Shadows moving down
these empty, vacant halls
playing with our memories
and dancing on the walls
their voices echo moments
that we painted with our love
as my sadness still recalls
that your in the sky above
as melancholy is drifting
in intoxicating wafts
a time when you were here
when we all felt so safe

this time a slow reminder
to live within today
to be careful who you know
and be gentle what you say
as I reach out for you
the shadows slip away
and knowing in that second
I can't buy back yesterday

I can only remember
how wonderful it all was
and be ever grateful
for the ...time
that we all shared down here.

Cherie Nolan © 2016

I always feared when I was young

that my blue veins would bulge out of my hands

like yours
they are now deft with our flesh
you prop us up,

tchotchkes on a shelf
talk of your impending spring funeral,
peonies and tulips

take off
“***** donor” on your health card
because they’ve already been given to us

at seven in North York you
danced to Elton John by the front window,
ducking at the sight of headlights

I can avoid you like
rush hour traffic if it would save you
the trouble

They pretend
Pretend to be in awe
Pretend to love care and adore
To want a slice of my heaven
To want a slice of me
How do they intend to get that slice?
By stabbing me in the back ofcourse

You know
and I also know
it is not fair
to allow brave breaths to die
and fall silently on the ground,
to allow insane thoughts
to flame the air  

But when the little boy
was lighting the fire
in between your and my house
you didn’t stop him
neither did I  

So we have to go through the pain
of seeing our beautiful houses
made out of soft colourful love
surrendered before the fire  

Now we have no options
but to stand with burnt ashes of our heart
in our hands
and nothing remains
that can be termed as desire

Though our minds knows
nothing can heal the pain
our heart felt,
one thing is needed
and only one thing is required
a more volcanic fire  

A war  

But where is the boy who lit the fire?