John Ackerman Poems

Your lips whisper softly, kind words of praise,
Your strong hands caress cold fears away.
Your shining eyes glow, from sweet peace within,
Your silver hair reveals the years you have seen.
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she had a sultan swing swept above her hair
baby's hair with women's eyes reflective to share
she danced on a ring of fire yet throws back each challenge with a shrug
in light of the recent attacks on her life she is a victor
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Tony the whap threw up over himself
that day in the park the blood ran deep
machine gun Sally was in the back woods
No neck Flo was standing by on the phones
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Dark Gothic Heart

I look to the sea
viral implications take me to the surf
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Theirs is a strange art, the weaving of
Air and sound into a weightless tapestry
hanging in the church, a vibrating cloth free
of sorrows that clothes men with God's love
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today I walked along the beach and heard a still but small still voice behind me
frantic, it was a surreal moment of anxiety but entered peace through its bend
the voice continued, "Seek me above all things lay hold of my stregnth & salvation".
Wandering I through a rock into the surf I headed toward my blanket & rested
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Sally The Princess

Sally was a princess chosen for the throne
but riders in the night took her out of sight now she's gone
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soon will fall into a ditch
to pay for their evilness
the humble thought of togetherness
there's a hero in those eyes
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The language and images of Mario Vitale's poetry are so closely bound to the natural cycles of seasons, of generations, of the body's functioning, that is surprising to realize how many of his poems deal with uprootedness. But this poetry is not sentimental celebration of the goodness of nature, and harmony with the world is never assumed. The way he captures the tenuousness of this faith, the balance that must be found between the ugliness, the harshness of his history- both natural annd social- and its intense beauty, is what distinguishes Vitale's poetry, gives it its depth and dimension:

Vitale was born in 1970 Bristol hospital.
A young nurse took me in her arms and said that I would one day become a success,
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its a historical fact that folks tend to over react about politics getting caught in the mix
the system is twisted as if a roller coaster out on a mission but if we just listen come together
gravity gets a hold of me starts planting the seed of love from up above we join hands
together we can make a difference in the battle for your mind its the game of the walking blind...
...