Poetry | Stories | Photography
Old photos of Mum
the vintage sunlit colours
a beach bikini
A pixie haircut
glowing skin and smiling eyes
pictures of what was
Now, afraid to speak
imprisoned from head to toe
the theocracy
The colours vanished
Mum’s smile now pale beige horror
of the living dead
From behind the blinds
Watching the way the world turns
Feelings of censure
Whispering affirmations
Freedom slowly bleeds away
Unconstrained freedom
the promise of my Springtime
yet Winter lingers
The pen moves to my music
I hear the sea calling me
We sealed the deal with
gems in exchange for freedom
invisible chains
worshipped, adored, and famous
the soul cries out for freedom
we live in a nation-state
so many labels stuck to us
we move through the streets, stuck
there is freedom, yet we are bound
weighed down by thoughts and beliefs
so we aren’t free within freedom from and to
we live in self-constraint
C & K 