My winged companion guides through my clouds,
No fear of flying in such familiar arms

Standing tall at the summit,
The world lies unimportant at our feet

Egos nourish our cocoon,
And together we grow

'Till my lover breaks free,
Newfound beauty exhilarating

Alas, I remain grounded,
Wings yet to unfurl

Feeble hands reach out,
To a warmth no longer near

Daylight fading, I find myself alone in darkness,
Threatened by every alien sound

Heavy footsteps grow closer,
Starved heart is racing, solo battle a long lost art

Then childish eyes adjust -    
Though strangers, they pose no threat

Watching from afar, I follow their dancing,
My lover haunting every song

Hours pass, day breaks, sun rises,
The festival fades

Mouth dry, and thirsty for intimacy,
I dare advance upon the party

Begging for water or wine,
'Til One is obliged

Holding high a heavy chalice,
Her poison purges my soul

Dulled senses sharpen once more,
My own colours now so visible

The music swells again,
And we dance to the sound of a different tune

God and the devil shake hands
Powerful opponents in a deserted arena
Yet secretly slaves to their master

Consequences clash - battle has begun
Ares wounded, Lucifer laughs

War rages across blurred boundaries
Compass spins, destination obscured

Sands filter through, time so conceptual
Eternal struggle, victory increasingly rare

Then, fresh perspective, weapon sharpened
Stance set, shield drawn closer
Eyes squint, target aligns

Skin pierced, drive deeper
Final twist, enemy to vapour...
Desire silently mourns his defeat

Approaching a clearing in the mind,
Open and vulnerable to the elements
Alone and free, experimentation is a natural path

Burdens lift from shoulders, floating overhead
Paper crumpled in the hands of divinity
Blown away on the whispered promises of better things to come

Sanctity swells around the feet like a fog
Wandering through fallen leaves, memories discarded with no value
Rustles roll to thunderous applause

Eyes open, head tilts to the heavens
View unadulterated, comprehension unhindered
Empty sky, so simple now

Peace sinks heavy through constricted nerves,
An old home, vacant for so long
Senses overwhelmed, must pause for reflection

Past plugged into socket stars,
Space seems less distant now,
A dashboard of cause and effect

Eyes adjust, nature's palette returns again,
Forest thickens, clearing closing in
Experience a buried fossil, waiting rediscovery

Crusading through veins like a chariot
Crescendo due, but wave fails to topple
'Till finally
Exploding heart leaves a lasting impression in the sky

Orbital beat progresses to white noise
Strata indistinguishable yet so familiar
Pause
Tunnel ends, precipitation returns

Old words, new meaning
Touched by context, light and shadow realign
Mood fitting
A gesture to ever-changing thoughts

Destination altered, switch rail
Distinct terrain yet of the same earth
Openly private
Comedy or tragedy, opinion divides

Aches unsoothed, request repeat prescription
Anticipation climbs, summit in sight
Air thins
Could this be the end?

While our thoughtfully-placed chips may win when the coloured wheel slows,
The ball spins on, absent of profound meaning or motivation.

We save the world just for drama's sake,
As even the Joneses gasp for breath to keep up.

Through dusty glass, from the comfort of couches,
Where scholars would once have taught, we claim to learn.

Following signs in the night I never would in the day,
I find the conclusion - the only candid love is that of this moment.

Fixated on the clockwise wobble of a fan overhead, I laugh with solace -
Newly aware that our most intimate of moments,
Seemingly so personal between two individual minds,
Are merely echoes from the shackles of biology and society.

12 pages turned since that seminal moment,
I close this sunlit jamjar, arresting unresolved issues from the air.
In ****** battle for a monopoly on knowledge, the message filtered through,
That understanding is worthless without doing and being.

And what have we done with our time on earth?
Too much and not enough.

What a wonder,
Lost in the hills
Trudging and slipping
Through mud and snow.

Ninety minutes,
A dozen dogs,
One and a half 'caches,
A single candid horse.

Racing to beat the sun,
I find a sack and a tub.
I'm happier than mother, though -
Left with a rather muddy rug.