There is a difference between having love, and being loved Each one is a blessing, each one a curse At its core love is pure It takes all and makes it work
And yet the deepest hate comes from loving And the greatest aches from being loved We are blessed for a moment, to be cursed for eternity For at its core, love is simply pain It takes all and leaves us bare
You cannot measure love with scales You feel it in every thought and it sings in every word and verse You cannot have a claim on true love Yet it comes to those who acknowledge its imperfections
Long have I pondered love’s imperfections Cancers to my soul For love teaches by breaking While it withers all trust
Artmajeur.
Pure love fills life with colour And now, you be a lover Painting love with different shades And so, never to use a remover
Yet darkness holds love’s perfection and light reveals its gore Must one feel Or must one see…
I’ve loved in numberless forms, numberless times And now, in life and the afterlife, I’m the prover For as rain mingles with the river And the river with the ocean So too the winds of love blow forever
Alas I’ve learnt to thrive in this state of love-drought for its rains have long betrayed me I flee love’s coming like thunder in the distance For the winds of love have brought me only destruction
Fine Art America
Love is the scent of flowers in a path of thorns It must be nurtured, It must have its due Love is the rumble of pain upon drums of celebration It must be feared, it must be fled For love‘s greatest teaching- Is happiness- from compromise
Hey everyone. Hope you enjoy this dance of thoughts between Jane Aguiar and I. I must stress that we both had positives and negatives on love but for this collab, we each had to pick a side.
Hello everyone. Five members of our wordpress community contributed to this. I hope you enjoy it.
There are countless things we can tell a dear one Things that guide and things that console Those that admonish or those that praise But at any given time, anything we say can be misunderstood Encouragement taken for being nosy Care misconstrued as judgement and reprimands misinterpreted as hatred
In times of such confusion I start in one place With one universal language A meal prepared A meal shared
I have heard of breakfast’s supreme importance but I also know of early morning’s rush So I turn to Michaela and listen as she speaks of Filipinos and hearty breakfasts An early meal fairly easy to make and yet so filling She mentions an aroma that wakes the senses And a wholesomeness that fuels one all day long
It is of Longsilong that she speaks beyond resistance Eaten with gusto Breakfast in the Phiillipines
Longanisa- the Spanish sausage Sinangag- garlic rice Itlog- sunnyside eggs A cup of coffee alongside, and it’s a perfect beginning
Longsilong breakfast by Michaela
But if I woke in the thralls of lateness If morning was a humdinger with no time to spare then I’d turn to Pooja, who with a cheeky smile, holds the solution for busy days; Brunch! It is like a whisper from across the Atlantic A delicious secret shared And I smile with mischief at this vegan Canadian indulgence
This brunch is a paramour to sullen tastebuds Of waffles and syrup Of vegan whipped cream toppings with fruit and marshmallow delights An explosion of flavour A reward for breakfasts foregone.
vegan waffle Brunch by Pooja
But life should not be all about work There is pleasure and there are holidays A time to explore and sift through the wonders of a well prepared meal the peak-of-day; Lunch time. I look to Jane. For on such days, lunch finds me in a ravenous state. Amidst the Gudi Padwa festival in India, and with great pride, Jane flounces the tantalising prospect of a Goa-state delicacy She utters jealousy-inducing words of a consummate dish, beautiful in its complexity She tells of Goan Fish Thali
Of Palu perch fish and spicy pasted curry A curry ground with grated coconut, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, turmeric, coriander, garlic cloves and ginger Add water to loosen the paste, mix with green chillies and a half cup of tamarind water The cleaned and cut Palu is then added to simmer till fully cooked…
Already slavering, I am beside myself in anticipation when Jane mentions the next part of this meal
She speaks of Pea Masala and Steamed cottage vegetables Of Perch fish Rawa fry– where fish is marinated in assorted spices, sizzled in the shallow pan-fry fashion while applying Rawa(suji)
Unbeknownst to me there are more wonders to this meal And I wait, knowing my patience will be met with extravagant reward
Part three entails Kokum Khadi- Of water, kokum, garlic cloves, green chillies, a pinch of sugar and salt, and finally a sprinkle of cilantro on top
The last step to this meal is a most intriguing one Carrot Halwa Ahh, can you imagine a more perfect blend of ingredients To make this Halwa, you will need ghee, grated carrot, milk, sugar, chopped dry fruit; all garnished with cashews, almonds and pistachio. At last we can serve; with boiled rice and Papad(ready made)
Enough said, time to dig in
Goan fish Thali by Jane
A journey of a meal To fuel the journey to my next destination A long trip South, across the Indian ocean
Stuffed and feeling spicy, this journey goes by in a flash but nevertheless, I reach my destination in fine but famished spirits Please do not judge me, for I’m drawn by a most mysterious and welcoming dinner All the way to the cape of Southern Africa where Chris stews a tale of chicken The Cape Malay chicken curry
Wealthy with the positive side of the rainbow-nation’s divisive history, this meal unites all in South Africa. And I personally, almost find it blasphemous not to drool at the thought of a meal made by Chris
Fat garlic cloves(crushed), ginger root(finely chopped), aubergine(bite-sized chunks), red pepper(thickly sliced), Dhaniya(chopped fresh coriander), and assorted spices.
