tin glazed sun beats the pavement,
flushed face, sat on a bench,
lipstick on the teacup’s edge,
a gentle breeze flutters a napkin off the table.

who was on this seat before me?

uncoated pan
clang and bang
processed fats
cat caught rats

what is good food
for your mood
for my friend
a treat to send

washing up bowl
aquarium shoal
home for fish
is not on a dish

kitchen wizard
freezer blizzard
cold cold meals
cheap cheap deals

eating a plant
having a rant
meat eating vet
around my pet

narcissist hailstones
bounce once and melt in the sun
winter in summer

Gimme those dark lights
Play them silent sounds
Don’t call me
I’m vibin’

Wassup, my guy?
This kitchen stinks,
Thoust no selfe respect,
Clean up bet, for if thee doth not,

Thou shalt rot.

Spores flye aloft the aire,
Forthy blyght dost linger upon þín walle,
Blæc fyne ond molde,
Swamm ond þá swarrinias.

Mín wēste cyćenan.

Born of great strength
A gentleness to penetrate the coldest heart
From childlike naivety
Grows unconditional empathy

Responsibility and passion
Are opposite sides of the same coin

Quietly a guardian rises
Out of the ashes of his ancestors
An enormous oak
Cultivated from the most nurtured seed

A touch from the greatest roughness
Softly crafts unending compassion

The patient gardener
Is a master of continuous life giving water
The precise touch
Of calloused hands builds a safe sanctuary

Those who are used to the dark
Illuminate the path for loved ones

In the black void
Glow the eyes of the warmest love
Cold endurance
Softens the sound of ten thousand sirens

The greatest emotions one experiences
Often come from great physical prowess

The softness of the most effective caregiver
Can be as hard and full of potential as uncarved wood

So when you are cold and numb
When you are dense and unyielding
When you sit alone in the dark
You may be developing qualities

Of the mother of all things

Spin the black circles like a hypnotist
Keep me moving through the night
A beat worthy of Borscht
And sounds like puppet strings

I want to dance
Festive fever
Unbroken trance
Under your spell

I am an animal dancing
One of a select few

Golden leaves like needles
The finest tips of springtime
Water a few minutes off the boil
You make everything better
Steep after steep
The flavour keeps climbing

You travelled far from Tongmu village
Nestled in the Wuyi mountains
A long way down the Silk Road
You fell into my teapot
Brew after brew
A potion for my headache

Drab grey concrete shared by pigeons and starlings
People bustling through in close proximity
The sky is closing in, says my feelings
Rain starts as I navigate anxiety

Some say they miss the comfort of feeling sad
That the sun never breaks the numb hazy clouds
With lies and conspiracy I don’t feel mad
This medicated daze is the fog that shrouds

Greyscale reality blurs what’s real and not
A new bold extension of my colourblind eyes
Despite this I now feed the pigeons a lot
In this overcast city you can hear my cries

The city of the moon makes me smile
It really spreads my cheeks for a while
Darkness soaks through my skin to the bone
As I let rip upon my throne

Shadows dance in the morning light
Patterns on my wall for the cat
Chasing dreams outside the cave
I sit in stillness a lot now

Watching things move is a prison
Movement happens in pitch darkness
Gratitude that the sun still burns
Locked in, my sight sets me free

In the library water is coming through the ceiling
Shhh! Weight of water is on my mind
It’s quiet enough to think clearly here, for a short time
Before I swim back home through the rain

Home is full of music and distraction from constant hums
The house feels heavy it might cave in
Under piles of rubble and possessions I am still the same
Just now I’m wet through without a roof

My head spins like black plastic
Songs and tunes play in my mind
Stand up I feel dizzy
Lie down I feel much worse

Like unrooted trees I fall
In the winds of your soft breath
I see double flowers
I smell your long gone scent

I’m under your spell, falling
For your ideas of balanced thought
I weep for time we lost
Tears drop down to the ground

It’s bin day and it’s raining
The songs I wrote are playing
You don’t dance anymore
This steady beat does nothing

Can I relax?
I need something to drink
Taps have run dry
Without water no tea

Smash! Goes my mug
I’m so tired of praise
Feelings can wait
I need a cup of tea

Third times the charm
Biscuit tin empty again
I cannot see
What I’ll eat with my tea

I’ll go shopping
For my elevenses
Must satisfy
My need for snacks and tea

At last an idea
Thank the gods for my flask
Prepared yesterday
At last I drink my tea!

