Smile of a Child

If only you knew
When you smiled as a child
What was to come

What would you do?
Take the rough with the smooth?
A bit young for suicide

Take heed, mothers
Take heed, fathers
Teach your child and cover them with kindness

Do all you can do
Give them the best chance you can
If they come to hate you, it won’t be your fault

Image by 5540867 from Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-mother-daughter-mum-people-2480361/

Grit

A poem from 2019

A face set forward determined thrash about in the wind because he ain’t stopping for no one and least of all you you little devil who thinks he’s such a big man who pulls silly faces and la la la sings sticking fingers in front of his eyes but no that won’t stop him you can’t stop him you may as well give up but you won’t because you lack self awareness and still expect you gonna win in the end you delusional

A face set forward determined even fear rational and blood falling from the forehead tears salty flowing are overcome so much love so much cool so much passion you just can’t help wondering if it was anyone else he would be interviewed sympathetically on the news and praised by the whole world be on talk shows getting patted on the back applause wolf whistles feelin’ the love

A face set forward determined no slippin’ or slidin’ but a mouth full of grit a back whipped it’s unjust oh it’s unjust the mocking doesn’t stop even human sympathy is lacking ain’t that typical even death to the very moment of the death the taunting goes on even beyond the moment of death it continues even beyond resurrection the hate is poured out but he doesn’t stop he still doesn’t stop

Lovegun Shooting Blanks

A poem from 1987

Listen to an audio preformance

your direction is south of me

but still you are my dominator

miles below but rising higher

I am so confused, you used

to be, I know that you were once fond of me

but that was a time

which I still remember now

though I wish it would stay dead and buried

as it has no part in the present

participle

lovegun is shooting blanks

subtlety of a tank

leaving nothing to no chance

I am so disturbed

when you are around

with me

holding me, holding on

even though I let go

still I’m tempted over you

we are two

who is true to life?

I am so defused, I used

to be, able to hold you close to me

but now I haven’t got the nerve

in case it triggers off something

inside

that died

and we buried

but is now raised to life

lovegun, Russian Roulette

maybe hasn’t finished with me yet

but whether your name will be

on the bullet

I don’t know

Flowers

A poem from 1986

I’d give you money

but you wouldn’t want it

you don’t like money

shall I buy you flowers for your birthday

I think that you might appreciate that

what else do you want for your birthday

if I asked you’d say NOTHING

so what am I to do

when I’m so in fatuated with you

Kate and Sidney

A poem from 2018

Kate and Sidney

The odd couple

In some ways so alike

In others far apart

Kate’s a funny girl

Pure at heart and solid

Sid’s a bit of a wide boy

And smells a little off

Many say they go together well

Their relationship is hot

Housed together in a firm embrace

Together they feel safe and loved

As for me, I like to get Kate alone

To be honest, Sid makes me feel queasy

Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash

Ampersand

A poem from 2018

Scratch my name with nails

On the palm of your hand

Hold me even closer

Than hope in a Promised Land

Love intricately woven

Into a wedding band

Purse your lips and kiss me

Eternally we are And

A Mutual Attraction

A poem from 2018

She was beautiful

I mean, seriously beautiful

And at the time I didn't realise

The attraction was mutual

It was a foul day

Chucking it down with rain

Seriously pouring

And I looked like a drowned rat

An unfashionable drowned rat

I went into the bank

Not to get out of the rain

But because I needed to go to the bank

And I was served by the most beautiful girl in the world

I left with an internal sigh

Days later I discovered a mystery

My mother told me she'd spoken to Vicky

Who works in the same bank

After I'd left Vicky had the following conversation with Miss Beautiful (Miss Beautiful kicked it off)

“He can come in here any time!”

“Who?”

“Him. The attractive one.”

“That's my next-door neighbour. He's training to be a priest.” (I wasn't)

“Just my luck!”

(I was amazed that a beautiful girl seemingly couldn't find a boyfriend and found a bedraggled wretch attractive. Mind you, they probably say the same thing twenty times a day about different men)

So, Paul, my mother said,

You can go in there anytime!

(Of course I can, it's a bank! Rolls imaginary eyes)

The Flowers In Her Hands

A poem from 2018

She looks at you
She pretends to smell the flowers in her hands
She's using the flowers as cover
She's convinced they're prettier than she is

Tag Team

A poem from 2018

Two are better than one

Life comes at you fast

Good times don’t always last

When life cheats

Has you beat

Lean on me

When enemies double

And I am in trouble

Be there for me

Together we can stand

Darling, take my hand

Two are better than one

Jane

A poem from 1986

oh, Jane

they say that you are plain

but you’re not

it’s driving me insane, Jane

but I can hear the rain

that stains the window

                it’s a strain

when I’m with you, Jane

not to be profane

and curse all those

who are stopping us from being alone

my heart is slain

over you, Jane

I’m going down the drain

again

oh, Jane

let’s take a train

or aeroplane

and go to Spain

my brain

is hurting, Jane

for without you I am like

a train without a track

a front without a back

a white without a black

a tick without a tack