Dress all your jokes
With forgetfulness
And a pinch of spice
And make him laugh
On your scars
He may like the taste of it

I
almost died then,
A newcomer to love's enchanting light,
With a soul untouched, a world yet to be seen,
I plunge headlong, into the ocean's heart,
Caution I flung away, with a defiant stroke,
**** I gargled with water, and spit,
Wisdom's counsel, I stubbornly ignored,
My freedom I traded, for love’s promised land,
In that embrace, bonds quickly took their hold,
Eight years a blink, and all I held was gone,
I lost myself, and all I thought I’d be,
The meanings I’d nurtured, turned into a wail.
The weight I carried, felt heavier than bone,
My first love lost, a wound that cut so deep.

A
beacon of hope, where darkness had remained,
My life’s compass recalibrated and true,
Sixteen years cemented, a friendship built to last,
A friendship etched in hues, that time could not erase,
A masterpiece of moments, and memories,
A spark ignited, in the heart’s inner core,
Two souls entwined, and wanting something more,
And yet, when push came to shove,
And the winds of wrath blew, our fragile bond did break,
Shattered like glass, our trust lay frayed,
The paths diverged, a story foretold,
A love grown cold, that warmed our hearts no more.
Again I teetered on the edge, of life’s abyss,
My second fall out of love, the abyss once more in sight,
A second blow, extinguishing what felt right.

A
gainst the storms fierce howl, I bravely fought,
A miracle of sorts, a twist of fate’s design,
A vibrant verse of friendship, in colours so bright,
Reigns of laughter, echoing through the months,
A bond of trust, forged in time’s own fire,
My Heart, once empty, sang a sweet tune,
Where others faltered, we weathered every storm,
My third love had arrived, a welcome, sweet surprise.
With each shared moment, our hearts grew close and warm,
On days of sunshine, Joy filled every space,
And in the moon’s soft glow, we found love’s warm embrace.
On days of darkness, our words became our swords,
When whispers turned to screams, our fragile peace would shake.
Then silence fell, a chilling, empty space,
A vacant chair, a love I can’t replace,
Gone in the blink of an eye, a whispered name,
Leaving me hollow, consumed by grief’s dark flame.
Betrayal struck, and shadows followed close,
The vows we made, now broken and undone,
On the precipice of void, once more I stood,
My fragile hold on life, almost destroyed.
For this love’s return, my heart will still believe.

the girl
gauzy dress
tattered and torn
burning
breathless through brambles
reaching a river
pursued
panting
she must cross it
take a step into
freezing water
numbing bones
shaking shivering
pale skin and blue lips
trip
and
fall
hands fall forwards
trying to catch
whatever is left of yourself
but pieces crumble and scatter
on mossy rocks
sharper than they
look
howling dogs and
snarling men
filthy
hunting
they will be here soon
so get up
because there is no more time
to lie here
and wish you are not
the girl
who was maybe once loved
face down
in frigid murky water
the only company in death
those who persecute her
as her pale body
begins to rot
even god
starts to
forget
about her
first
her hands
then
her face
then
her hair
until there is
nothing
left
so that when the dogs
frothing lips
raised fur
and the men
roaring voices
savage thoughts
arrive
the girl is gone
nothing left of her but a
whisper of wind
and the scent of sandalwood
and strawberries
and summer days
long forgotten
but now remembered by those
who never knew them
maybe god didnt forget her
maybe he saved her

When half the world turns cold and fades to grey,
The flowers weep, their colors torn apart,
And light surrenders, lost without its ray.

The skies once blazed with gold at break of day,
Now hollow specters whisper in the dark—
When half the world turns cold and fades to grey.

The rivers, once alive in bright array,
Flow silent now, as if they’ve lost their heart,
And light surrenders, lost without its ray.

The echoes of a sun too weak to stay
Stretch long across the fields that fall apart—
When half the world turns cold and fades to grey.

No songbird dares to lift a tune in play,
Their voices muted, broken from the start,
And light surrenders, lost without its ray.

Yet still, I hope the hues will find their way,
That color will return where shadows start,
When half the world turns cold and fades to grey,
And light surrenders, lost without its ray.