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1.7k · Aug 2014
School of Life
Tryst Aug 2014
Curriculum

1. Physics
a) A body caught in motion
b) Running on a wall
c) Will learn the laws of gravity
d) But only when they fall


2. Chemistry
a) Base elements attraction
b) Bonding for a spell
c) Untouched, the noble beauty with
d) Her perfect outer shell


3. Mathematics
a) Relationships of numbers
b) One and one is one
c) When one and one adds up to two
d) Relationships are done


4. History**
*a) Lifetimes full of memories
b) Secret moments shared
c) To live and love most every day
d) With ne'er a moment spared
1.7k · Apr 2015
Candles and Cows
Tryst Apr 2015
Ill-gotten knave!  Thy witless candle burns
Bright as a baboon's ****!  Thy gnarlèd brows
Greet, meet and mingle like the wildling ferns
And thy breath turns and churns insides of cows!
Thou stompest me? Ha! Bring thy brothers all,
Beneath my steely boot thou shall be trod!
Dust be thy supper, feast upon thy fall,
Eat hearty of thy just deserted sod!
Thou comest hither with thy merry folk,
Thou japes a merry jest upon my kin?
Thy bandy leggèd jiggery a joke,
To spilleth of mine cup is thine own sin!
        If thou be not afraid, let thee not hide,
        My gauntlet speaks! Will thou comest outside?
I may have been drinking when I wrote this...(hic!)
1.7k · Aug 2014
Jingle Jangle Jungle
Tryst Aug 2014
In the jingle jangle jungle
When the jumping jackals jive,
All the leopards like a-leaping
And the lions look alive;

Watch the wary warthogs writhing
As they waggle and a-wiggle
To the drumming disco dancing
Of the jingle jangle jiggle!
1.6k · Jul 2015
The Moon Shepherdess
Tryst Jul 2015
Keep up thy vigil, dimpled shepherdess!
Gift night a lantern light to guide lost stars
Strayed from the flock, treaty with tenderness
Soft grazing grounds in heaven's nebulas,

Look low for lone stars fallen from on high,
Feasting on kindling tree-tops laced in cloaks
Of lily blossomed snowy dew drop sighs
Billowed from scattered cushion clouded smokes,

Look further still beneath the ice-fringed eaves
Of gold-spun thatched roofs dotted down the lane,
Footfall echoes stolen by kingly thieves
Triumphantly majestic in their rain:

Look last for shadow framed in windowed light
Keeping thy lonely vigil through the night.
1.6k · Sep 2015
Quest For Love
Tryst Sep 2015
Do you remember when love was uncomplicated
Hand-holding, lonely fingers grasping,
Longingly, perfecting their grip?

And do you remember the honeymoon
Highs, up and up, dizzily clambering up,
Exploring new horizons?

And do you remember, precisely, when love emerged,
From clouds of chalked up experiences,
Foreboding as a mountain,
Where lonely fingers grasped,
Longingly, for fresh hand-holds?

The quest for loves summit rises,
Peak to higher peak,
Each conquered height unveiling a new vista,
Revealing loves perilous truth,
That each peak is surpassed by two more
And the summit remains elusive.

The fool will climb up and up,
Leaving a devastated trail of overlooks,
Ever unsated,
Ever yearning,
Ever lonely.

The sage will make camp behind a large rock,
Still aware of the mountains hidden presence,
But settled with a lightness of heart,
To enjoy just one wonderful view.
Being the second ...
1.6k · Sep 2015
What Is Life?
Tryst Sep 2015
Oh what is life if not a thrill,
To crawl, to walk, to run downhill,
To mumble, crumble to old age,
To this end I shall live my days?

To be unseen, to be unknown,
To be afraid to be alone,
To toil to scrape a living wage,
To this end I shall live my days?

Or yet, to pillage viking halls,
To barrel-roll Niagara Falls,
To greet a shark without a cage,
To this end I shall live my days!

Oh what is life if not a thrill,
To this end I shall live my days!
1.6k · Aug 2014
Of Lovers' Moon
Tryst Aug 2014
My wild and doll-like mannequin
Cast in the light of lovers' moon
A sculpture wrought of waxen skin
To keep eternal beauty bright
Her likeness in your eyes tonight
Does make this lover swoon

Come come my sweet and dance a while
Beneath the light of lovers' moon
Yet still my love thou does recoil
And fear my heart as tho' once felt
Might cause your waxen heart to melt
My love for thee is doom?

Make haste my love for sun's first light
Will plunder light of lovers' moon
Despoiling of our loves delight
As warmth embraces waxen skin
To make a formless mannequin
Too soon my love too soon

Alas my love you leave a fool
Once bathed in light of lovers' moon
Now standing by a waxen pool
To sculpt a candle in your name
That burns with your eternal flame
To guide me to my tomb
1.5k · May 2014
Maid of Orleans
Tryst May 2014
To strive to know the heart of one so pure,
To contemplate the fate of one so young;
With heavy hearts, uncertain and unsure,
We honor thee and praise thee with our song;
To stand alone, amongst the enemy,
To take a stand, and stare them in the face;
With courage in your heart, to let them see
That you alone can walk within God's grace;
To burn and burn and thrice to burn again,
To turn the skin, and flesh, and bone to ash;
Discarding all remains unto the Seine,
The stains upon their souls will never wash;
        Old men of cloth, long deaf to voices sainted;
        Her name condemns your black-hearts ever tainted.
In memory of Joan of Arc, murdered 30th May 1431.
1.5k · Sep 2015
Quest For Romance
Tryst Sep 2015
Don't quest, like a hunter, for romance,
Pursuing prey, cunningly, to its lair,
Eyes stung by lust,
Quiver unslung to unleash arrows
Blindly, to win a heart.

