Look down at the earth

Long shadows spill from my feet

That Shuffle in the dust of bygone days

Clouds of memory skip away on the breeze

 

Stone in the palm

Smooth and cool.

The mirror below, shaded pool

Invites the belligerent rock

 

Graceful arc from the launch

Motion slowed but no recall

As inertia fails, it starts to fall

Ignorant the mirror sleeps

 

...

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I found the hubcap

From the wheel of karma stole

By youth discarded

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Somebody has to spit it out;

To break news in a gentle way:

‘Excuse me, but you didn’t win.’

Merchants of hog-roast fantasies,

They won’t get it. Nor will the nutters

With bull-frog eyes. They will reject

The glaring truth, and counterclaim

‘We won! I’ve all the proof I need.

Even if I don’t, it’s your fault.

You are the ones to blame. Shame! Shame!’

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It's the little things

That matter really

Things not forced

But given freely

A gentle touch

A warming smile

The laughter of

A carefree child

The golden sunlight

The silver moon

The dawn from which

A new day looms

Those gentle strolls

Took hand in hand

Across the seasons

Changing land

Through dewy fields

Or crunching snow

Past autumn leaves...

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At this wonderful time when we all love to share,
We feel the magic of Christmas sail through the air.
We see everyone laugh and everyone smile,
With great jubilation all of the while.

Outside may be cold, but inside it is cosy,
And while our mood is good our cheeks are all rosy.
People stop being cross and they stop being snappy,
As goodwill abounds and everyone's happy.

Gifts are exc...

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The wolves will surround you. Flames will keep them at bay.

Burn bright, lest you be consumed. Teeth sink if light dims.

Shine on and bite back.

Sharp is being grounded in luminescence.

The wolves will surround you.

Burn.

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There’s patches of ice on the lake
in the distance snow on the ground 
In the black, icy cold water
ducks, swans and geese swimming around 

On a late November morning
at the dawn of a brand new day
Autumn passes the baton to Winter
in the seasons relay 

Photo Credit Dr Amir Khan

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I’d like to invite you to my undoing 

at a time and place of your choosing 

 

I’m always meeting you for the first time

with an energy that’s really not mine

 

how easily you’d become the best part of me 

what we don’t admit  lies in wait to see

 

behind calories memories and stress 

conspiring with what we’ve always dreamt 

 

to turn us into 

something else

...

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Thank you for everything good and bad

Whatever inflicted me 

Whatever benefitted me

I'm thankful for everything 

 

An year ago I was crippled 

Brokenness defined me

Emptiness measured me

Everything was ailing and painful

 

An year now wherein we are

I'm grateful that you stayed through it all

I don't doubt your intentions 

For I love giving benefit of doubt t...

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Christmas

Tuesday,30th Nov 2021

C...Continue with

H...Harmony

R...Regret

I...Internally with

S...soul

T...Treat with

M...Meditation

A...And

S...Sincerity(9)

despite horrendous appearance

humanity has still survived

with a chance

and spirit is revived (13)

life is temporary

so it is important

for us to carry

and present (17)

festival...

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When you stay up past a Fall midnight  

 

When you try to be a hero for your hot spouse 

 

When the library stays open ‘til your last pages

 

When your breath puffs up a show in the air

 

When your curiosity presses the fogged window

 

When you race to stop the dripping cone

 

 

© Candice Reineke 2021

 

 

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When a day out turned into more than an argument - - -

Festive evergreen tree

fairy lights dim

underneath gift wrapped

tagged with love

expectations traically taken

weeping angels wellcome

twelve year old

her family read

only sympathy cards.

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Full of life Cinderella,

was trapped in a castle,

despite burning midnight oil,

was all caught in a hassle.

She was guaranteed,

her freedom and moon,

but the promise was broken,

and was brought down to doom.

Flying with her own wings,

was all her wish,

for which she shed blood,

and even did the dish.

