Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Comments on "The Faux Pas"
The Faux Pas
(Pentameter)
The
frivolity of youth is its charm;
Slowly
fades away with the aging soul;
A fancy
dress party raised the alarm;
The
harried Prince, some way, has lost control.
Skeletons
in the closet do have sway;
Secrets
are tied to the bones in the chest;
In
graveyards they no longer want to stay,
But invade
young minds that want to impress.
Constant
in battle are young rolling stones;
The
ancestral flaws they like to expose;
Hypocrisy
lies in these bags of bones,
So let’s
throw a party and wear their clothes.
The stage
was set for the ball of the year;
Tom, Dick
and Harry wore mask in the crowd;
Common
guys were not supposed to be there;
And their
ragbag clothes made a Nazi cloud.
The
commoners’ streets are not paved with gold;
So the
hair comes down in any spotlight.
Top of the
line, comes from a different mould,
So a faux
pas is very impolite.
In the lens, paparazzi shoot the Crown;
No vetted
shots, from them, for royal folks,
Who
throughout the country they bring renown;
This
mystic feeling, royalty evokes.
Mistakes
are made so old folks reprimand,
But with
every error something is learnt.
History as a core, not taught in England!
So youth do not know what folks Hitler burnt.
How well one seeks to correct every wrong,
Indicates the true measure of the man;
So you eat humble pie, to make you strong,
And reflect on the way it all began.
History as a core, not taught in England!
So youth do not know what folks Hitler burnt.
How well one seeks to correct every wrong,
Indicates the true measure of the man;
So you eat humble pie, to make you strong,
And reflect on the way it all began.
© Paterika Hengreaves
(Summer 2005/New Zealand)
This poem the “Faux Pas”
is written in Pentameter style.
The Pentameter is a
literary device that can be defined as that verse made up of five strong
metrical feet or beats. The Pentameter functions are to govern the individual
verses in the poem and to provide a structural form to a poem. The Pentameter
also gives arrangement to words through the regular use of accents on the
syllables, and help in emphasizing the specific words which the poet wishes to
use. This is the major reason for variations in the text through
stressed/unstressed patterns.
"The Faux Pas"
was composed during my stay in New Zealand in the summer of 2005, to capture
the universal outcry when Prince Harry one of the sons of Prince Charles threw
a fancy-dress ball. Unknowing to the Prince, a picture of him wearing a Nazi
war symbol was taken by the paparazzi. This royal blunter caused eyebrows to be
raised among the Jewish community as well as with Leaders of Commonwealth
countries. They felt his behavior was not in keeping with someone who could be
heir to the British Crown. This conclusion was drawn from reports carried via
the dead tree and electronic media on the matter. The distraught Prince after
many days of mulling over this faux pas made a royal apology. This apology is
seen as a very heroic act executed by the Prince. This brought him back in good
favour with the people around the globe. This serves to strengthen the notion
that any sincere apology can heal wounds.
The politics of 2016-2018
America among candidates for the various political positions have exhibited
behaviors that are social mistakes and more often than not are impolite or
beyond the pale. They have showcased their jungle-like behaviors so unbecoming
of a nation that is supposed to be civilized and a leader of the free-world.
However, no human being is perfect, but educated and civilized people of
America seeking ruler-ship positions in those political establishments should take
pause. They should not indulge in a barrage of ‘false steps’ and especially the
forty-fifth occupant in the White House. Sadly this is the cycle of the
present-day. One is left to say that candidates running for the highest office
in the land should avid for starters: nasty comments or the faux pas. These
embarrassing social mistakes should never become the main dish in the political
food-basket. I am mainly sounding the warning bell on the disgrace-full conduct
in political arenas aired on electronic communication devices and in the “free-press”.
God bless the United States of America.
Friday, October 12, 2018
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Structure of the Villanelle Poetry
Kadooment Day Villanelle
Jamming
on kadooment day, from dawn to dusk, playing mask
Revellers from everywhere, including France
Revellers from everywhere, including France
In brazen
wear and tear, they bask
In the sun, sipping fermented juice from a bamboo flask
Tourists,
jumping, whirling and twirling have come to prance
Jamming
on kadooment day, from dawn to dusk, playing mask
Jamming on kadooment day, from dawn to dusk away from cane-trash
Chanting
calypso songs, in native parlance
In brazen
wear and tear, they bask
Sea of people on Spring Garden, round a cask
while vermin grind, sweet grass, with a weasel-mouth lance
Jamming
on kadooment day, from dawn to dusk, playing mask
So Crop Over comes many months after Pasch
All
through the day and night they sing and they dance
In brazen
wear and tear, they bask
All year
these wild cats, make camouflaging an easy task
in the cane fields to flex the Ministry of Finance
in the cane fields to flex the Ministry of Finance
Jamming
on kadooment day, from dawn to dusk, playing mask
In brazen
wear and tear, they bask.
