Life lines

Each line
a line that told a tale
first line, buried deep among the others
hard to recall when it showed up
could it be after the death of her mother...
second line crosses the first—
a half embrace
of that time when he left her
soon after her mother...
third line, intermingled with the fourth or fifth
perhaps even the sixth and seventh
for all those years
she raised the children on her own—
cried herself to sleep
hating the world that had struck her such a raw deal
how did her mother ever do it....
cannot count anymore after the tenth
all joined
interlinked
woven
a spider-web of lines
from peak-to-peak
crease to crevice
each line a tale
and what tales
if only she had the time to write them down
or tell someone
who cares...

Deciduous life

Deciduous tree
leaves fall gently to the ground
another lie escapes his lips
hushes her whimper
the air turns cold
winter fast approaching
the next chapter in her life
awaits around the corner
no more will she gather his lies
swallow them all
ignore the bitter taste they leave in her mouth
a mound of leaves
orange
red
crinkle underfoot as they are gathered
dumped into the compost
ready to be used
springtime
soil fed with love
spring time
breath of new life
she will watch the leaves blossom on the tree
teach her heart to trust—
again
and no more will lies be her nourishment
no more will she believe
she has no self worth
green buds sprout
feed and grow
shelter
strength
through which the sun shines
to warm her soul
yet no longer does she hide behind it

An old ship

The anchor that grounds an otherwise floating ship
searches through murky water
rocky
sandy
seas
in the past
canvas sails
white and pure
billow
the wind makes them do that dance
to and fro
ballerina skirts
pirouetting
elegant
this way and that
heralding their presence on an unsettled sea
guiding light
night light
beacon paths your way
majestic
form
confidence oozes, waves bow down before you
open the way til you come to rest
oh graceful form you are
the things you've seen
and things you chose not to see
aged gracefully
til you come to berth
salvaged parts
ravaged parts to live in a younger form

Wire fences

Damned before life began
against the world
fighting challenges that were unfair
not a chance
for your existence
left alone to be forgot
yet the urge to be heard was strong
the desire to grow
learn
a necessity
more than air
food
a hunger
almost like a wildebeest
chanting your mantra
this was life
obstacles no longer obstacles
challenges no longer challenges
this was what you were born to do
sacrifice your calling
proven time and time again
that no one should be taken for granted
life a privilege
love a precious gift
hope eternal

My mother's perfume

Mother's perfume lasted long after she went
a subtle lingering smell
rose
vanilla
sweet
it was in her clothes
in her bedsheets
in her house
like a ghost that haunted me
the more I tried to forget
the more I smelt her
childhood memories
sparked by the fragrance
until I stopped going
there was no longer any need
and life continued
minute by minute
hour by hour
day by day
summer into autumn
to winter to spring
one day on a park bench
a breeze brought with it
that
scent
my mother's perfume
wafted casually through the air
defiant
challenging me
my emotions
that fought within me
to rise to the surface
through every other feeling
the persistence
the insistance
that I remember
acknowledge
never forget
rose
vanilla
sweet
suffocating me.

New breath

Nothing feels like life
new breath
purged sins of yesterday
baptismal font
holy water
sanctify
blessed soul
that wandered aimlessly through life
walked-eyes closed
holding breath
able now to hold your head up
camouflaged in the masses
no fingers point
technicolour world
sweet scent
stench
chaos
noise
and you treasure each element
grab hold with both hands
this is what you waited for
hoped
wanted
new breath
purged sins of yesterday
yours to do with as you will
yours to change as you will

Grey plumes

Bastard sons
of bastard daughters
that polluted the air with their trickery and lies
rancid fumes
grey plumes that merged as one
umbrella in the sky
where green was no longer green
and innocence was forgot
bastard sons
of bastard daughters
savaged the world
skeleton bodies waited
with baited breath
at their mercy
futures torn
shredded lives
whole beings ceasing
bastard sons
of bastard daughters
written about in volumes
glorified antics
justified actions
for what
a purer being-
says you.

