tu me manqueras

chaque fois que je respire la fraîcheur du matin
chaque jour où nous ne sommes pas ensemble
chaque nuit où je m'endors

chaque goutte dans l'océan se sentira vide sans toi à mon côté
chaque fois que j'entends un oiseau chanter, mon cœur sautera un battement
chaque sensation d'une belle journée d'été me semblera faible et banale

me manqueront les sourires et les blagues
les larmes et les sous-entendus

toutefois, je t'aurai toujours ici
près de moi
car tu es à tout jamais dans mon cœur

as the silence falls between us,
as the world falls into darkness,
we know not who could redeem us,
stranded, dazed amidst the heartless...

yet our will is never broken,
lest we live and die in vain,
for we know: gods must be joking,
our life is but a game...

qu'est-ce qu'on fait
sans fumer
sans alcool

bien sûr
on peut rêver
trouver des choses amusantes
des sens nouveaux
des amis drôles

on peut voyager partout
particulièrement au-dedans de nous-même

on peut chanter les chansons d'amour et de tristesse
on peut remercier les dieux et les voisins

fumer et boire sont pas essentiels

mais il y a quelque chose
que nous offre un certain regard
sur et dans nous-mêmes

sans juger
sans douter
sans rigoler

avec toute l'acceptation
et toute la grâce

quand on part

on dit pas adieu aux armes

on dit salut à larmes

and just like that
off we went
setting our course
for uncharted waters

full to the brim
with hopes, ideas, memories
free at last
of values, tastes, prejudices
that weren’t even ours, to begin with

a mere word, said en passant,
was the very wind filling our sails
our hearts the wheel
our eyes the rudder

whatever storms we might face,
whatever perils lie in wait,
we shall overcome

for the ship we’re on
is called ‘love’

qu'est-ce qu'une branche ?
ce n'est qu'un membre d'un membre
une ligne dans le sable
une réminiscence, un scintillement
de ce qui fut
et de ce qui aurait pu être
des temps passés
et d'avenirs n'ont jamais eu
des oiseaux qui chantent
et des feuilles qui tombent
des fleurs parfumées
et des baies couleur de vin

c'est quelque chose
qui n'est ni vivant ni mort
tout comme moi

parfois, pourtant
une branche n'est qu'une branche

can you feel my pulse?
you sure it's there?
coz i'm not

it's been quite some time
since i became a ghost
and all you hear
is but an echo

yet, your hand in mine,
i feel warm and needed
and that's all i ask for

ain't been this alive
in years

it's summertime
but is the living easy?

the sun still shines
the moon still smiles back

the days are long
and wild and breezy
those silver linings
time has lost its track

it's up to you
to make a choice and live it
it's in your hands
to still the hands of time

your dreams - so warm
and wild and vivid

it's summertime
the fields of gold divine

isn't it strange
we exist all at once?
we diverge, we dissolve, we domino

we combust, we consume, we concur
to the point of gross misdemeanors

coming to
we ask
(be it ourselves or total strangers)
the only question
that matters
all for naught? what of it?
we keep falling into old patterns

we patch up, torn inside
on the mend, yet we hide
our true nature
as if there were no future

and we cry, and we sing,
and we laugh, and we dance...

shake it off, be yourself
let it go, bad romance

...

we exist
all at once
for a reason
no doubt

once you find it
gimme a shout

can't fight the moonlight
can't fight this feeling
tell me i'm all right
show me the meaning

can't find my feet
push comes a-shoving
routine deceit
they stand for nothing

can't buy my love
get me a beer
hearts split in half
so loud and clear

you want me back
i want you forward
i'm worth a pack
when i get cornered

you toe the line
i flout conventions
you live a lie
i'm fifth dimension

i light it up
you put it out
i shan't give up
you always doubt

when i is you
and you is me
we realise
what we can be

go tell the bees
that i am gone
not on my knees
but proud and strong

from sea i shine
from hills i ring
the world is mine
of love i sing

can't fight the moonlight
can't fight this feeling
can't hold me back
coz i'm a-healing

some amass power
some amass knowledge
counting the hours
bland is their porridge

some wallow in darkness
others shed light
some dare to endeavour
others sit tight

some lost forever
some never found
acting so clever
their spirit unbound

some choose to cater
some not to care
"i'll see ya later"
"i'll always be there"

some make a fortune
some make ends meet
some tread with caution
others drive from backseat

some are forever
some for a day
some are like flowers
others like rain

23-xii-22

I see you, o wintry wind
I feel you, my pale autumn sky
I hear you, my pain within
I heed you, o freedom cry

I hug you, o falling star
I smell you, my wide-eyed youth
I fear you, my friend from afar
I love you, my bitter truth

