June 2023 - Featured Artist - Art Collins

About the Artist

Art Collins is a Boston poet who believes that there is extraordinary power in words and considers his poetry to be socially conscious as well as entertaining. He hopes that his style of poetry will motivate action, provoke thought and stimulate the mind of the listener.

Additional Works

Check out his Website: https://www.artcollinspoet.com/

Check out his Book:

https://www.amazon.com/Soapbox-Sermons-Black-Bean-Talks/dp/1544725566/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1682431426&sr=8-1

Featured Poems -

On a Little Big Planet

© May 2012

On a Little Big Planet the deep impact of Bioshock waves has a Mass Effect on an

overgrowing Civilization on the Brink of a major Crysis

Patented, licensed, nanotech devices unleash a parasitic, man-made plague

28 days later a Resident Evil resided under the umbrella of Greedy corporations

F.E.A.R was a contagion!

Rampant, Splintered Cell mutations spread throughout the Populous

Every suburb! Every Borderland! Every metropolis!

The Fallout is catastrophic, Earth’s atmosphere becomes toxic

A Heavy Rain ushers in the Darkness

Civilian casualties rise, great nations fall and military resources…exhausted

The viral infection spawned and went airborne. “It was in the game”!

No longer a dormant benchwarmer but a genetic Transformer

Changing humans into Zombi hordes of the Walking Dead

Condemned, X-Men marveled inside a self-inflicted, necromantic Limbo

And so, it was written, predicted by religious fanatics

Democratic blue men tried to regroup while the

Republican Red Faction’s Need for Speed created another World Z

Humanity appeared to be Doomed

From Dead Space satellites zoomed an Angry Bird’s eye view from the Sky’s rim

A telescopic Portal 2 our Lost World

This was the day mother Earth stood still

Her Sun died

A Resonance of Fate reverberated through her Silent Hills

She cried monsoons

Reflecting her Rage off a crescent moon like a broken Mirror’s Edge

I am Legend

Pledging an Assassin’s Creed

A Black Ops Mercenary Called to Duty on a Ghost Reconnaissance mission

Awaken all the Forsaken Lost Souls

Elders Scrolled through obituary columns of all the fallen

Smith & Wesson Adolescents who were blown into Oblivion by a Soul Calibur

As the radioactive dust settled

Amongst the Twisted Metal and crumbling Tetris blocks

Bulletstorms of street gangs compete against a covert Sniper Elite

On a Little Big Planet continued

Lying in prone positions

Gripping the wood stocks, metal barrels and

Blaz Blue Calamity Triggers of loaded Guns

This was the day mothers of the earth stood still

Scratching the names of sons who died off the Hitman’s list and

Kissing their portraits bye-bye

The Devil May Cry but not likely

He’s Madden, Burntout seeking Revenge against the Big Brother All MIGHTY

Highly upset

Diablo leapt from the depths of Dante’s Inferno

Sending out a thermal warning in the form of a global warming

We didn’t Nintendo for this to happen

It was a Far Cry from the utopian Final Fantasy we all imagined

God must be the Driver of a Crazy Taxi with Miss Daisy

Riding shotgun sporting a Halo

Escorted by a security patrols of Golden Eyed angels

Saints Row division

Heading inbound to Armageddon

Chariots of Torchlight descended from the heights of heaven

Casting the Shadow of Colossus back over the Rainbow 666

It was a multiplayer death match

An Unreal Tournament

Where Half-Life occurred in Blur

Split/Seconds before Mankind’s epic fail

It is left to be seen who will prevail

In the sequel between Good vs Evil

If It is To Be!

I live by the Philosophy that

IF IT IS TO BE,

IT IS UP TO ME!

Be the change I wish to see like Ghandi

Restorative in my Justice when someone tries to harm me

“IT IS NOT THE STIMULUS, IT IS THE REPONSE”!

So, I’ve learned to react more calmly

No Man,

No woman,

No child left behind

We are all humankind

Kinfolk, show kindness

Skin colorblind blindness

The meek shall inherit the Earth

Seek and thee shall find this

I’m so excited that I can’t wait

I might not get there with you but hopefully I can see you through Heaven’s Gates

Benevolence

Is a relevant trait and should be the template outlined with Love

Opportunity is knocking embrace it with open arms and gimme a hug (virtually)!

I’ll hug you in this protective rap

As you watch mine, I watch your back

I wish the world were more like that

The motto of my alma mater?

FIND A WAY OR MAKE ONE!

Teach our sons to be great fathers

Brave, Compassionate leaders not cowards

True leadership, at some point,

Allows the leader to be a follower

Study,

Protest,

Stand up for what you know is right

I wish we didn’t

but sometimes you must fight a good fight

With all your might

Everything is going to be all right!

If it Is To Be continued

You will understand more as you get older

You are a superstar, shine brighter, be bolder!

Whether you’re a Soldier, Pacifist or Writer

The pen is mightier than the gun and sword

I swear this is the truth, I give you my Word

Honor

Respect

All that is left of me,

Life is too short

Make sure you live it with Integrity

When no one is watching

Stay on your watch

The greatest of all time, always practice their art and craft a creation

Apply the same logic not only to sports but also your education

It is time to Face the Nation

Go global!

I am hopeful because

The world is as beautiful as a rainbow opal

Although the masses take for granted,

The delicate nature of our planet

She is Bruised, she is Beaten but She is Bandaged

Broken bones heal stronger, when they do, take advantage!

Grow from mistakes, evolve

Life is Organic

Seeds are planted and root themselves in dirty brown soil

The energy for industry is often supplied by oil

Liquid

Black

Gold

Our history is the greatest story never told

I’d be delighted if you would take the time to write it,

Young Griots

Sankofa, an Akan word that means go back and fetch it so you never forget it

Resurrect it

Manifest it into a blessing

Love life now!

Do the research and give it back to the mothers of the Earth

A re-birth