Performed by Val Cole

POEM:

—For my mother

while night scoops down to transform silt in the veins
spilling into day a slow drowning in songs from the waters of life
stretched fraying before day breaks
to dying embers of temporariness
wind blows like candle flames struggling,
calling with moans bodies of water found at home;
an odorous loneliness confers the darkness
etched in-between the broken lines in my face are alive.
the shelter-less river a spongy bait
of human ruins mislaid at the shore
offers a chastity of charity to bury loss…
dangling upon the wingless moon of nights—
carrying thrice my remains like an aura—
searching the language of color
coughed into the tears of thunderstorms,
clomping raw emotions into leverages of sand.
photocopied here a wet purpose of sacred water
reflects love
with a voice reposing gravity.
here, drink
drink of the sounds wafting into the hungry clouds
walking distress into god’s ears,
whispering what becomes of night
when the moon is put to shame in the nape of a thunderstorm.
a decorated death wind returns the echo of my wails;
standing before a mirror’s shadow praying,
tongue-shattered, I do not break:
a billowing tone rose a sun over my head as hands
touching the attire of my scarred morning breaths
brimming into freshness, night’s mouth.

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?
The theme of this poem is Love.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?
The death of my mother--my origin, the being where I came from motivated this poem. The grief's thickness allowed no stanzas.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?
I have been writing poetry for decades.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would
that be?
If I could have dinner with one person it would be Queen Nefertiti.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a
professional actor?
I was influenced to have my poetry performed by a professional actor because Cole's voice is penetrating and so was our sense of loss. Having it verbally out in the world divided our sorrow.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
Yes, I also write plays, short stories and comedy bits..

7) What is your passion in life?
One of my passions in life is to engage, intrigue, and move others through the power of speech.