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Lee Banks Jan 2016
At 5, his eyes grew wide with wonder
He jumped on the giant chair and swirled
His father’s office seemed like a castle
To him; the biggest in the world!

At 15, he stood determined,
Ambition burning in his eyes.
One day he'd reach the top as well
For him; the limit was the skies.

At 25, he was undefeated;
Half way up the ladder to success
Nothing could derail him now
He was the greatest, He was the best!

At 35, he held his daughter;
All his dreams were coming true.  
He stood in his private office,
Brimming with pride, he admired the view

At 45, He'd made his money
The time to follow his heart was now
To silence all those naysayers
And find his own way somehow

At 55, He could see
the dead end his child was heading towards
despite all their fights and laughs and tears
She never did heed his words

At 65, He sat content
On her swirling chair, his heart glad
She smiled around her office proudly
And said, "Look, I finally made it, Dad!"

At 75, His grandson cried
His daughter too, with frustration
Finally, He could tell her all about
Parenthood’s trials and tribulations.

At 85, He smiled as
His family surrounded his death bed
He'd lived a life of no regrets
with nothing left to be done or said

At 95, He lay in the ground.
Decades of his memories living on
In his family’s hearts for years;  
Their love for him forever going strong.
Lee Banks Nov 2015
Music blares in my ears.
Maybe it’ll drown out the sound of the ticking clock. In those moments of silence between songs, I hear it louder than ever. Tick Tock, Tick Tock.
Once in a while an inspirational song comes on; telling me that I could be standing in the Hall of Fame and for a moment, I believe that I can get through this. The ticking loses its volume a bit.
Other times, it’s a song with a catchy beat and I throw my hands up and dance. I dance to the beat of the clock. Tick Tock, Tick Tock.  
Sometimes, it a song with lyrics I wish I could say in reality. I notice feeling regretful makes the clock tick louder. And last but not least comes the rap song. I forget everything as I try to keep up with the song. I always feel a sense of satisfaction when I manage to get the words right. In my own way, for those 4 mins 32 seconds, I beat the clock. Tick Tock, Tick Tock.
Oh! And I almost forget that awkward song in your playlist that you always have to explain. For me it’s a random French song. It always makes me reminisce and wish I could turn back the clock. I lose myself in my memories and before I know it, the song ends. The clock waits for no one. Tick Tock, Tick Tock.
I never realised I had so many emotions in my playlist. I turn of the music and attempt to continue with my work. I check my watch for the time and the incessant ticking haunts me again. My watch straps feel like shackles, even though my watch is digital.
Tick Tock, Tick Tock
Lee Banks Apr 2015
You’re afraid to face the crowd, so you let her go instead
Let her say those words out loud that live inside your head

Let her feet test the waters, before you dive into the deep
Let your inhibitions fade, before you take that leap

Let her stand on stage, you’re just a spectator
Let her have the glory, let her bear the haters

Let her build your confidence, slowly brick by brick
Let her know all the flaws, before you reveal your trick

Let her learn and grow, let her discover where she went wrong
Before you step out from the curtains and show you it was you all along

Let her take the bow, while you listen to the applause
Let them cheer her name, you know that you’re the cause

But don’t get so cozy in the shadows, that you remain a silhouette
Of the name that gave you fame; don’t let her become a regret

Remember that you made her; she’s just a shield you hide behind
Never be afraid to let them see *you and your ingenious mind
For all those writers who use a pseudonym!
Lee Banks Jan 2015
I’m standing on the edge of a cliff. I jump
You call it falling, I call it flying
Lee Banks Dec 2014
Deep in the abysses of my brain
Stands, with a shovel, a tiny man.
When someone says those magic words:
“Dig a little deeper.” He gets to work.
Shoveling nonsense out of my mind
In another futile attempt to find
That something special, something unique
Those raw emotions that I just can’t reach
He looking for treasure, his never ending chore
No X to mark the spot, It’s not easy for sure.
He digs and digs for that perfect line
That’ll tie together what I write.
He’s hard at work with his shovel
I always give him so much trouble.
Looking for words with greater meaning
In a space that seems to be teeming
With silly thoughts and childish drivel
Stands The Little Digger Man With his shovel
  Aug 2014 Lee Banks
Sonali Sethi
His mother sits on the white bed
All the tests have been run
The doctor stands ready to tell him
The diagnosis has been done

The doctors speaks and he's saying
The words he's dreaded for so long
He wants to run away and cry
But she needs him  to be strong

He chokes back his tears
He really doesn't know what to do
He curses the fact that it's his mother
That cancer's sunk its claws into

More visits and tests lie ahead
His ordeal has now begun
He tries to take comfort in the fact
That they caught it at Stage One

But no number of reassurances
Can shake his fear away
At night, he prays feverently
"Please make this cancer leave today."

He never believed in God
But now he's lost faith in science
They try their best to **** the beast
But Cancer stares back in defiance

His mother talks of happy memories
It feels like she's saying goodbye
He tries to laugh while he holds her hamd
But tears keep flowing from his eyes

"I can beat this" his mother says
She smiles her gentle motherly smile
He feels his fear lessen a bit
He'll stay with her till the last mile

He'll laugh and smile and stay strong for her
Come what may in the end
God and science abandoned him
So instead, he'll just believe in her strength
Lee Banks Aug 2014
Give me wings
Burn them onto my skin
Ink them upon my arms
Let them shelter me from harm

Give me wings so that I may try
Give me wings so that I may cry

Give me wings
Let me fly.
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