Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Dirge

Little lies will make it better
Justify the status quo
The image of one,
Raised up upon the backs of many
Sweat labour and deceit

There are secrets whispered behind closed doors
Private meetings
Not for the working man
Action comes from a swift and steady hand
Self-assured
The lines of ethics blurred

A call for action
Silenced in a second
A call for justice
Never makes it past the door

Questions left unanswered
Stones left unturned
Blind investigations
Produce only negations of complaints
The guilty left uncharged.

Friday, December 16, 2011

I'm Sorry

I live in this slow hell
Wouldn't wish it on anyone
You may have caused me pain
But this is different
Comes back
Again and again
There is nowhere to hide
I can't live on in fear
I open myself to this dark world
Let the light scourge it clean
Hope this is the end it seems
I don't want you to pay
That I opened up yesterday
And now it seems
I have spread contagion
Is it my mind
Threatening to unwind
Can only affect those already ill
But we all are ill
Society tells us
We better not believe
Or this tar will clog our hearts
Stick
Cover up our souls
Make us live this terror nightly

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Systems

Punctuation?!
No
Why do I care for conventions
there's no reason to fight with old systems make sure to fix them
The world is growing smaller everyday
There's no way to reach them
Just let them pass away
Ashes to ashes the old system crashes
We watch idling on clogged networks
Eyes of apathy
There is no more sadness
No more joy
The last soldier is coming home
Everything is serene
All this I see in the mirror but there is no truth there
I turn around
see the world in flames
Singeing closer to the edges of the film
bald monkeys eat popcorn
sip martinis
gossip about Planet of the Apes
Read tabloids about Bigfoot
Check their watches see they're late
And here we go again...

In Want of Winter

Wind blows
Whimsical gusts
Old Man Winter grows frail
The Sun hibernates
Yet the Earth's body
Pulses with warmth
Where are the fall leaves?
Lightly dusted in white
Lace for an Ice Queen's petticoat
Trees bare and shivering
For want of blankets of snow
Down from the heavens
Divine and feather-light.
Shadows dance beneath
A full-bodied moon
Ivory beauty illuminates
Naked and smooth like silk
Making love to dear Gaia.

I Dare

You hunted me
Chasing me through alleyways
Knocking down my door
Watched me from tree shadows in the park
I was cautious
Always peering over shoulders
Listening for snapping twigs
Shallow breathing
I was once scared
But now I dare you
You can come
Threaten me
You thought
You could lock me away
Chain me to my demons
Make sure I hid away for good
But I will spit in your face
You can't remove the fire from my eyes
My heart burns with passion
My spirit with creativity
You have lost
Think you own me
But you don't even own yourself
Tired of lying
Afraid you'll never make the cut
I can stand before you
Turn your weapons against you
Because you can't run away from fear
It will consume you
Unless you consume it

Over the Edge

I didn't know there was more wandering
Thought we'd reached the edge of the flat earth
But hand in hand we took one step more
Discovered dazzling new worlds
Made me forget from whence I'd come
Seductive like fairy music
Dancing in a mushroom ring
Shall we dance forever?
Never return to the war-torn world
Here no bad things happen
Fear is a distant cloud
I wanted to sing simple melodies
Carried on the wind like a sparrow's words
But instead you gave me wings
Let me launch those words to flight
Carry the song through the sky
Harmonize with the Universe
First, you sing the melody

Taboo

I dreamed of a woman
Her white stomach wide like a drum
Laughter like the silver cups of two Christmas bells
The water of the tub ran shallow and cool
And with the shyness inexperience brings
Eyes met, giggles escaped
I was met with tightness
Her fears silent in her mind
But slowly, she sank in the shallow track of ivory
Mouth formed a satisfied O
As fingers moved in ways only a woman could know
Behind the curtain a one girl act
My eyes closed to shut out the truth
The taboos my mother set on my shoulders
The taboos my grandmother held in her stern gaze
Eyes opened only to see her sink below me
Her mouth forming satisfaction
Her body a puddle of emotion
Golden curls untamed, yet innocent
I wondered vaguely if I was the monster
In this fairy tale
The temptress, seducer, succubus

Monday, December 5, 2011

Wide World

I am in all ways that count
Two-spirited
But that is very much a flaw of the English language
It paints dualities that need not exist
It is not so much that I choose both
But that I see the whole picture, and want it all
I may choose the path right in front of me
But I still have a panoramic view,
Feel a tinge of regret
That I haven't enough feet
To walk all the paths I see

