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.

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.
****.

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.

Today I will write with no ego.
Look at me, writing with no ego,
I’m amazing.
****!

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.

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.

And so I learned to hide.
My camouflage protecting me
from pain,
but keeping both the freaks
and the norms at bay.

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.

‘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 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.

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.

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.

Live with your demons,
they’re often here to stay.

Let them have their say,
but never own it.

‘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!

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.

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!

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?

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.

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!

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!

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.

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’

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.

My heart still beats,
My body still breathes,
And the earth still travels
regardless.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Second time around,
because graceful didn’t cut it.

Time to smash the whole bottle
against the wall.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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 ***!

Turning, twisting,
Flowing in the breeze,
Destined
To be held by my hand.
The one last link
To a love
Incomplete.

‘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

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!

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.

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!’

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!

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 ***!

No number by the bell.
Should my poem go to hell?
Or is it good, I just can’t tell!

I chased my thoughts away
with a scream,
yet they still flocked back to
peck, peck, peck
at my peace of mind.