My Poetry & Short Story Excerpts

Persevere

When the stars go dark, and you’ve lost your shine
never give up, you’ll be just fine.
When the days are long and the sadness bodes.
Hold on child, till the wave is a road.

Soon the water will stop
and the sun will shine
so dry your tears now child,
you’ll be fine.

I know you cannot see, the rainbow ahead.
But the promise is assured, do not dread.

The light is at, the end of the tunnel.
The words are on your lips.
Call out to the heavens now.
Peace is your gift.

So when darkens comes, like it always do,
just hold on child, he will see you through.
Things will get rough, but your hide is stronger.
Just hold on now, for a moment longer.
                                                                        -Janetta Francis.

Battle Cry

Sound that voice, the loud aching,

The cheerless whispers of the masses breaking.

Thunder was meant to be broken across the sky.

But who will save the blameless?

The ones that call to the nameless?

The dead cannot speak forever more

The living can only mourn their pain.

A vast waste less space, sand dunes cover the road.

Once paved and covered in gold,

The kings take their tributes.

Blood is paid with victims; the unknown is the anthem cry.

Rise up or die?

Rise up to what?

Oh, children, do you know?

Freedom comes with a price.

You give you take, the chains around your neck,

While the nameless grows to their damnation.
                                                                         -N.J.Francis

Her Tears

Go on cry mother, shed your tears,

Drip your mystery down upon your children.

Only stem your fears, the rage you wield inside,

Leave nowhere else to hide with all you’ve given.

God takes, God gives, the world receives,

The devil removes your people.

Deep down inside, if you were alive,

What words of wisdom would you impart?

Go on cry, mother, shed your tears.

Noah’s ark no longer hides.

But instead of tears, will all be forgiven?

When monsters come to impart,

The greed of human’s heart,

Will death be all’s reward?

Hush your tears now mother,

It’s nearly just begun,

The song you’ve sung is given.

The trumpets ring, and angels sing.

The time has come to save the forgiven.

                                                                -N.J.Francis

Red Eye

The coolest light, that trickles down.
A voidness echo without a sound.
Silence cheers when words abound,

The never ending sorrow.

Sleep little ones, till it grows.

The devil wakes and you will know,

The terror of the sleepless throws,

Of yesterday’s tomorrow.

One little peddle two,

Two little pebbles four,

A blanket covers the darkest pit

When the red eye peeps its sorrow.

                                                             -N.J.Francis

Alone.

Sealed in stone; a vile of blood-drenched clothes.

Ragged worn, torn at the seams they tell a story.

Not uncommon to life itself, words of suffering from a person that held none at all.

Life has given her one of its thrashings. Soulless eyes look out, blank and void, not even the pain of Tartarus suffices.

It pours from the womb, a black coating that envelops the innocence of a heart and rips it asunder.

A broken mirror is all that is left to tell the tale.

Her eyes cry clear liquid as it melts her flesh.

My eyes cry crimson as it builds it.

..........

Woe of ballad

Oh father, sing your song,

A lonely daughter, mockingbird,

Sweetly voicing alienation,

Produced to nothing, gratification,

Why was I born at all?

Who can stop my thoughts, which rise within my head?

I cry out, the pain that folds me within dread.

Help, who do I cry too, in this world?

                      Help, who do I cry to? 

                              A lonely girl.
........

                                                           Fighting Till The Last

Holding on to something more, just before your eyes close, your body cries out but you deny it.

That instinct? You consume it.

 You tie it into a vase, a boa constrictor that won’t let go.

“What if there is more? “ Your mind is racing, your cells cry out for mercy.

Just to close them, for a second but you fight, you deny it.

A choice that will haunt you later.

Your skin grows hot, your body irritable but nothing beats the tick tock, tick tock, as it winds down the limits of the dark.  Until the sun shows up and you rise but won’t because you reject the intrusion in your life.

“No more !” Your body cries, “just let go”.

 No, you say.  It’s better to see the world around you than for nothingness to prevail.

…..

But this nothingness is what completes you. That makes the darkness in your soul go away.

One more word, but your body finally rebels. 

The only thing we need is sleep.

.......................

Endless

Holding on to something, as a mother loses her child,
Who is the god of this world?
The wars of eternity rapes a soulless land.
As its destruction unfurls.
Bombs are unloading, rivers dry up.
A father gives the last ice chip, for his son to suck.
Where are leaders, who dawned their battle cry?
Who watches the men that lead your children to die?
................................

Loss

  

Hold on to something child, your mother used to say,
The world is lonely when you're the only one that plays,
Th tuneless song you sing was ended all yesterday,
The mournful haunting cry, where your mother's head used to lay.
.........


                                                                               Alone 2

Speak without tongue, as razorbacks cut them out.
Your voice has no words when you sing that lullaby.
Salt stings your face, your dehydration's weary.
The monster in your head is your only friend.
.......

Story

5:30 Wake Up- My Life

My life enjoys the little games it plays on me, for instance, three days ago I notice a whole in my dog food’s bag.

Alarm bells go off. Hole means rodent, rodent means the crawly bastards didn’t follow the treaty.

Grant it, it’s a treaty only in my head, but a girl likes to have a few imaginary options when dealing with certain opponents.