Neither language nor logic allow
That one plus one equals one
And for that matter
One plus one plus one plus one is still ONE
I am incapable of that narrow vision
The focusing on one part
Mistaking it for the whole
Saying we can't sample from both slices
All visionaries do,
Set the standard one askew

Everyone's eyes open a sliver wider
Mouths exclaim amazement
And I feel only a mild disappointment
Pretend to be impressed
Wonder when at last the world will come into view
For more than just a few,
Frown at the shackles of limitations
Wait and wish that the world will finally wake.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Graves

Even white light
So bright
The sky one shade
The ground fades
Colours lost to notice
And grey stone graves
Old, untended
Desolate
But one small boy
Sitting there with a bag
By his side
Staring eyes
I recognize him
Stop, I know him
But there's no one there
And still he stares
And only I can see him
Vision fades
But still I travel
On the road amidst the graves

Suddenly, it's not so empty
Standing on each grave
Men and women
All dressed in black
Clothes from many ages
Eyes, blank staring straight ahead
I can't avoid their stares
No one else can see them
Staring with some purpose
But fear is far away
Enter strange calmness
As I travel past the graves

The air is still
It's cool and scentless
Nothing here but men and women
Dressed in black
Grey gravestones
Sky pale white with back light
Wondering how far this graveyard stretches
Wrapping brave fingers around calm

Monday, November 28, 2011

Winter Jazz

Raise my eyes to the skies
Take in frosty sun rays
The winter's here
But I'm still warm inside
Paint these walls a summer yellow
Paint my heart with pink and red
Little butterfies in my stomach
Pastel yellow, green, and blue
Maybe purple too
Thinking of far off beaches
Thinking of you
It warms me more than a fire's glow
It warms me more than tea or hot cocoa
Dreaming in carols, while the winter away
From in here it's still a sunny day
Wrap up in a scarf and mitts
Go out to play
A winter wonderland

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Silver

My soul is tarnished
Steady careful polishing
Might make it fade away
Tried to hide it
Behind Anger
Let my heart grow cold and black
Tried to fill the emptiness
With fleshy desires
Left me feeling just more empty
Can you polish it with love
Gentle, persistent loving care
Keep me shining like I'm new
Keep the darkness at bay
My soul is tarnished
Polish it until like new
I want to do the same for you
Let's build a matching set of sterling

Help Me Let Go

My heart is so filled with anger
Hurt
So pregnant with doubts
Blame myself
It was never you
I was hurt by him
But I let it happen
Let rationality slip away
Trusted
And now I am afraid to trust again
Can't trust myself
What if I'm too much
Drive you away?
What if I'm too distant
You never see that I love you?
See me naked
Here in front of you
Know I bare my soul
Pull me close
Whisper reassurances
Hold me so tight
These fears must fall away

Friday, November 18, 2011

Where rivers join

Another night alone
My thoughts dance outside my head
Beyond this room
Above the snow
Under the concealed stars
The wild prairie
On a moonlit night
Wisps of fog hang low
Let us dance together in spirit
The wind blew us together
Let souls bridge the divide
So that I
Can wait out one more night
The winter's cold
Is not felt in this beating heart
Overflowing with the warmth
Of your love

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Coming out of Power

I open this page
Skim wings
Slim and delicate
Jar memories of faces
Heart filled with distrust
This terror doesn't die
Vacuum holes where hearts once beat
Can't turn back the sands of time
All alone
No more shadows for faces
No more masks of skulls
The mind shuts out the truth
Fades to blissful haze
Wispy memories remain
Details lost in empty thoughts
Not so interesting today
Frail and human
A mind in slow decay

Turnip Lanterns for Shadowy Nights

you are the nightmare
that keeps me from my sleep
the shadow
that makes me bar my door
you are the one
filled with indescency
giving bad names to good men
preying on the innocent
filling hearts with fear
but i am stronger
and people stand beside me
i am protected
you want to drink my fear
but all that's here are tears
of sympathy
for those who cause nightmares
walk loveless
until the end of time

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Time Traveller

I feel sometimes
Trapped in time,
Immovable.
Read the stories of my ancestors,
One pair of shoes between the two of them.
Relive history in my mind,
Bubonic Plague,
Potato Famine.
Trace loss and heartbreak
In my family line.
Am I so different?

