Submit your work, meet writers and drop the ads. Become a member
Jan 2021 · 185
Thoughts
LizO Jan 2021
I chased my thoughts away
with a scream,
yet they still flocked back to
peck, peck, peck
at my peace of mind.
Jul 2019 · 255
Untitled
LizO Jul 2019
I’ll be your safety net
for the climb you have
ahead.

Forge your way,
you precious soul,
and search
for your joy with gusto.
Jul 2019 · 288
Leave the nonsense behind
LizO Jul 2019
My heart still beats,
My body still breathes,
And the earth still travels
regardless.
Mar 2019 · 408
Unbanished
LizO Mar 2019
Live with your demons,
they’re often here to stay.

Let them have their say,
but never own it.
Mar 2019 · 418
Hard to Admit
LizO Mar 2019
I know what it’s like;
To break a heart.
To have no malice,
Yet still tear one apart.

It took a while to see
That you weren’t for me,
But you wouldn’t set me free,
So I did it;
For self-preservation.
Mar 2019 · 256
The Last Glass My Ass!
LizO Mar 2019
Second time around,
because graceful didn’t cut it.

Time to smash the whole bottle
against the wall.
Mar 2019 · 641
Find your people
LizO Mar 2019
And so I learned to hide.
My camouflage protecting me
from pain,
but keeping both the freaks
and the norms at bay.
Mar 2019 · 283
Being
LizO Mar 2019
Underneath the noise,
a place of peace
and disorientation.
No toys to cling to
or identify us.
A reality of nothing;
not even words to
define the emptiness.
Feeling relief from
the lack of badness,
but rallying against
the lack of goodness.
Who’d have thought
just being would
be so hard.
Mar 2019 · 270
The Pause
LizO Mar 2019
I took a rest after being
My best
But still failing the test
Of my own perfection.

What happened in that pause, when I looked
At the cause
Of my suffering and yours?
I saw protection.

The ego, let loose, fights
Without a truce,
Until you're tied in a noose,
Awaiting the push of failure.

But the humans that we are seldom live
Without a scar,
And we’ve travelled so far
That we’ve earned our freedom.
Sep 2018 · 646
You can’t win them all
LizO Sep 2018
Not all of his words live on
in my being;
as I wasn’t aware
there’d be a test
to revise for.

But the ones I have left
help me see
and give me shelter,
so I carry them with care
and share them often.
To my lovely Dad who had dementia-related aphasia (an inability to communicate - verbally or by writing) ***

Use it or you might lose it lovely poets :-)
Aug 2018 · 2.5k
Knitting
LizO Aug 2018
Knit, knit, knit away.
Life unfolds
under the needles’ sway,
creating lovely order,
bit by bit,
and soothing memories form
for you to display.

The neat rows of wool,
that now exist,
allow a whispered hope for
beauty in the mist.

It spurs you on to focus
and industriously look for meaning -
saving dropped stitches
can’t be your reason for being!

But it’s hard to not be entranced
by the sound of click, click, click.
So, though your
search continues,
you still knit, knit, knit.
this poem is about how our lives are mostly routine but then often (sometimes fleetingly, sometimes not) we have a good old think about the big questions, like why we're here
Jul 2018 · 458
Not Today Thank You
LizO Jul 2018
‘Don’t save’,
I have nothing to say
Today.
I’ll just wait,
For the rush of inspiration,
Busy with the fear
Of never
Writing
Again.
I'm just being melodramatic - I don't take the fear too seriously!
Jul 2018 · 262
My Why
LizO Jul 2018
I write for the words,
Not the glory.
I write for the pleasure,
Not the fame.
To frame a piece of my life
That’s important
And to ponder its place
In the game.
That, and for making myself laugh! But seriously, I often need reminding it’s not about likes!
Jul 2018 · 1.0k
The Last Glass
LizO Jul 2018
The last glass of wine
set aside unfinished.
No longer welcome
in my life of exploring.
With the delusion of pleasure
discarded,
I can finally see
the World’s true colours.
Jul 2018 · 1.4k
Luna in a Mood
LizO Jul 2018
The Moon said
I’m sick of this sh*t!
Playing Earth’s supporting role
Is not my only trick.
That ****** of planet
Can go and get stuffed,
With my entrancing silver beauty
I might just leave it in the dust.
Jul 2018 · 1.0k
Twit Twoo
LizO Jul 2018
Can I live with being a twit?
As someone who doesn’t quite
fit
among the sensible crowd
who get things done
and those I find to be
ever so loud
about all their successes and skills
within the adulting world
that lacks any thrills!

