I hear their voices calling
from arboreal gloom
The things in the forest
luring children to their doom

The pumpkin faces grimace
glistening in the dusk
Mist rising in the darkness
A cloying hanging must

A cursed hollow in the depths
Gnarled faces in the bark
Gentle songs waft on the wind -
then screaming in the dark

Villagers search frantically
kin missing from their bed
a hopelessness and sorrow
and endless, gnawing dread

Rivers of gold and red
collide o’er carpets of must
Flow to frozen fronds
caught in shimmering
shrouded white mists

Melting in longer days
to heavy dewy scents
of saps and green alchemy
twisting, sensing, exploring
transcending nights

Starlit glass sparkles
reflecting the roar
of maelstrom mirages
the could-be but-isn’t
trapped and impatient
like a pacing lioness

The distant hills brood today
cloaks of mist streaming skyward
stealing colour from the world
Sunlight bleeds faintly
through an ethereal wall
The frozen air a watercolour wash

The kind of person
no-one wants to know
She wears her sincerest smile
ignores their whispers,
and head raised,
looks them in the eye
every
single
*******
day.
It’s the only thing
to do
(apart from finally
ending it)
But mountains
were easier to climb,
and amidst the
coloured powder crush
underfoot
of her former soul
There’s really not
much left
in the tank

Fallen angel, sunken
in seas of secrets
Lost from fields of
powder spun sweetness
Tumbled from the ocean
of heaven’s floor
Seduced by wanting
and needing more
Dripping with lies
cloaked in filth
cried acid rivers
while coveting wealth
Look past grey wolf eyes
and 5 day stubble
Inside still golden
and that’s the trouble

Sky torn escarpment
where cold rain stings your cheeks
In the bleak undertow
of venomous day dreaming
Fight poison soaked instincts
and breathe

The raven’s caw and glinting eye
upon that throne of coldest stone
A rumble in the glow’ring sky
‘neath fallow fields of buried bone
Once gentle trees entombed with vine
Strangled stillness and dark regret
Parasitised and rot intwined
cruelly cursed to never forget
What fool would put their kin to rest
on this ****** day and at this site
At witching hour on this hill crest
moribund souls devour the night

Where dragon flies dance
Flitting philosophies
below brooding
storm soaked skies
The rain drops bounce
and patter and collide
In chaos
Each one believing
it’s not a storm

Fleeting golden hour
light dappled shadow dance
Dust caught tumbling
Starlit specks
in the warm expanse
Breathing dreams to our void
Little happy stick people drawings
capture us on the mantelpiece
Frozen in photos mid-laugh
Infinite and impermanent
Memories in every nook
Years flow like minutes

The night then will always come;
starry wreaths a beautiful blanket
But I love the lingering sunset
basked in golden glowing now.
Worry not for the future
It will take care of itself
as it always has.

Through marigold garlands and coiling smoke
the shimmering Ganges sway
Air aromatic heady and spiced
there smiling blue gods play
A sitar leans on the Ashoka tree
and strums a mournful tune
A peacock’s haunting cry calls out
thousand eyes glitt’ring by the moon

It’s not just that
we’re not on the same page
We’re written
in entirely different books

From shadowed eyes I stare
through steam obscured glass
Outside rain slick streets shimmer in the neon night
Stale perfume and cigarette ash cloy my throat
Scratching unshaven jaw
I take a burning smoky sip
Cheap pickups and thumping music blare
barely heard
Alone
watching
I just see the dark

“We are watching”
Earnest scorn filled protesters
hold earnest scorn filled placards
Cynical journalists jostle
Meanwhile
Hyenas bay and jeer
smeared in blood and oil
They rut with fashion models
snort dubious powders
Untouchable and unassailable
as the world catches fire.
To protect the whole species
is regrettably not in our DNA

Against an unbroken cyan vault, ragged peach tinged storm wisps race
A faint waning moon hangs over glowing limestone outcrops, wreathed in coarse umbrage
Great **** and Robins dart and flit amongst vivid Pyracanthas berries
The tarrying light softly drains
A sudden chill sparks a brief spine shudder
All hangs still and silent in the half light for an infinite moment

Under a wan silver sky
lit with pearlescent grace
I noticed you in the shadows
your pale and sunken face
O’er lands of haunted beauty
sparkling ‘gainst the moon
your dark and empty whispers
to which I seem immune
lilt into the emptiness
above breath catching peaks
In golds and reds of dawn
drowned when heaven speaks
I reach the hollowed homestead
you hoarsely rasp with glee
I grieve by glist’ning graves
but you haven’t broken me

