She soars free into space Her raven black hair flows Like wings behind her as she thrown Her head back in appreciation, grace
And contemplation of the woes Left behind as she raises her arms Back in a dancer’s pose covered in sheer palm’s Leaves in bronze, contrasting with black sky that rose
In stars and blots of light Surrounding her lovingly As harmony from within translates outwardly And brightens the sky in a spotlight
Of infinite possibilities as imagination Takes a deep dive into the stratosphere Hugging her form in jewels that peer Into her soul, ready to steal her fraternization
With a world in chaos, yet she imposes Her absolute wonder with the simplicity She reduces the world for her to flee captivity Of depravity’s prison, shakles like roses.
My poetry book, Perfectly Flawed poetry for change, is available on all eplatforms including Amazon. It was on the finalist list for the Canadian Book Club Awards 2023.
Sitting on the tip of the crescent moon Dangling her legs, pushing off, swinging As though the moon embraced her in a cocoon Of life’s laughter, lighter than lightning,
Brighter than the stars’ brilliance, A comforter of the soul closer To heaven’s doors, seating, no coincidence That the moon hovers, never a loser,
But changes everyday in looks From crescent to full moon, Each highlights its own beautiful hooks That enliven hope like a boon,
A boon from GOD to humanity, A circle of dazzling blessings Enrobing my imagination, flowy Possibilities into dreams, not guessings,
No certainty that the light of poetry shines To guide her plight into a roadmap Of strength built on patience, never fines Her more than she can conquer in a lap.
As she swings on memories that mirror Her plight of losses that flow Like the changes in the moon, a bower For rest as I swing under the full moon’s glow.
My poetry book, Perfectly Flawed poetry for change, is available on all eplatforms including Amazon. It was on the finalist list for the Canadian Book Club Awards 2023.
revolting against lies,” what an admirable theme, Malak! It is a great feat to oppose deceit! There is so much destructive moral corruption flooding our society with lies that I fear it is becoming dangerous to protest. We must resist and your poem is a beautiful call to that cause. The innocent victims of atrocities are waiting for some sort of justice. We as onlookers require redemption. Your writing is wonderful, so powerfully and profoundly expressed. The rhymes and rhythm are splendid. Thanks so much for sharing this superb poem! By, Linda Powers O’Dell
Ignoring Lies
As the media plays its deceptive role In the humanitarian atrocities taking place, We witness two radically, opposing Perspectives playing out without understanding
Which reality takes precedence, Nor which realities are factual without presence Of alterations to increase dramatization That skews perspectives of oppression
And horror of the atrocities faced By victims of an unending war, as they prayed For absolution of their sins while witnessing Death’s magnanimous stealth, stealing
Away an easy end with a suffucating breath That gurgles out, indecisive if life is better than death. Who’s to say that opposing deceit Is NOT a great feat?
Honesty in revolting against lies Awakens consciousness that pries Away the screen that’s hoodwinked Those who wished for ignorance that burdened
Them with the knowledge Of their own moral corruption on a ledge That destroys without question By enforcing rules of misplaced adulation.
My poetry book, Perfectly Flawed poetry for change, is available on all eplatforms including Amazon. It was on the finalist list for the Canadian Book Club Awards 2023
Malak Kalmoni. Chehab Fantastic mirror and concrete poem, Malak! In your first stanza the first seven lines decrease in number of syllables, (10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 3,) and then like a phoenix rising, the next seven lines increase, (3, 2, 6, 8, 8, 8, 8.) The last three lines are a preamble to your inspiring cascading refrain to embracing the future and starting anew like the glorious phoenix. The ruins and rubble of your first lines are wonderfully poignant; the central cause, ambition, is powerfully emphasized by repetition. You subtly acknowledge its benefits but deplore how it creates wealth that is used to dominate others. The cycles of the phoenix seem to be the way of the world. Superb inventive and thoughtful poetry! Brava!! By, Linda Powers O’Dell
A visual poem Phoenix’s Rise
The Phoenix will rise out of the ashes Ashes of fire, destruction, rubble, Rubble of buildings of cement, Cement that housed families, Families whose lives ruined, Ruined by ambition, Ambition! Ambition. Power Power of politics, Politics and economy, Economy that leads to wealth, Wealth that is revered for its breadth, Breadth to dominate those with less, Less money, connections, Connections, compelling Compelling survivors in
S U V O R S U N I W E T P D T N V A P E A I I R L R L I T T I N A I C A R G L N A E I G T F A Z I R E A O A F D N N I U E N T C W U U . R S E T O M
My poetry book, Perfectly Flawed poetry for change, is available on all eplatforms including Amazon. It was on the finalist list for the Canadian Book Club Awards 2023.
My poetry book, Perfectly Flawed poetry for change, is available on all eplatforms including Amazon. It was on the finalist list for the Canadian Book Club Awards 2023.
