Castle

The castle does not keep me safe

Bakewell tarts and bandages

Piled high up on a plate

Ticking clouds

The hands of time

All racing in our head

Get out get 

Whoever you are

Am I the parasite or host

I thought this was meant to be funny she says

I roll over in the red bed

Eat some crumbs

It’s all funny Alice

Funny as fuck 

You’re my little angel without wings

Well, I am bored of you

And there is certainly no need to be quite so uncivil 

You spend all your day wishing me away

Then stick me down in words

Dangle me like a paper ladder

As if I can rescue you

I am only almost eight you know

I can never measure up

To what you need

To what you want

To what you know

I try to smile a thank you 

As I have tried a hundred times before

But the powder

Spreads my mouth 

More like a grimace than love

I will keep you

Though I cannot keep you safe

These pages are too small

For my confusions

And your contusions

She giggles

Let’s redeem the numbers

There is no problem that cannot be solved

Hatter taught me that

He is the patron saint of riddles

What is your riddle

I wake up to fall asleep

She considers

Looks at the state of things

The bed

My head

The castle keep

Perhaps there is no redemption after all

It is hard to add humility to that truth 

I feel dreadfully puzzled Alice

I know

She says

And licks the cherry off the tart

As I fall fast asleep.

Power Cut

There is a dolly dressed all in blue

Stuck to the lamp post

The walls have ears

The stairs have toes

We whisper through the alley

Cold

Depraved

Powerful

They say

Only we know

Yesterday's Bakewell tart is stuck to the fibres of the red bed

When the fibres of the world are bound 

There is no power 

Quiet

or 

Loud

Hold on a minute

She giggles

Mummy’s getting white trashed

I suppose you have to see the funny

Break glass for key

Beyond the castle

Shredding protecting recycling

Protecting shredding recycling

No simple answer

No simple question

The walls have ears

The stairs have toes

No one seems to know

The fibres of time have become distorted

I pull the gold from my hair

Bananas and bread in our head

The stars fall on our hats

I could mop them up

Thirteen books on a shelf

Words that will never be read 

Funny

In a cold depraved and powerful way.

Still

I wished I could have seen who was talking. If you have something to fear, rather than something that could be anything, it is easier  - Neil Gaiman - The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The morning is bright

She lies across me

To keep me still

She knows how hard it is to quiet my mind 

No words

No spells

Just something better chiming in the far off miles

We do not really like the spiders or the flies

They scorch us badly

Worse than the powder and the dust

That becomes a pattern

Sunk into our skin

A sign of what has happened

A sign of what has been

The spiders and flies

Are wily 

Like him

They devour our spirit 

Quicker than the sugar melting on our lips

My eyes flicker 

I think maybe I laugh

She sits up

Like a cat licking her paws

Connected

Not attached

no wonder you snore for your head’s on the floor

and you’ve needles and pins from your soul to your shins

Sole Alice

That was the word he used

But she is right

Soul is far better

What shall we do today she claps

The same as any other 

You know

This and that

Something trite

And nothing right

A walk across the land

A photograph of sand

Falling through the egg timer

Aimless

Wondering

Wandering

Forgotten

Well quick sticks

And mend your bricks

We have a misadventure to pursue

I am so tired Alice I think

But she is off and away

Lost in my thoughts

As if they were her own.

Apologies

Thank you all for your kind and encouraging comments...I am sorry I haven't paid any visits in return...hopefully soon...thank you Jae

Favour

We take our powder unrefined

Like our soul

Empty and yellowed

Sugary little stones to step on

Prolonged use can make you dependant 

She caws

Like the bile in the back of my throat

Shut up

Shut up

You are nothing but a habit forming 

Like hearing subliminals at every turn

We are sniffing powder like it's going out of fashion

Milky keeps the medicine down

Our two pm chaser

In front of Father Brown 

Chasing rabbit like he's going down

She claps her hands

Living the dream

Empty packets and pie crusts swim on the floor

Let the spiders crawl

I can mix up a potion

Make my own label

Fuck you all

Well, that’s not very amicable

She straightens her lace

Neither is the world

This is not a dream

It is tar black terror

Do you not see

I only sleep when the light is on

And the papers are in my hand

Well, I was only saying

A girl must try her best

The man sucked a bronze key

Waiting for his magic

We have nothing to wait for

No magic

No key

No frivolous turn of favour

We are going down

Our powder unrefined 

Chasing a habit a rabbit 

I try to trip him up

But it does not work like that

This habit will never end

Fall out of favour or fashion.

Wave

We delve into twelve

There is lemon frosting on my toes 

Delicious she says

Licking it up

Like medicine

Mixed in dirt

And powder

A crystal snow trail

I poured the unheard message down my back

It was warm

Like a kiss 

But better

As clear as the moon

As hot as the sun

When the world ends

Which it will

She says

With great authority

Who am I to question

She has seen these winters

Many times before

I lie moaning

She larks about in sugar and candy

Not a care in the world

Except me

I think I am going overboard

I say to no one 

As I grab the edge of the sink

Maybe I like the sink and fall of it

This misadventure I breathe

But nobody hears

I am too far past my life   

And not waving but drowning.

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Thank you to Elizabeth at https://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/…/…/17/thinking-of-lucille/ for this Sunday challenge

Not Waving but Drowning

BY STEVIE SMITH

Nobody heard him, the dead man,   

But still he lay moaning:

I was much further out than you thought   

And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking

And now he’s dead

It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,   

They said.

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always   

(Still the dead one lay moaning)   

I was much too far out all my life

And not waving but drowning.

Lye

Please ask for assistance

Help is available 

The nest falls

Splat

Like strawberry jam

Crumbing dreams 

And custard creams

All wrapped up in powder red blankets

Great for swinging she says

I lie lye lie

In bed

I could pour the message down my back

I think

Red works quicker

And we are so hungry

Scavenging for something full

Invariably we are empty

Like paper torn from boxes

So where is my present

She sets her lips

Pertinent

Pertinent 

Red works quicker

I think

In bed

In my modest state of confusion

I genuinely forget when I was born

Or when she came

He was so golden and pale

Beyond me

Beyond my dreams

So where is my cake asks Alice

Not that she needs food

And birthdays are redundant because she never gets old

She needs me 

Absorption

Distraction

Devotion

I lie lye lie 

In bed

There is nothing better I suppose.