Time waits

hands still

life withers

Emptiness

I am silence

nothing else matters

Three words

Three words
three words softly spoken
and nothing else matters
washing sits in a heap
last nights dishes overflow
your bed still warm, unmade
bed clothes dishevelled
like you were already fighting the enemy
while you slept
three small words
one that sticks out
why life must be so cruel
why mountains
are unreachable
steep rocks
cavernous
obstacles
all for these three words
that changed a life
challenge your life
and make you look out for the bigger things
for the rainbow
for the light
and all those cliches'
you never had reason to think of before
but now you cling to

Will you hold me forever...

yes

Black clouds threaten

pure heart reigns

Lies

Inside a small atom of a thing grows
adjusting, readjusting
making room
expanding
always expanding
outside life is as it was
nothing new
sun shines
clouds form
rain threatens
and inside this small thing is ready to spread
and tangle its threadlike antenna
into crevices
and spots that you wouldn't think
until it has spread itself-
with no visible beginnings
no end
nothing but a tangle of nothingness
viscious
callous
spiteful
yet meaningless.

A spill

I spilled a little of me yesterday,
not much, but enough to let
the trickle leave a little path
and that little path formed a puddle
until it wasn't so little anymore
and by the time I realised
I had lost myself
I could not retrace my steps,
gather the bits that spilled
for the pool was dried by the sun
and that part of me was gone forever
I prayed for rain,
with the hopes the parts I lost
would eventually find their way
back to me...
it never did
the sky remained cloudless
mocking me from way up high
a new day dawned, bluer than the one before
until I lost all hope
and so I remain
forever with a void within
pieces spilled
an empty me.

Road signs

When do you know you've reached the end
obvious signs
a brick wall
no reply
a road traveled maybe obvious,
life is not
sometimes hard
most times confusing
life signs not as clear
as road signs
turn left, to heart break
to right, to paradise
stop, caution, life's struggle ahead
pains my heart
to know this is true
yet what direction can you give
in life
a road map leads to all places
yet yours leads to empty.

Until the end

I see the things that most don't
feel for the things that most don't
care for the things that most don't
and when I hurt, I bleed
I wipe my eyes and take a breath
cover myself in an invisible armour
of steel and then I step back into life
and wait for the time
once again-
when I find out things I shouldn't
get caught in things I shouldn't
surround myself with those I shouldn't
exhausted with a battle never won,
I fall and curl into a ball
and wait for the things most don't
feel for the things most don't
and surround myself with those I shouldn't,
until the end.

The story of time

A chain
that links a life to another
an idea to another
a thought to another
the old woman living down the street
wrote a book long ago
that was bought my by uncle
who did not know how to read,
yet loved to pretend he did
overflowing bookshelf
with the likes of Keats,
Yeats,
Shakespeare
not opened,
not ever
for he lived alone,
never married
nor had children
one day he took his last breath
closed his eyes
and fell into eternal sleep
and all the books upon the shelf
were sad and lonely
until the masses rolled in
and scavenged his belongings,
the leather recliner,
the plasma television
his favourite black vinyls,
but no one touched the books,
and so I packed each one
lovingly brought them home.
Splayed them out,
upon my floor
and that's when I noticed
the old woman's name
and so I carried the book to her home
and gave it to her
and she remembered having written it,
along with many others
I asked would she take the time
and read to me,
of course, she said
the story of the old woman
and at the end,
I thanked her,
kissed her wrinkled cheek
walked with my book held under my arm
and never saw the old woman again.

Lonely soul

Lonely soul
wanders far
seeks love

Time waits for no one

Time waits for no one
and when it's time you'll know
and all those things that seemed
important-
will fall
books unread
jobs not finished
days left empty
time waits for no one
and when it's time you'll see
that the things you so desperately
needed to do
will be left abandoned
spring cleaning,
a cluttered mess
the washing,
overflowing
time waits for no one
and when it's time you'll embrace it.

For sale

For sale
one life
slightly used.

Mind games

I do, you do
magic
games
that cast spells
in the mind, seductive
She does, he does
secrets
plans aborted
that spread lies
in the mind, shattered
We do, they do
laugh
a joke
that isn't funny
in the mind, hurting
human nature
tests the boundaries,
test the patience
of each other
no magic
secrets
laugh
tastes the same
this game you play is selfish.

