~Keith Alan Hamilton~ (~KAH~) – Page 24 – ~Keith Alan Hamilton~ (~KAH~)

snapshot in time

This story poem is dedicated to my muse RLF and her mother Ginny.

the convenience
modern technology
gives …..
a simple act
the touch of a finger
on the screen
of a Smartphone camera
allows for
a measure of
FREEDOM ~
spontaneity and ease
to the instantaneously
inspired
creative act …..
….. handily
and readily
a snapshot
can be taken
quickly preserving
a moment in time
as when
this artist
took a snapshot
of his muse and hero
RLF
~ while she was taking
a snapshot
of this place
with a canal lock
historically
a part of the American fight
for FREEDOM
and EQUALITY for all
ideals penned by Jefferson
in that document
called the Declaration
of Independence ~
an area of water …..
….. running through
solemn ground
where the first
Revolutionary War
land battle
on Virginia soil
at Great Bridge
along the Albemarle
and Chesapeake Canal
did occur
however
when it comes
to the ideals
of FREEDOM & EQUALITY
in America
ironically
as it all worked out
in the annuls of time
this canal
dug with
the modern technology
of that era
nine steam dredges
on floating platforms
since its construction
has overshadowed
in usefulness
an earlier constructed
yet interconnected
by way of
the Elizabeth River
the Dismal Swamp Canal
that was dug by
human slaves
not afforded
to partake of the ideals
of FREEDOM & EQUALITY ~
~ that canal too has a lock
in Deep Creek
where this artist’s
muse and hero
RLF and her
mother’s side
of the family are from ……
…… in this artist’s eyes
as far as a snapshot in time
~ preserving remembrance
the Dismal Swamp Canal
was far more useful
in the American fight
for FREEDOM
and EQUALITY for all
than the other
‘cause it was used as part
of the Underground Railroad
and the dismal swamp
it runs through
was a sanctuary
for runaway slaves
who sought
their FREEDOM
and EQUALITY

peace out

Image & Words by ~Keith Alan Hamilton~

Check out my Slavery in America Image with Words Collection a part of the Images with Words Series. Buy 8×10 prints. Soon to be exhibited in The Urban Individualist Artist Collective at Art Works In Richmond, VA
http://www.artworksrichmond.com/HeleneRuiz.htm

Slavery in America Image with Words Collection ~ Virginia Edition

[wppa type=”album” album=”18″][/wppa]

“As an artist, my Image with Words creations, my word imagery seems to undergo this heighten process of poetic emergence.”

Artistic Saying by ~Keith Alan Hamilton~

~Peace Out~ Next: Books or Nature~IQ.com

blacksmith named Gabriel

Dedicated to my sister and art mentor Helene Ruiz .. Peace out humanity !

I’m this artist
who likes to tell a story
of words with an image
captured in time
~ today with
Smartphone in hand
I begin my
photographic journey
along the Slave Trail
in Richmond
Virginia
a somber place
representative of
cruel and hard endings
for some …..
of us human beings
hung from
the once was
hillside gallows
for instance
a 24 year old blacksmith
named Gabriel
aroused with
the spiritual vision
that in the eyes
of the creator
all people
despite color of skin
are a part of
The Human Race
equal with
every kind of
man and woman
~ however
such a righteous revelation
to evolve The Human Race
beyond the defining of race
by skin color
was put to death
due to ignorance
and ill perceived
sanctimoniousness
‘cause some
of a certain skin color
blinded by the trade
of slavery
were not yet
so enlightened
about the benevolent ways
of God Almighty
for all ~

but to the unmindful
passerby
~ driving down
Broad Street
over a bridge
this place appears to be
a green grass
park like lawn
next to some
railroad tracks
not long ago
a paved over parking lot
~ sleepily awaiting
a full resurrection
of remembrance …. for
all those buried there
now a parcel of land
with a shrine
known as
the Negro Burial Ground
but more ethnically
named
the African Ancestral
Burial Ground ~

