Impromptu for Amelia, 050208

Silence the song of the distant rain
The blackbird above takes to wing
You spoke out those words so quietly heard
Miss the raindrops on my skin
Melancholy now weighing your beautiful soul
Tomorrow a memory away
Words left unspoken a fleeting emotion
Dancers they crash as they twirl
Trying so hard to fit into blue sky
Soaked in iron and wine

Love, or something like it.

The world stopped
Clocks ceased to whirr
The bell ceased to chime
The autumn leaf pauses in mid flight
The cars stop moving
Just for a single second
A fleeting moment
Filled with an unnamed desire
An irresistible urge
To reach out slowly
And enfold someone
Hold her close to you
Breathe in her scent
Gently kiss her forehead
To bask in that moment
A yearning inexpressible
That words cannot capture
That the painters cannot paint
Sitting on her floor
Looking into those brown eyes
As they look back
Tired beautiful eyes
And her little smile
That launches a thousand ships
And know that in that moment
In that yearning
In that sheer desire as your heart beats
Against the encasing flesh
That things will never be
That the pain will be too great
And that when those clocks stopped moving
When the world stopped turning
With that burning affection in your heart
She smiles
And you tell yourself no
As that moment burns itself into your mind
A moment lost in the distance
Have you felt it?

Dream Fragments.

I don’t think I’m ready to lose you
Maybe I’m not the one to let go
This push and pull between us
Is more than two people can show
The eyes grow dim with anticipation
Waiting on a dream that never ends
The moment of cold awakening
When all we do is sit on our hands
I’ve tried to fight this feeling
The things that keep me wanting more
Thought inside I had succeeded
Maybe a lie I still can’t be sure
It’s just a simple equation
How much more can you stand to lose?
In the midst of all this confusion
Is there a path where we don’t have to choose?
I think it’s time I opened my eyes
Wake from the dreams that I hold inside
Think that I’m weak
Think you are strong
Maybe together forever’s too long
Think what I say
Think what I do
Do I have to spell it out for you?
I’m not ready to lose you
I’m not ready to try
But for this moment hold me closer
Though closer is but just another lie

Installation.

A row of faded pictures, black and white
They line the walls, balefully staring
Fourteen thousand faces
Fourteen thousand lives
Number them, count them
Old men, young men, women, children
A line of images line the walls
Fourteen thousand nameless faces
‘Why am I here?’
‘Who are you?’
‘What have I done?’
‘My children, my children!’
Here the father of five stares blankly ahead
There the child of five summers weeps
Thumbing the plastic tag around his neck
Two thousand and sixty-five
Her youngest daughter clings to her
She knows she will not see her again
Staring into the camera like the condemned
Fourteen thousand pictures taken
Staring blankly, hopefully, despairingly
Knowing that they look into silence
The lens like the muzzle of a gun
Where are they now?
Where have they gone?
What did they do?
An unknown quantity
They lie in the killing fields
In mass graves in the dark forest
Fourteen thousand pictures
Fourteen thousand dead
They stare back at you from their walls
Faded black and white
Yellowed at the ages
Dare you look back?

An Interlude.

A pleasant soreness that quickly fades
The lingering warmth of flesh on flesh
The moist muskiness a thin sheen of sweat
Trail of fingertips down her back
Twirling gentle circles upon naked skin
A soft kiss upon her exposed shoulder
An embrace almost held too long
All that is sacred now flown asunder
Staring into the swirling brown eyes
Drinking in passion’s scent
Hint of rose upon the cool air
Exhalation of the blessedly spent
Her face like porcelain cupped in a hand
The smoothness like a single rosebud
Beauty entwined in deepest soul
Trailing kisses upon her neck
Venus enshrined in finest glory
One stroke to launch a thousand ships
A caressing stroke through matted hair
A whisper thunders in her ear
Playful tugging with gentle teeth
Sets a fire through her centre
A shared warmth leading to anticipation
Symphony of body and soul
The euphoria hovers a sweetest moment
As bodies move to collide again

Corpse dance.

