Evolutions: Mankind's Long Journey

By K. G. Bell

Evolutions is a collection of epic poems and verse narratives that express various stages and mysteries of life on mankind's long journey. The poems are lavish and enlightening, filled with imagination and elements of pageantry.
The book is smart and daring, and attempts to unfold mankind's stories of courage. love, war and death, as it sheds light on spirituality, history and romantic action.
The verse narratives are presented with deep intensity that evoke transformative forces and shape new desires.
Evolutions is delightful, luminous and hopeful. It peels through layers of life's experiences and removes the clouds that taint inspiration. The poems are profound and engaging, and are laden with intimate charm and curiosity.
The book has an interesting flare that is impulsive and piercing. It spirits encouragement and reaches out to embrace all with thought-provoking ideas and issues. with much invigoration, it pushes readers to explore more deeply the power of language and culture throughout human existence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503598898

K. G. Bell

K.G. Bell is an educationist, US Army Veteran (Paratrooper), Writer and Poet who has explored many cultures to engage the truth and beauty expressed in the styles, substance, and passion of poetry. His inspirational insights have forced him to examine the social, historical, and spiritual behaviors of different peoples within the conditions of humanity. Mr. Bell believes that humanity should continuously strive to be better always rising to that higher realm. This belief is profoundly noted in his poetry that creatively displays a magical seriousness. His poems stir the imagination of his readers, taking them along a fantastic journey of curiosity that they may embrace diversity with peaceful hearts, and enter that divine awakening.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by K.G. Bell.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5035-9890-4

                eBook          978-1-5035-9889-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 08/17/2015

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

719631

Table of Contents

About the Book

Author’s Note

Oh Poets, Masters of Change

Dedication

Oh, Woman, How I See Thee

Touching the Caribbean Soul

Angels: Guardians of the Heavens

The Dream of Mujarah

The Night Dancer

Shirley: The Illustrious Lady

When Life Dies

AURORA: A Lady – Truly Beautiful

Haiti: Mother of High Tears

LOVE: The Eternal Giving

Oh, Woman, How I See Thee

Flashing of the Hopeful Light

The Passion of Hosea

Heaven’s Choir Sings for Elaine

The Panman: The Hammer

Mandela – The Glory of Africa

In the Light of Spain

Oh, Woman, How I See Thee

Remembering Gilgamesh

Painters: Nurturers of the Mind

K-Will: A Friend Indeed

The Return

Trinbago: A Wonder In Paradise

Wonderful Journey of a Nightingale

Into the Eternal

Oh, Woman, How I See Thee

A Walk into Poetry

About the Author

About the Book

Evolutions is a collection of epic poems and verse narratives that express various stages and mysteries of life on mankind’s long journey. The poems are lavish and enlightening, filled with imagination and elements of pageantry.

The book is smart and daring, and attempts to unfold mankind’s stories of courage. love, war and death, as it sheds light on spirituality, history and romantic action.

The verse narratives are presented with deep intensity that evoke transformative forces and shape new desires.

Evolutions is delightful, luminous and hopeful. It peels through layers of life’s experiences and removes the clouds that taint inspiration. The poems are profound and engaging, and are laden with intimate charm and curiosity.

The book has an interesting flare that is impulsive and piercing. It spirits encouragement and reaches out to embrace all with thought-provoking ideas and issues. with much invigoration, it pushes readers to explore more deeply the power of language and culture throughout human existence.

Author’s Note

In writing Evolutions, a book of epic poems and verse narratives, I strived to create a work of grand, emotional adventures… a work of story-telling that is full of realism, romance and honesty… a work that explores; with sincerity, the diverse uses of language that have affected social changes and human behavior throughout the ages.

In the following poem: Oh Woman, How I See Thee, The Return, The Dream of Mujarah and The Night Dancer, I endeavored to express many themes buried in grief, love, anger and hope. These poems peel away the mendacity, rage, deceit and self-destructiveness that have enveloped the world.

I attempt to break open the hard crust of negativity to take readers into the positive light of liberty and graciousness, revealing new, hopeful ideas.

In the poems: Touching the Caribbean Soul, When Life Dies, The Passion of Hosea, In the Light of Spain, Remembering Gilgamesh, I pushed to take readers beyond themselves to find new truth… an awakening that forces us to value every moment of living, allowing love to fuel the journey.

Evolutions is a collection of inspiring, thoughtful expressions that evokes deep emotions wrapped in human affairs.

It depicts unique styles of poetry, as it reaches to convey the desires that ignite imagination.

It deal with historical elements, human relations and conflicts like the Haitian revolt, slavery, the realms of Angels and Artists, diseases and man-made disasters that have plagued mankind.

In this book, I invite my readers to journey with me along historical, mythological and social pathways to embrace, with love, the true value of life.

