Friday's Children by Afzal Moolla

West Eats Meat***

Silently,

slicing the sky,

a Predator on the prowl.

Searching,

through human eyes,

miles away at HQ.

Picking up the signs

fresh meat on the ground,

scanning heat signatures,

confirmation reaches the bird,

sixteen high-value targets,

on the move,

in the cool desert night.

An order is given,

the Predator banks left,

steadies itself,

while sharpening its claws.

With a whoosh,

the Predator belches,

its payload strikes the HVT's.

"Target destroyed,"

a cheer goes up,

miles away at HQ.

The smoke clears,

silence returns,

while,

5 men,

4 women,

7 children,

stir no more,

late for the feast,

as the bride lies cold,

and dead,

on the dunes.

"mission accomplished."

Copyright © 2012 by Afzal Moolla

*** with special thanks to Pandit Ravi Shankar's extraordinary composition "West eats Meat".

Purple Words: Drawing Upon Poe

Drawing Upon Poe

The Drawing was of a king on his throne

with a shaft of light illuminating the lizard

-like thing crouching before the dais.

It was based on Poe’s poem ‘Coliseum:’

“Whereby glides, spectre-like, unto his marble home

lit by the wan light of the Hornèd moon,

the swift and silent lizard of the stones.”

“Such a romantic scene!” she said mockingly.

I’m too stunned by the sound of her voice to respond.

Wasn’t it just yesterday that we screamed at each other?

I tell her, “It’s just a sketch. It’s just Art!”

She believes that I have imagined her as the lizard

when I’ve only drawn upon the lines of the poem.

The thing with Art is that little of it pertains

to Everyday existence and what does

is a commentary on the difference between Reality

and what is being perceived.

This drawing was just a drawing, not a commentary.

Reality was too messy to be described with these

brief lines upon the page.

---Purple Mark, 10/20/2012

Purple Prompts:                                                                         

1. "Here, where on golden throne the monarch lolled, glides, spectre-like, unto his marble home, lit by the wan light of the hornèd moon, the swift and silent lizard of the stones!” E.A. Poe ‘The Coliseum’ Tales, Poems and Essays of Edgar Allan Poe. (Collins, 1972), Page 446.
2. “I’m too stunned by the sound of her voice to respond. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we screamed at each other... It’s just a sketch. It’s just art.” Barry Lyga. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. (Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006), Page 184.

Kirk Recomends This Page

My buddy Kirk, whom I've known since 1989, is a software engineer. He has been the only individual in my life who has pushed me into a specific direction as an artist bent on making a living. He starting pushing me regarding blogging in 2003, but I didn't dive into it till 2010. And now, two years later, I am about to publish a second e-reader literary magazine replete with an ISBN number. Of course the acquisition of an e-reader device and ISBN numbers would not be possible without the job I now possess at the Spirit Mountain Casino. The job also means I have less available time to work on the magazine, blogs (plural), webcam open mic, my own writings, and whatnot.

These days it is difficult to get a hold of Kirk. He is a proud father of a two year old, husband to a doctor, and he contracts his services as a programer out to various companies. But today, I had a phone conversation with him. And he recommended that I look through this particular artists webpage. It is called zefrank.com. I actually wrote this post solely to remember to look at this page when I get home from work tonight. Then again maybe that wasn't such a good idea since I often forget what I have written and posted on this blog. I wonder if that is why I am calling it the disasterpiece blog? Hmmm.

Ahh shit, it is time to get ready to go back to work. It was nice to talk to Kirk on the phone. Fatherhood has certainly mellowed him out. He is not the same person he was in 2003. He is more like the person he was in 1989. He has regained his inquisitiveness and playfulness he possessed as a child. Well, that is enough talk. Go to zefrank.com and check out the video posts.

Friday's Children by Afzal Moolla

Veils

Embroidered smiles,

chiseled conversations,

banal,

hollow,

the cacophony of practiced apathy,

smothering,

whispers of the forgotten,

as,

smiles abound,

with,

coffee and croissants.

Copyright © 2012 by Afzal Moolla

We Don't Talk Anymore

We Don’t Talk Anymore

Dad was killed at 3:15 PM

on the last Sunday of June in 2012

He was on his way into town

to pick up a valve for a hydraulic wood splitter

he was rebuilding for a neighbor

when he lost control of his truck

and slammed into the front of a bus

One year eleven months prior

he and my older sister formed a new company

I considered their offer to be a partner,

but when my name failed to show up on the LLC agreement

I said no to working in the business

Unity was important to dad

It pained him to know that I had grown apart from the family

That I didn’t want to work in the business

That I didn’t even try to find a niche

That being in the same room with her made me furious

Dad's desires were simple, he just wanted us to get along

All I wanted to do was go back to the city and be left alone

My sister blames me for our father’s death

She said, I should have taken over dad’s position as a bookkeeper

She said, I should have given up that foolish idea of self-employment as a publisher