When it all comes down
What’s left in your empty brain
Anything you dream

—-

What are you scared of?
Effects of humanity?
Be an animal

—-

Pour tea bath water
Into your favourite cup
Drink the benefits

The look on your face, your raw emotion
The light in your eyes, your divine delight
I miss this the most, the parts you gave me
I would do it all, to see you again

The biggest heart, never ending smile
Pure sparkling joy, I’ll never forget
The calm I felt, when you were around
It’s part of me, mine forevermore

I promise to try my best to pass on your gift like you did to me.

My friend once boxed a kangaroo in the desert!
She got punched in the face but fought strong through the hurt.
A week after the fight she beat a tough black belt.
One so big he could crush a nut with his force dealt.
It was a mighty battle but she had quick speed!
She punched him in the mouth so hard, he had his feed.
Like a weightless ballerina she defeated him.
Used his power against him, she knocked him out dim!
The champion of the world, her heat like the sun,
Shone through the desert, kangaroo, and everyone!

What’s for tea tonight?
Stomach rumbles inside me.
Food will do the job!

What is hiding in your face?
Behind the mask of disgrace.
Unlocked by a soul embrace.
Shines out with a smile in place.

———————

Don’t look for everything, on one certain path.
All paths are stitched from fragments of time.
Walk where your feet are now, whatever your path.
Everything‘s always there, all of the time.

———————

Watch, curled up cat sleeps
Not of this world are his dreams
I’ll join him tonight

I am writing this to you
Even though you feel poo
To let you know
And try to show
You are loved

Soon you will feel better
So read carefully every letter
You might not feel it now
But I promise you somehow
You are loved

Bad times don’t last forever
Hold tight, never say never
Together we can get through
Me, you, and cats too
You are loved

It’s ok to feel bad
Or had, mad, or sad
With hope we can see
A bright future to be
And remember you are loved

Fighting is difficult
The system is rigged
The children are vulnerable
They climb a never ending mountain
To grasp at stars always out of reach

Endless paperwork
The trust don’t have faith
The kids are at risk
Set up to fail on their journey
Some destined to fall through the gaps

This fight is more than a video game, it’s life

Inevitable, he will stop at nothing
Killer of legacies, destroyer of lineage
The gift our mothers gave us will expire
Resistance is futile

He arrives peacefully in your sleep
An end to the experience
A creator of ghostly memories
But what is a memory when there is no one to remember it?

He stalks our every second of existence
Ready to pounce on a moments misfortune
Roots always reach downwards
To keep us fed until is time for terror from above

He is a faithful companion
Agile, like swift retribution
Not always fair
To him it is sport

Those in control amplify his effects
The ever diminishing resources
Fire erupts in his steadfast gaze
Like his heat that will consume us all

A column of water from the tap
Falls down past the sink bowl into the gap
Glugs in the drain through the trap
And back up again to the gutters wrap

Drop to the sewer a waste of water
Dilutes a foul mix towards the sorter
At the treatment plant works her daughter
Helping recycle like she taught her

Overflow the sewage because it’s raining
Cry do the bosses as investment is waining
Not for lack of profit sustaining
The wealth of the richest always obtaining

Nationalise it so the profits rebuild
The infrastructure and talent so skilled
Repair it where damage got spilled
And improve it all as payments fulfilled

I don’t know much
The more I know
The more I don’t
The ever expanding universe

In a tapestry of vibrant diversity, we find,
Bound by shared humanity, hearts aligned.
Together we stand, breaking barriers confined,
Embracing differences, unity enshrined.

In a symphony of colours, we unite,
Honouring uniqueness, with radiance bright.
For every voice resonates, shining light,
In this grand mosaic, love takes flight.

Let prejudice crumble, injustice fades away,
As empathy and compassion hold sway.
For in our shared journey, we strive each day,
A world where acceptance has the final say.

No divisions shall hinder our united stride,
But solidarity and respect, side by side.
With open hearts, bridges we build wide,
Harbouring the worth of each life’s pride.

Let kindness be the language we employ,
A force that transcends, bringing lasting joy.
With every heartbeat, harmonise we shall enjoy,
A world where equality we all employ.

In this ode to togetherness, we convey,
The strength of bonds that guide our way.
With unwavering spirit, let’s ignite,
A future where inclusivity shines bright.

