True Power – 14th August 2025

Armed with anger, we come to believe
that our wounded dignity is protected;
lock ourselves in to keep the monsters out,
all we see are targets to be rejected;

The demon whispers on our shoulders,
“Where is justice?” “Where is your peace?”
But anger never delivers on its promise,
a fast cash deal, a momentary release;

When wounded, why hold onto the pain,
unable to accept the simplest solution?
Your life is too valuable to sacrifice
at the altar of retribution;

True power lies in the ability to let go,
to walk away from a pointless fight;
outside is a world of possibilities
before the coffin lid slams shut tight.

Another paraphrased poem inspired by David Elikwu’s newsletter at The Knowledge.
Shared with dVerse Poetics Tuesday – power

Life Is Jazz – 9th July 2025

Written for the GloPoWriMo Day 2 prompt: Write a poem that directly addresses someone, and that includes a made-up word, an odd/unusual simile, a statement of “fact,” and something that seems out of place in time. Inspired by a piece of writing by David Elikwu.

Hey, Mister Saxomaphone,

hoot me a honk, and so right the wrong;

All the broken melodies,

reinvented

will create my song.



As perfect as a dirty corner

wherein lies the history of this room,

swept away by all your basses;

Mister Saxomaphone meet Thunderbroom!

A dizzy release of tension

but miles made me a kind of blue,

with a loosened grip of the sticks

the dischord births the cool.


A novelty of noise, your random riffs

brought my jazz to life, formed this punk

Mister Saxomaphone, I made my own song

from the power of your funk.

Garbage In – 9th January 2025

You are your own curator
What does your archive say?
Your most valued selections
Will predict the game you play

May I copy to my scroll
That to which you adhere?
My library is starting bare
And I need a new idea

Cross-reference the index
Let’s build up our research
Combine all our best thoughts
And share for all to search

You are your own curator
Garbage in makes garbage out
Information overload
Fills everything with doubt

Inspired by a David Elikwu newsletter
18th Apr 2025 – Shared with Poets and Storytellers United – this poem is tangentially connected with the theme of ‘youth has no age’.

Held Back – 8th December 2024

The wise sage, somewhat cynical
Knows what to say and when
The optimist, still straight and clinical
Is in trouble with words again

Yet when the time came to inspire
The sage’s words fell short
Because one’s dreams also require
Revision to what has been taught

Maybe the fire inside was unseen
So the sage had to be let go
Not understanding what it would mean
To be held back by what one would know

Inspired by a newsletter from Daivd Elikwu about the dangers of role models and my own experience I am currently revisiting from 2020 with my then role model, George.

Build Your Brain – 14th November 2024


Inspired and paraphrased from a David Elikwu newsletter and shared with dVerse Quadrille #212 – what