Large chicken fillets cut into bite-sized pieces, a tablespoon of Cape Malay curry powder, small halved potatoes and we are ready to get cooking.
You will need a heavy large saucepan with a lid, fry the onions in a little canola oil, add potatoes and spice powders stir to combine, then add the garlic and ginger. Cook for a few minutes Add chicken, and stir to coat in the spice mixture. Cook for 10 more minutes Finally add red peppers and aubergine, pour hot water till halfway the pan, and cook until vegetables are ready Keep adding hot water so that dish does not dry out. When all is ready, stir in coriander leaves.
This can be served with brown basmati, flat bread or naan, plus a favourite pickle/chutney.
Cape Malay Chicken curry dinner by Chris
You might think that by the end of Chris’ sumptuous dinner, my stomach is working overtime. But I am Ugandan, and three large meals with a smaller one in between is how I was raised(thank God our local meals back then were mostly steamed rarely fatty). I drag my cape chicken-malay-filled belly, for I have one more trip to make; Up North to the Island of Great Britain For Robbie’s unquestionable dessert awaits.
A long post this has been and a sweet ending it deserves-
Multi-coloured chocolate balls Beyond delicious and a big hit with guests But I am not just a guest Today I am an explorer
More than happy to oblige my curiosity, Robbie spills some secrets Dessert is an art that demands precision so I will try and be thorough;
Ingredients: 60 grams butter, 125 ml milk, 125 ml double cream (the cream must be thick, if you can’t find double cream then whip the cream), 125 ml white sugar, 125 ml cocoa powder, 150 grams milk chocolate broken into small pieces, 210 grams plain digestive biscuits (or any other rich tea biscuit), 250 ml coloured sprinkles.
Method: Put the tea biscuits in a plastic bag and use a heavy rolling pin to crush them. In a saucepan on the stove, heat the butter, milk, double cream, and sugar until the butter has melted and the sugar is dissolved. Mix in the cocoa powder and bring to the boil. Remove the pot from the heat and add the chocolate. Allow it to melt slowly into the mixture, stirring from time to time. When the chocolate is completely melted, mix in the crushed biscuits.
These rich and decadent chocolate treats are perfect for high holidays, so wink wink for this coming Easter. Fun to make, and loved by all. Robbie further shares of a delicious alternative; you can use almond flour instead of cocoa, which gives the balls a delicious fudgy floavour
Multicoloured chocolate balls dessert by Robbie
Ahh, I sigh in content Around the world in a day of meals. Not much more I’m able to say I will retire to bed with a book; Perhaps A Ghost and his Goldby Robbie Chaedle Or Spirit of the Shell man by Chris Hall And if I’m too exhausted, I might peruse Maria Michaela’s short but impactful poetry And if I feel a little lonely, Jane Aguiar writes deep, relatable and cajoling romance Or I might fiddle through Pooja’s lifesfinewhine for awesome lifestyle tips and addictive six word stories.
laced together by judeitakali, Compiled from;-
Maria Michaela – Breakfast
Pooja Gudka -Brunch
Jane Aguiar- Lunch
Chris Hall- Dinner
Robbie Cheadle – Dessert
Hope you enjoy this. Feel free to follow the links to these awesome members of the wordpress community.
