A Centurion Speaks

Over one hundred years, here, have I stood
One hundred years which have been great and good
And though I am old, I am not yet frail
Instead, my heart beats: loud, hearty and hale

Numerous friends I have, since, come to know
And our friendships still continue to grow
For they recall me each time they do re-unite
And remember the days we spent, sunny and bright

On my part, I oft remember those cheery young lads
Their whims, their fancies, their ever-changing fads
But, as constant as the sea that massages my back
For cheery pranks, laughter and music I never do lack

With me, these young boys, did many lessons learn
In their achievements, my heart with pleasure does burn
And I continue to swell with such joy and pride
For I hear tales of their success from corners wide

Those days, I remember, when on the sunny sports field
In competitive combat many ‘weapons’ they would wield
So that their team could,its flag, fly vibrantly high
As earnest enthusiasts would, loud support, vigorously cry

My memory is indeed a glittering treasure chest
For I remember many a vibrant, cultural fest
Of debates, drama and quizzes that I still admire
Of music, songs and a band that played with fire

Over one hundred years, here, still I live
One hundred years, with much more to give
Earnest young lads the tools with which to rule
A world of ambition that begins, with me, their school

That continues to stand, here, on Santhome High Road
To provide future learners with a lovely, warm abode
So that, they will, in their actions, words and deeds
Be true ambassadors of me - their school - St Bede’s.

Shades of Immortality

Mortal:
With shades of immortality

We live on
By having been the people we are.

Mortal:
With shades of immortality

Our presence lingers
For having done the things we have.

Mortal:
With shades of immortality

We are remembered
In the tales our children tell theirs.

Mortal:
With shades of immortality

We are:

Humans who have made a difference!

The Casino of LIfe

You now move on to the playing fields of life
Where every move you make is – with risk –rife
Where change boasts of being the only constant
A terrible tyrant , fickle in a capricious instant.

And, in this game, chances you will have to take
For with them, fortunes you can make or break.
Either with a single, quick sleight of hand
Or with poker-faced patience, your cards command

At times you will have to go all out on a limb
Even though that streak of luck seems rather dim
For it seems better to give it all you’ve got
Than to simply sit and wait on naught

There will also be times when your luck rides high
And the prospect of success draws well on nigh
Go ahead, then, and give it all your very best
Play your cards right, not too close to your chest

At times high risk, will with great charm invite
You to share its rewards so sparkling bright
Then, remember your options to wisely weigh
So that you get the chance to play another day.

At times, you will have to on the table throw
And to wily opponents , your cards, show
For the game then demands some transparency
Tricks up your sleeve, for the world to see.

Show no fear, but all your worth bravely stake
On playing a move that will surely make
People admire your spirit, your dash and dare
At the courage you show when your luck is bare.

Yet, at times, you might, a rather poor hand play
And the next round seems dull, depressingly grey
Stop, reflect, – so that, this error you will not make
When you do, a brand new deck, quietly break

Laugh, smile, enjoy every game that you play
Energetically revel in every risk-fraught day
So that you can proudly exclaim with a final sigh
“I leave the casino of life with my fortune riding high. “

DICHOTOMY

It travels paths rarely ventured
A pioneer of exploration and discovery

Yet,

It retraces roads already taken
A curator of nostalgia and reminiscence


It traverses peaks of persuasion
An ardent believer in its ability

Yet,

It plods deserts of depression
A sceptic of existence and experience

It bridges diverse landscapes
A diplomat with sense and sensitivity

Yet,

It forges chasms of conflict
An envoy of odious malice.


It flies on the wings of liberation
A cartographer of new towns and cities

Yet,

It stagnates in the cesspool of decay
The plunderer of houses and humanity


For,

Its uniqueness
Is
Its dichotomy

The natural polarity
Of
The human mind.

Collective Memory

I am?

I am
A tribute to human emotion
A stain pressed by time
A teardrop caught between the pages of a book
As one human emphasised with another.

I am
A trigger of human passion
An impression influenced by time
A debate that leaped from the pages of a book
As one human argued with another.

I am
A spark of human imagination
A fire kindled by time
An innovation created from the end of a book
As one human inspired another.

I am
An account of human history
A tale detailed by time
A saga collected in a library of books
As one human conversed with another.

I am?

I am
The question and the answer
The collective memory of our humanity.

I am
Literature.

A Spark

I lurk
In the shadows
Of history

I sweat
In the hotbed
Of politics

I throb
In the heart
Of journalism

I sashay
On the screens
Of showbiz

I feast
On the smorgasbord
Of gossip

I knock
On the doors
Of stealth

I am…
A minefield
Of passion

I am…
A lectern
For debate

I am…
Controversy

A spark
That determines
Human interest.

Chaos

When chaos ensues
Confusion reigns
Yet,
In the midst of it all
We still remain sane.

We rise above it
And restore order
To prove
In the midst of it all
That in our hearts, nerves and mind

We celebrate the spirit of our humanity.

I

I create...
Change.

In inspire...
Inventions.

I launch...
Careers.


I spark...
Love.


I preserve...
Decline.


I incite...
Riots.


I wreck...
Lives.


I stir...
Hatred.


I am...
A moment
That makes the difference.

Poetry

Poetry is…
The drama of our emotions
Spurred by the experiences of life
Recorded in words destined for posterity.

IT

It dares…
To dream.

It recognizes …
Possibilities.

It relishes…
Challenges.

It overcomes…
Obstacles.

It wants…
To be different.

It strives…
To achieve.

It fosters
Change.

It creates
History.

It is…

The Spirit of our Humanity
For it brings ideas to life.
And shapes this world
Into what we want it to be.

History

A phrase that transformed our race
A speech that took us to war

An act that broke down barriers
A declaration that divided nations

A shot that fired our imaginations
A shell that tore us apart

An entente that offered us hope
A pact that drove us to despair

History is

A moment that defines our world
The collective memory of our humanity.

Paradise

Paradise

We thrust ourselves on you
Greedily grabbing, ungraciously groping
Clamorously clawing, indiscriminately defiling
Every vestige of your dignity.


We hurl ourselves at you
Rudely ravaging, rowdily rummaging
Perspiring and panting, lusty and lecherous
To possess you in your entirety


Yet, we feel no shame

For

Raping the world we live in.

For

Being the architects of a ghetto

That once was

Paradise.