The Gerunds

Tumbles from Extended Syllables, the debut poetry collection by Abdul Fattah Ismail

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Forest To The Lake

Do you like the woods?

No

So you don’t like trees?

Yes, I do like trees

Oh yeah? You like to smoke them?

Lol No

You like to move through branches?

Yeah

You shake and dance between trees?

Lol you are funny. No haha

Cmon. Let’s walk through the trees.

I’m scared

It’s okay

Stay next to me

Okay

I know something. It’s in here. Follow me

Okay

mid afternoon. sunny. we walk over branches and slide through trees.

See it? The water?

Oh. The water is still. No algae on top.

You wanna swim?

Yeah lol

You are lying

Catch me if you can lol

She runs. Fast. he chases.

Shit, I'll catch you

she undresses and jumps in the water . he undresses and jumps in the water.

Got you

Got you too

it’s wet right now

Yeah

Are you wet

Yes

They hold

They kiss

[extendedsyllablesbook]

How To Listen To Your Gut

Love, love, love, love, love

Love is love

Love, love, love, love, love

Love is love

Love, love, love, love, love

Do they listen to you?

No?

Do they dismiss your feelings?

Yeah?

But they care about you, right?

But they want you around, right?

But they need you, right?

So why they gaslight?

They know

Once you remember

That you are the one

The only one

Within you

Stand up

Alert them

Walk away

In silence

Love, love, love, love, love

Love is love

Love, love, love, love, love

Love is love

Love, love, love, love, love

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Ocean

I love that you explore the world

Through the air on foot

It feels like you are on a mission

Big toe presses with pinkie taps

Taps of freedom from the inner anxieties

Presses, distancing from a greedy agent

The inner anxieties

Rains, loosened up from hitting

The shoulder, your right eye, your left lash

A green, dusted awning

I’m inside

The florist shop closed at 7

Apple Watch

7:24 pm

Rain moisture fell off

From the face

Standing still with

Body fidgets

Protective tangents

I stand underneath

The awning

Standing tall

Back pressed against it

To warm up

Imagining you

Seeking to feel

The breath before

The lips

Holding

Our warmth inside

Our lips

Our rubs

From our lips

Slow push

Strong pull

Wind bites

Our eyelids

Push push

Pull pull

Still still

Still still

Rain drops

Wet top

Smell her parfum from the parking lot

Wiping the water

Off of her thighs

At our ocean spot

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Boundaries

Get familiar

Draw the line

Get familiar

Draw the line

Get familiar

Draw the line

Get familiar

Draw the line

See the picture

Draw the line

See the picture

Draw the line

See the picture

Draw the line

See the picture

Draw the line

Hear the whispers

Draw the line

Hear the whispers

Draw the line

Hear the whispers

Draw the line

Hear the whispers

Draw the line

Feel the rhythms

Draw the line

Feel the rhythms

Draw the line

Feel the rhythms

Draw the line

Feel the rhythms

Draw the line

In the senses

Draw the line

In the senses

Draw the line

In the senses

Draw the line

In the senses

Draw the line

Out the shadows

Draw the line

Out the shadows

Draw the line

Get familiar

Draw the line

Get familiar

Draw the line

Get familar

Draw the line

Get familiar

Draw the line

(fading vocals)

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Death and Travel

“Flight 2025 is now delayed.”

“We are working to get the fuel injected for the plane.”

“The plane will be ready for passengers to board”.

“Apologies for the delay.”

“Thank you.”

He’s dead.

The airport is open.

All the shops are closed.

The bathrooms smell extra funky.

I got to walk down the terminal.

Let’s check by the baggage claim.

Nice, a close one.

At 2:30 a.m.

He’s gone.

I don’t feel like doing the X doom scroll.

I do have a magazine.

Maybe I’ll learn something new.

Reading old magazines.

Evergreen topics.

Minimum wage.

Inflation prices.

Afghanistan.

A walk around the hangar.

He’s gone.

Damn.

I’ve cried.

I forgave.

I made peace.

I love him.

I thank him.

I’ll miss him.

This outlet holds my plug correctly.

It charges my phone.

I’m available.

In case of emergency.

“Flight 2025 to BWI is now on schedule”.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

In Memory of My Father, Dr. Ibrahim A. Ismail, Sr.

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Empty Water

Are you trying to meet your expectations?

Yes? No?

What are them?

Does your inner soul align?

Is your mind activated with dreams?

Does this guide your legs?

Does this feet walk towards something?

Special? Memorable?

Negligible? Forgettable?

Anxious? Depressing?

Lonely? Miserable?

Disconnected? Outside of your skin?

Away from your nerves?

Not in the mood?

Did they cross your mind?

Did you see something?

That triggered memories?