Rhymes fucking suck
They just make it cheesy
But once I had luck
And they particularly pleased me

In a haze considering every thought and feeling she ever had.
Loving me more than a helpless pet on the street.
Appreciating the highest but lifting the lowest of art.
Queen of the clouds, even her sarcastic scowl envelops the sky.

Quietly spoken she said to me that only the fierce survive.
She smelled like a familiar indescribable aroma.
Standing next to me she looked like a million rainbow sighs.
Her touch felt like a teardrop on my lips.

The softest fluffy grey cardigan hung on her shoulders.
Dressed to kill all the badness in the neighbourhood.
She’s tired but gives life to the trees and grass and the moss.
She’s the rain and these days she’s crying all the time.

He’s cold in this hollow box
It’s warm on the outside he begs
She’s the only blanket he wants
Followed by a bow to play at courting

Summer has gone away for a while
He feels a key change of the weather
She’s unlocking her viola case and
Reading a mournful note from her lover

Harmonies sing when he’s around
Her heart grows big, her hair on end
The vibrations of love flow up her spine
Through cords of silken electricity

They used to relax into each other’s arms
When time proved to be an illusion
A song that is always there
Kept safe in the instrument of her desire

Sat to one side
You cling to your negativity
Anything good is a ride
A catastrophe for any opportunity

Carrying baggage
You sing without purity
But still you manage
To survive and cope with adversity

No one can hear you
Signalling so quietly
Righteous fury flows through
Your every action and quality

So one day stop
And listen to nothing
No more luggage to cop
Find some peace in your own belonging

My mother taught me to speak.
My father taught my tone.
Lessons learned are easily forgotten
without an environment in which to thrive.

The hourglass trees recycle the atmosphere.
Sending their roots down as anchors.
A reminder to balance when stationary.
Moving is an effort not to be taken for granted.

A struggle in my mind can be repetitive.
The same thoughts dripping out of my mind.
Like some sort of water torture
Or buzzing and ringing at an uncomfortable pitch.

We are responsible for each other.
For the animals and plants.
The seas and the skies.
Suffering, at our inadequate hands.

An overdue lesson my birthday came like a chocolate torte

My family my classmates demanding no time for any thought

Get the food ready said the dinnerlady to my tired self

So focused on this schoolwork I had no time for my mental health

Mid life crisis at break time but I’d forgot my packed lunch

Celebrating another year with three generations an unruly bunch

Take me back in time and I’d drop out all over again

Exams like a shootout but when it’s my turn I miss my pen

Typing notes on my phone I’ve forgotten how to write

It’ll take me 35 years to remember but one day I just might

Trigger warning: Self harm.

As the world had closed up I stared into my mouth, mirrored forth.
I saw the world opening amongst broken, yellow pearls.
Paths revealed themselves in front of me, some south, some north.
Unfamiliar and not a crossroads, as such, my hazy vision swirled.

The glass holding my toothbrush smashed on the floor.
A reverberation of the crash seemed to last forever.
I looked down. Red blood at my feet. A hole opened up to the door.
Once imprisoned. Now an escape route of falling and landing never.

Is this flight? Surely not fight. More likely fright.
I felt trapped, caught, constrained in this emotional hell.
Beyond repair, hoping for a fix, another episode at the dentist might.
I used a brush to sweep up the shards. In guilt, shame and fear I dwell.

Over read and over thought; chewed up and thrown out.
Told to a friend but in it goes in one ear and out the other.
“If only you knew him like I know him.” They’d say.
Not possible when it’s just one story for them but an encyclopaedia for you.

Scratched and worn,
I wear a coat of guilt.
It hides my shame.

Pride wilts in greyscale norms,
Society’s potential colour wilts.
No reason not to choose your own names.

The pandemic’s shine is becoming worn.
The party engine will be at full tilt.
Dancing alone; no longer my forced aim.

You couldn’t sleep,
I wouldn’t think.
All our fears were here,
We had started to sink.

You were so uncomfortable
A mouthful of cotton to mend.
No moment felt finished,
Gravely gathered at the end.

We held Time’s hand,
We held onto each other.

As we sat this one out
In the safety cupboard together.
A stopwatch and a timer
Couldn’t stop it either.

Sound to distraction,
Calls to the ether,
Rising tides so far away
No blip on our meter.

We held Time’s hand
We held onto each other.