Strip

We have survived long enough to tell our story
It comes out in fits and starts
Part conscious
Part dream
We trust a few people now
Grant them a door in
Share a little of our knowledge
There aren't many people left now
They have waved goodbye
Carried on their journeys
We still make lists of names
People from the magic time
It was all just a trap
One that stripped us bare
We would not change time
It helped us see
Believe
Be
We took off our clothes and danced
Sang sweet songs
And songs full of sorrow
We felt strong
Indestructible
How quickly that feeling fades
How fierce the memory
It has been a year of learning and forgetting
We have days yet to come
Maybe there will be peace and comfort
If we choose
She says quietly
I hold her hand
Continue spilling words
Unravel the tangle of our story.

Alive

The world is falling down
But we are still alive now
Brick dust under our finger nails
Cobwebs in our hair
Sometimes it feels as if every day is a battle
Like our mind will never stop running
Our lips silent
Quiet as a fallen chick
We would like to sing and dance
Age slows us
Makes our bones ache
Like damp wood
Deep inside
Almost chipping our heart
We are still alive now
Alice will stay for another year
I feel she will always be with me
Loud or soft
I mumble names in my sleep
Past adventures
She smooths my hair
Makes me cool
The windows are open to the night
We hear the birds
The swaying of the trees
We are still alive now
Perhaps our battles will be played outside
Perhaps one day we will be still
There are so many hopes and dreams
If you look carefully enough
We lift our head
Open our eyes
We are still alive now.

Imagine

Imagine if we could fly little cricket
We could visit the moon and stars
Sail over a thousand seas
The idea is sweet as candy
Delicious as lemon drops
We have left the red bed
Ventured outside
It makes our back and feet ache
And our head is sore
But it is better she whispers
Not to sleep your day away
To try and enjoy each moment
Or at least be present in it
Imagination is a good tool to own
We are not sure if it guides us
We find it hard to think outside ourselves
We are firmly fixed in our craniums
Sometimes that makes us happy
Other times it makes us feel sad
Distant from the world
We have never really belonged
When we were small that was good
Now we are big the distance feels greater
Just imagine if we could really fly
How magical it would be.

New Year

A new year is coming
Sweep the chimney
Polish the floor
How quickly the days have turned
Wasted time
Some bad dreams
And hallucinations
Some of the days have been good
The ones where we sleep
We will be a year older
Well me
Not Alice
She will always stay the same
She keeps me young
Keeps me dreaming
The weather is cold and brittle
We huddle under the blankets
Wait for you to warm my feet
We have spent so much time alone
That to have you with me will be a shock
But a good shock she whispers
You spend too much time in your head
The safest place I think
Sometimes even talking is too much
Perhaps next year will be better
It could not be much worse
We can only hope little cricket
We can only hope.

Western Stars

Tonight the western stars are shining bright again
We look up to the moon
It glows like a cloud
We dance underneath
Too tired to talk
Too tired to dream
But we are together again
It is good to be with Alice
She makes my world shine
When all is dark and bleak
She has on a new pressed dress
New shoes
That shine
Hair soft and clean
I will try and follow her lead
I smell of alcohol fermenting
That makes me ashamed
I wish I could smell of sweet peas and lavender
Tomorrow she is coming
It will be a change
No more lying in bed all day
No more drinking myself sick
That is a good thing
She whispers
We look up to the stars
They shine just for us.

Glitter

We are going on a road trip
There will be dirt and kisses
Scuffed shoes and bruised toes
The winter moon glitters in the morning sky
We love its stillness
The Earth shuffling through time
For a brief moment we worship the bliss
It is frosty and bleak
Our cheeks are pink
Steam permeates the house
A churning feeling
A surge of power
We know our part
Give the shepherd his milk
The stable is full of lambs
New life moaning and grazing on the hay
There is a new bar of thought
We are moving in reality
Not in our head
We look forward to the kisses most
They glitter and shine too
How we love the moon.

