The big tree

Bends with the wind

Offering protection to the smallest of trees

The wolf howls

And the birds fly free

If I were a wolf

I would hunger for thee

But I am a bird

And I fly free

When the wind blows

And howls angrily

I will bow softly

For the protection of thee

Show me your heart

I’ll show you joy

The storm will pass by you

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And so here we are

It’s Christmas again

So, I thought I’d come see you

I imagined us hugging

And feeling your breath

In my ear

As you whispered my name

It’s been such a long year

Without you here

I’ve dreamt so many times

About having you near

And no longer  loving you

From afar

I’ve packed and unpacked

A million times

Ruminated on whether to ...

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I find myself walking

In the aftermath

Of your love

What should have been divine

Has become sadly benign

And so, here I am

Broken 

On my knees

Praying for intervention

From a deity

Who looks down

From above

My tears fall

Like autumn leaves

From grieving trees

I yearn for kind words

But my fate has spoken

No more to be said

T...

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Serendipity found me

On this cold, lacklustre dawn

Her gracious hand reached out

And she wrapped me 

In good fortune

What  a gift she gave!

She followed me so joyously

As she sang her unexpected tune

Such that sent the clouds adrift 

And made the flowers bloom

She pushed away the night’s long slumber

She usurped the fading moon

Her arrival breathe...

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Another punch to the gut

That’s how it feels

When my words hit the page

My pen doesn’t flutter

Like a butterfly

My pen is a sword

A weapon that wields anger

Melded with sadness

And rage

These letters

Made up of vowels wrapped

Around lazy consonants

They paint a picture

Of torment and loss

My ink digs in deep

Finding places in me

That I...

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Did you see me?

I was there

I waited

For you

I anticipated your

Presence

I wore my finest

Finery

In anticipation

Of your undying

Admiration

I don’t think you saw

Me

You were blinded

By the mist

I tried so hard

To be noticed

I hoped you’d get

My gist

You didn’t see me

You didn’t even

Smell my scent

Still I thought

T...

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How nice for you

Your lies are redacted

Your sins

Seemingly,

Will not be

Re-enacted

You can rest

In peace

Your truth

Has been

Covered in grey

Deemed

Unfit to be seen

In the broad light

Of day

Your guilt

Is guilded

Not in gold

Or silver

Just a dingy

Muddied grey

I, your victim

Am not worthy

Of your truth

There wa...

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Lady with the sad eyes

My heart aches

When I gaze

Into your pools of emerald green

My mind is taken

To dark places

As I glimpse what you

Have seen

Your face tells a thousand stories

And I know that they haunt

Your dreams

Lady with the sad eyes

Come sit with me a while

I will listen to the tales

I will hold you close to me

Let me shar...

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Each new day

Draws me closer

To the inevitable

Still I fail

To understand

To comprehend

My purpose

As the sun rises

I awaken with hope

Today will bring me clarity

It’s now or never

I will rest my head

Having found the answer

To my why

The sun sets

At the end of each

Long day

And once again

I make the promise

To myself

Tomor...

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Autumn crocus has arrived

Purple hues imbued

By dappled light

Forest floors embellished

By the remnants

Of summer nights

And so it is that I

Have survived

Another season

Yet

I cannot speak

In rhyme

Or reason

The seas have raged

The tide has waned

Through it all

My strength remains

With tired soul

And aching heart

This old...

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This place is haunted

By shadows

Of yesteryear

Watery shadows

That slip through

My fingers

And leave only

The stain

Of a tear

Here is the place

Where I last saw

Your face

Here

Is where we laughed

And I bathed in 

Your Grace

It’s empty now

But my mind fills it

With pictures

Of how we

Used to be

Hazy days

Filled with the joy

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There is nothing left to say

No gentle words to whisper

At the end of the long day

Silence is a blessing

A time for me to wrap myself

In loneliness

And find a place to pray

I will not beg forgiveness

My prayer will be for you

I pray that you find happiness

In everything you do

Time seems to have absorbed us

Who we were has disappeared

Leaving o...

