poetry garden

THE HOUSE- A HOME

2006-05-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

Last year when I visited my sister in upstate New York- (we hadn't seen eachother for about 30 years) it immediately felt like coming home. Not just the people in the house but the house itself seemed to welcome me, like an old time friend. It was as if the house morphed into a 'living' warm, material thing. It embraced me with its friendliness so it started to inspire me as a poet with the following poems- hope they can project some of the joy I felt to who ever is reading them!

Homecoming

coming home to a home that

welcomes you with a hug

where love is the rule and

inner warmth the side effect

where you're surrounded by

a treasury of books and

artifacts are the keepers of

the African heritage in pride

and the courage of the people

of the First Nations is honored

where the memories of 2Pac

and Malcolm and Martin Luther

are cherished and so many more

where they serve you soul food

cooked with creative genius

where lifestyle means generosity

respect and sharing

where the angels smile at you

and the rhythm of life

has the beat of a jazz tune

coming home that way to the home

of my chosen sister is like a precious

diamond that will never loose its shine

and in a house like that a common object as simple as a kitchen table becomes inspiring!

The Kitchen Table

there she is in a corner

of the warm open kitchen

the nerve center of the house

always clean never cleared

receiving on its surface all

the incoming and outgoing

communication of the people

surrounding her, using her

standing by her, sitting close

to her after they conquered

their own little space to put

a plate on top of her, a glass

a cup to enjoy breakfast or

supper with family or a friend

we became mates, the table and I

while reading the morning news

sipping my cup of green tea

the dog's head resting in my lap

the perfect place to start a new day!

WARRIOR WOMEN BLUES

2006-05-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Two faces of women
two faces of mothers
wearing marks of grief
wearing veils of pain
wearing scars of loss
coming from different worlds
bearing the burden of
different conflicts
one from Palestine
one from the USA
united in their strenght
united in their struggle
united in their hopes
for a more peaceful world
I hold their hands and
inside weep with them
for I'm a woman
I'm a mother
they are my sisters

for Fadwa Barghouti & Nadia McCaffrey

MOTHER'S DAY

2006-05-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

For thousands of mothers this years mother's day won't be one of joy and family togetherness, but one of sadness, of sorrow, of bitterness for the loss of so many promising children lost in useless, senseless conflicts all over the world.
As a mother and a grandmother I mourn with them!
And more then other years I will count my blessings for having the love of my children and grandchildren surrounding me and warming my days!
It has been a contemplating period lately, words and phrases were crawling around in my brain and soul but it was difficult to put them on paper.
But it's funny how life always seems to try to make up for things- bringing the balance, so this week , call it coincidence or not I met a wonderful poet and activist on the cyber highway- Jayne Stahl. She's the founder of 'Writers at large' and she is doing a great job! and especially in these tough times it feels so good to find a soul and mind on your frequency-every time again a 'happening' like that gives me a new energy boost to keep on keep on going on!
Thanks Jayne for crossing my path!
Within an hour I'm off for a bowling party (not for Columbine!) but for family celebration!- every 'strike' will be a winner for love!

A Poem for Good Friday*

2006-04-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

I'm not a religious person
but today when I watch the
raindrops fall from the trees
I think it's like nature weeping
for the death of a good man
and I feel sadness in my soul
today, in a time that all over the world
good men, good women and innocent
children die in senseless, useless and
unnecessary conflicts and wars
because of the greed of modern Pharisees
claiming to do so in the name of whatever
the name of the god they say to worship
I can't feel any forgiving in my heart for them
only hope god's wrath will be upon them
to erase their evil minds from the earth

A GOOD DAY!

2006-04-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sun shining, Spring finally at the doorstep! Easter Holidays and my granddaughters sleeping over- went to the Market- enjoyed the crowd- bought a Brussels wafer with cream and ate it sitting on a bench with our face in the sun-
bought new flowers for the window pane and they just look beautiful and colorful, like my house is smiling all of a sudden-
got some nice mails in my box from friends all over the planet- and some phonecalls inviting me for lectures and poetry readings- wrote a poem today also and in the afternoon we enjoyed pancakes - what more can one wish to feel happy- what more can one wish to call it a WONDERFUL day!
happiness can be that simple sometimes!

Cindy Sheehan vs. Congresman Kingston!

2006-04-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Peace vs. War!
If someone calls Cindy a 'beatnik' and a 'nutcase'- how incredible low-valued as a human being can you be then?!
Even if you don't agree, there should at least be 'respect' for the honest fight, the pain and the sorrow not only of Cindy but for the thousands of American, Iraqi and Afghan mothers who mourn their beloved children in an unjust war based on lies and greed, not on necessity!
The cold disdain of this warmongers enrages me, but within your stupid arrogance mr Kingston you are not aware that calling a woman like Cindy Sheehan, who up to you looks like ten feet tall, make this names medals of honor. So being a grandmother and a mother from a peace minded European country I feel extremely great to call myself then a 'nutcase' and a 'beatnik'!
Sleep well mister congresman, hope the cries of young, wasted and devastated lives will not hunt your dreams!

