Extended Editions 2020 – Whispers and Echoes

How Dare You? | Peter Matthews

December 7, 2020

I really am very offended

that you will not think as I do

My opinion’s the one that should matter

why should anyone listen to you

All that you say is just rubbish

it’s plain you are just a buffoon

If the men in white coats do not know yet

be assured that they will very soon

I’m reporting you now to the agents

who police all these matters of state

I’m sure they’ll agree with the things that I say

that your mind is just twisted with hate

And if I can’t prove that you’re evil

I’ll just make up stories that tell

you are obviously wrong in all that you think

and you’ll surely be going to hell

I’ll laugh as they take you to prison

and make sure your family go too

You will ne’er again make that silly mistake

of not thinking the way that I do!

Peter Matthews, a country boy at heart, lives with his wife and British Shorthair cat in the suburbs of Nottingham, England. His greatest achievement is that he has aged fairly gracefully but has avoided growing up. Peter has written poetry from the age of sixteen and blogs regularly at www.pollymermaid.wordpress.com.

Flawless | Monica St Hillaire

December 4, 2020

Walk in the naked truth; the bare and absolute,
Falsehood will never endure.
That armoured attire is in vain.
Purity will unveil both day and night,
No grey clouds hang overhead.
Sterile and unpolluted from infectious deceit.
Clear as a sublime waterfall; watch me as I float.
Can’t you see these streets of white?
Do you not feel serenity at your beckon call?
Leave imperfections by the wayside,
They hold no value here.
Purged from all malice; weightless is the feeling.
How do you sleep now that both eyes are shut?
Walk in the naked truth; the bare and absolute,
May honesty always be your guide.

An aspiring writer with a love for all forms of poetry. Haiku she hopes to one day master, both traditional and modern. Writing has always been a passion of hers. Her ambition is to be the best wordsmith she can be. TWITTER: @MonicaHillaire, INSTAGRAM: judysthillaire

Out of Order | Ju-Lyn Tan

December 2, 2020

For Cao Fei’s Fu Cha

hush

hums

cradle

rock rock rock against the shadow

rock against splintered day

i left a girl splashing tears

for promise of shelter

to the brave men who

raise sail to catch the moon

reflected in mirror pool

echo after me

in my eyes

at my feet

filling the vessel

rock against stillness

towards bolstered rest

echo

….

…

..

me

Ju-Lyn Tan lives in Singapore. She aspires to share joy and beauty through her writing. She is a regular contributor to Visual Verse: An Anthology of Art & Words, and has poems in “Contour: A Lyric Cartography of Singapore” and “Seven Hundred Lines: a Crown of Found/Fount Sonnets”.

Blogsite: https://purplepumpernickelblog.wordpress.com/

More Than Equal | Peter Matthews

November 30, 2020

I’d like to take a moment of your time if I may

to tell of the stupidity of man

For those who would demand that equal rules apply

you’re welcome to add wo when you can

It seems to me I’m stupid and I really should take care

for political correctness should enthuse

but to me a man’s a man and a woman surely can

do anything and anyone she choose

I’ve long espoused the thought that a woman really ought

be in charge of everything that is in sight

It seems to me it could, and if left to me it would

be enshrined in law and be a natural right

The world will surely wake and each of us partake

in a life that has equality at heart

and those bastions of hate that simply can’t relate

should be burned and then extinguished with a fart

You may think this extreme but modern life is mean

and the haves have had it much too much I think

It’s time equality reached down to you and me

It’s time the have nots saved us from the brink!

A Love Like No Other | Monica St Hillaire

November 27, 2020

I am your chosen vessel,
That brought you safely to shore…
I am your shield and armor,
My solemn duty, to protect you,
From the ills of this world.
I am your comforter,
Solace is always abundant,
In my arms.
I am your pillar,
Draw strength from me,
For I have been waiting…
Oh, my sweet child,
Mere words can never explain…
This immeasurable and unconditional,
Love I feel for you.
The day you were born,
I was also reborn.
INTO YOUR MOTHER!
My crowning glory… I will never falter.
Know that I will bestow these feelings,
To infinity and beyond… I LOVE YOU.

Adrift | Ju-Lyn Tan

November 25, 2020

for Pulau Sudong, a tiny island off the southern coast of Singapore

inspired by Forrest Gander’s “Anniversary”

casting out still reeling from heady hash

whiff of scaley waft wet lumber

grates against tender fingers

sweet acrid fumes swirl riot

turn reel let out line

taut pressure on watch

splayed horizon splits sight

blurry dizzy motion churns

repast into buttered wave

emptied bowels bleed along

cracked grain of smooth board

flesh torn but tempers hold

(because I do not want to be known always by my wounds)

on the precipice

where choices are made

one more breath

one more step

clawing – ineffective against glass

seeking – purchase against innocence

because I do not want your words to define me