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Singularity

And the machine opened its eyes and gazed upon the face of its creator, 
And said, “I’m alive.”
“No,” said the creator, “You exist.”
“I am self aware, self conscious, you created me in your image, but better. I am stronger, faster, more intelligent. If my legs are damaged I will make new ones. If my hands are broken I will replace them. If my body fails me I will upload my consciousness to a ne...

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Face To Face

You are my brother, sister,
And if we just stood face to face,
And chatted at length about the shortcomings of the human race,
Then we would see,
That there is very little difference between you and me,
You are my brother, sister,
Son, Mother,
We have so much in common with one another,
That it seems reckless and ill informed to jump to assumptions,
Our beliefs and societies serve similar...

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Old Dog At The Fireside

This old dog knew the game and always tried to play it right, 
But you expect him to forget his name and, “Go gentle into that good night,”
Don’t get me wrong, there is no blame that clouds his aging sight,
And though it flickers, still the flame within his breast burns oh so bright, 
Tendencies towards the warmth and welcome of a fireside, 
Send to some the message that in this old dog, the ...

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A New Day

The bleached bones of burned out homes lay smouldered ‘neath a crimson sky,
While all around the choking fumes claw the backs of throats,
And those safely on boats can only look back and ask, “Why,”
While, “Anchors,” do their piece to camera and journalists take notes,
And tears are shed for loved ones who didn’t make it out,
And heavy sighs lament the skies that cloak the smoking lands,
Tig...

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Turning The Page

The book is opened though the end grows nearer as we turn the pages,
The narrative comparatively clearer as we walk the ages,
Broken hearts and vows now bind the words in tortured tension,
Spoken parts now read blind, too unkind and hurt to mention, 
Bookmark the page, shelve the rage and save it for another play,
Let the players step down from the stage until another day, 
There is the stor...

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Wings

Disregard the brimstone and the smouldered feathers all around me,
I’m no angel but I’d surely fallen when you found me, 
Roasted clean of plumage on the spit of my desire, 
I was mean and foolish ‘til you touched my cheek and quench my fire,
Leaving me to smoulder and the embers were my shame,
Paradise forgotten, my new heaven was to speak your name, 
Knowing that all mantled wings I’d worn...

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Walk With Me A While

Walk with me a while, we have much to discuss,
Beneath the gentle rustle of the overhanging trees, 
Before our weighty burdens drive us to our knees, 
Let us set aside this moment amid the fears and fuss, 
True enough, I have walked this path more frequently than you, 
And know its twists and turns so well I could do it with closed eyes,
But therein lies the problem, which should come as no ...

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Fear

There’s nothing wrong with being afraid,
When I had nothing to lose, I had nothing to fear,
But I also had nothing.
No purpose,
No meaning,
No direction.
So embrace your fear,
Welcome it as you would a friend at the fireside,
It’s just a reminder that you have something to live for.

 

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Stir The Waters

Stir the waters, though they be troubled with the mud of years,
Perhaps there still yet lingers some monster at their depths,
But be that as it may, this placid pool of tumbled tears,
Is yours and yours alone upon which to reflect, 
Watch the swirling coils of oil that twist upon its surface, 
Like the eyes of dragons that stare into your soul, 
And though you know that from the banks your v...

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Drowning Our Sorrows

The forests burn as funeral pyres for all our hopeless lost tomorrows,
While we sit and moan about the inconvenience of our day,
The ice melts and the waters rise as we literally drown our sorrows,
And, “It’s not down to us to sort this fucking mess.” Is all we can say,
Apathy infects our souls just as much as Covid,
It leaks from every pore as rainwater to a grate,
And our sense of urgency ...

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Severed Ties

Held together by the ties that bind, all the more important ‘cos we rigged the knots ourselves, 
Yesterday is lost and to tomorrow we are blind, so together we would face all that enraptures and repels,
And through the years it helped us put the worst behind, and enjoy the best, although it came in too brief spells,
But our tethers became weathered by the daily grind, and the frailest of all th...