At quests end, coveted trophies are lost,
Smothered to lose their free spirit,
Or flitting away, out of reach.

Is romance not a dance of equals,
Equally paced,
Equally poised,
Equally purposed?

Two hunted souls, warily learning trust.

The hunter often catches the prey,
And yet, still loses the game.
Being the first ...
1.5k · Feb 2016
The Sea Explorer
Tryst Feb 2016
I spied a mighty albatross
Blue-eyed as coral stone
With heavenly wings borne like a cross
Adrift aloft alone
A speckled snow-capped mountain crown
Adorned the canopy
Upon her white quill-feathered gown
Explorer of the sea

No wonderland of wintry ice
Has thawed unto her touch
Nor sand-annointed paradise
Played harbour to her clutch
The shimmered sun and shadowed moon
Are beacons born to be
Her rooftop lights through livelong flights
Explorer of the sea

What maid foresworn to solitude
And shackled by her chains
Has tasted of a servitude
And dreamt not of the reins?
Imprisoned thus each land-lorn day
By neither lock nor key
How must your beaten heart dismay
Explorer of the sea?

As time the drifter slinks away
Upon an ebbing tide
I watch you fade from dusk-lit grey
To night’s eternal void
And left bereft and to atone
The deepest sins of me
I wonder who is more alone
Explorer of the sea?
1.5k · Sep 2014
A Sticky Wicket
Tryst Sep 2014
Jiminy Cricket needed a sport
That little Pinocchio could play
He didn't like tennis, the shorts were too short
He didn't like skiing at an Alpine resort
He didn't like squashing in a little squash court
He didn't like pigeons or clay

He dreamt of a game with a bat and a ball
A game that could last all day long
Where all would be welcome, the short and the tall
Where language and creed didn't matter at all
Where it could be played from the spring to the fall
A game for both weak and the strong

He pictured a game that was played on the grass
That all the young kids could enjoy
Where boys stood around, there was no need to pass
Where scoring was easy and points would amass
Where no one would notice or try to harass
A mild mannered small wooden boy

With pencil and paper, he had so much fun
Designing his very own bat
He wrote down the rules so they'd know who had won
With six points for boundaries and one for a run
And proudly admiring the work that he'd done
He decided to call it *"HOWZAT!"
First published 27th September 2014, 22:25 AEST.
1.5k · May 2014
Love In Summation
Tryst May 2014
--

Intersection
Inspection
Infatuation

--

Intention
Initiation­

--

Inattention
Indignation
Infuriation
Insurrection

--

Incis­ion

--
1.5k · Apr 2015
A Farewell Serenade
Tryst Apr 2015
Bedeck the band and play a merry tune
The debutante desires her maiden dance
A farewell serenade beneath the moon

She's drifting like a Sunday afternoon
Each lazy sway a restful rhythmic trance
Bedeck the band and play a merry tune

Encircling suitors pack around and soon
She gleans the grating of each nervous glance:
"A farewell serenade beneath the moon?"

She casts them all aside her heart immune
To each until one voice, one piercing lance:
"Bedeck the band and play a merry tune!"

She falters and her bold facade is hewn
And nodding shyly greets his cold advance:
"A farewell serenade beneath the moon!"

Embracing him her heart begins to swoon
A maiden sunken at her first romance;
Bedeck the band and play a merry tune
A farewell serenade beneath the moon
In memory of RMS Titanic, which sank April 15th 1912.

See also my sonnet of 2014: http://hellopoetry.com/poem/694219/the-ice-maiden/

"Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame." (Lawrence Beesley, Survivor, RMS Titanic, 1912).
1.5k · Feb 2017
Ban the Burka
Tryst Feb 2017
Ban the burka or the bomb?
Ban the turban or the gun?
Ban the Bible or the gore?
Ban the Torah or the war?

Ban religion, ban belief
Ban San Frontièrs, ban relief
Ban the poets, ban free speech
Ban the people born to teach

Ban the children, ban the old
Ban the meek and ban the bold
Ban the weakest, ban the strong
Ban the music, ban the song

Ban the freedom of the sea
Ban ideals of liberty
Ban your birthright, ban free will
Ban excitement, ban the thrill

Ban all things with no misgiving
Ban the joyous gift of living.
1.5k · May 2014
The Last Dance
Tryst May 2014
Seven minutes to midnight
The New Year’s Eve party in full swing
How stunning you look in that red dress
Our friendship of many years is about to fail
Funny how one moment can change everything
My heart pounding, I feel like a mess
Our courtship playing out on a global scale

Six minutes to midnight
My mind is racing, and I begin to perspire
You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen
Why you chose to dance with me, I'll never know
Thoughts of what may come sets my heart on fire
I always secretly hoped you may be keen
And now the world waits for us to put on a show

