my thoughts by the sea
to think of all the Poppies
stained with tears and blood
Soul Lake
a brooding still lake
pervasive thoughts overcome
all who see the lake
the dead wait in the dark depths
for the living to join them
Becoming Friends
a bell rings in the distance
silence around the void
another bell begins to ring,
ring, ring, ring, ring, hiss
a peek from under the table
growling as the void arrives
a stand-off fit for cinema
the cats start getting uppity
ring, ring, ring, ring, meow
they retreat to hide all night
The Swamp
they said drain the swamp
noises echo from the deep
they woke the dragon
fuming from the insolence
guarding his precious treasure
My Lantern
Another time,
remembering another time.
Years move,
still within my movie memories.
Remembering
the fire of humanity burning within.
My lost youth,
a fire I thought forgotten, always burned.
A dusty chest,
finding the burning lantern within.
Holding on,
never letting go.
The Silence
over half of the people live in silence
covered in cloth from the top to the bottom
hollow women unable to be human
THEY fear the sound of a woman’s voice
the silence is killing cultural traditions
No blue skies, education, and dreams
Crush under the will of the Taliban
For Dad
a hot wind blows
through my clothes to burn my skin
as I think of you
resting in a place so far from the sea
so that you could
be close to the son you loved so much
reduced to ash
I think of you resting without adventure
and I wonder
if I should have given you to the sea
A Portal
out there all-day
walking up and down the streets
moving too fast
working for money-hungry robots
sparrows dance about in their oblivion
crows laugh and fly off when I tell jokes
pigeons stand around taking the piss
let’s find a portal
step through it
give a little wave
When?
sitting by the shard of sunlight
watching the way the world is turning with the mob
hearing the echoes of Fascism
watching the cat’s lazy stretch
whispering words of sorrow to the emptiness of home
wondering if I make an impact
When will they start burning my books?
First to Last
From the first word
sinking into deeper water
Forgetting the world
submerged in saltwater
Feeling the wilting
swimming for the shore
Finish the last word
sorrow with empty shells
C & K 