This document contains several poems submitted for a poetry contest. The poems cover a wide range of topics including nature, love, racial identity, and history. They vary in style from narrative to lyrical to reflective. Overall the collection shows the diversity of experiences and perspectives expressed through poetic works.

1. National
Poetry
Month
Spring
2015
Contest
Submissio
ns

2. Deep
Blues
Underneath the skin
Down below the visible,
There was still a small child
Believing the inadmissible.
A melting pot of descended cultures
Taught myths of insignificance,
Teaches or kings and queens
We know nothing but ignorance.
Royalty is embedded but
Unbeknownst like priceless coral,
Created naturally by life
Molded and corrected by every moral.
Fed with false information
Since the forced arrival,
Infinite acts of hatred
Taught mandatory survival.
Our birthplace had it all
Beautiful place except increasing famine,
Even servants participated in rituals
Like Antogo anyone can be king salmon.
Will we all come together to incinerate
The abyssal hatred with a tiki torch,
Every race falls victim to racial satire
Because in hate there is no remorse.
Research is essential for
Understanding of ones roots,
We are all beautiful, in all forms
It is vital what we must do:
We will learn to find love within the
hate that deemed our history,
So in the middle of your deep blues
Use the deep fire to extinguish the misery.

3. The Monarchy of the Red Blooded Stranger
My monarchy is in the reflection of the
living
…Sharing life
…Sharing experiences
Can even bring a Royal Fortune to a
stranger
through The good
The bad
…and even the UGLY
It’s in the Red blooded…and even the
blue blooded
…Sharing life and sharing experiences
Can build any mind into thinking they
are living
In the Lap of Luxury

4. My Chocolate
Therapy
You given energy to deal with the
Pressures of the world. You are my
Pick me up, that’s why I call you
My coffee bean. You a delicacy
For my eye, soft voice to
Comfort me after a long day of
Work. With your soft touch, you
Are a special to me, a rare breed, my
French truffle darling.
You are so cool, yet so
Sweet, design so beautiful when
I see you sitting on the
Counter, you remind me of
A modern mocha, I got from
Starbucks. Baby you ease my
Mind from a stressful day
Like dark chocolate that why you
Are my chocolate therapy.
My strong, black beautiful queen.

5. ADifferentShadeofBlue
When I say I am inked,
It doesn’t refer to the tattoo on my arm
I am inked by the experience
Loving who I am
Inkedisn’t what I asked tobe
But what I have to be
Especiallywalkingaround sailor’s bay
Listening to what sailorssay.
They speakof shade,
A different shade of blue
Not the usualteal or denim
But the blue no one notices
Hidden behind the sky and the robin’s egg
The blue that speaks to you, the tidal wave
Thatsays, “I am the last color seen before I takeand drown.”
Everyone wants to ride the wave…
What happens when the wave rides back?
I was created to be a force to reckoned with
I can make sure your sailors never make it home
I am thatthat blue, not that shade
Not the one that you’re used to
Which reminds me of little Brittany Blue
She was blue
But not the blue that you’re used to
And the blue that you’re used to isn’t blue
At least, least of all…
At leastnot the blue for you.
Frederick Barnes, Winner 2015 Contest

6. On the famed shores of Camelot
Veiled in the purple mists of the Mysterious Night
The ethereal sprites dance the sacred Fantasia
While protected by Oberon’s mighty Knighthood

7. Midnight in the Pansy Garden of Good and Evil
The filtered moon crawling through white lily clouds
On a lavender sky,
Sparkling on wild Pansy and Canyon Iris
in the Pansy Garden of Good and Evil.
Glazed pears
Wild ginger tea with Beehive honey,
What a beautiful night!

