Journey

A journey starts
With a single step
Said a Buddhist sage
Most wisely
I thought this proverb
Through once more
As on I pulled and
Laced my boots.
I stood and took
One last deep breath
And took that single step
I don’t know where
This journey leads
Or who I’ll meet
Along the way
I do not know what
Trials I’ll face
Or when the journeys
End will come
I only know
One thing for sure
As one foot follows
The other
I only know
One thing for sure
At least
I am still
Walking.

Thank you to Lulu’s Lines for inspiration.

Noises II

A soft ‘whumph’ silence
Whumph, silence. Whumph, silence
Woke me from my slumber
In cold darkness, absolute darkness
The smell of oiled pine assailed my nostrils
Edged with the nicer smell of wet earth
Whumph, silence, a softer whumph
Silence
Another whumph yet softer still
I yawned and stretched
My hands hit soft velvet in the darkness
Whumph, silence
Velvet to the side of me, velvet behind
And velvet above me
Whumph, silence, a hardly heard
Whumph, silence
The whumphs grew quieter
The silences longer
Until, at last, there was only
Silence
I remembered the sound of colliding metal
The tinkling sound of breaking glass
I remembered the sound of metal
Grinding over concrete
And the sound as the roof of my car
Caved in as it overturned
I remembered the accident
I remembered the soft, wet, melon thud
As my head split open
As the lorry hit my car
I remembered the sound of my blood
Gushing, pumped from open wounds
I remembered the last beat of my heart
Silence
A quiet calm overtook me
The pine gently creaked under the weight
Of the earth above it
And the earth sighed as it settled
Above me
The earth settled further and
The pine creaked some more
Then silence
Silence for an hour, a day, two days
A week
Blessed silence
Between the noises of the worms
As they tunnelled above me
And beneath me and to the side of me
And the sound of insects
As they tunnelled into my coffin and my bones
I heard the sound of mushrooms growing
In my flesh and the sound of rot
As it overtook my body
I heard the noise of spring
As flowers rose from the
Hard earth of winter
I heard them bloom
I heard the sound of rain as it
Pattered from the heavens
To fall upon my grave
I heard the sound of snow
As it settled on my tombstone
I heard the seasons come and go
And all around me
Silence
I used to hear you cry
As you placed flowers on my grave
I heard your tears
As they hit the soft earth
Above me
I heard you in between the
Silences
The seasons came and went
The silences grew longer still
Until at last you no longer came
And silence reigned
What time passed I could not tell
For my mind lost track of time
Between the seasons
But I heard you call my name one day
And I looked for you
I saw you standing in that light so bright
And beckon me to come
I rose up and I went to you
I followed where you led
And all at once I heard again
A sound so warm and calming
I heard the sound of an angels choir
As they sang their celestial hymns
To the glory of his name
I knew one day you’d come for me
As I lay within the earth
I knew one day you’d call to me
To join me when you could
The silences I had endured
I would endure no more
I’d waited and you’d came to me
As once you promised you would.

Thank you to Lulu’s Lines for Inspiration.

Noises

The sound of her keys in my door
The sound of her silver bangles on her wrist
The sound of her laughter
The sound of her making coffee in the kitchen
The sound of her happy in the garden
The sound of her humming to our song
The sound of her in the bath with bubbles
The sound of her sigh as we make love
The sound of her soft breathing as she sleeps
The sound of her hair straighteners in the morning
The sound of her getting dressed
The sound of her sorrow as she said goodbye
The sound of her leaving
The sound of silence

Thank you to Lulu’s Lines for Inspiration.

Hop It

I dreamt I made a deal with God
Or a pact maybe with The Devil
Either way I could have her back
But at a cost personally to me
I would have to lose a body part
The choice was mine what part to lose

I thought it over and agreed
I’d have to make a choice.

I would not want to lose my eyes
I need them both
To see her
I need to see her every day
Her beauty feeds my soul

I would not want to lose my ears
I need them both
To hear her
A voice like gold, so warm and pure
I doubt angels sound so perfect

I would not want to lose my mouth
I need it still
To kiss her and
receive those gentle kisses back
Without it I’d be lost for words
How else without would I tell
Her just how much I love her?

