MASKED BALL:

Misty cobweb auras, caress lapping waterways,

Masked ball imminent, as day now goldenly frays,

Alleyways awakening, at shadowed purple dusk,

Exuding perfumes exotic, of rose, ambergris & musk.

 

Veined canals, of gondolas, gallant gentlemen & gems,

The masked Signoras flaunt, their carnival garbed hems,

Silently, softly sashaying, in fancy fans, frills & filigrees,

Kissed upon masked cheeks, by sweet Venetian breeze.

 

The old cobbles dusted, by secrets, silks & sacred satins,

Whisperings of passion, in words loved by ancient Latins,

Enveloped in vintage velour, velvets & home spun lace,

All loving promises duly broken, by every hidden face.

 

Mandolins, lutes, lyres, where strings are softly fingered,

Leaving stories upon moss walls, & songs so well lingered,

Magnolia scented belles, in bronze bangles & rich brocade,

Waltzing beneath old moons, as night memory begins to fade.

 

In those places of pretty porticoes, of poetry & old pearls,

Where carnival waves adieu, upon tears & saline whirls,

The ball bids farewell, upon emptying of wine´s red cask,

Until the turquoise moon returns, & dons her yearly mask.

 

 

INVISIBLE ILLNESS:

Pain, fatigue, dizziness & all at sea,

She suffers in silence & no one sees,

Fighting tough battles, all on her own,

And yet, nobody hears her lonely groan.

 

Garbing pain racked body in satin & lace,

Pale lips painted red, upon pallid wan face,

Outdoors she goes, with trials in her pocket,

Nobody knows, except those in her locket.

 

With smile on her lips, that are so well sealed,

Living in constant hope, to be one day healed,

On “How are you dear”? She answers every time,

“Thank you for asking me & I´m doing just fine”.

 

ACID:

She was acidic by nature & sour by name,

Mean-cheek-sucked-in, & lip-pursed dame,

Of grimaced face, & stomach tight knotted,

With her chest closed up, & her gut garroted.

 

She was all wrapped up, against cruel world,

She was bundled up, & in cold skin, en-furled,

Her toes curled bent, & her fists fight-balled,

With look of thunder & of storm well squalled.

 

She was of un-giving spirit & buttocks clenched,

She was deeply within her own hell entrenched,

Tear-stained eyes screwed up, & sour expression,

She was merely the victim of her sad depression.

 

 

SOUL:

There is a sacred place she goes to, every single day,

It is that place of still silence, where she goes to pray,

Where there´s no interference, by fussy hand of man,

Where there is no need to fret, to plot, or even to plan,

Where no noise is heard, & there´s no harsh glaring light,

Where nothing´s ever wrong, & all´s gentle & oh so right,

She goes away to that place, where she feels so very whole,

That place deep within her, that ancient Gods call the soul.

LIE:

She had been living a lie, since coming to earth,

Doing everyone´s bidding, since day of her birth,

Obeying one & all, her parents, also her teachers,

Upon knees to authority, of prepotent preachers.

 

To all the bosses & leaders, always kowtowing,

To those in know, her head always low bowing,

Upon her Crone-hood, said, “I´ll take it no more”,

And turning around, she walked right out the door.

SAFEKEEPING:

I want to press your lips between old pages of my history,

Your beauty, I desire to paint upon the canvas of my mind,

I want to pin your arms, to the golden stretch of sunbeams,

And to tie with silken webs, your languid legs to the moon,

I want to cage your dreams, in deep ocean´s sunken shells,

To enclose your heartbeat, within the hard un-cracked nut,

I want to store your blood, beneath seas, rivers & blue lakes,

Your saliva guarded, within safe dark vats, as old sweet wine,

I wish to spin your hair, into a blanket for my safe sleeping,

And your nails, one by one, as jewels, within my sacred etui,

I want your soft voice guarded, by the bronzed stings of bees,

Your smile, wrapped in velvet threads, deep within my heart,

As a pearl in oyster shell, I´ll wrap you, safely, tightly, snugly,

And I shall give you all your freedom, within my safekeeping.

WELCOME:

Welcome child, to your imminent birth,

The entry to your home, now called earth,

This place called life, has few simple rules,

Use them wisely, as your soul´s fixing tools.