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Funny humans

Oblivious to their plight

They seem to find comfort

In denial

So much regret

The rain on the glass blurred my last sighting of you

I drew comfort from the warmth and the smell

Of the taxi that pulled me away

Wiping the back window to see you stood there

Just like when I was a child

Your solid frame seemed smaller

Didn’t seem to...

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Don’t you think it strange?

A shadow needs mass

To allow the sun to rearrange

So how is it your shadow follows me

When you are never here?

I find it quite peculiar

And if I’m honest

It’s really quite perturbing

All the time I see your shadow

But you

Are nowhere to be seen

Every corner that I turn

Reminds me of what I’m missing

They say you don’t mis...

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Every time I write about you

You become real

My heart makes it to the page

Imaginings don’t fade

My words seem to sketch your portrait

In ashen blues and greys

I search for brighter colours

I Consider cerulean blue

And  cadmium red

My hand loses control

The pallet lies before me

Depressing 

Bright hues have blended into mud

With all my might

I wi...

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Imagine receiving your first criminal conviction

At five years old

Imagine a world where you are taken

By strangers

Imagine

Imagine now that you are alone

Imagine

Strange figures dressed in black

And white

Imagine

Being convicted

Of poverty

Imagine

Being sentenced

At five years old

Now imagine

You are taken

Away from your brothers

And...

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Soft whispers

On the autumn breeze

Sharing secrets with the trees

Reds running into golden hues

As the robins

Tweet and sing the blues

Feet cossetted

Comforted by last spring’s

Brood

Kicking thru the fallen

Leaves

Percussion

To the robin’s

Tune

Startled deer

Run for cover

Enthralling for life’s

Smitten lovers

Seasons come

And ...

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Stay calm

Rest silent

Listen to your heart

Ignore the disturbance

This noise

Does not belong to you

Sweet child

The clatter resounds

Around you

Know it is not your place

To be held

In their over reaching

Palms

Hold your breath

And wait

Patience is your friend

The winds will soon arrive

To drive the poison

Out

Now exhale

Let...

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I waited

For you

But you never

Came

I watched the sunrise

I cried as it set

The moonlight

Engulfed me

The stars

Spelled out you name

I stood in the ocean

Frozen in time

The wind took me back

To when you said

You would always be mine

I rode the white horses

I sailed over clouds

My heart was aching

But my hope

Never gave out

...

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I sit here

Alone

With my thoughts 

I open the doors

To my ghosts

And in they come

At first they are shy

Like wisps of smoke

In the air

But I beckon them 

And before long

They rush in

All vying for me

To reply

They float unconsciously 

They are like visitors

Who outstayed their welcome 

But now I feel bad

Just a little sad

Who asked...

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This old house haunts me

Each room is filled with memories

Snapshots of a well lived life

Pulling me back through foggy hills

And evergreen lanes

Every cobweb woven around my heart

Elicits a new daydream

Every creaky floor board has morphed into my bones

A reminder of how life used to be

When it was only them and us

Life spawned from you and me

When we we...

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I know not what this thing love is

I have no words to explain

I know of nothing but this pain

It is exquisite pain

It owns me

In it’s presence I have no power

So how is it I feel more alive

More real

More of everything 

More powerful

Than I’ve ever been

It owns me

I own it

I am the channel

And it pains me but fulfils me

More than any other thing

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I saw myself

For the first time

I saw myself

In you

I caught a sense

Of my beauty

In you

I saw how I shimmered

For the first time

I caught my reflection

And

I saw it was true

It was in the glint of your eye

In your cheeky smile

Your stutter

And the way your eyes

Fluttered

You made me see myself

All shiny and new

You made me

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Here I am

Let the crows strip me

Of what is left of my humanity

I offer myself

Wholly

To your depravity

My weakness

Is your strength

See my flesh

And feast

Devour me

I succumb

I Submit!

Your commitment

Has convinced me

I am worthless

Do you like the taste

Of my blood?

Go ahead

Drink

As you see fit

What is that ...

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When did we forget

Why did we turn our backs

How did it come to this

Did something

And nothing change?

Was it bureaucracy

That changed us?

Or was that simply

An excuse?

Do you hide behind

Your paperwork

Does that make you

Deliberately obtuse?

Can you absolve

Yourself of guilt

If you don’t look me

In the eye?