Five minutes to midnight
Uncertainty begins to cloud my every thought
Perhaps I misread all of the signs
What if the whole thing is only in my head
I remember the times when we bickered and fought
Sometimes I read too much between the lines
All confidence gone, my feet turn to lead

Four minutes to midnight
I watch, mesmerized by your swaying hips
My soul is filled with joy by your laughing eyes
How could I ever doubt the way you feel
We move together and now I become transfixed
Reflections in a mirror, our bodies synchronize
My deepest hopes and dreams finally becoming real

Three minutes to midnight
The pace and tone of the music intensifies
We dance as one, never missing a single beat
Our arms moving together in perfect time
My stomach churns, full of butterflies
I never knew anyone could be so sweet
To think, in a few moments you could be mine

Two minutes to midnight
My ears fill with the sound of my thudding heart
As though a million men were marching nearby
Surely you can hear its deafening roar
We've both waited a long time to play our part
Now the time approaches when our love can fly
I wonder why we never thought to do this before

One minute to midnight
Standing precariously at the edge of the abyss
One wrong step and we both might tumble
But we've come too far now to walk away
As the seconds count down, I begin to reminisce
Recalling the friendship that's about to crumble
The whole world will always remember today

Midnight*
In a sea of red, balloons falling from the sky
Our arms finally embrace, as midnight chimes
Your intoxicating perfume fills me with bliss
All men should feel this way before they die
As the band begins to play Auld Lang Syne
I whisper a silent prayer, and we kiss ...
1.5k · Aug 2014
Rita's Halloween Party
Tryst Aug 2014
Rita bustled busily,
To decorate each room
With jack-o'-lanterns, giggling ghouls,
And grinning ghosts with dribbled drools,
And moonlight glimmered spookily
On ghastly painted tombs;

She went to fetch her costume
And hoped it wouldn't itch;
She grabbed a strange and pointed hat,
An odd shaped broom, a stuffed black cat,
And in the mirror of her room
She turned into a witch!

A sudden tap-tap-tapping
Came from her green front door;
She opened it excitedly,
A-wondering who it might be
And then she started clapping
And dancing on the floor!

Her good friend Fox was outside,
He wore a long black cape;
With plastic fangs, he danced about,
But when he sang his fangs fell out!
They laughed so hard, then went inside
And had a slice of cake!
For Joe Cole's "MAGIC" challenge.

Originally inspired by Joe Cole's "Freedom" challenge, the story of Rita continues!
1.5k · Aug 2014
The Natural World
Tryst Aug 2014
The warble frocks and debutantes,
Soprano trilling nightingales,
The extras dressed as elephants
And tenors with their penguin tails;
They mingle at the opera house
With canapés on silver trays;
Then dine on pigeon, goose and grouse,
To reminisce their finest plays;
When Romeo found Juliet
The crowds were on their feet for days,
When mighty Caesar’s end was met,
The press regaled with highest praise;
Such fine upstanding citizens,
So crisply draped, so brightly gowned;
The marvel of these denizens,
So rarely seen, so well renowned.
1.4k · Apr 2015
Rum Cocktail Floater
Tryst Apr 2015
***,  ice and a slice,
and topped with salted water
poured into the drink
1.4k · Aug 2014
Lonely Little Leaf
Tryst Aug 2014
I'm just a lonely little leaf
So small, so insignificant
But in my dreams, I hold belief
That I could be magnificent

My skin would gleam of emerald green
To ward off snow and beckon spring
My fettered branch would welcome teems
Of chorus birds to dance and sing

My life would know such happy times
As wild winds lift me up for laughs
To flutter onto railway lines
And halt the trains upon their tracks

Yet in the morning, when I wake
From slumbered dreams, I find relief
In knowing god made no mistake
With me, his lonely little leaf
1.4k · Jan 2016
Down in Wisconsin
Tryst Jan 2016
Give me a line and a Wisconsin dime
And I'll plea till I'm free as I'm doing my time
And I won't chase the man for a stogie or can
When I leave this box of mine

Give me the fudge of a Wisconsin judge
With a hole in his soul and his wink and his nudge
And his steadfast denial of a right to fair trial
And his will that will not budge

Give me the hope of a Wisconsin rope
And a beam and the dream of the chance to elope
To the land of the free in a plot 'neath a tree
On a fishing river *****
1.4k · May 2014
Orchestrating Your Demise
Tryst May 2014
TENOR:
        My love!
        My first bassoon!
        The one - who taught me loves sweet tune!

{DRUMS}
        GONE!  GONE!  -  GONE!  GONE!

TENOR:­
        My love!
        My sweet La Lune!
        She came - and then was lost so soon!

{DRUMS}
        GONE!  GONE!  -  GONE!  GONE!

SOPRANO­:
        My love!
        My great Maestro!
        The one - who taught me all I know!

TENOR:
        Why?
        Why did she go?
        Why did she - L..E..A..V..E... - M..E?

{DRUMS}
        GONE!  GONE!  -  GONE!  GONE!

BARITON­E:
        My sweet La Lune! - She plays her tune
        Upon a shiny new bassoon!
        My sweet La Lune! - She plays for me
        Oh such ****** symphony!

{BRASS}
        OOM PAH PAH! - OOM PAH PAH!