Could I live without the joy of
swinging on a swing
or ignore the sudden urge
to attempt a highland fling
or pass on the chance to
loudly yet badly sing?

Put that way, I have to admit,
I can definitely live with being a twit.
Jul 2018 · 224
The White Feather
LizO Jul 2018
Turning, twisting,
Flowing in the breeze,
Destined
To be held by my hand.
The one last link
To a love
Incomplete.
Jul 2018 · 234
Caught in the Act
LizO Jul 2018
A tired old man,
Trying out a new plan,
Was caught in the act
With no time to react.

Video surveillance
Stared him in the face,
In a house
That wasn’t his place.
Though he’d hoped for a gain,
He now felt shame.

But he had his excuses ready -
A senior moment
Made his mind unsteady!
Who wouldn’t believe
A tired old man?
Jul 2018 · 217
My Sibling's Grief
LizO Jul 2018
One tear was all I needed
to forgive you.
One tear was all it took
to see your pain.
My all is what I gave you
when I saw it,
Because it showed me that
we do both feel the same.
May 2018 · 2.4k
Unfairly Accused
LizO May 2018
It wasn't a ****,
Honest!
It was my shoe rubbing the floor,
I promise!
Ok,
So the noise can't be recreated,
I still don't want this debated.
I.
Didn't.
****.
I hope I don't get asked to leave HelloPoetry for this one! If I make just one person laugh I'll be happy :-)
Someone told me to write about something I'm passionate about, I hope they don't think this is it, haha
May 2018 · 210
Hooray
LizO May 2018
Just because I’m silly
Doesn’t mean I have nothing to say
And if you peer a little more closely
You may learn something new today.
My lessons come coated in sugar,
And with giggling, and me laughing away,
Because life’s too short to be serious
So join me in shouting HOORAY!
My joy annoys some people sometimes!
May 2018 · 236
What I'd Do For You
LizO May 2018
I wouldn’t scale Everest
For you,
Because I’d find it a little cold.
Not only that though,
I’m not really very bold.
Plus the chances of me achieving it
Are pretty much
Slim to none, but I would
Stroke your arms
Gently
And do the same to your ***!
Why yes, I did feel the need to end both of today's poems with ***.
May 2018 · 212
Today’s Effort
LizO May 2018
Oooh, hello!
Well that was a bit of a surprise.
Like a sneeze that came from nowhere,
A poem in me did arise.

I’m deffo no Emily Dickinson
But I do so enjoy the ride.
When poetry makes its way out of you
It should never be brushed aside.

Don’t worry if you think it’s inferior,
Finding flowing words feels fun,
It’s all about relishing the experience,
If you don’t agree - up yer ***!
#silly
BTW Deffo is British slang for definitely, and up yer *** is a dismissive exclamation (or if you're Australian it means 'cheers')
May 2018 · 432
Dreams
LizO May 2018
I want all of your dreams to come true.

But not that one about the killer shoe!

I mean the nice ones

You have when you’re awake,

Imagining yourself

In a lovely place,

Doing the things that

Make your heart race.
May 2018 · 212
No Oscar Wilde
LizO May 2018
A great retort
Often comes up short.
I try and be clever
But I can’t do it whenever.
The day after, of course,
Replies come to me with force

And are not so ‘yeah, well, you’re just a big thicko!’
#silly #funny #humour
May 2018 · 392
The Forceful Llama Spit
LizO May 2018
‘What’s it doing?’ Mum said,

Standing in front of the llama’s head.


But I was too busy running

to give a reply;

She soon found out the reason why!
#humour #funny
May 2018 · 1.4k
Writing with No Ego
LizO May 2018
Today I will write with no ego.
Look at me, writing with no ego,
I’m amazing.
****!
#humour

My writing seems to be going through a being silly stage. I'm just running with it :-D
May 2018 · 230
Coffee
LizO May 2018
A hit of pleasure

From the very first sip

The nutty, smoky, smell

Too difficult to resist


I’m soon caffeinated up to the hilt

Mind becomes a

swirling

river

Arms buzzing

Gums buzzing too

Is this a beaming smile

Or a manic toothy grimace?