Naked

Our hearts are naked
Laid out bare
You missed the fireworks she says
It is on a loop tape
How many years ago did we do it
Time after time
How close did we come
Who did we ask for
No one asks why
So now we dance
Same old tricks
Same old words
It makes us sad to be awake
We do like to dream
Revel in the silence of our heart beat
Revel in having a heart at all
Our hearts are naked
Laid out bare.

Moment

It all happens in a moment
Slip, trip
Skip, fall
Drink the potion
Nibble the cake
Do you like falling she asks
Only when we land on our feet
That sounds wise
I prefer landing she answers
Catching Rabbit
Singing with the Red Queen
She spoke to us today
It made us happy
She asked me how I was
I said fine
She says good girl
I am a woman I think but girl sits fine
We are both little girls
Stuck in time
Waiting for our blooming
We look out of the window
It is grey
To suit our mood
She giggles
My special friend
I would be lost without her
All these moments would be lost if not for her voice
We need to crawl back
Lift ourselves up
This is really no place to be stuck
We have crawled out before
And we can do it again
Learn how to live in the moment
Learn how to be.

Window

The light falls in through the window
We are in love but separate
The wind caresses our skin
We let it in
Hatter runs
The Red Queen sings
We are falling down the Rabbit hole again
Days pass
We are half asleep
Content in each others arms
How do we count syllables she asks
We speak them out loud, I reply
Just like we count the steps
Sixteen down
Twenty up
We are uncertain on our feet
The light falls in through the window
We are in love but separate.

Place

There is a place where we go
When the smoke becomes too much
It is a magical place
A place where the fingers can't touch us
Water blossoms here
Sweet peas and sticky pines
Every day seems to be a struggle
Healing comes
But too slowly
Leaves fall
We fear the steps
All our wounds vibrate
Sometimes there is a clearing in our thinking
Mostly it is like an open casket
Every step is evidence
We would like to disappear
But we are already invisible
Playing in Wonderland
Sleeping in liquor dreams
People try to find me
But I am lost
Walking around in circles
Hoping for the ultimate connection
She taps her feet
Anxious to leave this place
I am too scared to leave
Perhaps she will give me the courage to change
Perhaps we will stay like this forever
Somehow I do not care
I hunker down
Hibernate and sleep
Wishing for that special place.

Peaceful

The fish fly
The lighthouse shines
We are pacified
Peaceful as children looking at the moon
It is all so magical she says
You have to look up to see
The world turns whether you want it to or not
Shall we take tea?
That sounds good
Rich, sweet and filling
We have cakes and sweet meats
No Hatter or dormouse
The Red Queen did not speak today
It hurt us
We like when she waves and smiles
She said she watches me
Even if she does not speak
I search her out
Look for her distinctive hair
Her lithe body
She has an accent
We notice that
We have not spoken today
Unsure if we like the silence or not
The lighthouse hums
The flying fish flap
Life has its signs and rhythms
Long may we wonder its course.

Change

These changes fall upon us
Fresh skin
No scars
No story
In our dreams our skin is unmarked
We peel the scars off
That is love
Her wishes
We dare not share our pain
We dare not speak
The Red Queen listened
She checks her hair with a mirror
I love her
She is alive
She sees things no one else does
I would like to spend the day with her
But she doesn't speak
Not today
I walk to and fro
To see her
Our feet get tired
Our head more so
We would like a normal body
We would like not to see our history
Every time we wash
But we are still here
Scars or not
Perhaps that is a miracle
An adventure
We have so much to say
But remain silent
We let the changes wash over us
At peace for a second
A second is enough.

Love

Her words run through us like butter
Warm and thick
And nourishing
She is made of words
But real to touch
We listen to her every word
Love her for her quips and questions
The logic of a child
The wisdom of an old woman
How did we come to be
It seems unreal
Special
How many adventures have we had
All without leaving the house
Imagination is the key
We can think of any place
And be there
We do not understand why people talk
It is just air
The fear of silence
We love the silence
It gives us room to think
We are not afraid of being alone
We are afraid of people
We sip our tea
Nod politely
Scream inside
We really should say something
She says
Why do people not notice when we fall silent
Because we are special
She whispers
And all her words fall through me
Rich as butter
Sweet as tea.