Writings And Other Manifestations of My Mind

You walked along the school corridor
Like Sunday morning
The very quintessence of female charm
Eros drew back his bow, he let a golden arrow fly 
And this heart of mine went pit-a-pat

Your hello, the melodiousness of an R&B love song 
Your smile, a silent promise of sweet nothings 
Your body, a wonder of perfect symmetry
The materialization of my adolescent dream

Your vibe indicated/indicates your turn of mind 
Your stylistics made/make visible your character 
Your almond-shaped hazel eyes were/are the reflecting pool 
In which I saw/see the mirror of my soul: 831 224
Copyright © 2023 Trifoglio

The number 831 stands for "I Love You" because there are eight letters, three words, and one meaning. The number 224 is added to emphasize permanence, signifying "Today, Tomorrow, Forever". 

Standing here at the crossroads 
Looking out beyond the horizon
Miss Cora, you show us the way
Your old-time faith evokes those captured Africans 
Who dreamed freedom on wings of remembrance 
In the aftermath of a brutal, forced removal 
From the Motherland 
Bought and sold at Ouida, Kumasi, Zanzibar
By, and to, a band of avaricious menfolk
Transported across the Atlantic Ocean
And sold and resold on the auction block like cattle
In this North American settling place
Savaged, lynched, raped at will
Tortured for wealth, exploited for wealth
By even more brutish menfolk 
Although denied say-so in decisions made
Concerning what they did, how they lived 
The strong ones survived dehumanization
Moaning, groaning, praying
And determined to be free, they looked inward
And improvised a way out of the valley of bondage 
Believing with everything they felt 
That someday they would all be free
They watched, cursed, signified, sang, and danced
Stole away from Georgia cane and cotton patches
Its tobacco and paddy fields, knowing they were alive 
And still within the pale of humankind
Their unschooled melodies of faith and hope
Rose upward to the sky like incense 
Enriched the Nation's musical mix 
Wafted across oceans and entered the hearts and minds 
Of women, men, and young people
Who sang them for the nourishment of their bodies and their souls:
           “We shall not be moved
           We shall not be moved 
           Like a tree planted by the water   
           We shall not be moved"
         Copyright © 2022 Trifoglio

I did not find love
and I've looked everywhere
all over this place

Copyright © 2019 Trifoglio

Tyre D. Nichols died three days 
After he was hospitalized on 01.07.2023 
Following an assault by five law enforcement officers 
During a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee 
Body cam footage of the assault was released on 01.27.2023 
Considering the circumstances of his unjustifiable death 
I walked to my window, looked out at the budding cherry trees 
And saw Tyre as plain as day, skateboarding for joy 
Along the streets of Memphis, moving in tune with the vitality 
In his muscles, the vision of doing great things in his mind 
He was a sapling of a man, a mother’s son, a son’s father— 
Gone all too soon 
Deliberately targeted and maltreated by hefty brothers 
Who had duly pledged to protect and serve human life 
Watching the footage of their misconduct
 I flinched at the thought of the extreme fear
That must have flowed through Tyrone while they kicked, tased 
Cursed, and beat him nearly unconscious 
And left him lying on the concrete road 
Blood oozing from his brutalized body 
Clearly, such behavior violated departmental regulations 
And debased the Oath of Honor the five officers took:
To never betray their character or the public trust 
To have the courage to hold themselves accountable 
For their actions, maintain the highest ethical standards 
And uphold the values of the community 
                             and the agency they served 
Meanwhile, instead of providing Tyre with medical care
Those officers saw fit to boast like adolescent thugs
                                       laughing and bragging
About the energy expended and how exhausting the struggle was
To reduce him to submission 
Hearing them/seeing them back-support one another 
Reopened the wound in my chest 

Pink blossoms have burst from the buds on the cherry trees 
Days have become longer, nights are shorter now
However, such cyclical phenomena do not delight me
Stars do not invite me, my heart does not dance 
In this post winter-before-summer season of rebirth, awakening 
And more fresh growth impending 
Tyre’s blood calls from the realm 
Of undifferentiated spirit 
I contemplate yet again 
The predominance of over and over mindless violence
As was, and is, exhibited in the conduct of brothers 
Who are addicted to their own self-destruction
Copyright © 2023 Trifoglio  

The day is new
Peaceful as a dove
The sky is blue
Gone is love
This empty feeling in me asks
Friend, where are you?

The day is new
The sun is gold
The sky is blue
Senor Death is bold
This beating heart of mine asks
Friend, where are you?

I see your eyes
I hear your laughter, the things you used to say and do
Traces of this and that within
Memories of you
Copyright © 2023 Trifoglio

O Great Spirit
I submit to the flow
In harmony with the flow, I seek wisdom
    strength, humility, honesty, courage, compassion, freedom
Seeking blessings 
I am thankful for all you see fit 
    to bestow on me
I am thankful for the blessings received 
    yesterday, today, tomorrow
I ask forgiveness for my wrongdoings
    my narrowmindedness, my misunderstandings
    my shortcomings
    yesterday, today, tomorrow

Copyright © 2023 Trifoglio

Come, dancers, let’s go up the hill 
Let's plant new seeds for a fresh crop 
Of community—I know we can do it 

First, I want you all to jete above the madness 
Then about-face 1-2-3-4
And gyrate your pelvis on counts 5-6-7-8
Show me how to dip tar, ladies
Men, you show me how to plait hair
I want you all to let your bodies speak 
The inheritance gifted to us by the elders 
Remember: you need me, and I need you
Without each other
There's nothing any one of us can do
We are vessels of spirit serving Spirit
Copyright © 2023 Trifoglio            

Artist: Derek Jay Dent

“Between two friends, 
even water drunk
together is sweet 
enough.”