Mouth starts babbling full pelt

Things to say, you won’t stop me today

Body contemplating fight or flight

Even with no danger in sight

Energy evades all herding

From things that have

Me distracted…ooh!

My poem looks like a chess piece.
May 2018 · 251
Barbara from Accounts
LizO May 2018
My ugly old knickers lie in wait
For the day they just know
Is their fate,
To be left near the office shower
By mistake
And embarrass me
In front of work mates.

My sock once did the same,
But if my knickers did it I'd
Find someone to blame.

Maybe Barbara from Accounts.
#silly #humour #thatkindaday!
May 2018 · 388
Qigong
LizO May 2018
Cultivate your energy
And grow your ch'i.
Keep it close at first then
Branch out, like a tree.

Play with it, have fun,
Let it flow free.
Share it among people,
Feel it, and just be.
#lifeforceenergy
May 2018 · 195
Like Addict
LizO May 2018
No number by the bell.
Should my poem go to hell?
Or is it good, I just can’t tell!
notaseriouspoem!
May 2018 · 227
Loss
LizO May 2018
Oh perfect loss,
Full of goodness, full of pain.
Brings clarity and understanding,
But always much too late.

Oh perfect suffering,
Sweet aching, stolen breath.
The longing that’s only just bearable,
Evidence of love and its strength.

Oh perfect hope,
Full of guilt yet so much relief.
Life continues despite all protests,
Where there’s no more to do than cope.
Mar 2018 · 350
Be My Mirror
LizO Mar 2018
Are you looking?
I think you are.
Seeing me
As I want to be seen.
You gaze at my face and I’m wrinkly no more.
You glimpse at my curves, not my lumps or bumps.
My awkwardness, you seem to find charming and
My humour often leaves you crying.
Every look seems to express just
How much my ‘wise’ words impress.
And I wonder if you are my destiny.
Though the stirrings of love may not be
From what I find within you,
But what I think you find
Within me.
Mar 2018 · 304
An Idle Threat of Violence
LizO Mar 2018
Oh, to wreck a room!
To unleash my rage
And let fury from its cage.
With just one ornament I’d start
Then break all f**king else apart.
It would so make me smile
To let anger out for a while.
It wouldn’t end pretty, but
Oh, to wreck a room!
Mar 2018 · 411
Jojo
LizO Mar 2018
Hop on the back of my Harley, chick
I’ll take us for a ride
Let you see what you no longer experience
And feel what I feel for a while.
Your smile will forever be with me
I sense it when there are mountains ahead
I see it whenever I remember
All the silly things we said.
Your laugh will forever be with me
I can hear it when we twist and we turn
Enjoyment of life’s small moments -
I wish that was still your concern.
I’m sorry I didn’t have what you needed
Let me make amends, by giving you a thrill
Just hop on the back of my Harley, chick
And we’ll ride, till we’re over the hill.
LizO Mar 2018
You’re too young, I say
Yet here I am

I could have written the same
Do you really have the talent?

I’m just as deep
But where is your proof?

I will take all your followers!
You don’t have the skills

It’s not fair, I must say
And why should it be so?
Mar 2018 · 247
Liz
LizO Mar 2018
Liz
What is this name I’ve been given?
It doesn’t feel like mine,
Though I answer when it’s spoken
And I use it all the time.
It seems alien when I say it,
Uncomfortable on the tongue
I know I didn’t choose it,
But it’s still not a thing I shun.
Does it say something about me,
That I wasn’t even aware?
No one showed me the mold to fit into
So I guess I don’t really care.
Mar 2018 · 366
Pants Day
LizO Mar 2018
I have new pants
They’re a joy to behold
Such a perfect fit
And the colour had me sold

I braved the shops
Conversed with fake ladies
I hate it so much
I’d rather go to Hades

