Yasmin

hard A, hard E, hard O I am singing softly again, we are leaving that terrible sea, i salve my wounds and think of rain, but we are never alone, it doesn't take much energy, a witness who can never condone, my new friends are game, Americans don't do uncertainty, different from that other place, i lived there hunting bones, who would want to see, me fighting with scarecrows, my grappling forays, among the poor and diseased, we will all know someday, can we ever ascertain, if nothing scares us really, when we lay aside the rage, what makes us happy ? 6 poems Zanzibar she talks of Baltimore, and what it means to be, outside fire know the score, , measure wine or the law, you can’t wriggle easy, from that institutional core, how it is to be deep certainly not worth a cry, a family on the cheap, She says 'they get me high', as if i'm on a plane, we thank the great divine, for all the blessings he entwines, the sound of rain, windmills on hills nearby, within this sense of ease she says I've had my time, the manner of being done, is itself a celebration, we were't allowed to lie. they will aid our search, throw away the rope, measure distance before we lurch, what messes with your head, they laugh, the dopes, sat in bars making bets, do they think of us as hurt, do they wish upon us death, recognize what's above ? my wrist around her glides, her body limpid, to lay upon the tide, with the herring gulls alone, their faces to the wind of someone else's purlieu, learn to dance don't get blue, ignore those cool untruths, give me just one more time. she dances on Hawaii, thats what she'd like to do How can we ever grow, /is this your last throw it reaches inside you again worms of the cemetery quarantine, resist just the same, they party every night, and you my lover throw, scenes down every lane, skim the lake with stones, each Sunday we know, when sunlight lifts the Poppies, we don't check the Escrow, or make promissory notes, far more than any keep, birds thrum their tune, she pulls at my traces, the moon is her nosegay it haunts her face, other shipwreck look for signs,

Yola

How can you measure love, do you look to the sea, wonder if anything's above, she talks of Baltimore, and what it means to be, outside fire know the score, laughing at the Doves, driving now carefree, away from the shove, measure wine or the law, you can’t wriggle easy, from that institutional core, circumstances of our own blood, bring that guarantee, hotels provide a gentle scrub, serene as a white man's club, she lives on fault lines she tells me, when not to really rub, always act gently. 5 poems how it is to be deep certainly not worth a cry, a family on the cheap, She says 'they get me high', as if i'm on a plane, we thank the great divine, for all the blessings he entwines, the sound of rain, windmills on hills nearby, within this sense of ease she says I've had my time, the manner of being done, is itself a celebration, we were't allowed to lie. they will aid our search, throw away the rope, measure distance before we lurch, what messes with your head, they laugh, the dopes, sat in bars making bets, do they think of us as hurt, do they wish upon us death, recognize what's above ? my wrist around her glides, her body limpid, to lay upon the tide, with the herring gulls alone, their faces to the wind of someone else's purlieu, learn to dance don't get blue, ignore those cool untruths, give me just one more time. she dances on Hawaii, thats what she'd like to do How can we ever grow, /is this your last throw it reaches inside you again worms of the cemetery quarantine, resist just the same, they party every night, and you my lover throw, scenes down every lane, skim the lake with stones, each Sunday we know, when sunlight lifts the Poppies, we don't check the Escrow, or make promissory notes, far more than any keep, birds thrum their tune, she pulls at my traces, the moon is her nosegay it haunts her face, other shipwreck look for signs,

Xavier

She says 'they get me high', as if i'm on a plane, we thank the great divine, for all the blessings he bestows, the sound of the rain, a windmill trying to blow, birds sing in yellow light, you wouldn't know her pain, she says I've had my time, the manner of being done, is itself a quiet celebration, as kids we weren't alone, the Orphanage didn't try, to brush away the stain, she never passed us by, like a Schooner creaks and sighs, or a candle at the flame, she shifted like the tide, marking all our days. Men, the colour of lead, ask us can we cope, if we can be led, they will aid our search, throw away the rope, measure distance before we lurch, what messes with your head, they laugh, the dopes, sat in bars making bets, do they think of us as hurt, , do they wish that death, recognize what's above ? my wrist around her glides, her body limpid, to lay upon the tide, with the herring gulls alone, their faces to the wind of someone else's purlieu, learn to dance don't get blue, ignore those cool untruths, give me just one more time. each sea green evening, she dances on Hawaii, thats what she'd like to do How can we ever grow, /is this your last throw it reaches inside you again worms of the cemetery quarantine, resist just the same, they party every night, and you my lover throw, scenes down every lane, skim the lake with stones, swear what you'd never be, each Sunday again, when sunlight lifts the Poppies, hide her deceit/ a soul not hers to keep certainly not deep, a family she thinks cheap, who don't check their Escrow, than promissory notes, far more than any keep, birds thrum their tune, she pulls at my traces, the moon is her nosegay it haunts her face, other shipwreck signs,

