Fold

We fold shirts in the candlelit room
Two scrawny women standing
Hands busy
As if nothing really matters at all
We watch the poems fall like pills
Try and devour them
Sweet as sugar drops
We never get tired of watching
Waiting
A silent scream brews inside
Remember when we almost died
We were tired then
Full of exotic changes
Somewhere where all of life is over and done
If we run out of steam that moment may creep upon us again
Well we won't let it she says watching my eyes
The light fills my senses
Brings something magical to each fold and crisp line
There have been many twists and turns
But we always come back to this room
Settle under the window
Sleep in the red bed
I blow out the candle
The dark wraps around us like a friendly arm
I hear her breathing softly and marvel at her being
I don't shut my eyes
Not yet
When the moon falls I will
In the morning we will wear the neatly folded shirts
Try another day
As the clock ticks I drift off happily
Perhaps tonight there will be dreams
Sweet as sugar drops
Far better than pills.

Glory

She stands in glory in the night
Pale arms lifted under a shimmering moon
The air is sharp
Like a bitter apple
The stars make her eyes shine
Her fragile little body shivers and shakes
But she is happy
I can tell because it creeps upon me too
The world falls upon us like a bad dream
We shake it off with words and pictures
Coat the paper in thick black ink
Large so we can read it in the half light
What does it say she whispers
Nothing I reply
There are shapes and letters but they fall out wrong somehow
Perhaps we will dance
Bathe our bodies in sweet music
Or maybe lie still and count our breaths
Either sounds good
A tiny revelation
We have walked a long way to reach this place
There have been many fights
Some we lost
Some we won
But together we come to rest
Stand in glory under the crisp moonlight.

Water

We wash our face in the water current
It is cool
A welcome ease from the raging fire
The escalating climate around us
We sip a little
Quench our thirst
The days are shorter
The crisis has ended
No more pursuit of tricks and lies
No more chasing Rabbit
We gather our thoughts
A pretty collection of pebbles that we can hold firmly in our hand
From a distance we watch the ocean breathe in and out
The waves make little impact upon the rocks
A mere kiss arriving softly on the craggy lines
A tender touch
We count them
Add up the numbers greedily
If we don't they will disappear
It is a welcome break from our fate
A light cast upon our ignorance
Turning full circle into knowledge
The arrival of another source that seizes our soul
Lifts us up
One way or another we will gather ourselves together
Just like we always do.

Museum

A row of shiny pennies lie behind the glass
They glint and gleam
Draw us in
Thick and glowing like the moon in a clear sky
We sit in the guard's chair
He is walking in quiet circles
At peace with his charges
We breathe in the smell of old wood
Run our shoes along the lines of the worn down floor
All the feet that must have passed
All the hands that must have made those pennies shine
So many stories
The pennies sit beside broken bones and butterflies
A pin holds their black bellies to the velvet
So fragile they look as if they will crumble
Time stands still in this place
Arrested
Just like their flight
A clock on the wall tick-tocks
Soon it will be time to leave
The guard will lock the doors
Switch off the lights
We will come back another day
There is a kind of magic
A sense of time both passing and standing still
A museum of curiosity.

Entry

The entry is fragile
Fragments of light stream through the garden
Catch on the flowers
Crash to the ground
The air is clear
The spokes of the bicycle wheel whirr gently in the wind
The fragrance of roses passes us by
I can feel the weight of her hand wrapped around mine
It is a bizarre type of love
It gives me strength
A fighting chance
Her breathing is shallow
Pretty
I doubt we know how much time we have spent together
In the distance is the call of birds
We both hear them
They make a bid for their prey
Small worms and other tiny things
I offer up my eyes to their flight
Alice makes a telescope out of an old tube
Giggles quietly to herself
It is good to see the world
There are so many colours and sounds
A rich perfume of days passing
They go so quickly
Faster than Rabbit
It doesn't pay to chase them
Far better to let them flow through us like water
Sometimes it is hard to know if we are awake or asleep
Perhaps it doesn't matter
We will firm up the door
Leave the key in the lock
It feels safe to have a way in and out
The light fades and the wind dies down
All is quiet
Just as we like.

Televised

The television flickers in the corner of the room
Sometimes it feels as if we are still being watched
A slow spool of recording tape
Brown shoes
Green coats
Bags of surveillance
But that was a long time ago
Do you remember the bridge she asks
Of course little cricket
I was scarily alive then
She sighs
Rests her head upon my shoulder
Her hair falls about my face
It smells like coconut
Sweet and silky
You are a good friend Alice
I am not sure she hears
When I look up she is gone
On the screen are faces
Shrill sounds
An intrusion
I just like to sit still now the voices have gone
Perhaps one day they will return
Like old friends
For now they recede
I switch the television off
And the screen turns black.

Film

The bystanders stand by the road
Telling stories
Spilling words
We hold our breath
Wait for news
Alice holds my hand
Watching the scene closely
Taking notes and turning circles
We are a long way from home
But it is an adventure
We find a penny
I bring it up close to my eyes
Wipe the dust off with a corner of a sheet
I wish we had more pennies to count she whispers
Outside is our backdrop
Swaying trees
Swishing clouds
Leaves churned up like butter
We take it all in lightly
Lay a gentle anchor in our location
When the door is shut Alice brings me a shot of tea
It cools gently in a fine china cup
For herself she creates a sweet concoction
I do not ask what it is
I just watch her sip it from the corner of my eye
I like these peaceful days
They run like a film in slow motion
Familiar
Safe
It feels like we have reached a state of acceptance
Of being
Not such a bad deal
My cells buzz with a vague memory of creativity
All the fashion she giggles.

Safety

We don't need to run any more little cricket
We can take off our shoes
Stop hiding under the eaves
She smiles without guilt
Sweet as the finest icing on the cake
I allow myself a silent giggle too
Is this what it means to be safe, she asks
I think so
Will it last forever
If we want it to, I reply
There is a gentle breeze
We walk over the moist grass
Happy watching people go about their day
Everyone with a story and a verse
I could sing, she squeals
I think safety is a very good thing indeed
I smooth her hair
Make sure her headband is sitting pretty
Look, the rain has gone and the sun still shines
The skies a velvety blue
We run our bare toes through water
Sigh contentedly
Our tummies full and our head deliciously empty
It feels good not to run anymore she whispers as the light fades
I agree in silence
We count our treasures
Usher in the moon and fall gently into peaceful sleep.

Morning

We sit in the corner of the cafe
Lift the glass from the table
It is quiet as a library
Silent as our scars
Dawn shimmies through the clouds
We hear the call of birds
Their silver wings cast shadows in the sky
Spray us with light and gentle calls
Bees carry messages
Dance merrily
Wrap sweet honey around our lips
We watch them
Alice wraps her fingers around mine
They are sticky
In her pocket is a tiny collection of shells
She jingles them like pennies
A perfect fit
Be careful not to break them she whispers
Her voice almost choked
Barely audible over the morning sun
In the park figures hunch over chess boards
Playing games
Parked up
All a sham
We have our own games to usher in the day
We close the door
Breathe deeply
The gulls trill and the trees sway
We lie on the floor and think
Savour the light and gentle breeze
Who knows what adventures the rest of the day will bring.