Poetry

Chris JL photo

By

Norberto Franco Cisneros

The Underbelly Of The Dark Rainbow

Murky shadows slink around the darkened rainbow

like black eels embracing the dish hi-lighting mankind’s testes.

As today Man’s testicles still hold the world hostage

and reveal the slow moving continuum slithering toward the world’s fate.

Flames and chaos surround Man’s prayers while searching for God.

Man stares at His face looking to find his own,

but knowing God is vindictive, Man’s core freezes

exposing the glass cage that surrounds his heart.

God’s stare penetrates the glass cage to see Man’s deviousness,

“The chaos you have created in my world is not why I made you!”

God’s gaze is not consoling, “You have made me angry!”

He raises his voice and Heaven’s gates tremble.

“You have freewill, do the right thing!” God commands.

Sometimes, things happen for a reason, but sometimes, they surprise.

Wisdom is written in the nooks and crannies of Life

they display acumen, but men’s only obsession is the Holy Grail of lucre.

These avaricious men, like lemmings, follow a personal path to oblivion,

being devoid of integrity, truth and vision, they wallow in fake glitter.

The black underbelly of the dark rainbow holds many truths,

but man is slow to learn and disdains the many moral lessons it teaches.

Death led Man to a truism: Surviving is paramount,

But Life added another truism: Lives will be sacrificed in the exchange.

Truth is the string that holds the world together,

but when deceit runs rampant truth can carry a nation a long way,

yet in the pursuit for power and control, lying reigns supreme;

to stay in power, these men turn the truth in-side out until it becomes suspect.

Confused people follow the din of the opulent life of the wealthy.

It is the avarice, selfishness and jingoism the wealthy foment that entice the dispossessed.

Deceitful carrots of untruths are dangled in front of gullible minds

desperate enough to believe they can have it all, too.

Working people continually struggle to find ways to be heard

to expose the elite’s perverse nature of calloused, self-centeredness;

maybe the fighting spirit of working people’s efforts to survive is just enough

to impress God to make the world safe for another day…

You

Don’t listen to my words

Or look to understand my mind,

But listen to the whisper of fate

Urging you to know yourself.

Don’t think I’m using fake logic

Or think I’m using mind trickery

Think instead that I have come a long way

To acquaint you with life’s trials.

I’m not from here,

But I have good things to tell you

I know you are a good person, you know compassion

And possess a love that comes from a caring heart.

Love your fellow humans as long as forever exists,

But Love yourself as well

You need each other’s strength, courage

And love to survive.

You are everybody’s destiny

You possess good karma

If you make a great fortune give it to those who need it;

Great fortunes corrupt the soul

In heaven’s dimension, trinkets and baubles have no value

You are an intricate part of the heavenly whole

And indispensable;

A charitable life defines genuine value.

Know that regardless if no one around you shows compassion

You do.

Always give the people the good that’s in you,

And that will make all the difference in the world.

Norberto Franco Cisneros

My poems have been published in the following publications: Indiana University Journal Chiricu; Avocet Review (Avocet Press); Snow Jewel (Grey Sparrow Press); Ilumen (Mouthfeel Press/ Sam’s Dot Publishing) and several others, including e-zines, Black Petals, Ruhatish and have been a Featured Poet in Poetry Soup