Appletree

poetry

appletreepoetry

ANTHOLOGY

By

tsepogumbi

Copyright © 2013 Tsepo Gumbi / Botaki Self-publishing

all rights partially reserved. no part of this book may be left unread. any part of my publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system and

transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission from me. the only exception is for commercial purposes.

foreword. this ibook contains thoughts and imaginations recorded on an iPhone 3G. his expressions were random and fluid. they came whenever they came and ceased flowing whenever they wanted to. i suppose that this is the new fashion of writing poetry or should i say digitally record it. the material contained between these pages is raw, soulful and somewhat brutally honest. there’s one thread that runs through his deepest expression and it is very inspiring and uplifting. tsepo is a persistent dreamer and an audacious optimist. from the echoes of his debut anthology, NOISE, he continues to shout so loud that even the dullest deafened soul can hear the sound of his silent swift fingers inscribing messages of hope on to the palm of its imagination.

-(aka) zania sharpeville,2013

1

we hold our dreams as shields against hopelessness we use seas of tears to transform desert sand into clay we mould clay into a pot of gold at the end of struggling 01 Oct 2009 0:41

2 your bare hands can mould visions, unfold dreams and craft new shapes and forms of sizes beyond imaginations. 25 Oct 2009 19:47

3 in the event of my success i will honour honed worn talent worship persistence praise purpose take a deep breath of passion thank vision for opening eyes of my imagination i will show fruits of my faith lift trophy of grateful soul pop champagne of bubbling tears of years of struggling i will mention your name because you believed i won’t make it 28 Oct 2009 21:22

4 they grow in the dusty desert soil watered with trickling teardrops fed empty hopes exposed to the wrath of the sun buried under brutality… yet our dreams never quit on us. still they rise and lift us above impossible odds. 29 Oct 2009 19:56

5 drowning in a well of tears fears holding me down life is drenched in a pool of misery sorrow flooding my life dreams swim in oceans of failure the future looks bleak heartache breaks my spirit night shadows consume my light optimism and positive thinking collapse hope is dead head empty heavy soul dull skull in this state of mind suicide is seductive resting in a coffin seems much more comfortable than walking on broken pieces of a shattered heart eye cries one last teardrop blood stained by several years of severe pain it turns into a pearl and i marvel at the mysterious beauty of life’s struggles we cry not knowing that our tears are raindrops our dreams need to blossom when we fear it’s not because we are cowards but we know that we harbour greatness within our minds, souls and spirits and that freaks us out! when tears of several years of severe pain dry… they turn into beautiful pearls we become richer when we cry on our way to success but we don’t always have to cry when we attempt to reach greatness we won’t die less 30 Nov 2009 11:05

6 the only lie her thighs hide is a lethal disease. 22 Dec 2009 23:19

7 i hope to leave this world much brighter than i found it grass greener sky mo’ blue water crystal clear you… better person. 25 Jan 2010 22:39

8 try living with a broken dream like a sparrow hoping with a fractured leg fairy flying with a torn wing reciting a faithless prayer inside strong heart warrior’s spirit fights for light not to dim hope mends broken dream smile there’s sunshine for you 27 Jan 2010 21:50

9 my water just broke a dream conceived and intensively believed in is ready for birthing take a deep breath push push push and push blood, pain and loudest scream marshal he first cry of joy when a dream is birthed 29 Jan 2010 19:53

10 together strong storm forms against us dark clouds float above us gloom looms is heading towards us we are about to fall apart and make the enemy smile together we’re strong together we can make it through the storm together we can rise above dark clouds and see enjoy the sunshine together overcome even the darkest gloom together we’re stronger against the enemy together we have the victory 30 Jan 2010 10:58

11 rural child the gold city is brutally seductive her streets are paved with broken hopes and shattered dreams she has all you want, all you need and every possible thing to make you bleed she has no green fields but plenty of concrete grounds rural child do not go blind into her turfs protect your dreams and never let her break them guard your hope like it is gold keep safe the precious faith you brought into this city pray always and you won’t fall prey to the evils of the urban child when it gets dark hide yourself in the light do good every day and never forget where you’re from you are here for nothing else but gold 4 Feb 2010 18:38