Is it easier to lie?

...

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Had she been born under the sun

Perhaps she would have dazzled

Maybe her light would never

Have dimmed

The sky so blue

Beholden to Theia’s Light

A vast expanse filled only

With gratitude

That’s what she should have been

When the stars aligned

They had other plans

She would defy all gravity

Such majesty would be bestowed

Upon her

Her birthright wa...

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Walk away

Leave me alone

You no longer have a home

My heart belongs

Not to you

This heart belongs to me

It is my only reality

Be gone, now

I need to live

My only goal

Is to thrive

You are dead

I am alive

Thank you, for all you’ve done

Because of you

I do survive

But I cannot stand

I refuse to be

Beholden to your mistakes

I am ...

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I would be happy

If I wasn’t so sad

I am so sorry

That things are so bad

When I was little

I thought it a given

Respect your elders

If you want to enjoy

Livin'

Look up to the wise

The educated

For they are your betters

They will tell you no lies

When I was young

I imagined a world

Where the privileged

Looked out

For everyone

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Aging, simply put,

Is dynamic change

Key word here is dynamic

Without it we would simply

Be dead

Death, simply put

Is the end of dynamics

No more motion

Completion perhaps

So, if you are aging

You are a success!

A witness

To a natural process

Death comes

Only to the ego

Ask a physicist

They will tell you

Energy

Never ceases

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‘Grandma, why are you old?’

‘My dear boy, I’m not old!’

But it’s true

I was here before you

And I’ve seen so much

Unfold

I was here first

And I’ve been around

For some time

That’s how you

Are here

To hear my rhymes

I am the rehearsal

The years have taught me

My lines

Having played every role

I’ve been daughter and mother

Friend, foe and ...

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Well, thank you, dear lady

Your offer is fine

But I am sure

In all truth

I’d just be wasting your

Time

You see

I’m a bit of a loner

It’s how I like to be

It’s just me

And my boat

And the wide open

Sea

Don’t get me wrong

I do like a good song

I confess that I’m tempted

By your blue eyes

And your golden hair

That’s so long

...

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Come sit with me, sailor

Tell me your tales

You’ve travelled the oceans

You’ve danced with dolphins

And sung with whales

Your weathered voice

So husky and wizened

It give me the chills

I’m eager to hear

All that you hold dear

We have time to kill

I’ve nowhere to be

We’ll drink whiskey

And wine

Til we’ve had our fill

Tell me your...

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The irony of being lost at sea

Yet knowing one must sail

To discover where that one should be

Such irony is not lost on me

As I launch myself and my ship

In search of what will set me free

What is life … if not just to be?

To swing from the branch

Of the old oak tree

To dance in the rain

Embrace the change

So the sun can warm my face

Again

Life...

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As I walk

This brambled path

I pick the thorns from my limbs

Alas, there is always another sting

Some are roses

Some are thorns

Yet, once. weren’t we all

The same acorn?

Somewhere, along the line

Something happened

Was it nurture, or the Divine?

Why are we all so different -

If technically, we are all the same?

How is it we all f...

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Under the mackerel sky

This is where we say

Goodbye

Times change

For you and me

Under this maudlin sky

Lovers are becoming

Strangers

From broken promises

Souls are freed

Look for me in the dappled light

My shadow will lead you

Into the moonlight

Such beauty pierces through

The silver scales ...

Those which adorn

This magnificent macker...

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Give me poetry

I want beautiful words

Tell me about the birds

And the bees

Wrap me in adjectives

Curled around nouns

I don’t care if it elicits

A smile

Or a frown

Take me to places

I’ve never been

Illustrious spaces

Felt

But not seen

Paint me a picture

Invoke thoughts of a bard

Conjure up deities

Weave magic spells

I will even fo...

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Two women born into the unknown

One into riches pillaged from the overthrown

Her umbilical cord was made of gold

She was swaddled in cashmere

Christened and told

She was the chosen one

The other …

An accident

Born into squalor

Her cord made

Of cold, hard stone

Christened in rags

And told she was a sinner

The golden child

Lived off the tax payers ...

