Category: Poems

THE CANDLE

YOU

are the candle
that ignites passion
so fiercely in my chest.

The flickering flame
radiating rays of hope
to brighten my nightmares.

Your scent purifies
the atmosphere around
to arouse my senses.

That enduring fire
warming my nudity
without charring skin.

As your supple wax
slowly slides downwards,
it helps to solidify me.

My brightest light
on clouded nights
when the stars shy away.

 

 

K.G. says…
A conscious departure from my usual style of poetry [because I ran out of rhymes!]. The structure and subject matter also afforded me the opportunity to be a bit visually artistic. Notice how the verses are positioned in the shape of a candle, with the “YOU” highlighted like a flame? Yes, I think I deserve some accolades for that to be honest!
Anyway, who is the “YOU” in this piece? Could it be a romantic interest, family member, friend, mentor or God himself? Well, that’s up to the reader to interpret. Essentially it comes down to whoever is your shining light in moments of darkness. This is an ode to the lights in our lives. Let’s appreciate them.

NO CHILD IS BORN A VILLAIN

No child is born a villain
No preconceptions of dishonesty and killing
Moulded instead by traumas and teachings
As strife skews perceptions and feelings
Driven to leave behind unpleasant legacies
Pain makes the heart beat at frantic frequencies
Causing the mind to delve in dark fantasies
That brew hatred and wicked tendencies

No child is ever born evil
Rather, a warped world changes people
Same world which punishes the feeble
And pierces innocence with its poisoned needle
Villainy is a curse that society created
Through mankind’s immoralities regenerated
Conscience increasingly becomes understated
Whilst dark arts are exhibited and exonerated

 

 

K.G. says…
One of the most important jobs we ever have in our lives is how we raise children. Whether you decide not to have children or never get the opportunity to become a parent or guardian, the responsibility falls on every adult to set a good example for young people.
We learned our mother tongues by hearing and mimicking the languages spoken by grown ups. In a similar vein, minors often imitate and pick up on the behaviours and attitudes they see around them. Rather than writing off some young individuals as “lost causes”, we, as adults, should instead consider what we can do to positively influence their outlook as well as the environment they’re growing up in.

TRIPLE H

An aspect of humanity that triggers my outrage
Is the millions wrestling to survive – the Triple H
The homeless, the hungry and the heartbroken
Burning in a hell on earth and left smoking

Saddening that some people live on the street
Pressed to the corners like the world’s trying to delete
Meanwhile vast wealth is stored by the elite
Yet poverty is nowhere near to being obsolete

Maddening that “third-world” children struggle to find food
As their lands are mined for minerals and drilled for crude
People dying from starvation with no crumbs on the plate
Elsewhere, fat cats undergo surgeries to lose weight

If justice was granted, the innocent wouldn’t be wronged
But they are forsaken to feel like they never belonged
Can society be deemed successful if so many are ailing?
Damning reality is that the whole world is failing

As mother nature is outgrown by her human seedlings
Some seedlings shoot at the expense of their siblings
A survival of the fittest unlike any other species
Sucking life and blood out of fellow humans like leeches

 

 

K.G. says…

There are too many injustices in the world with a lot of them being man-made. One of them is the degree of disparity in wealth and opportunity among classes and nations. The very essence of human nature [ambition, greed, laziness, selfishness, etc.] means there can never be a ideal world for all. No social or political system can be put in place which is perfect for every person’s needs but it’s still a damning reflection on society as a whole that some people have to endure the worst of conditions.
The evolutionary theory of “survival of the fittest” in the animal kingdom gives a disadvantage to those born physically weaker. However, for human beings, that seems to have transpired into “survival of the richest”, and that is even unfairer. Does that make us worse than the other animals?

