A crisp, lush midday
your music mix makes me move
to find the coffee
Unexpected Cappuccino
A voyeur from the door waiting for an empty street.
Walking alone in the crisp fog, it’s too early for coffee.
As my thoughts turn to the passing trees, Serendipity strikes as a cafe opens.
A table for one, a cappuccino and an almond croissant.
Dreams of Victory
our parents glorified the war
courage in sacrifice, honour in duty, and pride in country
we dreamed of the victories
old enough to fight, green as grass
training for the glory and the adventure in a foreign land
an unexpected chance comes along
the nation we serve sent us here
arid land, mountains and dirt, a misunderstood religion
days turned into months and years
a child exploded near the wall yesterday during sunset
shoot and bombing without thinking
another day, another order to master, no time to think
the message from our masters came on a dirt hot day
we are leaving this place for good
the nation we serve decided to leave after 20 years
feeling unsound, we board a flight sending us back home
emptiness fills the neglected places
too much time to think about the war we lost, the impact
sitting at home watching current affairs
the Taliban rip down pictures of women, hide them away
the country regresses into a Theocracy
thoughts of sacrifice, honour, and pride
those thoughts are thoughts left behind in another time
these thoughts threaten my existence
my parents do not know me
I am a failure in the story of their glorified war stories
they have no stories to tell
Mum’s Love
Someone walked over my grave. The corners of the room keep the shadows, and the dim light reveals moving things I wish I could not see.
I fear the sparrows outside as insects crawl beneath my skin.
I feel Mum’s embrace, remember screaming, and now I’m in a white room.
Headlights
Lost in morning fog
the headlights give me away
Fresh wind on my face
Tea-Date by Roksana Tales
Tea for One
A cup of tea, for one; I sit alone with my archived thoughts.
A welcomed cup of tea, yet the thoughts are wicked and sorrowful.
Can’t we brush them away? If we did, then I wouldn’t be thinking about you.
I used to long for days alone. Now they are my everyday.
The Imagined Sea
Standing sideways to what was once the sea
imaginary wavelets lap at my dirt-covered feet
Sedimentary rocks hide traces of crustaceans
the breeze moves the trees, & stirs the unseen
Saltwater jewels adorn my ears, wrists, & neck
imaginary saltwater washes over me, the land
Blooming Reverie
A warm breeze moves through
the garden and the blooming trees.
Hair becomes waves of the sea,
cloth caressing skin becomes caged wings.
A Crow visits her favourite tree
with a plastic milk bottle lid for kindness.
Lost within the romance of Spring,
drifting away.
A Pot of Stardust (inspired by a series of prompts and T. Kittelsen)
The forest spirit asks, “What do you want the most?”
The child stands on tippy-toes, “I want to snatch at the stars and play with them.”
Gently, the forest spirit asks, “Why?”
“If I play with the stars, I might get stardust to help someone…”.
“Someone?”
“Yes.”
“My Bear.”
While watching snow upon a branch, the forest spirit turns to see a familiar sight. “Hello, lover of a bear. Why do you carry a pot?”
“Hello! I took your advice and found something to carry the stardust in.”
With a smiling voice, the forest spirit says, “Come along then, let’s find you some stars to snatch and play with”.
Leaving only one set of footprints in the snow, the forest spirit and the girl walk further into the forest.
“Where are we going?”
Without looking down at the girl, the forest spirit says, “We won’t be going too far.”
“Bear will be cross if we travel too far… oh, look! Snow carpet!.”
Jovially, the forest spirit says, “Snow carpet? That’s a new one.”
“Bear would love it.”
A Bullfinch sings. The forest spirit turns and smiles.
Watching the forest spirit and the bird, the girl unwittingly says, “What does he say…”
“How do you know we are speaking?”
“I feel it.”
“…The Bullfinch speaks of a blizzard.’
“Mum says they’re like a cyclone.”
“Your Mum misses home.”
“Come, let’s find some stardust before it gets dark.”
Thinking of rolling and tumbling, the little girl says, “The snow is like powder here!”
Thinking about how much the girl has made her smile, the forest spirit dives into the snow; the little girl follows.”
The forest spirit says, “We must go! Snow will start falling soon.”
Getting to her feet, they restart the journey.
Along the path, they see a Troll sitting in the forest.
“Should we go and address him? He looks sad.”
“Trolls are troublesome. Come, I will take your pot.”
“I think we won’t get you back home before dark. Stardust is hard to find.”
Weary from walking, the girl says, “I would like rest. It is bitterly cold now.”
“Perhaps the church will be a good place to stop…”
“Churches are scary. I haven’t been since my Bear took me in.”
Wryly, the forest spirit says, “This church is not scary. You’ll see. Take my arm.”
Theodore Kittelsen, Church in the Snow, 1907
The forest spirit and the girl stand side by side in silence.
They do not speak, for this is a rare and lovely night.
Nostalgic and full of love, the forest spirit touches the pot as stardust falls from the stars for her only friend’s Bear.
Theodore Kittelsen, A Nordic Fever
The forest spirit thinks about the years she walked alone, placing one foot in front of the other. An imagined sorrow clouds her mind.
Then, out of the dark, the girl says, “Do you want to come home and meet Bear?”
Unaware of her smile, she says, “I’d love to.”
Theodore Kittelsen, Sorgen/the woe, 1894-95
Before the forest spirit and the girl leave, they take turns counting the stars.
Excited, the girl says, “I want to pick a star for you.”
Not sure what to say, the forest spirit watches and waits for the girl to choose the star.
“That one! That’s your star!”
“What a star this is! I will place it in my crown and keep it with me always”.
C & K 