Old Love

there was no need of explanations

when all was accepted and understood

 

sunlight filled the clearing

a path of soft grass

lead through the wood

the rapids on the river

a source of delight,

exhilaration, excitement

the boat spinning and whirling

a reason for laughter

as we clung closer

what cared we for danger

when in evening we returned

to sit warmly wrapped

at the fireside, together

 

the paths have become hidden

overgrown with bramble and thorn

twisting back on themselves

the Prince in the fairytale

hacks with his sword

to find his way through

to the sleeping Princess

who waits alone, for a kiss,

only a kiss and a promise,

in stories he is never exhausted

you don’t hear tales of his scars

he always succeeds

what a miracle worker he is

what a wonder to behold

astride his white horse

shining in silver armour

despite the darkness

 

there is a path where the rich scent

of old fallen leaves fills the air

the banks of this path are cut deeply

amongst the roots of the ancient trees

they hold the path, embraced,

they are not there to trip us

but to keep the way open ahead

the road is old and worn

 

Words

‘Sticks and stones may break my bones

but words will never hurt me.’

Ha! who arrived at that

pat down potted wisdom

shrugging off truth

with an easy phrase and a lie

 

Words are life savers and killers,

blessing givers, tormentors, thieves

they can make you grovel

they can make you free

they can make you feel loved,

wanted and cared for, or

disgraced, misplaced, dispossessed

 

words are power

words are spells

one misplaced word

side-tracks, sharp edges, confusions

all is lost and undone

 

don’t ask me to speak with words

let me show you, not tell you

give me the language of eyes and skin

my hand in your hair, the quiet night air,

the bird song, the breeze, the river

my arm under your head,

your breathe in my ear,

tangled limbs,

these are the words of love

 

The Sacrificial Rite

naked and bound at the foot of a tree

hands lashed to feet and kneeling

an embryo, a seed curled in submission

without resistance, i saw,

in the sacrificial rite

as time released me

 

in the woods the oak grows tall

the acorn falls to dark earth, maternal

stripped from the shell, the sapling springs

in the labyrinth of time, the wheel eternal,

in the vernal equinox, the turn,

up from the seed, limbs stretching

reaching to light, no death is here

take heart in the strength of oak

 

daffodils, toadstools, the bluebell

nothing of worth is ever lost

time gives life to the tender seed

to be reborn

you first must die

The Minstrel

Peering through a mist

parting a veil, dusty webs,

staring back at fate.

I see the entrance vividly,

the exit all too clear

 

He rode into London in a cavalcade

his lady seated before him, bedazzled by all they saw

exchanging glances with his boisterous brothers

they rode in a merry troupe, loud laughter and youth

lute and tabor, bells and fine embroidery.

They roamed the streets at night

joyful pups in a rainbow of rags and finery

mocking wealth they cocked a snoop at death.

They attracted wide attention.

 

red ribbons and green

her hair swings in the sunlight

her eyes, her arms, life

 

Ah! but to stay in the streets and courtyards would have been far wiser.

What does youth know, exuberant, thoughtless, unwitting.

Attention a flattery, alluring.

Beckoned through wider and higher doors

they entered in. Gardens of delight, sweet scents and song

gentle harmless beauty, so it seemed to him.

A peace fell upon him there, he dreamed in poetry.

Darkness approached. The shadow of a cloud on the grass as it crosses that summers sun.

 

lavender lady

seats herself amongst roses

charming, so disarming

 

Requests made, favours granted ,

twisted meanings, things not understood,

so many whispers in quiet corridors,

the web of intrigue draws tighter,

he spoke the wrong words too lightly

spilling his thoughts into treacherous ears.

This tale reveals all that was feared.

The shadow of the Tower looms closer.

He longs to leave this city, they will flee at night,

run to the countryside

where the hills are wide and sweeping,

where the willows lean gently

over the Avon weeping.

All too late.

He prays she got away.

 

dark walls draw inward

music screams loud in the silence

of la oubliette

 

this is not his final end, the world is too unkind

better to be forgotten than to suffer such a fate

still unsatisfied they dragged him out

it turns and troubles my stomach now

to watch the rest of this

the pain became too great and ceased, he rose

floating high above himself, looking down on horror

seeing things no-one should see

and my pen grows silent, as he fades away in light

 

red roses spread out

he flies above the woodlands

butterflies of light

 

 

 

sugar and spice

two little girls

dressed all in pink and freshly washed

sit on a wall covered with roses

swinging their legs and smiling

as they kill all the butterflies

taking pleasure in doing it slowly

Five Haiku to start five stories

a girl surrounded by fairy wings
sees what others don’t see
the gate stands open

 

guarded by ravens
the tower stands in the forest
twigs snap in the dark

 

a man hurried past
his breathing heavy
shadows obscure the path

 

the bus is surrounded
bright eyed boys in the dusk
starlings flock to the rooftops

 

after a hot day

silver crack on the horizon

a line in the dark

Hungarian Mushroom Soup ~ EEE-O-11, Sister Madly

I love this site and the recipes are great

Sister Madly's avatarThe Sixpence at Her Feet

Upon finding themselves in need of a holiday, the Mad Professors, after much debate, decided that Sister Madly should accompany them on their night of grand debauchery- for entertainment purposes only.

But she was to leave the onion-chopping eyewear at home.

030

It took place at a casino near the coast, as gambling is a favorite pastime among the Professors, second only to exposing Sister Madly to peculiar situations just to see what will happen to her.

But this wasn’t Sister Madly’s first casino. She once encountered an all Black Jack joint in the back of a fusion restaurant, whose unconventional- if not inconvenient- access made it seem delightfully illicit; it would’ve been glamorous had she not had to shuffle through a greasy kitchen first.

The Professors, under the impression that this was Sister Madly’s maiden voyage, had little interest in financing the expedition and even less intention in feeding her. Her…

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Failure

Alienation, coldness, your words
remind me of one of those big silver fridges
i must be in the ice box, or the salad tray
in a pool of limp lettuce and rotting tomatoes.
The electricity failed.

No Answers

what makes the sun hot and ice cold?
what makes the glow in the embers of fire?
why does the river twinkle and dazzle?
where does time come from that
turns slowly, yet passes so quickly?
how does sunset and beauty bring peace?

wood smoke contents me, raindrops refresh,
moonlight entrances, the stars make me dream.
Though I’m so small in the great scheme of things
a change in the wind from the south can inspire me,
a wind from the north stiffens resolve,
sunlight dancing through branches
lifts my heart like a bird in the morning,
the daisy that shines in the grass makes me smile
but when will I learn to be more aware?
What is the source, the centre, the fount?
Why do scientists and priests think they know
when all of their answers belittle the truth?
How does the world so touch my heart
that I can be lifted from sadness and sorrow
to joy in a moment? What makes life?

The essence, the glory, the blessing is
that I feel and see all these astonishing things,
yet will never know the answers at all.