In remembrance of 9/11/2001
A skyline, once two-headed,
a postcard promise.
I saved it,
that future view,
my feet on the ground,
neck craned back,
in the shadow of steel giants.
They took the dream first.
Not just the view,
not just the towers,
but the postcard, torn.
The future became a past I never lived.
I saw them fall,
and a part of me fell with them.
My anger, a hot fire,
against the smoke,
the dust that buried my dream.
The broke the glass of the window I was looking through,
shattered the symbol,
Left an empty space.
But the broken glass became a mirror.
And in it, I saw us,
not broken, but reflecting.
A million faces,
not shattered, but hardened.
Holding each other up,
in the place where the towers used to be.
The dream changed,
it became something new.
A different kind of strength,
forged in the space where the twin towers stood,
built not of steel, but of spirit.
We were not broken,
we were made stronger.
(“The Heart of It #2”, 2007, original oil)
When A Light Is Extinguished
(for Charlie)
Today a great light was extinguished
A great soul lost to his family, his friends
His nation, and humanity as a whole.
Shades of MLK Jr.’s assassination,
A shadow of hate swallowing up the light,
Spread out across the nation
Like the Sun eclipsed at noon.
In the dark we cry
Hearts broken open
By the senseless taking of a life brighter than most,
Reminding us what kindness and brightness
And generosity of spirit is truly like,
Bright and true
And in its essence deathless eternal.
Rest in peace young man,
Go in peace great soul.
(9/10/25)
I'll run again at 20
If that's what you want
I can play in the rain on the asphalt
Without the soothing petrichor
If 20 minutes without your shadow ever existed
I'll cry my eyes out
Then laugh again
No longer able to use metaphors
In romantic stories
Sarcastic erases so much
Let's breathe a sigh of relief
We're no longer at the end of the road
But truly at the end
Not waving in a single word
Turning back into isolation
I opened the door
it was unfamiliarly wet outside
the water eroded the memory
I have opened the wrong door
each door has a history
didn't know that
so I accidentally changed the story
now I'm entangled
it feels like drifting through the ocean
while seagrass has taken over your body
pushing you back
I don't want to go back
it is dark and wet
the sky is pouring heavily
compressing my lungs
I don't want to go back
I'll be forced to open my eyelids
and see
how mothers are wearing their children as a hat
… your mother
while the walls are detouring from our house
may keepers hold you safe
we didn't know better
Briam, then
I'm Briam,
I'm the one who's always by 'em.
At the fair, he listens to every sound,
and sometimes begs to go on the merry-go-round.
As for the other rides, he's deathly afraid to try 'em.
Liam, now
I'm Briam,
I was the one who was always by 'em.
At the fair, he listened to every sound,
and sometimes begged to go on the merry-go-round.
As for the other rides, he was deathly afraid to try 'em.
clouds think of stars
my Milkyway bars
motionless water
on
heart open
to
blue skies
the trees are still green
well whatever
over a thousand pieces
to complete my puzzle
a picture of me, my heart
piecing it together my whole life
fitting in a new piece
filling in the frame
never quite complete
pieces break off
pieces fall away
leaving holes where others should be
pieces are lost
pieces are found
it will never truly be complete
on the day I lost you
the largest piece vanished
leaving my puzzle broken forever
I thought of you today when I heard a song –
A pop star using “ima” like you used to do.
The memories flooding my mind were strong,
Despite it all I put on a smile and sang along.
Reminders of correcting your English for you.
I thought of you today when I heard a song.
A rap star’s lyrics that are never wrong.
Words so perfect they will see me through.
The memories flooding my mind were strong.
A diva’s voice helps put you where you belong
Forever young wearing your halo in skies so blue
I thought of you today when I heard a song.
A song about a love lasting many years long.
For a thousand years I will love you.
The memories flooding my mind were strong.
Too many songs about losing someone so young.
Too many songs that are perfect and true.
I thought of you today when I heard a song.
The memories flooding my mind were strong.
Isn’t it odd?
All of the little things
that remain in our
little brains?
One day, you’ll
be walking down the
street, just minding your
own business, when suddenly
you’ll stop.
A sight,
A sound,
A scent,
A memory,
Something you have
never seen, heard, smelt,
or even experienced before
will catch your incomplete attention
so completely.
And send you to
the most magical of
places.
Something from your
childhood,
Something from the
small town you drove through
last autumn.
Something from that
department store shelf
at that street corner you
never thought you’d actually
go to. But then you did.
Something from
a bad day.
Something from a
good one.
All of that energy,
all of that time,
and still, I can’t
put a name to what
that feeling is.
Nostalgia?
No, it goes
deeper than
that.
Much, much
deeper.
After a bit, you’ll
wonder a while,
and then you’ll simply
move on.
Maybe all it is was
grief expressed purely.
Because living
in a world where
things are so temporary
is a bittersweet thing.
Better times,
worse times,
doesn’t matter.
It all
sticks
around.
By Tanvir Mostafa
Where are our those days, where is our lost society?
What we behold right now—is it the proper system of community?
Does goodness prevail or exist in the mid of us really?
We find soundness of reason and justice only occasionally.
Many a poet says the world is the right place for love and peace,
But perhaps that thought belonged to their own time, not this..
This is the time of anarchy, violence, and indiscipline,
We find people talk about problem and suffering.
Now people deal with science and technology,
But many noble souls died for their ideology..
People in this modernity, with what they have, can’t remain happy, Their restless minds still chase a missing harmony.
How can I embrace the sayings of poets?
Instead of love and peace, the world is a place of riots.
Deadly weapons are made to put an end to lives,
As if only hatred and bloodshed survive.
© 2025 All rights reserved.
Calling
To the I Am
Alone and on my knees
In a valley filled with death's air
His gift: Freedom in an endless expanse
My prison's narrow walls collapsed
I walked in green meadows
Seeing the sun
Calling
Inspired by a prayer from the beautiful "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl.
MOUSE HOUSE*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In my shoe, I found quite a sight,
a small mouse, with fur soft and light.
He twitched and he squeaked,
as I gasped and I freaked,
Then we both took off running in fright!
*This poem is written in memoriam and dedicated to the field mouse who mistakenly decided our garage would be a cool place to wait out summer's heat.
Didn't know I was lost, but I was.
Fourteen hours now, maybe more
since I left to find my way
to the highway.
Water's all gone with the last of the sun,
or was it the day before?
I don't know anymore. What was it she said?
made me laugh..
and forget,
these boots full of lead.
Everywhere I look, reminds me of her.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Hooray, should I say?
Nay! ‘Tis naught but disarray you fool
I dodge ducks – their beluga-toned feathers at least–
and the platinum pillows from whence they came
Whizzing by like my long four years of fame,
Eggs of pikachu hue, toast of darkest sinew
Oh no, I must go
She’s as happy as a blobfishy
How was I to know
Her special day was two months ago?
When singing praise to the Lord above,
that our feeling take flight like a white dove.
The joyful songs melts away all anger and fear.
That one can't help not to drop a tear.
Yet in the end the believers find comfort,where there's love.
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