But the God of Shopping
Smiled down at my endeavour
Said have some lovely pants
I hope they last forever!
LizO Mar 2018
The instructor grins at me from under his moustache, then shouts – IT’S YOUR TURN
I am ready.
What a performance!
One step out of the plane and already off my feet,
Dangling,
Out of position on the positioning platform
Earth zooms past underneath at a
Ridiculous rate
With one last look into the instructor’s mocking eyes
I let go

The world moves
Too fast to understand it
Reality unravels
As frantically as the chute’s cord
Falling,
Falling free,
Falling free of control,
Of responsibility,
Of burden
The whooshing of the wind merges
With the words
Screaming in my mind
‘ONE-ONE-THOUSAND, TWO-ONE-THOUSAND, THREE-ONE-THOUSAND, …
My mouth says nothing
Unheard, unseen, suspended in a big O
Falling,
Falling free

The world quickly slows, my mind both fuzzy and clear, I calmly descend
In a gentle invisible lift, leisurely viewing the emerald English countryside, such
A beautiful sight to see, but my wonder and awe is
Sharply interrupted,
By a voice in my ear, bellowing –
Assume landing position!

A short wait,
A hefty bump,
A forward roll that a Ninja would be ashamed of, and
I’ve made it.

And I lie there.
I lie there,
Arms and legs outstretched, a smiling simpleton
Trying to create a snow angel in a grassy field.
Then I remember
…CHECK CANOPY’
Mar 2018 · 312
The Clocktower
LizO Mar 2018
You keep your ghosts well hidden
Such an important place you’ve been
All the histories you helped in the making
Their secrets you hold unseen

Your baronial beauty and grandeur
Are what entrances and enslaves
Your image, which you don’t mind sharing,
Has them coming here in waves

You gave students a home to protest
And glory to those racing your strikes
You’re a place for staff to feel proud of
Even your twitter feed got likes

Your loyal chimes keep us moving
They’re heard through the campus widely
Otago wouldn’t be the same without them
So thank you Summertime Sidey

You fought off threats of demolition
And dared us to be wise
Became a symbol of higher learning
And helped make excellence our prize.
Mar 2018 · 224
Dad
LizO Mar 2018
Dad
‘Don’t go’ he said
Yet still I left
But with me I carry those words,
Forever in my pocket
I don’t always peek, but I am aware they’re there.
They tell me I was loved, they show me I can hurt,
And they will evermore make me wonder –
Should I have thrown the world away to stay?

His words are destined to be lonely in my pocket
And because of that I carry them with care
LizO Mar 2018
My padlock waits for thee:
Silver key, will you set me free?

My padlock craves reply.
Oh key, don’t be shy!

You fit my nook,
Together we’ll unhook,-

Say, key,
Enter me!
Mar 2018 · 254
Sleepy Sister
LizO Mar 2018
Tomorrow I won’t be tired
Tomorrow I’ll work all day
Just let me have this moment
To sleep all my cares away

But tomorrow never gets here
Do it now I keep hearing you say
I’m not ready to rise from my resting
For a little more sleep I’d pay!
Mar 2018 · 497
London Street
LizO Mar 2018
A greeting with no words spoken.
My longed-for thunderstruck moment.
The question that doesn’t need asking,
Where to go, where to go?

A passion that sends me reeling.
Too scared to love, but too scared to leave.
The look that leaves me knowing,
Where to go, where to go.
Mar 2018 · 316
Goose
LizO Mar 2018
It can pay to be obtuse when others are abstruse
It lets you break loose from having a use
Let them think you’re a goose
And your workload will reduce!
Mar 2018 · 244
Buckle up Buttercup
LizO Mar 2018
Too shiny  for your darkness
Too happy for your pain
Too joyful for your anguish
You don’t see I’m the same

I fight hard for my shiny
I fight hard; time and again
So put some ****** effort in,
You’re driving me insane.
Mar 2018 · 355
The Bits You Don’t See
LizO Mar 2018
My joy dances wildly, but is only mildly free,
  Tethered to a secret drawer of hate.

I’m safe behind a smile see, for who would harm me,
  Since I tidied my anger out of sight.

Glories overflow from my slow and hard pursuits,
  When oblivion is hidden from my fate.

My love of life blooms, with a boom of glee and pleasure
  Could I leave, without once glancing, if I lost the fight?

— The End —