I would not want to lose my hands
I need them both
To touch her
Clumsy things, they both can be
But I need them both
To feel her skin
Her soft and perfect skin

I would not want to lose my arms
I need them both
To hold her
To wrap her warm
In a gentle embrace
On cold long winter evenings
To wrap her firm
And give her strength
When all seems set
Against her

I would not want to lose my chest
I need it still
For her to rest her head
On summers eves
When tired and happy
We both drift
Off to sleep

I would not want to lose my sex
I need it still
To please her
I may not be the greatest lover
But I seem to
Please her even though

I know! I know just what to lose
I think I’ll lose a leg
I’d still be just as tall
With one I wouldn’t lose my height
And to her still
Though I couldn’t walk
I bet I’d hop
As fast…

Death III

Another star falls from the sky,
A broken heart that starts to cry,
A babe in mothers arms has died,
Innocent and without sin,
An angel puts it's soul to rest.

Death II

The body twisted, hands outstretched,
Hands raised to God, you sorry wretch,
Your fleshless skull, your toothless grin,
You laugh at life, to us it’s sin,
You watched your life force flow away,
Down a drain, from severed vein,
The bloodied knife still in your hand,
Your life departs this final stand,
You ask yourself just one last thing,
As the telephone, it starts to ring.

“The person who is calling you,
Have they ideas at what you do?
Do they think you'd really dare?
Do they worry? Do they care?”

This question rattles round your head,
Your last thought for you’re nearly dead,
You know the answer, life must go,
You know the answer, yes, it's no.

Sword

My sword is said to be sharp
It was forged by a swordsmith
In Japan
It was born in fire
Of folded steel
And honed with care
Polished with love
A katana
I have named it;
Destiny
It sings when released
From its black lacquered
And shining
Saya
It’s Tsuba was wrought
With devotion
It is art
Destiny is said to be sharp
but has not been proven
Destiny could cleave
A body
Behead a man
Cut dropped silk
And wet reed mats
Destiny has yet
To draw blood
To taste the joy
Of battle
But Destiny is sharp
Destiny could kill
There is another
Though
A sword called
Love
Love was made by God
And is sharper still
For only love
Can cut
A soul
In two

God

I've sussed you out God,
You're a joke,
I'll make man in My image,
You said,
Look at us you fool,
What a motley crew,
Rapist, murderer, pedophile,
Is this You?

Tears

Should a lifetime be measured in years?
Maybe tears would be more appropriate
When we’re born the first thing we do is cry
Then tears for hunger, tears for loneliness, tears for pain
As we aged our tears became a sign of our emotions
Not the instinctive, reflex action of a baby
As children we began to cry for loss
Our mother waved goodbye on our first school day
Our favourite toy was lost
Then we realised that tears got us noticed
Our wisdom grew as we aged
We didn’t want to go to bed
We wanted that toy, that game, that cake
And tears had results
Then the real tears came
The tears that no-one saw
The tears we cried alone
For ourselves
A first broken heart – oh what tears
A second – more tears, the pain wasn’t easier
Then a third relationship, an engagement
Tears of joy
The relationship ended – what tears then
A shattered heart
A fourth relationship, a marriage
Tears of happiness, of contentment
A mortgage, bills, work
Tears of worry
And children were born
Ecstatic tears and worried tears
And then the flood gates opened
A parent died and then the next
For you and partner too
When all the relatives die, what stands between you
And heavens gate?
Tears of absolute sorrow, absolute longing
Then your partner of a lifetime dies
Would there be a worst imaginable sorrow?
Tears come in floods like none before
Tears that might never stop
Tears that never did stop

Tears for all of life’s experiences
And life is just experience
Experience makes us age and grow

Should a lifetime be measured in years?
Maybe tears would be more appropriate

I am God

See this gun held in my hand?
Notice me, for yesterday I was nobody
Today I’m God!
Today I have power over life and death
Today I can bring you sorrow or joy
For you, him or her
I’ve got a job but I hate it
I’m at the bottom of the ladder
Do this, do that, make the tea, tidy up…
Today I think my boss would clean my desk
For today I hold a gun
I had a girlfriend, yesterday
Beautiful she was, I love her
Yesterday she left me for another
His car is swankier, he has more money
But I have more than that, today
Today I have a gun, his life is in my hands
Do you think she’ll take me back?
See that man?
Standing by the trees?
The one with the flashy cellphone
Smiling, laughing, happy
He’s got nothing now, I've shot him
Dead
I’m his God
She’s smiling, she’s dead, this is power
I’m somebody at last
I’m God
That’s me they’re talking about on the radio
I’m famous
I wasn’t famous yesterday
I don’t like his shoes, DEAD
Don’t be scared of me, don’t run away
I won’t hurt you, DEAD
Everyone leaves me…
Look at that tramp, poor sod
He’d be better off dead, DEAD
You, DEAD
You, DEAD
You, DEAD
SEE ME, notice me, I AM GOD
You, DEAD
You, policeman with your own gun
You can’t kill me
You are not my Pontius,
You are not my betrayer
You can’t kill me
Maybe my body, sure
But not my soul, not what I stand for
I am THE martyr, GOD
You, DEAD
Today
I’m God