Her footsteps trail tendrils of mist
Ever present in their corrupting grasp
The tomorrows of yesterday fade to dust
Betrayal etched wraith-like across her face
The smoother flesh bears the scar
The dripping malice of circumstance
Moments so near yet seem so far
Caught in the dance of happenstance
He loves me not though he loves me so
Creeping forward the emerald band
Lighter darkness but aught to show
Crimson moonlight on desert sands
Caught in fangs on wintry storm
Princess laid bare before the king
Forgotten child weeping silent forlorn
Tomorrow’s hope she sweetly sings
Dusk to dawn the shade it rises
Damnation cast into the pit of night
The window ledge call entices
Ease the passage of darker flight
Drink the darkness’ bitter pill
Cast the gorgon gaze for a time
In stone heart’s embrace for hemlock’s will
The bloodied goblet of red red wine
Toast to her captive masters deep
Lashed with whip and bound with chain
Iron caudices do float and flounder
Captive audience in black-grey sand

Dad (Paternity).

The words to say aren’t the words I said
The things I do just fade away
From empty moment to the break of dawn
Hard as diamond in my eye
The world I wanted soared out of my sight
A moment lost without you
I swear I’d fight just for another chance
To tell you how I would feel

Here I am standing at your doorway
Here I am crawling at your floor
Don’t look away don’t turn aside
Here I am, I want more

I know the timing is quite absurd
Forgive me now my sweetest child
The chance to cradle now I tossed away
The proudest moment of my life
I know I should be stronger than this
This is not how I used to be
Too many mistakes upon the dusty road
Too many whiskies in the dark

Here I am would you let me in
Here I am please don’t just ignore
Flesh of mine I had forsaken
Here I am still standing at your door

These years I travelled I never knew
The kind of person you’ve become
I have no rights no damn excuse
No way to turn back the time
Tell your mother that I love her still
Though it’s taken so long to find
I’m sorry for all this hurt I do
Would you let me be a father to you?

War.

Songs of grace, songs of hope
Songs of forever and ever and a day gone by
The winds of fate do change their tone
The tones of flame do seem but sure
Moments passing into surer dawn
Some fraught with titan’s changing horn
Set the sail on tempestuous sea
Call the hymn of rhyme to be
Ancient of days ancient still
Solemn combat of farthest chill
Swords and weapons now lain to waste
More singing sigh the angel face
Past into the days of might and tale
Shine the armour break the bell
Tomorrow comes on wings of dove
The singing shade of Durendal

Numb.

I’m so numb I can’t feel the pinprick
So far down I can’t see the sun
Waiting on a god to save me
The way back down is to stop and run

Sold my soul for a moment’s quiet
Traded life for a little peace
Lonely dancer in the moonlight
Waiting for a little release

I’ve tried and tried to find my way
Tried and tried to run
Going nowhere without you babe
Tell me he’s not the one
Where has the story begun?

Fought this war against my conscience
Waged a war against my sin
I’d change the world for one promise
Tell me where can I begin

Glimmerdust.

The hands are clean but the soul sullied
Six months, seven days and fourteen hours since
Musk and rose petals in the sweetest air
The touch and taste of warm flesh
Lingering warmth of the long embrace
Train of fire from those fingertips
Blood red and clasped between softest hands
Hint of spice-wood and cinnamon
The uncut diamond that never sparkles
Illuminates the world from the heart within
The secret chord that no one hears
Caresses like the finest champagne
Golden streamers from amber prison
Fixed eternal for the march of time
Two years, four months and sixteen days
Washed away but still remains
The slightest taste of saffron and thyme
Chocolate silk on the tip of your tongue
Enticing, captivating, the fleeting memory
Days in the summer sunshine
Dragonflies upon the sunflower sea
Tale of love in minor key