She said, that I wasted my life as writer

She said, that I should have gotten a real job instead

She said, that if all I did for the company was drive, he’d still be alive today

It is Sunday, 3:15 pm

I had a vision of dad

one week after his funeral

Dad had just had a stroke

I had done everything they asked of me

I had given up my economic dreams in favor of her dreams

I had brought him home from the hospital

He was looking out the family room window at a garden he no longer could work

He was bound to a wheel chair

He was in imprisoned in a realm beyond sadness

His heart gave out on him

I started crying

---A 11/21/2012 EDIT

At A Lutheran Potluck, She Said

It is just a body--

     Grace turned 90

     her eyes were once blue

     the right one turned cloudy white

     an angry scab covers the left socket

     She waits in front of her favorite cake

     talking has become a chore

--it fails to function properly

I am tired

I don't want to go to work today

My knees ache

I'm not that old

yet

Penhead Theater Presents: The Emperor Bonaparte

Italian Half-Sword

Copyright © 2012 by Kurt Studenroth

I am a knight:

       the ones that people say

       go searching for adventures.

Friday's Children by Afzal Moolla

The Perennial Exile

Alone,

a foreign body,

eliciting condescending smiles,

the exile walks on.

Though gracious intentions are spoken,

well-meaning band-aids applied,

the exile walks on.

Alone,

never shaking off the fear,

the cold, damp trepidation,

the exile walks on.

A scab on the body,

ignored as benign,

tolerated by its host,

the exile walks on.

Alone,

knowing the danger,

imminent and grave,

the exile walks on.

Alone, outside,

malleable, acceptable,

truths rarely spoken.

Fit in, shut up, pipe down,

swallow the whispers,

chew on the smirks,

the exile knows its place.

Decades pass,

an accent is adopted,

papers are signed,

still,

the exile walks alone.

Weary now, beaten-down,

by careless kindness,

and stifling generosity,

the perennial exile,

remains.

Copyright © 2012 by Afzal Moolla

Guest Author: Brian S. Hart (Revisited)

