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Kids

This bad kid 

good kid thing
I don't get 
The bad kids want 
to be good
The good kids want 
to be bad
What the bad kids want 
the good kids got
Except they don't understand 
except maybe for 
the want
What the good kids want 
the bad kids got
Except they don't understand 
Except maybe for
the need
And what you folks 
don't get 
however much 
...

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What those who know don't hear

Once upon a time

I sat on a mountain
Forgot to look
At the sky
Forgot to watch 
My feet 
Didn't see 
The Lightning
Flash
Across the 
Thought patterns 
Which could have been
My mind
Didn't notice 
Ideas take shape
As the rain
Made the grass
Grow
And the sounds 
Which deafened 
My ears
Went unheard
Because of
The noise 
Inside
...

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Jonah

~~Sometimes
The rainbows
Get cloudy
I got holes
In my soul
And my sins
Are dripping
All over
The floor
They say
The skeletons
Will rattle
Until
They drive you
Mad
They ain't seen
Nothing
Yet
At the bottom
Of this ocean
There are the bones
Of a killerless
Whale
Who ate a man
In the bible
But couldn't digest
And if you
Count its rings
You can tell
Its age
Or shoe size
...

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Happiness

~~Happiness
Is a funny thing
Indeed
If I may borrow
Your ear
For this moment
Answer me
This
If someone was
Happy
Would they need
To tell you
This was so
Would they need
To trumpet
Their emotions
Across
The webbed rainbow
Telling everyone
How happy
They were
Or would
Everyone know
They were happy
Thus making
The message
Futile
I might even
Go as far as
To say
That if y...

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Once

~~Once
I tried to teach
You something
Beautiful
But you were too
Intent
On your own
Rage
Too wrapped up
In your own
Anger
And problems
To listen
A queue
Of ideas and issues
Lined up
Inside your own head
Blocked your ears
And trumpeted
Their own
Noises
To drown out
All rational
Thought
At the end
Of it all
We were both
Left
Silently fuming
Facing the wall
And the lesso...

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Tell it to the wind

Sometimes
You have to
Think things
And tell them
To the wind
Or dig a
Hole
Deep and wide
And shout
Into the earth
In the hope
That it might
Swallow up
Whatever it is
You need
To scream about
Before someone
Hears
And tries to
Turn
It back on
You
See
In reality
Every day
Is the same
The sun rises
The sun sets
And however much
It may feel
That this
Doesn't happen
Or it...

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The Party

You see my
Life
Full of
Rack and ruin
Full of
Quick jokes
And heart felt
Insults
Easy easy
Nothing to
Measure
Time off
The ball
Do you
See me
At my best
At my worst
When I'm
Easiest
When the niceness
Falls
Behind shades
Of
Whips
And quips
And people
Who don't care
So much
But care
The most of all
This is
The Big Dipper
This is
The ride of
Your life
This is when
...

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This Life

In your life
many people
may not think
much of you
Many people
may try
to impose
their way
and their values
instead of yours
Even your father
and your mother
will have different ideas
about the way
your seed should grow
 
If you hide
and shelter
within the shadows
of other people's ideas
if you are afraid to
walk out
on your own two feet
you must wilt
when the sun rises
an...

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Sandstorm

Time
Is a funny
Old thing
Dripping in
Sand
And paint
Covering
All those
Involved
In pasty flakes
Of the forgotten
The badly
Remembered
The curses
The bruises
The hidden
Sunshine
And grating
Of a life
Half lived
Half remembered
Shaking its
Salt pot
In light fisted
Anguish
This dust
In which
We live
In which we
Inhabit
Is soon
Lost
Amongst the
Cobwebs
And ashes
Of ...

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The Machine gun of Despair

 

Lingering
He’s forgotten
Who he is 
Troubles gathered
In shadows
He can’t see
The path
Struggling with
Any way at all
Wearing last week’s clothes
Creased and soiled
With all the problems
He’s been hiding from
And it’s getting worse
Ganging up on him
He’s battling the anger
And the rage
And he’s losing
His troubles
Wrapped in rags
Sit on cardboard
Taunting him
He’s lost
...

