How word conveys thine yonder form
is winter’s ice upon my ear,
No mouth can so describe the warmth
lay hous’d inside my heart endeared.

Despite all speech that one might find,
though vastly far it always spans,
your essence will lay undefined,
far beyond all ink-spotted hands.

But here I stay ever toiling,
grasping my pen yet unprepared,
Cursive paper onward coiling,
My crumpled sheets lay uncompared.

So know my love you’re all to me
beyond that which our words can see.

Mint spreading in elegance.
Some divine blanket of taste in the soft vert.
What meadows of limestone growing
tusks and a peppermint hair!
Verdent tastes of beaming echoes,
Bouncing off the walled caverns,
Body and soul.
Radiating vieled ripples.
The mountain's roots in caverns carved,
the speech of silent wind within,
inscribed on the hollow shell
of a white turtle from the deep lakes.
Waves form energy suppressing noise,
leaving keratin quiet.
Coral growing body soul,
maintaining vibrations of mossy
touch and taste.
Rhinestone tongue of night
Diamond sky.
A granite vineyard in the clouds, and
pitch shaped into a tower,
the glassy eyes of dawn and dusk.
Vespertine.
Translucent dreams.
Bamboo chins translucence,
Escalating moonstone shadows,
fingers spread in wide stretch,
ephemeral hollowness,
of everlasting happy spices.
Fingers locked in thin ligaments,
stones nestled in the crabgrass burrow,
moles' eggs in the nutmeg painting.
Luscious browning melange.
Quartz upon the wave-struck ridge.
Puffs of gray magical,
escaping cavern's entrance,
filling the air with
a fragrance uncompared
and bringing to the stomach,
a funny, fuzzy, filling feeling
called munchies!

*Written by: Simon and Lotus

behind what digit does greatness hide
for surely it is seen in mass
though mark it bold if self-proclaimed
a self-called victory is oft for last

and on what pedestal is greatness praised
enshrined and head bestowed with gold
or is it meek and humbly bred
unrecognized beneath the fold

in the sea's unwavering crash
in the sky's expanse unspared
in the ant's resilient march
all things great when uncompared

and can it be that we are great
perhaps in just one other's eyes
I know that I am full of it
why do you hide in plain disguise

Bielsa’s Boys go bombing on.
Hear it, hear it,
Hear our song.

Running further than the rest,
Leeds United are the best.
Scything through the opposition,
Scoring goals our only mission.

Top flight teams are running scared,
Afraid of a team that’s uncompared:
Players drilled on “Murderball”,
Making them feel so very tall.

We’ve even a Brazilian in our team.
Bielsa buys only the cream.
Brazil themselves are doing great deeds:
They say they’re playing just like Leeds.

Shame about those missing fans,
Still busy washing their hands.
Can’t wait for that Elland Road roar
Celebrating every score.

Before too long we’ll be World Champs,
Shining bright like electric lamps.
Bamford scoring all those goals,
Shutting the mouths of Keane and Scholes.

Bielsa’s Boys go bombing on.
Hear it, hear it,
Hear our song.

Paul Butters

© PB 1\1\2021.

By the time we met,
I had already kissed 3 boys,
And had my heart broken by one.

I had already given up on love.
I was 16.

When we started dating,
I had only known you for a month,
But you captivated me already.

For 144 weeks, I thought you were mine,
I figured it was for life.
You said it so many times and you’d never lie,
Right?

I had already forgiven you 36 times
By the time you started lying just to see what I’d believe.

The way you cradled me was uncompared to anything,
You convinced me everything else was too rough,
Too scary.

But I didn’t even feel like trying
I had already found true love, after all,
Even if it hurt me.

12 months in out of the 32 we spent together,
You had already broken me 76 times,
Those words still haunt my head,

My bed is empty,
You left me,
Already ready to forget me.

At 17 you said you had already found true love.


Well what the ****?
Wasn’t I done looking for pity already?
Weren’t those things on my arm healed already?
Wasn’t my story over already? You’d heard it already
I shoved my fingers down my throat just to purge up a “sorry”
I never stopped talking and
You’d already asked me to hurry.
Wasn’t I over it already?

But you loved me, I already knew that.

You masked insults with recurring phrases
Thought up already so you were ready to make me sorry about what you said

It was a joke! You already told me not to take it seriously.
Why was I so sensitive?
Wasn’t I over it, already?

I don’t remember when things got bad,
Or ever having the ability to recognize that
Because with you I’d swallowed enough pride to drown myself
From the inside out,
But you were always so forgiving.

I found myself lost,
Apologizing for feelings
You swore I made up but I could not create if I tried.
You said you loved me.

But your tides pulled me by the ankles.
I’d taken swimming lessons already,

But they don’t teach you how to swim when you fall in love with drowning.

So I tried,
To stay afloat in rough waters
I’d already drowned in, over and over again,
I’d tread for show so you could never see,
But I’m drowning again,
Already.


Already? You moved on,
In 19 days, for 3 years that are already gone.
Already, you filled the void we created ourselves,
With white noise because how the hell
Could you make the choice
To replace me for good already?
In the years you spent convincing me to stay afloat,
You made sure I knew I needed you to do so.

I can’t bring myself to throw out your old clothes,
The ones that have piled up 3 feet
In 19 days
Already.

I sat and counted the ways you made me want to die on my hands,
And I tried to justify that by balancing it with the times you made me feel alive,

But I stopped because 6 months in out of 32,
I’d already used all 10 fingers.

Tell me if you do the same for her.

Already, you are happy
And smiling again
You float above waters
I’m drowning in
But man, am I happy
You’re ready to begin again.
Already?
With someone else
As I struggle to heal myself,
Losing color as I stop myself from begging for your help

You’d throw me a line
If you got praise for it,
Or pull me in just to have me in your reach again.