Do you feel anything?

Are you able?

To provide anything for anyone right now?

No?

Why?

Can you protect anyone?

From managing their anxieties?

With a joke?

With a wisecrack?

With ribbing?

Good natured?

Mean spirited?

Soulless words?

Hot air?

No matter.

It’s empty.

The bucket.

Dried.

Out.

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Puffing Away

Loneliness can seem like a drag

Then it feels like a drag

When you compare your path to others

While you take another drag from the cigarette

You blew the smoke out

Remembering

You never have their feet on your legs

You never feel their anxieties in your stomach.

7 seconds ago

From when?

From where?

Dunno.

Flick off the ash

Pull the hit

Down in your lungs

Feel your breath

Take a drag.

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Lost Flashes

It hurt. I understand

I thought we had enough

I thought we loved each other

I know we cared about each other

I felt we can listen to each other

I wondered if we understood that we respect each other

Before, we drank together

We laughed together

We burned trees together

We liked to dress and go out together

We liked to press

Our bodies together

Three different dating acts

Maybe I needed to ask questions

Your consistent, curious, resentful digs

About my background of academics, from the continent

Your weird sexuality questions

My everlasting love

Of our brown skins

Of our resilience

Your internalized antiblackness ended it

A shadow of a ghost

Sunk the spirit beneath my skin

To shame

In a place

In pain

Pain with cognac

A regret?

No

Tears holding on the bottom of my eyelids?

Yes

Wipe these off

Wipe these off

Wipe these off

Wipe these off

Wash

Hot

Hot

Rinse

Cold

Rinse

Cold

Dry off

Pat down

So fresh

So fresh

So clean

So clean

[extendedsyllablesbook]

In Library Circulation: A Blue Kiss and Extended Syllables

The chapbook, A Blue Kiss, Sealed With The Keys, is now available for loan at the UC Berkeley Library.

Berkeley readers, borrow it today.

The poetry book, Extended Syllables, is now available for loan at the DC Public Library.

DC readers, borrow it today.

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Be Invited to Style: Extended Syllables' Online Sale is Here! - Extended Syllables

Online sale of e-commerce store

#ecommerce #onlinesale #extendedsyllables #spokenword #fashionista 

[extendedsyllablesbook]

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[extendedsyllablesbook]

Bought Supremacy

Never personal

Insecurity

They got deep seated, in-bred mediocrity

Never personal

Instability

They got the basic, crusted infertility

Never personal

Disability

Pressed in dated, oppressed Christianity

Never personal

Authenticity

Got no basic connect to reality

I got solutions

I got the remedy

Filled with pulsating, rhythmical energy

I got solutions

I got the remedy

Filled with pulsating, rhythmical energy

They got the poison

They got fragility

They got deflating, depressed incel energy

I got solutions

I got the remedy

Filled with pulsating, rhythmical energy

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Infatuations

art o

ma tic

aqui ahora

we met

we talked

we laughed

we shared

you served

I viewed

I felt

you fine

you can

get it

I did

feel it

I did

not say

it clear

you may

feel it

you were

not down

you had

life things

we spoke

phone calls

many hours

ex man

flake chase

mind health

job search

work grind

new biz

brain storm

art walks

wine pours

all day

light bites

slight flirts

dc va

no heist

bar ca

less texts

less emails

no texts

no spark

all gone

for now

who knows

if again

door closed

next time

new job

ad man

new love

co coa

dark box

sweet box

slow bite

b k

b x

q b

s i

n y

d t

f WE

fin al

LY

[extendedsyllablesbook]

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Whether you’re looking for a new hoodie, a trendy top, mugs, a sweatshirt, a laptop case, or a gaming board, you’ll find something you love at Extended Syllables.

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[extendedsyllablesbook]

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Now on Bandcamp - Timeline of the Elements

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Now on Bandcamp - A Physical Representation

[extendedsyllablesbook]

Current Status

Feel the breeze, in the face

In the flesh, getting fresh

Fresh to death

Fresh so clean

Best to mesh

Does it hold the pain?

Does it heal the pain?

See the trees

Hear the bees

Ear to ear

Near and far

Biz to biz

Buzz to buzz

Does it hold the pain?

Does it heal the pain?

Senator

Instigator

Agitator

Back to clap

Clap to back

Does it hold the pain?

Does it heal the pain?

Sad in the swamp

Seeing the sheep

Sensing their nerves

Holding your sword

Wolves move in clothes

Fuck their fake smiles

They can’t hold the veins

They can’t feel the pain

They can’t hold the foot on our necks

They put their foot on our necks

It will get off

Now

They can’t grow the range

The creative, dynamic, technicolor range

They hold dust in their veins

Beyond the bleach blond bad built butch body