Before dawn

I take the time-
though just this once
to-
wake up one morning
before dawn-
before the sun has even opened it's eyes
to let in light,
warm up the air-
while the air is still crisp
birds still sleep
so does the neighbour's cat-
the dog
and the old man who lives alone
I take that walk
I always said I would
while everyone slept
and saw-
what I thought I never would
dew on leaves
blades of grass standing tall-
proud
like that new statue just put up in the town's square
like the bridge I drive over every day to get
to work
which I hate
and there's not much I do hate
hate isn't really a word I use
dislike, perhaps
detest
yet I veer from the path
and I continue eyes open
to the lonely rubbish bins
lined up all in a row,
coloured lids-
mocking the bin still standing in the driveway
in a corner-
no recycling this week
no green waste
just pure hard rubbish-
landfill
oh how I'd love to fill someone's mouth like
land fill-
polluted with reason,
rather than not
like the lady with the curlers in her
hair that lives on the corner of the street and
shrieks at the children as they ride their
scooters,
or the man with the manicured lawn
that curses as passersby
accidentally walk on his lawn
so I take the time to walk on his lawn
stamp in places here and there-
my foot prints look as if made by shoes twice
the size of mine
I twist a little and then feel bad
when I see the once proud blades of grass
squished to a not so lush bed of green
I walk
I walk
I walk
and see through morning eyes
my world and think
it doesn't get much better than this
unless of course
I didn't have to drive over that bridge
to get to a place
I don't like
or hear that lady shriek at the kids
or hear that man curse

Faded black ink

Scene one-
chapter one-
faded black ink
old stain
hot coffee,
one day long ago-
back track- page nineteen
fast forward- one hundred and fifty,
no- one hundred and fifty one
really, are you sure?
Yes-
live pause,
no remote needed
for a week or two-
over and over, faded black ink
more so here- then
back to the beginning-
no ad breaks
a list- of scenes
words come alive-
places visited
internal are my thoughts-
I can see,
I am there
and when I'm done
like an old faithful friend-
there-
there, at arms length
a place in my home,
pride of place-
dog eared
bent, weathered, out of shape
but still mine
old faithful friend of mine

Ode to Emily Dickinson

You couldn’t wait for life-
She aggressively went with you-
It was just us
and death.

You walked fast- She walked faster
I left everything-
my freedom and my work,
for her rudeness-

I stood before a prison,
watching prisoners at play-
I stood before the barbed wire-
I stood until the night-

As I stood, She stood too-
The night was calm and still-
Her gown floated gently-
Her downfall, wire mesh-

I walked passed a shack
succumbing to the ground-
the walls stood firmly-
the roof had fallen down-

Now, I wait for tomorrow
it is longer- than today
She carries with her always
my life- my dreams- my eternity.

Haiku

Heart entangled
Stolen kisses under stars
and all for what

Fall in love

Fall in love, my mamma said to me
one day as we sat under the orange tree
fall in love
head over heels
and know that breathless feeling
heart skipping beats
hands sweating
fall in love, my sweet

Marry like a princess, my sister said to me
on night as we lay upon my bed
daydreaming of the day
lace and satin
white roses, orchids too
in a castle, stone walls
sweet smelling vines
candle lit and glowing

Have beautiful bonny babies, my father said to me
as we sat atop the rusted bonnet
of the car he loved to fix
beautiful bonny babies
curly hair and chubby cheeks
rosy red lips
that'll call me pa
and laugh at all my jokes

Fall in love...

What's the point

What's the point of many things-
wear your heart on your sleeve
like a fool-
a jester in a royal court
made to laugh at
when you're all alone at night
what's the point
of singing songs
when the words don't match the tune
flat is the melody
there is no soul
what's the point
when you've given your all
and still it's not enough
the pain still lingers
you reach to grasp
what was never there in the first place
what's the point
of walking through
a park where children play
when you're too big for the jungle gym
and you don't fit in the swing anymore
what's the point
of splashing in the water
when all you get is stares
from the geriatrics doing their water aerobics
the swim teachers helping
kids float
what's the point
when you can't say what you want-
need to say
afraid to offend,
to hurt,
to out the proverbial foot in your mouth
what's the point...

The other night

The other night I floated through the air
barely breathing
ash covered what was once a family of trees
Paper barks, Gums, Silver birches-
all cohabitating, sharing, living
even the native grasses and ferns in their umbrella haven-
curled their leaves, scared,
hiding from the tarring intoxicating bits of debris
that floated freely and settled in their crevices,
suffocating them,
it was only a matter of time.
I floated on-
no colour visible,
flowers a thing of the past-
I do not remember what they looked like
the Roses, Poppies, Irises,
I do not remember
where they were found-
yet somewhere in the chambers locked deep
away
I remember their names.
I remember-
the hum of the bees in summer time
their pestilence, I missed in the gardens when the sun shone
and the petals encased the sweet nectar they fed on-
sought
the lark, chirp, tweet
an annoyance as I lay on the carpet of grass
oh-how I missed them all
sweet perfumed air-
bottled, how I wish someone had
for this time that was inevitable
this time no one truly believed would come.
The other night I floated through the air
and under cover I heard the muffled
struggling
sad eternal cry
of a world destroyed
a people suffering
a mass of regret
I was one
of those who closed my eyes
wished the problems would become someone else’s
never believed we were being told the truth-
yet never doing anything to find out what the truth was.
The other night I floated through the air
and the tears I cried, bathed the world,
washed away the sins of those here before us,
washed away the selfishness,
the hypocrisy,
the egotism,
the politics
and what was left was brand new again.