I really enjoy exercising my creativity on this cooking and poetry feature. Read some of the others HERE
My debut novel on Lulu- HERE Stay safe everyone, Stay loving
Something in the air has changed The flowers have lost their colors The trees hide in the shadows The earth is shaking, seemingly in fear Nature seems to be wilting, dying slowly
This curse began with clouds Clouds that blackened day like watered ink splotched upon discarded paper For we wasted the sky and the green and the blue Tossed them aside for bedeviled prosperity And when the sun disappeared, we squinted our eyes and moved on Pretending we had not been warned And thus the ancient dreads awoke
Thunder roared and many hid in fear While lightning split open the sky They come in many forms They come to cleanse the earth They will spare no one
Rap-tap-tap they prowl deserted streets Skree-kree-kree they scrape against the door We hide in silence, daring neither hope nor love And yet for an hour each day these dreads retreat But what can we do with one hour? An hour to save our children’s world An hour for reckless love
Still, a glimmer of hope lives in the hearts of those who have tried and fought this downfall of humanity They try and appease the dreads Working on what they can for an hour They toil the muddy soil despite being told by many that all is lost But their hope and faith is greater than their fears, So they go on, they persist
It begins with a whisper Hushed words from cowed lips We do not speak to each other, we speak only to the plants hum lullabies to withering trees and wilting shrubs We need them but many think it’s too late, Until the first bud blooms. Only an hour each day; an hour to sing a tree to life, an hour to save a dying world.
Copyright mariamichaela and judeitakali.
I hope you enjoy this collaboration. Michaela wrote in bold italics and I did the light italics. We sort of just went with where the verses took us and it ended up being about nature. Maria also chose the art and I in turn picked the title.
Michaela has an awesome blog with soft and beautiful poetry. I always get the feel good vibe from her site- Maria Michaela poetry
Don’t forget, my debut novel Realms of the Mist is now available for purchase HERE
You came into my life like a snow storm in the middle of May, And just like that you changed my life forever, With you I learnt to expect the unexpected, You were the only one that saw the real me, And you were the one that shattered me beyond recognition, You broke me every single day and yet you always put me back together, Your diamonds turned into rhinestones, Your red roses turned black, And yet I know that you will always be the only one for me
When I cared you ignored. When I was mean, you clang on. What then should I have done, when all I wanted, was all of you.
I tried to hold on even when you pushed me away. I kept waiting for you to try. Even just a little.
It was easy to hurt you, but hard to see you cry. I told myself I’d try, but in the end I always knew you’d leave me.
A small part of me died every time you made me cry, until I no longer recognized the person in the mirror. I told myself I’d stay forever, but in the end I always knew I’d leave you.
Good riddance! I say each day. I’m sorry! I mourn each night. Cradling a glass of bitter whisky, for each dark lonely hour without you.
If leaving was for the best why do I cry myself to sleep every night? Why does your face haunt me in my dreams? Do you even care that I’m gone? Every night I fall apart wishing I was falling apart in your arms. You torture my very soul without even trying.
Alas you left me, smote like ash in the embers of our love And just like that, you changed my life forever I heard you’re happy now; with a new beau to boot. I wonder, if like me you remember- Each kiss, each tear, each bliss! All the deepest darkest secrets we shared But I know you regret nothing Why would you–that burden is mine to carry I will always be ash, swept away in the memories of our lost love And I pray to never love again For the love I bear, is a rotten love!
Toxic love is quite the enigma. It’s been ages since my last collaborative post. I hope you enjoy this one. Eager to hear your thoughts in the comments (I think Pooja will pass by too).
I always enjoy working withPooja(she’s cool peeps) Check out her wonderfully diverse and in my opinion model site here; Lifesfinewhine.