Once the window was opened,

paving way for rays of sun,

...

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Spark the fire that is my soul,

I’ll let the wild parts of myself wander free beneath the chrome blue shadows of the moon. 

This woman I have become is beyond her years,

She spends time in conversation with the thunder 

And without hesitation she chases the lighting. 

I find hope in the words of Petty and Nicks,

Melodic medication for a troubled soul. 

I’m a free falling gypsy...

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Fool yourself if you must

By calling it love

When it's really lust

It may be filling while it lasts

Like a banquet

To a hungry soul who fasts

But here's a thought -

No...make that a question:.

Why do both bring acid indigestion?

..................................................................

 

 

....................................................,

 

 

...

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(1)  

 

My long-lost, older cousin, always smiling, forever young,

came out to the Caribbean late in life, for love.

He drives us through Bridgetown, past celebrity homes

along potholed roads to the northern point

where whales pass and Atlantic and Caribbean meet.

Shows us plantation houses, a historic church with funeral

 

in full swing, the hymn-singing hypnotic as we ...

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Craving for an attention that doesn't exist

Sick as hell but undying

Is it the lack of you

Or some kind of late overdose

Felt so good I mistaken pain for pleasure

Backstabs from feelings to memories

As sour candy bitters my tongue

Saw your name

Heartache started like a race

Silly me believing

Convincing myself that everything was pink

Idolize past even if it's a li...

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Mona Lisa was found in Leonardo’s studio.

Leonardo held on Mona Lisa. It became the property of the French people during the French Revolution, 1787-1789.

The three-quarter view of Mona Lisa broke from the standard profile pose.
In 1911 Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louver.

During World War Two Mona Lisa was evacuated to various locations in the French countryside.

In 1809 cleaning an...

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It's the battle of Britain all over again.
Arched windows in the eaves
provide my view as from chalk cliffs.
Outside of myself they take me:
the return of the housemartins-
soaring and swooping and astonishing
the weary spirit. Moving
aside, immediate concerns press
like a heap of papers realised 
suddenly in the hand.
But leave a portion of the soul 
looking upwards, faithful in its vi...

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There are five straight stages of grief

            Mine, however, are all jumbled, uneven and completely out of order

First is denial, then denial, then depression, then denial. How odd. More denial then, thief

 

Remember before?

    Before i recognized anything or knew anything? I’d run around pretending and giggling; telling you my utter fantasies. Pretend you were in love with m...

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What my brain thought

Is not what my mouth said

The words your ears caught

Got twisted in your head

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last night you slept peacefully

instinctively, you woke before the crack of dawn

but in the subtlety of your yawn

the blind would mistake a new child was born

the sun hadn’t risen yet

but internally, an alarm was set

releasing the urge as you rise

to lay back down and close your eyes

the mind remains still

steering you

is sheer will

as the cold water beats the skin

...

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Scotland's double triumph in winning both the Men's and Women's titles at yesterday's European Championships prompted me to re-post this.

 

It started off as mischief in Landers café in Hucknall in the early 1970’s, until the Gods of Comedy got hold of it.  We christened it “Push-the-Pepperpot”.

The idea was to slide the pepperpot across the table so that it stopped exactly over-hanging t...

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Seeing how mother earth is raped every day

Polluting the air and water with no end

Scraping the oceans for the last bit of fish

 Saving the forests is a joke, they just pretend 

 

While COP 26 trying to make some rules

taking Air and Water for fools

Exposing that 1% of us, more or less

is producing 66% of the mess

 

Now, they want to go to Mars

with no air to bre...

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Vicious circles bloom

inside the jaws 

of a vise, its grip

vies for wounds 

to inflict, flinches

at the mention

of redemption, flashes

its teeth, and in

dulcet tones reassures

that a cyclical motion

is the sole notion

that can provide

a semblance of sense 

for one who fails 

to countenance surrender

to a better, potentially

sympathetic resonance...

