Quilting

I took it,
Took what little scraps
Could be found,
Stretched and stitched them,
Wove them into a blanket
To cover the flaws.
Laid out thin,
A veil,
One which hid from view
All I did not want you to see,
Or carry.
Small pieces I used
To pretend that this was all ok.

Out manoeuvred

I think I could be Queen of entire nations
And I would still feel small.

While subjects trust my every word
Her voice resounding around in empty chambers,
Bouncing off walls,
Will shadow their faith
Leaving me the hollow vessel who stands
Upright.

Spouting out pleasantries and smiles at will
Till they are all satisfied,
Contented in their belief
That their monarch is true.

How easy they were to fool
As I opened my mouth to formulate a speech
Devastating in its delivery,
Yet found eyes pleading into my depths,
Calling out.

So in those final moments when I had choice
I chose to please them
And leave her voice a prisoner in my mind
Where my battle will be personal.

Fortitude

I don’t want it to get easier;
Do you understand?
If getting easier means
We come to forget all you meant.
I want to stand in the rain,
Or sun,
Muttering words under my breath
About yesterday, till I find
The courage to be loud.

Novella

If you could read me
Would I be the blank page
With nothing remarkable to show
Or a story book
Already written
With nowhere new to go?

Debellatio

In my wake
Destruction
All wrought for you

Brought down
Within a clenched iron fist

My weapon of choice

You said the
Word
So I carved out chaos

Sent the masses fleeing
In all directions
As unease settled
Like a blanket of snow
Over the land

And how it burnt.

A garden and a library

Standing on the edge of the world
Watching,

The view from here
Illuminating your chosen path
As it meanders
Then turns in a moment
To race full pelt towards
Infinity.

Finality.

To where we cannot follow,
Dare not.

Not because we have loved you less
But if we go
Step along your footprints
Then who would be here
To shout your name
Remind the world
That no matter what it cares to throw
In our directions
Kindness matters
And implants itself like a seed
To grow strong around our hearts
So that
In times of drought
There will be new shoots ready to
Take the place
Of everything which dies away.

You put that there
Cultivated us
And we grew bold

And learnt how to garden.

Your path will wait

And when the days grow short
Then
Then we will follow.