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His brain 

Ticks over
A waterfall 
Of emotions
In a crumpled suit
Knowing this 
And that 
And the other 
Without having
Any idea
Which way
Is up
He pulls 
The plug
Empties the sink
Drains the dregs 
And the loose leaves
Of his table 
This is 
No way to be
He thinks
As he 
Performs 
The ever tumbling
Somersaults 
That his li...

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Hamelin

The buildings
The sky
The people
Were grey
Reflecting
From the grey puddles
Of grey water
An orange glow
Gave
A glimmer of hope
The answer to everyone's
Dreams
The cause
Of all
Their nightmares
Offering
In equal measures
Salvation
And misery
A hypnotic
And hypocritical
Calling
That none could resist
Judge and jury
Hangman and kingmaker
It purred
With
Vindictive
Delight
...

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Small World

And the cold 

comes again
And sometimes 
it is forever 
winter
And sun 
or no sun
you can't warm 
your bones 
and you can't change 
your past
your present 
or even 
your future
Sometimes 
you can't change 
your life
You live it
You lived it
And sometimes 
though you've managed 
before
you don't survive 
the avalanche 
dressed ...

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Pointless

Sometimes 

There are 
No words
We get swallowed up
Gobbled down
Pretend everything 
Is ok
And that 
It's not us
Who have buried
Our heads
But that 
The world 
Has somehow 
Miraculously 
Improved itself
And then
A man is killed  
No one in particular 
Just any man 
An ordinary man 
Or woman
It matters not 
To the dead 
And a yo...

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Don't lose your head

I was thinking about
being bad
I was thinking about
not fitting
I was thinking about
who I am
But none of this
Is about anger
Although maybe
I do have a rage
with the world
And if I'm
none of these things
Am I nothing

I think maybe
I see it as a game
As not real
But I don't really see it
As winning or losing
And I don't really like
People very much
Or this life
It doesn't m...

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The laughing man

In the corner
You know
He who you
Pretend
Was hiding
In the shadows
Do you 
Hear him
Can you feel
His rattle 
Through your 
bones
Do you see him
When the lights
Are out 
And the dreams
Are done
His ivory
Washed out
Hair
His tomb stone 
Teeth
Marking 
Everything 
You should not 
Have done 
Don't think
...

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How many

Of you
Looked out
Of the window 
How many 
Heard the traffic
Saw the thin
Sliver of a moon
Reflected twice
In the window
How many
Saw the houses
Full of life
And death
How many
Saw the failing 
Light
And the lone star 
Sitting
Watching
And the wisps 
Of cloud 
And the one 
Grey cloud
Hanging 
In the dist...

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camp fire

I sat 

With the elders 
With their 
Fire 
Of then
We chewed 
The fat
And the day
Told stories 
Of how it was
And things 
To come
They shared their
World
And I 
Took 
Time
To listen
But their time 
Passed 
And still
I am here
And we don't 
Sit
Around a fire
Anymore
Or even
A table
And the world
They shared
Was...

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spinning wheel

I follow 

Only my
Shadow 
As she walks 
Through 
The murky 
Depths 
Flowing within
And without me
Inside and out 
Of this world 
We both 
Half inherit 
Half inhabit
And I suppose
At times 
She is
My guide 
And I hers
As much 
As anyone 
Can guide anything
Through these 
Cold and endless 
Corridors 
And the sun 
And the l...

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The returned

They twisted her

From iron
And how she thrashed
For she was 
Not from this world
And was more 
Reluctant 
To return 
Than they gave
Her credit for
They scarred 
And burned her
A warning 
To the spirit world 
A warning 
To all 
Who might try 
To come back
And she screamed 
Her silence 
And her anger 
But it was they 
Who would not 
...

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The magic frog

He didn't quite
Know how
It happened
He was doing
Whatever it is
That gnomes do
Fishing
Or singing
Or drinking
Or laughing
And there was
A flash
Or a splash
Or a croak
And that was it
The world changed
Or at least
His world changed
And his face
Was squashed
As if pressed
Against glass
And he couldn't move
His arms or legs
And there he was
Preserved forever
Inside a log
A...

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Roll up roll up

There's always a queue
At the gates of
Hell
You'd think folk
Wouldn't be
In such a
Rush
To get burnt
But there they are
Pushing and shoving
As they do
Worried by what
They might be
Missing
Not realising
They're lining up
For the furnace
And the flames
These fools
Their blood
Boils hot
And the ice
Inside their heads
Stops them
Thinking straight
Or even
Sideways
And they'l...