TENOR:
        What's this?
        I spy La Lune?
        Blowing bassoon - a new c-o-n-d-u-c-t-o-r?
        His baton -
        She's sat upon!
        It seems she's found - a new i-n-s-t-r-u-c-t-o-r!

{DRUMS}
        GONE!  GONE!  -  GONE!  G­ONE!

SOPRANO:
        My love!
        My new found love!
        How I adore - your o-r-c-h-e-s-t-r-a-t-i-o-n!
        And with -
        Your dextrous hands -
        You fill me with - a-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n!

BARITONE:
        My love!
        My new found love!
        You light me up - a shining c-a-n-d-l-e!
        And with -
        Your dextrous lips -
        My baton loves - to feel your H-A-N-D-E-L!

{BRASS}
        OOM PAH PAH! - OOM PAH PAH!

TENOR:
        The end!
        The end is nigh!
        And they must die! - There's no denying!
        But how -
        To pay them back?
        For they deceived - me with there l-y-i-n-g!

CHORUS:
        The end!
        The end is nigh!
       And they must die! - There's no denying!

TENOR*:
        Upon my word - I will make them pay!
        Upon my word - they will die THIS DAY!      

{TRIANGLE}
        TING!

{CURTAINS CLOSE - END OF ACT 1}
1.3k · Apr 2015
On The Wall
Tryst Apr 2015
Young men in France would clamber to that call,
To drink their fill of bottles filled with wine;
They lined them up and shot them on the wall.

Sat huddled in small cafes in the fall,
When news of war came creeping down the vine,
Young men in France would clamber to that call.

Their basic training taught them how to sprawl,
As target dummies waited in a line;
They lined them up and shot them on the wall.

They marched to battle, lean and fit and tall,
And when the whistles blew to give the sign,
Young men in France would clamber to that call.

In no-mans-land, their charge became a crawl,
And in the mud they cursed the German swine;
They lined them up and shot them on the wall.

The Germans countered, swiftly taking all
The captured and the wounded to a mine;
Young men in France would clamber to that call:
They lined them up and shot them on the wall.
1.3k · Feb 2016
Lust for Love
Tryst Feb 2016
Love is not lust tho' lust may lead to love
As seedlings basked in sunlight spring to flowers,
Young blooms may make a golden treasured trove
Where tender tulips kiss in huddled bowers

Love ripens like straw-nested berry fields,
Plump, juicy, flavoursome, and blushing red
As nature's bounteous sweet harvest reveals
Her shapely form resplendent in her bed

Love is an acorn to the mighty oak,
Deep-rooted and unbounded by the sky;
Love ripples like a genteel puddled cloak
Laid bare to keep a silken petal dry

    Love is but love and life is but to love:
    So poets write and lovers seek to prove
1.3k · May 2014
Bells and Canons
Tryst May 2014
A lonesome voice began a mournful air,
As bowing low, it moved amongst the trees;
Its booming tones exuding sad despair,
Disseminating, on a wistful breeze --
A soft sweet voice came drifting down from high,
As bowing swift, it moved with fluent grace;
Its ringing song effusing endless joy,
As two lost voices shared a first embrace --
Their unity, a ringing pack of bells,
And canon drawn midst Ursa's watchful gaze;
Their song a tune that nothing ever quells,
Its tempo strong until their end of days;
        Oft’ times, the canon booms, the bells will ring,
        As two more lonely voices learn to sing
1.3k · May 2014
Upon The Hill
Tryst May 2014
Her wide-brim hat was pointed, and worn with ne'er a tilt
Her midnight robe was flowing, and wove from satin silk
Her Besom broom was hazel-hilted, twigged with fresh cut birch
As she flew o'er the hill, until she spied a rocky perch

The hill was trapped in moons light, caught in its silken nets
And grizzled trees were swaying casting eerie silhouettes
A howling wind came moaning, as it wailed a haunting sound
When her swishing broom came whooshing, as she swept o'er the ground

She alighted on the hill top, landing dainty on her toes
And took a tattered grimoire which she held up to her nose
She raised a magic talisman and cast an ancient spell
Then she waited through the gloaming, till midnight chimed its bell

The hill stood gravely silent, as the wind restrained its breath
The grass and flowers wilted and released their scent of death
The shadows neath the trees became alive and took on shape
And ghostly figures rose, as Hallows Eve called them awake

The sounds of horse drawn carriages, came trundling up the hill
Whilst babbling jeering voices exorcised the silent still
A sudden gust of wind called out the names of those condemned
Each manacled and chained up, as they rode to meet their end

As time echoed its memories, she watched the scene unfold
The victims forced unwillingly, to climb upon the scaffold
Some offered up the Lord’s Prayer, and ne'er a word was stumbled
They took a final breath of life, and into hell they tumbled

Their bodies swung ungainly, as they swayed a ghastly dance
With lifeless spectral faces locked into a stone-like trance
Their deathly shrouds were pale, reflected in moons silken sheen
And she watched as they cavorted, ne'er attempt to intervene

They slunk back into shadows, at the fading of the night
The hill reprieved from darkness by the early morning light
The ritual was completed, as she whispered them goodbye
And she climbed onto her hazel broom and kicked into the sky

