In Biafra, when we drank from the tilting
cusps of dank leaves and washed with the spittle
of cassava,
the sun scorched like hell.
Añuruedoahu*, the oasis of war, like worldly
cowrie, stagnant, yet devoid of rural fetish,
calmed our nerves and built in the altar of
our souls hopes of answered prayers.
......
Late, late yestreen I saw the new Moon,
With the old Moon in her arms ;
And I fear, I fear, My Master dear !
We shall have a deadly storm.
Ballad of Sir Patrick Spence
--------------------------------------- ------------------------------------
I
......
Horace: Book I, Ode 11
"Tu ne quaesieris--scire nefas
--quem mihi; quem tibi--"
AD LEUCONOEN
Nay querry not, Leuconoë, the finish of the fable;
Eliminate the worry as to what the years may hoard!
You only waste your time upon the Babylonian Table--
(Slang for the ouija board).
......
Deep in th' abyss where frantic horror bides,
In thickest mists of vapours fell,
Where wily Serpents hissing glare
And the dark Demon of Revenge resides,
At midnight's murky hour
Thy origin began:
Rapacious MALICE was thy sire;
Thy Dam the sullen witch, Despair;
Thy Nurse, insatiate Ire.
The FATES conspir'd their ills to twine,
......
This sad sequence came as aftermath
To the day I gave my goldfish a bath.
She was so happy. There was nary a scowl,
as she got her rubdown with the towel.
Then, into the water she slid -- in the nude,
to swim. A vision of piscatorial pulchritude.
I do get sentimental about a fish so ornamental..
And I knew: for her to flourish, I must properly nourish.
......
I am a little skylark, and God painted my colour brown.
Some people look upon me, and in disappointment frown.
But God has been very wise you see, because I have found
that my colour camouflages me whenever I'm on the ground.
I would not change my colour even if I had the choice.
For God has given this little skylark a wonderful voice.
People look up in wonder whenever I'm on the wing.
as there, high in the sky, my melodious songs I sing.
Swimming in profusion in the Cambrian sea
this lovely creature is so appealing to me.
It's a fossil of variety and surprise
with its simple three lobed shape and compound eyes.
On its primordial feet it scurried around
the ocean floor hunting for food to be found.
Whenever threatened, it would curl into a ball
like a modern cheese hog to escape from it all.
......
In Biafra, when we drank from the tilting
cusps of dank leaves and washed with the spittle
of cassava,
the sun scorched like hell.
Añuruedoahu*, the oasis of war, like worldly
cowrie, stagnant, yet devoid of rural fetish,
calmed our nerves and built in the altar of
our souls hopes of answered prayers.
......
The late spring in the field, the coquelicots are blooming
In this Imjin area, on the vale and hill.
Spring’s coming, the red thieves were looming,
And human-wave attacking, to the Gloster hill.
Here and there, on the hero’s blood,
The flowers’re blooming as the hue of blood.
In this area, one thousand years ago,
The Tang Dynasty Army invaded
And the Silla soldiers blocked their blow.
......
Eight years have come and gone, yet my people still remain blind,
Many a year our leaders shower us with their sugarcoated tongues.
A zillion promises they make now and then, fulfilling none;
Enriching themselves while the poor masses remain indigent.
Poverty in our land has been catapulted, unemployment is now our most High;
A posse of inconsiderate oldies we have as rulers, a bunch of purposeless grandpas.
Need we die before our voices can be heard? Are we even living?
Now and then we pray things be better, but I guess all is but a colossal bummer.
......