Is anybody else confused?
The reality television craze,
I hope it is a phase,
But detest it as i do,
I am hooked like a fish on a rod.

Big Brother and Pop Idol,
Celebrity Fit Club and Fame Academy,
Enough already,
No more do i need,
But take it away and i'm sure you'd hear me plead,
'More, more, more' i'd say,
Reality TV is hard to love but harder to hate.

Is anybody else bemused?
The reality television shows,
I hope that soon they go,
But as angered as i am,
I am fixed like a stare on a grave.

I saw a soldier crying,
As i looked into the mirror,
Brave,
Proud,
Lost and cold.

An image of reflection,
Fighting battles the world can't see,
Scared,
Scarred,
Hurt and bold.

Tears falling from his cheekbones,
Pride gives way to the weight of pain,
Seen,
Been,
Heard and told.

When the dark clouds,
Come one by one,
And form an oppressive shroud,
Remember that the wind will send them far away,
And brighten the skies of a tortured day.

When it rains down,
Crying like tears,
And you feel that you might drown,
Remember that the sun will dry the water, gone,
And reflect the magic in your eyes, shone.

Look at the good,
Hiding away,
It’s there wherever you’re stood,
Remember that when times are hard as concrete, cold,
There’ll always be a heart and arms here, hold.

You suffered,
You struggled,
Your life was cruel and hard,
You were tortured,
You were tormented,
Your life was short and fast.

Now we comfort ourselves,
We say only what we can,
Rest in peace,
Peacefully slumber,
Rest in peace,
R.I.P….
R.I.P….
R.I.P.…

Salvation of humankind,
Resurrection,
No dissection,
Pesach,
Eostre.

(Song title from Michael Jacksons’ catalogue, by Rod Temperton)

Late at night I lay him down,
Draw his lips to my neck,
*** away the tears and frowns,
I stroke and rock with you,
Take you in and slowly drown,
Soft and hard, rough and slow.

Through the joyful times and through the bad,
You’ve been there as I laughed and when I was sad,
You’ve been my lover, my husband, my friend,
I write these words as a message to send,
That after forty years of marriage I look forward to more,
From the man I love, the husband I adore.

You took my heart and placed it in yours,
Like a locket kept it safe,
Felt the warmth of your love radiate around me,
Little dewdrops from heaven do fall,
A rose bud opens with glee.

Stuffed full of toys and ribbons,
Tinsel and baubles,
Santa and his reindeer,
Deliver to all,
Presents for children,
For their mums and their dads,
For Aunts and Uncles,
Nans and Granddads,
There’s perfume and clothing,
Chocolate and sweets,
Santa delivers the nicest of treats.

Printers’ ink upon a page,
A story written to bring me down,
A whisper round the gallery of noise,
Of the devastation,
The ruin of girls and boys.

Against the press I write,
To stand like a tyrant,
With a cooler mind and heart,
A calm descends and apologisers appear,
I smile with satisfaction.

(Saturday's child works hard for a living.)

Ride the bus down a busy street,
Glancing at the passing folk,
The hidden personalities I'll never meet,
Rushing and running,
Heading on their way,
Their rushing from their homeland,
To greet the troubles of the day,
Saturday can be a peace,
It can be a hell.
It's a day on Earth,
That's it worth.

My arms feel heavy,
Lead weights pull me down,
My legs feel sluggish,
Hard to walk around.

No more,
Say no.

My eyes feel weary,
Shutters in the wind,
My mouth feels barren,
Hushed because I sinned.

No more,
Say no.

(Song title from Michael Jacksons’ catalogue, by James Harris III, Terry Lewis, Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson)

Talking at me,
Spinning,
In a whirl,
Stop the pressure,
Release this pressure,
To feel some pleasure,
Scream.

Only a raindrop falling down,
Can stop the tears from showing,
I'd pretend that it was the season of my discontent,
Only a raindrop falling down,
Can stop the years from telling,
All about how it was the season of my discontent.

Second chance to impress,
Like an empress upon her throne,
Blown away by the option,
To let my emotion show.

Second chance to just sing,
Like a king now losing his crown,
Towns swallowed by emptiness,
To slowly wander on down.

Second chance in the scene,
Like a queen bent before the block,
Locked inside my shallow heart,
Never chance that second chance.

Through wind and water,
Ice as cold as hell,
Over lakes and mountains,
I cast my mystic spell,
Hear it echo,
Hear it ring,
Hear it bellow,
Hear it sing.

