apart, isolated, misunderstood, unforgiven. a flash of red in a grey sea. diamond in a fish tank, hidden among the pebbles. another language, another species, lion falling in love with the lamb. fragment. feeding the worm, making it real by living side by side. such unusual, lonely thoughts. where is the point in unappreciated uniqueness? theory of relativity. who is the observer? why is there so much comfort in familiarity? one piece, taken at a time, makes the whole eventually meaningless. ...

Oh, sweet deceit, How lovely you are, To leave me reeling on my feet But with nary a scar. How God must love you To let you stay here, You do battle with truth And you meddle with fear. Oh, sweet deceit, Look how far you’ve come. You’ve left scratches on many – And gashes in some.

their twisting curling mildly erotic dances thrill me with their gaseous yet liquid flow i sit mesmerised by the impossibility of what i see for no human being was ever blessed with such flexibility as is the stuff of these dancers and most definitely even if we were no magic could make us as graceful the night sky twinkles and winks behind their mysterious veils as shapes shift my spirits lift so ends the battle of wills white and grey and slow and quick the artless curls the endless whirls ...

The day’s not particularly bright, It’s quite cloudy, in fact. But I think that I might Just be able to enjoy it. The grass is not particularly green, It’s a little yellow, in fact. So what, it’s not fertilised, I can live with that. Nothing here is perfectly pure – The tank is growing mould, the house is getting old; But I think that that’s alright, It’s not the ugliest sight. My possessions are in the majority second-hand, I’m not the most beautiful in all the land, But I can enjoy the wave...

*I* Red numbers flicker On the clock’s display. Here comes The Witching Hour. *II* Their eyes are clouded – How do they see? But I feel That they stare at me. *III* Begone, that foul fiend Which gives me the night scares And horrible doubts.

*I* I gently detach Myself from my mind and count The wasted hours. *II* Stare competition In the face and win the prize Of startled surprise. *III* I only wish I Had the words to say how much I truly love you.

Something is not quite right A startled bird would turn and take flight But there’s nowhere for me to fly. I struggle to comprehend What I cannot mend And why, if I could, I’m somehow held back By a chain that once hung slack. These shackles raise my hackles And I’d growl if I knew how. They leave bruises on the wrists of my mind And my arms are sore from straining.

Yes, I am capable of hate. It gets easier every time. That is a worry. Yes, I am capable of hate. It takes a while for me to boil, But boil I do indeed. Yes, I am capable of hate. So are many others. Don’t you feel how we despise you? Do you despise yourself? Perhaps you are capable of hate. But you don’t hate me, do you? No. I’m just good entertainment. What did I do to you? Do you like it when people hate you? That’s just weird. Yes, I am capable of hate. And I hate you.

Oh, I just want to hold you Bring you close and hold you there Give you a kiss on the tip of your nose And run my hands through your hair. I just want to sit next to you When it’s raining and it’s cold And then maybe you could bring me Into a warm, tight hold. I just want to touch you I just want you near Do you know how much it cuts me When you’re just…not…here?

A spiderweb joins two trees In the dawn, looking deceptively innocent. Dew slides down thin white lanes in midair. From the lair of a creature Of a world unknown, A beastly monster Emerges from her den. Yet she is old, mild, And mellowed with the years. Her eyes no longer see, Her ears no longer hear. She has come outside to die. To remember old times – Forgotten days, Forgotten lives. Her body goes all stiff; She knows her time has come. She falls as though from a cliff And lies there, struc...