When I’m dead and my tombstone is among the press,
More than fame, did I hug the pressed?
More than religion, did I know deep rest
Or just live with my mouth open…
Never having enough?
Will they say I was circular, just because I circulated?
Will they call me gospel, because I mostly showed up in church clothes?
More than “famzing”, did I have family?
More than pain, did bring relief…
or was pointing fingers the point of hands?
The Niel
©2020
Ignite me
Set me off like a bomb, like a traveler
You’re the first step and the last
Breath, breadth and bread
Excite me
Throw me up like a baby in the air
You’re the gum to my laughter
sticking up for me
Sporting fangs for me
Incinerate me
Roar through me like a water out of a dam
Damned to your salvation because you “Ctrl+S’d” me
What am I?
You say I am son
Barabbas, Redeemed, a Winner
But what do you have to gain?
What does the moon have to profit from a lighter?
I am standing here,
with my hands up,
burning with your words.
Full of them, fool of then
Rebellious to the dark
Obedient to delight
and The Light
Waiting in worship, for you
To ignite me and incinerate me
Until I phoenix to your words.
The words that excite me
with the answer.
I am a believer, unable to esc…
Fired from my death
Hired by my life
Waiting…
The Niel
©2020
Flaws or floors, stories or storeys
Moore or more, homey or homie
Capabilities or CaP abilities
I hope this is one of those true testimonies
4 years ago today…
Writer of Everyday Jesus, Blog-leader
About to become Third CEDARS President
Not to boast at all but
what else is counting my blessings
I didn’t return
The Light
It can’t be returned, deny it?
It chooses only those that he made to be about it
Happily happy I’m happening to people
And the Lord is gonna be praised
It’s bound to be said
Grace and peace are multiplied by the knowledge, it read.
How many is that?
The Niel
©2020
“Drink water and mind your business”
The beautiful river of my motherland
Now seems like a wasteland of hopelessness
My business, now more popular than bitcoin
I’m sorry if these waters taste like disappointment
But I won’t apologise for wanting more
I’ve been called worse than Oliver Twist
I’ve had five men in my bed, yes
I own my past, so stop slut shaming
I’ve had five men in my bed,
They all left with a piece of me
Now I live with Shame, our relationship is complicated
At least he’s better than Lust with his flowery words
Who took my innocence and a piece of my heart
Lust was better than Anger,
He sent my family packing
Anger was better than Desperation,
He stripped me of my sanity
Desperation sent me into the arms of Worthlessness
But we just didn’t last
I’d rather not talk about Self Deprecation
As pretentious as anyone with two first names
So I’m sorry the rivers of my motherland
Do not seem to be enough
I was content in my discontentment
Till I met him
As comely as the dew of the morning
His face bright as the sun
And his eyes stripped me of all my layers
When he spoke to me, I felt beautiful
He gave me water from the wells of His being
Then He asked me to bring Shame
And everyone else who’d made my business theirs
So I ran into town screaming
“Drink! Drink!! For out of my belly now flows, rivers of living water!!!”
Miracle Ifechukwu
(c) 2020
First, Silence.
Complete tranquil silence.
Much like the peace in his voice
And the extravagant beauty in his eyes
When he spoke.
Blew me away.
Still, Silence.
Feel the time freeze.
See a thousand bearded jaws hit the ground.
Shock palpable. Eyebrows raised.
Like darkened clouds.
Now… rain.
First a drop. Another. Yet another.
Gathering pace. Pita-pata-piti.
Like ice against hard earth,
From a hailstorm out of season,
So their stones against the ground.
He Writes.
My name, maybe. Yours, maybe.
Or perhaps a million reasons why
Why I, undeserving, as I am,
Should, of mercy, partake.
Oh. Steps.
I never thought I’d hear it
Receding footsteps. With resounding eloquence
Speaking calm to my guilty heart,
Leading away my death deserved.
Silence. Again.
Complete tranquil silence.
Much like this peace in my heart
And the extravagant joy in my soul
When he speaks.
Blows me away.
Woman.
Where are those thine accusers?
Hath no man condemned thee?
No man, Lord.
Neither do I condemn thee.
Beauty.
Oh, what beauty without flaw.
Love. Like Mercy unmerited.
Pouring forth from God’s own lips.
Go, He says, and sin no more.
By Nonso
©2020
Mother of a god, how I birth is a mystery
I don’t need a sword no I cut with my future
Pharoah tried to touch us, I’m hurting that joker bad
Yes, I nurse the prince of Egypt, call me Jochabed
Uh!
