.
••                                  ••
••••••                  ­        ••••••
••••     •••                    •••     ••••
••••                                                      ••­••
•••••                                                         ­   •••••
•••••                                                   ­                •••••
•in  your world, your man with the addiction rules • he's
all fists with a mind of a hundred mules• daily he takes
to the bottle • then  atte      ntion to you, he asserts
his ugly mettle•i know        he is pummelling you
out of your  senses•               you can't  hide your
  tears... and brui-                      ses behind those  


*darkened lenses•

There lived a man, a crooked man
Whose fingers stretched feeble and thin
A note he did write with all of his might
And he hid it on his person before his journey did begin

To whom the note was for, it was never addressed
The man never did disclose
For reasons unclear and secrets untold
This note was the way he chose

"I used to be one with my own darkness
And it fed me fat with lies and fear
It upset people so and everyone left me
Even those I held so close and dear

It seeped into my skin and ate at my bones
It drove my mind insane
I knew I'd rather brave the walk
If I didn't, I'd die in vain

I'd walk for miles for I wish not to die alone
I'd walk in search of anyone
I'm wary of the shadows that lurk behind me
So I choose to walk into the sun

Now I've written this note in diminishing hopes
Should soon if I fall to the ground
At least someone would come to know of me
Should this parchment be discovered and found"

Know this man, the crooked man
Whose note bore his message sombre
He never did find the salvation he sought
He'd never known a happily ever after

.
•such grace carelessly
riding•the currents of my heart
and mind•beauty of your biolumines-
cence ensnaring • my thoughts amuck and
senses blind•membranous crown bears much
truth yet laden with lies•malicious tendrils,
unassuming but ever ready•immune to
my pleas and woeful cries•how could
something so captivating... and delicate,
be so painfully deadly•
••   •••   ••     •••
•••     ••      ••        ••
••       ••      •••      •••
••         ••       ••        •••
•••       •••        ••           ••
••           ••         ••             ••
••          ••         •••         ••
     ••         ••             ••          ••    
   •••         •••            ••       •••
   ••            •••         •••         ••
      ••          ••••        ••         •••
  ••         •••          •••         ••
   •               ••            ••            •
       ••            •••
      •             ••
                       ••
                           ••
                           •

.

.
O
•i found truth
in a saying i read•that we
start dying the day we were born
•not from life inflicted wounds from
which we've bled•not from illness or
disease that would have us torn •we
only live and breathe upon borrowed
sand•because we age; because we are
but mortal•it's only up to ourselves to
be mediocre or grand• what we'll be at
the end is consequential• it'll matter not
if we won popularity polls• or what riches
over which we covet and fuss•when asked, "for
whom does the bell toll?"•look in the mirror for it tolls
••••••••
•••••


                                          ­    for no one...
                                                          ­            but for us•
.

.

still and quiet nights
words come in stifling cascades
borne of sky and stars

.

Let us speak only in tongues
For all that wasn't made obvious
May present its true meaning in the unintelligible

Let us converse in stanzas
For what wasn't clearly heard
May perhaps show itself between these lines

Let us exaggerate and romanticise
For all that was spouted bland
May be heightened to receive some light

Let us exchange and trade through poetry
For all that's lacking in common words
May secure a foothold in the readers' hearts

.
                       •the   ••••••••
         old man wi-    ••••••••
    thered•as suns    ••••••••
  would set....over    ••••••••
many days•follies    ••••••••  
he committed, then    ••••••••    
unencumbered•fina-    ••••••••       
lly caught up...so now    ••••••••         
he pays • like an unca-    ••••••••         
ged bird,  he had left his    ••••••••            
perch• not looking                                              
back, leaving behi-                                                
nd hatchlings  and                                                  ­
nest• he discarded                                                    
his­  roots  when he                                                    
left them  in the lu-                                                      
rch• flew to pursue                                                      
what­  he had thoug-                                                      
ht was best•now he's                                                    ­ 
ailing thin.....he seeks                                                     
to reconcile • reached                                                   
to his sons...and left a                                                   
voice message•asking                                               
atonement for  his cri-                                             
mes so despicable and                                          
vile • for now he lays con-    ••••••••           
sumed.........by illness and    ••••••••         
rage•hours tick by as his    ••••••••       
days blur into weeks...•    ••••••••      
his frail  breaths weak-    ••••••••   
en as he succumbs in    ••••••••
  bed•finally the call    ••••••••
     did come bearing    ••••••••
           the absolution    ••••••••
                   he seeks•    ••••••••