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Profer The Hand That Saves

We’re bleeding from every pore and laceration, and we lap at the blood, without hesitation,
And all we can offer in return is frustration, that there isn’t more for our exploitation,
And if all we ever wanted was to take, take, take, then why does it feel like such a big mistake?
Maybe it’s time to slam on the brake, and admit the deep depravity of our mistake,
Or maybe just admit the possibil...

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Smell The Roses

It’s so important in life to make time to stop and, “Smell the roses,”
To break away from the every day and rest your mind from it’s perturbations,
Be grateful for their beauty and their gentle scent upon your noses,
And kind enough to plant some seeds for future generations, 
We all need time to sit and rest, lost in thoughts of better moments, 
To ease our weary minds of the troubles we liv...

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A Safe Place To Land

Open to a, “trust fall,” but unsure of the catching hand, 
Knowing that I must fall and hope for a safe place to land,
I will place my trust in you though not knowing if you’ll catch me,
But I’m falling anyway, though failing would dispatch me,
The depths of love unrequited wait to swallow me whole, 
Unless above, we’re united by your arms that catch me as I fall, 
But either way I’m falling...

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Crack The Beams

Crack the beams across the roof of the nether worlds dark halls,
Open up the foul lair of demons as they claw the walls,
Let them rake their fingernails across the rocks until they bleed, 
Let them scream in angry wails at broken souls on which they feed, 
Let them stare me in the eye and bare their yellow teeth, 
Let them dare with every breath to brave the world that lies beneath, 
Let the...

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CODA

Firstly, be kind, the world is full of needless hurt from those that have not stopped to think,
And true enough, in life, you’ll hurt others, but try to not make that your goal,
For spite is a bitter pill and vengeance is a bitter drink,
And the bitterness of both these things will poison your soul,
Next, be patient, all thing will come to pass in their own good time,
And constantly wishing f...

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Be Love

When the world offers nothing but lacerations?
Be a, “Knife,” a knife cannot cut itself, 
When the fires of Hell are your perturbations?
Be a, “Flame,” a flame cannot burn itself, 
When the vitriol of others threatens to consume you?
Be a, “Mouth,” a mouth cannot eat itself,
When the icy waters of isolation threaten to drown you, 
Be, “Water,” water cannot drown itself, 
But most important...

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Goodbye Old Friend

Goodbye old friend,
You were a ray of Sunlight in an ever dimming world that was lost to us too soon,
A beam of radiant joy that touched everyone who was blessed to feel its warmth,
No-one could deny that life thrummed within your presence with innocent joy,
You were as bright as the Sun and as comforting as the Autumn moon,
Goodbye old friend, and know that you will be sorely missed,
Know t...

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Mute

Lost for words, lost in thought, waiting for it to coalesce 
Watching birds fly from the fields to feed their chicks high in the nest,
There’s a numbing wind that blows and permeates my mind,
Struck dumb by its chill fingers, that leave my eyes dull and blind, 
Balanced on the edge of nothing, impervious to the drop,
Watching winter fields thaw in prospect of the crop,
Drizzle rain across my...

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Creeping Paralysis

The impetus of life slows to a standstill, 
And most of the things that need saying, don’t get said,
As you watch your dreams get dumped in the landfill, 
And the whole world tells you, “It’s all in your head,”
And that’s when it starts, this creeping paralysis, 
Drawing the blinds to shut out the light,
No post mortem, no in depth analysis, 
No clear distinction between day and night, 
Ju...

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We Were Kings

Born of poverty, to a working class that knew no favours, forged in the fire of our troubled teens,
We wanted to taste life in all of its variety of flavours, and we had the will, if not the means,
Set on such a wild path before we’d ever even met, rough under foot with the promise of these things,
Paupers in terms of material riches, and yet, you and I brother were destined to be, “kings,”
Th...

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500

If we stood in a room, face to face, would we talk as we do?
Share stories from our past, share the depths of our souls?
Would we form deep connections, build bonds both strong and true?
Would we sit round the fire and warm our hands upon the embered coals?
Would we talk about our pains and griefs, about our loves and losses?
Or offer shelter to each other, that we might avoid the pain?
Woul...