Through mud and gravel,
Rocks as soft as nails,
Over fields and valleys,
I walk although I'm frail,
See me walking,
See me move,
See me trudging,
See me through.

Original honour killing,
But the killing of self,
Eviscerate with the Sword,
Samurai Warrior chooses his death,
Rather than an enemy steal his last breath.

Original honour killing,
Bushido; Seppuku,
Disembowelment left to right,
This great honour is fused with a great pain,
Plunged through his skin to make himself pure again.

The sun has virtually vanished,
Occasionally waving its light from behind the clouds,
The air is warm and the breeze is still,
The leaves of September crunch and the twigs crack,
And as i walk the conkers roll in my path,
The chirping of a distant bird warming his nest,
Before the rain starts to disturb his rest,
Children grab the final strands of play,
And Autumn takes hold.

(Song title from Michael Jacksons’ catalogue, by Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley and A. Davidson)

Staring at her from the window,
Daily eye-contact leads to smiles,
I offer a coffee,
She graciously accepts,
We kiss and touch,
But then it ends,
She looks riled,
Still…
…she drives me wild.

I try to shine brightly,
Even when I'm blue,
Cause I am determined,
I've made it my aim,
To make them all smile,
To conceal all my shame.

Should an old acquaintance be forgot?
Should they disappear?
Should they be forgotten until you hold them near?

Should an old acquaintance be forgot?
Should they move along?
Should they be forgotten until you hear that song?

Look at the silent candle glowing in the corner,
I stare deep into its orange flame,
I feel like a stranger in my house,
But everything is the same,
I'm still empty,
I'm still cold,
I'm living the story,
I never told.

Look at the silent candle burning in the shadows,
I gaze deep into its fading light,
I feel like a demon in this hell,
As i head into the night,
I'm so frightened,
I'm so hurt,
I'm rotting from inside,
Turning to dirt.

Did something i shouldn't,
Said yes,
Rather...made someone else,
Forced him back to mine,
And laid his love on the line,
His partner would disapprove,
But the world it did move,
He had me and i had him,
Skin to skin.

Walking down the one way street,
Heading for home,
Crushing autumn leaves under my feet,
The coldness biting my bones,
Takes a while,
Missing smile,
Slow,
Slow,
Slow.

Feelings,
Emotions,
Laughing in a solitary silence,
The bombs; such sounds,
Pain and hurt,
A body uncovered,
A body revealed,
A body discovered,
Another man killed,
A disguise,
A facade,
A dance of joy,
This bear he marches,
This bear,
No more.

(This poem is dedicated to the brave men and women who battled and served for their country in 1914 - 1918. May we never forget!)

(Song title from The Beatles’ catalogue, by Harrison)

Something in your touch comforts me,
Like a baby upon mothers knee,
I am secure and sense no fragility,
Somehow I trust you implicitly.

Something in your kiss just astounds,
Like a bird calling his sunrise sounds,
I am amazed by the tenderness I’ve found,
Somehow your lips kiss me so profound.

(Song title from “The Sound Of Music” by Rodgers and Hammerstein)

They have called me cruel and evil,
And their words drove daggers to my spine,
I feel the pain as my blood is shed,
Dare to do something good this time.

Sorrow,
Still tomorrow,
Unless I die,
Must get high,
Take a trip,
Pills I'm slipped.

Sorrow,
Something to borrow,
To make me smile,
For a brief while,
Feel like trash,
They paid ME cash.

Sorrow,
Sorrow,
Please take tomorrow.

(Song title from Michael Jacksons’ catalogue, by Michael Jackson)

Left behind *******,
It drove me insane,
Sent electricity to my brain,
Gave up ******,
Left me looking thin,
Couldn’t remember where I had been,
Speed demon, that’s me,
Helps me become free,
Where I become what I want to be.

Although all that remains is dust,
I feel your spirit rise above,
Though time has past and your plaque now rusts,
I feel your spirit rise above,
Now the funeral smoke has cleared,
I feel your spirit rising high,
Time now diminishes all I feared,
I feel your spirit rising high.

The sky has turned a peculiar grey,
As they stand at the grave,
Holding back the tears and growing fears,
Holding to the life you gave,
Your country won’t forget but memories are short,
The image they have is of anguish,
But now your body rests in eternal slumber,
They need you by there side- they can only wish.

I have to stand you up,
I can’t go on this date with you tonight,
You’ve opened up a wound,
And taken blissful safety from my sight.

