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SO NOW HE,S GROWN


Once there was a special lad, dinky little mite
He wasn,t very big at all, his stature very slight
It didnt seem to bother him, not bother him at all
Although the other kids in class, all seemd to look so tall

He didnt let him hold him back, he took it on the chin
And soon became a favourite, with his cheeky little grin
His sparkling personality, could light up any s...

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familyhumourpoetry

House On The Edge of Town

More and more
my thoughts turn to you
so aware of time
I’m the age now
that you were
when the pair of you parted
you got that rented house
on the edge of town

We’d stay at weekends
watching winter’s tide sweep in
standing in the falling snow
the garden and the fields disappearing
said ‘throw another log on the fire’
said ‘dad, your house is cold’

At fifteen, I was nothing
lost i...

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breaking up the familyfamilyfamily poemfatherselfishsontalkteenage

Walking With My Son

I walk with my little son
He would follow me to the edges of the galaxy
Just to tell me his story of his love for reality.

He waits for my return
Then tells me he misses me
With a smile, a cuddle and kiss that reminds me he’s here in this world.

He gives me tasks to do
While playing in the evening
Then I read him a story
Way past bedtime.

We walk in the morning
While he points out...

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childhoodchildrenfamilylifelovesonwisdom

FOREST STORIES

I last wrote about our five quite some time back,

a time when, for each of them, you and I (and mostly you)

still weighed in and sparred, day on day, in any cause,

on standby should they slip or fall – though close at hand is, perhaps,

the better way to say it, the gentle way to convey a sense of

our being technically unseen, absent, yet able to be found

by one or two, no more th...

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familypoetrynatureloveageingmind

Inside a house

Dark outside,

you see inside.

I’m standing there,

without a care,

but looking out,

i’m full of doubts.

I’m projecting pride,

but have nearly died.

He makes my tea,

you see he loves me.

I appear to have done

nothing for it.

My inner voice,

gives me no choice,

where you can’t see,

I slice my extremity,

the blood runs down,

into the family’s dishes.

...

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judgementfamilyappearancesself harm

The Ocean Inside The Shell

The salty sea spray sprinkles my skin,

like summer showers

That begin 

Then end 

Suddenly 

I stand in front of a crust forming at the edge of the beach

 

Splintered, softened wood 

Seaweed

Stones

Shiny when wet

Their colours

Like common jewels

Topaz, ruby, emerald, turquoise, coral pink, terracotta

All there for the picking

All at my feet

This Novemb...

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Superstition

Superstition

imagine 6 kids
walking hand in hand
two by two

four girls
two boys
behind Ma.

We sing out loud
'Step on a crack,
break your mother's back'.

We joy fully avoid
still hand in hand
the pavement cracks.

Ma turns and says
'You all shut up'
and we do.

f

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familygrowing upchildren

The Land

Sitting to the east

Sloping down to the edge  

Of that other world

In the summer sun

In the winter chill

The sentinel watched over

The little family in the cottage in the hollow

 

Lately it had felt her sorrow  

It knew when she left Pant y Lleiniau

And walked slowly along the cart track

To reach the little bridge under the trees

Where she crossed Nant yr Efail ...

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Grey clouds

 

The numb thump of my heart beating against my rib cadge, 

Unknown pain of sadness always giving me rage.

Desperately grasping at the last memories that I had with you,

Tears roll down my face when I find thats an issue.

The blood in my veins is so hard to contain, 

The thoughts of death flood through to my brain.

Hard to fight past the devil inside of me, 

I promise my na...

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depressionfeelingsmental healthlossfamily

Daughter

Forgive me, for not 
being the mother 
you needed me to be.

For being too busy,
too naive to see 
what was happening 
in front of me.

For being silent
when your father 
screamed and demeaned.

For when I thought it
was sweet that your 
boyfriend carried you
to your room when you 
"fell asleep".

For not enough hugs
and too many lectures.

For not seeing the signs
of addict...

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addictionconnectiondaughterfaithforgivenessfamilyhealinghellhero's journeyloverecoveryrelationships

Life, Love, and Leaving in Livingston, Texas

In a previous century my grandfather died

Only weeks after my great uncle.

A few weeks later, my grandmother

Made a quick trip to the grocery store

And returned to find her house in flames.

 

Having lost her brother, husband, and home

In a matter of weeks, my uncle Skeet

(so known because as a child he was

No bigger than a mosquito or “skeeter")

Tried to comfort his s...

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bigotryfamilygriefLivingstonreligionTexas

The Writer's Plight

For some, the writer's plight may be staring at a blank page, fear of rejection, or resistance presented in various forms. For me, the writer's plight is being available morning, noon, and night to welcome a steady stream of pop-in visitors with expectations of providing conversation, cooking, cleaning, even childcare for hours on end.