The life of a butterfly

The life of a butterfly
glamorous it seems
wings delicate
splashed with colour
fly free
limited time,
no guide, all free flowing
destination unclear,
just to 'that place'
wherever that may be
float, hover, settle sometimes
proboscis seeks the sweet taste
yellow magic dust
upon roses, pansies, daisies
whatever is about
take your fill
gracious gliding thing of beauty
life limited, yet you do not complain
came to be from humble beginnings
spread your beauty wide.

A short tale

Rewind button
doesn't work
in life

Six word poem

A thread
a word
lives destroyed

Life is perfect

Someone said, life's perfect
with its little imperfections
life is worth living
worth fighting
worth shedding the occasional tear or too
for-life
mundane tasks
boring days
eventful nights,
all for this thing called life
restless nights
stressful days, that go on forever
this thing called life
every morning a blessing
every night thankful
for life
that was lived
for sacrifices made
for events that made us smile
for those that made us weep
life varied
different
kind or malignant
destructive life
still ours-
life is perfect.

The brick wall

Nothing
not an idea
not an inkling
not an atom of a thing,
yet in my mind
there's plenty
nothing worthy of wasting
the effort though
so I think
and the thoughts scramble
for attention
and I wait for the spark
that never comes
nothing
not an idea
not the measliest scrap of something
nothing
the ink runs dry
paper clean
words jumble, they make no sense
for today there is nothing
nothing at all.

Silence

Silence
quiet today
no hum of bees outside
no laughter
chatter
giggles inside
no yell
no scream
it's quiet
no music blares from the television
Katie Perry in her new film clip
always gets them going
even the washing machine
is idle, sleeping today
someone left the dryer door open
it's hungry,
but there's nothing for it today
silence
everywhere this incessant silence
I walk ears on alert
for the tiniest sound
there isn't any-
not even the sound of me breathing
I don't like the silence.

Life's challenge

Life's challenge
learn to love
laugh
grow
be healthy
play, but not too much
eat well, but not too well
learn new things
but not too many,
seeming too smart, can also lead to cockiness
love but not too many
you won't be taken serious
though you will have lots of fun
get married,
though it's not considered as fashionable as once was
have children
but not too many,
life's expensive enough as it is-
anything more than three requires a new car
grow old,
but not too old,
for the kids you painstakingly raised will put you away in a home-
all for your benefit of course
die quietly
cause no one likes a scene
haunt freely,
it'll be the only time you'll get away with being annoying.

Where are you?

Where are you?
I miss you,
I called your name the other night
and you didn't answer
but I could see you
and so I called you again,
louder this time
and still you didn't answer
I fell asleep with your name on my tongue
dreams of you that left
as soon as I opened my eyes
I knew without having to look-
you were gone
and the wind had carried your name,
so I stood by the door
and when I mustered enough courage
I opened that door and let the wind
carry your memory too.
I no longer held claim to you
I could no longer see you,
I could not longer feel you,
you were gone-
the space you left sat empty for so long
until one day
I filled that space with a bookshelf
and housed on it all the books
I had never read,
all the words I wanted to learn
now housed forever beside me.

A maze of green

I saw it first
a bud on an otherwise dead branch
it was dry and twisted,
no life it breathed
and I watered the bud and spoke with everyday
had faith
and knew, that from that bud, new life
did shoot
over time, it grew and took
and soon the bud that grew,
grew new buds and stems
and from those stems,
branches and soon
that otherwise dead branch
housed a maze of green-
one day that maze
sprouted a new bud
yellow
and I watched
and watered
and spoke with it everyday
until one morning that yellow
bud, blossomed
and a perfectly formed
perfumed flower peeled back its
petals and stood to attention
in that maze of green

Black, wild river

I walked the bridge
and there you stood
as if you had waited for me
everyday we met,
never spoke
until that day the rain came
and the creek, turned into a river
and I stood stranded
and there you were on the other side
and I could see in your eyes
the pain
as I held onto the railing,
wild river,
black
tried to take me away
I held on for life
and still you stood
watching
until I could no longer hold
onto the railing-
the water swept me away
I held my breathe as I fought it
struggled to keep myself afloat
and that's when it happened-
you dove into the murky water
and swam, like I have never
seen anyone swim before
and you held me in your arms
and through the rain,
I heard you say-
if I am to go,
I'm glad it's with you
and I let myself go
and knew that we would be okay