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It's hard to live without you, brother. Between the worlds of death and life this fool hangs around. Misunderstanding is in my soul smouldering, a fire with damp leaves. My heart's fierce wounds given balm even cured by the knowing of you. Banished to this foreign land, you are - wandering through death. Aye, you were our mother's favourite son, she knew your time would co...

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its different this time. 

let me explain what i mean

first, I'm back, maybe not for long but hi

Im hurting my body 

people tell me to stop because of the long term effects

i don't care

i cant stop, even if i tried

i know what you're thinking, everyone does this

no, im not talking about vaping

im talking about the guilt i feel 

after eating or drinking

certain thing...

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We are but playing 

At this

Game 

Some of you 

Call 

Life

This idea 

Of living 

A song in the stream 

A wink at the 

Rainbow 

Is so far removed

It may as well be 

An accidental 

Painting 

But it is

Not 

This is it

The colours 

Of light 

Painted 

Across the sky 

This is not a dream 

 

One day you 

WON’T

Wake up 

And if...

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The Indian Ocean

 

It seemed like a huge variance between a pallid blue into a grand azure

with a lean slither of sunbaked saffron sand

shimmering and slicing its way along an indeterminable edge

Pristine beauty barely defiled by human interruption

the sun hovered aloft in an aura of majesty above its pleasure

The air was fresh and a balmy breeze caressed one's flesh

Did on...

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Each shower of autumn leaves

cast softly down

Is a memory of the warmth

left behind

By a forgotten summer day

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Devastating wars,famines,earthquakes and diseases,

Constantly into our world the devil squeezes

In one year, 2.6 million world-wide covid deaths instil fear,

Does an event like this  indicate the end of the world is near ?

 

The complexity of the world being ruled by humans is a mess,

Hunger,disease,wars ,natural disasters, a sea of stress.

God's Kingdom is the only power to s...

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Tommy the turkey was tired totally tired, it's true as his tribe  - being tremendously tasty - tended to top the menu   Tom started out pretty tranquil He was quite the traditional type But rightfully got in a temper at some of that thanksgiving hype   He seemed to ge...

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I want to tell you.

 I want to write it down. 

I want to have the right words.

I want to feel them. I want you to feel them. I want you to feel what I felt. 

I want you to know. About everything. I want to show it to you in broad daylight. 

I want you to see it. I want you to face it. I want you to taste it 

when the water turns to bleach. I want it to blister the inside of your ...

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Rising into infatuation 
Levitating above the atmosphere 
Statured within a hero’s square 
The copper of your figure wearing away
Bronze turning into green 
Leaving no chance for the next generation to see 
True unending beauty 
Flowers shielding the base 
Intricate features of unequivocal elegance 
Amounting to all that is and will be 
Forever imprinted into my memory

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Rock music

Pop music

Old music 

New music

 

Classical music

Jazz music

Soul music

Sad music

 

Punk bands

Glam bands

Garage bands

Brass bands

 

Metal bands

Grunge bands

New age bands

Brit pop bands

 

Boy bands

Girl bands

Big bands

Bad bands

 

Local bands

Cash in hand

Open mic

Dim the lights

that’s it

Thank you...

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There’s this kid I know called Josh-u-a

The kinkiest bugger I know by far

Cross dressing is his thing

Wearing nought but an Ann Summers bra

 

Led a meteoric rise to F.D.

That’s Finance Director to you and me

Must have slept with our kid after going round for tea!

 

Now time to be more complimentary

A fine lad he’s turned out to be

Bakes and cooks better than that g...

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Turn on yourself

Where you go when you want out

When the souls of yesterday our calling you out

When the target of your anger is you

When you don’t want to die but the lie is killing you

When you have the sense to know the world is a rather nice place

But you can’t deal with the compliments or the nice things

You cant stop talking but you can’t say anything at all

Ca...