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magicat

Sometimes

I watch
The cat
Turn into
A bag
It's the strangest 
Thing
And I don't know
How she does 
It
No smoke or mirrors
No slight of hand
One minute 
A cat
The next a bag 
 
Sometimes 
I watch 
The bag
And no matter 
How hard it 
Tries
It cannot turn 
Itself 
Into a cat
Or anything else 
For that matter 
 
Once 
...

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night crawlers

Black out

Night shutter
They come
They always come
Shaking and rattling
The creatures 
Of your soul
Eating your mind
Growing 
On your thoughts
This darkness 
It's not spent
Yet
And those 
Who wait 
For the dawn
Shivering
In the shadows
Are the ghosts
Of the dusk
This life
Thrives 
On candles
Flickering 
Gently
Slowly
Eat...

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Raheem

There's a duck
In the shadows
But he's breaking out
Slowly
His boots are heavy
His legs are tired
His wings are
Damaged
Though his mind
Is intent
And he stares
Silently
At the world
Around
His wooden beak
Snaps
Occasionally
For he is lost
In thought
Or maybe
He has lost
His thoughts
He has travelled
Great distances
Though has no
Idea
Where he came from
Or if he is
Going...

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Hide and seek

Sometimes

You've played your
Hand 
Used your best
Cards 
And all
Your 
Silly little tricks
You've howled
To the sky
Sold your soul
More than 
Once
And you stand 
Again
Before the forest
Searching for
Rainbows
Amongst 
The shadows 
The wolves
Have eaten 
All your
Breadcrumbs
And you lost 
Your way home
A long time ago
...

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The world turned

Black and grey
When they forgot
About the magic
So there's no
Colour 
Anymore
Some claim 
To see it
In their dreams
In the shadows
But it's just 
Wishful 
Thinking
Pennies 
Cast into
That never ending 
Well
There's a troll
Sitting 
Under the ocean
Catching everyone's 
Wishes
And getting fat
On mis-sold 
Dre...

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Tree fellers

They cut down
The trees 
They do
And don't 
See the wood 
It's simple 
I think 
For me 
Don't cut down
What doesn't 
Need 
To die 
Don't not ask
A question
Because 
Of something inside
Ask
And you'll know 
Don't ask
And kill yourself
Silently 
Inside 
This time
This place
It's not
So difficult 
Be open
...

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The forest

Sometimes

I feel
Like an old tree
There are 
Scratches in
My bark
Life
Memories
Scars
And parts of me
Are twisted
By the wind
By the rain
By the process
Of living
And I try
You know
To stand tall
Watch all
That's behind me
And not think
Too much
About the bits
That lie 
Ahead
Or the axe 
That will swing
One way 
Or...

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The fair ground

Nothing

Is ever 
Lost
Most things
Are just 
Waiting patiently
In the corner
To be 
Found
And the dust 
Gathers 
And the spiders
Crawl
And the cover 
The precious
With careful 
Webs
And spin
The world 
Along
Often 
We are
Too quick
To jump
Too impatient 
To call on
The inevitable
Which always
Will happen
Anyway
...

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swarm

And the flies
Are always
The first
To arrive
Out of thin air
They sense
The fruit
The rot
And the decay
They thrive
More human
Than humans
They don't pretend
That this isn't
What
They are
And they share
Their disease
Willingly
They spread
Their germs
Blind in a drunken
Delight to succeed
They attack
Our eyes
Our mouths
Our food
Pesky black dots
No intention
Or ambition
...

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Cave people

Intrigue and

Disappointment 
Are all the same
To me
Logs burning 
On the fire 
Smoking out 
Sanity
Crying to
The rain
Once it was
Not so troublesome 
This hunting
Gathering 
At least 
That's what they claim
From the warmth
They did not make
And the food
They did not 
Kill
It was easier 
To die 
Back then
With no idea 
And n...

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Paper dolls

Soft skin

Or 
A sharp tongue
Blurred vision
Or
The clarity 
Of the blind
Apparently
We will
Wash 
You
We will
Clean you 
Until 
There is 
Nothing left
No skin
No bones
No worth
And 
No value
And you can
Argue
All you like
Put yourself 
In the dock
Ring me
From 
Long ago
And far away
Just tell me
One thing ...