A 10 (A TEN)

Are my chances high or nought? Let me know
Give me a chance and cross the nought; tic-tac-toe
Not shy to taste your lips in the open; alfresco
Because totty you’re a 10 like Francesco

I’ll let go of all others if you’re mine to hold
Take me off the market because I’m already sold
You won’t carry burdens, I’ll lighten the load
Darling, you’re A 10 like Great Cambridge Road

Go 10! You’re on another level like a Super Saiyan
Not rich but if you want attention, I’ll keep paying
My persistence is born out of will, like Jaden
I prayed to find a 10, now I can say Amen

 

 

K.G. says…
A paper-and-pencil children’s game. Outdoor eating. An Italian football [soccer] legend. A dual carriageway in North London. A character from a Japanese anime. Hollywood father and son. What do all these seemingly random things have in common?… Absolutely nothing.
However, I was in the mood for a bit of wordplay and popular culture references so they all came in handy. If Shakespeare (through Romeo) can compare Juliet to a summer’s day, then why not compare a fair maiden to a tarmac road in North London?!
Disclaimer for the PC brigade: I don’t actually believe that women’s appearance (or men’s for that matter) should be numerically rated. This is purely light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek flattery; and NOT intended to be misogynistic.

BEYOND THESE WALLS

Beyond these walls, the world waits in stow
Climb high mountains and crawl valleys below
Unplug from the walls, let new energies flow
Outside the comfort zone is where we grow

Tread the uncharted in search of challenges
Freedom’s often found in fresh experiences
Steer from the safety net to simulate senses
Thorns must be picked before smelling roses

Sway in sunshine, sandstorms and snowfalls
Camping in the comfort is where life stalls
Embrace the elements for when destiny calls
There’s more to discover beyond these walls

 

 

K.G. says…
I sort of wrote this to inspire and motivate myself as much as anything – to take a few more risks and stop putting off doing certain things. It is easy for us to create convenient (yet feeble) excuses as to why we shouldn’t embrace a new challenge or try harder to maximise our potential.
Many of us often say “I’ll do it tomorrow or next week/month/year” only to find another reason to reschedule when the time comes. Opportunities rarely find us while we quietly hide away. Therefore it is up to each of us to get up, go out there and chase our dreams. We have to live it to achieve it.

BEAUTIFUL IN ANY LANGUAGE

Her beauty is easily apparent through the eyes
Though it’s not the only way she can mesmerise
As gracious as she is gorgeous; pleasant surprise
Could compliment continuously and speak no lies
An alluring outer aura alongside a warm inner glow
Presence that raises smiles when spirits are low
A queen who oozes radiance from crown to toe
Beautiful in any language – nzuri, jamila, beau

Her glamour entices effortlessly, for it’s so natural
Entwined with a persona as pure as a rare mineral
Various virtues to offer beyond just the physical
Withholding appreciation for her would be criminal
Truly one of a kind; she embodies the old adage
Able to fill a hollow heart and tame a rogue savage
She inspires healing where there’s been damage
Aulelei, sundar, mooi – beautiful in any language

 

 

K.G. says…
Quite possibly my personal favourite of all the poems I’ve written. A lot of my readers also seem to like it. And to answer a question which has been asked of me several times… yes, it was inspired by someone that I know (or at least how I once saw that someone). 
The piece is a tribute to an almost flawless figure; an appreciation of every aspect of her being. To that extent, the term “language” in this context doesn’t simply refer to spoken tongues. Rather, it encompasses everything that makes her [the subject] who she is – her outward appearance, character, values, influence on her environment, etc. Simply put, she possesses beauty in every way conceivable. Now all I have to figure out is where/how to meet such a mythical individual for real!

SIN TO WIN

Good souls turn bad and lose their sense of self
When they’re drawn to lust for advertised wealth
They disregard their morals, values and health
Whilst sinning for material things under stealth

Transformations range from gradual to abrupt
Souls so pleasant until they become corrupt
Painfully sad how integrity can end up bankrupt
As materialism makes vanity and envy erupt

Focus shifts to the quickest route to a payday
And deciding which riches to put on display
But the sinful deeds done, they neglect to say
In an effort to keep guilt and judgment at bay

Flesh warm in lavish clothes yet souls are freezing
However much they attain, there is no easing
Though they risk getting harmed or going to prison
They sin more and more, the rewards are pleasing

Perhaps they had little and went for long without
May explain why they worship money, so devout
Whether that’s justified is very much in doubt
But, for them, sinning to win is what life’s about

 

 

K.G. says…
This piece addresses an issue which is increasingly prevalent in today’s society, particularly among younger generations. Materialism and consumerism have taken over to the extent that (nearly) everyone wants to be seen as having “made it” in life. Success only seems to be measured by financial riches and those unable to showcase wealth are sadly seen as “losing”.
Consequently, it is becoming acceptable and justifiable to make money and material gains via whichever means possible. There is now little regard for how someone “makes it” – be it whether it is illegal, immoral or comes at a cost to themselves and others.