8. OurCampgroundStory In a camping tent,
Near the North American hills, I sent
A messenger of truth
To invite you to join me.
I waited patiently
For a reply,
But no answer, I sighed.
Soon the gray squirrel outside would
laugh.
And the forest would turn old.
As I walked our old remembered paths-
The paths we once made from primitive
methods,
Being young, wild and rampart-
I remember the days we spent here-
collecting sticks to build our tent.
Tools and stones,
Arrowhead of ancient tribes,
Laughter and joy-
This is what my forest hides.
An hour passes by my appearance,
A decade,
A decade more,
Soon a century-
It became evident you were no more.
I still see you,
In the tent, in the hills,
In the tree growth.
In the forest bed,
In the forest head,
In our camping tent where our youth was spent.
And it is there, that I announce my final bed.Benjamin McLin
Runner Up, 2015 Contest

9. The
Magwitch’
s
Lament
Across the wild and skybourne sea
Where pity has no claim
A life transported for a crime
Pure rot among the hulks
Bobbing in the reeds
Until the murkiness beneath
And after fog encases
I strain to see the Tower Bridge
And its scarlet red defenses
Sun rises: lighting thermal fissures
Becalmed upon Tasmanian Sea
A searing tealish white
More brilliant than the dingy
Thames
A copper for that scene
Meaghan, Gerard

10. StilettoLove When they look at me they want to know the Juicy Details
How it is, that I do whatI do
Because a woman like me
They don’t understand
I’m too Pinkadelicfor most
Butfor those who get it
They are richly rewardedby my Intrigue
I’m like that pairof heels that goes with everything
And makes your legs lookgreat
Everyone is after my Stiletto LoveChristina Tatum

11. Dreaming of Aruba Blue for Spring Break
High Dive to thousands of learning objects
Rushing Streamof creation and critical thinking
Striking results are yours to be proud of
Aruba Blue sky and beaches are the reward to enjoy.
Chung Lee

12. I call it
P150 lol…
The boys, they love me.
The girls, can’t touch me.
When I, walk past,
They get, whip lash.
Put me, on Bossip,
Cause I’m, hot gossip.
When I sway, my skirt,
Send the flirt, alert.
Want to know, my business,
Should I, prevail,
Sorry, can’t do it
No kiss, and tell.
Brea Walker

13. A Fallen Sensory
The eyes
Were a shade of
Old and, soon to be,
Closed cues.
I was the only voice,
In the pool,
Nearest to your muse.
I’m here,
My dear,
I’m here, have no fear.
And, altogether, there was
No decay.
No dying of the warmth,
Which came from the
Eyes of your fireplace,
The fireplace glow,
I felt it-
The presence of truth.
I felt it- The last Autumn of our most
Enjoyable (Mind soothing) talks.
There was an ending-
An ending approaching.
Soon.
“the leaves today, are
Beautiful. Red, orange and
Yellow too”
-“I know the leaves are
Beautiful. Colorful leaves are always,
Always a muse. Just like you.”
The last note, the last line,
What trickery was the conversation to do?
Before Winter,
That Autumn,
I would understand
All too soon.
The trees were brilliant,
A many reds, oranges and yellows too.
Standing, there in the center Forest,
My love: my most prized jewel!!
The eyes, again,
Were a shade of Old and, soon to be,
Closed cues.
And it was there,
In this Forest,
The enchantment would end,
And I would retire there on the Forest bed,
On the golden forest of paints.
Not even the California Coral trees
Could ease this acquired pain.

14. “Refuge”
It’s that time of year again
That time to make the journey home
To a place where there was once laughter and love
To a place where my family and I once roamed
That which once was beautiful nation
It was elegant and youthful some say
But now all of its beauty has been shattered,
somewhat erased
Under the sky that now bears an asphalt grey
This nation had been burned down so violently;
with no remorse
By our enemies who were once called friends
From the highest peak of the once infamous iron
mountain
To the grasslands very end
My lungs fill with carbon monoxide every time
As my close relatives experienced before
Now all that remains are their cool ashes
My family exists no more
But I will not deter the memories
Though so little, I welcome them with pride
Because one day I will indeed see them again
In the pure white place above us
But until then, inside me will they forever reside