just a minute too late,
for the old man is already
dead•

It's easier to wallow
with no additional weight

It's easier to swallow
tiny morsels stripped off the bone

It's easier to swallow
when you submit to fate

It's easier to wallow
when you decide to walk alone

.
            •vile plumes reaching to the
                   sky•killing the earth as days go
                      by•cutting corners, we dump our
                          waste•the easiest of solutions exe-
                          cuted in poor taste•there are many
                          signs, how could we miss•when
                               we are the ones who did this•
                               scores of geniuses and inte-
                              llects•can't come to consensus
                                   and drive a pact•to save the
                                           world for our children•
                                                  to save what's
                                                       left for
                                                            f­uture
                                                           ­   gene-
                                                        ­         ra-
                                                             ­         ti-
                                                    ­              o
                                                 ­                    n
                                                               ­     s
                                                          ­              •
                                                ­                         **IIIIII
                        o                    o                   o           I    I       
                   OO               OO               OO           I    I      
           OOOO         OOOO        OOOO           I    I      
     OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
     IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
     IIIIIIIII     IIIII     IIIII      IIIII     IIIII     IIIIIIIII
     IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Leave your world
Bring your all
A universe to be unfurled
A realm awaiting to enthral

Climb aboard
Slide into the seat
We are what we can afford
You and I... We make
our very own fleet

Strap yourself in
Get ready for the trip
The journey we were made for
Let us begin
The odyssey of our lives
In this here spaceship

In a heartbeat,
we were forged.

We adhered well...
Like bone to sinew.

But alas...
Furious is the blaze
in our hearts we torched.

In a blink all is lost...
Like early morn's dew.

I feel like river water.
And I don’t belong to stagnancy,
yet I’m caught in a lake.

•••

I’m destined
to move silt and sediment.
And overturn
submerged pebbles
so they won’t see
the green of moss.

I’m meant to surge
and eat into banks
so I could be split -
to make more of me...

My reach would extend
far and wide -
like scraggly fingers
grabbing at the
face of the earth.

My energy channelling
through careless forks
and into slimmer branches.

•••

My soul is river water....
And my heart renounces
the throne to idleness.

Yet I am,
but a lake.

Teeth bit more than they could chew

Hands grabbed more than they could hold

Shoulders lifted more than they could carry

Words mean more than they could've told

Legs travelled more than they could run

Mind thought more than it could fathom

Body gave more than it could afford

Heart paid more than it could ransom

Still the tremors
that crack my voice

Strengthen the resolve
in my bated breaths

Ease the tremble
that consumes my digits

Deepen the slumber
in my nightly deaths

With hidden hands,
the curtain clung to the wall
and cascaded like a waterfall
down to the floor.

Smothering the window
and draping an old side table,
rendering it derelict
- a lifeless silhouette.

Quarter way down from the ceiling,
the curtain parted just a sliver.
Allowing a lone ray to visit between
ambling clouds.

•••

One on the outside can’t fully see
the darkened workings
of a confined mind.

I, on the inside...
Can’t see past the cloth
fastened stubborn
over my weary eyes.

Never mind
the boy
who's got his
head
in the clouds.

Just...
wrap up his
remains
and
bury him
in
shrouds.

He hopes
to be
missed
by
more than
just
a
few.

More
importantly
he'd like
to be
missed...
Just
by
you.

.
•••••••••••
••••••••••••••••
•••••••••••••
•••••••••
ple band•   •••••   •convert-
in a sim-                   •                      ing the
mortality                                                   wishful
silver•im-               ­                                            to   the
on gold or                                                                suppo-
mounted                                                                     sed•we
nd•a rock                                                                      have co-
pilling sa-                                                                     me  full
reats of s-                                                                     circle  •
ing the th-                                                                stars we'-
ther•beat-                                                  ­         ve forged
forth toge-                                              and coun-
journey                                    ted•make
   shall we           reality out
of fable•

.

I'm several
steps back

I'm watching
from afar

I'm trying
to make sense

But I'm just grabbing
at raindrops
with open palms

.
  •sharpened to                                  • prowling  this
  a point•made                                     hallowed night
  to sink easily                                      •to satiate my  
    into flesh •                                         hunger   pa-    
     power   to                                            ngs• know    
     maim and                                            my name      
    disjoint•                                            as i take    
       spilling                                             flight  •      
       blood,                        ­                    cower      
          warm                                          as i ba-      
           and                                         re my      
          fre-                                      fan-        
         sh                                   gs        
•                                •

Proverbial rod
cast into the night

With hope and longing
dangled as bait

Encapture what answers
hidden from sight

Time’s almost up,
as dawn awaits at the gate

.

"Looking down from ethereal skies
Silent crystalline tears I cry
For all must say their last goodbye -
to Paradise..."
- Paradise Lost by Symphony X

Head buried                          
in pillows in the sky,      
voraciously consuming
the fluffy whites.            
Windy fingers                    
sieve the air.                      
                 Watchful eyes                                    
tracing tails of kites.    

He only hears      
  the faint hymns
                            from the outstretched wings
         of feathered birds.
            Leans back weightily
          on his throne of clouds.
        Notions form haphazard
in so many words.    