Hey everyone, the last collaboration for this holy week is with JulesPaige from Jules Pens Some Gemsblog. I did the normal case, and Jules’ part is in italics. Hope you enjoy;
Falling stars streak across a mysterious night And I gaze from the silence of loneliness Wondering how I too Once lived so bright And yet I now cascade through the endless blackness of grief.
That halo around the moon Warns of inclement weather The reign of terror in my thunderous beating heart Does not wash away the shadows… My tears flow, fear I may drown
This wailing winter seeks my cold lonely heart Its chill caresses the mangled gates, bent by many a lover “Let me in” it seduces Akin to my damp and dark soul For though spring has come and thaws from without The truest warmth must always come from within
As the new blossoms of spring unfurl Winter’s grip has no choice but to loosen The icy grip that has kept me in frozen limbo I inhale deeply the heady scent of the hyacinth … The sun God Apollo wakens from his slumber
Fly Oh Apollo Fly Blaze your chariot across this barren Boread doom Set free Gaia’s sensuous aromas Let growth rejoice and life replenish Let the waning warmth I’ve guarded so jealously And the failing hope I’ve hoarded selfishly Be shared and thus grow stronger
After being held a captive witness To the roaring of another fickle March The lamb returns unto the fold, docile and loving “April ‘come she will” with perhaps a new love Yes, me looking in the mirror and learning to Love who I can become; and accepting who I am!
A halo can be seen around the moon before it rains The blessing of cleansing
The hyacinth is a symbol of peace, commitment, and beauty A pledge of virtues that cannot be frozen
March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb The wildest things can become the most beautiful
For the Change we need begins within.
Did you know;
– The water hyacinth is the symbol of the son god Apollo, and also symbolises power and pride.
– Boreas in Greek mythology is the north wind famous/infamous as the bringer of winter.
Hey guys, I’ve really enjoyed the collaborative work this holy week.
From Within by Jude and Jules.
This is the last one, for atleast a couple of months I think. I do hope you enjoy it.
Hey everyone. Michaela of Maria Michaela poetry and I combined for this deeply symbiotic collaboration. We share a love for horror and romance, but since this is the holy week, we changed it a little.
Michaela wrote in bold italics and I did the light italics.
Hope you enjoy;
A cold wind swept through the land And all was quiet The rustling leaves and howling breeze Was the only sound
Dead foliage scraped atop unhallowed ground And wails of torment clawed from within Misery writhing in obsidian soils
Dark days have finally come Roots of sorrow digging deep underground All is lost now, it would seem
Yes, the future bodes grim and gruesome As death laughs in the face of love And I search despondently For I need you now more than ever
But the darkness seems to devour everything I cannot see where your light is Fear has gripped its cold hands Upon my very soul
If one forsakes the other, we are both lost If you succumb to despair, then evil consumes me as well For in this game of soulmates, Without hope, there can be no light
Though I cannot see you, I feel your love It slowly warms my cold soul I muster the courage to let it flow through me I let your love fill my core Hoping to spark a light from within
Tartarus has grown weary of our presence For in our search we have held vigil, even in its darkest abyss. A lonely light, and its forlorn spark And when we ignite, even Hades will wretch Spitting us out; All the way to lover’s Elysium
Please go on over and explore Maria Michaela poetry for more from Michaela. She’s awesome.
The force is strong, lol.
Stay safe everyone, Stay loving.
N.B As I highlighted in this week’s previous collaborations, this Holy week on my site, is a week for posting collaborative work. I hope you stay tuned for just one more tomorrow.
Hey everyone, Aishwarya of Kittyversesblog and I worked together to create this prose and abhanga poetry collaboration. She wrote in light italics and I wrote in bold italics.
Please take your time and enjoy;
If love was a rose, it’d shrivel up finally, If love was a butterfly, it’d flit away hastily, If love was a horse, it’d gallop free quickly, If love was dawn, it’d be engulfed by dusk lastly, If love was a cloud, it’d be carried by wind to another land promptly, If love was a mountain, it’d be rigid unfeeling soberly, If love was moon, it’d alter constantly, If love wasn’t a feeling, A feeling immortalised by two people, It wouldn’t last time’s endearing test endlessly.