12 i know why day dreamers stay awake nightmares lead to madness they don’t want to drown in floods of wet dreams fantasies distorts the flow of reality sleep loots riches of the day warm blankets bring the wrath of poverty this i why day dreamers stay awake and i know why they sleep they nap to rest a little and rejuvenate their strength they slumber to let the past be bygones and ready themselves for new adventures i have discovered why day dreamers achieve they have the guts to wrestle with the realities of the day they face their fears and overcome impediments and triumph over failure 05 Feb 2010 9:58

13 if you wait till she sings that sad song again you won’t be able mend her broken heart repair the broken wing of an angel fix the string she uses to make beautiful melodies you won’t breathe you won’t sleep you won’t dream should you make her cry again something in you will die 06 Feb 2010 12:15

14 passion evolves from deep purpose lust revolves around elicit pleasure sin is seductive and destructive charity dissolves animosity understanding resolves many disputes wisdom always wins love is a revolutionary force a weapon of greatness 08 Feb 2010 23:03

15 the blank pages of my anthology have been transformed into a gallery of my creativity i have words painting pictures and pictures spitting out metaphors 11 Feb 2010 15:35

16 her belly carried seed of hope 9th month, time to push out heard echoes of her prayer before my birth then she swallowed labour pains and gave the world the gift of precious words a bundle of creative joy today from the depth of my grateful heart just want to tell you that i love you precious mother and thank you for making 12 february the most special day in my life. (tear_drop-s a smile on my face) 12 Feb 2010 5:46

17 broken spirit sore soul wounded mind fracture hope i have verbal herbs to heal the whole of you 18 Feb 2010 22:25

18 his words breast feed children of the african soil they nourish deprived souls and pour drops of rain over dry spirits my speeches mouth feed destitute minds they’re oxygen to suffocating dreams they sweeten honey brighten the sun my words fight wars and win battles they bring peace in chaos may this words find a place in your heart 23 Feb 2010 22:50

19 you withstand pain endure hardships carry heavy loads sleep on a pillow of sadness swallow life’s bitterness bear sorrow with a smile as if it’s a gift yours is a path of thorns it’s a mystery how your spirit remains unbreakable 24 Feb 2010 12:00

20 we have no place among the movers and shakers we are not stars we have no galaxy we live with the ordinary people their love and warmth make us glow their ubuntu make our human spirit feel at home the stars can keep their dark sky we love the glory of the down ground 27 Feb 2010 11:35

21 the thoughts of today echoes into tomorrow’s eardrum. today play the sounds you’ll enjoy to hear when the future plays your recorded melodies. 03 Mar 2010 8:51

22 today i froze a motion turned into a significant moment a picture worth more than wealth of words framed it with warm smile stored t between my soul and my spirit when the world turns dark i just took it through the eyes of my heart and i hear echoes of hope laughing from a frozen moment and that silent scream of joy dismisses looming darkness 09 Mar 2010 22:10

23 i may be blind and without a picture of your face your words are brush strokes painting your portrait on my mind i can vividly imagine how you look by analysing your verbs since u don’t have eyesight i see your world through pictures your words paint 11 Mar 2010 23:07 24 the quest to quench the thirst of a dream travelling through the desert hauling ambition of a dehydrated spirit soul with cracked lips weary feet and fainting heart got to find drop of water 14 Mar 2010 12:22

25 grows on your skull clothe the bareness of your brain shades creativity from the sting of sunrays keeps the mind warm when snow falls umbrella when the storm rages shaved off often but never failing rise again and again i’m talking about hair… oh i meant to say her 14 Mar 2010 12:38

26 the love you don’t cherish like an unshielded flower it will wither and perish. 15 Mar 2010 8:08

27 my heart is the pulse of your dreams my melodies solaced your wounded soul rhymes repaired shredded spirit when life was eroding tears from my prayers give your ground moisture my kind and gentle words bring back hope and off load the burden on shoulders you’re left with only a smile to carry 15 Mar 2010 23:19

