poems

Swallowed

Posted on by Nikki DuBose

On that day

In September

We threw Momma in the water

She was scattered

I knew I was a thief.

The waves went

In and out

In and out

Swallowed her up

Entirely,

Without a thought

As often waves do.

She was once there

She was no more.

I died.

 

2017 Nikki DuBose

Momma Sez

Posted on by Nikki DuBose

Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, I was heavily influenced by the Gullah culture. My momma spoke Geechee, as we called it, which is a dying mixture related to Bahamiam Dialect, Barbadian Dialect, Belezian Dialect, Jamaican Patois, Trinidadian Creole, and the Krio language of Sierra Leone found in West Africa.

When my momma was angry or excited, she would often switch from English to Gullah, or the “Sea Island Creole” language. It can be very difficult to understand, and I am passionate about preserving the culture. I hate to see the culture disappear because of tourism and other reasons. I hope through my poetry and future books I can help to educate and preserve this special language.

Nikki_DuBose_Poetry_Gullah

My Eternity

Posted on by Nikki DuBose

Good evening
I love you,
Now bow to the moon.
Go to sleep
Rest your eyes
Dream of our love.
The possibilities
That can arise
Only in Heaven
A breath, a sigh
Then we are back
Here, now.
Good morning
I love you,
Let us bow to the sun.
Your eyes glisten
Through them I see,
My dreams, my eternity.

©2016 Nikki DuBose

Haiku by Tony

Posted on by Nikki DuBose

Sitting in a room
Unfamiliar to me
Sidetracked by daydreams

Her skin’s smooth terrain
Traveled by my fingertips
Again and again

Brown eyes shine brightest
In the absolute darkness
Of a tortured soul

I built a new soul
Using the remaining pieces
Of my broken dreams

I always wanted
You to fall in love with me
But did not know how

Spirits pass through me
On the same wind traveling
Over my body

The road I travel
Can’t know my destination
But it supports me

I get close to you
You lean forward with a smile
Our eyes close to kiss

Moonlight and midnight
Walking downtown boulevards
Under neon lights

Under troubled skies
People scurry for cover
Leaves dance on the wind

Sometime memories
Reappear in night’s quiet
And I can’t escape

San Francisco night
Two birds fly past my window
Your face in the fog

Lovers in search of
Barren, isolated places
To hide broken hearts

A lie silences love
As an empty heart echoes
Sobs of betrayal

I know what I’ve found
Every time you’re around
Sight, touch, taste and sound

You lost one lover
You thought it was all over
You ran for cover

The night air crackles
A footstep breaks the silence
We are on our way

Naked emotions
Am I only what I feel
When I look at you?

The small of your back
A sweet spot for massaging
S-shaped oasis

We walk through a dream
Two shadows from one moonbeam
We’re not what we seem

I awake at dawn
A lonely companion
To my surroundings

Wild nights by firelight
Smoke and sparks jumping upward
To a cool climax

We meet on the street
You put your arms around me
We walk hand in hand

Rain on the windshield
Rainbow in rearview mirror
Black cloud overhead

Without a shadow
Love can stand unrecognized
In the light of day

I’m on the outskirts
Is there a map to your heart?
A road paved to love?

Wake me up slowly
As the darkness disappears
Around you and me

I sit in silence
Listening says, “I love you.”
Louder than my words

An inner vision
Only when you close your eyes
And see past the dark

 

Thank you, Tony, for sharing your Haiku.

Find out more about Tony’s work here.

Submit your art to nikki@nikkidubose.com