Don Beukes: Poetry (Western Voices 2021)

Bio: Don Beukes is a South African, British and EU writer. He is the author of 'The Salamander Chronicles’, 'Icarus Rising-Volume 1’ (ABP), an ekphrastic collection and ‘Sic Transit Gloria Mundi’ (Concrete Mist Press). He taught English and Geography in both South Africa and the UK. His poetry has been anthologized in numerous collections and translated into Afrikaans, Persian, French, Kreole (Mauritius) and Albanian. He was nominated by Roxana Nastase, editor of Scarlet Leaf Review for the 'Best of the Net' in 2017 as well as the Pushcart Poetry Prize (USA) in 2016. He was published in his first SA Anthology ‘In Pursuit of Poetic Perfection’ in 2018 (Libbo Publishers) and his second 'Cape Sounds' in 2019 (Gavin Joachims Publishing Cape Town). He is also an amateur photographer and his debut Photographic publication appeared in Spirit Fire Review in June 2019.

Sleepwalking

 

Mustard sunrise scorching eyes

time for this daily structured ordered expected

life – Get up get ready fit your chosen mask

your daily ritual now second nature but do you

know who you still are?

Blink breathe scream rage echoes of cream

nightmares sinking feelings forgotten murmurs

emotional scars not healing – Rush hush

join the daily brainwashed throng avoid acid

stares join the pavement chess burning chest

flaming stress strangers in obvious distress

Secret glares yearning for kind eyes if only

for just one human connection before succumbing

to an inevitable permanent emotional culling...

 

 

 

Hymn of Humanity

 

Daily rising hymns of utter despair

as nations struggle to survive to thrive –

Their morality shaken their leaders failing

causing shared helpless wailing reverberating

throughout our global village reaching the

highest peaks echoing our fervent urgent

existential pleas for assistance deliverance

but what about the children?

Their cries rise above the clouds hoping

and praying for a God their God our God any God

to answer if only just a sign that a higher spiritual

power exists to soothe fermenting hopelessness

in this deepening startling bottomless abyss –

How to absorb this?

Corrupt governments inept governance failing

mentalities profiting from ill-conceived ideas thrusting

their dishonest verbal spears into willing soulless ears.

A rising chorus of desperation across global nations

Yearning for freedom equality acceptance understanding

and shared profits but all they hear are false notes

of empty promises from rehearsed insincere speeches...

 

 

We the Children

 

You urge us to educate ourselves but your

mismanagement of the society we exist in

ring alarm bells we cannot ignore amidst this

global cultural societal war we are trapped in –

You mute our voices prevent our choices

Yet we unite despite your pathetic attempts to

divide us silence us mute us ignore us –

We are determined and resolved to heal the scars

you now leave us but your selfish arrogance prevents

our foretold liberty march to gain momentum

our resistant  multi-coloured flags surely must convince

you of our seriousness to oust your warped chirality

your unfounded claims of our necessary liberty gains!

Our defiant freedom songs we hope will penetrate

your hardened stubborn hearts – If only you would

open your darkened hearts to our final chorus!

We are here. We live here. We breathe here.

We share the same sphere. Our legacy determines

your healed mentality. We rise! We unite!

Now you need to allow us to save you to save us

As we congregate for a new era of peace of humility

of unity of shared dreams of common decency of

shared experiences of urgency to heal humanity...

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Western Voices 2021 :: Setu, February 2021