i swirl in van gogh.
i am charcoal stains
on blue,
a smile of barbed wire
for the painter,
i am mona lisa, true.

monet, he paints me
calm waters,
water lilies floating
in solitude,
he doesn't see
the fire sprouting
in my veins.

picasso cannot stain
my heart with colour,
magritte cannot
create a masterpiece
out of my eyes.

to be immortalized
i beg in pink
lick the brush
and paint myself
alive.

end my days
in escher,
sketch myself
out of the stairway,
into the globe.

throw myself
at deaths eye,
kiss the canvas
rotten, ******,
*pretty.

My veins thrum with
The thrill of death and blood
My eyes alight with life
As I stride through the mud

Dead men all around
Most felled by my hand
They gave their all to die
And still alive I stand

I am invincible
Too angry to die
The battle rage fills me
As I roar at the sky

My thirst is never sated
I always yearn for more
More killing, more blood
More bodies for my sword

I’m no author, novelist or poet.
I’m just Me,
And don’t I know it.
I don’t need to be classified,
As long as I’m writing, I’m satisfied.

Typing out words, line by line,
I don’t care if they don’t rhyme.
I don’t care if my verses don’t scan:
I’m not always an Iambic Man.

I just say what I gotta say,
I’m not worried about any pay.
Words come to me without much bidding,
The world of its evils I hope to be ridding.

I love to spread lots and lots of Love,
Bringing peace to all like a messenger dove.
Things of beauty bring joy, John Keats rightly said,
To make us sleep easy when we go to bed.

So I’ll paint what I paint,
And sing what I sing,
Just letting those words
Do their magical thing.

Paul Butters

I fight and die for my country
While the world sits idly by
It's not for fame or money
It's a fight to stay alive

I watch my comrades fall
Riddled with bullet holes
They're the ones who gave all
They paid their debt in full

We give our blood for freedom
Our lives and bodies too
We pray for help to come
And pray that we pull through

I'll fight until I pass
Until I'm finally dead
Until I breathe my last
With a bullet in my head

I wish you were here
I'd hold you in my arms
And if you were near
I'd smile all the time

So lonely without you
The days are dragging on
I'm so glad that I have you
Without you life feels wrong

So please don't leave me
I don't think I'd survive
I wouldn't be happy
Without you in my life

I can't sleep at the thought of you gone
And I don't know how I'll get along
Without your beautiful smile by my side
Or your bright, bright eyes that you try to hide
Behind that auburn hair
Hanging over your face
And your faded scars
That I love to trace
With my fingers when I'm holding you
There's nothing else I'd rather do
Just stay here with me
No need to go
Outside today
Just stay