© Paterika Hengreaves
© Paterika Hengreaves
(July 2018 (Barbados)
Structure of the Villanelle Poetry
Jamming
on kadooment day, from dawn to dusk, playing mask (A1)……
Revellers from everywhere, including France (B) ……………… Tercet stanza
Revellers from everywhere, including France (B) ……………… Tercet stanza
In brazen
wear and tear, they bask (A2)…………………………….
In the sun, sipping fermented juice from a bamboo flask (A)……
Tourists,
jumping, whirling and twirling have come to prance (B)....Tercet Stanza
Jamming
on kadooment day, from dawn to dusk, playing mask (AI…….
Jamming on kadooment day, from dawn to dusk away from cane-trash (A)…
Chanting
calypso songs, in native parlance (B)……………………. Tercet Stanza
In brazen
wear and tear, they bask (A2)………………………….
Sea of
people on Spring Garden, round a cask (A)…………………..
While vermin grind, sweet grass, with a weasel-mouth lance (B)…… Tercet Stanza
While vermin grind, sweet grass, with a weasel-mouth lance (B)…… Tercet Stanza
Jamming
on kadooment day, from dawn to dusk, playing mask (A1)….
So Crop Over comes many months after Pasch (A)…………..
All
through the day and night they sing and they dance (B)……. Tercet Stanza
In brazen
wear and tear, they bask (A2)………………………
All year
these wild cats, make camouflaging an easy task (A)…….
In the cane fields to flex the Ministry of Finance (B)………...…… Quatrain Stanza
In the cane fields to flex the Ministry of Finance (B)………...……
Jamming
on kadooment day, from dawn to dusk, playing mask (A1)......
In brazen
wear and tear, they bask. (A2)…………………….............
The "Kadooment Day" poem is written in the form of the English Villanelle. The Villanelle is of French origin. This poetic form uses repetition. The English equivalent of the French Villanelle is a fixed form poetry consisting of:
Nineteen verses of any length divided into -:
- 6 stanzas
- 5 tercet stanzas
- 1 concluding quatrain
Verses 1 and 3 of the initial Tercet rhyme. These rhymes are repeated in each subsequent Tercet (aba) and in the final two verses of the quatrain (abaa)
Verse 1 appears in its entirety as verses 6, 12 and 18
Verse 3 reappears as verses 9, 15 and 19.
The "Kadooment Day" poem is written in the form of the English Villanelle. The Villanelle is of French origin. This poetic form uses repetition. The English equivalent of the French Villanelle is a fixed form poetry consisting of:
Nineteen verses of any length divided into -:
- 6 stanzas
- 5 tercet stanzas
- 1 concluding quatrain
Verses 1 and 3 of the initial Tercet rhyme. These rhymes are repeated in each subsequent Tercet (aba) and in the final two verses of the quatrain (abaa)
Verse 1 appears in its entirety as verses 6, 12 and 18
Verse 3 reappears as verses 9, 15 and 19.
Crop Over
is a Bajan-Caribbean cane harvest festival in the West Indies. The festivities
run for several weeks to celebrate the end of the sugar cane harvest.
Kadooment Day is the last day of Crop Over which commences on July 1 and ends on the August 1. It is a summer street festival with all the noise, colour and vibrancy you’d expect from a Caribbean festival. Folks get into the furrow with local drinks and cuisine; join the throng as bands and calypso musicians parade through the streets. Glittering costumes and plenty of “bare skin” are on show amidst a melee of revellers, stilt walkers, musicians and entertainers. Such fun and celebrations continue well into the wee hours of the morning so you’ll need plenty of stamina. Tourists world over are drawn to this festival annually.
“fermented juice from a bamboo flask” = rum in bottle
“sweet grass” = sugar cane
Kadooment Day is the last day of Crop Over which commences on July 1 and ends on the August 1. It is a summer street festival with all the noise, colour and vibrancy you’d expect from a Caribbean festival. Folks get into the furrow with local drinks and cuisine; join the throng as bands and calypso musicians parade through the streets. Glittering costumes and plenty of “bare skin” are on show amidst a melee of revellers, stilt walkers, musicians and entertainers. Such fun and celebrations continue well into the wee hours of the morning so you’ll need plenty of stamina. Tourists world over are drawn to this festival annually.