like the blacksmith
named Gabriel
this experience
emerges forth
a spiritual vision
within me
this everyday
human being
no better than anyone else
where the color of …..
a person’s skin
shines on the beauty
and rich character
of their ethnicity
and yet
in the light of ~
equality for all
skin color does not
determine race
‘cause the human
belongs to only one race
The Human Race
if not ….
then resurrect
the Richmond gallows
and hang me on the hillside
it would be an honor
to be buried
next to my fellow
human beings
especially
that blacksmith
named Gabriel

peace out

Image & Words by ~Keith Alan Hamilton~

This story poem will be a part of the May edition that’s a collaboration by the 2015 Poetry Posse – The Year of the Poet II published by Inner Child Press. Buy your monthly copy Here: http://www.innerchildpress.com/the-year-of-the-poet.php

unspeakable acts

Dedicated to my brother “Just Bill“….. Peace out humanity !

oh seemingly quaint ~ charming
and refined
Richmond
the once was
capital
of the
Confederacy
I this day
leisurely
stroll along
the streets
of the historic
Shockoe Bottom …….
then suddenly
as I approach
the 17th Street
Farmers’ Market
and see
that big clock just ahead
on the Main Street Station
my empathic sensitivity
heightens
its perceptivity
like a sonar ….. picking up
an underwater frequency
I have these strong
and persistent ~ pulsating
vibes
come over me
some sort of
collective conscious
archetype …..
…… a ghost in the machine
I shiver and tremble
as if possessed by a demon
information ~ memories
flow through my body
the good with the bad
well some
in my humble opinion
purely evil
stored and preserved
forever
within the spirit
of energy/matter ~ according
to my thought process
within reflective consciousness
anyhow…..
…… there is here to me
this very strong sense
of emotional turmoil
a felt sense
about a restless
and shameful revelry
not so long ago ….. at least
not in the creator of all things
kind of time
I perceive today
this sanctimonious mob
stirred up by
value judgments
tainted with the poison
of bias
associated with
self- elevation
folk of a certain skin color
thinkin’
from the perspective
of a prehistoric mindset
they are favored
on high
over those of a different
skin color
others of THE HUMAN RACE
they whipped them in public
as if not human
at this place
where the 17th Street
Farmers’ Market
now is….
traded for ownership
fellow human beings
into slavery
there was even
a professional ‘Whipper’
or known as a slave breaker
to beat them
right here
I still smell the smoke
of their skin
from the lash
that’s so ~ so fucked up ……..
as a human
I wanted to puke
my guts out
from remorse
for being born of white skin
then as I walked on by….
…… my senses
came back to me
I ain’t got no issue
never have had
with a sister or brother
of the humankind
those of another skin color
however
like the story
of the Holocaust
or that of the First Nations
this story needs to be told
again and again
so members of
THE HUMAN RACE
won’t continue
to repeat
on others
such unspeakable acts
not acceptable
within
the intelligently progressive
ideals
of the human-kind

peace out

Image & Words by ~Keith Alan Hamilton~

The Foreword for the April Edition of The Year of the Poet II

What an absolute delight it is to be a part of the 2015 Poetry Posse and its collaborative effort to create the monthly editions of The Year of The Poet II published by Inner Child Press. To be an artist is one thing, but it is a special life experience to participate in the emergence of the poetic word with other fellow artists.

Did I just call a poet an artist? I did ! The word imagery constructed by the artist the poet to bring forth poetry is the ultimate art form in my opinion. As I make reference to my use of poetry in the Preface of my second book in the series Nature ~ IQ: Let’s Survive, Not Die ! (book now in the process of being written).

“The late David Bohm on page 63 of his book Wholeness and the Implicate Order referred to poetry ‘as an art form’ having a primary function ‘to give rise to a new perception, and to action that is implicit in this perception, rather than to communicate reflective knowledge of how everything is’. “ As I say further in the Preface, ‘I hope my poetic style of words have that same type of effect, to inspire the creation of novel and timely ideas through a process of intelligent perception in others’.”