The Mural by Brian S. Hart

|snow * WHAT IS BORN HERE * anonymous! * on the * library * wall! * (sh)ade * o’ gray * sleepy * fi(sh) * community! * artwork * on * star! * board * side * bandage * goes ’round * wound! * is * fix! * care! * to! * for! * build pride! * Mexican, Caribbean, Ecuadorian etc. * express * (sh)ip! * sail away! * child land! * of night time * opportunity! * to go * straight * up! * in * dream * smoke! * van…i…* (sh)! * pull * out * from harbor-garden! * weed! * no! * better! * idea! * tr…. * …ans… * …re… * …e… * …f… * …e… * …w… * …er! * cal… * ..l… * o! * us! * t… * …h… * …er… * …r… * …ing * …if… * …ic… * …y * skates * (Sh)orty Gates * practice * hours, more responsibility! * suspicious! * growth! * (who did it?) * young * Sugar Mountain * pro * bono * gang! * say * Copenhagen * come to * U.S. * undeniable! * femme de la mur! * …mur… * mur! * …der… * …anger… * sym… * …boli… * C…om… * …ptom… * effect * precedes * cause * o… * …f… * …r … * …a… * …s… * …cism * no! * denying! * either is or isn’t! * can’t! * use wave relation(sh)ips to demonstrate particle substance! * no! * way out! * study, hard work, learn * that! * quantum mechanics * (be * as it may * will * J-LO HONEY date Unc’ MOrK * at NOON? * O! * The * N * Times * N * poet-prince?) * val… * …g… * …iant * ….Ben… * edictorian * Einstein * reports * graffiti * suspect * otherwise * appears to be * male! * brillo! * trad. * clothes * line * purple! * beautiful! * street! * art thou! * a little * like! * Clarence Checkeredfi(sh), Jr. * r… * …e… * …a… * …d… * …uc * …n… * …e… * …a… * …r… * …di… * …tion * sudden! * romance! * major * cru(sh)! * on! * next * languages * C- * op * ed * o’ Clarence “Chuck” Checkeredfi(sh) XVI * present * flower child * daisies! * of green! * thorn * grass * ivy * paint * fair! * heroine! * patch over * witch! * story! * about * to climax * light at! * end of! * ha(sh) * out * complicated * “…home” * work * details * ((23) “Drug sold with nothing gone crazy!” (3 1 wd. 144 8 82))! * (who did it?) * oral * history! * “That’s not what I saw!” * could it be * A Pirate * B+! * lived back! * in days of! * King Philip! * “That’s what I heard!” * royal * magic * lieu of * diamond! * give * semen * jacket! * country * farma’ Charlie Plume * get th’ thought t’ * b…lend…in’i…n…b…lu…e…whaleo’Planet…X…fert’…’i…liz…E…S…P…a…i…n…t…i…ng! * Miss Philippines * take * 2 * great * Egyptian Queens * her’, then ther’ * Balaenoptera musculus * out-of-breath * Man * sounds * l’il bell * note * f’r * another * Earth! * wait a * second! * no, there isn’t! * where then? * HAHA! * “Guess What!” * “I Don’t Care!” * A & C * for * (sh)ort! * for * prince at * royal * tower * above * at * …l… * a… * …sss… * …t… * …ooo… * …w… * …e… * …d * lay * away * seeds o’ * Williams * (sh)ake * spor… * …e… * …ad… * …d… * …ic… * …t * col…leg…e! * all * hands * t’ battle * station * SYY! * 2 * M.P.H. * winds * flu(sh) * against face * speedin’ * ON * towards! * free * way * No. 6 * la! * …v… * …end… * …w… * ….h… * is * …p… * …er * …i… * wild! * edible! * (sh)…! * dinosaur * minmi * in * darin’ * bride! * dress! * in… * …g… * …rooom! * tender! * knows! * to! * refill! * repleni(sh) * lost * wonder! * Deuce of Hearts * full! * of joy-liberty * ringing! * joke * case! * joint * …o’ the jitters * in and out! * tell the preacher! * Martin –––––– ––––, Martin –––––– ––––, Martin –––––– ––––! * “Baptize the faithful!” * <“Every teacher has a teacher,” Shorty Gates had said to the young girl. Shorty then opened up a book from the library about The Local Group. She began thumbing through the pages and showing the young girl beautiful photographs of galaxies all around the Milky Way.> are we absolutely sure * that * new * Constitution’s * all * it’s cracked up to be! * Coltrane, Davis…! * save * best for last! * play * “…if I were a bell…” * summa cum laude! * yes! * tout de suite! * oui! * salut! * …at… * …or… * …i… * …g… * …e… * …a… * …n * bow! * incredible! * in! * F * hunt for * cart * x, y * founder * in! * new! * …L.I…. * tho! * …graph… * Y * Orleans * sound * Yorktown! * Phil * Quaker * meeting * eighty-seven * requirements for * bet a * K, Q, J! * Sandip Burman, Joy Harjo, Robert Mirabal * ON THE CARD * Wall St. * house o’ Don Jose Leandro Perea! * wa… * …s… * …te… * …r * away * is our neighbor… * hood * coming * down * by * canteen * mind * Ghana drums * of dream-river * beautiful paint mixtures * dissolve * heavy * forgiveness * when * and how! * railroad * built! * cycle * of * please, no more * violence * does one * 68 * soldier * honor * gift! * Cesar Chavez * come forth! * from * pirate * …o’-pearl * ’oyster up! * stern! * cool! * green! * luck o’ the * Iri(sh) * sea! * dreams! * to * be… * …hold * the eye-cloud! * Squirrel Hill * engrave * sign * encircle * sample * AND * Paul Enciso chooses Sunrise Eagle! * what a pick! * pupil! * free! * angel… * …a… * …b… * …solve… * …be… * …y… * …on… * …d * river * dust * April 14 * newspaper art * well-versed * in * Psyche knot! * Is-Only-Tears-Falling! * like Hay-ron’-ee-mo! * spinosaur * rains * down * …truth, justice, etc…. * was it * same! * snaky * (who did it?) * Asia * risk-taker * formula * like * Zen * a bit o’ * beyond * James’ * belief! * bond! * work within * system * style * bit * transparent * inside! * ace of clubs and ace of hearts * story line * headline news! * past * time! * bridge * game * on board * (sh)! * “It Happens!” *

Copyright © 2012 by Brian S. Hart

Friday's Children by Afzal Moolla

This Will Offend

The prejudice lurks,

a gestating beast,

hate masquerading as faith,

intolerance as belief,

while,

righteous tongues mouth prayers,

beseeching Him for tax-relief.

I tire of the sermons,

spewed forth each day,

threatening damnation,

promising paradise,

while,

blanketed in the innured comfort,

of carefully crafted lies,

Do not waste your breath here,

I refuse to succumb to your wiles,

take your God elsewhere,

He is not welcome now,

So,

leave me to my fate,

for I refuse to bow.

This will offend,

those who lay sole claim to Him,

This will offend,

the spurious purveyors of The Truth,

This will offend,

the hubris of the elite,

This will offend,

"for the truth shall set you free,"

free,

of jingoistic fanatical deceit.

Copyright © 2012 by Afzal Moolla

This is going to be a total lame post

Penhead Theater Presents: The Emperor Bonaparte

Napoleon versus Membar

Copyright © 2010 by Kurt Studenroth

I am a knight:

       the ones that people say

       go searching for adventures.