On Gallows Hill neath stars and moon they hung
And ne'er a one had done the world a wrong
1.3k · Jan 2015
Song of Sirens
Tryst Jan 2015
Sailor come hither and harken our song
and be calm and becalmed on our uncharted sea,
and unhindered by storms that would sully thy sails
and the thunderous waves that would pummel thy decks;
oh sailor come hither and harken our song
and our voices will sing joy to thee

Rejoice and remain in the waters we share
with the planks and the plankton, the rainbow of fishes,
the garments of sailors and whalers with whale tattoos
over their chests and their necks;
oh sailor remain in the waters we share
and our voices will bring joy to thee

Swim deep to the depths of our uncharted ocean
And see the fine wrecks of the ships of thy fathers,
the littered bones strewn from the deck hands in hand-me-downs,
anchor chains rusting and bells of submariners;
oh sailor swim deep to the depths of our ocean
and our voices will give joy to thee

Draw breath from the water to taste the fine fragrance
of wines and of gold and the many fine horses
that sailed from old cities to trade with the new towns
and ventured to hear of our song of their happiness;
oh sailor draw breath from the waters fine fragrance
and our voices will sing oft of thee
First published 22nd January 2015, 15:40 AEST.
1.3k · Jan 2015
Summer in Arcadia
Tryst Jan 2015
Balmy days
            bound in Arcadia's summer; lightly whispered
            secrets, drifting beside forgotten pathways
            sheltered in the umbra of nooks and hedgerows,
            breathlessly confide

Stolen dreams
            awaken sultry mornings where love erupts
            from ripened seed to bloom, eliciting
            a fondness and a fawning that summer's end
            is fated to consume

Timeless moments
            captured for eternity within ring-
            binders of the living trees, Arcadia's
            old sentinels take pity on lovers
            lorn of keepsake memories

Summer fades
            yet ever in Arcadia, summer shields
            the land from autumn gloom and lovers lorn
            will ever have a place here, where summer
            keeps a vigil on their tomb
First published 28th January 2015, 19:00 AEST.
1.3k · May 2014
Carnival Day Memoirs
Tryst May 2014
Such joy a day can bring to hearts of men,
The trees bedecked, in finest autumn hue;
A throng of merriment upon the heath,
The glistened lilac, wrought in morning dew.

The drummer boys, a-beating on their drums,
Old peddlers pushing carts, piled high with wares;
Beggars, worn and haggard, as their clothes,
And women, in their finest, catching stares.

The roaring cheers as horse parades go by,
Delivering up the bounty of the feast;
The VIPs a-riding in fine style,
Their open carriage, drawn behind the beast.

As one by one, they climb above the crowd,
Their speeches cheered, with jeers and playful boos;
Then swiftly swinging, onwards with their tour,
The crowds go jostling, chasing better views.

The butcher greets the VIPs with glee,
And demonstrates his mastery of meat;
With sharpened knives, a-gleaming in the sun,
His chopping rhythym keeps a steady beat.

As shadows lengthen, slowly crowds disperse,
With pondrous looks, a day to e'er remember;
And every year, its carnival once more,
Lest we forget, the fifth day of November.
Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament.  They were sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered.  In theory, this meant you were hung until dead, your body was dragged through the streets tied behind a horse, and then your body was hacked to pieces and scattered, so your soul could never rest.  Of course, there are always loopholes in the law.  They were instead, hung (momentarily), just enough to feel the noose tighten.  They were dragged (on a carriage) behind a horse, and thus were delivered in relatively good health to the quartering block.  Guy Fawkes was fortunate; so weak from torture, his neck broke during the hanging, killing him instantly.  His companions weren't so lucky.
1.3k · Sep 2014
The Four Horsemen
Tryst Sep 2014
Today I met four horsemen, riding on a trail
One looked hungry, one looked ill, and one looked deathly pale
The last one looked so angry, he had war within his eyes
They reigned their steeds, came to a stop, and took me by surprise

"The end is nigh mere mortal" the pale one rasped at me
"Your Lord has come, the Earth is done, there's nowhere you can flee!"
I pondered for a moment, and then a thought occurred
"It’s student rag week, right?" I said, "You all look quite absurd!"

I went on with my journey, and met another stranger
Dressed in a robe, with sandalled feet, he seemed to pose no danger
He raised his hands with palms outstretched, and I observed old scars
Above his head, the oddest thing, a halo bright as stars

"Prepare yourself for Judgment" proclaimed he in a lofty voice
He opened a book, took a quick look, then said "Oh right, you're nice!
First one today"
he muttered, "Most go the other way"
"Of course they do!" I forced a smile, and slowly backed away

I bade farewell politely, and he hurriedly wandered on
"It takes all sorts", I mused, feeling glad that he had gone
I resumed my journey eagerly, looking forward to it's end
And all was good, right up until, I went around a bend

The path was blocked with walking dead, flesh hanging from their bones
The younger ones, despite their state, were using mobile phones!
One told me that his name was Elvis, and he used to be a singer
But he stared at me, so hungrily, that I didn't dare to linger

When finally I made it home, I grabbed a bottle of *****
I sat right down, switched on TV, and flicked onto the news
"Breaking Story! The end is here, The Apocalypse has begun!"
The reporter seemed excited, and was waving round a gun

Shots rang out and sirens wailed, not all of them on TV
I heard commotion, in the street, a bit too close for me
I took a glug of whisky, and it tasted mighty fine
"If the world was going to end", I said, *"I'm sure there'd be a sign ..."
First published December 20th 2012, to commemorate the impending End of The World.