Should I be proud to graduate?
The first in my family,
5 years of University.
I look around this humble home;
It collapses like cardboard
Under my scrutiny.
Am I so much better off?

The bar for acceptable poor is raised,
But I might go hungry one day,
Freeze through the night in my own home.
Can I escape my birth?
Fame and fortune are Illusions,
Carrots dangled just out of reach.

I feel the sickness of cold winters
And stretched budgets,
Slowly the plague spreads.
I huddle in a blanket,
Eyes flash,
Reveal visions of the past.

Other cold winters long ago,
Mud-stained clothes.
Labouring everyday,
For little pay.
An old woman, frail.
Breath in a cloud of ice.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Rainbow Oceans

You painted the world for me
In solid coloured provinces
Of unseen foreign lands,
And rainbow oceans.

I wanted to paint the world for you
In country outlines,
Capital cities,
Geographic regions.

I pointed to us
And your eyes grew blank.
My heart ached for tears unshed,
Longing for your world of rainbow oceans.

Herstory

You show me this book
And tell me it's history,
But if his story is so full of little white lies,
Things fallen through the cracks,
Details conveniently forgot,
I want to see less history.

Tell me herstory.
It will be round and full
Like a woman of nine moons,
And through her story
Words will be woven in loving kindness,
Strung together
In community,
Held in our hearts for generations,
Gathered on the hearth for recollection.
Soft or saucy words,
Wild, twinkling eyes
And merry laughs,
Vibrant and beautiful,
This is her story.
Never dry like history;
Never frail.
No pages missing,
No words left unwritten.

But if you must
Place them side by side;
Undo the bindings.
Take herstory and history,
Re-stitch them as one volume.
Call it theirstory,
Leave empty pages
For ourstory.
A volume never done...

Colonial Frames

Through these dark eyes
We watched the turns of time
Men pale as ghosts
Searching the wilderness
Hoping to find themselves
Courageous
Fool-hardy
They came at first
In boats strung up with clouds
Stepped on these shores
Barely land-born before
Ice and snow brought death
We nursed them in longhouses
But they breathed death on us
And soon we too fell
Villages became bone-yards
And as their numbers grew
They climbed mountains
Navigated waterways
Crossed plains
In search of furs
Greed lead them
Like wild dogs
And when the animals hid
They sought to take the earth
Our villages were reordered
To make Rupert's Land
And as greed grew
Rupert's Land shrank
Replaced by settlements
And paths of double steel
They drew invisible lines
Gave names
To what they never owned
Cities grew out of stone and steel and soot
Rupert's Land disappeared
Our eyes grew fewer
Viewed the world
Through lenses of suffering
Northwest Territories
And then Nunavut
To mark a new age
Proclaiming it time
Traditions fade away
You try to tell me
Our eyes are all the same
Glance for once
On the stains of history
Speak those words again

Yeomen

We came, long years ago
Built homes like gnomes
Sod hills
Rustic abodes

For vessels
Sought trees for timber
Soon licked by brine
Sea caked with salt

We made no friends
With men of bronze
Watching ghost towns
Emerge
With frightened eyes
Long before
Gallic Tongues
Spoke L'Anse aux Meadows

And by our hands
Broke earth
Sowed seeds for generations
But in vain
Neither Christ nor Thor
Would give us rain

Thunderstruck
Our broken company
Fled to the whale road
Dropped scythes for oars
Swept water
Rode tides home

Failed Exploration

Dredged up for the depths
1000 leagues
And muffled descent
Shadowy and still
Steel chains groan
The pressure is too great
Bend and snap
Dragged free-fall
To the bottom of the sea
Rock gently in this cradle
Where no light shines
Slip into an eternal darkness
Rest softly
In your coffin of metal and glass

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Franklin

Feeling winter's bite
Icy grips
Chilling to the bone
Looking northwards
Eyes set on barren tundra
Water, rock, and ice
Do these mukluks dare
Follow footsteps faded
Clothed in blizzard's fate
History in shallow graves
Frost-burnt withered skin
Iced up to the bone
Arctic mummies
Chilling gleaming teeth
Glassy eyes
Seeing the beyond
Stomach full of lead
Death wraps
Tighter than scarves
Choking frosty breath

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

This Blanket

You argue in circles
Try to paint a picture that interweaves past and present.