How fitting to illustrate and celebrate such a powerfully influential art form as poetry, then the April edition of The Year of The Poet II. This month’s theme is specifically about the art form known as poetry and how the word imagery used to construct it finds revelation through the symbolic metaphor embedded within the social notion of rebirth/new birth long associated with the spring season. The art form poetry creatively used by the artist the poet, can initiate a positive effect on others, “to inspire in them the creation of novel and timely ideas through a process of intelligent perception.” This eureka type moment emergent from the word imagery of the artist the poet can create the season of change associated with spring within the thought process of others. It can give rise to the rebirth of an old way of looking at things by initiating a new birth or a fresh outlook as to the way something is perceived in society.

How much more powerful is the art form of poetry to initiate change then when it is brought forth as one united although deliciously diversified voice, a collective of fellow artists called the 2015 Poetry Posse? The objective behind putting together this posse as stated by its founders “is to bring the Poetry Community together with the various Cross Demographic representations found in Gender, Religion, Geography, Culture and Ethnicity.” I joined the posse in 2015 because I am a true believer in the power of this objective and truly believe this collective force of fellow artists through the art form of poetry can exemplify and initiate positive change that will be beneficial overall for all THE HUMAN RACE.

I have intelligently progressed as a human being and artist to believe the following without wavier, “The true act of creating art, is for it to be used for the everlasting benefit of all humanity” by using art to create change. Where does that start? Right here on these pages filled with words of imagery by artists who are willing to share with and support other artists. As artists, side by side, they see the wisdom in working as one to get each other’s unique vision and voice channeled through the creative process out to the world.

It is my honor to present to you the poetic words of my fellow artists the 2015 Poetry Posse within the April edition of The Year of The Poet II published by Inner Child Press.

Words of Potential

words having potential
seemingly,
manifest this spirit
one that tries to stimulate
some new perception
doing so to invoke an action
being of the creative kind
not to just convey
the way things appear

however,
also to spark
within those
who may listen
fresh notions
born from self-origin

peace out

~Keith Alan Hamilton~

This Foreword will be a part of the April edition that’s a collaboration by the 2015 Poetry Posse – The Year of the Poet II published by Inner Child Press. Buy your monthly copy Here: http://www.innerchildpress.com/the-year-of-the-poet.php

living self portrait

This epic poem is dedicated to my departed comrade and most influential poetry mentor on my style of words, Dino (Constantine Pantazonis). Dino was the first to ask why I used the tilde ~ and then thereafter encouraged me to do so even the use of it with my writing name ( ~Keith Alan Hamilton~ ). Dino your living self portrait through poetic word and imagery will always be vivid in my mind. Peace out !

I’m this living self portrait
not painted to be hung on
some wall
imprisoned as a piece
of exhibited art
on display
as a corpse …… rotting alive
in a tomb of days gone by
I’m the Mona Lisa reborn
again and again
as she was
through the ingenious eye
of da Vinci
never am I finished
while the spirit of life
flows the breath of oxygen
~ intelligently
about a receptive mind
perceptively guiding the hand
embodied with the gift of empathy
boldly stroking
every facet of color
as this unique blend of creativity
intermingled with
word and imagery …… etching out
the total human experience
with its pay your dues
character lines
the mark of a spiritual existence
not only on the face
but tattooed
on every inch of the body
like the use of the tilde ~
and the dotted line …..
in a newly written
epic poem ~ giving honor
to a poetry mentor
named Dino
despite the norm
all to enhance the expression
of a mystically
artistic soul
as this living self portrait

peace out

Words by ~Keith Alan Hamilton~

This epic poem will be a part of the April edition that’s a collaboration by the 2015 Poetry Posse – The Year of the Poet II published by Inner Child Press. Buy your monthly copy Here: http://www.innerchildpress.com/the-year-of-the-poet.php

the artful expression ~

This poem and the 6 that follow are dedicated to my poetry mentor Judih Weinstein Haggai. She taught me through example (action poetry) how to communicate words well in my own special way.

