Viewing: Words/Poems - View all posts

it's that time
leaving
i place a smile
wave goodbye
close the door
fold in half
and cry

if no one reads you
are you read
if no one hears you
are you heard
if no one sees you
are you seen

yes you are read
because you wrote
yes you are heard
because you spoke
yes you…

Plumbing 
Leaves me cold
Under the sink
My head turned upside down oh
Ballcocks another drip 
I could call a plumber 
Not over my twisted body
Get me my big red wrench 

through a window 
to a window
where decay resides
damaged
aged 
ravaged 
adopted by neglect
broken panes gaze upon walls 
with neither ceiling or floor
fine wallpaper
skilfully hung 
hangs
fluttering
twisting into life 
certain escape
a gust away
through…

the ups and downs of 
who cares
the I'm right you're wrong of
who cares
the ins and outs of 
who cares
the your truth my truth of
who cares
the toing and froing of 
who cares
the beginning or…

I will not 
wipe away my tears
they can dry on my face
because 
no one hears me
like you did
because 
no one knows me
like you did
because 
no one loves me
like you did
I am carrying…

If I worked
occasionally
in a biscuit factory
and shamed the biscuits
for being soft and tasteless
because 
in my opinion 
they are soft and tasteless
should I be vilified 
ignored
sidelined
dismissed
educated maybe
to ensure 
that in future…

I have to sing
somehow
somehow songs will be sung
all the way through 
to the end
without tears
then I will sing another
and another
and another
until I have a set
your set of songs 
eventually
I will…

In the distance I see three SUVs
parked on a muddy track.
Three people emerge,
one from each SUV.

My path takes me closer,
they are camouflaged,
pot bellied men,
each holds a gun.

I pass them by,
they do…

I let the silence envelop me,
cling to my form,
unable to move,
the stillness feels,
surprisingly empowering,
my inner movements 
hidden from view.

Eyes closed,
shallow breaths sustain.
An involuntary sigh,
a deep intake of life,
renders me visible…

how many years 
have I loved you 
how many months 
of you and me 
how many weeks 
have we shared 
how many days 
have we been here
how many hours 
passed us by 
how many seconds 
without goodbye 
35 years …

words invade
unwanted
wanted
they torment 
conflict
collect together 
forming lines
that demand to be written

controversial lines
political lines
self-indulgent lines
angry lines
lines that betray belief
passion spewed across white paper
meanings misconstrued
misinterpreted

released by the writing…

Time measured in emotion,
hangs around,
a guest outstaying their welcome.
The hands of time
shove you against the wall,
trapping you there,
then, casually,
finds something else to do.
Suspended,
unable to move on,
you look at time,
you…

It's vast, this space you have left.
I knew I would miss you,
of course I would,
but what should I do now
with this space?
Yes, there is a sort of freedom,
your parting gift,
what you wanted us…

it feels close now
have we held you back
stopped you leaving
made you hang on
just a little longer
am I ready
no I am not
never thought I would miss them
my parting words
the same every time…

you look tired
shall I sing you a lullaby
to help you sleep
can you sing
you ask
yes I say
I sing the lullaby
your eyes close
then
when the music stops
your eyes open
somewhat surprised
you say…

I reached for your hands
you let me hold them
did not push me away
this time you stayed
we danced
your face
your eyes
sparkled
you know
don't you
no need to mask
with me
with me
you can…

I press myself into your chest
close my eyes and dance
Nina Simone sings
my arms wrap tighter
entwined
we move as one
slowly
deliberately
unaware of who
or where we are
in these tentative
fleeting moments
we feel free…

what doesn't kill you 
makes you stronger 
it doesn't 
layers 
relentlessly 
painfully 
stripped  
eroded 
one  
by  
one 

is that you 
I can't see you 
are you in there 
your smile 
your laugh 
your voice 
monotone 
without colour 
I  
miss  
you

waiting to hear 
waiting to know 
waiting in fear 
waiting in hope 
waiting for sleep 
waiting for dawn 
waiting to stop 
waiting to start 
waiting in line 
waiting in time 
waiting for you 
waiting for life

I miss the silence 
occasionally deafening 
I miss the comeraderie 
when we clapped and held a light 
I miss the frequent family chats 
via zoom and what's app 
I miss you telling me 
stay safe wear a mask 
I miss…

tens 
hundreds 
thousands 
unnoticed they die 
their number up 
but never called 
demographic unknown 
daily updates forgotten 
next slide please forgotten 
wash your hands forgotten 
wear a mask forgotten 
keep your distance forgotten 
warnings  
disregarded 
unheeded 
tens 
hundreds 
thousands 
unnoticed…

Scanning 
anxiously 
around each 
every corner 
adrenaline rushes 
the aisles Pac-Man runs 
you try to evade 
but they appear 
unnerved 
bandits without masks 
tiptoeing across your path 
grabbing that which you 
physically-distanced 
are looking for 

outlaws of compassion 
standing 
delivering …

now we have 
a different kind of love 
a love that's taking 
the long road home 
you tell your stories 
stitched together 
in a broken memory of truth 
we listen like we've never 
heard the story before 
do our best…

Found you dressed this morning, 
sitting on the edge 
of your home hospital bed 
in your polka dot swimsuit. 
You thought you were on holiday, 
but couldn't understand why 
the pictures on your wall 
were the very same as the…