15 xi 22

when the time is right
when your heart is healed
you embrace the light
searing truth to heed

when the moment calls
when your conscience's clear
beauty to behold
you protect what's dear

when the angels sing
when the die is cast
you are everything
make this moment last...

i never chose him
never wanted him
never trusted him

knew he's a fraud
from day one

liar, crook, worm
not a thing gentle,
loving or pure about him

thinks himself
some fracking messiah

all the same
not even a common imp

it's on us
he rose so high
dizzied by his false might

the fall won't be only his
everyone's going down alongside

and in his agony
he will say

BURN THEM ALL!

mad king that he is

jaime, we need you now
more than ever

oathkeeper

some people are oceans
some people like puddles
some people are wizards
yet others like muggles

but don't dim your colours
for those deeming them bright
there will always be someone
in love with your light

you dance with strangers - gifting them your smile
a treasure i called mine (if only for a while)
you laugh at perils when your life's at stake
you live the dream while i'm not quite awake

you wear your finest silks, the world is your stage
new faces every day - befitting of the age
your beauty changes hands of those who hardly care
i'm left to rue the loss, i find it hard to bear

you're dancing with a stranger - wish it was me instead
moved on so fast, you have - it's messing with my head
don't think i'm getting back that part of me i've lost
you dance with strangers - i'm dancing with your ghost

When you unweave a rainbow
It won't become less wonderful

You'll still admire it
Worship it - in a sense -
Stunned by its perennial beauty

When you unravel the sunset
You won't sink into despair
Feeling being lied to or worse -
Being lost for good

'Coz you'll find the light within
You'll have the strength to do what's right

When you unweave a rainbow
You'll share in its undying light

It's been a month
A month of horror, despair and pain
It still hurts

It's been a month
A month of hope, kindness and unity
I'm still speechless

We have never been so different
We have never been closer still

It's been a month
Why then, does it feel like yesterday?

everything i stand for is alien here
everything i despise is rife
death is glorified at every corner
and trampled upon is life

you're not supposed to speak
but you're required to believe
kindness is called weak
and you're not allowed to grieve

war is peace, they say
ignorance is strength
now i find myself cast away
where lies are being fed at length

i gaze, unblinking, into the abyss
it gazes back, calling my name
i've always felt there's something amiss
with this wicked, cruel game

the game i chose not to play
the game that has no rules
the game you can't expect to win
the game so loved by fools

our life
is but a bunch of chords
stringed together -
some happy, some sad,
some pensive, some tense

we play along,
we get rhythm,
we explore,
we discover

until the string
is cut short

do we get an encore?

how could an angel break my heart?
its pieces shimmer in my hands.
it's time for our ways to part -
for pastures greener, promised lands...

i know someday my heart will mend,
i've faith someday my mind will heal,
a time shall come to love again -
and bit by bit i'll learn to feel...

now that my angel broke my heart,
i hold back tears and carry on.
and even when anew i start,
i'll wear this scar until i'm gone...

i'm left speechless
by the din of the crowd
and even when i do utter things
my voice is drowned

my brave heart
that once moved mountains
is now in hiding
exiled by the cruel world
it had to face

still, my spirit shines bright
like a diamond
for those able to see

are you one of them?

Let’s act like we fly
Let’s float like we high
Let’s pretend we aight
Tryna light up the night!

All the world's a stage
We ain’t acting strange
For once the real deal
Don’t make a meal

Just chill

we talk about the pain
and what we stand to gain
and all things in between:
the sweet caress, the joy, the spleen

in circles - round and round
no move feels like it's sound
we swell, then we dry up
we fight, but then give up

we talk about the pain
and what we stand to lose
it's but a flipping shame
the life we gladly choose

down the street
i walk and stumble
seeking each and every trouble

falling over
slip and slide
on the verge of suicide

holding hands with my beloved
raise my eyes:
hey there! we rock it?

toot the tune,
demean demeanour...
dreamy soul and soulful dreamer

i move on, astute and weary
topping cakes with one drunk cherry

up the street
i go and climb
you with me? one hella ride!