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From Mrs Santa Claus,(a second wife), just before Christmas

Dearest,

This icy forest, soaking wet, is not that on which my heart was set.

Fed up cooking for those wretched elves, tell me why they can't fry up themselves?

So many missives requiring risposte, but no reward for the time I've lost.

No glamorous designer gear, just down and boots and furry hats, a Yeti's mate do I appear...

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I remember being told to,
'You can do nothing'.
A memory that came like a flood,
Only this morning.
I pass by several faces,
That I've been seeing for years.
But today I saw one,
That reminded me of the days of tears.
When the people I relied on,
Pointed fingers at me.
When I was mocked and laughed at,
And what I really was, no one could see.
The times when people told me,
I didn't fi...

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Cosmetic Colouration

I try to show to you my prettiest feathers

I cock my head up

Can’t you see my confidence

That I’m desperate to portray?

 

I’m trying to catch your attention 

Trying to appear utterly desirable

Yet despite my best attempts

You still won’t look this way

 

No longer relaxed

Feeling inadequate

And therefore—acting quite grandiose

 

This...

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Rain

Heavy thoughts

puddle

I am

Neither here

or there

Somewhere in between

Waking

Slumbering

through life

Moments

Unreal

Someone else's

Lucid dream

In control

Yet not 

steering

Pushed

Pulled 

Sleep

Wake

Live

Die

A thousand deaths

Reborn

Walk into the night

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For long I have been in the background

In the shadows, the blackness

From the spotlight on stage

Into the sidelines, hiding in the wings

 

Equal time I have spent on both sides

Thinking and waiting for my time

Dreaming of success

Waiting for the space to shine

 

Mister, you were not sure

Of what you are getting into then

You blindly followed the lines

Blinker...

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a hidden language, sovereign,
moves through me, wolfish and flowery.
it whets my desire and pulls me (deeply)
into its age-lost keening, crooning
promises of rain.

I pray for feast.
I am heart-famished;
verdant-tangled, moon-noosed;
trying for the mountaintop, howling,
heaving from Hope's soot!

thunder-bludgeoned, wind-wrought,
I am helplessly besotted
by the beast in my blood.
Bu...

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John Betjeman's statue casts its eye

looking up to London heights

an island in the stream of travellers

cast in bronze as befits his station

a symbol of a divided nation,

of those who care for a cherished past

and those who leave that thought behind them. 

 

Sir John thinks of Metroland

where the burrowing underground meets the sky

close shouldered by avenues of popla...

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a thousand voices

cast away in my shadows

listen! can't you hear?

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Real love is life threatening 

It’s not serene, sweet, dream love

It’s not romantic, rainbow love

No

True love is torture 

Gut wrenching pain

Hands and knees, love 

Need it to breathe, love 

It’s enough to put you away, love 

But never pull you away, love 

It’s masochistically addictive 

It titillates and irritates

Possesses every bit 

Until you have a fit

...

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So many memories, where to begin?
So many tears, I am trying to keep in.
I dry my eyes, then dry them once more.
I've never felt this way in my life before.

My Mum was never one to complain.
Mum saw the Sun, when we all saw rain.
Hospital appointments, one after one.
Where did she get all her strength from?

I'll miss those afternoon movies on TV.
Hot water for Mum, cup of tea for...

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Fate comes, though we see it not
Time treads onward, however we dig in our heels
Vigilance toward one threat leads to negligence of another,
and the cruel limits of mortality aren't shy in their reminder
It is this ceaseless grasping at what can only slip through our fingers,
this continued effort at being or creating something which stands outside time that withers our hearts so.
Desire and...

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Time Marches On

Time marches on,
but things can change.
The flow of life is the same,
but we can spin away.

Find a place to abide;
a life to call your own.
Find a way to live;
a way to feel alive.

All the road blocks,
will guide your way.
Till you are strong enough,
to crush them all.

That path of least resistance,
is how the water flows.
Carving a river, a gorge,
a valley,...

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