International Women's Day: a reflection!

2006-03-06T15:01:00.000-08:00

As the 8th of March is nearing, my mailbox fills up with invitations from all over the world to attend manifestations. Of course you can pick only one or two close by, all the rest has your sympathy and gets a mail back of support.
But each year again you sit back in a mood of reflection, counting the positive actions and moves that happened to women all over the globe as well as the negative ones, and lately the balance is very uneven in the negative direction.
Just a few minutes ago I read the governor of South Dakota signed the law that prohibits abortion unless the life of the woman is endangered! A law that puts women back to the dark ages in a country, the US. that proclaims itself as the champion of freedom, democracy etc...etc.. except for the human rights of women?
Especially the poor, the black, the latino, the native-american women?
In another news item I read that Cindy Sheehan, once again, is arrested in New York for protesting a senseless, desastrous war in Iraq with a delegation of Iraqi women, is there no more shame, when the best and the boldest among us are treated like they are the criminals?!
Thousands of women each and every year again die of Aids, of maltreatment, of abuse, of oppression, of violence, domestic and due to conflicts (war), and its like the whole world is watching and doesn't give a damn!
Sometimes that is the way it seems to be, but luckily you know and are aware that is not true. Thousands of bold women from all over the planet do take a stand, are involved, stick out their necks and even their lives for the well being of their not so fortunate sisters ( Code Pink, Feminist Majority, Encore Féministe etc...etc...) and therefore, especially on a day as the 8th of March it gives you a good feeling of belonging to that worldwide sisterhood of brave Warrior Women who care and keep on fighting the righteous struggle for peace, and justice and equality!
One Cindy Sheehan is worth a thousand Condoleeza Rice's and Hilary's ( for their kind in power are even worse then men!)
I have travelled a lot, I was in Iraq, the Middle East, Africa, all over Europe, the States and my eyes have seen a lot. As a writer, journalist and poet I often have tried to give a voice to the voiceless and the silenced,
everywhere I have talked to the women, to the homeless in Johannesburg, in the shacks of Gugulethu by Capetown- up to Winnie Mandela and no matter how poor I was welcomed with a smile and they told me their story while holding my hands.
Nobody has a crystal ball to look into the future, but when we take a global vision of the NOW, we only can state that the world has NOT become a safer place, that 'democracy' has become a hollow meaning , used as a shield to cover the hidden agenda's of the warmongers and that women and children remain the most vulnerable victims.
But as we are strong, undefeatable we must keep on keeping on thinking and acting positive, cherish the love and the friendship around us and then harvest all the bright moments!

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY!

Winter Blues

2006-01-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

Just a poem for a grey rainy Winter day!

I don't blossom in Wintertime
I need the bright light of long days
my body goes bending around
the silence of my soul
my mind starts wandering between
the glow of candles warming up
my quiet dark evenings
drifting away to endless horizons
and sunbathed plains
where space is sharply divided
into colors and shadows
where the days dwell lazily
into the dream filled nights
only my longing for you seems
to grow, grow even more strong
no, I definitely don't blossom
in Wintertime

Frieda Groffy (c)2005

The Universal Woman

2006-01-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

poetry from ' The Universal Woman' to be released in February 2006 by Cyberwit Press in India.

THE UNIVERSAL WOMAN

I'm the universal woman

with the rainbow colored skin

I bear the pain of all

small little girls

gang raped in the wars

the violated, beaten up women

dying and not knowing why

I'm the fierce, tortured freedom fighter

of all the revolutions

long forgotten and honor denied

I'm the universal woman

humiliated for my color and tongue

persecuted for my beliefs

for my true love for a woman

circumcised in my sexuality

killed in my womanhood

I'm the universal woman

with the rainbow colored skin

mother of the earth

queen of all life

mistress of the moon

the warmth and passion of the sun

the tree of thenderness

the source of compassion

the balance of the world

the universal woman

with the rainbow colored skin

am I

Welcome to my blog!

2006-01-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

hi, to all my future readers!
this is just a short introduction of myself. I'm a Belgian poet, performer and journalist. On regular base I will publish poetry, column's and short articles on it, which will give you all an idea of my view of the world and the society we live in today. Whether you'll agree or disagree feel free to share your opinion with me.
I am open and willing to discuss on an equal and fair level, won't tolerate dirty language nor racist or intolerant expressions.
Every one interested can take a look at my personal bi-lingual website http://www.friedagroffy.be to find out who I am an what I stand for.
hope to make this an interesting visiting spot for I like people and I like sharing!