Category: Matthew Shenoda

For Lower Nubia

Vandal Poem of the Day: May 16, 2017

by Matthew Shenoda

There was a time in this very spot

before the dam was resurrected

before the now dead president flooded a culture

when everything was black and brown.

Nubia thrived by the grace of Horus

people styled tombs.

Villages moved with the pace of elders

temples changed by time of day

everything was black and brown.

Now beneath the glimmer of a beautiful lake

relics evaporate from the surface

masks reflect in the ripples

their images stretching to the shore

and the only color left is blue.

from Seasons of Lotus, Seasons of BoneFind it in the library

Copyright © BOA Editions, Ltd 2009
Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, Inc.
on behalf of BOA Editions LTD.

Oasis

Vandal Poem of the Day: May 1, 2017

by Matthew Shenoda

it is not enough to lament

to acquiesce to the bordered divisions of country

only once in a person’s life

can the sun become perfectly whole

imbedded at the nape

reminiscent of home

all other moments

are those of simple humanity

cacophonous tapestries

of sun & cloud, sea & river

for a wanderer to savor

for an artist to breathe

here in this scorching sun

a signal towards life

beyond a road sign

or a finely finished chair

beyond the temple of a windstorm

inside the gliding stone of remembrance

beyond a box of ivory or wood

despite cowry adornment

a lover stands bare in this desert

facing her lover

offering only the sweat

from the small of her back

from Seasons of Lotus, Seasons of BoneFind it in the library

Voices from the Rubble

Vandal Poem of the Day: March 10, 2017

by Matthew Shenoda

I am through with this earth
and its twisted roots
wringing our veins
the soil has molded like wheat
frosting our vision and taste
every street has run counter to our travels
our hearts have been drained into the seas.
It is time for us
to dig
unearth the earth from itself.
from Seasons of Lotus, Seasons of BoneFind it in the library
Copyright © BOA Editions, Ltd 2009
Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, Inc.
on behalf of BOA Editions LTD.