BURNING PLAINS

I am a wide, vast, shadeless plain
with burning sand and scorching heat mains.
Cactus plants survive my terrain
with storms of wind and red clouds of sand.

I am a wide, vast, shadeless plain
between the mountains and the sea.
I reach below the sky and under me.
Nurtured horned vipers burrow in the sand;
one strike will send you insane.

The whirling sound of my wind strong,
the burning pain of sand being thrown,
and in my veins there’s a wish
to give you miles of fiery abyss.

I am peaceful but fear to be left
stranded on the plains of me.
I will swell your tongue, dry your brain
while you try to imagine pouring rain.

I am a wide, vast, shadeless plain
My wrath brings ample tears of fear.
Welcome to my heated sand sea,
flaming hot sands shadow below;
relentless winds inhale your nose.

I watch the daylight approach fast,
night creatures slither back under warm sand
and myriad rays race to close the past.
The sun and wind must be shared with man.
I know you have come a long way to enjoy my world,
and I want you to stay.

I’m sweltering and quite insane.
You’ll discover blistered backs,
rashes of pain, empty canteens
and lacking rain.

God gifted me with a quiet raging sun,
miles of burning, rippling sand,
and furious winds on a dry rampage.
I am a wide, vast, shadeless plain
and your presence here is truly my gain.

Jamillah

(For black History Month ) I AM!

I was born with the worlds greatest contralto voice,
denied my chance to perform at Constitution Hall
but wowed them all at Lincoln Memorial with a selection of my choice.
I am Marian Anderson of Pennsylvania.

My state never saw another the likes of me.
Education was my game and I was hoisted to fame as a special adviser to Roosevelt and Truman.
I left my mark at Bethune-Cookman College and the National Council of Black women.
I am Mary McLeod Bethune of South Carolina.

My talent and looks stunned them all in Hollywood.
My voice swooned thru the Cotton Club.
I was the first Black woman nominated for an Academy Award.
My fame opened the doors for Black actresses to soar.
I am Dorothy Dandridge from Ohio,

I dedicated my life to fight for rights with SNCC.
I helped thousands of black voters cast their ballads
and walked next to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as an activist.
I am Fannie Lou Hamer from Mississippi.

I used my pen to write about the life of African-American tales and cultural rights.
I was a Harlem Renaissance member during my fight.
I hail from the sunshine state with no contrite.
I am Zora Neale Hurston of Florida.

I am the brave one who refused to get up from my seat and sit in the back of the bus.
I am called “the mother of the Civil Rights Movement;”
arrested because I stood up for us.
I am Rosa Parks of Alabama.

My struggles to stay alive from childhood ills,
double pneumonia, crippling polio and disabling disease
were my first accomplishments in strength of mind and will.
I was the first American woman, black or white, to win three gold medals in the Olympics.
My hard work and struggles led me to be one of the most celebrated female athletes.
I am Wilma Rudolph of Tennessee.

I was born way back when women could not lecture in public,
yet from my mind and my pen, I spoke for Human Rights, oppressed blacks living in huts.
I spoke in defense of women’s rights, liberty and equality.
I am Mrs. Maria W. Stewart from Connecticut.

I sang my soul out with my heart on my sleeve.
I was called the empress of blues you see!
I inspired many with my spirit and soul.
I am Bessie Smith from Tennessee.

I spoke out for women’s rights during slavery when women could not speak or vote like their mates.
I was an abolitionist right next to Frederick Douglas and Lloyd William Garrison.
I am Sojourner Truth of New York State.

I am praised by many women of color whose confidence leaped and sputtered
when I invented a hair care product that made our women woo and mutter.
I am a self-made millionaire who raised black self-esteem.
I am Madame C J Walker from Louisiana.

Who am I among all these greats? I toiled with 300 in the Underground to freedom gates
and never lost a passenger or their faith.
I had the same motivation as the Prophet Moses, to help save my people from the spraying hoses.
I am Harriet Tubman from Maryland.

Jamillah A Muhaymin

Jalaludin Rumi- poems

I love traditional poems and the traditional forms of poetry. I love the old poets who just wrote about life and how they saw it and felt it; nature and how they view it and God’s creation, how they understood it.

Rumi is one of those poets whom I love.

ANY COMMENTS? Love to hear from you.

Lucid, I like the idea of a Haiku a day.  Glad to see that you are staying with the traditional format of Haiku. I have tried some modern day Haiku, but love the old 5-7-5 form; it keeps with the original meaning of the word Haiku.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

Let’s make this year the best for poetry. Getting back to classic poetry with meaningful lyrics. The William Blake’s, The Tyger, Mia Angelou, The Caged Bird Sing, Elizabeth Barrett Browing, A Man’s Reqirements are words that make you feel something, words that make you want to write. So, poets/writers, grab your pens and began your year of great writing. Share it with your fan and those that will find you in their search.

1/1/14

It Sounded Like Rain

It sounded like rain as I peacefully slept
My senses unhindered and thoughts naught
my eyes focused in the dark
as I regained my spirit and liveliness

It sounded like rain upon my roof
a smile slipped across my lips
The thought of it awakened me
yet the sound caressed my soul back to sleep

It sounded like rain upon my roof
The dawn was unhurriedly approaching
the sun awaited to pursue its course
the birds inspired to expose their chirp

It sounded like rain, it sounded like rain upon my roof

It stirred up and excited me
The familiar sound aroused my curiosity
yet my mind was still asleep

It sounded like rain upon my roof
Puddles on the ground and dew on the leaves
before the sun desiccates the proof
hurry to see the water dripping from the eaves.

It sounded like rain
It sounded like rain upon my roof.
When I awaken, I’ll know for sure
It was clearly rain and I wasn’t aloof.

jamillah

True Blues and Brilliant Reds

Blue bird, breathtaking by the creek
flutter your wings and swoop your beak
to take that beetle with a quick streak
and pass it on to the youthful meek.

Red bird a delightful song-first to be heard
Nested in the dense, tangles of vines and shrubs
Brilliant red, mesmerizing long tailed songbird
Cardinal calls of black faced, red-orange bills nudge

Red bird, blue bird who looks up to Thee
from northern tills and eastern hills
Fly the frigid winds and bright sunny days
of spring, summer, fall and winter craze

Blue birds of soft warble-beauty azure
gather in social flock-the female allure
Oh, the sweet melodious song of red birds,
a bright summer morn-the first to be heard!

Surrender life’s beauty, true red and blue
before the blasts of a busy day appears.
The red and the blue-the first to adorn
God’s creation and lift the forlorn.

Jamillah