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Have some water, drink the calm
I have been here all along
At the edge of all you are
you may think you've gone too far
One more step is all it takes
Turn around and feel the shakes
Breathing heavy, thinking fast
you will find your way at last
Not because you couldn't then
But today begin again
It has everything to do
With the body you will lose
Settle in to something more
Something that you had before
You are here and Love is now
Like the rain it's coming down
two years of years
who is it that speaks to you when no one is around
when nothing in the world could ever satisfy a sound
it could be that a single word has lived inside of you
and hid itself from everything, protecting what is true  
we pull ourselves together by ignoring who we are
and look at all the faces we have worn to get this far
but don't you know what happens when you see yourself again
your character remembers who you are when you pretend
it may have taken longer for your senses to respond
than you could e'rve imagined it, the thought of holding on
the only things that matter now be clarity and time
you're given just enough of both to put away your pride
love
J a c k   t h e   R i p p e r ,  
A K A ,  
T h e   L e a t h e r   A p r o n
r o a m s   t h i s   p l a c e .
A n d   h e r e ' s   a    g e n t  
d e a r   S i r   o r   M a ' a m  
w i t h   w h o m   y o u  
w o n ' t   w a n t  " f a c e   t o   f a c e " .

T o   m e e t   o r   g r e e t  
o n  a  q u i e t   s t r e e t  
m a y   n o t   b e  
s u c h   a   w i s e   i n t a k e .
F o r  i f   y o u   s h o u l d  
I  t h i n k  t h a t  y o u    
w i l l   r e a l i s e   a   b i g   m i s t a k e .

H e  i s   w e l l   r e n o w n  
b y   S c o t l a n d   Y a r d  
f o r   b e i n g   q u i t e  
a   d a n g e r o u s   l a d .
F o r   s u r e l y   h e ' l l  
m a r k   y o u r   c a r d  
a n d   o n c e   h e   h a s  
y o u   w o n t   b e   g l a d .

H e   w a l k s   t h e   t o w n  
b e f o r e   y o u r   e y e s ,  
n o - o n e   l i v i n g  
k n o w s   h i s   f a c e .
P e r h a p s   h e   i s  
o n e   o f   t h e   b o y s  
o r   s e l l s   f r u i t  
i n   t h e   M a r k e t   P l a c e .

H e   m a y  h a v e   m e a s u r e d  
y o u   f o r   a   s u i t .  
C u t   y o u r   h a i r  
o r   s h a v e d   y o u r   c h i n .
O r   t a u g h t   y o u r   c h i l d  
t o   p l a y   t h e   f l u t e .  
O r   l i s t e n e d  
a s   y o u   c o n f e s s   a   s i n .  

B u r i e d   a   m e m b e r  
o f   y o u r   c l a n .  
O r   b a k e d   y o u r   b r e a d .  
A   f a m i l y   m a n .  
T h e   s h o p   k e e p e r  
w h o   s e r v e s   y o u r   n e e d
b y   s e l l i n g   y o u  
y o u r   f a m i l y   f e e d .  

Y o u r   B r o t h e r   i n   l a w  
o r   U n c l e   s u c h .  
T h e   h u s b a n d  
t h a t   y o u   l o v e   s o   m u c h .
T h e   l o c a l   b o b b y  
o n   t h e   b e a t .  
H e   c o u l d   b e  
a n y o n e  y o u   m e e t .

P e r h a p s   i t s   s a f e r  
t o   s t a y   h o m e ,  
h a v e   n o - o n e   t h e r e
j u s t   b e   a l o n e .  
H o l d   y o u r   b r e a t h  
w h e n   d o o r   d o e s   k n o c k .  
K e e p i n g  y o u r s e l f  s a f e  
b e h i n d   t h e   l o c k .

N e v e r   l e a v i n g ,  
s e c u r e     i n s i d e ,  
w i t h   e v e r y   n o i s e  
j u s t   r u n   a n d   h i d e .
O r   t a k e   y o u r   c h a n c e
o u t   o n   t h e   s t r e e t  
b u t   f e a r   o f   e v e r y o n e   y o u   m e e t .

S o   k e e p   y o u r   e y e s  
a n d   e a r s   a w a r e .  
A n   a w k w a r d   l o o k  
a   w e a r y   s t a r e .
F o r   a l l   c o u l d   b e  
s e t   i n   h i s   s i g h t  
w h e n   w e   w a l k   o u t  
  i n t o   t h e   n i g h t .

P e r h a p s   a   c h a n c e  
w e   h a v e   t o   t a k e  
i f   f r e e d o m   i s  
t h e   c h o i c e  y o u   m a k e .
J u s t   h o p e  
a s   y o u r   l i f e   d r a g s   a l o n g   ,  
t h a t  M r   R i g h t ' s
n o t   M r   W r o n g .
24th March 2015
© Copyright Christopher K Bayliss 2014
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