Casting his gaze,
               willing it earth-bound.
            Careless trees sway
                       in synchronised tandem.
              Diverse songs merge
              seamless in harmony.
        Singing in unison,
                             revelling the gift of freedom.

             Silent tears fall
                         and trickle as rain...
                  As he reminisces
                                       the images of his forsaken past.
       Scored paintings
of a paradise lost.  
All must say                          
their final goodbyes...                  
He will bid his,                              
last.                                               

.

Do not fear the shifting sand

under the weight of your feet.

For you may not know balance,

without the test of instability.

My digits tremble
as ink falls to paper
Drip...
Drip...
I know you’re listening


My eyes blur
as tears fall to smudge
Blink...
Blink...
I know you’re watching


My insides crumble
as these words are written
Creak...
Crash...
Because I know you’re reading

.
a■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
quiet  sol-■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■­■■■■■
itude envelopes■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
my space • deflecting■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
all that is consequential•lea-■■■■■■■■■■■
ving voiceless  thoughts i cannot■■■■■■■■
trace • only ghost-like echoes vi-■■■■■■■■
sit;  faint  and subtle •nestling in■■■■■■■■
this void that i am in• comfort e-■■■■■■■■
mbraces warm like a  long lost fr-■■■■■■■■
iend•i melt as i sink deeper with-■■■■■■■■
in• slow tumble into an abyss w-■■■■■■■■
ith no end•relativity dissolves in-■■■■■■■■
to nothingness •everything seems■■■■■■■■
warped and incoherent•there is...■■■■■■■■
an odd strength about being wei-■■■■■■■■
ghtless • as the currents carry me■■■■■■■■
away from the days' detriments...■■■■■■■■
welcome, come in......you've been■■■■■■■■
here before•do not fear......it's not■■■■■■■■
too far • just a few steps, beyond■■■■■■■■
the door•slip into my dark-          
   ness for i've left the
               gates to my
                         mind
                              ...

slightly ajar•
.

solitude in the dark
is so comforting
that
i am fearing...

what may lurk in the light
blantantly hiding

in
plain sight.

.

He doesn't see past the horizon of his life
He doesn't indulge in the myth of the hereafter
He doesn't believe he is worthy of such a notion
He doesn't make it a habit to put pen to paper

But with her...

He envisions the future like he's lived it before
He sings of his plans that span several lifetimes
He romanticises his thoughts as soon as they're conceived
He converses in paintings and writes only in rhymes

Promise
and action
must go
hand in hand.


Because
sugared words
are much
too brittle.

.

•high in the
mountains, he grew we-
ary                 and ragged•
•                     his sight turned
                           cloudy, chin un-
                             shaven and face hag-
                                    gard•removed his boots
                                    for his feet did stink•
                                  sleep he wanted but not
                                without a drink•one big
                              swig and he downed it all•
                        then he was asleep before the
                      sun could fall•many days visited,
             many shadows cast•over this slum-
     bering man, many moons had passed
•one fateful day, his eyes did twitch
and then did open•he sprung aw-
ake to the life he had forsaken•his
musket dusty, his clothes in di-
sarray•his chin - a long beard
that has seen countless days•he
ran to his home before noontime
chime•he found only disbelief, for he had slept




a lifetime•

.
    +
+        
       +                                +        
        +     ­       +        +
+                                              ­              
      •      +
+          our                  
                 paths ma-    y    +          +
+       meander•in      m-          
  any a thousand    wa-    
ays•our feet may  yet  
find the paired other•
just as long as the
torches remain
ablaze•
•••••••••••••
•••••••••••••
•••••••
••••••
•••••
­••••
••••
••••
••••
••••
••••
••••
•••
••

.

This feeling I can't describe...

It's jarring emptiness
though I'm bloated full.
It's like a puncture,
though there's no stake.
It's overwhelming heaviness,
though there's no load.
Like a scab that won't heal,
though there's no wound.
It's confusion...
though, my mind's a blank.
It's me reaching out,
though there's nothing to tell.

This feeling I can't describe...
A curse to which there are no words.
A burden that I foresee spilling
over several dawns.

I once knew...
Or at least I thought I did,
that these arms only sought
to grab at what is in the sky.

Then as I aged,
these arms had grown older.
They’d only scramble
for what lays within reach.

But every so often,
the eyes still wander
to the heavens.

Tracing the outline of clouds,
drinking up the shade of blue
and catching rays of sun.

•••

With feet planted to the earth,
and a head full of clouds,
in this moment,
I am happy.

Eyes have vision
Mind decisive
Words bear meaning
Actions hardly furtive

Body is hale
And legs could carry
Resolution never stronger
But heart remains a liability

I proffer words
in an apology.

In hopes
they may turn the tide.

Akin
to the release of white doves.

So I might revive
a notion that’ve died.

.
Open mind

but closed doors.

Take my breath.

And make it yours.

.