You want to change the pattern here and now
Add a new colour
And vitalize the future.

But I am not sure if this pattern is as strong
This new thread
Must be thick
It will hold the whole piece together.

I want this blanket to last 7 Generations.

It will match the old blanket,
Now faded.
It sits in an old chest
And gathers dust.

There are moth holes
And edges frayed from wear.

This new blanket will be draped around the shoulders
Of a young country
To show coming of age.
To recognize maturity
And ability to contribute.

It symbolizes peace and understanding
It recognizes an agreement
That this youth
Will act in a way
Beneficial to all.

These threads must be strong.
I want this blanket to last 7 generations.
Are you sure it is time,
For that old blanket to be replaced,
For us to welcome in the new?

This is so much responsibility
It seems so soon...
And yet the old blanket
Is falling apart
The threads were not strong enough
To withstand the tests of time.

We must weave this new blanket stronger
Interweave colours tightly
Look towards the future.

Adrift

I feel like a castaway
Set adrift in a rowboat
Sun-parched
And stranded,

But you are the ocean
Your tides
Set my course,
Gentle waves
Rock me to sleep.

I lay in my boat
Half-dazed
Stare up at the harsh sun,

You whisper
Of far off lands
You sing to me
So I can never forget tomorrow.

Can you and I weather all the storms?

If I fall into that great blue
Surrender myself to your embrace,
What happens then?

If I am welcomed into
The heart of the ocean
Can our story
Go beyond time and tide?

Miles and Mountains

The miles between us
Are like mountains
And I can't see past them

But I will climb to the peaks
And run through the vallets
To get to you,

And if my steps falter
If I stop to catch my breath,
Will you meet me halfway?

Together we can make moutains
Look like molehills
And miles
Like grains of sand on the beach.

And soon we stand
Looking into
Each others eyes
And I forget
We ever
Were apart.

Chess

Time strides on.
I wonder
Am I making a mistake?
Every footfall
Carefully planned,
A game of chess.
Did I miss anything?
Will I find,
After a pause,
That this queen falls,
That even a castle
Won't prevent
Check Mate?
And if
Things don't work out
According to plan
Will I be a sore loser,
Or set up the board
And play again?

Friday, October 7, 2011

The Unspoken

Women are amazing,
Because there has never been a creature,
So strong and fragile
In the same breath,

You look at me as if incredulous
That I won't put out,
Because you want to live some wild fantasy
That you saw on one of those porn videos
I see listed in the search bar on your computer.
You watch them when I'm not there
And think I won't notice.

Then you slink off to the shower,
Try to let the water drown you out,
And wash away your frustration.
But you don't know frustration
Or confusion,
Truly.

A woman
Is taught from childhood
That they should be ashamed of their own bodies,
Live in fear,
Never talk about
Sex
Or Pleasure,
And certainly not together.

You can wave your hand in dismissal
And say that
All of this is a thing of the past,
But it is a legacy
Passed from mother to daughter,
Through the generations,
In well-intended words,
Trying to pass on wisdom
But there's an echo
Of subjugation,
From a time
When women knew oppression,
When the chains were forged.

And now those chains live on
As ghosts of the scars of history,
Memories,
Unwilling to fade

A woman can feel pleasure,
But expressing pleasure
Discussing sex in public,
Makes us
Skanks, whores, sluts.

Showing off our natural beauty
Makes us provocative,
Turns heads,
Makes our footsteps
Echo with whistles and catcalls.

To wear clothing as a form of freedom
And self-expression,
Means we are ASKING for men to rape us!
And it is drilled into us
That someone might get us pregnant.

So sometimes we hide behind invisible chains,
Lock the doors and windows after dark.
And sometimes we are submissive,
Sacrificing our pleasure for yours
Because we are afraid to be ourselves.
We still have this legacy
Of being property
And objects of desire.

We can looking in the mirror
And see no beauty,
Because we are not thin enough
Young enough, ________ enough.

When we hurt in love
We may turn it inwards and blame ourselves.
Afterall,
We were taught to hate ourselves.

So don't look at me
As if my body defines my worth.
Don't expect me to pleasure you
Just because you want me to.