 

Help every living creature within your wake,

Give more to this earth, than what you take,

Be patient with yourself & with all the others,

Remember, in life, we´re all sisters & brothers.

 

Love everyone, love everything, love one & all,

Pay homage on your path, through nature´s hall,

In the end, we´re all the same within God´s eyes,

Learn these simple rules child, & you´ll be wise.

 

DRIFTERS:

People come & people go,

Drifting by like wind & snow,

Running past, & as rivers, flow,

Some moving fast & others slow.

 

I do not see them, then I do,

I cannot touch them, nor can you,

As leaves in autumn, fluttering blew,

In this life, drifters, just passing through.

GIVE ME TIME:

Lord, I want no wealth nor riches, merely more time,

I want not what others want, just what I claim as mine,

Give me wishes of wander, to amble through my eyes,

Give me time to ponder, to make me grow more wise.

 

Lord, please grant me time, to softly pray & whisper,

To watch dewdrops upon red roses, iced & gently glister,

Time to gaze upon old moths, & dragonflies frail wings,

Give me time to merely sit, beneath moon´s golden rings.

 

Lord, give me time to stare, down life´s long & breezy hall,

To stop & look at all of nothing, yet to be able to see it all,

I want time to amble, wend & wander, & time to stop at will,

Please my Lord, I want time to be, & time to be merely still.

 

 

COMEDIAN:

Waiting, the stage is now set & brightly lit,

Rapt, the audience now in darkened seats sit,

The greasepaint is marked & in its right place,

Nervous, the grin upon the comic´s ready face,

Within his eyes is the theatre´s mocking glare,

Facing him, only the patron´s critical icy stare,

 The scraping of a throat & the tapping of a shoe,

Silence, then a jest, a jape & a forced joke or two,

Quiet, awaiting the clapping & acclaimed applause,

Alone, he waits & watches, maybe it is just a pause,

But no hands together, just the stilled bated breath,

Standing alone on stage, the comedian´s instant death,

Silence.

TEARDROPS:

Teardrops salted, & tasting of saline´s far oceans,

Recalling our lost pasts, of deep Atlantis emotions,

Teardrops of dew, glistening iced, upon petal & leaf,

Recalling our lives, when we were coiled within sheaf,

Teardrops of sweat, running off plume skin, fur, & pelt,

Recalling the cruel hunt, with all that fear we once felt,

Teardrops of cold rain, weeping from repentant grey sky,

Recalling sadness we see, in the child´s questioning eye.

FRIENDSHIPS:

Valleys & mountains, united in cleavage,

Clouds & sky, holding hands in drifting,

Sea & shore, caressing in sandy giggling,

Tree & earth, entwined in friend´s rooting,

Ocean & sky, kiss in horizon´s soft meeting,

Night & day, waltz gently in their melding,

You & I, together in destiny´s sly planning.

STRONG:

We overcome adversity & all that is wrong,

We keep getting up, because we are strong,

The knocks, the slaps, the road with bumps,

The hits, the blips, the cruel fist that thumps.

 

Bombarded with bad news, images & hurt,

At receiving end, of blasphemy´s spat spurt,

So often sick, ill, & so disappointed in love,

Asking, “Is anyone listening up there above?”

 

Kicked in the teeth by life, & all that it´s giving,

Ever questioning ourselves, “Is this really living?”

Yet we rise & rise again, so it can´t all be wrong,

Merely lessons learned, so that we become strong.

 

 

THE WRITER:

She would scribble with cheap blunt old pencils,

Upon used paper napkins, within old Spanish bars,

Where swarthy dark waiters served warm sangria,

In dirty, finger-pocked, & green-glass-blown jars.

 

Bundled in torn coat & fingerless, old frayed gloves,

She sold her scribbled poetry from grey sidewalks,

Hovering in lost memories, now gone & oh so cold,

In cobbled Latin quarters, where only Spanish talks.

 

She´d beg a pittance, for her dead & written words,

Where ageing whores of colour strut & slowly linger,

And when they swore at her, spat, & moved her on,

She´s show them one rude & very bejeweled old finger.

 

 

WHAT HAPPENED TO US?

