I Knew Him Well

I knew him well, you see

the heart of him

the soul of him

the man

his gentleness

his kindness

his actions

bywords of the whole

no one except perhaps

the cruel or one broken

could have accused so

falsely, sent him into

purgatory, there to

await condemnation

or vindication while

we prayed, kept the faith

in truth, in justice and

in him, his voice broken

in forgiveness even while

understanding incomplete

as ours, knowing only that

these things are sent

to try us

he was

is not

never was

found wanting

I knew him well, you see

his heart

his soul

the man

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Clubs and Pubs and Eyebrows

hmmm,

couldn’t be part of a harem

couldn’t be part of a gang

couldn’t lie down where other folks lie

couldn’t, for fear I’d do harm

couldn’t be part of a co-op

couldn’t be part of the tests

couldn’t imagine a club I could join

where I would be at my best

have always been part of a union

as long as they aren’t too dense

don’t fight both corners, betray or deny

cause common, with some common sense

couldn’t contribute to cliques where

niche means crawling or worse

couldn’t just fib to fit in there

expressive face too frank of a curse

couldn’t be bothered kow-towing

couldn’t reveal all I know

alphas or kappas, whatevers

couldn’t just put on a show

tho’, have been tempted by acting

oh, woe, with a sigh and a swoon

melodramatic, quite catching

alas, yorick, he passed on too soon

briefly joined brownies and girl guides

but uniforms, rules and the likes

gave me the creeps and right eyebrow

gave away that I thought it all shite

always got on with most folk

but never, well, rarely, in clubs

much preferred ordinary wisdom

found on most benches in pubs

carry folk forward I love best

connections all made through brief life

but give me a one onto one folks

I’ll follow like obedient wife

 

I have no idea why my husband is laughing so hard.

 

 

The Falls Of Retribution

Oh, the Falls of Retribution gush, they thunder,

Torrential rush, eroding cliffs around,

Flushing false, mean coatings of distemper,

But tempered mercy is their roaring sound.

Surging waterfall, a bless of teardrops,

Fashioned from the weeping, those in pain,

Justice cries, rejecting meagre milk sop,

Those who suffer most have most to gain.

Kindred knowledge tenders where it touches,

Beneficial bathes, aches no more,

Union of the pained, of those inflicted, purges

Vengeance while it evens score.

Hands of watered loving, this baptising

Soothes as much as takes, for this we hope,

Falls of Retribution, count our blessings,

Count our faults, counted thus, we cope.

Oh, the Falls of Retribution flood with knowledge,

Hidden coves beneath that flash with gems,

Nuggets of the knowing long secreted,

Never to be unknown e’er again.

Fear-o-phobia. Squish!

Triskaideka, arachno,

What kind of phobic are you,

Are you hiding a fear of the homos,

Islamic or immigrants, they’re xenos too.

Do you think that maybe it’s the Jewish,

Or perhaps it could be the blacks,

Scottish, Protestant, Catholics,

Any ethnic, religion; scapegoats we certainly don’t lack.

Might it be fear of being homeless,

Fear of no job,

Fear of pain,

Fear of trusting another,

Fear of believing again.

Could it be our politicians

Have a fear of failure, such shame,

Fear of losing their power,

No fear of losing good name.

I listened,

I’ve come to conclusions,

They’re working all fears we may have,

Fill them fraught, get them worried,

I’m more worried they’re having a laugh.

Common sense has left most departed,

Plain words are feared that speak truth,

Gobbledygook, statistics, bribes plain-sighted,

Paltry, unworthy, uncouth.

I have a fear with plain name,

That some may listen, not hear,

Not see, not know, not care to

Understand what’s their game.

Should we not fear not knowing,

A fear surely worthy of incredible note,

Instead of phobias – irrational, fantastic –

And mostly homegrown, learned by rote.

Fear-instilled politics and liars,

These two, fears of my own,

Watch thieves but can’t watch the liars,

Mantra ignored as I’ve grown.

Watch lies as lips move, unless checked,

Trust some but don’t trust them all,

Points scored, creative accounting,

Let them fear the game of own-goals.

Speak Greek, I’m understanding,

For the rest there’s ways to find out,

Panophobia, get public panicked,

Create fear of everything, leave no doubt.