15. Just a ReflectionMom!!
Father!!
Wait
Where am I?
Hush up little black boy
I can’t move my hand or feet
Where are we going?
Nobody knows
Just be quiet before they kill you
Oh my Allah!!!
The smell
So many bodies dead next to me
Maybe all of this is just a dream
Pinch me
It’s not a dream
It’s a nightmare
The scream of the little black boy
Slices through the chilly blue air
John and Bob
Go get like 40 more of them savages
We need to slight the load
Before we dock the shipyard
As I watch some of my people
Choose to jump over board instead of taking their wrath
I took a glimpse of the water as my reflections look back
at me
So many of my people died in that infinite deep sea
What is that paper?
It looks like some kind of treasure map
But the money symbols
Are on our mother land
So that means we are the treasure
It seems like they are taking us to another land
Aww man
Aye boy how did you get that paper?
John hand me the keys and whip
We got us a smart one
What is your name boy?
Oh!! He don’t understand
I bet he understands now!!
POW!!! POW!!!
AWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!

16. I wake up every morning to see the
Sun rise.
It looks like a Japanese Koi fish
Swimming across the horion.
The world looked more beautiful than
Two butterflies.
Happy people of the world enjoying their
Lives.
Enjoying each other
Froma father to a mother
To a sister to a brother
Smiles as big as a cheerful tangerine,
And as small as a cutie.
Never before have I seen so much beauty.
Shine as bright as the yellow strips on a
Bee
It shares the same asure sky.
As blue as the clearest of seas.
Walking up can make your day as sweet
As a mandarin orange,
And as colorful as a lollipop.
Don’t ever let a tear drop
Because you’ll never know if you wake up.
To see that sunrise again.

17. AGoldTheory
I’d dream to glimmer in
Glory,
To be found high and undeniably
Worthy.
I’d love to wear,
An established
Crown,
One of a country-nation
Filled with solid gold,
Treasures and sound.
Inheritance
Need not be a cause,
Inheritance
Need not make me pause.
I should have my gold,
My solid gold, My Royal gold.
And I should be pleased
With rare steel, Iron works,
Ones worthy of my
Iron will.
My Kingdom, I think,
Should lie near the
Ocean,
My lands, I think,
Be bathed in gold,
For when I have been aged,
Conquered, cheated and sold,
My iron, my steel
My 24-Karot rarities of Old,
Be tossed in the
Endless depths,
Their glory untouched.
Isn’t this my top
Priority?
Isn’t this the ultimate
Worldly dripped, soil painted (Blood lathered),
Wind scorched goal?
-To be surrounded by rarity?
-Is this happiness?
-Is this what my world beholds?

18. P200 – 4 through 7
On the beach
Drinking my carotene cocktail and gin
I can see for miles
On the sand
Of the burning coast, my feet in the
water.
Time goes by
Too, too swiftly.
It seems you that you just joined me this
morning
And now you leave me
Alone.
Joy this morning,
Sadness this dusk.
Go my friend, my lover
Into the sizzling sunset
Of a bonfire night.
Darryl Thompson

19. A Chilled Presence: Un-restrained
When the Sun
Falls low (Let the Ice Kingdom grow)
And the chilled ground
Numbs my toes, (Let the body feel its soul)
I’ll close my eyes
(and keep them silenced)
My will in practice
(Lowered depths, pure niacin)
A sacred time-
This scene I’ll hold.
(In my own silence)
“The world. Is not too cold”
(I lie, I’m not so bold)
“The world, is not so old”
(I say this. A kind hearted Eskimo)
Below zero is a blessing
(Keeps you humble dear)
Keeps the body alert.
Heat generates from the drop.
(A warm, golden turn)
Thus, eases the pain-
Keeps you well preserved.
(Your heart, in turn, will continue to burn)
(Your heart, in turn, will continue to burn)
And though it hurts,
To walk in the snow,
I feel alive – the beauty of the cold.
The ice cave is my home,
The cave nearest to the Valley of Glaciers.
And soon, it will be my way of Life.
A life filled with a chilled presence,
Un-restrained.

20. Want to be apart of this year’s
competition?
Choose a Paint Chip from the Library
&
Submit your Poem
along with the entry form, by April
8th, 2016!
GOOD LUCK!