Don't expect me to pleasure you
If you don't show me
Why I should trust you.
Why should I
Forget all this social conditioning,
Release my inhibitions?
And let this night take us somewhere
Beyond time and space.

Because if I wake up,
And you snuck out while I was sleeping
Looking for another one night stand,
Then soon enough it will be another man
Sitting right there
With the same look in his eyes,
And I will have one more shackle
Holding me back,
Keeping us apart.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Autumn Wishes

The fall is
Crisp yellow leaves
That fade to brown

I walk facing the wind
And when indoors
Bar windows against the cold

Frosty breath seeps in
With the dead of night
Tickles along the spine

October waits
While I sip hot drinks
Mourning summer

I grow fat on coconut milk
Unwilling to let go
Of warmer climes

Watch from the corner
Of sharp eyes
Winter's stealth approach

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Together

We are worlds apart
I may beat on this drum
You shake this rattle
But we are out of time
Or vision of music
Is disimilar

We cannot make the rhythms
Interwine
This is no melody to your harmony
We cannot bring together
Our different worldviews
In one symphony

There's just cacophany
Harsh sounds
Over harsh sounds
An earful of agony
Mismatched misery

Until we develop
Musical tastes
Both bizarre and new
This sound is to hip hop
As hip hop is to rock
What rock is to classical

And soon we forget
The barriers
That once held us back
Lift the disguise
Of a new art-form

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

In Between

There is this feeling
Of flitting in between,
Neither here nor there
But on the threshold.

Beyond time,
A place for spirit,
Where bodies become frail,
Forgotten
Shades of grey.

Beyond decision,
Uncertainty and wonder
Bud together,
Dance in delicate footfalls.

Soon memories fade away.
Will
Becomes a fool's errand.

Stay here,
Whispers the air,
Beyond reach of despair.
Live this strange pleasure
Eat the food,
And stay forever.
Forget all
You left behind.

In this world of tricksters
Become blind.
Breakdown the crippling walls
Of sight.
See beyond your senses.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Qualified

Am I qualified
To tell you what to think
How to think?

Let me tell you now
That I stand before you
With confidence
And doubts
And experience in many things.

But I am as qualified
As the next guy,
Let me tell you
You will never feel 100% confident
But you would remain stagnant
If you didn't take a leap of faith
Cast yourself off the deep end
And free fall.

Some day you'll understand,
I promise.
But for now
Just remember
That I'm qualified,
And that I'll tell you what to think,
How to think,
But never
What to believe.

The Perfect Creole

You can tell me
That I am pale as a sheet,
Try to glare until my skin catches fire,
But you can't change history.

My ancestors were a mixture,
The perfect creole
That spans two continents,
Bridges gaps
Most wouldn't dare attempt.

We are mediators,
The go-betweens,
That once held this country together.
We are the glue
That connects two nations,
Interwoven
Among willing and unwilling participants,
In the rise and fall of civilizations,
The creation and destruction of ways of life.

We are unpopular,
Loved and hated by all
Without pause,
But still necessary.

You may not want to believe
In who I claim to be,
I could look like my European ancestors
Or Cree,
But I would still be
What I have always been,
A mixed-blood,
A Métis.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Mental Genocide

You're just a child
Trying to care for a child
And you aren't well
But neither were your parents
And this bridges 3 generations now
Maybe more
I never asked your whole story
You never told me
And I wonder
How many broken families
Are just like yours

It is so difficult to be a witness
To this mental genocide
I only hope the cycles will break down
But we spiral up through time
And it is never easy
To erase the sins of the past
You can turn to the bottle
Or something less productive
And yet the results play out
In your social DNA

What will that baby say?
When her thoughts begin to form
When teenage angst
Drives her away
The same way you left your home
Will she come back when she's 20
Scrub the walls of mold
As your sickness sets in
Drive you to the hospital and grieve
Leave
Before she tells you
She's going to have a baby

