AT THE CENTRE OF CALM

AT THE CENTRE OF CALM

A quiet cry

Rips through 

The bright dark...

Tears fall

In hurt and fright...

All around 

Life is calm!

Pain inflicted

By words

And hands

Meander

Upon the body

Heart and soul...

Smiling through tears

Weeping

Through laughs... 

Hours turn 

Dawn to dusk!

No safe haven

Does life

See...

For In tears

It, this seeks!

Patience and prayers 

Help not

For nothing but 

Talks are the actions

Taken...

Talk is mere

Speech

In the evil

Face of atrocity...!

           FREDERIKA MENEZES 

SUMMER CELEBRATION SIGHT

SUMMER CELEBRATION SIGHT

Oh, look

A feast is on!

The beautiful birds

Are having 

In a vast blue

Bowl,

Vanilla scoops

Of ice cream...l

It is a party

The king of all

Parties

To celebrate 

The Summer 

Season!

I can see the 

Vanilla scoops

Mingled with blackcurrant 

Ice cream !

Oh, how they 

Enjoy

My feathery friends 

With envious eyes

I look on...

It is not

That I want their

Share

Of creamy coldness...

For should I eat

A spoon

Break wind I shall

And it will not be

A pleasant smell!

Come along then

Summer star

Shine warm and

Bright...

Thus melting away

The birds' celebratory

Delight...

No  longer

Will I then be

Indulging in jealousy...!

        FREDEĹRIKA MENEZES 

NIGHTMARE DREAM

NIGHTMARE DREAM (inside the being of a war victim)p

I sometimes 

Wonder

If my life

Is a dream...

Where up

Is down

Wrong is 

Right...

Where living

Has to fight

Life!

Perhaps, it is

A reverie

In which I 

Lay

To the bone

Weary...

Maybe, am

Cowering...

Afraid of everything 

Happening around 

And to me!

An internal battle 

Between 

Mind and heart...

Unheard cries

Of àn imprisoned0

Soul...

Could I be 

Caught 

In what I feel,  

Hear and see

In my agonizing 

And treacherous 

Sleep dream?

If this is

Indeed so,

Wake me quick

To a fairer 

Ŕeality...!

     FREDERIKA MENEZES 

TRAPPED

TRAPPED

From where I sit

On my bed

At the world

Outside I peek

Wishing I were

Outside looking in

Instead...

For in being so

I would see

My own  stark

Reality!

A mind bubbling 

With creativity,

A heart

Bursting with 

Love to give...

A soul longing to 

Break free!

In a prison

Of glass and stone

I love

With not just 

Lonesome 

But abuse too

For company...

Such I'll get 

Companions

For no one

I wish

None deserve

This!

My heart, it hurts

With every 

Abusive line

And word...

My mind reels

From harshly spoken 

WordsQ

While my body

It staggers

From the invisibly

Inflicted wounds...

Fear is in me

Who shall

Protect me?

So, from my spot

On the bed

At the world I 

Look out...

Wondering if ever

Someone from the 

Outside will, look

In on me

And from the shackles

I have written of

Set me free...

       FREDERIKA MENEZES 

LONELY LIFE, BREATHES...

LONELY LIFE,  BREAFHES...

In quiet

She weeps

For life, feels

Alone...

In a world 

Of company 

She is left

On her own!

What of them

Who surround her?

Do these not see

Unshed tears

Nor hear cries

In disguise of

A jolly smiles?

Do they not

Realize

The turmoil

Of this life?

Such fools, why

Are they around 

If they cannot 

Discern

Her unspoken pain

Or heed 

The cry so 

Silently loud!

Must they be

Shaken awake

From their reverie

So they can finally

Clearly hear her

And  her, truly see...?

Life breaches 

Lifeless...!

         FREDERIKA MENEZES 

WHY, O WHY

WHY, O WHY.. ?

(in memory of cousin Maria Helena)

I seek for

Words

To write my feelings 

But they have 

Taken flight...

The only emotion 

I find is shock.

A true gem

Got stolen 

From my life!

The gem sparkled

With wit and sincerity

Bravery and sensitivity...

The Jewel

Was a true

Lady!

Her stories

Were told in 

Huey details 

So, when she 

Told them

One felt as though ⁰

One were living

The tale...

O Jewel, stolen away

You're the treasure 

Out of which 

The richness of life

Is made!

Whý, o why 

Did you let

Yourself ģet

Taken from life,.

Away...?

         FREDERIKA MENEZES 

FOR UKRAINE

FOR UKRAINE 

An inhuman wail

Rises...

Run life, run

For breath

And survival...

The innocent lay

Awake under earth

Some sprawl across 

Rubble...

Loud man made

Thunder, claps 

And down fall fireballs

Burning brave fighting lives

And bricks standing tall!

The pitter-patter of

Little feet ring out

On deaf asphalt...

Frightened eyes

Seek Arma to embrace...

Youth stolen

By war disgrace!

Enough! Be done 

With it...

This is a battle of 

Cruel vanity

And greed...

Lay them down

Those weapons in

Your hands...

Sound no more

The not human

Wails...

Hold back them

Fireballs

That burn and kill...

Rebuild the broken 

Piece together 

All that is torn...

Collect o safety the

Runaways unblamed

On their home soil

Let all in peace unite...

For innocence sake

Stop this war-fight...!

FREDERIKA MENEZES