“fermented juice from a bamboo flask” = rum in bottle
“sweet grass” = sugar cane
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Dragonfly

Gone is the rain, chased by
sky candle. Everywhere is blooming, on bird-road the dragonfly, devil's darning
needle, ear cutter, snake doctor. Earth dwellers' dreadful names you wear; your
translucent wings soar in the sun. You stalk. You prey, in broad daylight. You
open mouth to prey, a predator on the loose. Mosquitoes, gnats are in your
noose. Flying high, you search for a mate. Rest, you must on blade of grass. In
careful watch, you must; children passing by, your wings wishing to pluck. How
they laugh at you, you standing on your head on the grass; tail straight, the
giraffe. In the groove, in the notch you conjugate. Mating wheel clear to
watch. Audible impact, the lust; teasing and fussing a dragonfly on my
callaloo; oh ho! you are the tantaboo.
Comments on the Dragonfly Poem:
Two Versions of writing a prose poem are shown below:
Version 1
Gone is the rain, chased by sky candle. Everywhere is blooming, on bird-road the dragonfly, devil's darning needle, ear cutter, snake doctor. Earth dwellers' dreadful names you wear; your translucent wings soar in the sun. You stalk. You prey, in broad daylight. You open mouth to prey, a predator on the loose. Mosquitoes, gnats are in your noose. Flying hing, you search for a mate. Rest, you must on blade of grass. In careful watch, you must; children passing by, your wings wishing to pluck. How they laugh at you, you standing on your head on the grass; tail straight, the giraffe. In the groove, in the notch you, conjugate. Mating wheel clear to watch. Audible impact, the lust; teasing and fussing a dragonfly on my callaloo; oh ho! you are the tantaboo.
Version 2
The rain is gone and the sky glows in the sun. Everywhere is blooming and in the sky is the dragonfly. The dragonfly is also known by such names as the "devil's darning needle" , air cutter and snake doctor.
These names have been given to the dragonfly by people who have seen the way it behaves. People have observed that dragonfly is a predator for mosquitoes and gnats while flying in the air.
When not searching for food the dragonfly can be seen perched on the grass with a keen eyes out for its predators. When the dragonfly is not preying on mosquitoes and other flying insects it can be seen perched on grasses in a provocative stance. Its head is down on the grass or whatever, and its tail is straight in the air like the neck of a giraffe and kids find this stance of the dragonfly to be amusing while they plot to sneak yup quietly while its head is down on the ground and pluck its wings so to proof if the dragonfly can still fly.
Structure of the Dragonfly Poem
This "Dragonfly" poem is defined by rhythmical prose. Prose poems are set on the page in continuous sequence of sentences without line brakes. It establishes its poetic qualities through cadence, heightened imagery, parataxis and emotional effects as shown below:
These names have been given to the dragonfly by people who have seen the way it behaves. People have observed that the dragonfly is a predator for mosquitoes and gnats while flying in the air.
Parataxis is what defines Prose Poetry. Normal Prose is defined by subordination conjunctions; line breaks and paragraphs. Parataxis is a poetic device that favors short simple sentences, with the use of coordinating rather than subordinating conjunctions. Examples of the use of paratactic syntax and as taken from poem "Dragonfly" are shown underlined in the excerpt below:
Gone is the rain, chased by sky candle, on bird-road You stalk. You prey, in broad daylight. You open mouth to prey, a predator on the loose. In careful watch, you must; children passing by, your wings wishing to pluck, tail straight, the giraffe. In the groove, in the notch Mating wheel clear watch. Audible impact, the lust
The Simile is a poetic devise found in poems. In order to be a simile the word "like" or "as" must be present. This rule is broken in paratactic syntax: for example, take this excerpt from the prose poem, Dragonfly:
...you standing on your head on the grass; tail straight, the giraffe...
Would you not say that "tail straight, the giraffe" is a special kind of simile, the "implied simile"? Some would say it is not a simile because it does not include "like" or "as". Some would say the phrase simply says that the giraffe tail is straight...and that would be correct. Some would say that the phrase is a simile because it is in a paratactic syntax. You know what, the answers supplied are correct because parataxis creates heaps of ambiguity and is only used in prose poetry and not used in regular prose or rhetoric. So yes, "tail straight. the giraffe" is an "implied simile".
