1. • Gatherings with others

     Can be challenging especially if you have been rejected

     Also if you suffer from Anxiety it can be damaging

     As you don’t want to socialise anymore with friends

     You sometimes hide away in isolation

     You have cut off from friends and family

     You have been

     Burnt so many times

     You just want to get rid of toxic people around you

     You want to remain strong for your children

     You want to remain strong for your self

     It would be nice not to have all the baggage but. Sometimes you come with baggage and you want to be surrounded by positive people

     You want people who have similar goals in life in your circle most of the time

     Having people with different objectives or goals to yours can be distracting to enable you gather with others

     So it’s one thing to have the notion to gather with others

     Be True to yourself

     Sabìnah Adewole

     As part of the Poetry marathon. 25/06/2022

Well, if I complete this poem, I’m half way there – I can do this – I can get this out and successfully.

There is no real and actual prompt here – but at the same time – I’ve been doing these cute collages between poems and this is kinda inspired by the most recent collage I made.

Poem 12:

My love, it has been far too long since

I’ve sat down and opened these veins for you –

taken all the things going on in my life and

condensed it into a letter that only you would

ever take the time to read, to understand, or

consider responding to. A piece of paper

folded three times to ensure that all the words

get to you – exactly as they were intended to.

And there is a certain level of artistry that

goes into each and every letter mailed out to you –

usually on Fridays so that it will arrive on

Monday when you need it most – because I

have gotten this down to an exact science.

Just for you, for the person I am able to be

between lines of spilled ink and well-considered

intentions – conversations – and authentic questions.

My love, it has been far too long since

I have taken the opportunity to write to you –

and today is the day that shall be remedied.

Once and for all.

-M. Rene’

Sincerelybluejay Poetry

Whether it’s on
A Friday night, after a long work week
Or a Saturday afternoon, post a heavy brunch
Or sometimes, a really free weekday evening

Whether it’s with
The same old gang that always shows up
Or a friend that I haven’t seen in a while
Or just me and mine on a date night

All it takes is
A few text messages
A few drinks and snacks
Some great background music
And of course, the library of games

Somedays, we go back to the time of war
Strategizing quickly on a chessboard
Or picking up Risk, building fleets and launching attacks

Somedays, it’s about finding the enemy
The werewolf, Mordred, or Mafia lurking among us

Somedays, it’s all of us against a common enemy
Preventing a global pandemic or zombies from relentless conquest

And somedays it’s just pure card games
Probability, partnerships, sequences, and a fair bit of luck

Sometimes it’s collegial, sometimes more heated
But there’s never anything a second game cannot fix
So I wait till the next time the opportunity presents
And I know I’ll be the first to jump

Beating, pounding…
Thump… Thump…

Rhythm, cadence…
Thump… Thump…

Constant even sound…
Thump… Thump…

Steady flow…
Thump… Thump…

Moving through the body…
Thump… Thump…

Pumping, pushing…
Thump… Thump…

My heart beating…
For you…
Thump… Thump…

Long day filled with stress
Long week we need some rest
We come together
to partake in friendship
In Gods hands we place our duress

Some bring the food,
Some bring the drinks
Some offer themselves
To iron out the kinks
And Music too provides a link

We open up about life’s troubles
We leave them at the door
No struggles
We come to engage
In moments of friendly escapades

At the end of our gathering
We feel much lighter
Than when we came in
Off we go to face another week
Until we meet again we’ll keep

Life itself is to be enjoyed
So gather with friends
And block out the noise
Healthy moments filled with smiles
That’s what makes this life worthwhile.

~Rebeli

Here on Maui

we poets have a tradition

of beaching our poetry.

We shlub our chairs

across the sand

Wood, backpacks, jackets

Bags, a table, pens and notebooks, dinner, snacks

Booze, Water-bottles.

We make a circle around

Where the campfire will go

We write some poems

We make up challenges on the fly

We eat a cheap meal

The sun sets, we take pictures

Sometimes a whale or two will jump

Turtles peak out of the water

We build that fire

it takes two control freaks and a boy scout.

We pull out our lanterns and book lights,

pocket flashlights and headlamps.

The poems continue.

We share our products

our readings are almost drowned

by the ocean,

the wind and the campers.

We swat the bugs.

Someone starts playing music.

a song we have heard a million times.

Fishermen walk by

they wave their poles hello, like wands

We munch and churn

The wind picks up

then dies down

The sand blows as does the smoke

An ember takes flight, diving into the water.

Airplanes fly overhead.

We write and think.

We tell stories of poets

who have gone before.

As exhaustion overwhelms us,

We douse the fire,

collect the garbage.

We schlep the stuff back to our cars

always parked too far away.

We hug goodby

and drive back home

Bringing the beach in our shoes

I hide her

little comb

in a brown paper.

I see colourful

wraps getting

imported

in our country.

Poor my girl,

she finds comfort

in my darkened hands

cover with coal dust.

If dogs cannot smell

butts they cannot nose well

to determine friend or foe

may as well be in hell.

Our airports, sans sniffers

would send drugs out unhindered

these same dogs, without owners

would be abandoned in hours.

No smell means no joy

taste is marred, meat is spoiled

treats seem like cardboard

training makes canines sore.

Oh, man’s best friend

even that would now end

smell brings these two together

without, this love dies,

bones a-scatter.

– Sandra Johnson, June 25, 2022

content warning: discussion of emotional abuse.

Your anger burns like fire.
I know, because I carry the burns.
My heart is a scarred thing, a fragile thing.
But you don’t scare me anymore.

You lash out. You bite and scream and kick.
I used to rise, to bite back, to run and cry.
Now, I tak a deep breath and stay calm.
You don’t scare me anymore.

You were my entire world.
The sun and moon, the lullabies and bedtime stories.
You gave me everything,
But you don’t scare me anymore.

You mourned a child right in front of them,
Although you eventually changed. You claim it was me, but –
I’ve always been myself, always been kind.
You don’t scare me anymore.

I wish for your happiness,
And continued well-being.
I know you’ve called for me,
But you don’t scare me anymore.

I am growing up, and now I see all the ways you didn’t.
It makes me sad; I didn’t get what I needed.
Your anger is fire, but I am not burned.
You don’t scare me anymore.

Hour 11 – Laughter without writing Laughter

After he spoke

his face turned bright red

whilst holding his sides

tears dripped from his eyes,

those in his company

shared the symptom’s.