Where art thou I seek? Yee love of changing face So much more; So much less For thou, dreams too
Both united yet cold For they don’t wait to meet And they don’t wait to greet Tangled union.
Oh why the same old love Seen through this dusty lens Through which this life makes sense No you; no me
Monotony reflects Of love that is boundless Of care that is ceaseless Freshness repeats
What could this love become I think but do not know I feel then flashes show For love is Heart
Of rosy youthful days Through time when strands turn grey Companion’s hand I pray Life and after.
This rose blossoms, but its thorns draw blood A butterfly tells of rebirth, and yet it has no home The prize stallion wins all races, but alas it’s sold to the highest bidder Dawn tames the horrors of night, but dusk sets them all free TheCumulus shapes according to dreams, but changes in the blink of an eye I seek the majesty of mountains, but cannot pass from their leeward side The full moon beams in splendor, but only once in every month And the lonely wolf will never find home Until it finds its lifelong mate.
If you employ a keen eye, you can see that the aspects in the conclusion I wrote, stem from the ones in the introduction Aishwarya wrote, that is; rose, butterfly, horse, dawn….etc.
Please visit Kittyverses to indulge in more from Aishwarya, or as I’m trying but failing to call her, ‘Arya’
An abhanga is a four verse poem with a 6/6/6/4 syllable count, where the two middle verses rhyme.
Flow and rhythm with ‘Arya’
N.B As I highlighted in yesterday’s collaboration, this Holy week on my site, is a week for posting collaborative work. I hope you stay tuned for more still.
Hey everyone. This post is a collaboration of photography and poetry. AmyRose of Heaven on Earth blog is an amazing, and soulful photographer. I am always deeply moved by her shots and captures. With her permission, I wrote a sonnet for her Spring crocus blooms.
Whence and why this moment, I cannot know For though I’ve longed; your timing is perfect You greet like dawn and soothe when sun is low ‘Welcome’ you always say, Joy; your aspect
I have dreamt of much wonder and delight I have inhaled the fragrances of hope Yet in you, it all somehow blooms in sight Petals in which darkness and light elope
Oh ‘whites’ that beam a spectrum of virtue All that’s beside, glows new in resplendence Clean-slates and beginnings, long overdue And thus I swoon, at your magic of forgiveness
So come dear one, will you not see what I see Will you not embrace all, that you could be!
She woke To the sound of an alarm Checking time to confirm morning It was darkness that greeted Not the usual light The birds didn’t chirp Neither was the sun anywhere in sight The neighbors weren’t around and about Neither did the milkman arrive Only the insects crooned And darkness was light
The Coming was not what we expected Spirits needed mortals to survive But angels would not possess men And so, outnumbered, they chose From the creatures of night To fight in shadows Nocturnal aids To the few good men Left
Man-made Messes nature Moonlight their only touch Confounded by street lights, path lost, Haywire
She led the resistance, blew the power For the lights confused the night creatures And the angels needed an edge How ironic it all seemed That in darkness was hope And the enemy Haunted the day Puppeting Evil Souls
Life’s light Bringer of hope Caregiver of comfort Life exists on the other side too Without
The Long night When the Wild Came for Evil When Good proved to all That darkness comes from light And angels dwell in them both So if you wake and cannot see Then listen for the creatures of night And know that Good will always be Stronger!
In droves They congregate On doors of supreme light Regain life, like it used to be Darkness
Once, we loved the dawn Sighed with relief at sunrise But now we wait for dusk To glow by twilight For when the spirits came, The world was changed forever.
Hi everyone, as promised Aishwarya and I are back continuing our story in this final part. Part 1 was a garland cinquain collaboration that concentrated on the evil spirits coming, and ended with the bit we quoted at the beginning of this post. You can read the first part HERE
In this final part 2, Aishwarya wrote everything in bold(Intro and cinquains) And I did the other half(etherees and conclusion).
We do hope you enjoy and share your thoughts on this two part series.
judeitakali.wordpress.com 