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Surrender

I can't keep fighting back these waves
They're growing stronger
The water below is murky
What is down there?
I want to hold on to something to stay afloat
Yet I don't really want to get back on that boat
It was on fire when I leapt out
And now I'm afraid of drowning
I keep on struggling
When it makes no more sense
I should let go
Surrender myself to the undertow
It is fear that keeps me here
Maybe there is something better
Just below my feet
Maybe when I quit this struggle
I'll realize it's not deep
But right now I'll flounder round as though
I cannot take the pressure
I am afraid to surrender
It's not the water that scares me
It would be soothing
But I can't trust myself
I second-guess past decisions
Foolish thoughts I can't see past
And these waves look like mountains
But really they are in my mind
The water is as smooth as glass
I would realize
It is just a puddle
It barely even is to my knees
If I looked down I would catch my reflection
Showing who I am with accuracy
But first I need to surrender
I cannot even see beyond my nose
I need to surrender
Until I do this storm keeps raging
And I feel alone

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Whispers on the Breeze

I have always
Listened to the wind
It speaks in whispers
Beckoning
I go where it calls
Echoes from the mountaintops
Gushes about streams
Washes over seas of flowers and grain
I follow its winding paths
Dance where it touches Earth
Fly amidst it
Carried on false wings
It bathes me
In tranquil excitement
Leaves me stranded
Where its furies boil
Dies and is reborn in one breath
I have always
Listened to the wind.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

You Say

You tell me to relax
I allow myself
To melt into a puddle of tears
Emotions I didn't know I had
And you say
This is ESP
But I'm wondering
How I can be so unstable
And yet cry happy tears
I wonder how I let stress
Lead me this far
I feel vulnerable
And yet fear drifts
Somewhere far away
You read me
Like a book
Looked between the lines
Discovered the hidden plot
I can only hope
I proved to be
More than some trash novel
A story with a plot
That leaves you
Eager for more
You read the lines
As I write them
Watching as our stories
Intertwine
Composing words yourself

Friday, September 9, 2011

Once Upon a Time...

... in a land far away...
Do you remember that day
In a far off time and place?
My memory has grow foggy around the edges
As though from the tropic heat.
Everything fades away there
Time is meaningless
We are trapped in a void of constant
And as memories resurface like tiny bubbles
In a Coke can, or possibly Chang,
We can delight in those moments as well.
A few words exchanged,
Echo still,
While the image fades from view,
Only recognizing bright sunlight
And humid hot.
Somewhere made of dreams,
Carried on the wings of imagination
Like a fairytale.
The End, not yet in sight.

Adventures in Paradise

Dark city streets,
Golden city lights,
Playful accents call out,
And suddenly we are backseat driving,
Giving directions,
Awkward.
Thank you,
As we zip down these night streets,
A speed that comes,
Only once darkness falls.
Talking,
Disjointed.
Taking risks,
Assessing them with spontaneity.
Moving towards
Something bigger.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

I'm Sorry


I'm sorry
Have we been trained
To express things we don't mean
And shouldn't we always mean sorry?
But we are so bound by ego
We let anger run unleashed with fear
Throw guilt to the wind
Until we learn those simple words
I'm sorry
For what?
If only I knew
All the little things
Like jabbing needles
That drove us apart
Had I seen their silver sheen
Would I have stopped them?
Or was it meant to be
That here we are again
And
I'm sorry
But not really
Because sorry means
I won't do it again
And in this circumstantial world
Where we are drawn taut with emotion
I would be a fool to say
My actions
Will always be virtuous
We delude ourselves
With dreams of perfection
Cast up a false ideal
I'm sorry
But only in this moment
I want to feel forgiveness
It's release
But tomorrow is another day
When we will learn
Things can't always mend
Because we say
I'm sorry

Forward


I am afraid
To bear my soul
Find myself unworthy
You wounded me
When the world was dark
I wasn't sure it was you
But now you face exposed
I know the truth
We have been running from our pasts
But past determines future
This was a fatal mistake
You and I must learn forgiveness
Find solace in this wake
Let go
Move forward

Earthbound


Me and this drum
Share secrets
Whispered across taut hide
We are one
In deep resonance
To remnants of a simpler time
Soft beats
Mingle earth and moon
Together
Weave cycles
Peel back layers
To reveal
Endless blackness
Sequined with glittering stars
Little lights illuminate footsteps
Our secrets are safe
While the notes resound

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Empty Doorway


You walk through that door and disappear
It is all an illusion
Now minimalized
Expanding on clear view
Always one step ahead
And now my guard down
You saw me cry
I thought I was all alone
But you were watching
Carefully letting events unfold
Like lily petals
Delicate
And now you see
I quiver in the cool breeze
I look through the empty doorway
Still see your shadow
Wonder where you've gone
And how soon you will return
I'll be dazzled once again
And forget
The illusion
Walk blindly
Into your caress
Without you
My world
Is that empty doorway

