It all comes together
The stage is almost set
The lights are in position
The mics are all in check
The costume has arrived
They’re ready for the acts
And all that's left to do
Raise the curtain, tip my hat

Hatred in his empty, staring eyes,
Thinks he's tough,
'Cause he always objectifies.

Anger sits between his brows,
Self-inflicted,
Brainless hurting, no-one laughing now.

Pointless venom drips across his tongue,
Waiting, bitter,
Until he's sure his bite has stung.

A growl against the window,
Rising pitch, becomes a roar,
Shaking, shuddering, a howl,
A rush of sharp air, joins the siege,
But held back,
Confined to beyond these walls,
No storm within, only peace,
Only calm, only safety.

Dear God, mother and father,
You created every part of me, blessed me with a soul,
Filled my heart with love, the world with colour,
Gave me freedom to make my own way.

Mother, I do not understand why I was forged within this body,
Why a girl would be placed within this shell,
But you have made me unique
And allowed me to feel true liberty.

Mother, you surrounded me with love,
With people who accept me as your daughter.
Thank you for them, and support them,
As they try to understand.

I am sorry, Father, for the times I did not trust,
When I believed my being was a punishment,
For when I failed to see your light,
And saw only shadows instead.

Thank you, Father, that you were always there,
And your hand kept me from falling too far.

Keep me safe from those who would harm me with words,
Let their hatred be drowned out by love,
Protect me from those who would hurt me,
Let their anger be calmed.

Thank you, Father, that I know I am safe here,
Please stay close to people like me who aren't safe,
And give them a place, somewhere to escape,
Somewhere to live without fear.

Mother, I pray for the future of this world,
When irrational hatred has faded away,
But for those already cut down by hate,
Bring comfort to their families and all who stand with them.

Mother, I ask that their legacy be one of change,
That their deaths be the last, so that eventually,
We will have no need of mourning.

Bring understanding,
Bring compassion,
Bring empathy,
Bring change,
In the hearts of those who judge without reason.

Mother, your love has no limits,
It reaches beyond all earthly barriers,
Past these walls we build to separate.

Each of us is equal and beautiful in your eyes,
So help us to see the beauty in others,
And in ourselves,
Guide us, Lord, to a world where all stand together in love.

Thank you Lord, my mother and father.

Amen

And here we begin,
To build our dreams,
To move into action,
Turn hopes real,
What we talked of,
But never quite believed,
Is within our reach now,
Within sight,
And change will come,
We will be freed,
All may enter,
All may be,
Their true self,
No more lies,
So here we begin,
The long path ahead,
But passion drives on,
And will not dry up.

The line grows nearer,
I'm reaching, straining to cross,
To take one more step.

Victory draws close,
Half a breath is all it takes,
To win this, or lose.

Can you see? Rising in the streets
A force, a song, running through their feet
They move, as one, strides marking the beat,
One voice, one heart, hands and promise meet.

The fog, dispersed, by angry boots on stone,
The dark, remains, but no longer alone,
The hope's alive, and spirits start to grow,
They'll stand, until, the flag of change is flown

Metal slicing the air,
Splitting the clouds around,
Into swirling streams,
That scream against the glass,
Shaking the intricacies welded,
Years before,
To within a millimetre of their breaking point,
But they hold against the unrelenting
Tide.

It could have been framed,
But it wasn't right,
The 30 limit's reflecting
Sharp streaks across any lens,
And the calm curve of frosted hill
Is interrupted by the regimented
Steel men stood strong,
Arms wide against the wind,
Wires buzzing faintly from hand to hand,
And the silvered centrepiece
Is a foot too far left,
Drawing the eye from the glorious
Landscape to crumbling walls
Once firm against elements but
Neglected by time.
It could have been framed,
But it would not be beautiful,
So I framed it anyway.

Hold off,
Hold up,
There's a cloud in my head,
Not today,
Come back tomorrow.

Keep off,
Keep up,
It's all under control,
Leave me,
To sort it myself.

Stay off,
Stay up,
Work - relentless to clear
The backlog
I planned from the start.

Hold off,
Hold up,
I'll get it done,
Just grant me the time,
I am servant to none,
But my Mistress:
Waiting.

Moving forward, smoother,
Slicker than expected,
No forces push against me,
All are leading me on,
And guiding me true with
Smiles upon their faces
And love streaming from their
Hearts that seem to beat
Far too often on my behalf
Onwards they take me,
How far will this go?
The path has no end,
Only a promise,
A promise already delivered
In part at least,
That I will be
Content

For we should not forget their sacrifice for country,
For patriotic desire for liberty,
For freedom, above all, but not for them,
For their children,
For future generations,
For those yet to come, they gave everything,
For the right to be individual,
For safety from oppression,
For an end to fear,
For all this, yet...
For all this we forgot,
For every lost life, another lives afraid,
For every drop of blood spilled, a hungry child cries,
For every word towards acceptance, another cast out,
For every bullet fired, hatred built higher,
For every time we said 'we shall remember', we ignored their cause,
For though we may not forget their names,
We forget why they fought.

Between the houses, a slim gap,
Allowing a ***** of low sunlight through.
Harsh beams gleaming in
Thick air dripping with ice
A small field breaks the monotony
Of white terraces and ageing fences
And a streak of yellow glances off
The semi-frozen blades.