1.       Do not mess with my friends and family.

2.       Do not mess with me.

3.       Do not mess with my dogs.

4.       Do not mess with their food source.

The four-legged fiend broke the second and forth commandment.  Of course, the only natural outcome was death.  They can do as they please once they leave my territory alone. It’s a matter of principle.  I don’t go around bringing diseases. Damaging property and stealing resources, the golden rule goes into effect, it’s only good neighboring.  Flash forward two days ago. A non-toxic trap is set. It’s simple, rodent goes into trap, rodent receives quick and painless death, I receive a peace of mind, my dogs have their bag of food untouched.  I can’t stand when s problem decides to be difficult. Two traps later, I came to the sad conclusion that whatever it was, was either extremely cunning or too big for the traps. Bring on phase two.

#Phase 2- 

It worked, not sure for how long I have to keep doing it but the little rabid monster took the bait! This may be a slow battle but I can wait.  It shouldn’t have broken the commandments. 

Holder:

She was crying again and he was angry. Grown adults, their words a tempest, flying back and forth with enough rage to fuel their own storm.

“Please, I had to, you don’t understand!”

“You’re a cold-hearted bitch that’s what I understand!”

My child! Mine! How could you?”

"It was for their own good!”

“Own good? Are you sick woman? Do you hear yourself?”

“Please, you have to-"

“The only thing I have to do is go to the police! What you did is criminal!”

“You bastard! I did it for us!”

“Us? …Ha! There is no us! There never was!”

“Don’t u dare walk out this room! Don’t you dare!”

 The bedroom door slammed.

“You’ll regret this!” Glass shattered everywhere and she screamed. 


New Excerpt :


.....
Series

Beginning'z' :

 The Awakening

“Alice, wake up!”

I turned over.

ALICE!”

“WHAT?”

“Wake up; we have to pack, NOW!”

Eyebrows knitted together I glared up at my twenty-four year old cousin.

“What the hell is wrong with you Rita, I have the day off today remember?”

“That’s not the problem, here take this, pack a bag, only your essentials, we need to move now.”

Confused, I watched her dash out my bedroom door.

“…The hell?”

Yawning I pushed the duffel to aside and rose from my queen sized bed.

“Damn I’m so tired” I stretched “…what time is it?”

Frowning I tapped my kitty alarm clock.

12:05 am blinked in frozen status.  

“That can’t be right.”

I fumbled through my vanity draws, “where is it?”, and pushed through woolen blankets on the bed.

“Arghh where is it!”

Getting up from my knees I yelled out the door. “ Rita, have you seen my watch?”

“ARE YOU GETTING READY?”

“Stop answering with a question.”

“Alice!”

Annoyed I ignored her and asked again. “Where’s my watch?”

She ran into my room, face sweaty, eyes wild.

“I can’t believe you haven’t started yet.” She screeched.

“Started what?”

“Getting ready!”

Sighing I counted to ten.

“First, where’s my watch, second where the hell am I suppose to be packing for?”

“Your watch is on the kitchen counter where you left it last night “

She brushed past me and opened the duffle bag lying pathetically on my bed.

“Hurry up.” She beckoned.

“What am I hurrying for? What’s going?” I walked over to her side.

She swung around to face me.

“Evacuation Alice, the place is in a state of emergency.”

Throwing up her hands she ran out my bedroom a few feet down the hall and into her own. The TV was blaring. I hadn't noticed it before.  

I followed. “What are talking about?”

She pointed to the screen and flew into her bathroom.

“All residents of the High State area are asked to report to downtown city mall as soon as possible.

Residents are asked to bring only their essentials. Pets can be delivered at High State city’s Animal center.

Residents are asked to hold their valuables and have their Id’s at all times.”

The blond kept repeating the same words in a slightly high aggravated tone.

Pangs of agitation crept in.

“What the hell is going on Rita?” I asked slowly.

She started to run past and I grabbed her arm tightly.

“RITA.”

Eyes wild her usually tanned face paled to fit her gray eyes.

“I tried calling you, but you wouldn't answer.”

“That usually happens when people are asleep.” I stepped in front, palms facing her.  “What’s going on?”

She stared at me, eyes wide, skin flushed.

Her room distracted me. It was just a chaotic as her face.

 Her bed was cluttered with clothes, shoes, and only heaven knew what else.

Abruptly she grabbed my shoulders and my attention returned to her.

“The boss came in and told everyone to go home immediately.” Her voice sounded raw while she spoke. “They said we’re being evacuated as soon as possible.”

My green eyes searched hers. “Evacuated? What? To where? Why? When?”

“Now and I don’t know why all I know is we gotta hurry Alice… we gotta hurry now!”

She pushed me out of the way and ran out.

Dazed I ran into my room grabbed my duffle bag and shoved a few female essentials in along with a couple of comfortable clothing, ID, my passport and purse. Pulling on my socks and sneakers I decided against changing my sweat suit. At the moment It was warm and if push came to shove I could remove the jacket. I didn’t know what would happen later and if it got colder, my clothing would help.

“Are you ready?”

Give me a sec, I yelled and ran into the kitchen with my bag.


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