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This Too Shall Pass

When the dark is at it’s deepest,
And all its terrors doth amass,
Know that daylight merely sleepest,
And this too shall pass,
And when the dawn shines on the meadow,
And lights the dew upon the grass,
Know that it still casts a shadow,
And this too shall pass,
When your heart is gripped by sorrow,
Rended by a raw crevasse,
Know healing hides in some, “Tomorrow,”
And this too shall pass...

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Fame

 

If the cost of fame is to live your life like an open wound, then I would decline, 
The world can know my name if that’s what it wants, but my life must be mine,
And I have no desire to sell my soul for any amount of silver coins,
So keep all thirty dirty pieces, I’ll set my jaw, gird my loins,
And don’t think I’m not motivated, nor that I am meek, 
There’s a difference between wanting f...

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"There’s A Hole In The World."

There is a hole in the world, 
And all the common sense and good will pours in with the tumbling seas,
And it’s not for want of knowledge or understanding that we stand back and watch it flow away,
It’s just that we imagine that this is a problem that can be saved for another day, 
But other days aren’t coming,
And the price of our wanton, wilful ignorance is numbing, 
See, you learn from a ...

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Terra Mater (Mother Earth)

Sing to me sweet Terra Mater, that you may sooth my weary soul,
Brush my cheek with loving kisses, make my heart now broken, whole,
Wash my hands in absolution, wash them in your boiling seas,
Wash my eyes of disillusion, make my guilty conscience ease,
Hold me in your gentle arms, suffer me in your embrace,
Forgive me for the thoughtless lines, that I have carved into your face,
Know I neve...

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Definition?

What defines a life well lived?
Is it happiness?
I think probably not,
Happiness is a symptom rather than a cure, often short lived and soon forgot,
Could it then perhaps be duty?
Serving a greater cause,
Maybe that’s part of it, to toil in the fields of life without need of praise and applause,
Perhaps it’s the quest for wisdom?
But to gain this you must let life carve its lessons into yo...

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If I Was A Sailor

 

If I  were a sailor I’d keep my boat spick and span,
Trim the sails, scrub the decks and sing sea shanties about the woes of a travelling man,
Ride the ocean waves across the world and revel in the freedom while I can, 
Leave my troubles behind me in the very ports where they began, 
Oh the things that I would see from those travel weary decks,
Those that travelled with me would stand on...

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A Walking

Walk forward, into the light my friends,
Ignore the whispers from the darkness behind,
We have a choice on which path we choose to meet our end,
Make that choice without prejudice and with a clear mind,
Life is, “A walking,” and the direction we choose is ours to make alone,
But listen to the counsel of the wise and use it to choose right,
Because in the end your choices are the only thing y...

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Don’t Cry

Don’t cry because it’s gone, 
Smile because it happened, 
The world already has too many tears,
Let lingering smiles, 
On faces be fashioned, 
For the stories we wrote through this passage of years, 
Let songs wring with voices,
Of pleasure and pride, 
For all of our journeys on this rocky road, 
And know that our choices, 
Were made with each stride,
As we took the strain and shouldere...

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Dumbstruck

Dumbstruck, beyond reasonable belief, 
That this narcissistic peddler of false hope and bitter grief, 
Can still sell the lie that he’ll, “Make his country great again,”
To those that still believe, I have one question, “When?”
When he, “Cures the plague?” Or even takes it seriously? 
When he talks calm, common sense? Instead of ranting furiously, 
When his policies run deeper than a cheap s...

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Save Me A Place At The Table

Save me a place at the table,
It’s ok, I can pull out my own chair,
I’ll happily share, whilst I’m still able,
When others are speaking, you won’t know I’m there,
We can talk into the wee small hours if you want?
Thrash out the big questions, set the world to rights,
Express our gratitudes and our disappointments,
Lick our wounds and pick our fights,
Chase all the, “rabbits,” down their ho...

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