I don´t love you, like I did long ago,

Within my eyes, only tears of woe,

I don´t love you, like once I used to,

I cannot love you, the way I want to,

I can´t love you, as I thought I was able,

I cannot share your bed, nor daily table,

It´s now merely habit, to hold your hand,

 I no longer want to wear your gold band,

My eyes don´t light, as you walk in the door,

Where are those days, when you, I adored?

My heart lies heavy, like a sunken old stone,

Words of love dried up & feelings now flown,

Our love was born, thrived, now turned to dust,

And now I ask you sadly, what happened to us?

DON´T:

“Don´t” said the rhino, please don´t take my horn

It is just who I am, & it´s exactly how I was born,

Don´t leave my baby orphan, by taking away my breath,

By killing me, you´d too, cause his young untimely death.

And the rhino wept tears.

 

“Don’t” said the elephant, please don´t take my ivory tusk,

Do not leave me dying, like lonely greying & broken husk,

My ivory is just for me, & should never by you, be worn,

Nor should it for any reason, from my body, ever be torn.

And the elephant wept tears.

 

“Don´t” said the ostrich, please don´t pluck out my plumes,

Do not use them for your dusters, your boas, or your brooms,

It is so very sad to die, merely to remove your gathered dust,

What is it about your killing that feeds your sad & thirsty lust?

And the ostrich wept tears.

 

“Don´t” said all animals, please don´t take our skins, furs & claws,

Do not kill, maim, or hurt us, by showing us all your human flaws,

We´re not put on earth as trophies, & not here for anyone´s game,

If you just leave us all in peace, then you´ll have no need for shame,

And the world wept tears.

 

 

COLOURS TO KILL:

She wore her colours to kill, in virulent venom,

Never pretty in pastels, nor a beauty in denim,

Garbed in the death-watch beetle´s terrible gall,

When she waltzed away to the raven´s dark ball.

 

Clad in the acid-green skirts, of the toad´s spat bile,

Tiptoeing through woods of autumn, so damply vile,

Her old lace petticoats, dripping in scarlet blood red,

With cobra´s hot gold, adorning her proud black head.

 

Her translucent skin, the colour of plasma´s pale death,

Her hair combed in the hue & ire, of old spider´s breath,

She merely wore all her colours, to kill those in her way,

It was who she was, how she lived & the way she played.

 

 

LOVERS:

When daylight cracks the sky with a smile,

Then the sun comes out to play for a while,

When the sun´s daily playing is all but done,

And he is weary with having all of his fun,

He then beckons his greatest love, the moon,

And with a tender kiss, he makes her swoon,

There is the briefest moment within their time,

When holding hands, over ocean´s mauve brine,

And waltzing over far flung horizons they go,

To the ancient tunes of sweet tide´s ebbing flow.

SO IN LOVE WITH YOU:

My great love for you is beyond all compare,

It is a wonderful jewel, very precious & rare,

I shall waltz with your voice on a million sighs,

I´ll sing your caresses, strummed upon my thighs.

 

I shall ride your dreams, upon a unicorn mounted,

Drink your kisses in cocktails, one by one counted,

I shall wear your sad songs, as brooch on my breast,

And within my grey hair, your sweet smiles shall rest.

 

All my longing for you, seeps deep through my blood,

Running through my veins, is your heartbeat that thuds,

You are my moon, my stars, you´re my eternal warm sun,

And within this love we both feel, us two, become one.

 

 

SHE SAID:

“I want nothing to do with this life,” she said,

It´s just for fools & mugs, & I´d rather be dead,

Nothing ever goes right & everything´s wrong,

It is the same old story & it´s the same old song.

 

 

“Child, life is your most precious gift”, God said,

You’re no fool nor mug, get that out of your head,

Nothing´s right & nothing´s wrong, it´s all up to you,

I´ll stay by your side, even if it´s the last thing I do.

 

WHY LEAVE THESE ISLANDS?

Why do you leave these islands my child?

You of golden skin, with your eyes so wild,

Why leave these shores of ocean´s lapping?

To go to those lands, of soul´s sad sapping.

 

Why leave these islands, of palm trees swaying?