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Thor's Hammer

Thor's hammer falls
And falls again,
And lightning fills the sky.
He could barely wait out Woden's Day
Until he could come out and play,
And now the sky is white as day
His hammer never stops,
He welcomes in a brand new month
With loud and boisterous knocks.
His excitement is untamed.
Electric, his discretion lost,
Awaking entire towns
Before the sun can yet be found,
Mortals hide upon the ground
And keep their windows locked.
A peak out of the curtains tells
The sky appears on fire.
What festive day could this one be
That fuels bold Thor's desire?
Even atheists tonight
Would cast a wary eye,
And wonder what sensational mode
Could light up the whole sky!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The Moon and the Sun

You are turning me
Into the kind of person
I had always hoped to be
But never believed possible
You erase barriers
Like pencil lines
Create a future
I was unable to see.
How do you know
The right things to say
When I don't have the courage
To admit my feelings?
You always know
Anticipate each thought
As though our thoughts
Are connected.
I feel unburdened
The sunrise
Suddenly becomes hopeful
You make me feel like
I too could dance across the sky
Shining brightly
My whole exposed
Unafraid what others see.

Introspection


How we see ourselves:
I am walking along
In the summer heat
Wondering how
To make all the ends meet
Hyper aware of passers-by
Afraid anyone
Will meet my eye
They are probably seeing
Some old bum
Who has tangled bed-head
And is dressed really poor
They probably scoff as they pass
Wondering why I would go out
Looking like that
They judge me right on the spot
As if clothes make up
What we are and we're not

How others see us:
Look at the beautiful girl walking by
She has it all
And she won't meet my eye
Because she knows what a loser I am
Look at that confidence
The way she holds herself
I wish for once I felt
Like I had it all
But now I am late for work
Because I wish it was my day off
Like her
That I could walk along in the sun
With a bottle of Coke and sunglasses on
But instead I am trying to make ends meet
Look at her having fun
Beating the heat
I bet she didn't even notice me

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Not the Same

Soul Mates
Who could say
Any day
Whose a soulmate?
Our spirits shift intentions over time
We attract those we can learn from
At each moment
We find those we need,
Those who have our best qualities
And our worst
We choose people who mirror
As we appear
At any one time
That is why things fall apart
When we don't take care
When we don't learn acceptance
Of ourselves
When we can't face our own faults
We need to maintain
We need to love
We need to work through all the little things
Soul Mates
Could be anyone any day
Who touches us
We could have 1 or 100
Soul Mates
Aren't the same as those we love

Commitment

Can you see this line
I'm drawing in the sand?
The one that says
This is what
I decide
I have chosen
And now no one cross the line
What does commitment look like?
It looks like
Footprints in the Sand
One step ahead
Foot after footfall
Even gentle pace
These is no race
No finish line
We need to take our time
Let things happen
Naturally
Let Mother Earth decide
Rhythmically
If the world will
Revolve around I or we
We need to leave to sets
Of footsteps on the beach
The tide can wash them away
But it can't wash away
Our feet
So just keep an even pace
We don't need to race
If tomorrow
These footprints are still here
It's fate

Crystal Dance

The lights are starry bright
Like water droplets
Crystal chandeliers
Suspended by chains
Invisible like spiderweb
The colours reflect in your hair
Sparkle in your eyes
So deep like the ocean
Pools like foreign seas
Hold mysteries
A connection between you and me
We move in one motion
Perfect harmony
Become one body
Our footsteps echo
One voice
Music like fairy harps
Gentle bell or flute
Dreamy dancing
This is a fairytale come true
Silvermoon light shimmerin gown
Glowing air
Loose curls of hair
Cool atmosphere, not cold
But as if surreal
We glide above the floor
In perfect step
Other dancers
Are mere shadows
Of this perfect dance
There is only you and I tonight
Sharing one soul
Movements
Perfect flow
Willing this to be
More than just a dream
Don't let me wake up
On sheets of cotton
Pillows of down
To face an empty room
And images fading away
With the touch
Of sun's early morning kiss

Friday, August 26, 2011

Wild Woman


There was a wild woman
Lived under the moon
In a quaint little cottage
With only one room

