Poems

Life is a classroom

Strike a match

to what is unfit,

Burn it with your light

if only darkness exists,

Turn a page if the chapter ends,

Write a new book,

if your heart wants

to start again,

Life is not over,

You're your own boss,

A real reward can be extracted from what

may seem like a loss,

Lessons come from hardships and those arduous paths,

Never lose sight

or that might, rock bottom

had produced in you,

from those triumphant fights,

You learn the value of not giving in,

Especially when you have experienced the friction of life's stint,

And even though it may feel like a proud sin,

refuse advice from those who crinch when you win,

Winning takes resilience,

Wisdom takes reflection,

Wellness takes the application of strength in the face

of any kind of rejection,

Watch the authenticity of your circle,

and be aware of the red flags from recurring hurdles,

It's intuition giving its signal

in flashes,

when friendships go from fire to ashes;

It melts from your face, those rose tinted glasses,

Keep your eyes fixed on

your dreams,

Eventually, there will be

no striations in the landscape of any schemes,

It will be easier to hold a

healthy disposition

or even a grin,

When life's a classroom,

you will learn from everything.

– Angela Yap Chung

# # #

Bob Marley

Born in country, grew in town.

Reggae singer, in Trench Town.

Sang black conscious songs for us,

Won album of the century, Exodus.

Started singing at twelve years old.

Musician with a heart of gold.

World class singer, attaining such applause.

Made his impact at home and abroad.

Mother black and father white.

With his music the world he’d unite.

Though born in poverty, he lived like a king.

Guitarist who played with lots of “riddim.”

Member of the Wailing Wailers Band,

Released many albums, what a man!

He certainly attained greatness and fame.

Robert Nesta Marley is his name.

– Kadecia Wilson