Leave the rut
The comfort zone
Let the magic happen

Be yourself
Not someone else
Needn't any shepherds

You're a star
You're meant to shine
Leave the hate to others

Be yourself
No matter what
Proudly wear your colours

A long goodbye
Your smile fading
It caught my eye
Still masquerading

We wear no masks
Yet true we aren't
Many a time
So badly burnt

We cannot stay
We cannot leave
We never lie
But don't believe

It's time to say
Our time is up
And overflowing
Is our cup

The chalice
That we chose ourselves
We've been to heaven
And a thousand hells

It's not goodbye
It's but a 'see you'
In love with you until I die
I pray I never get to see you

you
your past
and letting go

frozen heart
and drifting snow

warmth within you
dark without

sunshine
nurture
vernal sprout

summer
wine
and ocean blue

letting go
you come to YOU

today i fina try again
and it don't mean you ain't my friend
i'm moving on, i'm moving past
the things i thought would always last

to say i'm scared is to understate
do have this feeling that i'm tempting fate
but bold i go and deep i dive
to find my soul is still alive

i spread my wings and off i fly
i fina live before i die
embrace my spirit, up my game
rekindle my forsaken flame

today i fina start anew
unlearn again all that i knew
i dare to dream, i dare to do
try and keep up - i dare you

I was jealous of the Moon:
Hanging there,
No thoughts,
No worries...
Poet's most beloved boon.
Feature of so many stories...

Then She smiled and said to me:
Hang in there!
Let go of worries...
Perfect just the way you are,
Carve your own path to glory!

a billion stars above
is all I ever asked for
my wish has been granted
many times over
lit is the path before me
every soul a star

Tomorrow
I'm going to try again
Tomorrow
I will thrive
Even if today
It feels like
I'm the world's most broken,
Miserable man
I shall once more feel alive

Tomorrow
I will take the road
I have never taken before
And paint the world gold
And be afraid no more

Tomorrow
My dreams will come true
Tomorrow
I will rise and shine
Tomorrow
There will be no you
And the world will be mine

we wave and smile
we pretend
brave faces worn
until the end

the end is bitter
yet so sweet
no need to lie
no point to cheat

and free at last
relieved, we sigh
our time is up
the end is nigh

love was in the air that day
i took your hand
you held my gaze

skin on skin
breathing softly
we set the world ablaze

the night was young
the moon was smiling
the stars shone bright

dusk 'til dawn
a thousand times over
felt so alive

the beat
the everlasting
never-ending pulse
the heat
dreaming
no music but house
city lights
teasing, fooling around
shaking through and through
i feel the presence of the sound
although i have no clue
pulsating within me
vibrating around
that's how i like my music
fast and furious
as a hound
tearing the silence apart
melodies go for a twist
owner of a lonely heart
never lost in the mist.

i breathe in
i breathe out
crossing fingers
black out

down my drink
tryina think
i don't blink
why do you?

got somena hide?
take it in your stride!

ride wit me
vibe wit me
be dope wit me
got hope wit me

rubbin shoulders
breaking boulders
we giants
ain't said we compliant

hate the game
not the player
ain't no shame
say a prayer

for yoself
and for us

what's the fuss?

we be  levitatin
xmas yet?
we celebratin

Break the rules - not promises
Break the chains - not hearts

Make amends - not enemies
Make a brand new start

Take a stance - not hostages
Take control - not lives

Do what's right - not easier
Dream like butterflies

Have the guts to be yourself
Have the grace to go

Love yourself no matter what
Let your spirit glow

love - like water - tends to find a way
time - relentless - always has its say
pain - life's shadow - never goes away
senseless, lost and empty - just another day

i'm thirty six now
thrice a rat
and i must say
it ain't that bad

you'd think i'd shed a tear
or two
but after all
the sky's still blue
the sun still shines
the rain still falls
my fam would even take my calls

i'm frens with cats
i'm frens with dogs
some people too
a couple hogs

i walk and saunter
skip and hop
taking my time
around the block

i'm looking back
and all i see:
those things i did
were meant to be

i'm looking forth
and realise:
you can't prepare
for each surprise
that life may throw
at you or yours
you can't predict
as to which doors
will blow wide open
unexpected
and which will ever
be protected

no key, no lock
how to get past?
to secrets guarded
fierce and fast...

another thirty six to live?
so full of joy, and toil, and grief...
or, one day, have just what it takes
to boldly go and up the stakes?..

mid-summer autumn
rat three times
feels good as hell!
unshod and blithe...

El aire huele a otoño,
Las nubes grises me saludan hoy.
Estoy rodando junto a mi retoño,
Me preguntando: donde, donde voy...

Y no encuentro la respuesta.
Sólo me gusta el calor
Que resplandece en nosotros
Viviendo dentro el olor.

Près de toi, je rêve encore.
Près de toi, il n'y a pas de souci.
Avec toi je lâche mon cœur
Et ma vie est déjà réussie.

De toi viennent toutes choses :
L’amour, la paix, le bonheur…
Le monde est plein de métamorphoses,
Mais près de toi, chante sans arrêt mon cœur !

The dog is black, the cat is white.
The mouse is grey - both day and night!
The grass is green, the sky is blue
And when I'm hurt, i turn to you.