Put that kid on the Nile
Pray that God has his time
Miriam keeping an eye
Aaron’s playing outside
Back to work in a jiff
Slave but low-key a priest
Well a priest of a priest.
Uh!
All I did was birth a knot in The Lord’s net
My Kid’s words sting, tell me what’s a Hornet?
Woman of Virtue, first you slave me then you free me
Shey the blacks have done their episode of slavery?
A Daughter of Zion, no be me go revenge
Through my kids I live on, life is about exchange.
The Niel
©2020
Woman:
Lord Lord, them a’ come against me oh
Wanna kii me, but they let my lover go
Trap for you but save me when you save yourself oh
Haters vex because there was a time I said No
Crowd: You say what!??!!
Woman:
Lord, Rabbi, I am sorry I don’t wanna die.
Crowd:
You whore sitting crying like we all care.
When we caught you you were lying like a blanket.
Shey you’re begging now?
Shut your stinking mouth.
Fornicating is bad
But adultery is worse…
Woman:
My marriage was arranged
Random man: You think that makes a change?
Jesus:
Taa
He, who has no sin…
The Niel
©2020
(Commentary by the Author Included)
With his mouth open with horror,
they run among
fragmented boulders of stones,
halfway between father and her,
little girls dressed in nothing,
terrified of strangers,
in the night while he forgets
toys somewhere;
as the father of the arrow,
which he throws straight into the sky
with a call for the innocence of suffering.
BOSNIAN TRANSLATE – Noćna mora
Otvorenim ustima od užasa,
Trče među
Rascjepkanim komadima kamenja,
Na pola puta između oca i nje,
Djevojčice obučene u ništa
Prestravljene od stranca,
U noći dok zaboravlja svoje
Igračke negdje;
Kao otac strijele,
Koje baca ravno u nebo
Uz doziv nevinosti stradanja.
COMMENTARY
The content of the lyrics of this poem hides many metaphors and hidden meanings. This means that the song Nightmare encourages thinking and searching for the deeper meaning of each word. Hidden motifs like “toys” or “arrows” paint the whole picture of trouble. Because of that, the song is called Nightmare. Father and daughter are the figures discussed here. The verses are sorted by pictures of distress. The song has a sad effect and a very important message for the whole world. Likewise, the verses mention innocence. So these people in the song are innocent and want justice for their people. In all this, the worst pictures are watched by children, watched by war, fighting and dying. These kids are dirty and hungry for the whole situation. Therefore, this is a message to the world that we need peace. We see tears and pain in the eyes of children. We are all sensitive to the baby crying that is painted in this song. Here we see salvation in a plea to God that can only help us deal with every problem. For the great God is always with us and always helps us in every trouble. That’s why we need to reach out to him and ask for help. Every believer knows that God always responds to our prayers. This song is a support and a strength for all the people in the world who are hungry and living a bad life! Emotions are stronger than any word!
Bosnian translation
Sadržaj stihova ove pesme krije mnoge metafore i skrivena značenja. To znači da pjesma Noćna mora potiče razmišljanje i traženje dubljeg značenja svake riječi. Skriveni motivi poput “igračaka” ili “strelica” slikaju čitavu sliku problema. Zbog toga se pjesma zove Nightmare. Otac i kćer su ovdje prikazane brojke. Stihovi su razvrstani po slikama nevolja. Pjesma ima tužni efekt i vrlo važnu poruku za cijeli svijet. Isto tako, stihovi spominju nevinost. Znači, ovi ljudi u pjesmi su nevin i žele pravdu za svoj narod. U svemu tome su najgore slike djeca, gledaju ih rat, borbe i umiranja. Ova djeca su prljava i gladna zbog cijele situacije. Stoga je ovo poruka svijetu da nam treba mir. U očima dece vidimo suze i bol. Svi smo osjetljivi na bebino plakanje koje je oslikano u ovoj pjesmi. Ovdje vidimo spasenje u molbi Bogu koja nam može samo pomoći da se riješimo svakog problema. Jer veliki Bog je uvijek s nama i uvijek nam pomaže u svakoj nevolji. Zato mu moramo pružiti ruku i zatražiti pomoć. Svaki vjernik zna da Bog uvijek odgovara na naše molitve. Ova pjesma je podrška i snaga za sve ljude na svijetu koji gladuju i žive loš život! Emocije su jače od bilo koje riječi!
by Benjamin Skomorac
(c) 2020
Christ a poet 