ICARUS RISING – VOLUME 1:New Book Release by Don Beukes

© Cover art by Luke Borrill   I am happy to announce that my second collection of poetry has been published by Alien Buddha Press and made a reality by Red Fox. This unique ekphrastic collection is a result of close collaboration with artists from South Africa, America and the UK. Most of the poems were …

GLOMAG June2020 With GARY FRIER: ‘Bly Stil Vannie Skarrel*Stay Quiet about the Struggle (to Survive)

Photo Credit © Gary Frier Bly Stil Vannie Skarrel*Stay Quiet about the Struggle to Survive Mute Melody – Our voices muted our tongues cut out prevented from speaking out underneath this unprecedented Covid-19 Corona virus unwelcome cleansing cloud exposing our tired hungry empty suffering hearts. We shout at you but told not to We raise …

The Collected Special Ekphrastic Challenge for May 2020. The Final Days. Artworks from Mary Frances, James Knight and Sue Harpham the inspiration for writers: Alex Mazey, Ankh Spice, Samantha Terrell, Dai Fry, Carrie Ann Golden, sonja benskin mesher, Rich Follett, Don Beukes, Yvonne Marjot, and Paul Brookes

Exclusive Special Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge curated by Paul Brookes-Writer Photographer in Collaboration with select artists and writers – The final days!

The Wombwell Rainbow

Acknowledgements

Thankyou to Jane Cornwell for designing the front cover

Day 23

.. there is a dampness..

they called it heavy
the adults
before a storm

pits hang damp
lips prickling

then he said it

he said it

so I hid in the plant house amongst the smell; the frogs
should I add fetid air or will that just be another cliché

look my device added the required accent there

so it was all dripping down reminding of grandma’s kitchen
brown gloss paint & mustard walls running in cabbage juice

she boiled it dreadful
well they did in those days

no al dente then
it was after the war

now where was i
yes hiding

my heart beating my head out
breath catching
oh no is this my asthma or the disease
going round, have you heard of it

if I tell him I have it will he go, leave…

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The Collected Special Ekphrastic Challenge for May 2020. The Next Two Days. Artworks from Mary Frances, James Knight and Sue Harpham the inspiration for writers: Alex Mazey, Ankh Spice, Samantha Terrell, Dai Fry, Carrie Ann Golden, sonja benskin mesher, Rich Follett, Don Beukes, Yvonne Marjot, and Paul Brookes

Special Ekphrastic Collection curated by Paul Brookes-Writer Photographer The next TWO days in collaboration with select artists and writers – Check out my poems, ‘Twilight Asylum’ and ‘The Residents’

The Wombwell Rainbow

Acknowledgements Thankyou to Jane Cornwell for designing the front cover

May 21st

Twilight Asylum

Frozen Eyes – Daily prodding confused nodding
Yes sir no ma’am, ‘You’re not my mother!’ – Look
into my eyes stop fidgeting widen your eyes stop
complaining look up – ‘Shut up I am fed up shut your
trap you old hag!’ Now calm down look this way no
that way are you even still here? Stop fidgeting!

Midnight Lullaby – Nocturnal healing cries soothe
my sore blood shot eyes as the midnight owl echoes
my existential meandering melody of suppressed
forced emotions blamed for defensive contortions
whilst the mocking laughing of a fox unleashes
my lost hoarse voice to violently protest in this
hell-hole confused constrictive nest my inner mess!
I rock myself to sleep as my broken emotions tend
to seep into my darkest demon alley sleep slipping
into the deep branded a confused…

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A Fire that Started From Nothing

Roberto F. Santiago

The Brillantina Project are poems for those who glitter and glisten, those with bright wondrous gazes, hearts bursting with love. Somos brillo que brilla: Somos Orlando. Let us unite in solidarity through poetry and use our words to create awareness and change.

Here is my contribution.

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The Collected Special Ekphrastic Challenge for May 2020. The Next Four Days. Artworks from Mary Frances, James Knight and Sue Harpham the inspiration for writers: Alex Mazey, Ankh Spice, Samantha Terrell, Dai Fry, Carrie Ann Golden, sonja benskin mesher, Rich Follett, Don Beukes, Yvonne Marjot, and Paul Brookes.

May 2020 Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge curated by Paul Brookes-Writer Photographer in Collaboration with select artists and writers – READ AND LISTEN TO THE NEXT 4 DAYS!

The Wombwell Rainbow

Acknowledgements

Thankyou to Jane Cornwell for designing the front cover

May 17th

*

Murakami’s cats, the peeling memory, an unhealthy preoccupation
with Studio Ghibli animation, an unhealthy preoccupation with
certain social media accounts, with line breaks that you have to
get over – eventually. Ninety-percent of my life is devoted to
upsetting people with a line break, forming only at the preposition.
It seems, most of the time, this is more upsetting to / some people
than the combined human rights violations of, say, North Korea.