I have to stand you up,
I’m an insecure and vulnerable soul,
You’ve made me face myself,
The mirror shows an empty, darkened soul.

I have to stand you up,
I won’t allow this parade to go on,
My secrets need to hide,
I have to stand you up, I must be gone.

I stood staring into the coffin,
And saw my eyes looking back at me,
Petrified by the gaunt expression,
A face that's given in to depression,
And hurting,
Still hurting,
Oh hurting,
And never any peace.

I stood staring into the coffin,
And saw a face destroyed by the drugs,
Devastated by the traps of lies,
A glimpse of a tear as i start to cry,
I'm burning,
still burning,
Oh burning,
And never any peace.

I stood staring into the coffin,
And saw my heart resting in its depth,
Solitude and the pain of living,
A beat that refuses to start giving,
I'm dying,
Still dying,
Oh dying,
And never any peace.

Surrounded by reasons I should stay,
I try to follow you,
I still burn for you,
Would turn for you,
Would break, bend and banish for you,
But steel bars hold me captive,
And no matter how much I cry,
How many times I crack and snap,
The rods of bitter steel stand up,
Proud against my raging.

Sometimes i pray to whom i don't know,
Hands clasped,
Eyes down,
Like a desperate bingo player,
Asking for your forgivness,
Asking to be set free,
Free from my daily guilt and pain,
I beg that you stick around,
Stick by my side if i do bad again,
When i'm sad, bad, mad and doing wrong,
Stick around,
Stick around i pray,
Eyes down,
Hands clasped,
This i sometimes pray.

More than two years have flown away,
Since the day you were raised to become a star,
To float among the heavens, to find your way,
I am always with you though you've travelled far,
The only thing i beg is that in my heart you'll stay,
Though your body is time from home I'll know where you are.

I'm still in love with you for all the world you shared,
I'm sorry that your hand wasn't held as you faded down,
The only thing you need to know is that nobody else compares,
I'll always be your lover, i'll always be your clown,
Please rest for ever in peace and take me if you care,
You'll live forever in my memory, my face a constant frown.

My eyes are bleeding the tears that cut me deep inside,
I was tried like a villain in a court of single-sides,
I was beaten on the rocks like the ever-changing tides,
As the beast of the great grey honesty opened its jaws up wide,
I struggle to be who i am,
I struggle to be free,
I struggle with my reflection,
I struggle with being me.

You touched me,
Since then my life has been changed,
I walk with my head up high,
I am proud,
So proud to call you my love,
The only one i adore.

You held me,
Suddenly it all made sense,
There are no questions to ask,
In your arms,
Feel as light as a young cloud,
My feet float above the floor.

Gun against my head,
In my mouth,
Blood on my bed,
**** my world,
Pours to the ground deep red.

(Song title from Ella Fitzgerald’s catalogue,
by G. & I. Gershwin and D. Heyward)

Bright, glorious sunshine pours in,
Seeping through my blind,
It’s always a joy to watch summertime begin,
And explore the shadows I find,
The colours of the garden shimmer,
And the sky ripples like diamond blue seas,
The butterflies swoop and slide and glimmer,
And my breath is taken by the gentle breeze.

(The child born on the Sabbath Day is bonny, blithe and good and gay.)

Arise, arise,
Scarlet skies,
Hidden sighs,
Prayers at night,
Moving light,
Sunday sights,
Religious dreams,
Woven seams,
Eyes gleam,
Prayers at night,
Moving light,
Sunday sights.

Puffed up feathers,
Touring the planet like a Satanic God,
A peacock with an entourage,
Spitting, spouting, spreading your words,
Your verbal diseases,
“Burn them; Blame them, Better than them”.

Such ignorance,
Such hate,
And yet you call yourselves supreme.

(Song title from Al Jolson’s catalogue,
by George and Ira Gershwin)

The river of my heart is wider than the Swanee,
Deeper than the Atlantic Ocean I run,
But I cannot find a boat to sail me to the answers,
The answers to the questions,
The answers I need to hear the most.

Small and tainted black,
Four reaching prongs that spiral,
Spin, draw you in,
Seen with ****** eyes; traumatised,
Violence of ignorance,
Slaughter.

(Song title from Anita Baker’s catalogue,
by Anita Baker, Louis A. Johnson & Gary Bias)

Alone in my cave I dream,
I dream of the things I miss,
My friendships, my family,
My sweet love, my life,
I miss her arms and miss her face,
I miss her legs and miss her embrace,
I miss her smell and miss her kiss,
I miss her when I reminisce.