the moon has been
up in the sky
every night
since whenever
the sun rises
bright and early
no matter what ~
the day
counts on it
summer comes and goes
year after year
like the tide
along the rocky shore
the leaves of the tree
fall in Fall
the cold wind
blows in Winter
such patterns of change
give the cognizant kind
the notion of predictability
and the comfort
felt from
the recurrent
assurance
of stability in reality
especially
the announcement
Daylight Saving Time
the dawn of Spring
and yet
the reoccurrence
of some things
behavioral patterns
bathed in
the stagnate waters
of
bias and inhibition
are hard as a diamond
to change
unless altered by
a kind of laser
an art form of words
creatively written
as the late David Bohm
on page 63 of his book
Wholeness
and the Implicate Order
gave as an example
~ poetry having
a primary function
“……to give rise
to a new perception,
and to action
that is implicit
in this perception,
rather than to communicate
reflective knowledge
of ‘how everything is’…….”
indeed ~
the artful expression ~
an opinion ~
an idea or concept
that creatively paints
the way to the eureka moment
the intelligent perception
like the art of Leonardo
di ser Piero da Vinci
that eventually fosters
human growth
and change
a fresh perspective
similar to
the symbolism of Spring

peace out

6 action poems with verse inspired by JWH

1.
peace out
out of stimulants
freak out

hey man
man what’s up
heavy man

foxy lady
lady’s got game
first lady

2.
big yawn
thoughts of sleep
wide awake

heavy eyelids
racetrack type mind
speeding everywhere

pitter patter
rain on roof
sound machine

3.
human beings
THE HUMAN RACE
one people

people united
WE THE PEOPLE
humanity strong

people power
HUMANENESS IS EMPOWERMENT
humanitarian beings

4.
Love me
love me not
I exist

I exist
regardless of you
love exists

love exists
love conquers all
love cures

5.
dark sky
sleepless in Boston
think session

coyote howl
barred owl hoot
woodland noise

ears ringing
fingers tapping keyboard
midnight journaling

6.
know me
maybe a little
your choice

life is
kind of short
live now

peace humankind
let’s get along
makes sense

peace out

Words by ~Keith Alan Hamilton~

ghostly shutter

This poem is dedicated to my poetry mentor Martina Reisz Newberry who through heroic effort has intiated change through the artistry of her poetic words.

this ghostly shutter
the internal stir
an excitement
a vibrant restlessness
with a wanting
and persistence to become …..
…… an inherent spirit
akin to the I AM
that willingly
dances to the beat
of morphic resonance
this energetic vibe
a guiding light
a road map
many predecessors
have strolled along before
on the way to manifestation
suddenly to be born
naked and vulnerable
like the newborn ~ crying aloud
at first breath
the proverbial announcement
that ~ I AM
now ready
to undergo
transformation …..
……. in pursuit of the mark
INDIVIDUALITY
this distinct uniqueness
amidst a preoccupied crowd
that nudges in others ~

this ghostly shutter
the internal stir
an excitement
a vibrant restlessness
with a wanting
and persistence to become …..
……. that spirits hope and then change
for the better
as the dawn of spring
after a long cold winter

a poetic descriptive
of the creative process
the act of creation
that becomes art
in whatever form

use art to create change

peace out

Words by ~Keith Alan Hamilton~

This poem will be a part of the April edition that’s a collaboration by the 2015 Poetry Posse – The Year of the Poet II published by Inner Child Press. Buy your monthly copy Here: http://www.innerchildpress.com/the-year-of-the-poet.php

stand up and be heard

stand up and be heard
or just sit down
and wilt away
like the flower
’cause the vase went dry
of water……
the silence of winter
sets in
sounds of life
are muted
by the weight
of fresh snow
as the last petal
falls without resistance
to the floor ~
~ stand up and be heard
speak of resolution
and reveal the way to peace
then like
the flight of a dove
across the majestic sky
on the morning
that gives birth to spring
an uplifting sense
of enlightenment ~
wisdom
and new growth
will be experienced
through the spirit of
empowerment ~
enbetterment ~
the loving
and eternal intent
that’s rooted deeply
within the nobility
of well-spoken
meaningfull ~ words