Bear in mind though, that "parataxis" is a poetic device that favours short, simple sentences with coordinating rather than subordinating conjunctions. Parataxis is also refers to a technique in prose poetry in which two images or fragments usually startle dissimilar images or fragments, are juxtaposed without a clear connection. Readers are left to make their own connections by the paratactic syntax. The "implied simile" can be found in prose poetry.
Another poetic device used in Prose Poetry is "kenning" where a phrase is used to describe a common thing. Some kennings can be more obscure than others, and then grow close to being a riddle. Kenning can be more obscure than others, and then grow close to being a riddle. Kenning is a much-compressed form of metaphor; and object is described in a two-word phrase. Here is an example:
"Sky-candle" for the "sun"
Characteristics of the Dragonfly
The dragonfly mates in the air in what is known as the mating wheel. The baby dragonfly is called a larva but its proper name is a nymph. It is an aquatic insect because the female dragonfly lays its eggs in stagnant water where they hatch and fly away as dragonflies.
Here are more facts concerning the dragonfly. It is an insect in the order odonata; with multifaceted eyes, two pairs of transparent wings and an elongated body. It is different from the damselfly because the damselfly's wings are not held along and parallel to the body when at rest and its eyes are separated. They do share similar morphing skills.
The dragonfly is an important predator feeding on mosquitoes and other small insects like flies, bees, ants, wasps. Very rarely does the dragonfly eat butterflies. Stagnant water because any army of dragonflies keep hovering it. The dragonfly's egg is the larva and the proper name for it is nymph and lives in the water for a long time before morphing into a dragonfly and is therefore aquatic. Though the dragonfly is predator, birds, lizards, frogs, spiders, fish, water bugs and even other large dragonflies are its predators.
©Paterika Hengreaves
(July 2003)
Sunday, July 15, 2018
No Compassionate Consideration
Just
real thoughts to you we say
Elizabeth
we love this Queen
And
her father George the same way
Not
that trumpet so crude and mean
God
bless this Royal Queen on Thrown
Royalty
love, around the globe
America’s
trumpet bemoan
Music
of hate fills his wardrobe.
So
when your own big dog bit you,
You
are properly well bitten;
He
likes pudding’s plate and souse too,
But
walked in front Queen of Britain,
Where
does his manners lie pray tell?
Queen
circled him, took back her spot,
No
real manners in him doth dwell
More
manners in Royal teapot,
(Wait for the continuation)
Monday, May 28, 2018
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Humanity Rose
To great extent, people mean so much more
In the jails we lock up males and females
Nevertheless, people we must adore
With human kindness let no one curtails.
People like roses are found far and near
Among Asia and lands across the sea
Petals are those families there to care
And cherish those colours and names we see.
The mind becomes the interpretive dance
As eyes behold the wonderful valley
In Arkles Bay where trees do dance and prance
Around those homes, children do play gladly.
As delicate as rose-petals unwind
But tough as thorns, which grow to guard the stem
Yet beautiful mid shine and rain behind
The rainbow of love from us we give them.
Fragile is life, and round the globe lies strife
Nature is stressed; oceans in deep motion
Tsunami waved to cut with butcher's knife
With vengeful acts, God's work of creation.
As folks did eat beneath the Christmas tree
Never a thought that plates would crash on floor
Instincts made animals and birds to flee
The leap-year tide did wash dead shoals ashore.
The day Tsunami washed away the ground
His waves were more that fifteen meters high
The pelts of folks did carpet ground around
Heaps of carrion fumes perfumed the sky.
The blooms of earth did wash away that day
By Davy Jones a fraught with bloody rage
On Boxing Day beneath a sky so grey
Now growing poppies write their story page.
What great sadness lingers in minds not clear
The loss surpassed Ivan in Grenada
This catastrophic blow still Ache's fear
That sent after shocks beyond Nevada.
The heavy ruin plays on most CDs
To cue the minds to graves with drab decor
As fingers scratched for life amid debris
They longed once more for blissful days of yore.
To keep this hope alive with will to strive
Humanity rose with great devotion
As people across the globe took the drive
They sent dough to souls with deep emotion.
Their cries of praise reached on high Jehovah
For hearts of gold that eased the souls' laments
To lands of the Asian Diaspora
Life-water flows out of those gory tents.