28 quiet and silence so deep loneliness is her new company she swims in the water she weeps because of my departure heart turns cold and freezes the heat of her soul she knows he’s gone she sobs because she has lost a good man he leaves her with treasures of wealthy memories 16 Mar 2010 20:28

29 broom your floor clean-up the dirt and filth of poverty open your windows let the scent of success give your house a new flavour flourishing floods are about to storm your door down get ready it’s now your turn to soak in the riches brought about by your bitter sweat you’re going to be explicitly rich! 18 Mar 2010 20:34

30 your dreams are not fruits they’re seeds to throw into the soil they must die and be buried under dark ground their death is not for mourning but a great victory i assure you unless a seed falls into the earth and dies it never becomes more than itself the seeds that die yield a fruitful forest they live longer and forever they’re stronger and sufficient for the day and tomorrow they bloom in winter and blossom on the desert 19 Mar 2010 7:02

31 you were down and overthrown now you’re one fight stronger yesterday you wore torn and broken wings today you’re one flight higher soaring above the galaxies in the time gone by you were behind the last runners at the moment you’re one mile ahead of all your yesterday’s defeats bred today’s victories 23 Mar 2010 9:25

32 through a crack on m vexed spirit enters echoes of my mother’s prayers and my vigour is resurrected 23 Mar 2010 20:12 33 i have tattooed my destiny all over the trunk of my dreams i have images of my success pinned up on the walls of my imagination i see the world through lenses of my vivid vision today’s reality is a blank canvas where i use bold brush strokes to paint a portrait of my future and the colourful land scape of my destiny 29 Mar 2010 21:18

34 you’re the smile of my womb. 31 Mar 2010 15:54

35 trapped in despair swallowed by sorrow drowning in deep waters echoes of your broken heart releases healing words from the bow of grace as the arrow strikes you it injects your torn spirit with salvation redemption takes over deep-seated despair, pain and sorrow suddenly the bleak future looks bright when i’m drowning in my agony and hopelessness i hear the echoes of your freed spirit laughing joyfully and i am reminded of his enduring love and redeeming grace and suddenly i am free emancipated from pain and despair 01 Apr 2010 7:47

36 talent cannot be moulded with hands folded. 04 Apr 2010 21:10

37 tragedy will strike but it won’t break me disaster will befall even the innocent nonetheless they won’t be obliterated we have a mystical strength inside us our human spirit contains power beyond comprehension it is indestructible 05 Apr 2010 20:12

38 today’s morning presents to us a fresh moment the dawning of new opportunities chances to advance sprout all around us brilliant minds will create in this time a beautiful future they will build legacies and destroy all fallacies 06 Apr 2010 8:04

39 we are word letters to the world we weave life’s sentences through threads of hope we spit verbs that inspire depleted spirits our speech is not complicated it’s simple and perfect it speaks to the core of the inner being 7 Apr 2010 21:41

40 theatre of creative words metaphorical gallery rhymes and rhythmic anthems echoes through every line it’s a poetic exhibition between walls of my pages that’s the aesthetics of my anthology 10 Apr 2010 21:50

41 dreams are not just images within our imaginations they’re real pictures of possibilities itching to unfold. 17 Apr 2010 19:33

42 we’re not old in this world we are new characters the world has not seen brightness of our light we are fresh what we can produce is nothing short of a miracle it is greater and larger than life’s obstacles we’re new beings ready to change and unchain the world the past the old and stale 26 Apr 2010 10:10

43 because we dream pain is our comfort success is our failure we give more receive less our future is yesterday the past decorates our tomorrow we believe the impossible but achieve nothing disappointment is our greatest fortune when our well is dry and empty we’re most wealthy the dreams we dream are dark and bleak our nightmares are bright and light white we thrive in winter and suffer in summer sadness makes us smile our joy evaporates like mist we are like this everyday we’re ordinary people and there’s nothing normal about us 02 May 2010 16:13