Malak Kalmoni. Chehab A beautifully heartfelt, philosophical and ethical poem. Malak. You’ve used the image of the merry-go-round cleverly as a metaphor for the violent world needing peace. How poignantly you describe childhood disrupted, the disintegration of families, the appropriation of cultures, and the expansion of disharmony. You make the subtle point that it’s not enough to compensate murder; we must orchestrate our thoughts, our efforts, to revitalize our intentions to create peace. This inspiring last stanza touches the soul. A superbly written poem with subtle rhymes, a lyrical cadence, powerful images, complex well organized thoughts, an exquisite use of precise vocabulary. Brava!! By Linda Powers O’Dell
Peace’s Breath
Round, round goes the world In a merry-go-round filled With laughter, life, violence, Death in a grim cycle needing peace.
Peace for the young whose Disrupted childhoods froze With wars’ colonizing program To alter countries’ cultures for a flame
Feasting on disintegration of families, Cultures, languages, civilizations whose priorities Are fostering longevity by strengthening Community’s peaceful bonds, wishing,
Wishing for the propagation of unity Against an army of aggression, violently Expanding its reach into disharmony Among land, people, conquerors, passionately
Striving to compensate murder Rather than an orchestration that’ll ponder The need to revitalize a willful strength Embued with peace’s poetic breath.
My poetry book, Perfectly Flawed poetry for change, is available on all eplatforms including Amazon. It was on the finalist list for the Canadian Book Club Awards 2023.
My poetry book, Perfectly Flawed poetry for change, is available on all eplatforms including Amazon. It was on the finalist list for the Canadian Book Club Awards 2023.
Deadly deceivers revel in delusions of self Empowerment whose grandeur Leaves the other feeling lesser Undeniably their power springs from Saturating the media with a narrative Inculcating their goals of superiority, Only, they actually strip themselves of honesty Never favoring justice or equality, Deadly delusion.
My poetry book, Perfectly Flawed poetry for change, is available on all eplatforms including Amazon. It was on the finalist list for the Canadian Book Club Awards 2023.
Malak Kalmoni. Chehab Wow! “Knowing that joy, eternal, an antidepressant/Is your only rebellion not to live in a cast.” Oof! Bam! Kapow! The entire poem was lovely, deliciously evocative and then you land a knockout blow with that final thought. Nicely done. By Tara Hicks
Such a beautifully sublime poem, Malak, so many amazing images! Time, “mercury slippery,” is a brilliant comparison. You’ve wonderfully transformed the mural into an intriguing metaphorical narrative. The serpent of fear slithers in the branches of an ancient tree upon which scary bats hang. Yet a cardinal of grace sings of hope eternal, of endless time that cannot be stopped. Like that cheerful bird, we must accept the past that can’t be recast, we must “soar in the present.” Being joyous to live in this present, that is part of the eternal, is the way to true freedom. It is a spiritual rebellion! Superb rhyme scheme and rhythm, excellent sophisticated tone and composition. Fantastic, encouraging poem, Brava!! By Linda Powers O’Dell
Window of Time
Through my small window The world revolves around time, Time, intangible, like mercury slippery, a crime Not to stand still and let it flow
Slowly around you as you Watch the ancient tree’s branches Reach out to the sun in gnarled bunches, The resting place for the serpent you
Fear as it slithers from place To place spreading its evil along The aid of bats that string you along, Yet on the other branch rests, with grace,
The red cardinal whose beauty, Color, elegance speeds your heart With hope eternal, limitless in its great Licenses for carrying hope on wings that flew highly
Into the vastness of a blue sky Knowing that time, Rhyming with lime is a transient crime That can’t be stopped unless you try
To soar in the present Understanding the past, that can’t be recast, Knowing that joy, eternal, an antidepressant Is your only rebellion not to live in a cast.
My poetry book, Perfectly Flawed poetry for change, is available on all eplatforms including Amazon. It was on the finalist list for the Canadian Book Club Awards 2023.
Malak Kalmoni. Chehab What a magnificent, brilliant heroine! Building her community through the strengths of her empathy and integrity, she overcomes the forces of death. She empowers others with her hunger for equality and her devotion to ethics. I love how you feature her hunger for equality, this is the foundation for truly encompassing empathy. This poem is beautifully written, Malak; you’ve created a wonderful poetic form with superb rhymes and flowing rhythm. Your compelling images and organized thoughts sweep the reader along in a most wonderful way. Brava!! By Linda Powers O’Dell
Angel Wings
Her acorn blondish hair frames Her blue eyed eyes, piercing In their gaze, all seeing As her grey wings flutter in rhymes
Whose utter grace have underlying Silver rays that brighten, coalesce Atop her heart in blissful radiance Shining like a star, brilliant in showcasing
Her inner heart filled with humanity, A hunger for equality that stalls When faced with impunity that crawls Inconspicuously, stealthily, stealing
Her ethics, yet, she prevails Using her empathy, strength Of will to overcome the killing breath Of death from peers who quails
From her integrity’s effervescence She builds her community Of supports, like minded dwellers, impossibly Impoverished by their beliefs’ conscience
They empower others and selves To push forward against trends.
My poetry book, Perfectly Flawed poetry for change, is available on all eplatforms including Amazon. It was on the finalist list for the Canadian Book Club Awards 2023.
Poetry for Change 