© Paterika Hengreaves
Composed in Arkles Bay, New Zealand on Boxing Day 2004 after watching TV footage on the aftermath of the Asian Tsunami and the billions of dollars collected from around the world to assist the recovery efforts of these Tsunami survivors.
Who is this "Davy jones?"
"Davy jones" means the bottom of the sea or ocean
According to the Etymology Dictionary, this term first surfaced in "The Spirit of the Sea" in 1751 in Smollett's "The Adventures of Peregrin Pickle (Chapter 15) as an ominous and terrifying fiend who presides over all the evil spirits of the deep, and is often seen in various shapes, perching among the rigging on the eve of hurricanes, shipwrecks and other disasters.
Other interesting accounts come from
Davy Jone's Locker "bottom of the Sea" is 1803, from nautical slang of unknown origin.
Another premise is that it might as well come from the biblical Jonah, regarded as unlucky by sailors.
http://poetrynest.blogspot.com/2006/12/humanity-rose.html
In the jails we lock up males and females
Nevertheless, people we must adore
With human kindness let no one curtails.
People like roses are found far and near
Among Asia and lands across the sea
Petals are those families there to care
And cherish those colours and names we see.
The mind becomes the interpretive dance
As eyes behold the wonderful valley
In Arkles Bay where trees do dance and prance
Around those homes, children do play gladly.
As delicate as rose-petals unwind
But tough as thorns, which grow to guard the stem
Yet beautiful mid shine and rain behind
The rainbow of love from us we give them.
Fragile is life, and round the globe lies strife
Nature is stressed; oceans in deep motion
Tsunami waved to cut with butcher's knife
With vengeful acts, God's work of creation.
As folks did eat beneath the Christmas tree
Never a thought that plates would crash on floor
Instincts made animals and birds to flee
The leap-year tide did wash dead shoals ashore.
The day Tsunami washed away the ground
His waves were more that fifteen meters high
The pelts of folks did carpet ground around
Heaps of carrion fumes perfumed the sky.
The blooms of earth did wash away that day
By Davy Jones a fraught with bloody rage
On Boxing Day beneath a sky so grey
Now growing poppies write their story page.
What great sadness lingers in minds not clear
The loss surpassed Ivan in Grenada
This catastrophic blow still Ache's fear
That sent after shocks beyond Nevada.
The heavy ruin plays on most CDs
To cue the minds to graves with drab decor
As fingers scratched for life amid debris
They longed once more for blissful days of yore.
To keep this hope alive with will to strive
Humanity rose with great devotion
As people across the globe took the drive
They sent dough to souls with deep emotion.
Their cries of praise reached on high Jehovah
For hearts of gold that eased the souls' laments
To lands of the Asian Diaspora
Life-water flows out of those gory tents.
© Paterika Hengreaves
Composed in Arkles Bay, New Zealand on Boxing Day 2004 after watching TV footage on the aftermath of the Asian Tsunami and the billions of dollars collected from around the world to assist the recovery efforts of these Tsunami survivors.
Who is this "Davy jones?"
"Davy jones" means the bottom of the sea or ocean
According to the Etymology Dictionary, this term first surfaced in "The Spirit of the Sea" in 1751 in Smollett's "The Adventures of Peregrin Pickle (Chapter 15) as an ominous and terrifying fiend who presides over all the evil spirits of the deep, and is often seen in various shapes, perching among the rigging on the eve of hurricanes, shipwrecks and other disasters.
Other interesting accounts come from
Davy Jone's Locker "bottom of the Sea" is 1803, from nautical slang of unknown origin.
Another premise is that it might as well come from the biblical Jonah, regarded as unlucky by sailors.
http://poetrynest.blogspot.com/2006/12/humanity-rose.html
Monday, June 12, 2017
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Haiti
Haiti Under Rubble from 7.0 Earthquake
Natural disasters whenever and wherever they occur impact on all of our lives. The Good Book says we are our brothers and sisters keepers lead by the Holy Spirit. Hence, we must do our part when disaster shows its ugly face. Any assistance, great or small, given from generous and loving hearts has equal weight. I'm passing on this information I received that Barbadians can go to First Caribbean Bank to donate to the Disaster Relief Fund for Haiti. The banking information is shown below:
First Caribbean Bank Account--2645374-- Cheques can be written to: HELP #2645374
For more information click on this link
My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti.
First Caribbean Bank Account--2645374-- Cheques can be written to: HELP #2645374
For more information click on this link
My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti.