is a tall, well-fed woman
Living life as best as she can
I love and I hate
I experience joy, stress, PMS
I laugh, cry, dance and sing
I am more like you than you thought.
I get bored, work too hard
Argue with my partner
About who’ll take out the dust bin.
I give birth, raise a family
And like you
I hope for the best for my children.
Shed the stereotype
Of who I’m supposed to be
See me for who I am.
Disregard my otherness
And you will see
I am more like you than you thought
I love and I hate
I dream and I plan
I experience joy, stress, PMS
I laugh, cry, dance and sing.
I love, mate, raise a family
And like you
I hope that my children
Will have a better life than what I had.
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2 comments:
Enjoyed them both, but must say that your African Woman poem must be one of my favourite's of yours. Soooo... are you gonna put together a collection? Or should we collectively try and do that? Wotya say?
I think it would be great if we could collectively do that. Nonetheless, I seem to be on a streak re poetry. We'll see how it all comes together, but I'm thinking of my collection as "Love Letters for family and friends."
Sam
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