Poet Platform

HOTEP!
Welcome to the
POETRY PLATFORM

This is where you will find a selection of poetical pieces posted by various people. Some established, and some newcomers to the WORD.
This page is primarily designed to give a platform for the youth, and for those who wish to present a piece which they feel is best suited in written form. However it is open to all writers.The page shall be open for submissions with the option of having a picture on the site also.

The main criteria will be that the piece be no longer than 100 words.
(unless agreed by AmeN NoiR)

To post your poem: send your written piece to:
amennoir@amennoir.com. Ensure your work is copywritten and attach a photo of yourself if you wish. Unfortunately there are no guarantees that all work submitted will be posted on the site, but there will be a response to your piece sent directly back to you.

Start sending your pieces. 



CRAZY
- by Shelaine (age 14) - check out her site:
www.freewebs.com/shelainey

It’s crazy how the world is full of war, hate, crime and racism.
It’s crazy how children of the ages 10 to 14 are walking the streets with guns and knives
It’s bad enough girls the age of 15 are having babies before the age of 16.
Boys playing tough and thinking they're rough playing with fire but dropping in the flames
Taking drugs and dealing it then getting killed for it
What is this world we’re living in coming to we can’t escape.
In the streets there's different faces different races black, white, pink, yellow
But at the end of the day we all die and go to heaven or hell
It’s crazy how the world hates, not because Bush took his country to war with Iraq but he took
Tony Blair and us too.
What did it achieve we still don’t know.
Why can’t we live in peace without war and crime?
Why can’t we live in harmony without racism and hate?
For once just be happy for what you’ve got.
JUST BE THANKFUL:
FOR YOUR COLOUR
FOR YOUR RACE
FOR YOUR FAITH
AND THAT YOU’RE STILL LIVING!

by Shelaine age 14



THE MESSAGE - Isis Abiola Bernard - Age 14

Look into her eyes
Listen to her cries
Do you see a child
Running in the wild
Trying to escape
Her one and only fate
Only if she could stop the hate
Although she has tried her hardest to stop all the hurt and pain
Still she will remain
Unheard
And
Unthought of
Many think she is to weak and soft
Maybe it’s the vibe she gives off
Still she tries to get her message sent
Which will never reach the ears of the powerful and rich leaders that have
come and went.

by Isis Abiola Bernard - Age 14



WHO AM I..? - by Cassandra Trimmings - Age 16

When i sit & look at myself
i realise i don't know who i am,
i feel like the life i live
is nothing but a sham..........

I hide behind my make-up
& the clothes n things i wear
desperetly seeking & trying to find
the real me, not the unreal me
thats hiding under there.........

Depending on who im with
& when im in different places,
i seem to pick a different persona
& hide behind one of many faces.....

But the thing i can't seem to work out
& the thing i think is a sham,
i don't no which one is me
which one is the one i am?..........

So for now i'll carry on searching
for the real me that is lurking
& waiting for me to find,
for the me that is the face
and voice behind my mind.....

And when i finally find it
i'll never let it go,
and from that day forward
it will always be the real me thats on show...

I won't ever have to use another persona
or fake another smile,
because im going to find the real me
even if it takes a while......

Because then and only then
my life will no longer be a sham
& i'll be ready to face the world
& show them who i am!

by Cassandra Trimmings - Age 16 



HIP HOP love tale - by daoriginalone - check out his site: www.daoriginalone.com


She seems to be slipping away from me ,
memories remain of what she used to be
I first Scope her on the Tele
Young , innocent not much older then me
She could dance, on break beats
& flowed with a cool rap
Strictly cameo appearances, blink she was gone like that
Whites folks chuckle, gave a golf clap
Entertained , mildly amused,
Just remember you folks eat in the kitchen, leave from the back
One day our children will refer to you as urban
Assimilate you 
so that you can be relieved of the burden 
that you were ever black
Yeah she is very entertaining
but there is so much more to her than that
multilingual now , traveled the world
Trinidad is where I really first met her

A shortie from the block, 
an around the way African-American girl
the dealio, the 411 is this
Street kid turned , international Artist
cans held the colors of her brick canvasses
skipped borders , cause she had a record
they say her foundation is from illegal businesses
but she making cheddar now 
and the bank accounts are Swiss
Hope for better times when times seem worst
When there was no Respect for Queens
Or the thought that ladies come first
the freaks come out at night 
in everyone when you let the music play
Cus even she was confused
Liked the beats
And was still dancing while being called bitch and hoe
but better at the time was sum thing
that we both didn’t know
Roxanne-Roxanne and Mona Lisa 
I say they were was just a friend
a Fling,Ok ,A OPP thang,

backspin trace Her lineage to Africa
when her people were just goods on that 
Caribbean cruise to Jamaica
they say re-fugees living in America
she grew with ma dukes , African - American
her big poppa a sound clash DJ, born Jamiacan ,
hanged for minute , made an impression
Felt the rhythm in her blues
Talk all that jazz when she was in a funk

This is the gospel truth
when I speak of the foundation of her growth
But Her wants, her needs her disappointments
She shared all of this with me
Came into my life, and forever changed me

Every one notice, they way I talk
Like I was from New York
I walked this way with
No laced Adidas to Phatt laced Puma’s to 
Suede Bally’s boots W/green socks
Rope chains to African Medallions
And it must have been love
cus in a daisy age she even had me wearing Pokka dots

Showed me that I need love, somebody to love me for me
And gave me, confidence to be me
That’s how I got my rep
Known to start a cipher
I had theses beats boxed in my head
Calling out Rappers like rats 
Like I was the Peter Pied Piper
I grabbed a mic step on stage because of her
Some cheered and some booed
She said you have to express your self
Don’t matter what other people think of you
Don’t believe the hype, You must learn
That Knowledge Reigns Supreme over nearly everybody
And that the world saw me as a public enemy
And I could still learn a lot from a children’s story
Be poor but a righteous teacher
Walk like a panther, cus ladies love a cool man
Be part of Malcolm X-clan
Cus I’m a Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiing , Asiatic No Bodies Equal
Fight the power
Getting out of difficult positions like whodini
And knowing whom your true friend’s is
Sound of the beast, 
F the police who only want to sign your death certificate
She shared all of this with me
1995 I believe was the last time that we were intimate
hip- hop Came into my life, and forever changed me
And all I have is memories, of what she used to be
All I could do is tell you stories of what she is… to me

(c) edavid /daoriginalone 2002 


New Beginings - by Cathy Sesinyi (age 15)

Beautiful bright Botswana
its beauty falls down like a waterfall,
packing my bags
and pulling my legs,
brings a new adventure.

Everything is so fresh and pure
yet the buildings are as tall 
as the hills,
to get there it takes miles...
BANG! Bumped the plane
the pain cut through my heart,
in which a part was for fear.

A tear prickled my pointed eye
and when all was well,
we all lied down 
and thought of home.
A hungry dog slowly but surely 
went down to snatch 
one of the sausages
"Get out of here you lost dog,
your fear shall never bring you here again"
said I...

The currency was different
yet our blessings had mercy,
I missed my mother land,
which I never had to kiss goodbye.

by Cathy Sesinyi (age 15)