The Winter of My Soul

The diamonds of an Autumn frost
Lay cold and hard upon the paths we used to walk
Treasures only to be looked at and remembered
Not to be held and warmed by lovers hands
Tortured souls cry in the winds that herald winter
Tearing leaves from the skeletal limbs of stout old oaks
The sun hides early, frightened off by the approach of Winter

Winter, the season of darkness,
The moon rules regal in our sky
Cold and hard, the King of Cold
The Prince of Darkness
The Queen of Tides and Insanity
The symbol of our love

Winter, our season. The moon, our sovereign
Cold and hard, the ground, our hearts
Black and dark, our hearts, our lost love.

Death I

The twisted warped body
In death throes stopped
Its lungs given out
Its feelings cropped
What do you feel?
You breathless flesh
Is there Heaven? Is there Hell?
What do you feel?
You lifeless shell
What was life?
Could you tell?

If I Were

If I were cleverer
I’d probably know what to do
If I were smarter
I’d probably have a plan

If I were stronger emotionally
I’d probably feel less scared
If I were tougher
I’d probably just not care

If I were better looking
I’d probably have more friends
If I were fashion conscious
I’d probably dress to impress

If I were considerably richer
I’d probably spend for love
If I were a prince of men
I’d probably have more choices

But

If I were all these things
I wouldn’t then be me

And

If I were all these things
I’d still want for only you

Thank you to Lulu’s Lines for inspiration.

Pet or Bride by Linda

Her feet were said to be square with toes that fell at a slant.
Deep purple polished painted the smooth toenails.
Quietly she crept through the house
crunching the carpet as her bride like feet stepped down.

In a slip of red against her olive skin
she was said to be beautiful. A sight for sore eyes, it was said.
Laced with the scent that sprays from a dark purple bottle,
she called it Tragedy.

Her eyes were big and bright as she lay near by on the floor.
She gazed at the year round Christmas lights,
like a cat. She purred. She stretched.
She was told she was sweet like honey.

The Glass beer bottles lined up on the black coffee table sparkled.
The candles glowed and danced
all while the cat was claimed by a new owner.
She had a new home? Was she a pet or a bride?

Poem written and donated by Linda

More Haiku

Twittering starlings
alight on telegraph poles -
The sun sets early.

Flowers opening,
gentle rain falls softly down -
Thirsty daisies smile.

The smell of Miso,
The sound of conversation -
I sit and watch you.

Frost mists the windows,
inside panted breath fogs them
Warm, as one, two lay.

Embraced she cried out
lapped by waves of pleasure:
A naked seashore.

My Favourite Season... The Summer of Our Love

Grasping hands of old oak trees
Skeletal and leafless reached out to stop me
As we passed them by.
Snow crunched underfoot
Blanketed over the trees dead leaves
As we walked towards our lake.

Shining like a field of diamonds,
The glassy ice hid the cold, cold bottom
Of our frozen lake
It hid the decay of autumn past;
Decaying plants and cold dead fish
As we both put on our skates.

We walked out to the icy edge and
Hand in hand we skated,
You had found another life,
Today would be our last

I kissed you as we skated, I
Took my hand from yours, and
Moved out on my own, alone, to where
The ice was thinnest.

You heard the crack and
Screamed for me
As through the ice I fell
The waters chill embrace
It stole my breath away-

Too cold to breath
Too cold to live
The water and my heart.
I sank towards the bottom
As our lake sucked out my life

I died as I promised you in life
I would
I died within the sight of you
With the taste of you still on my lips.

No other would I see you with
Nor know a time I wasn’t yours

Your hand the last I ever touched
Your eyes the last I ever saw
Your heart the last I ever loved
Your lips the last I ever kissed

It’s winter now, so cold and hard
Though many years have come to pass
I lay within our lakes embrace
I see you come and sit a while
I see you still remember us.

It’s winter now, my bones are chilled
My heart? It still holds summer.

The summer of our love.

Thank you to Lulu's Lines for inspiration