44 dirty little boy with eyes full of hope looks up at me begs me for some small change i search in the pockets of my soul and sadly i have nothing to give 20 May 2010 21:46

45 i have words that fights for the weak lifts the weary resurrect the dead and reassure the doubtful and want to give them to us a gift of life 31 May 2010 22:57

46 fire burning from pages of bad memories turmoil pollutes a beautiful soul we worry about the future and fracture the present within today’s womb we die within and remain normal on the surface bad memories erode the bliss in life 08 Jun 2010 11:55

47 it travels through corridors of smashed promises and crashed hope it crosses raging waters climbs steep rocky hills it is a dream on journey to its destiny that’s what it has to go through for victory 14 Oct 2010 10:25

48 the dream fights to live it has to breathe it must fly and fight not to die it must shine through the dark take a flight through the storm and to the greatest altitudes 26 Oct 2010 21:28

49 i have risked it all i’m at a brink of a fall my back against a concrete wall my well is empty rivers are running dry my strength to chase after my dreams is spent my soul is renting a depleted body the curtain is falling but my deepest hope is rising reigniting a flame that was perishing concrete wall that was holding my water back are breaking dawn streams are flowing back into a well of my dreams swelling river bursts into rampant ocean of successes i’m on the brink of greatness dinking from a brimming cup of my risks 28 Oct 2010 21:04 50 by the thoughts we hold within through the words we disseminate and the act of kind deeds we reshape the planet and mould a new world. 05 Jan 2011 14:14

51 within every human there lingers a legitimate desire to succeed this intrinsic craving is what rouses us up at dawn it’s invigorating should this desire demise the human spirit dries out and loses all the life it has 29 Jul 2011 8:40

52 never sail without destination he who has fearfully and wonderfully and wonderfully formed you has also predestined you for a peculiar course he uses unaccustomed tools to stir your vessel into the right path 02 Aug 2011 1 8:13

53 part 1 the weight of life got you down and drowning your soul is drenched in the sweat of toiling in vain drought devours the remaining roots of success influx of poverty perverts prosperity spoiled passion is poisonous to your aspirations part 2 the marrow of your bones turns into dust while your flesh rusts hell’s wrath tortures every blessing god has endorsed you with your colourful dreams are draped in dull dark hues of despair seeds of hope die because the soil they’re planted on is decaying part 3 yet the fibres of your soul remain unbroken every thread that runs through your inner being remain resistant part 4 the fabric of the human spirit is resilient and impressive when it’s challenged beyond the limits it radiates brilliant colours troubles, trials and tribulations unearth treasures hidden within the human soul part 5 we persist and resist the temptation to quit we remain resilient and thrust your inner light through darkness until it is permanent brightness at night 19 Aug 2011 22:02

54 the future is bright he who holds your light is the eternal source of light his glory redeems you from pure darkness when you descend to the depth of the earth to search for rare gems you’ll need this light to see you through darkness it would be madness to live without this beautiful brightness it turns your future right 22 Aug 2011 11:29 55 to be down and at your lowest to be alone and distant from friends and loved ones barred from the world of ripe opportunities washed out to the shores the stench of failure blocking your nostrils hope pricked and the future fading fears escalating faith declining so rock bottom… and that turn to be the solid foundation on which life is built 23 Aug 2010 20:24

56 with the hope of another tomorrow, today i’m planting seeds of the fruits of my destiny. with the faith of seeing a new sunrise, today i’m crossing my yesterday’s horizons. 22 Sept 2011 21:44

57 count your blessings clearly define what you’re searching for turn your sorrow into a treasured germ sow seeds of what you hope to reap grow your soul like you’re increasing the stow of your wealth borrow only the good from others live within the bounty of his riches and glory enjoy your victories and triumphs count your miracles they’re the works of angels wonders and mysteries of life 07 Oct 2011 18:19

58 in the age of the impossible dare to dream in the face of failure dare to try again in a crowd of misery dare to smile in the moment of despair dare to hope 10 Oct 2011 10:11

