the daisy or the rose?
doesn’t matter what you chose.
one will wilt no matter what you do.
the blue sky or blue sea?
caught you’ll always be.
stuck between his brown eyes, and his blue…

plot the points you’ll use to find
the place you want to be
draw the map and draw the line
from point A to point B
you’re an architect, your buildings scrape
the skyline of your dreams
looking down from far away
proves them lower than they seem
but pack your bag of memories
and old things you once loved
and hold them tight so they’ll survive
the journey to above
you are a kite, just moving where
the light breeze takes you to
never stronger than you never were
as paper dreams guide you through

to what degree is wrong
if it’s right in another’s eyes?
how selfish must you be before
it doesn’t take you by surprise?
and should you still pursue the wind
if you know you should not follow?
or leave someone in helplessness
if you will not care tomorrow?

left or right?
up or down?
front or back?
smile or frown?
tell me what to do - please, I implore you
flip up the coin - let Lincoln choose it for you
start to end?
end to start?
listen to my head?
or listen to my heart?

a quarter cup of friendship
yields half a cup of smiles
a bakers’ dozen leaves you set for life
just a dash of experience
mixed with your own style
leaves this recipe with no wrong, and no right

tambourines and yellow pages
that’s all that I want to be
old six strings and lit up stages
are all that I want to see
a pencil and a photograph
with them, I will be free
to take a brush and paint the path
towards the life I wish to lead

my heart is something I can’t hold onto
it flies away with the breeze
and if I reach out my hand to catch it
it just sits quiet on my sleeve
and it has a bad habit of breaking
though I put it together with glue
that heart doesn’t like what my head says
which leaves me just tired and confused

I know you’ll hold her hand
whenever she is sad
and kiss her cheeks to dry away the tears
and I know you’ll take her tight
and tell her everything is grand
and wait with her until her head is clear

sometimes life comes at you fast
and sometimes it comes at you slow
sometimes it will hit at you hard
when it will, we’ll never know
but we’ll put on the play, use the whole stage
and make the most out of the show

I can see it in my mind:
your crooked, sideways grin
it diffuses on to my face, and I smile.
I can hear it in my head:
your laugh jumps high and spins
I’ll sit down and loop it for a while.
and when I am unhappy
I’ll pretend to hear your voice
and then I’ll know that everything is fine.
for, when I get lonely
I’ll know you had a choice
you made the choice to choose to be mine.

yes, darling, seize the day
wave the victory flag
be happy with the words we say
don't let your spirit drag
don't ever doubt what you can do
don't ever say you can't
for I know this much is true
say so, and you shan't
breathe in possible. the possible.
you're possible.
believe it.

today I drew a girl
with long brown curly hair
but I had to etch her out
for I was tired of her stare
the girl lived in a perfect world
she had a perfect life
there was no pain or anger
or bitterness or strife
and since she saw my secrets
she I couldn’t trust
she wrinkled up her perfect nose
and looked back with disgust
she looked right through my grand facade
pulled back the heavy curtain
she riddled out my clockwork
and knew I wasn’t certain
she saw my mind was clouded
from all in this rainy world
all the thirst and hunger
the girl quickly unfurled
she saw the fear and hatred
the terror and the scare
all of varying grandeur
plaguing everywhere
and she saw right through my crooked smile
all though my cup was filled
it still was full of emptiness
and that disgusted her
she wondered why I worried
as she looked right through my eyes
at my mediocre problems
in my easy sailing life
and she knew that I was selfish
as all people seemed to be
and laughed at all my problems
so small, yet huge to me
but what she didn’t understand
is that sometimes we get stuck
for sometimes, in all out lives
people run out of luck
so no matter how tiny
so small our troubles seem
you can’t treat them proportionally
for all problems are real
today I drew a girl
with long brown curly hair
I could feel her look right at me
with her penetrating stare
and in her world, she was perfect
but that could never be
she was drowned in her own prejudice
so much, she couldn’t see
so tired of the perfect girl
who pretended not to care
I etched out her judgement
and her agonizing stare

collecting bits of memories
left hanging in a row
gathering the sunlight
as they're swinging to and fro
and counting on an abacus
the time we've left to spare
for making more of memories
to hang up in the air

if I’m gone before the spring storm falls
don’t let me let your life be stalled
don’t stay alone or cry to much
or ever feel like giving up
just plant for me a pure white flower
and watch it grow each passing hour
and when the flower starts to bloom
paint it for me Maya blue
and if the world is standing still
I’ll be sitting on your window sill
and for I know you always cared,
for you, I will always be there.