Oh Poets, Masters of Change

Oh Poets, Masters of change,

shapers of destiny

since distant times beyond.

You took the lead to show us,

with your continuous flow,

the bright or dangerous curves

along the way.

You carried us on history’s journey,

far beyond the rough mountains,

like eagles in victorious flight

to equip civilizations with enhancing values

of vision and conscience;

to embrace humanity with kindness, love,

dignity, humility and charity.

You came, turning the wheels of nations,

exposing the world and all its colors,

making humanity strive to explore

its inner-self, as it ferries through

the grand waters of expression,

to make us change, again

like new dawn, bursting free

to show Mankind a new light.

Dedication

This volume is dedicated to the following persons whose creative support assisted me in the completion of this work: Violetta, Rhen and Patricia Bass,

Naty Mercado, IdaMay, Lola, Nicky, Carletta, Don Thomas, John, Basil, Kijana, Mel J. Waithe, Hazel, Cleo, Velma, Dr. S. Moore, Reggie, Ricky, Carlton Belle, Frank Jones, Janet Eastmond, J. Gabby, Bobby, Dave Marcellin, Clayton Belle, Tony Goodwin, Margueritte, Sam Vance, Roosevelt Elo, Camilla Parmesser, J.R. Godfrey, Oscar Thomas, Shirley, Onney, Bellita Berry, Dr. Ed Davion, Dr. Dave Brizan, Dr. George Fayson, Dr. Al Agard, Debbie Karimullah, Ms. Terri Bass, Aurora Perry, Shari Belle, Phaedra Nash, Lily Brown, Tammy.

Oh, Woman,

How I See Thee

An Epic Poem

Oh, Woman, How I See Thee, Part I

Draped in ecstasy, you copulated to find me:

And I joyously wrapped myself

in your watery womb

to view the light of your mind.

You bore me, fed me, taught me

smiled for me, wept for me:

Then, when labor came

you brought me home.

When my life-filled buttocks

was slapped; I cried,

I was alive. At home in your arms.

Secured- with new tears

rolling down my sun-lit face:

As I reached for the sustenance

of your flaming breasts.

Oh woman, I see thee

climbing the pillars of life

carrying me on your back

on your shoulders, on your hips,

in your womb, on your mind,

never complaining.

You struggled to create the giant

that would rise up to protect you.

You dreamt of me in high places

effecting laws to erase your abuse.

You taught me to love, to have, to give:

To toil, to fight, to live.

Oh woman, I see thee

When I step into life as man.

Looking across life’s pathways,

I see thee voluptuous, radiant,

glowing with passion fire.

Raging with lust, I again reached for your breasts:

This time to suck the honey-passion stored there.

Sincere were the lips that burned kisses into my mind:

Thundering the moment of my life.

Oh, woman, I see thee

as my courage, my grief, my joy

my hope, my whisper, my future.

I see thee as my dreams, my lust,

my love, my passion.

Trembling, surrounded by darkness,

I came to drink from your ‘well of pleasure’:

And you warmly opened to receive me-

exposing the light of ecstasy,

bathing me in wet rapture:

Then letting me sleep

in the ‘womb of your joy’- unselfishly.

You braved the cold winds and harsh sun;

to put the ‘cloak of comfort’ upon me.

Man, strong, still your child, I am:

So uncertain and afraid without you.

All that I am, is you.

So alive, because you are.

Oh woman, how I see thee:

So many times I punished you

to hide my shame:

Making you my prisoner to avoid blame.

So many times I destroyed you

ravaging both beauty and grace

blind to the strength

beaming from your face.

So many of your sisters fell

in the cross-fire of my quarrels:

When I wreaked havoc

on all the beautiful things you gave me.

I see thee towering the Himalayas,

shinning like diamonds, commanding tomorrow,

with lightning in your hands.

I see thee straddling oceans,

planting new seeds, watering the land

with your tears.

I see thee always building-

never complaining,

rising above the turmoil of my confusion,

laboring to shower me with love,

love, so un-cherished.

I see thee bend with pain

as you felt the lashes of my grief

and my anger.

Oh woman, I see thee as nature’s sister,

a gift of joy in my tiny moment.

Only through your eyes, am I remembered:

As you forever step across the pathways of time,

Never complaining.

Oh woman, in so many ways, I see thee.

Touching

the

Caribbean

Soul

A Verse Narrative

Touching the Caribbean Soul

Part I

Oh chain of paradise and splendor.

Oh place of quiet coves and exotic dances.

Oh place of rhythms, where the dark drums

burst free from playful beaches,

sweet winds and savory foods.

Oh place of love and smiles,

of colorful festivals and carnivals,

where once, pirates and buccaneers

did roam for lust and treasure.

Oh Caribbean Islands, I feel the touch

of your soul and your wonders.

I see the people of the Goombay and Calypso,

of the Reggae and Rumba and Meringue,

bathing in your feral warmth.