Her hair was all tangled
Her art just as tame
She did what she wanted
Not looking for fame

She followed the cycles
On blood moon, painted red
And whenever it pleased her
She went back to bed

She cussed and she shouted
She danced and she sang
All through the valley
Her tender voice rang

She drank tea with dainties
And swam in the lake
She did just what she wanted
Never acting fake

There was a wild woman
Lived under the moon
In a quaint little cottage
With only one room

Dreamer


My dreams are like crystal
And life is like diamonds
And sometimes in transitioning
I can't tell them apart

I've been told that I'm a Dreamer
That this idealism
Can never last
But I wonder why so many people
Are too afraid
To hold onto their child-self

It's a dog-eat-dog world
And it's easy to lose your way
But don't worry
You'll find the road back someday

I am always
In a whole other place
Watching myself from above
My amusement is realizing
That I am not my body
None of us are
But so many people
Are caught up in illusion

Live true to your spirit
And you too can be
Like me
A Dreamer

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Afraid


I was never very good at messing up
I'm afraid to take the blame
Because I don't mess up very often
And when I do I'm ashamed

I not too good at taking praise
Accepting it to be true
I was always expected to be great
Praise was something I barely knew

I was always expected to be good
It was silence that usually met my ears
I learned both criticism and praise
Were things I didn't want to hear

So be patient with me
I am afraid
To be good or bad at anything
When it comes to things I do well
I just want to do and be
And when they pass by silently
I smile from the shadows
And wish you'd set me free
Let me be me
Unafraid of criticism
Open to praise

But please be patient
Right now I'm afraid

One Two One

Why are you sad?
I'm not.
But you're crying.
Yes.
Why?
Because you and I
Have so much in common
Our relationship is complicated
It has been since the beginning
Just in the way we met
But we are like two magnets
Orbiting
In a gentle game
Of attraction
Positive and negative
And I want us to be like two droplets
Glistening
On a single leaf
We weave a delicate dance like flower petals
I want to let down my guard
Fall into your eyes
We become to moving parts of the same machine
Slowly
Revolving around one another
I want to slip into a place
Where we become one
Through fluid movements
We can step in perfect harmony
Flow through a flawless waltz
I want to become just an extension
Of a single will
Where you and I
Create such a chemistry of cohesion
That no one can tell us apart
I want to open my heart
Bare my soul
To you
 I want you to brush away
My insecurities
Wrap me in your strong embrace
Tell me that I'm loved
So that you and I
Become
Us.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Unreal

Living today
You know We are just people
We all are afraid of change
We all are afraid to shine Like the stars
Dance with the wind
Each of us loves
Yearns
Passions like swelling hearts
Luscious fruits
Then let them wither unpicked
You who cowers in the branches
Afraid to take the prize
We have this gift of life
So bright and full
Too afraid
To open our hearts
Bear our souls
Live now and always
Give and receive
I too know this dance of shame
This path of self-destruction
You will never find full fields
Plentiful harvests reaped
The seeds still sit in the shed
Unsewn
Beside the unborn child
Of creativity
Sat down beside crayons still in the box
Words never unravelled
Dreams never flown
In perfect bows
On the tails of kites

Jack

Jack
We never wanted to see the end
Of dreams the grew on trees
Carried in the windows
On the evening breeze
Community
And Unity
This was the serenity
That only passion and idealism
Turn into realism
You are the beginning and the end
Jack
You taught Canadians to dream
And though you were caught
In this never ending game
Of cat and mouse
Trying to get seats in the House
Of Commons
You knew how to touch individuals
How to open hearts and bring smiles
You were the light in an era
Of confusion
Jack
We'll miss you
Friends and foes
We all know
That you were special
We gather together
And remember your life
You taught us to look towards the future
And we hope
To continue on
As bold and bright
As the twinkle in your eyes
You always dared to dream
Big
And we'll remember you for that
We'll write your name in the history books
So our children learn of a great man
Named
Jack

Pleasant Dreams

It's the little moments
Things you say
Things left unsaid
Those are the moments when we live
The moments that follow me
Where ever I go
Each day
The moments that find me
As I sleep each night
Peacefully swaying on the ocean of dreams
The honey-sweet air
Warm, and soft
Caresses me
As I drift away

Sunday, August 21, 2011

1,000 Words

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