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The march of the living dead

There was a
Man made of
Sand
Once upon a time
And a heart
Made of gold
Or maybe
I've got
That wrong
And there was
A woman
Made of gold
And a heart
Made of sand
There was a beat
Ticking away
Pounding
At the rock
Begging
For the wave
To break
And a bottle
Of blood
Pretending
To be wine
That never emptied
Day after day
No matter
How much
They bled
Or
What for
And the p...

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count down

And the office
Of the mind
Is full of clowns
Of long forgotten
Dreams
There is chaos
In there
Fighting
The restrictions
Of imposed
Order
And the guests
To the tea party
Are all
Late
Or mad
And some of them
Are yet
To exist
So what is it
We are supposed
To do
From our
Padded cells
Polish them
Because that's
What shows
We care
Buy a new suit
And a top hat
Revisit the pa...

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The perfect murder

You killed

Someone
Once 
You know you 
Did
Though you locked
It away
In 
Your mind 
A long way 
Away
A long 
Time ago
And sometimes 
Your dreams 
Haunt you
You hear shovel
Hitting sand
Crunching gravel
You hear 
The whispers 
Of youth
Spurring you
On
And it's your
Little secret
Along with
Your mates
And you think
...

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Inside out

Awkwardness and anger

The sense of
The great unjust
What is it
About
This world
And what we let
It do to us
That lurking animal 
Within
Must come 
From somewhere 
From without
Surely 
The cause 
Of all
The fire
And the ice 
The steel 
And the puddles
Cannot simply
Be
Inside 
Each of us
Surely 
Our actions
Cannot be
Ou...

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Like monkeys in the rain

Sometimes 

There is 
A line
And you don't 
Know what it
Means 
Whilst at 
The same time
Understanding it
Perfectly 
And it is 
Lines like these
That we
Should puzzle over
Unpick
Turn around
Dissect
Chew upon
And rebuild
It is lines
Like these
Which are 
Carousels
In our brains
Helter-skelters 
In our minds
This is the oi...

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castles that bounce

You want
To know
The drop
But you
Don't want
To fall
To feel
To think
And you want
This 
To be real
But you 
Don't want
To feel
The pain
You don't 
Want 
To wake up
To grow up
To forget
That you can't
Wear 
Daisy chains
Forever 
You can hide 
In a bottle
At the end 
Of a pipe
It will
Serve you well
Because on...

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Marbles

When he lost 

His mind
There were 
A couple of things
He kept hold of
A dice with
No numbers 
But two colours
Blue and white
And though he 
Knew
This was 
Of some 
Significance 
He could remember
It not
And an anchor
Tied to a piece 
Of cord
Which seemed
To fit around 
His wrist 
Though he was 
Not one 
To wear bracelets
Ne...

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Lying Eyes

Searching

Eyes
For meaning
I think 
I used to
Do that 
Once 
Maybe I thought
I would glimpse
The hidden 
Soul
Maybe I thought
I would see
Understanding 
I think 
I wanted 
To catch
The past 
The present
And the
Future
A shadow
Of the thing
That they
Call love
Or maybe
I was just 
Chasing
My own 
Security
Sinc...

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Truth and Lies

So

What did you
Learn
With all
Your weight
And your
Misery
Nothing
To you
Was new
You said
You'd seen it all
Before and 
You knew best 
And nothing 
Need change
Were you
Secretly smiling
Beneath your frown
Was it all
Really 
A massive
Joke 
Or was that 
Sadness and fear
Real
Tell me one thing
If you will
When you t...

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half an eye

Only ever
Stay half
In this world
Keep one foot 
Somewhere else 
That's the thing
That stops
The crazy paving
Shattering 
The tiny
Patterns 
That you thought
Made any sense
Of the shadows
You pretended 
Weren't there
In the grey corners 
Of your mind
Keep one eye
Focused 
On the shaded
Other place
That might have
Been
And migh...

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plug hole

You thought

You had it
All 
Held it
Momentarily
A secret whisper
Hidden behind
Someone else's 
Universe 
A tiny key
A tiny lock
A click 
And a turn
But it went
Before
It was a clear 
Picture
In your mind
Punctured
And you turn 
Up the music 
To hide 
The hiss 
Of escaping air
Of leaking
Life
But you can't 
Stop the fl...

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