to grasp on to the intangible truth
was beyond me
for that, I chose to remain aloof
to be lonely
but, see, wishes aren’t just for shooting stars
that, I now know
the only way to move from where you are
is simply: to go

there was nothing left there but meaningless letters
crawling all over the page
she played back the moment, the door slamming closed
trembling with all of her rage
she wracked her memory to find the words
that once she has heard someone say
'don't decide your forever based on feelings felt now'
and that was her very mistake

she pulled pages out of magazines
hoping to change overnight
perhaps wishing is alright?
and he looked at her through weary eyes
at shoulders hunched over meekly
wondering what she couldn’t see

a flicker. The light dances
to a beat no one can hear
then quicker. The flame prances
like a lazy puppeteer
but then, it’s all over
and the dancer takes his bow
his friend, the air rover
drifts greyly into clouds

I'll paste into the future plan
places I must go
sights I'll see, things to be heard
knowledge I must know
then I"ll frame up my collage
and hang it on my wall
I'll then look at it every day
and pretend I've done it all

he said, well things are shaping up
and she said, they're fine
he said, we've had very good luck
and she said, yes, just divine
he said, it's good that we're not stuck
and she said, shhh.
                      don't worry.
                      the sun's out.
                      let's go outside.

there's a dimly lit room and hushed speaking
floorboards creaking
vapid stares of dreamers who are dreaming
ideas seeming
to be painted on to canvases unending
future pending
while my dreams only fit inside my pocket
and I lock it.

close your mouth, and don't put up a fight
do not speak if only just to spite
the humble mind's the one that gets you far
so there'll be no moving, talking as you are
don't yell out to draw attention to yourself
true talent will not need you to tell
be patient, friend, success is waited out
with all your antics, we watch through furrowed brows

hold my hand, and we'll make the leap together
arms out wide, and we'll sail through stormy weather
minds are open, and we'll leave our blue world spinning
hearts are open, and the sky's just the beginning

the indent grows bigger
my bones start to creak
I’ll take a break for all of this to mend
ideas keep on flowing
it’s an effort for me
to close the book and just put down the pen

hold the applause.
let us believe ourselves, first.
we knew all along
that we were not the worst.
but better than they?
we could not have thought.
now all of our doubts
we have forgot.
savour it.
the moment.
savour.

heavy eyelids and fading lights
lead the path into the night
limbs are curling and head lies down
now you’re dreaming, can’t turn round
but morning comes - sun shines though cracks
eyes have opened, can’t go back
you hate to leave the land you yearn
now awake, wait to return

A strum. A hum.
That’s all it takes.
To make the heart start beating.  
A note. A hope.
The mind’s embrace.
Of moments oh so fleeting.
A star. A jar.
Of rusted pennies:
Change to change the sound.
A smile. Sundial.
The music makes
The lost become the found.

he couldn't reach the top shelf
so he asked it of his brother
but brother was too busy to go help
he couldn't reach the top shelf
so he asked it of his mother
but mother had too much to do as well
father was 'preoccupied'
sister can't waste time
all the little puppy did was yelp
so, he sat there frowning, wondering what could be
sitting on the very top shelf

raindrops fall behind the blinds
keeping time time time
dividing up the greying sky
into line line lines
leaves brake down on pavements
now they're grime grime grime
distracting me from thoughts like
you're not mine
                  mine
                  mine.

the words and cluttered memories
swirled about her head
laughing as she tried to stack them up
the thoughts jumped out of boxes
the pictures off of shelves
leaving her stuck, stuck, stuck

the colours of the city hummed red and blue and green
the sounds glowed bright and dark, and all things in between
the sights smelled warm and wonderful
the smells both old and new
I sat perched like a hummingbird
taking in the view.

the girl in the blue sweater laid ribbons on the sand
to count all the hours she’d been here
the girl in the blue sweater held out her hand
as a bowl to catch her tears
the girl in the blue sweater slept where sea became land
let the water swallow her fears
the girl in the blue sweater thought ‘oh how life is grand’
then slept for a thousand years