the wick runs short the
candle fades
then flickers
and goes out
how many people
has she warmed
how many
shared her light
though with the wind
and with the rain
her flame
nearly died
she overcame
everything
until finally
there is no more
now she has
no use no
beauty she
lies still cold
darkness surrounds her
is this the
end or the
beginning
of something new
Voices
from the distance
Voices
muffled indistinct
Voices
no recognisable words
Voices
an indistinguishable drone
Voices
occasional bursts
Voices
almost understandable
Voices
fading back to the hum
Voices
before words can be caught
Voices
continual endless
Voices
sounds of pain
Voices
images of sorrow
Voices
raised in ecstacy
Voices
laughter to tears
Voices
through the walls
Voices
seeping in
Voices
Then suddenly silence
man
strong violent
forcing striking manipulating
anger brutality fear pain
hiding flinching dissembling
frightened bruised
woman
T
HE
THRUS
TO
FT
HE
KN
IF
E
Pure
Crystal
Glimmering
In the handle
Of the instrument
Designed for pain
Agony
Torture
Death
Lust
Passion
Uncontrolled
Male dominance
Abuse of power
Taking without asking
Forcing upon the victim
Completely unwanted
Fully undeserved
Violated
Traumatised
Defiled
Rape
She said
no
She whispered
no
She breathed
no
She said
no
She said
no
She pleaded
no
She implored
no
She said
no
She said
no
She shouted
no
She yelled
no
She said
no
She said
no
She begged
no
She screamed
no
She said
no
SHE SCREAMED
Pain
Anger
Agony
Brutality
Agony
Anger
Fear
The doctor
he told me
don’t worry
it is a
quite normal
usual
reaction
there isn’t
anything
any need
or reason
for concern
why will he
no longer
talk to me
Buried beneath the multi-coloured stones
She sits waiting to be found and captured
Captured for her incredible beauty
A beauty that is so rich, so unique
Undamaged by the pressure of the stones
As they are moved back and forth by the sea
The sea which is her mother and her home
Now both protecting and threatening her
Frail and strong, hiding underneath the stones
Waiting timidly for the right captor
The one that will give life and love to her
Who she will trust, risking herself for it
He comes and so she releases the stones
So he is able to discover her
He gently raises her, held in her thrall
Will she be crushed when she loses control
And then I heard The voices Calling to me Tormenting me I wished to return to Silence Silence like it used to be Silence where I could Hear myself Be myself Be at peace Constant So, so constant Attacking me Condemning me Shut up For God's sake shut up They They listen in on me On my feelings They They know everything I do All about me They They know Everything Every thing I do All about me They Damn you go away I am no longer safe I can no longer keep My privacy intact They They invade my mind Pervade my being And it never stops Even when the voices Go silent They They are still there Watching Listening Being Slowly Killing me
Born in stillness
Out of nothing
The question appears
Living in thought
Scaling the wall
The question is found
Growing stronger
Full of power
The question remains
Flying higher
Delving deeper
The question searches
Dying in pain
Out of despair
The question is lost
Contained
In the clean crisp
Cover
Seven
Neatly folded
Pages
Carefully
Worded
Substantial
Reasons
Cover
Now discarded
Garbage
Crumpled
Paper lying
Scattered
Rain in the mountains
Flowers, trees
River rushing through
Peace, serenity
Music of extraordinary beauty
Subtlety, variety
Trees towering above
Hundreds of years old
Enormous ferns below
Rainbow colours
In the sky
Rainbow birds, flowers
Granite boulders
Rocky outcrops
Gnarled, twisted trees
Keep, preserve
Not destroy
Earth’s natural beauty
sounds full of glory
visions grand and majestic
rainforest beauty
Whispers in the trees
Distant sound of water
Running around rocks and boulders
Through the deep, green, ferny gullies
Stunningly beautiful
Small and pure white
Hugging their hosts
The orchids on the trees
This is the land I love
Cool and moist
Unforgettable smells
Rainforest
dark black
empty
the space
appears
slowly
a light
blue cold
is seen
shadow
bodies
enter
the glow
figures
one two
moving
spinning
turning
leaping
the dance
begins
She glows so brightly
So pure, round and white
Shedding light upon
Friends and enemies
Lovers and fighters
Fully unbiased
Remaining aloof
Coldly distant
But in her coldness
Is beauty and love
So bright
So alive
So blue
sad
So cold
So pale
So blue
is
So distant
So removed
So blue
so
So moving
So expressive
So blue
blue
So hurt
So sad
So blue
Delightful
Irresistible
Alluring
Nubile
Nymph-like
Erotic
shining
stretched
silver
strings
splitting
smooth
shining
surface
sensual
soft
supple
shape
Intricate
woven nets
delicate strong
glistening
silvery
soft and shining
dirty brown
sticky filth
covering walls
opposites
or are they
both the same thing
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Floods
Cyclones
Droughts
The earth
Gets its
Revenge
I tried
to read
the book
but it
was closed
to me
no matter
how I tried
I could not
open it
to find the
joys the truth
the images
that lay inside
I could only
imagine what
experience
I was missing
Sprawled
Across the
Fluffy white carpet
A small black
Cat
Should
the content fit the form
or
the form fit the content
A wisp of smoke
arises from
the cigarette
left neglected
in the ashtray
slowly burning
A slave to love
Addicted to love
Forced into the emotional ghetto
By potent powers
Too forceful to
Deny or control
When these forces wane
The choice comes
Commitment
Or dissolution
Until a new situation
Creates new forces
Hovering out of sight
walking the hills
Searching a position
to see unseen
Endlessly searching through all the old books
Attempting to find the question’s answer
The question that is in an unformed form
Searching for a clue a key to open doors
To expand to enlarge the boundaries
To attack and break down the barriers
Walls that separate the known from unknown
Unknowable from the easily found
Looking for what may have been overlooked
Diving delving into strange untouched realms
Places of fear hope love hate life and death
Treading
the fine line
between
two terrors
balanced
opposing
evils
equally
painful
one for a lifetime
the other
Past
Present
Future
One to regret
to remember with pain
One to endure
to lessen the pain
One to fear
to expect more pain
Yesterday
Today
Tomorrow
Subdued light
flickering on
the upturned faces
Calm, patient
expectancy
all waiting for what
Sudden hush
indicating
event’s arrival
Glistening white
on the pitted
rough surface
reflecting light
from the yellow
red blue flame
glowing orange
through the green walls
strange contrast
immense beauty
variety
as it burns
functional art
so complex yet
so simple
Irritation
Desolation
Obligation
Negativity
Opposition
Turbulence
Bitterness
Exasperation
Lethargy
Isolation
Estrangement
Vehemence
Enmity
Inquietude
Neglect
Loathing
Outrage
Violation
Embitterment
Life is
Love is
Joy is
Bliss is
Lust is
Fear is
Hate is
Rage is
Pain is
Death is not
Clutter
Bits and pieces
Scattered
Confusion
Disorientation
Carrying within
Something clear
Vital
Lost amongst
Peripheral
Unimportant
Signals
You
because
you have such
a wonderful
and incredibly
sensuous and sexy
body to caress
have the power
to fully
control
me