Posted here on HP for the first time at the request of my wife, she tells me it's still one of her favorites. ***
1.3k · Jan 2016
Old Stars Shine
Tryst Jan 2016
Old stars shine on long after life is gone,
Bright lights echoed through voids they leave behind;
Old remnants fade yet still their light lives on.

Born of old dust, born of a mothers son,
Born fated to repeat a mortal grind,
Old stars shine on long after life is gone,

One sparking flame igniting dreams anon,
Defying darkness drawn to drowned the mind;
Old remnants fade yet still their light lives on.

Bright stars that brightly burn oft' seem alone
Where lesser lights eclipsed are hard to find;
Old stars shine on long after life is gone.

Old stars must end when all their days are done,
But light once shone goes on to raze the blind;
Old remnants fade yet still their light lives on.

From dust to dust, from ash to ash, they shone
With fiery hearts fanned by a gift divined:
Old stars shine on long after life is gone,
Old remnants fade yet still their light lives on.
1.2k · Jul 2014
One Lucky Winner
Tryst Jul 2014
I won the bloomin' lottery,
Cor blimey so I did!
No more scrubbin' socks for me,
I've won ten million quid!
I'm goin' on a ******,
Nuffin's gonna bring me down;
I'll be the biggest spender,
Gonna buy the whole **** town!

My new found wealth is awesome,
Have you seen my mansion pool?
I play tennis in a foursome,
And my coach is really cool;
On Wednesday's its Pilates,
And on Sunday's it's Judo!
Now I'm jetting to the Maldives,
Toodle-pip -- I have to go!

One finds oneself most indisposed,
To do this interview;
One's butler will be swift deposed,
For letting you get through;
One will accede to your request,
Tho' Sir, this is your lot;
Despite the wealth with which one's blessed,
One has not changed a jot!
1.2k · Apr 2015
Wouldst Thou Endure
Tryst Apr 2015
Wouldst thou endure to fade like autumn gold,
To see thy treasures dulled in fading light,
To watch alone thy tarnished days unfold,
And pass a pauper into worthless night?
Who then will bring a wreath unto thy rest,
And keep thy garden flowered, as is thy wont?
The barren cross that lays above thy breast
Would bear thy name, yet bring to thee affront.
But if thou takes a servant to thy cause,
To tend thy garden and to do thy deeds,
And he would gift a son with no remorse
To tend to thee when his own strength accedes:
Thy treasure trove reflected in his gleaming
Would bring thee joy as thou is ever dreaming.
Inspired by Elizabeth Squires, in honor to the greatest of bards.
1.2k · Sep 2014
God Bless America
Tryst Sep 2014
Autumn leaves a-fluttering free,
To shroud the land around us; a
Day enshrined in history,
To hold us strong and bind us; a

Nation grieves tranquility
That used to help define us; a
World looks on so helplessly,
But hope and faith remind us, a

Roiling mass of turgid sea
May try so hard to break us; a
Foreign hand may raise in glee,
But it will never shake us; a

Place of magic sanctity
Against the foes that tried us; a
Land for heroes, brave and free,
Is where you'll always find us.

Amen.
Dedicated to the memory of the fallen, September 11th 2001.  God bless our American cousins o'er the pond. x

First published 11th Sept 2014, 07:30 AEST.
1.2k · Feb 2017
The Apple Isle
Tryst Feb 2017
TASMANIA, The Apple Isle,
rooted in conquest, convicts
and cannibalism.

Into this desolate paradise,
suffering, starving Englishmen,
dreaming of home, planted
row upon row of small neat
cottages, graciously adorned
by native English roses.

Convicted felons, shunned
from polite English society,
became her upstanding citizens,
and like her fuel-laden forests,
she smouldered, a daughter of
mother England, steeped in
her heritage like a lauded
*** of Earl Grey.

For two centuries, England
grew, a wild sunflower,
with London's sprawling
population sprouting from
1m seedlings, to over 8m
at the peak of her growth.

And somehow, somewhere,
something broke inside.

Today, proud Englishmen
mourn a loss of the spirit
and freedom of their forebears,
still proud, yet yearning
for the simple, honest
existence of a yesteryear
long lost, and not forgotten.

In Tasmania, time drifted
lazily, as outposts sprawled
into small towns, small towns
into small cities, like miniatures
mimicking the motherland
her pioneers had left behind.

But unlike her proud parent,
Tasmania remained true to
the spirit that raised her
from the ashes of convict
settlements, and a fledgling
society intent on defending
the spirit that put England
at the heart of an empire
flourished.

I am an Englishman, proud
to be born and raised in
her heartlands, and prouder
still, to have found that most
distant corner of our once
great empire that embodies still
the spirit of hard work,
fair play and decency that
is found within the beating heart
of every true Englishman.
1.2k · Sep 2015
Quest For Desire
Tryst Sep 2015
Did you ever, as a child, chase a butterfly,
A tiny Golden Birdwing, perhaps
Or a Bronze Roadside-Skipper?