With a Mona Lisa smile, I weigh the importance of what my d...

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comfort zonedrama queenfamilyfocushabitlegacymuseprioritiesquality timerelationshipswriter's lifewriting

I know why (you cry)

I watch you silently

Tears sparkling in your eyes

I wonder if you want the comfort

When you won’t tell me why (you cry)

 

You go about the day

As normal as can be

I wonder how you smile

But I know the truth inside (you cry)

 

Your voice seldom wavers

And your friends never see

But alone you start to lose the mask

And I can see the cracks (you hide)

 

I ...

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deathfamilygrief

Arrive Alive

 

Road crashes are every minute 
Here and there, in every point 
More than a million killed a year 
And speed is death, no doubt 

 

“Drive Safely” is only choice 
ٍSafety belt, has no "price" 
Come back safe for the family 
We live "once", not twice 

 

Road is not real excuse 
But the behavior is a main cause 
For crashes all over that world 
No more anger .. no abuse
 

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abusealiveangerarrivebehaviorbeltbenazouzcausechoicecomecrashesdeathdoubtdriveexcusefamilyherekilledlivemillionminuteoncepointpriceroadsafesafelyspeedtheretwiceworldyear

Undeserving

She stares at the ocean.

The waves crashing and falling.

 

Crumbling, Like an avalanche.

Everything falling apart.

 

For you can’t ride the boat.

You are imobile.

People do everything for you.

A King they would murmur. 

Chasing you, begging for your attention.

Although you fear publicity.

 

But when that crocodile ran you up that tree

did you dare to b...

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familyrealisationneglect

The choice 

Translation of my Arabic Poem (“The Choice”) 

Who, in the World, chooses his birth? 
Who chooses his family and children? 
Who chooses his fate and country? 
Who chooses the time to go to heaven? 

But it is possible to choose our day 
To sincerely care about family and work 
This will be the first right step to our future 
To achieve our goals while we're alive 

Your name and countr...

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achievealiveambitiousbehaviorbenazouzbirthcarechangechildrenchoicecountrydaydecisiondialogueechoendenjoyfamilyfatefirstfuturegiftgoalsGodhappilyheavenhumanknowledgelifelosernamepartplanningpossiblepresentreligionrightsincerelystepsuccesstalkthoughtsviewwantwillingwinnerworkworld

Clouds

One of my favorite games 
to play as a child 
was seeing shapes 
in the clouds: 

Dogs, cats, 
elephants, giraffes, 
airplanes, unicorns... 

It was one of the 
few pleasures 
of my childhood. 

As I grew up, 
I began to see 
scarier things:
 
Dragons, demons, 
torn hearts,
flaming arrows... 

Now in the archway 
of my golden years, 
I see beauty that 
brings me to tears:

...

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angelschildhoodcloudsdeathfamilyimaginationJoni Mitchelllifeloveloved onesmusicsingingsky

Cha-Chi Legacy

I inhale the tears 
welling up in my eyes.
Feeling like I don't have 
the right to cry for 

letting so much time go by
without saying hi,
how are you doing, 
what's new in your life?

I "kept in touch" 
watching your 
adventures
on social media, 

restoring 
power
after a 
hurricane, 

providing water 
and food for 
people who didn't 
know your name.

I was proud of you,
...

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connectiondeathfamilyhomelesslegacylifelovesocial mediatimevolunteer

The Theater

The Theater

Today, we're together 

Tomorrow, we're apart 

As Cinema .. as the Theater, 

An End for the Start 

 

Thanks to God for Life 

To work .. earn and learn 

Pray .. to keep Survive 

Happiness to reach and Yearn 

 

Surely, you're assigned 

For a role to achieve a goal 

Unless you've that mind 

You need to heal your soul

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TheaterCinemaClubGroupCompanyTeamFriendsColleaguesFansFamilyCountryWorldRelationshipMeetingLeavingDepartingTravelingbenazouz

A Fine Line between Living and Death

You do not exist anymore 

Scientifically speaking, 

You are absolutely nothing 

Unconscious, intangible, not there. 

 

You exist in my mind, 

Poetically speaking, 

You live on through that funny anecdote

Or recipe, your legacy, our memory.  

 

You are my tragic backstory, 

Therapeutically speaking, 

The key to solving why I am the way I am 

What you made me w...

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deathearly deathfamilyfamilylossgriefGrievinglifelife after deathlife and deathLost familypainperspective

Grandad's Christmas Reverie

He thought

All I want is here

the tree that reaches the ceiling:

with the decorations the boy had helped hang

and the lights he could reach

to pull off

He thought

I hope they like my gifts

the presents beneath the low branches:

with the labels that the girls had turned over

and peeped at to see

which was theirs

He thought

I am alone with Christmas

the many...

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