Haiku
I am rooted down
To the centre of the earth
Spinning and burning
I was born of clay
Yet pierced by stones and arrows
Lodged deep and buried
I have my limits
Often compelled to push through
Few see what it costs
I must arm myself
With friends, wisdom, compassion
Best weapons of all
In the emptiness
Behind my tired red eyes
Civilisation
I cherish this cat
As equal to my own life
Harm him and you die
Did I get this job
Due to my identity
Or was it my skill?
I am so prepared
To be rejected again
That I dare not hope
Bodies remember
They try to protect against
The harms of the past
I wake. Remember.
Grief burns a hole in my heart
Memories bleed through
I am afraid I
Step on other peoples’ toes
I fear causing harm
There are some limits
To what each can accomplish
Acceptance is key
I match expression
To expectation and cues
Rather than myself
I sow tiny seeds
Of kindness, joy, compassion
What I hope to reap
I do what I love
Not to try and be the best
But for the pure joy
It all comes back to
Stories retold and new made
We compose the world
All the rage in me
The sorrow quells at the sight
Of my sleeping cat
Do not fly too close
With your fragile wings of wax
Such a way to fall
My right foot is warm
Covered by the furry head
Of my sleeping cat
Is it not boring
To be seen as but one thing
And not multitudes
When I call your name
And the answer is silence
I taste salty tears
The time we both shared
Already feels like a dream
This pain a nightmare
Don’t overthink it
Stop that train of thought right there
Inhabit yourself
We construct anchors
Out of impermanent things
Forever adrift
It’s not betrayal
To smile even though you’re gone
You want me happy
If I can love this
Little ball of fluff, surely
I can love myself
It is hard to write
When a kitten eats your pen
But adorable
I commune with love
When I look into your eyes
A rapture of joy
My life is a speck
A single grain of stardust
Lost among the dunes
Consumerism
Sisyphean cycle of
Filling a black hole
I am a mirror
Reflecting myself onto
Everyone else
Do not fly too close
With your fragile wings of wax
Such a way to fall
Family is heart
Whether chosen or by blood
My people, my home
Why do we believe
The worst in every stranger
The best in ourselves
Existential angst
Every day of my life
I need to live well
My skin comes alive
Underneath your fingertips
Your heart joined with mine
Hope is radical
To believe the best of us
Whilst watching the worst
You squeeze me tightly
Two souls adrift in the night
Holding each other
We are all simply
Myriads of molecules
Connected, confused
We create meaning
From darkness we weave our lives
Burning bright and gone
You make me happy
I would follow you to hell
For the company
I am more myself
Each day a new becoming
Endless creation
We don’t understand
The alchemy of ourselves
The power we breathe
What are we if not
Miracles here together
In the face of death
We walk hand in hand
Explorations, adventures
Unknown but hope-filled