Where the dolphins & turtles are forever playing,

Why leave these sands where gold seashells sleep?

To go to cold darkened lands, where people weep.

 

Why leave your islands child, of sweet perfumed air?

Where maidens weave blooms within long dark hair,

Why leave these islands, of rum & hibiscus flower?

To go where people only talk of money & cruel power.

 

Papa, I leave these islands, merely to follow my love,

Guided by my God, & the birds who fly high above,

But Papa, if I don´t find him, then to you, I shall return,

Guided from above, by the clouds, & my island´s erne.

 

 

INHERITANCE:

My son, you are the heir to all my wealth & riches,

But nothing I leave you is of golden sewn stitches,

No jewels, no gemstones, not silver nor bright gold,

There´s no money in banks, nor grand properties old.

 

But son, I will leave you treasures so very worthwhile,

Far older than Amazonia, Taj Mahal, or wild wide Nile,

I shall bestow upon you, all that´s un-seen & un-scribed,

Your inheritance my son, shall be the lost secrets of tribes.

 

I shall leave you old stories, tales, poetry & long gone songs,

Secret messages hidden, within voices of drums & old gongs,

The magic of spices, & curative power of mountain top herbs,

You will have too, the languages of beasts & pretty wild birds.

 

When I am gone, you will be endowed with all that´s unseen,

With all that´s not understood, & of everything that has been,

Not the wealth of all men, that will merely cause you strife,

I shall bequeath to you my son, the very enigma of this life.

MUSIC OF SILENCES:

Play me the quiet music of ancient silences,

Soft feather upon soft feather, of avian violin,

Sing me the gentle whispers of those long gone,

Breathe me the breath of dawn´s silent breezes,

Caress my tired senses, with secrets yet untold,

An orchestra, an opera, an aria, of sounds unheard,

A choir to behold of all that´s heard & well heeded,

Nothing heard by the mere ears of all us mortal men,

But music played, of which only the soul may hear.

 

BEEN SHOPPING DEAR?

As I walked in the door, he peeped over his paper,

“Well, well, well, so tell me, how was your caper?

Did you meet all of your friends, Ann Jen & Sue?

And while you were out, tell me, what did you do?

Been shopping my dear, tell me, what did you buy?

A rouge for your cheek, for your hair a new dye?

Or maybe a frock, a scarf, or a new lipstick in red?

Clickety heeled shoes, or quirky clip for your head?

Now you are back dear, tell me, what´s for my tea?

Have you prepared something delicious for me?”

 

“Yes my husband dearest, out shopping I have been,

But my friends, Ann, Jen & Sue were not to be seen,

I bought no makeup nor perfumes & nothing to wear,

And certainly nothing to change the colour of my hair,

I bought no new frocks, nor fancy clips for my head,

 I bought a brand new Ferrari dear, in bright scarlet red,

Your eyes may now bulge dear, at the money I´ve spent,

I know I can´t drive dear, & now, we can´t pay the rent,

The car includes Italian chauffeur, who will pander to me,

So from today dear, you can prepare your own bloody tea.”

 

HOLDING HANDS:

Our Mamas were best friends, & then so were we,

As babes on blanket, holding hands, under old tree,

As children we played, holding hands in our games,

At school, holding hands, ignoring calling of names.

 

Growing together, hands & hearts turned to our love,

Hands joined by gold bands, our vows to heaven above,

Our hands holding, eventually, small babes of our own,

Just like us long ago, “Gosh my love, how we have grown”.

 

Now old & grey, holding our hands, creased & mottled,

Like old wine, aged & matured, our love safely bottled,

We´re still holding hands, within our soft gentle dying,

As we did long ago, while upon our blanket once lying.

 

 

A LOVE SO FORBIDDEN:

Our Furtive love, was all we knew & all we had,

Deemed by society, as so sinful & really so bad,

Our trysts were well hidden & our kisses so fleet,

Notes passed under cloaks, for our hours to meet,

Our soft whispers escaped & our secrets then flew,

Falling upon ears of judges, & then everyone knew,

Signaled & pointed at, & cruelly pelted with stones,

But the love we had, was still so deep in our bones.