The rose is sweet, the lemon sour.
The minute short - so is the hour...
But long and painful is my due -
That which I pay when there's no you.

we came from space
to space we shall return
to join the void
and the stars that burn

our endless lust
for wand'ring the unknown
our utmost joy
when (safe and sound) we're home

our sense of wonder
taking baby steps
our first endeavours
in this world and the next

from space we came
to space shall we return
to cross the void
and watch new stars get born

enjoy the little things
they're everywhere you look
a smile on your beloved's lips
a photograph you took

a cup of tea to warm your hands
a record on repeat
a cat - yes, he's a pest! -
who rubs against your feet

a morning ray of light
to gently wake you up
a calm and silent night
a soft and tender hug

a hearty meal made just for you
a tune you gladly sing
a smiley face you daughter drew
a moment to slow down and think

enjoy the things you have for free
the air, the sun, the love
enjoy and one day you shall see
your life fits like a glove

Put pen to paper
- it's so simple -
And wield the might
Of countless words!

Be brave and daring
Or... be nimble:
Your thoughts can be
As sharp as swords.

Pick up a pencil
- pen a poem -
Enlighten, thrill and entertain!
But once it does spring from your *****,
What sway is there to retain?..

The words you say
Are gone forever!
Life of their own,
So free at last!

By humbly scribbling
You endeavour
To stay the future and the past...

Partake in pleasure
- pure and proper -
Both art and craft, it's eons old!

Tread lightly!
There's a world on offer,
A slew of stories to be told.

I dream of you
Each time I close my eyes.
The image burnt,
My retina street-wise.
I think of you
With every breath I take.
My mind enthralled,
My life, forlorn, at stake.
I miss you lots
With every passing day:
Then found, now lost...
I don't believe and yet I pray!
To life, to love, to dreams,
To friends who don't just disappear,
To hope, to joy, to you...
So far - and yet so near.

when i hear the words 'on fire'
i picture strikers scoring goals,
with skill and prowess to admire -
not self-immolating blue-clad girls

the game can be so cruel...
are you as free as you think you are?
your views and wishes can lead to ruin,
yet your beliefs will get you far

our never-ending dream of a world of equality,
no borders - within or without
some might say you're of inferior quality
but have they a clue about

your struggles, your hardships, your toil?..
your designs they shan't ever foil
your eyes and your heart, shining bright,
will burn right through the day and the night

be the spark and light the fire!
a revolution of love -
something to remember and admire
be the last one to have a laugh

mid-autumn summer
thirty-five
(the things I know I did get right)

not ripe, ain't old
and neither young
no saint, no hero,
still unsung

midsummer autumn
feels like a dream...
so much to do
so much unseen

mid-autumn summer
starry-eyed
as wise as serpents
still a child

midsummer fall
amidst the leaves...
the snows shall come
only to leave

mid-autumn summer
feels like a song
so full of colour!
and before long

all systems go
and I - with them,
in shock and awe
to Bethlehem

midsummer autumn
-- like a stage --
what do you mean by
"Act your age"?

mid-autumn summer
feels like gold...
it cannot stay,
it shan't I hold

midsummer autumn
barren trees
at five-and-thirty
I am free

mid-autumn summer
thirty-five
too old to live
too young to die

The world was bare,
Nothing happened,
And naught evolved,
Things were so stiff.

There was no light.
No darkness, either.
Forms were all shapeless.
Time stood still.

Then, all at once,
The matter sparkled,
Ideas thrived,
High spirits soared.

Built were the bodies,
Art was artful,
Design exquisite,
Visions bold.

As of today...
What have we gotten?
Where are the wit,
The bloom, the charm?

Haven’t we all
But long forgotten
To say our farewells to arms?

We cannot know
What’s drawing near.
We cannot see
Too far ahead.

But shall we swear –
So loud and clear –
To cherish love,
Both born and bred?

When loneliness creeps in
To take a hold of you,
It gnaws you from within.
There isn’t much to do.

Your heart by gnarly limbs
Confined, desires no more.
Your thoughts so dark and dim,
And closed is every door.

But – as all worldly things –
It, too, shall one day pass.
There’ll be new songs to sing
Beside your bonnie lass.

Bridges burn and rivers dry,
Kingdoms turn to ashes.
We live on, not knowing why
Eons feel like flashes.

Trees grow old and stars collide,
Powers fall and crumble.
Some would kneel just to survive,
Blindly trudge and stumble…

Birds go mute and maps outdate,
Loses gold its lustre.
Crowds of fools besmirched with hate
Seek another Master.

Darkness now abides in there
Where oft hope sprang eternal.
Foul is the morning air
That much was sweet and vernal.

Sky falls down and ills abound,
Lights are now extinguished.
Gone for good, not to be found,
Freedom once relinquished.