stand up and be heard

peace out

Words by ~Keith Alan Hamilton~

A Band of Brothers and a Sister

As I sit down to write these words, I think of the conversation I had yesterday with Baker a childhood friend and fellow baseball teammate back in our high school days. In the early to mid-seventies in a little one traffic light place called Freeland, if you were one of us, you were referred to by your last name. I give credit to the start of this last name tradition to my first and longest childhood friend Savard. Back to the conversation between Baker and me. We were discussing the golf outing being put together by Radke during the Class of 1975, 40th year high school reunion coming up in August of 2015. This event is going to be called the Hargreaves Memorial Golf Outing. Sorry, I have to pause to cry, something I still do when my mind fills with the memory of Hargreaves who passed away two years ago this coming June. The first time I cried was when Fite, Hargreaves first wife called me to say he had cancer. Her and I just cried for awhile that day on the phone. Heavy man, I know to the reader of these words, so I will start a new paragraph to help break the grip of this sadness.

When talking with Baker I mentioned that Hargreaves had called me on my cell a few months before he passed away while I was standing in the rental car line at LAX airport. I was in LA to visit an author friend that I was planning to do a writing and photography collaboration with in the future. I told Hargreaves on the phone that day, I wanted to come soon and play a round of golf with him. We had never played golf together. See Hargreaves was a great golfer and back in high school when he played the game, I used to say it was a silly sport. I have since learned in later years, golf is one of the hardest things I’ve ever tried to do. Hargreaves passed away before we could play together, I have no regrets, Hargreaves and I had spent a lot of quality times together over the years. I try to share those wonderful memories with his son now.

After I told this story to Baker, he said I should share more of these stories with others. Well that was the motivation I needed to share these words today on my blog. Generally, I don’t write this kind of prose. The prose I write mostly is more business structured. I am a licensed private investigator who does corporate investigations globally, not the usual TV PI type of sloop stuff. As an artist my writing style whether poetry or prose is more structured with an artistic flavor as it is creatively written. Ok, that’s kind of the backdrop, which is, a part of this story. How I choose to write is intentional. I am forever an artist at heart. I write what I call Artistic Prose. It has its roots in the master storytelling performed by my Scot Irish grandfather as I grew up as a child.

You could say I am talking about this story as I’m telling it. I am naming this story as I tell it as “A Band of Brothers and a Sister.” This Band so to speak, is made up of people I played on a baseball team with back in high school. The sister of the Band was our team statistician. The brothers and sister of this band are my close friends in life and many of them I have know since attending kindergarten in Freeland. These people are not only my friends, they are a part of my family. This extends to their parents, siblings and children. My bond and commitment to them is unbreakable. They know I will be there for them no matter what. Heavy man again, I know …..

Baker was a part of that team as mentioned before. This Band of Brothers and a Sister have last names like Hargreaves, Fite, Hahn, Savard, Pingel, Sumption, Morse and coach Hacker to name a few. I have attended their weddings and sad to say as we get older, I’ve attended funerals with some of them. When I talk to others about this Band many are amazed I have stayed so close with so many people I have known since childhood. I always say it is the magic of growing up in such a small place and playing my favorite sport baseball together.

As Baker and I discussed in our conversation yesterday, that little one traffic light place called Freeland and its baseball team, is the center of this special bond we A Band of Brothers and a Sister will always have to keep us together. In life and in death.

Now Baker – we’ll have the chance to make this bond deeper by playing together at the Hargreaves Memorial Golf Outing in August. Hargreaves I miss you dearly, but we will finally get to play that silly sport together when you are there in spirit. Just make sure all my golf balls get hit into the cup and the rest of our brothers balls safely miss the cup. You know how hard the game of golf is for me to play.

Words by ~Keith Alan Hamilton~