59 encore. when i depart i hope to leave behind a chorus of living dreams that echoes through the ages of time and the pages of the coming history at the end of my dispensation i wish to hear an encore from the souls whose existence my dreams have advanced it would be sweet to hear this chorus echoing right into my eardrums wherever i would be beyond the grave 14 Oct 2011 12:29

60 being in the furnace of affliction and tribulation is my jubilation 11 Nov 2011 6:30

61 dreams bear the hope of fertile opportunities and a bright future they’re promises of endless possibilities but we live within the limits of time and constrains of our thoughts sometimes reality is straining and that’s why from time to time we need the oil of our dreams to lubricate the rough edges of our reality 14 Nov 2011 12:06

62 a perfect life is not one without faults, failure and fears a complete life is one lived above the wrong, the worst and the terrible we’re competent when we rise and outshine our darkest moments a smile amidst the storm is worth more than joy under the blue sky to be still while suffering is the delight of the soul our spirits are entertained when we encounter various tribulations it’s the pleasure of the lord to see us triumph time after time and never giving up because our strengths seems less than our trials 04 May 2012 7:48

63 her heart ever so kind. she had the most beautiful smile. she gave more love to all. she was sweet. she was the best. she’ll forever be missed by all those her life touched and enlightened. mama the moments we shared are a bouquet of blissful memories your prayers have been the hope and eyes of my dreams you built me to become the great humble man that i am today more than life your love is treasure without measure my heart delights every time i remember you. love you as always. rip to my dearest mother tariro 24 Jun 2012 19:59

64 my head held high everything is going wrong but i’m stronger. my heart obese with hope my spirit prayerful my days full of joy i will keep going on i will be stronger and i will inspire others 04 Jul 2012 9:00

65 it’s amazing how you made it through the storm and overcame pain you came out of it stronger, softer and full of love. you laugh as though you never cried you believe like the one who has never been disappointed though you have been hurt you don’t hate your purse is not full yet you give as if you’re wealthy tears of your eyes sprinkle the field of hopeless dreams there was a time in your life when love was futile and fruitless but you’re in it again, very passionate, kind and ever gentle i see no fear in you but the simplicity to love and love and love again and again i adore so much about you your resilient inner strength and delicate beauty i admire your rise after every fall i cherish the love you give, the friendship and many lessons in life that you taught to me i celebrate our every little success and victories it’s amazing how you made it through it all and come out stronger, softer and full of unconditional love. 03 Dec 2012 9:17

66 she moulds a simple dream into a vibrant vision she forgets hurts forgives pain she regrets nothing celebrates every little thing she gives joy to a saddened soul she is first to rise and the last to rest 13 Jan 2013 15:13

67 sometimes reality can be too hard on us breaking our fragile dreams and smashing our frail hopes but a friend with us is a tower of strength life is a cocktail of comedy and calamities it has a bitter-sweet taste it makes you sad and abruptly turns sadness into joy through thick and thin with a friend by your side life is a delight because friendship is solid and fluid we can easily sail through calm waters and navigate our way through irate storms when pursuing dreams the company of a friend makes the journey worth travelling 20 Jan 2013 12:43

68 my world stops spinning winds cease to blow and my breath is taken away at the sight of you at the sight of your beauty my heart beats fastest my eyes see everything else blurry and lets me see only you clearly when our eyes meet words escape me and i fail to express what is deep within the sight of you gives me a smile makes me turn a blind eye to the dull and feast on the bright colours of life 10 Feb 2013 9:45

69 she rests in my arms because she knows that they’ll protect her from harm she feels safe when she holds my hand because she knows my hands will rescue her she sleeps gently on my chest because she knows she can always count on me she cries when i leave because she thinks i’m not coming back she always smiles and blushes when she sees me because she knows i’m her daddy and today just the two of us we’re going to have so much fun i always pray for her when i’m not near her because i know the world is not so friendly

appletreepoetry

tsepogumbi

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tsgumbi@gmail.com tsepo gumbi: +2776 1727 863