Flitting, faster than an arrow,
Over a rusting wheelbarrow fortress,
Under an electrified washing line,
Dive-bombing plastic remnants
Of the light infantry,

Before spinning away,

Courting the breeze in a whirling dance,
Winged-eyes blazing bright as childrens' buttons,
Vanishing in a cluster of gold chrysanthemums,
Reappearing, fluttering freely,
From a sea of bronze fennel.

Did you dash dash dash,
Arms flailing madly,
Mouth locked in a giggling grin?

And did you ****** ****** ******,
Tiny hands grasping, clutching at air,
Desperate to hold natures princess?

Do you remember?

            Dashing,  Snatching,  Grasping,

And suddenly,

                          She      Was      Gone?

And­ did you dare peep, clumsily,
Into your tiny hands,
Between your fragile fingers,

Half afraid you missed her,
Half again, you may find her,

            Crushed  In  Your  Hands?

The quest for desire is a chase,
So demanding,
So determined,
So distracting,

Attainment without consequence
Is your end game,
And is all that matters

Until you face the consequence
Of your end game,
When all that matters

            Is  What  Remains  In  Your  Hands?
Being the third ...
1.2k · Jul 2016
The Old Lie
Tryst Jul 2016
They lied to us
    with preacher smiles
    at Sunday school

They told us
    our world was created
    in six days

We stood as one
    as our world was created
    in seven days

We stood as one
   as light sprang from darkness
   and earth fell from heaven

And after seven days
    we stood as one
    and marched into hell
Title borrowed from "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen.
1.2k · Jul 2015
Ode To Addiction
Tryst Jul 2015
Whence comes thy ill? Thy brooding bitter pill
Ploughed deep in fertile soil, sprouting to seed
Snake-like tendrils crawling to sprawl and spill,
Choking lush verdant fields with poisoned ****;
Wilted young peaches, withered pears dying,
Irises blinded, red chrysanthemums
Faded to white, strewn petals borne on sighing
Dark fitful clouds rend'ring the landscape numb;
Oh bitter pill, thy loathsome poisoned thrill
Afflicts one tainted by unsated need
To wilt and wither, blinded, faded, ill
Craving for thee with hollowed hateful greed;
    Sweet bitter pill, thou will be coveted
    Till once ripe lush and verdant fields lay dead.
1.2k · Dec 2021
Two Souls Collided
Tryst Dec 2021
Two souls collided
And ricocheted
And bounced apart
And travelled on

Two bowls of glass
Too cracked and scarred
To bear the mead
Love feasts upon
1.2k · Jul 2014
Cruel Cruel World
Tryst Jul 2014
The world is always darkest
When you lose your guiding light

The world is always coldest
When you lay alone at night

The world is always cruelist
When you wake from blissful sleep

To find the world you thought you knew
Was never yours to keep
1.2k · Aug 2015
Of Sunset Dreams
Tryst Aug 2015
Between each sunrise
And each sunset,
A day will demise
And the world will forget

The dreams of the dreamers
Who struck ne'er a sail,
Who stowed away genius
For fear they might fail --

Raise up a fine banner,
Set course on a whim,
Be aloof in your manner
And never give in,

Shout 'Ahoy!' to each sunrise
And 'Hoorah!' at sunset,
It's the dream 'never dies
That the world can't forget.
1.1k · Sep 2014
When Love Dies
Tryst Sep 2014
From passioned flames, a love is born
Of hopes and dreams and trust,
And when it dies, where does one mourn
When love returns to dust?

For death is death and loss is loss
And somewhere in between,
The death of love will bear no cross
And no grave to be seen

No upturned soil, no marble stone,
No polished box of pine;
No slow procession through the town,
No solemn church-bell chimes

All lovers need a place to cry,
To lay a solemn wreath;
Somewhere to say a last goodbye,
To overcome their grief
First published 9th Sept 2014, 14:35 AEST.
1.1k · Jun 2015
J. P. R.
Tryst Jun 2015
Pull down the kiss-me mistletoe, box up the decorations,
Raise not a glass of merry cheer to toast the congregation;
Look through the pane to fairy lights that flicker blue and red
To cast their light upon the white snow-laden garden bed

voices creep from wall to wall
down spiral stairs, down darkened hall,
down basement steps they coo and call
for innocence now shed


Pick up the bricks and colored pens, wash up pineapple plate,
Dust off the tapped untested phone as looming thoughts collate;
Gaze not toward the basement door, dispel it from your head,
Rest weary limbs to soothing hymns to right the world instead

shadows lengthen, shadows fall
to mirror blackened velvet pall
that drapes around you like a shawl
and covers you in dread


Put down the morning newspapers, switch off the TV set,
Unwanted stark reminders of a day you can't forget;
Avoid all conversations of a thing best left unsaid,
Withdraw inside where you can hide as evil rumors spread

*whispers linger, whispers maul
at senses locked in sharp recall
to try to make sense of it all
when innocence is dead
1.1k · Apr 2015
Spare a Penny
Tryst Apr 2015
“Spare a penny, Sir?":

        Frosted winds berate small tins --
        Forsaken headstones.
1.1k · Jan 2015
To Strangers Lost
Tryst Jan 2015
I cannot truly mourn or miss you
What do I know of you, or you of me?
We strangers never met and never will

I know you as I know the morning dew,
Sun-kissed to rise and fall into the sea
And deftly tossed till lost among the swill