Under a wan silver sky
I drank your cup of dreams
On that lonely snowy plain
I unpicked your certain seams
In the bleak pall of mountains
I tested your fickle faith
By the broken bones of buildings
I left you an empty wraith

Beneath antique gardens
with manicured lawns
Genteel tea parties
and gambling fawns
They snarl in the dark
Wolves under lock
Loose them a little
and they’ll run amok

A low sun dances
on bowing willows
A gentle breeze
Our boat sail billows
Water clear
but once like tar
of burning tears
Regrets that char
What could have been
has ebbed away
No venom remains
just a beautiful day

Crystal
Vivid as crisp morning sky
pass to the intangible
I cling like I’m drowning
My grip flails through
days and years
and the memories
Fall

Stifling steaming
sweaty suffocation
Vines envelop
inescapable intwining
Sun pierced canopy
light jagged glass

In shifting shadows
a crawling cacophany
Slithering serpents strangle
branches of
overhead dread
of filth
and bite
and sting

In eyes and smiles
the jungle breathes
heaving
coiling
waiting

A soul is wrought
from the dust of stars
and sewn together
Tapestry of scars
in dawn sky hues
unraveled to find
the fickle muse
of a broken mind

Eerie eyes shine like daggers
In the gloom of the jungle night
Unknown things crawl and slither
but above the moon glows bright
I feel my way along the path
my breath caught in my throat
Needle leaves scratch my skin
rotting stench makes me choke
And then I hear a menacing
earth vibrating growl
Too close, too close, heart pounding
a musk that stinks so foul
I break into a frenzied run
terrified of the beast
Undergrowth behind me rustles
upon me it will feast
I pelt towards a clearing
a still lake up ahead
Suddenly aware of the shadow
beside me as I sped
I scream and fall to the water
No sound comes from my jaw
In the pool a fearsome tiger
Forgotten its inner awe

Intwined in sweat soaked
fev’rish delusion
A rav’nous serpent
coiling illusion
An ouroboros
slurps its slith’ring self
The prism lies fissured
’neath a cracked ice shelf
where flaws like veins branch
blood of dark gods flow
a heaven lost in smoke
nothing good here grows
Atlas underground
sinews straining stiff
auguries of beasts ablaze -
Spare a pity for what if

Looming lifeless shells
Of long dead distant cities
Where the wildflowers bloom
In the shade of rusting relics
We set fire to all the butterflies
And watched them burn
They screamed in the night
For that promised world
- lost

Encrusted in jewels of wonder
Shards of light entomb its slumber
A gilded box fortified
Horrors whisper from inside

Hoisted up, smugly regarded
Coveted instead of guarded
Contained furies writhe and rage
Never unlock this subtle cage

Aren’t you curious just to see?
These rules don’t apply to me
Foolish men with hearts of stone
Hell unleashed is what you own

Once, near a shipwreck I found
a bottle in the sand
within, a curled up letter
from a far and distant land:

“𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶.
𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩
𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯
𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺.
𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳
𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦
𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 -
𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦
𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺
𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴;
𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘺.
𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺,
𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘺
𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦
𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺.

𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭; 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵
𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴
𝘉𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩
𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘻𝘦.
𝘉𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦
𝘐’𝘮 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴
𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘴𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳
𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦
𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳.
𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵
𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥.”

I mused upon the writing
found by that dark wreckage
Then threw the bottle to the seas
To send on that forlorn message

Trudging through the fog
I carry it across the years
For every slander and slight
I shed no weary tears

My bones creak and buckle
My skin flays and flakes
I’d cross the plains of hell for you
It won’t be my spirit that breaks

This weight is mine to carry
Flickering days repeated
Under all the layers of wear
You will find me undefeated

Drowned
in seas
of possibilities past
Washed up
like ragged flotsam

Blinking awake
on the shores of the Now
beads of water
on my spectacles
shine like jewels
in the golden dawn light
The beach is haunted
with a lonely beauty

The ship was unsinkable
as the Titanic
Torn to pieces
in the early hours

The jungle line looms
ahead, coiling green
Unknowable, filled
with dangers unseen

When was it that color FLED
When vibrant beauty softly BLED
When rain FELL and heaven cracked
Here barren lands twist unmapped

YOU LET IT IN to rage and seethe
I HID and couldn’t move or breathe

PROMISES of star-strewn wonder
Behind that curtain just LIES thunder
The once bright mural’s faded gloss
Where were you when color was LOST
Where were you when color was