a devil
a devil
a godforsaken devil

you take her hopes
you hold her dreams
you shatter them into pieces

she has given you her heart
something that I know is not easily given.
She has shown you her weaknesses, her loves,
Something she protects with her life

And you've thrown it all away?
Without a second glance at the stress fractures you've created on her body?

You've taken a priceless blessing,
a rare thing of beauty
and brushed it to the side
like a cat bats its toy.

Let me tell-no.
Let me promise you
That if you even think about playing with her a moment longer
If you have a single though of getting away with this

You're wrong.

I will give my life to protect her.

my hands are cold
they're frozen really
my fingers are stiff
barely moving, barely able

her hands are warm
they're pleasant really
her fingers are flexible
always moving, always able

she wraps my arthritic hands in her own
kisses my palm softly with heated lips
she pretends that it doesn't hurt her
that it doesn't sharply pierce her skin

the reality of the situation is that i am far too cold
the most electrifying of touches will never help
i am beyond saving, cannot be thawed

Do you really think you've won if I am the one who came out stronger, and you're still pained and miserable?

tiny flames leap high
for only a few seconds before they die,
blown out by gust of your superiority.

the room may have been alight for only seconds, yes
but that short time illuminated your surroundings
and nothing was left hidden

in a year the flames will have another chance
to fight against your supremacy
and try to one day give colour to your dark room

empty beds and wrinkled sheets
are all i remember from that week
a pillow to support me
not much, only barely
and a blanket to keep me warm

with both arms outstretched
i cannot reach the edges
if i roll side to side
i'll never fall to unforgiving ground
i'll only ever be drifting over cotton sheets

the sun shines through linen curtains
casting shadows across a soft gentle face
i impulsively turn towards the light
which a smile tugging at the corner of my silent lips
i spend the day happy, laying in my empty bed

Step sideways into the void
Let that route be clear
And well-trodden.
When thoughts crowd and tumble, rattle and repeat
Take mind elsewhere.

Retreat.

Regroup the troops on higher ground
And from that plateau, survey mind's meandering,
Mayhem and futile floundering;
Rooting in dark corners for minor flaws, distracting itself with minutiae,
Retracing dead ends
Spiralling inwards
And all the while, shielding the eyes
From revealing light.

Retreat.

Pictures flicker and fade with no watchful eye to power the motion.
Let mind rest
And make a space.
Clear out the old, stale programme
And wait.
Be watchful.
Wait.
See what arises.
Wait.

Mind makes mischief and mind mends.