A mind filled by the heart sees a world full of beauty and compassion.

Contents

. ignorance . intensity . indignity . iniquity

Indignity

to enact baseness

to conduct unworthiness

to impatiently dominate

GIRLFRIEND

Green grass growsand confused birds chirpin the wee hours I'm wokebreathing in the snow dampened midnight speckled by starsI look across the roomat my friend and seewe are the women that shinea line of reflect radianceturned my head in a mid slumber gaze indifferent while wakingwe know we are what mattersto each anotherso when those boystoss out their cat callsrisking their lives for proximityto my thighsalways find themselves surprisedwhen I or she turns aroundeven as we be walkin' and talkin'taking life in stridetogether we know we goarm in arm, near and farletting the other take turnsin keeping each others’ coasts clear.

ABSTRUSE AMORE

Insecurity dictated decisions have others quick to forget when leaving said, happy placesto become acquainted by said, bad spaces

where clinging hard and pushing often results in also, two, as well as in the one painfully bruised reputation.

Fear not for friends of good souls eventually do grow- a bloom for only thosewho remained through the rain tenderly, can know.

Go on fighting, thinking, nothing across the line of neatly formed words already waiting in a rowas a hammer and coralfor the often orated codesalso known as metaphortakes great interest in the compounding poundsof hearts webbed in lies—

These qualities must not be confusedwith byway blossoms delivered via fairy tale sweet nothings eventually realising the golden splendour of everything

despite conceding—

The we aregetting along just fine

does only half but draw

what needs fully sketched out

to be known as the defining, though dissipating lines

between aches of want and needbleed

into the history of unfurling flow some histories in full gear reverse forever

unfurling the beach sandsso many climbed faraway mountainsto see—such vistas and formationswould seem auspicious

though ache

without endwithout hearing those three syllablesthe sounds that echo less as promises and mirror

more as two hearts coming home:

I love you.

SIGNAL SIRENS

A calm gentleman pulled to the side by an assumed unsympathetic power-trip drivenegotistical law enforcement kind distinctly blocking traffic they sat in expressionless reposeperforming the authority ritual keeping his hands visibly in fold in his vintage, nineteen seventies, puke green raven racing stripe, sparkle paint job beauty of a mobile I passed while pretendingto mind my business a waft of a thought occurred to me that more often than not good wills are taken advantage of and in so dissipating without ever even havingunderstood the slip beneath the nosesof our happiness driven selves ‘til we can't ascertain the grounds on which feel solid enough for humanity to sustain growing populous painsin instances such as these I glance upon from time to time mainly in my rear-views to keep clear of consumer messes that sway hold between the lines and simply abide the lawfor heaven's sake to motivate myself to stayoutside for as long as my skin can tan under winter sun so my eyes can devour photogenic scenes I grow flex in capacity to enjoy the seismic power of my heart still beatingwhile staying my lane.

OWN THE WORLD

They speak to me

in their slurred bum speech

sitting around talking aboutsome game

and waiting for life

to take a turn

barely elevating toward

an impression

and yet

those called bums

often talk more substancein light of those barstool boys’stories of sorrows and though

they keep trying to making it up

get up some moves

are side swiped by the swift shiny suitsyou know

those with the moneywho have also lost all hope too

droning on in happy hour dramas

walking into tight hot elevators

blinded by the wonder of light

streaming through their views of those bums

they make hold their tongues

has always made me wonderwhat walking this world offersfor the dreams high in our imaginary skies

are often like a stars waiting

dedicated by some strangerto then be yanked down into realityand held as the stone it always wasso those tired muscle excusesconceal fears and feigned personasreaching for that out there twinkleworth more as an ideal,

than the weight of the real

that glow in the despair of hope,

looking-upas a tip of photographic memory

traveling as faras endless energy

in where the everywhen

delivers you.

© Mari Amman. All Rights Reserved.

Poetry, Prose &Suche VOL I.

First edition 2023, electronic distribution. Text and Images by Mari Amman.

The poems contained within this volume were drafted circa 2006-2009, in Chicago, USA, and edited during spring 2023 in Paris, France, with the enormous support of The Trélex Residency.

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