WHEN THE BEST THING FALLS

Someone somewhere once uttered this phrase
That good things fall apart so better things can fall in place
However sometimes even the best thing also fails
When everything is on track then goes off the rails
Sweetest experience turns sour, leaving a bitter taste
As a treasured aspect of living is reduced to waste

Good things are never supposed to last for too long
But the best things were not expected to ever do wrong
Like when true love betrays and suddenly takes leave
A dagger through the heart that was hidden up a sleeve
Sense of irreplaceable loss, an unfillable void
When the best thing falls and deep sorrows are buoyed

 

 

K.G. says…
“Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together” is a quote attributed to Marilyn Monroe, which I once really liked. Yet at the time of writing this piece, I was thought it was absolute bollocks nonsense.
Sometimes the things we cherish most in our lives (be it a friendship, love, an opportunity or ideology) can go awry without warning. In those moments, we can easily fall into the trap of overlooking every other positive and feeling at our lowest. I suppose it’s a lesson not to base all happiness on a single thing for it can be taken away. Rather, we should look within ourselves, first and foremost, for our source of happiness.

SHEROES (THERE IS NO OTHER)

Mother, there is no other comparable
My very first heroine, so honourable
Sheltered me warmly at my most vulnerable
until I was strong enough to enter this world
Without your guidance I’d not have excelled
Gratitude for your sacrifices is forever held

Lover, there is no other in whom I’d confide
My fiercest heroine fighting by my side
During my darkest battles, you do not hide
Together, we’re ready to take on any test
Urging me to be better, you bring out my best
You could have given up but you do not rest

Daughter, there is no other to give my life for
My newest heroine, so sweet and pure
The hope you’ve given leaves me in awe
Weight of the world, I’ll shoulder the pressure
to see you shine bright like precious treasure
My love for you is infinite without measure

 

 

K.G. says…
To clarify, I don’t have a daughter [any offspring in general] or indeed a lover [*sad face*] at the time of posting this. However I wanted to write something in celebration of women and girls. With all the focus (and rightly so) on harassment and gender inequality in the last  few years, I opted for an appreciative approach. Without women, “there is no other” to make life complete. [See what I did there?]
Now, before the PC brigade challenges me to a duel, I am fully aware that the roles females in society are not limited to those aforementioned. Women have been, should be, and are empowered to do anything that they want to. The poem is merely from my sole perspective on who I believe are/will be the three most important women in my own life, on a personal relationship level.

DYING DREAM

Despite the innocence and optimism of youth
Yearning for a time when hardship will soothe
In comes the learning of discomforting truth
Nefariously dashing hopes in a manner uncouth
Growing wise induces pain like the wisdom tooth

Daring to believe that one day all will be better
Rainstorms flood fantasies as tears get wetter
Eons pass by while soft skin toughens to leather
Ambition become inhibition, curbed by a fetter
Mourn in silence for the disenchanted go-getter

 

 

K.G. says…
You saw what I did there, right?  From a creative perspective, this is one of the poems I’m most proud of because it was more challenging to complete than I anticipated. I’d set myself the task of writing a piece in which the title would be spelt using the first letters of every line – and it also had to rhyme.
There is also meaning beyond its aesthetic appeal. As most of us get older, many of the high hopes we once had gradually become diluted and fade. Reality bites and life comes at us fast. We grow older to become less carefree and more cautious. Although we go on to achieve other things, there remain aspects of life we wished had (or expected to) turn out differently. I wanted to try and capture the feeling associated with unfulfilled dreams.