Xanthia

Men, the colour of lead, ask us can we cope, if we can be led, they will aid our search, throw away the rope, measure distance before we lurch, what messes with your head, they laugh, the dopes, sat in bars making bets, do they think of us as hurt, at the Metro in New York, look at us like dirt, my ticket to the Med, is purely based on hope, not how big my cred, do they wish that death, on trains in rooms as we know, comes only from the bed, look at me like gravestones. recognize what's above ? my wrist around her glides, her body limpid, to lay upon the tide, with the herring gulls alone, their faces to the wind of someone else's purlieu, learn to dance don't get blue, ignore those cool untruths, give me just one more time. each sea green evening, she dances on Hawaii, thats what she'd like to do How can we ever grow, /is this your last throw it reaches inside you again worms of the cemetery quarantine, resist just the same, they party every night, and you my lover throw, scenes down every lane, skim the lake with stones, swear what you'd never be, each Sunday again, when sunlight lifts the Poppies, hide her deceit/ a soul not hers to keep certainly not deep, a family she thinks cheap, who don't check their Escrow, than promissory notes, far more than any keep, birds thrum their tune, she pulls at my traces, the moon is her nosegay it haunts her face, other shipwreck signs,

Veronica

When is the time to give, do we need the rain, fail to show us love, and you my lover, with your laughing ways, under yellow covers, how do we live, knowing not what to say, praying that's enough, rub a stone or piece of wood, as if to create, a little bit of wonder, what's wrong with being different, it's not our place, to get a blaze to shift, maybe not even our gift, even on holidays, to live without cliffs, recognize what's above ? my wrist around her glides, her body limpid, to lay upon the tide, with the herring gulls alone, their faces to the wind of someone else's purlieu, learn to dance don't get blue, ignore those cool untruths, give me just one more time. each sea green evening, she dances on Hawaii, thats what she'd like to do How can we ever grow, /is this your last throw it reaches inside you again worms of the cemetery quarantine, resist just the same, they party every night, and you my lover throw, scenes down every lane, skim the lake with stones, swear what you'd never be, each Sunday again, when sunlight lifts the Poppies, hide her deceit/ a soul not hers to keep certainly not deep, a family she thinks cheap, who don't check their Escrow, than promissory notes, far more than any keep, birds thrum their tune, she pulls at my traces, the moon is her nosegay it haunts her face, other shipwreck signs,

Victoria

Who will tend her bones, how beautiful her kiss, does a river wash the stones, my wrist around her glides, her body limpid, to lay upon the tide, with the herring gulls alone, their faces to the wind, white breasts atone, blue notes a soul on fire, for the Cormorants we miss, at Christmas times in mire, their flight is almost known, black scissors hunt for fish, her moonlit eyes are gone, she asks where is home, remembers every broken promise, including what is known, gently makes her wish. How can we ever grow, /is this your last throw it reaches inside you again worms of the cemetery quarantine, resist just the same, they party every night, and you my lover throw, scenes down every lane, skim the lake with stones, swear what you'd never be, each Sunday again, when sunlight lifts the Poppies, hide her deceit/ a soul not hers to keep certainly not deep, a family she thinks cheap, who don't check their Escrow, than promissory notes, far more than any keep, birds thrum their tune, she pulls at my traces, the moon is her nosegay it haunts her face, other shipwreck signs, of someone else's purlieu, learn to dance don't get blue, ignore those cool untruths, give me just one more time. what comes to meet you, the decks that grace her due, each sea green evening, she dances on Hawaii, thats what she'd like to do

Verity

How can we ever grow, when our bodies list and ache, if not by winter's groan, worms of the cemetery quarantine, resist just the same, they party every night, and you my lover throw, scenes down every lane, skim the lake with stones, swear what you'd never be, each Sunday again, when sunlight lifts the Poppies, how beautiful are your bones, your neck as it cranes, betrayed as my torso falls, soldiers never act alone, their faces to the rain, someone far from home, never feels the pain. hide her deceit/ a soul not hers to keep certainly not deep, a family she thinks cheap, who don't check their Escrow, than promissory notes, far more than any keep, birds thrum their tune, scientists of a global nigh, your mother prays to atone, kids on yellow block reel regular as the five and dime, she pulls at my traces, the moon is her nosegay it haunts her face, shudder with each wine, think of the next engagement, in the evening gloom, other shipwreck signs, of someone else's purlieu, learn to dance don't get blue, ignore those cool untruths, give me just one more time. what comes to meet you, the decks that grace her due, each sea green evening, she dances on Hawaii, thats what she'd like to do