Thursday 22 February 2018

Overstaying by JD DeHart

Lightning over St-Laurent River on a stormy night in Quebec by JP Marquis


Poets know not to overstay
their welcome.

They linger on the page for just
a while,

a quick word, a brief description,
rhyme or no rhyme.

They say what they need to say,
sometimes veiled in metaphor,

then go skipping away.

Sunday 18 February 2018

Mystery by Dragos Niculescu

Photographer not credited


She was sitting on a golden stool,
in front of the mirror,
combing her long and black hair.
I was laying in bed, behind her,
and watching her I said:
You have an army,
somewhere you have a hidden army
and all obey you without protest,
soldiers and generals alike.
You are the master of life and death,
you, the one that pretends to know nothing,
you are able to rule the most bloody wars,
and all those soldiers are happy
to fall with the foreheads to the ground
at the smallest sign of your finger,
you, who betray yourself so little,
so as the world around you sees in you
the same beautiful child of drunkenness and despair.
Beautiful, that comb absent,
you are the great master
of a hidden army.

*****

Dragoş Niculescu is awarded in many national and international literary contests, his poems being published by many important Romanian and from abroad cultural magazines. He figures among the fifty most important contemporary Romanian poets (NOESIS Cultural Society’s Anthology, 2001). He has published until present three poetry volumes and he has in print four poetry volumes and one drama volume. He is also literary critic and cultural editor. 
He is an active presence at the book fairs and literary circles of the Writers Union of Romania.