Tuesday, 5 November 2024

Five Poems by Dennis Williams

 




Bow for the applause

 

Every day another victim is killed,  

and every day some innocent blood spills. 

And with the victim's blood on your mind, 

one day you’ll be left behind. 

One fine day you’ll fall on the ground,  

with some of your victims standing around.  

what a day  

that will be. 

 

On that day you’ll be unmasked,  

and your identity will be revealed to all at last. 

and so it will be,  

your faith will be sealed.  

what a day  

what a time. 

 

Fight on my victim friend, 

one day the battle will end. 

Your campaign is for a worthy cause,  

you’ll bow for the applause. 

oh, what a day  

a happy day that will be. 

 

 

My life was torn apart 

 

Hidden around every corner, 

At places, you wouldn’t guess, 

It came with an intention and it won’t rest. 

 

It shatters our friendships, 

Disjoint the best relationship, 

And cut our happy days to nil. 

 

Friends are viewed with suspicion, 

The family are foe, 

Ever present at our parties, 

A watchman everywhere we go. 

 

I meet it with resentment, 

Can’t detect it on the wall 

The deterrent is like a call  

Even when in pain I fall 

  

Doctors are never enough, 

Because they are dying too, 

A high hope for this generation, 

I know we will make it through. 

 

 

The Furnace is my home 

 

A young leaf swaying in the sun, unburnt, surviving, embracing the scorching sun yet alive. Striving in the blistering heat to carry on to the next generation, the story of its life. 

Maturing through sunburn, sustenance from the sun itself, penetrating roots, seeking life from the soil, bare and barren, the tender plant never wavers in its effort to survive. 

Finding just that hope, hanging unto just that pinch of soil, searching and finding food and surviving where others see doom and death, never feeling the urge to complain and give up, even as the sun rays give light and debt, giving thanks for that slight gush of cool air yet battening down when the intense furnace show no mercy. 

Surviving where molten rock runs like a stream, scraping the lifeblood out of fertile soil, destroying the hope of many generations, the lucky can only gaze from afar and lament. 

The god of fire and fear quench its thirst. 

But alas the rocks, bare, scraped, and lifeless will cradle the manure only enough to nurture the soft, tender sprout that shoots with new life, new hope, and the will to survive even in a condition too harsh for a scorpion to survive. 

 

 

These tears were shed for you 

 

My heart gladdens at your appearance 

Even the whisper of your name  

Set my soul alive, 

Like a thirsty plant scenting water. 

Tell me from whence you came and what your mission is. 
 
To set ablaze this fragile heart of mine  

So long forgot the sparkle of love  

And the tingling feeling it entails 

With a broken arrow in hand  

She often shoots but fails to score 

A poor masterly of the art she loves  

A lover who lives on memory. 

 

A childhood hope  

Destroy with age  

The erosion comes with time  

To brighten any hope  

Is divine  

I must now go home and  

Weep. 

 

 

Wailing Heart  

 

Wailing willow wail for me  

A lover in distress. 

Patience priorities plain pleasant   

A lover on the move. 

Ailing, aim, aimless alimony 

Expression of love abounds. 

 

Joyful, job, judo, jubilee 

A joyful crowd around 

Create creature cruel caricature  

Destroying my every move. 

 

Solace, solid, sobriety, sober  

Every whisper spoke record, 

Quick, quake, quiet, and quiet 

Stilt movement undisturbed. 

 

Singing slowly silent soul  

Rest today until tomorrow. 

Nice night neatly nested  

The sun will rise to shine again.






Dennis Williams is a poet/writer from Sandy Hill, St. Catherine, Jamaica. He is blessed and humbled to have his writings published in the Agape Review, the American Diversity Report (ADR), Alchemy Spoon issue #7, the Health Line Zine #1, the independent literary magazine, Adelaide #54, EgoPHobia # 74, livina Press issue# 3, Blue Pepper Magazine, entropy2, five fleas itchy poetry magazine, Blue unicorn, Dry River issue 2, and Roots and resettlement Vol.3, Taj Mahal Vol.24#2, Wave of words Lit.  

 

 

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