SOMEONE TO LOVE:

Lord, I pray from my heart, so gently to yours,

Send me someone to love, with four little paws,

With a little tail that wags & of soft tender eye,

Who will lick away my tears, when I start to cry.

 

Lord, I don´t really care if woofs, growls or purrs,

It matters not, if it wears hair, or is dressed in furs,

Please send me someone, who won´t shout or scold,

Who will keep me warm, when I´m feeling so cold.

 

Lord, please just send to me, a precious small being,

Whom I shall keep with love & forever in my seeing,

Father of all creatures, watching from way up above,

Please just send to me, that someone special to love.

 

THAT´S US TOLD:

Now, is not it amazing what the rich man said?

When he promised us meat, then gave just bread,

When the banker said,” here please take this loan”,

Then watched, as while in the gutter we´d groan.

 

The King saying, “I´ll make you rich, no longer poor”,

Then promptly marched us straight into his sorry war,

Politician saying, “I’ll be with you, but give me your vote”,

Then when elected to power, he stayed faraway & remote.

 

What about the man who said, “I will love you forever?”

And when you said “yes”, he became a fox, sly & so clever,

When young, we were told, “child you will never grow old”,

So I guess, that within their lies, that´s us, all severely told.

 

 

NOTHINGNESS:

The nights are too dark, with their screech & screams,

The days far too harsh, with their burning sun beams,

Life is so very difficult, with its multitude of choices,

All yelling & clamouring, in demanding hard voices.

 

I have no need for the options, from which to choose,

I have no yearning desires to win, & neither to lose,

I deem never to judge & not even wanting to score,

In my nothingness I want nothing, & even less more.

I SEE THE DAY:

I see the day, when all men are free,

From the binds of his cruel & egotistical greed,

When there´s enough food for the world to feed.

 

I see the day, when beasts no longer skulk,

From man´s abhorrent gun, cage & trapping mesh,

When all waters flow clean & air is forever fresh.

 

I see the day, when only equality reigns,

When world´s women know their valuable worth,

When all the poverty & war will desert this earth.

 

I see the day, when children will play among stars,

When all world´s men, shall deem again to dream,

When we as humans, together, will work as a team.

 

I DON´T WANT SUMMER:

This year I don´t want summer to come,

Spring is fine with her soft breezy hum,

Autumn is welcome with its crispy hues,

Winter, in her silence is best for the muse.

I don´t want summer this year.

 

Summer with its sweat & cruel burning heat,

A drum that never stops its incessant hot beat,

Its lighting of strobe, hurting sore searing sight,

Blistering skin to red, from its delicate white,

I don´t want summer this year.

 

Summer seeping all energy & so cruelly insane,

Stripping corporal dignity, leaving desiccated pain,

As soldiers marching through rum sodden heads,

Causing drought & destruction wherever it treads,

I don´t want summer this year.

 

RIGHTS:

She said,

I have my rights you know, all of my very own,

It´s my body you know, of flesh, muscle & bone,

What I put into my mouth & wear upon my head,

How I dress my own body & whom I shall wed.

 

She said,

I have my own rights Mama, on the life I will lead,

On whatever I shall study & whatever I will need,

On whatever I will wear & to wherever I shall walk,

On whatever I have to say & however I shall talk.

 

She said,

I have rights Papa, so please do not ever doubt me,

I shall decide on my life, it is what makes me free,

To do or not to do, is for nobody but me to decide,

Taking orders from others, I will never ever abide.

 

 

SUITABLY ATTIRED:

How very exquisite you are, my dearest Lady Earth,

Dressed, garbed & gowned, from ancient magical birth,

Cloaked, draped & clad, in soft petal, rough bark & leaf,

Enwrapped & enfolded, in spiraled shells & satiny sheath,

 

How beautifully robed my dear, veiled & mantled you are,

Be-hatted in rays of sunshine, pale moonbeams & soft stars,

 Swathed in feathers & furs, loaned by kind beasts still alive,

You’re sprinkled in golden gowns, gifted by bees in their hive.

 

How elegant you are Lady Earth, & so very suitably attired,

You´re envied by every woman, & by every man, so desired,

Be-jeweled & gloved by nature, stockinged & so delicately shod,

Padded, stitched & seamed, by that tailor with the name of God.