SUBUD WRITERS CLUB MEMBERS
Stefan Freedman
Frog Envy
I envy that common frog
sitting by the pond
enjoying springtime sun rays
confident that when too hot
he will splash into cool water
and find a great treat to eat
He knows nothing of Cuba
being brought to its knees
or bombs raining on civilians
in far off places
his dreams are untroubled
as his conscience is clear
How I yearn to be that frog
free from the nagging knowledge
that fellow humans are capable
of gross inhumanity
I ache to jump into a lily pond
and wash away the stain
Stefan Freedman – 26.4.26
Bumblebee Clover
When you’re a bumblebee I’ll be your clover
when you’re a kite I can be your string
strawberries? let me be cream
or bicycle? I can be your path
I love it when we match
not at all the same
but far better being
different
Stefan Freedman
Seeing Monsters
To see a monster,
look in any direction
Easy to spot —
household names
faces on your daily screen
But not only them
In every place
every society
every culture
every faith
every political tribe
there are monsters
They rise to the surface
They try to look human
They make the noise
They take the light
And each one points
an accusative finger outward
“Look—
there is the monster
I must be heartless, ruthless
to keep you safe.”
If you want to see kindness
look again
in any direction
It is quieter
In every culture
every colour
every faith
every persuasion
there are hands
that give
that share
that tend
that care
What you choose to water
in the garden of this world
is your choice
Attend to fear
and it will grow teeth
Attend to hatred
and it will learn your name
and you will become
someone else’s monster
The path of peace
is not an easy path
You will be pulled
claimed
provoked
summoned
to take a side
But peace
is not a side
It is a circle
wide enough
to hold us all
if we dare
to stand within
Stefan Freedman
Such A Lovely Person
I am infinitely patient
sometimes
and other times
intensely volatile
So I guess you’re wondering
if you’ll receive
warmth and empathy
or stinging sarcasm
But what if it’s worse?
possibly I’ll fly
right off the handle
then smash up the door
I never mean to flip
but that wretched reflex
fuels a flamboyant flambé
like a flaming fajita
Then when your eyes
mist over
with pain
I am infinitely patient
I solemnly promise you
and myself
every time
to never ever again
Explode!
Stefan Freedman
Balloon Ride
Red eyed and raw I defied
the jagged jaws of night
scuttling stiff-kneed
to the nearest open field
There the drowsy dawn sky
held a constellation of nomads
waltzing with the wind’s breath
in kaleidoscopic eddies
My mind, heart and soul
could grip the ground no longer
and there I was, rising up, up, up
a human gondola seeking my flock
Hot air balloons drop
ballast to become lighter
and after drifting dreamily
vent, bleeding off heat
And so did I, weaving the waves
of delicious, delirious dawn
exalted and weightless
while my body waited below
We must learn limits, teach tethers
grounding us in grim reality
but our superpower
is inner freedom
Stefan Freedman
Darklight
At first I was shocked
then outraged, praying for peace
then got burned out, almost numbed
In the great Cosmic Dance
exploding nuclear gas giants
fuel the Divine Choreography
But we humans can shape our own destiny
like mini-Gods we mold the world
choosing to create music or mayhem
We are the grand-architects
of our children’s dreams
Stefan Freedman
Stowaway
I sense you there
Hiding in my bilge
Shivering, hungry and utterly rejected
Your hidden presence
Causes pain and shame
Gives me nightmares
So naturally I hate you
Try to forget you
Wish you would die
While you find devious ways
To create explosions
Forcing my attention
You cling to life
Manipulating my ship
Into stormy seas
I have no option
But to guarantee your safety
And invite you on deck
To nourish you
Learn your story
And embrace you
Till you become
A shipmate and ally
With a home in my heart
Stefan Freedman