Aye I know the sea and morning dew
But still I don't know you

I know you like the albatross that flew
Above the sea, soaring majestically
It flew away, some purpose to fulfil

Aye I know the albatross that flew
But still I don't know you

I know you like the mother's heart that knew
Her loving child was just a memory,
Too swiftly taken by a bitter pill

Aye I see a mother's grief show through
But still I don't know you

I know you like the news they tell of you,
The printed page and captions on TV
That cycle every factoid they can spill

Aye I know the news they tell of you
But still I don't know you

We strangers never met and yet its true,
You reached inside and touched the heart of me
And though you're gone, you live within me still

Yet how I wish alas that I could pass
You in the street without a care

If only you were there
If only you were there
If only you were there
First published 12th Jan 2015, 20:10 AEST.
1.1k · Aug 2014
He Sits Alone
Tryst Aug 2014
He sits alone and in silence
Atop the silver birch
High above the forest floor

Watching with attentive eyes
As moonlight flirts playfully,
Shadow dancing among the many
Silver branches

At the heart of the forest,
The brook chatters endlessly
Of adventures through mountains
So high their peaks are lost in
****** clouds, of underground
Rivers raging unseen beneath
Valleys filled with first
Spring lilies

The weary critters gather
To lap at cool waters,
Ignoring the incessant babble
As they keep a wary eye
On lurking shadows

High above, his sharp eyes
Glimpse outlines in the darkness,
Hidden shapes imitating bush
And fern, almost motionless
Yet moving

He utters a single sound,
A whisper barely audible
Above the ceaseless chatter
Of the brook

The hunters arrive and
Sniff the air, traces of
Prey still lingering,
But the trail grows cold

The brook continues to regale
The night air with tales

Seemingly unaware
They are no longer listening

Seemingly unaware
They never were
1.1k · Aug 2015
Your Laughing Eyes
Tryst Aug 2015
Your laughing eyes filled up my cup of yore
When summer flowed in endless streams, yet when
Sure-footed feet were swept out from the shore
Then time unkindly turned our now to then.

You laughed and yet your eyes revealed in you
Deep secrets hidden down within the deep
Blue oceans of your soul, that guard the blue
Keep of your moated castle where you keep

Those inner thoughts you dare not share and those
Which weave a spell as tho' some haggard witch,
Nose misshapen, had snorted from her nose
Rich veins of silver bound to make her rich.

Long not for treasured silence e'er life long,
Song gifts the world and those who gift their song.
1.1k · Oct 2014
Ye Olde Adventure
Tryst Oct 2014
You stand within a wooded glade
The air is still and calm
Your hand rests on a mighty blade
A shield upon your arm

> GO NORTH

You stand beside a castle moat
The water, grim and dark
To cross you'll need to find a boat
Or build yourself an ark

> BUILD ARK

To build an ark would take a year
And lots of willing folk
(We wrote this whilst we drank some beer
That option was a joke)

> FIND BOAT

You really think you'll find a boat?
You're not the brightest spark
You're meant to think, you silly goat
(Or maybe build an ark?)

> GO NORTH

You walk towards the castle keep
And fall into the moat
Lucky for you, it's not too deep
Since armor doesn't float

> GO EAST

You're standing in an ogre camp
Three ogres are asleep
One looks like he's an ogre champ
(Perhaps you'd better creep?)

> **** OGRES

You draw your sword and take a stance
You howl a battle cry
The ogres wake and watch you dance
Then hit you and you die

GAME OVER

(L)oad saved game  (N)ew game  (Q)uit? >_
1.1k · Sep 2014
A Tardy Note
Tryst Sep 2014
Addressee:
            Department Head of Creativity,
            HP School Of Rhymes and Poetry

Dear Mr Cole,
                              I write an ernest plea
To crave forgiveness for my little Tryst
For as you know the homework set by thee
Is overdue, the deadline has been missed

He’d done the work, the best I’ve ever seen!
You’d be so proud of all his clever puns
But then we had a visit from the Queen
She’d taken ill and suffered with the runs!

We let her in to use the lavatory
But then we heard her banging on the door
She’d run right out of toilet paper, see?
And ordered us to quickly fetch her more

We did the only thing that could be done
I hope you understand Sir

Signed,

My Mom
First published September 29th 2014, 21:35 AEST
1.1k · Apr 2015
Ode To Shiraz
Tryst Apr 2015
One sip of thee sent giddy all our senses,
Thy soft bouquet hung sweetly on the tongue,
Full-bodied ripeness broke down our defenses
To leave us addicts stuck on thee lifelong.
Wine is a friend when wine is freely flowing,
Yet all who raise a glass and toast a cheer
Know days will come when all their pours are slowing
And even finest wines must have their year.
Take thee a rested breath unto that meadow,
Be free and eased to ponder o'er that stream
Gleaming with gold and silver, wending below
That shimmered crossing wrought of heaven's scheme.
        Until we meet once more at rainbow's end,
        Farewell to thee our lifetime treasured friend.
1.1k · Aug 2014
Vision of Loveliness
Tryst Aug 2014
Thy vision of beauty,
Butterfly,
Fluttering free
O'er flower and brook,

Is ever so more
Beautiful,
Than seeing thee twixt
The leaves of a book.
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