Do I look like I’m bothered by spiders,

I’ve rid fear of creatures that sting,

But rats, however disguised, persist here,

Sewage dwellers with voices, my thing.

Eyes drawn to phobia unsettling,

See how they scurry, now stamp,

Squish and squash, wipe it up, that’s right,

Big fuckers vanquished, bedamned.

I’ll have my fears, we all do,

Irrational some, some we trust,

But don’t try to fill us with others,

Unworthy, uncouth, plain unjust.

 

 

Clay Mask

Another take on my theme of masks.

 

clay dried, kilned, hardened,

rigid, unmoving, caught

timeless, 

statue unbroken,

but wait,

what’s this,

a crack.

tremor lines,

evolving,

spreading,

crouched statue separating from the man,

shards fall,

unmasked

revelation,

where spirit hidden,

essence unconcealed,

stood tall.

Validation

Validation

unrequired,

thank you just the same,

to run the race

to be the breeze

to feel the wind beneath the feet

through hair.

Validation

not requested

from anyone

to be

the being

born to be spirit

with the air.

Validation unrequired,

thank you just the same,

no permissions necessary

to be.

Silver Key

In the corner of the room there’s a cupboard with a door

And the cupboard with a door has a key,

The key to the cupboard is hidden in a drawer

And the drawer is only visible to me.

The drawer is in a chest that resides within my flesh

And it opens inwards running on two rails,

The rails are my truth and my passions since my youth,

Timely constant with a gradual unveil.

The key within the drawer, the drawer on the rails,

The rails that let the drawer in me glide,

Is silver’d and small, but, perhaps, best of all

It lets a part of me exist and live inside.

On the days when the key is needed for its task

To open cupboard up so I can see,

The rails may object, preferring circumspect,

But I oil them, they slide forth, releasing key.

The cupboard in my room is related to the drawer,

Structured from the very same tree,

It shelters life in measure, guards well all my treasures,

Is my forest in the rains, my canopy.

In the corner of the room where the cupboard with the door,

The door that calls to drawer, release the key,

Is a woman, cupboard tall, though inside she’s still quite small,

A drawer-sized child who looks a lot like me.

The child inside our chest still prefers the nest,

Snuggled in the drawer with silver key

But the cupboard in the corner of the room that we call life

Insists we open up to set ourselves free.

 

Fall Together

Did you fall, my friend, and fear the jeering laughter,

an awkward stumble,

without grace

clumsy,

sprawled

in disarray,

face-shamed,

inert.

Did you fall, my friend, and worry for the rising,

relinquishing

feelings

vanquished,

laid out,

cold

judgements pending,

did you fall.

 

Will you stand again,

despite the fall

and fears

and see the kindness

in spectators’ eyes,

no vicious slights,

participants,

in recognition

of our own

falls known.

 

Did you fall, my friend,

I know that spot,

for I have fallen too.

We fall. We rise. Together.

 

Guddling

Trash! Smash balderdash,

Gibberish, all mish-mash,

Masquerading as the news.

Fiction, facts, we’re owed the truth.

Pish! Posh, all that dosh,

Dishing dirt, a load of tosh,

Captivating, cunning plan,

Doled out fodder for wee man.

Big man runs the well-oiled wheels,

Sleight of hand, we watch, he steals,

Steam, press, turn, depress with force,

One-sided justifies divorce.

Free to question, new release,

Biased brethern, big bro’ pleased.

Watch little man as he cuts chains,

Asking why, alive again.

Hubble, bubble, all this trouble,

Got our countries in a guddle.

Ickle, tickle, brand new hatch,

Easy-peasy, stand by, catch.

Fishy fish, caught with intent, by

Fishermen with hearts well meant.

Then we can fry them with some garlic and a lovely lemon zest. Hmmhmm. Smack!

 

Once Upon A Truth

Once upon a time a girl, a boy,

Once upon a time that look, the joy,

Once upon a time the kiss, that touch,

Once upon a time all meant so much.

 

Once upon a rhyme, another day,

Once upon dream, a different way,

Once upon a never that began,

Once upon a woman and a man.

 

Once upon the fairy tales we feast,

Once upon the beauty and the beast,

Once upon the endings ever after,

Once upon book written with new chapters.

 

Fairy tales, some magic and the rest,

Roses, perfume’d poetry at best,

Tales retold in bud of flow’ring youth,

Recount, recant, revamp with shades of truth.