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Nat Lipstadt Sep 2023
“The executioner’s face is always well hidden”

a Bob Dylan lyric

<>
mine own “ex,” in chest encased, silent, with grimacing smile,
happy to be of sir-vice, sent home unhappy, cause his cut,
not quite deep enough
this time,
though nearly succeeded,
but his biz is an-all-or-none inclusive Swifty tour, disillusioned,
he don’t get paid unless he brings my punched ticket to a glorious
sadness conclusion

someone asked (axed in local accent) if I’m nearer my god
having survived despite my best efforts at self destruction,
to which I’m smiling when uttering a “heartfelt prayer” of
Hell No!

cause the channel always been open and either side can initiate when so desired, the gates of love always open,
so wasn’t surprised when playing with my matches,
he went silent, but knew fully well, Mr. G a risk taker,
put his roulette chips on a “basket bet,” (1)
needing a double 00, to collect,
because, shoot, the timing was good…

Me?

ain’t naive enough to hope that a prayerful request
would not be met with a “now you want some intercession?”
and a heavenly sneer, cause we always been perfectly clear,
with each other, ask and you won’t receive, and none of that
what have you done for me lately razzamatazz,
nah, the record impurities gray
and no pencil erasures allowed…

knowing that the executioner will be back’ round someday,
my wounded heart too tempting to pass up twice, and
that’s ok, this old man learned to live with
a not entirely pleasant uncertainty,

”This old man, he played one,

He played knick-knack on my thumb;

With a knick-knack paddywhack,

Give the dog a bone,

This old man came rolling home.”


but he didn’t play two, having no kazoo!
Basket Bet

(1)
A basket bet, also known as a five-number bet, is where you bet that either 0, 00, 1, 2, or 3 will hit. It’s always these five roulette numbers. Since you need the 00 to make this bet happen, it’s limited to American roulette.
Sadie Grace Aug 2023
She used to be alive
Not hanging on by a thread
Not worrying if she’d survive
She was living life instead
Then the lights went out
And the fears began to shout
And she sat in the dark with no desire to face another day
Out of place, out of grace
She retraced all the ways she had failed
Then she thought why waste another day?
There’s nothing left to say
Nothing left but today
Plans already underway
But there must be a reason to stay
Written the day before I went inpatient
Nat Lipstadt Jul 2023
early daylight across my face sweeping,
gingerly ginger-yellow heated by the low-
risen sun, it confirms what my beating heart
yet signals, granted us, a new twenty and four,

but no more,

for certainty is not a human condition, so we cover
our eyes, not from the sun-rays, but in deference and
thankfulness and  gratitude, that we have one more chance
to the world distribute, blessed human loving kindness, unique,
the greatest gift most excellent we human possess to give away freely!

Jewely 23, Twenty Twenty Three
8:30am
Amanda Kay Burke Jul 2023
I cannot escape memories
Absence haunts all I do
When eyes close your face is what mind sees
Every place I go there are traces of you
No matter where I go or what I do I feel you there
Robin Carretti Jun 2023
FACE-IT

              Fix- it

      Don't -force- it
  *        *        *        *      
Show- it and embrace- it

Facing a timeless jade
Old show façade
Not a test or a grade
Is it old Holiday Parade?
Old show face privacy
Confidence meet bravery
Facelift grave yard shift
  
*        *        *        *
Oldster-Hipster-once
A-Youngster-Cra­nkier
Scrooge old geezer
*      
       *
Old City Mobster
Old show face
Gets riskier on the run
Once young gun

Serene but sassier
Getting up earlier
New show wiser
In the right place
Old show face
We are all getting older but wiser with time we need to face it  and embrace it
Mrs Timetable Apr 2023
Seeing her turn around
Watching him
Walk into the room
Both adorned
Made his way to her
Leaned over the row of chairs
Her upper body pulled towards him
An embrace
His left hand
On her long dark hair
Disheveled upon where
Her neck meets her face
And then a sweet kiss
On her bloomed cheek
Meant just for her

Everything in my mind stopped...
This meant so many things to them
Hello my love
How are you? My best friend
My future
All the meanings of love
But
I've seen this before
Havent I?
Ever so openly
Simply done
When a older one kisses a baby
A mate kisses you goodnight
Kissing someone you've missed
This simple expression

But this
So secretly beautiful
In full view
Kindness and respect
For each other

In my mind
I looked around
And asked myself
Was I the only one
Who saw it the way I did?
True story.

I love it when a man puts his hand on a womans face and kisses her. I melt.
Psych-o-rangE Oct 2022
\
I'm not as half as beautiful as this man
/
But he's a Halfie like you
\
He's got no acne, I got scars on my face
/
But scars go away
\
Scars are scars they stay
/
No, they heal
\
Oh well, what can I say?
Savio Fonseca Sep 2022
Like Flowers My Life got wilted,
despite the pouring Rain.
The One whom I most needed,
left Me in Agony and Pain.
Trust when broken, is Poison.
It seeps right thru your Head.
Creeping into your whole System.
Leaving U good as Dead.
I thought She would trust Me.
I thought She would Care.
I thought She truly Loved Me
and would always be There.
I now........no longer feel so Open.
I don't wish to show My Face.
I find Life, is so very Cruel.
After My love lost it's Race.
Psych-o-rangE Sep 2022
3 years
I find a new place
3 years
I wear a new face
3 years
I carry my shame
3 years
I burden my brain

Am I the variable, or a constant in march
It's never too bright and it's never too dark
A rolling snowball or a forest in fire
Border planted flags do not inspire
Steve Page Sep 2022
I look into her face, curiously more familiar, more frequent now on her departure. And particularly more prominent in profile.  
I look into her face and see the easy smile that comes with age and with the assurance of knowing herself and her place in the bigger scheme of things, particularly in the scheme of relatively earthly royalty and the ultimately heavenly King.
I look into her face and recall it in prayer at her husband's funeral, and imagine it now at rest, in darkness and in joy, in a brighter light.
I look into her face, on my pound coin, in the corner of my letter, on the street bill board, on the front of the paper, on every channel, an image etched in my mind's eye, a loud echo of a lifetime of consistency and service.  
I look and then in a prayer thank her God and my God for gifting us this servant queen, who lived well and only fell once she had done enough to help ensure others' lives were better for her being there.
And I pray for our king, that his long apprentiship in her firm serves him well and serves us well as we walk on together, into the unknown, in thanks for the service of leaders.
Queen Elizabeth II, 1926 - 2022
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