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Old friend, arriving like the summer rain

A soothing caress filled with tenderness

Light, smooth words to ease my pain

Old friend, it’s so nice to be with you again

You feel like the rain kissing the grass

Breathing new life into this wretched soul

Broken and breathless

Dear friend, your presence is priceless

With you I grow, I will not fold

You are the su...

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The way the sunlight washes over your skin

Brings thoughts that would make

Even Aphrodite blush

Your smile full of warmth

The crinkle of your eyes

That shadow of doubt

When you breathe

Out ...

The raise of the eyebrows

Reveal even yourself ...

You surprise

Aphrodite weaves spells

Thoughts I cannot dispel

Beholden to a beauty so bright

It out...

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A conversation with my father

He was old when we spoke

Ninety years and more

I asked him what it was like

When he served in the second

World war

You don’t need to know girl

What I know would make your toes curl

I don’t want to remember

Don’t ask difficult questions

My memory is blurred

But I’d really like to know, dad

Was it really, really bad?

It’s...

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The rose and the butterfly

Symbols of summer to my own eye

The rose in all it’s glory

Blooms to recount summer’s story

Blousey and innocent, the rose

Always seems so content

Still, she stands

Upright and tall

Head turned to the sun

She captures the attention

Demands respect from one

And all

The butterfly…

A passerby

She flutters

Hither, thithe...

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When I walk beside you, please, hold my hand

I don’t expect you to understand it all

But I hope … you might try to break my fall

You might reach out

You might even try to connect

Place your feet close, to where I stand

Your disconnect is wearing

A resistance to sharing leaves me wondering

Is this it?

Did I imagine you – was it real?

Digging deep, on repeat

Is ...

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Splish, splash!

Welly boots and rainbow coats

Puddle jumps and squelchy squeals

Muddy paws and tiny feet

Made this rainy day complete

Mud and ice cream stuck to our faces

Carefree laughter as we squished and dashed

Splish, splash, splish splash!

Puddle jumping in mid May

Helps to chase the gloom away!

C.K.22

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Mother ...

You were taken by the wind

Blown from one place to another

I imagine you were water

Everywhere, but impossible to hold

Between my hands

Somehow you would always seep through

And soak into the ground

I know you were fire

Because you always burned bright

In my heart

You were the earth from whence I was birthed

I wish that just once

I could have ...

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Somewhere, in my mind

There is a place where life is kind

It is my favourite place to be

For I think it’s where I feel most free

In my minds eye, birds fly

High

The sky is blue

And the people few

Flowers bloom

In the mountain dew

Lakes and waterfalls

Erase my thoughts of gloom

Daisies tickle at my toes

Scent of mimosa

Assaults my nose

And...

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This is freedom

Written by a four year old

He didn't care

He wouldn't be told!

He didn't think

About spelling or grammar

He just wanted

To be free, wild and bold

I envy his ability

To do what I wouldn't dare!

K m xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[...

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Freedom is not licence

Although some may pretend

Freedom of speech

For example

Gives them permission

To fulfill their own ends

Freedom is a privilege

The meaning of which is greatly debated

Among philosophers and academics alike

Freedom relies on selflessness and selfishness

If you feel free, you are blessed.

C.K.22

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First date

She wore leopard print

And red satin

He wore skinnies

He looked kinda Latin

They ate Caribbean

Jerk chicken

And spicy rice

They seemed comfortable

Together

Just like

Silk and leather

I thought they

Looked really nice

Seemed like they

Had lots to say

Took it in turns

And looked at each other

In an attentive way

...

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I was twenty one

It was my birthday

I was looking for fun

I saw you

You were the one

I thought that you

Looked like fun

Kylie was playing

I should be so lucky

You sidled up

Said, ‘Hello Ducky’

I was feeling

Rather plucky

So I replied

With a flutter

From my eyes

And a flash

Of my slender

Thighs

Did it take you

By surpri...

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Your face cutting through the thickness of the summer air

I could smell you, you smelt of patchouli and whisky

Your shirt thin enough to rile me

I remember, because I was enthralled

I had it all

We drank french doubles

A recipe for trouble

Our laughter must have wakened the dead

But we didn’t care

We were the only ones there

Images of you filled my head

G...

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