the road to no-where
who travels this lonely road
is there a finish

Brian Hill - 2020 # 224

He said: “Let’s start.”
She said: “It’s the end.”

I have held love in the palm of my hand.
Sifting it through my fingers cautiously.
Holding its sweet down against my skin.
Tightening my grip, to squeeze all it has.
Lost within the confines, my world collapsed.
So, beating the door, I begin again.
Another moment, another soft sigh.
Another cycle, another way to die.
Embracing the lavender, I slip to sleep.

Feel the joy, in this race,
adore the clouds
smell the flowers,
Forget the finish line
It's a start
to a brand new race!

I  live back always on my day
7 years aged and the day I was made.
From my bed I hear the phone ring,
The kitchen echoed the strike of a match
Cigarette, the smoke scent sounds my alarm
I knew who was on the other side,
I tried, it just didn’t work, those were different times
The teacher, the bearer of School, antagonist
I  knew the result,
he tore into my room  lifting me from my bed by my hair
nothing  between me and the strap
thrown stomach to the ground, peering under the dresser
storm windows placed behind for summer storage
the glass revealed my reflection
my eyes were wide, and I gazed into myself,
Lost in my head eyes growing strong and, in my mind, “Nothing last forever”
His holler fads into the background,
This was far from the first, but this day I became aware
deep into my eyes.
light flashed through my body on the first blows strike And I turned the intended pain to galvanizing pleasure.
Reflecting in the glass, the impact recoiled the small body from the floor, and I am stronger,
“Nothing last forever”
Not a tear dropped, not a blow felt, I’m bigger than pain, aged 7 years
The day I was made.
Now I can take any anguish, and everything passes.

This glorious life and my time laden in adventure
All from the day I was made.

expressionless and with a stare that seemed alien
the driftwood form floated and tossed in the violent sea
not knowing where IT had been or where IT would finish
tossing and turning, relying on the forces of nature for guidance
direction towards land is more then IT could hope for
soon the chaos and turmoil of the sea stopped
was IT on sand or still drifting out there in the void
IT seemed to be motionless when a blurred image appeared
not being able to recognize what IT was
not understanding ITs newfound sensations
not realizing IT was using a sense of sight
was there more to this image that understanding would support
what is this occurrence
is this simple, is this another new unknown excitement
is this even genuine
soon, IT appeared to be lifting up, being held quite gently by something
or someone
IT was suddenly and abruptly raised up and all ITs new sensations ceased
what was this, what was ITs final feeling
IT had been found...!

Brian Hill - 2020 # 106

I don't often dance this dance
of pretense and make believe
but when I do
I dance with you
to find blessed relief

I rarely put in all my effort
to find such great release
but when I do
I dance with you
until I feel relief

I don't often fall
to final rest in disbelief
but when I do
I dance with you
and find final reprieve

At last.