To love when other people
feel happy in themselves
is the best bit of human

seeing other’s smiles
and feeling their confidence,
resilience, bliss or comfort rise
makes being alive make sense

The claws of jealousy,
covered in fibre-glass bristles,
can make you believe
that their gain is your loss
which is utter toss

Switch to embracing their joy
and you’ll employ your own

The past fades, it must,
alas! you fade to dust,
oblivion be thy death,
you are but a phantom,
words be thy breath,
mine in writing them.

Vicariously,
you pull through,
A man merely has one
yet this one gives life to two?
One as elegant and lovely,
her immortality
deserved to be made true,
words be thy breath,
mine in writing them.

Dreams be thy eyes,
mine sinking in them,
hours, days, months,
passed and to come,
Our kin never dies,
never did, never will.

I am a bit of a thief,
a killer king
stealing things
that are not mine,
to write
another line.

I pilfered
the filtered
through which others see,
to expand
the breadth
of what I understand.

I leveraged
past experiences,
to supplement my view
that despite my ambitions
come off slightly skewed.

I even bargained
and borrowed
my voice
from tomorrow,
so I could pass
pleasant wisdom
down to
all who
come to
view
this poetry
I wrote.

Living vicariously through others' lives,
but it's still not enough..

I grew inside of you,
inheriting your black hair and high cheeks.
Your mischievous mouth and sharp tongue,
cutting men into slivers.
Your lofty laughter rises as they turn the other way in shame.

I survived outside of you,
two months too early.
A fragile ember, latching onto you like tinder.
I took your strong legs and boyish stance
long strides on a path neither of us could see well.

I have your blood and your breath and your life.
Clones and clones of mitochondria.

Yours and mine, we
are each other.

But Mother, you cannot live in me,
as I did in you.
My skin is hot and burning,
my spark now a blaze.

Even the wind of your laugh
And water of your blood,
I will boil and consume until it is all vapors and dust.

Heading for the next election,
Votes vied for by vicarious politicians,
Who are we all voting for?
Is it for their superannuation? Or,
Streamlining services to sway us,
Does Oz really needs such fuss?
We're walking on the winning side,
Let's have some more Hi-fives!
Debates due no direction,
Teen brain selfie obsessions,
These are our politicians,
It's a short, amusing ride,
Someone pass vicarious pesticide!!!