Thursday, February 25, 2016

The Poet



O poet!/ Writing
Of lost love 
Why sigh and moan
Why obsess so 
Objectifying
Devaluing
Something - someone you 
Claimed to love 

O poet! Don't

Speak of lost flowers/
Of light or grace or laughter/ 
Of all the precious stones 
Of the world/ Don't speak 
Tonight/ of white robed ladies 
In ivory towers 

O poet! 

Each person their own
Master or mistress/ Riding 
White chargers into their own
Destinies/ O poet!
How dare we speak up
You and I/ For we have 
Nothing 
To do here with this
No one
To lend a ear 

O poet!/ Why?

Why did you lose your love?
Was it you?/ Was it them?
Was it cruel circumstance?
Honour and duty/ Parents' insanity
A Scottish poem dying 
In a tragic storm

O poet!/ Don't you see

'Tis madness to hold
Onto these/ Memories of a rain-
Drenched stroll/ Of kisses
Never stolen/ Of loves lost 
Before they began/ Of past selves 
Discarded and forgotten 

O poet!/ I seek to write 

A tombstone for my love long lost 
A death mask for a memory
A paean to a ghost living on 
In just my thoughts/ My sullen silence 
Missing words make up a poem 
To honour the fallen/
And the ones that never fought

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Entity



Leaning in
Against walls as old 
As my time 

Points in time and space 

Where my history intertwines 
With that of this city 

A cool breeze blows in

A final farewell 
An apology for the hot summer days

If I could lean back

Sink into these walls 
Be one with them

If I could lay myself 

To rest for all time/ In crypts 
Of memories and bargain sales 

If I could be sure 

That I'd never again be separated 
From you my love, my home 

Why/ Then I'd fall back

In an instant disappear
Leave all else behind 

And over me would close 

All that's good and bad 
Memories, thoughts and tears

Flaws and perfection mixed in 

City and girl indistinguishable 
My eyes to close finally/ in contented bliss