-Alex Mazey

.foam.

foam is ok , like this sea stuff
yet pea foam leaves me wanting for regular
food
without the mouth sensation

unlike mousse which is more like
solid froth
or should I say foam again
and spoil the muse

light is wonderful
lifts the brain and limbs
beyond
sparkles rain the morning
once again we have the repetition
of words

shapes…

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Interview with Selwyn Milborrow

Here’s a show for you… Interview with poet Don Beukes in France episode of This Much I Know https://open.spotify.com/episode/1G2TcEzcz2aah07dVFbpAa?si=oDrB0EneTueQppJacBkhIA

It’s Me – I am Sotho*Ke Mosotho

Glomag May 2020 in Collaboration with KATLIE MOKHOABANE Photo Credit © Katlie Mokhoabane It's Me – I am Sotho, Ke Mosotho Childhood Lullaby – My morning song an inner wailing, craving to be seen If even just for a fleeting moment to forget the daily morning routine shouting most of the time for nothing but …

The Collected Special Ekphrastic Challenge for May 2020. The First Sixteen Days. Artworks from Mary Frances, James Knight and Sue Harpham the inspiration for writers: Alex Mazey, Ankh Spice, Samantha Terrell, Dai Fry, Carrie Ann Golden, sonja benskin mesher, Rich Follett, Don Beukes, Yvonne Marjot, and Paul Brookes

A Special Ekphrastic Collection curated by Paul Brookes-Writer Photographer – The first 16 Days in Collaboration with select artists and writers.

The Wombwell Rainbow

Acknowledgements

Thankyou to Jane Cornwell for designing the front cover.

May 1..looks like you are drowning..

part one

looks like you are drowning &
hope i am wrong. i can see the
struggle
the turn about in water.

i have done that too
pat says that i have paid the price
but i wonder

i hope
you survive
come clean
bare
your feathers.

fly high

if not
i will lay a petal
and think of you

as i think of the others
that drowned before you
that had no feathers

part two,

it looks like you are drowning
again
shall I jump in to save you and maybe
sink myself
or shall I wait to see
to lay a flower at our feet

part three

maybe you are not drowning really
that I made it up and you are dancing
like the others

while people die and we lay…

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Welcome to a special ekphrastic challenge for May. Artworks from Mary Frances, James Knight and Sue Harpham will be the inspiration for writers, Alex Mazey, Ankh Spice, Samantha Terrell, Dai Fry, Carrie Ann Golden, sonja benskin mesher, Rich Follett, Don Beukes, Elizabeth Moura, Yvonne Marjot and myself. May 31st.

Day 31: Final Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge curated by Paul Brookes-Writer Photographer in Collaboration with select artists and writers- My poem, ‘Epilogue _A Final Letter to Humanity’ with audio. Thank you Paul, all the writers and amazing artists!

The Wombwell Rainbow

Alex Mazey has not contributed to this last day. He says
“I wasn’t going to write a poem for day 31. I quite like the idea of having a day in the month dedicated to silence.”

-Alex Mazey

These walls and windows
Are tearing me apart
Yet my soul’s untouched

There are no heroes
No one to claim my worn heart
My spirit’s a black muck

This vessel holds all my sorrows
Tears filling each bodily part
There are no short cuts.

-Carrie Anne Golden

Renewal

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” -Eccl. 3:1

Withered pathos
Strung out with
Dead deer along the
Traffic-lined highway
On the route of life.
Today is death and
Unsafe circumstances,
Creating distrust
At best.
At worst, disgust.
But we are a renewal people.
As long as we’re able,
Seeking rebirth – moving
Beyond crumbling leaves,
Dead carcasses…

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Welcome to a special ekphrastic challenge for May. Artworks from Mary Frances, James Knight and Sue Harpham will be the inspiration for writers, Alex Mazey, Ankh Spice, Samantha Terrell, Dai Fry, Carrie Ann Golden, sonja benskin mesher, Rich Follett, Don Beukes, Elizabeth Moura, Yvonne Marjot and myself. May 30th.

Day 30 Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge curated by Paul Brookes-Writer Photographer in Collaboration with select artists and writers: My poem with Audio – ‘Phoenix Rising’

The Wombwell Rainbow

Avoiding Prolonged Regret

Open doors can mean
Opportunity, but
Following yellow
Brick roads often
Leads to more unknowns, and
Darkness behind doors
Ajar, can be worrisome –
Consuming, until it’s
Hard to tell the
Difference between
Brick and mortar reality, and
Fictional curiosity.
I turn away, not wanting
(Because I’m not wanting)
To squander this moment,
For the sake of expectation.

-st

Red Asylum oct 2019.

Alone with my thoughts
I park the car
and climb the
stubborn slopes
to my childhood.
Up Cockett Hill
to the Red Asylum.

I glance down
for a glimpse of my
child knees, not there.

Water tower and chimney
shoulders tight,
stark upon that hill.
A land marked Swansea bay.

Now a conglomeration
of housing,
cul-de-sacs
to a builder’s greed.
And our house
a creation
of the same
victorian red brick.

Rotted no value left
save for the slugs
and other denizens
of damp…

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