I know I need to do it already,
Everyone on shore assures me
I deserve more.
But I’m still short of breath.

Look at you though,
Already free and happy.
Already?

You are shaping waves, ruthless,
Crashing tides to keep your name
The one I remember when I say in vain
I’d already found true love at 16

Aghast was the feeling within,
the moment I heard saying,
"The grudge in me never ceases,
If I look at you, it upsurges."
What was that? Hatred or Jealousy?

Together we grew,
Together we played,
Together we enjoyed,
But she was loved more.
What was that? The age or Comparison?

Appreciated for her appearance,
Admired for the best smile,
Pampered for the sweet talks,
Gradually grew the inner bitterness unaware,
Igniting in her, the spark of arrogance uncompared.
As I was placed ever in contradiction.
What was that? Seed of praise or despise?

The child in us possessed the love,
while in the name of maturity the gap stretched,
The silence took deep breaths
Between each conversation
We, the alike thinkers
Now parted with difference.
The daughters of two sisters,
Misunderstanding cultivated the distress.
What was that? Distance or Belief?

The question still perplexed
Whose fault was that?
The childhood innocence ripped with arrogance?
Or
The comparison that planted the vengeance?
But ultimately, it is the misconception established with pride.

Now after these many years,
the love in me for her never faded
but grew more when we by chance interacted.
What was that? The pure love or move on?

Having the belief that our thoughts were alike,
My heart ceased not to pour my inner feelings,
As my childhood pal, my sister, my twin.
But still the ignorance in me continued to control,
My maturity to understand the completely changed person.
It took sometime to get in my senses
that her eyes looked hither and thither
with lies unrelated,
and conversations proposed,
not to share but to grasp
whenever connected virtually.
What was that? A changed self or Gossip Monger?

The vengeance inside gradually
turned to revengeful remorse.
And the love had turned to blame,
With pierce striken words she poked
Of accusations and falsehoods,
But none seemed to disturb me.
What was that? Mellow in me or Her immaturity?

With composed tone, I did stand for me,
confidently, a new me,
neither raised my voice,
nor reacted losing my poise,
but assured that in her life,
"Never could you forget to remember me and never, remember to forget me."
What was that?
A blessing from a mellowed soul.

————————————————

By the time I'd met you
I'd already kissed two boys.
I'd had my heart broken by one and had already given up on love.
I was 16.
When we got together,
I'd only known you for a month
But you had already captivated me.
For 144 weeks I'd already thought you were mine for life. You'd said it so many times, and you'd never lie, right?
I'd already forgiven you 26 times by the time you started lying just to see what I'd believe.
The way you made me feel alright was uncompared to anything new you convinced me was too scary

But I didn't feel like trying.
I'd already found true love
Even if it hurt me.

12 months in out of 32 and you'd already broken me 76 times saying words I still  hear in my head.

my bed is empty and you left me, already ready to forget me.

At 17 you said you'd already found true love.


Well what the ****?
Wasn't I done asking for pity already?
Weren't my scars healed already?
Wasn't my story over already?
Was I over it, already?

But you loved me, I already knew that.

You masked insults with reoccurring phrases
Coined already to make me feel sorry for crying over what you said
It was a joke, you'd already told me not to take it seriously
Why was I so sensitive?
Wasn't I over it already?


I don't remember when things got bad,
Maybe I had lost the ability to by the time they did because with you I'd already done so much wrong but thanked you for always being forgiving.

I Found myself lost.
Apologizing for feelings
I couldn't create if I tried
You said you loved me but created tides that pulled me by the ankles.
I'd taken swimming lessons already.

But they don't teach you how to swim or survive when you fall in love with drowning.



So I tried to swim
in the rough waters you drowned me in over and over again
You never saw, I'd always stay afloat for show,
But I'm drowning again
Already,


Already? You moved on
19 days for 3 years, already gone.
Already you filled the void
(You said I'd created)
With white noise because
How could you make the choice
To replace me for good? Already?
You spent years convincing me I needed to stay afloat, needed you to do so.
I can't bring myself to remove your clothes that have piled up
3 feet in 19 days
already.
I counted the ways in which you made me want to die
And tried to justify it by balancing it with the times you made me feel alive
But I stopped because 6 months in I'd already used all 10 fingers.

Tell me if you do the same for her.



Already.
Already you are happy
Smiling again.
The best you say you've ever been.
you float above waters
You'd already drowned me in.
But I'm so happy
You're all ready to begin again
With someone else.
While I'm struggling to heal myself and
Losing color as I stop myself from asking for your help.
You'd throw me a line if
You got praise for it
Or pull me in just to have me in your reach again
I know I need to do it already
When everyone on shore assures me I deserve more
But I'm still short of breath.
And look at you
Already free.
Happy
Already?
You are shaping waves
Ruthless- crashing to keep your name
The one I always remember
When I say in vain
"I'd already found true love by 16"
I can barely breathe,
so tell me why I already want you back again, drowning me again, already

You are the cherry of my cigarette;
Reaching for my fingers.
With each day, I can't give it up yet;
I'd rather let it linger.

You are the smoke, twisting in my vision.
I see you, I choke;
With uncompared precision.

You are my lungs;
My breath of fresh air.
When life's song feels likes its sung;
You're the on who's there.

You are the dark night;
That calls me to be surrounded.
A bird in mid flight;
By your elegance I'm astounded.

You are my end;
Pulling me to you.
So I just pretend
Cause its all I can do.

You are the night sky,
You are the stars!
I wanna try hard,
To be where you are.
You are my heartache
You are my destiny.
With every mistake
And every tragedy;
I want to come home
To just you and me!