Category Archives: Poetry 2020

ADR Poetry published in 2020

Disembodied – by Jonel Abellanosa

After The Night Cafe, by Vincent Van Gogh

Night is our only refuge, when bigotry,
racism and intolerance are asleep.
Hate has been stalking us who aren’t
like most people – by birth or by choice.
We find sanctuary in a place where there’s
no need to speak out.

The doctor would stand next
to the billiard table, one hand in his
lab coat’s pocket, reminding us to be
unhesitant in returning for refills.

First time I see the couple
near the doorway – lady with brown
shawl looking stunned by the spoon
she’s bending without touch,
gentleman with a hat and Anton
LaVey’s eyes. The schizoid is
here, nuns disguised as men staring
at the doll on their table. I’m both
in my room and here to dry up
and cry, invisible.

Image credit: Vincent van Gogh painted ‘The Night Café’ (original French title: Le Café de nuit) in Arles in September 1888), courtesy of https://www.vincentvangogh.org/

Dancing – Poem by Michelle Young

When we have waltzed to cherry blossoms,
tangoed to tulips and daffodils,
jived to peonies and irises
and Spring has scattered her vestments to the wind,
it is time.

We meet beneath the Callery pear
and you shake her branches
while I pirouette in petal rain,
twirling and giggling
until I fall into your arms.

 

Image Credit: The “Lovers- Dancing -Silhouette” (designed by Vexels) has been colorized and superimposed on “Cherry Blossom Tree For Your Garden” (toplandscapedesign.com)

May – by Shloka Shankar

May

India’s hottest month,
table and ceiling fans work overtime,

never catching breath
as they drown out conversation.

I grow shadows, push
amorphous shapes down my mouth.

Children pitch tents in my uvula,
teach me how to be alive again.

May arrives each year
granting me permission to
slink away from the past,

finds me
gathering up skeletons
of discarded seconds.

Citation: Mumbai skyline (Rinsol.com) is superimposed on abstract art of Steve Johnson (Unsplash.com)

Turn over the morning – by Shloka Shankar

morning

hour
and a thousand

others on the side.
Tell us something [inspired]
in the darker,

gloomier corners—
the way you drown
in secrets,

pulling and stretching
a dim shadow of

nothing, nothing, nothing
in blackness.

_______________________________________________________________________
A cut-up/remixed poem composed from several chapters of Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews.

Image credit: black abstract wallpaper (hdblackwallpaper.com)