And I touch your soul in alluring places

of sun and sand and sound,

serene places of relaxation and seduction.

Places of fine resorts and hotels;

places of cabins, bungalows and huts,

where people meet to fire their passions

and enjoy, quiet, leisurely dining

on all manner of exotic foods:

fungi, callaloo, plantains, foo-foo,

goat-stew and curry dishes.

Oh Caribbean Islands, I feel your touch

in the tropical flora that jauntily

blankets your chain of islands,

that stand together like an ancient

phalanx to protect itself.

I feel your soul when I behold

the brilliant blue skies

and the rich, dazzling seas

surely touched by the heavens.

A wonderful Corona is the axiom

that reveals your windy hills,

your tall, beautiful trees,

your splendor of various birds and fish,

your tasty fruits: mammee, mangoes,

paw paw and sugar apples,

your coral reefs and sea-ferns.

Oh Caribbean Islands, I touch your soul

when I interact within the grand embrace

of the Caribbean Sea and the Islands,

and feel the spirit of the people.

When I consume the unique attractions

and step into mysterious experiences.

I absorb the lupine, current changes,

and the passionate impressions

that impact my mind with bombardments

of serious, sensuous hypnosis.

And I am captured like a trespasser,

trapped in a spider’s web.

I am transformed by the mystery

that entices my eyes and ears

to blissful, powerful influences.

Oh Caribbean Islands, I touch your soul

when I pay tribute to your exciting glamour

and celebrate the artistry

of nature’s pure hand.

When I drink from your amazing cup

so overflowing with energy and love,

I behold your incredible, scenic ranges:

homes of distant tribes- now dispersed:

people of the diaspora.

I behold your wide arms and curves,

gorgeous, mind-altering places,

stretching from Bahamas and Cuba to Trinidad,

across the passages of time.

I behold your ardor

that provides the world with

ritual sites, symbols of triumph,

symbols of misfortune,

and symbols of the Caribbean

handed down by Caribs, Arawaks

and African slaves.

Oh Caribbean Islands, I touch your soul

in your cultural blends,

the new natives who built your brightness,

laboring profusely to nurture

community and family, and avoid

colonial bigotry that poisoned life.

Gone are the stigmas that stifled

the people’s blend and disrupted

the harmony of one Caribbean people:

one people of diverse ideas and expressions:

one people of many styles of

walk and talk and sing and dance:

one people connected to the drum-call

heralded from many fore-fathers.

I behold your effortless beauty,

your smooth, relaxed manner,

your unruffled state of being

laden with palm-fringed beaches

and advertent, creative societies,

passionate in their offerings

of graciousness and love.

I behold your unexplored visions

in places intense with compassion

and rituals that engulf Shango,

Orisha, Voodoo, Santeria, Macumba,

Anase and Catholic traditions.

I behold your spirit

as natives dance adeptly

around night fires to celebrate

life on All Souls Days

and All Saints Days.

They dance beautifully, still!

Oh Caribbean Islands, I touch your soul

in the Bahamas, Caicos and Cayman Islands,

Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and Santo Domingo.

I touch your soul in the Virgin Islands,

Puerto Rico, St. Martin, Anguilla and St. Kitts.

These remarkable lands, sections of paradise

with scattered blue oceans, coves and waterfalls,

make me marvel.

They make me delight in the joyful people

of the swaying walk and the singing talk.

They make me delight in the exotic nights

among coconut trees and salty seas,

when I taste the Caribbean passion

flowing along the immense chain

that rests in the warm Caribbean Sea.

They make me delight in the inviting

excitement, the eternal joy

where sharing is always in season,

where every day is wrapped in dreams

spurred by Calypso, Reggae and Salsa rhythms.

Columbus entered the Caribbean

and beheld, with awe,

its sparkling purity that shone

like heavenly stars.

He rested in wonder

and pulled new meaning for life

from the bright, tropical sea.

The Caribbean still glitters

like a pampered jewel, preserved by God.

Erased are the memories of darkness,

of slavery, pirates, greed and suffering.

Oh Caribbean, I touch your soul

in Bermuda, Nevis, Antigua and Dominica,

in St. Barthelemy, Barbados and Barbuda.

I touch your soul in St. Lucia, St. Vincent

Guadeloupe, Martinique and Grenada,

in Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire and Margarita.

These remarkable lands, sections of paradise,

this chain of islands, this ‘oasis of enchantment’,

this ‘Eden by the Sea’, where people live

in a state of dreams, make me marvel.

They make me delight when I observe

visitors, from the world over,

submerge themselves into splendor,

into the sensuous, dramatic beauty

of a new paradise - The Caribbean.

A tantalizing, exotic, erotic place,

not far from Miami,

where white beaches and crystal waters,

palm trees and sun-sprayed people

are cooled by trade winds.

