Original Work by Justice Chikandamina
WHY I CAME
I came not to serve
Or to be a slave
But to be a master
I came not be ruled
Or to be governed
But to be a conqueror
I came not to surrender
Or to submit
But to be a mighty warrior
I came not to give away
Or to sacrifice and offer what is mine
But to claim back what is mine.
Copyright ©2010 Justice
Original Work by Andre Alexis
Like the wind your elegance holds no form, yet your beauty channels the winds energy as does that desolate windmill on a baron hillside.
One might say your energy can't be contained, that your aura is untamed like a fire moving at a ravenous pace.
I want to be consumed by the fire which is you, let the flicker of your flames cast enough lite to guide me to your souls genesis.
It's been said that for life to flourish water must be available in abundance;for she is the water well who has given birth to all that is life.
Through alchemy I will try and duplicate the beauty and power that is ideally you. So much is still a mystery, with time on my side I hope to explore all of your bodies terrain before your erased and your remains can't be traced.
Copyright ©2010 Andre Alexis
ORIGINAL WORK BY JOE LUIS SANTIAGO
Respect Me
Respect me because I am a person just as you are, because in order to receive it, you must give it, because I work hard and I am loyal, because of I've proven my worth, because I do all you ask, because I back-up my words with my actions, because I deserved to be as do you, because all the things I do, because we are equals, because I give it back, because who I am is true, because no matter the odds, I always overcome, for who I am, and not for who I'll be, Respect me because I can and will achieve.
Original Work By Shantria Anderson-Artist Lounge South
STANDING DEADHere stands the remains of a young lady
Who poured her all. The kind fact is no maybe.
See, she put her heart and soul into everything
Only to get it smacked down... drowned out of Earth's ears as her sorrow sings.
Cause of death? None other than love.
Love for art. Praying for your strength to the Lord above.
For her, it was about more than what you may think.
Never about her. Carrying on your burdens, she began to sink...
Into the sea of despair.
Seeing what had become of her love broke her... Shattered her beyond repair.
Clues were provided. The truth was never hidden.
Don't look shocked, for she sees the payback you have give.
Silent tears held back. She tried to keep strong,
But Forever wouldn't hold on. His grip wasn't that long.
What's the moral? You still haven't gotten it through your head?
Here is a poet... and artist... who gave her all. Now standing before you...
Dead.
Copyright ©2010 Shantria Anderson
ORIGINAL WORK BY LUKATA YOUNG
Did u deny me?
They say that curses and passed down through generations
so I ask are, you the cause of my frustrations?
Did you say I am not your son?
even when momma said you were the only one?
What made you pick up and run?
Some say it was drugs, but what have I done?
Did u deny my face that's like yours?
Was it to frolic with whores?
Did I hurt your dreams?
If not, why is that what it seems?
Did u deny me?
For years I denied you.
Refused to be like you.
How can I understand u?
See, I denied the lies
now I reject your cries.
Feel the pain through my eyes
in the mirror I see you
and its me I start to despise...
Did u deny me?
Road to Liberation
We seek it daily while reaching and teaching the younger
that when it rains it pours, but you can’t let it take you under
No longer stuck in a trap
looking back at the world with open eyes that were once blind, in fact
we lost years for that
We’ve packed prisons for that
We’ve lost children or we raised them just the same
That is nothing nice or sane
through these nights of pain
we pray that the morning ends the mourning
but it's feeling the same
How can we change?
Make it for better instead of the worse this time and rise up out of the hurt?
Can we get it straight and break every constraint on our brains
we're in modern day chains
It becomes simple and plain when we're tempted to blame
another race for the things we've got to change
inside of our own minds
acknowledge our own times
and promise we die in vain
Time gets harder and shorter the longer you live, that's how it is
we've got to survive for all the kids
Infact, parents outliving their children is really ill and it's really for real in my city
we stand still and watch with pity
still too busy to feel that we've all got a problem, "they shot him and he's probably killed". We see the news and read the papers about all the hatred
we're living the blues like Billie Holiday sang it
And she sang them too well
so if we're singing them similar
we are not living well.
Poetic Development of the Moment
Renowned Poetry Festival coming to Newark, NJ.
Newark will host largest poetry event in North America, the 2010 Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, October 7-10. With an expectation of over 20,000 attendees, The Dodge Poetry Festival will add a new chapter to the rich cultural history of Newark and will continue to manifest Newark’s status as a world-class destination for entertainment and the arts. More info will be relayed in the near future.