I marvel at the existing, inviting

state of ecstasy that consumes

the inhabitants, forcing them to delve

into fire-dancing, drum mysteries

steel-band rhythms and rum punch.

I marvel at the gleeful spirit

evoked by Calypso, Soca, Rumba

Reggae, Salsa and Limbo,

when many indulge in romance

at seaside havens, beneath the moonlight.

Oh Caribbean, I touch your soul

in Montserrat, in the Grenadines,

in Trinidad and Tobago.

These remarkable lands, sections of paradise,

offer bewildering fantasy to all

who step into their wonder,

full of culture and artistry,

with varying styles and moods.

They make me delight in the people’s

rich mixtures of life

that elevate graciousness and happiness.

They delight me with vacation offerings

to many wishing to escape

continental hassles, to rest

on exciting shores, designed by nature

as a splash of heaven, where

people massage themselves on reefs,

on beaches, on boats, in hammocks

drinking coconut water and other

native juices.

I marvel at the amazing revelations

exposed in moments of dazzling wonder,

of intriguing bliss and grand delights,

when my mood is brightened

with Caribbean remedies, fully draped

in the food, the music, the sceneries

and the expressions

of kindness and love that heal the soul.

I marvel at Trinidad’s carnival

and Caribbean Jazz festivals

that offer majestic imageries and feelings.

And nights and days that are laden

with nature’s jungle harmony

that snatches the mind away to

new, forbidden worlds,

worlds of fabulous charms and comforts:

far from ordinary.

Oh Caribbean, I touch your soul

in the captivating air, full of new realities,

full of new truths and expectations,

full of pleasant luxuries and laughter.

I feel the Tango and the Shango

in your warm embrace.

I taste your passion in the sweet groove,

in your swinging and dancing,

in your nurturing, in your grand existence.

My mind is captured

in the devouring of you

and I conjure up images of your seduction,

your looming excitement, your humor

your honesty: never boring.

And my hunger for you is everlasting.

Carved by generations, in worthwhile moments,

you engulf the heart with happy embraces

and joyful surprises.

You, sweet Caribbean of many flowers,

I feel your African, French and Spanish

energy moving in high spirit.

I feel your British, Dutch and Brazilian fire

burning through your adventurous freedom.

I hear your Indian sounds, in the clatter,

of your daily endeavors.

I even hear the enchantment

in your Gullah talk and style.

You, sweet Caribbean of splendid moments,

I feel your soul in busy marketplaces,

in sidewalk cafes and bars,

in unspoiled places of awe,

on busy, crowded streets.

I touch your soul in the naturalness

of the people, the art, the music,

the children, the soccer, the cricket,

the hand-clapping, the stomping, the dancing,

the attractions of unplanned sessions,

the forests and the diversity of life.

I feel your soul in cool, breezy nights

eating Calypso foods and drinking

the exotic harmony of steel-pan juices,

hearing birds whistle, in majesty,

from the inspiring mountains,

hearing the musical splashing of waves

from the inviting ocean,

hearing the warm rivers flowing

to give life to vast sprawls

of fruit trees.

And I marvel. And I wonder!

I love you, sweet Caribbean!

Part II

Oh chain of paradise and splendors,

sweet Caribbean, I touch your soul,

in all its radiance, as it bursts

into ominous resurrection, like the Phoenix,

rising into a new awakening,

to make life good enough for all,

to preserve the innate joy of your people

who once felt the deep lashes

of hungry, greedy conquistadors.

They floated in trade winds to steal

and devour your soul.

They pound the Caribs and Arawaks

into the ground, into full decimation,

then stripped West Africa of its people

to create the slave trade. The horror!

To enrich themselves with minerals

and ‘King Sugar’.

The brutal hands of the imperials:

Spain, France, Holland, England,

Portugal and the Danes,

were felt like burning stings,

poisoning the pure Caribbean life.

The Spanish rested at Samana Cay

then explored San Salvador,

while pirates infested Tortuga

and plundered the Caribbean

for precious metals and pearls.

The Dutch shipped salt

from Cumana:

and all around were felt the spirits

of Pizarro, Cortez, Balboa and Drake,

the spirits of Morgan and Ponce De Leon,

men who came to spill blood

and drink the soul of the Caribbean.

Yet, with bold vigilance,

many turned tragedy into triumph.

Mighty leaders like Toussaint rose up,

among the Garifuna, Mandingo and Yoruba,

among the Shango people, with power

that could crack stones.

Not to be trampled underfoot

like their fathers,

or see their mothers die many times

with pain melting their souls.

The imperial Mariners harvested

mostly sugar, cattle, coffee, tobacco:

sometimes salt, cement and bananas,

even indigo and rice.

And the slaves and natives

reaped their brutality that cut

like razors through the Caribbean waves,