Butterfly

The butter-
fly flaps her
wings
We are watching
from the bedroom
window
All is quiet
All except
the tiny
bell
Ding-
Dong
It chimes
We are happy
inside
Warm and cosy
Full of
dreams
and
hope
That is new
She whispers
Some day
Some way
Things had
to change
Let's pretend
She says
That all is well
And we sing
sweet songs
and dream
There is cake and tea
Hatter and dormouse
A world outside of
this
We close our eyes
Finally
come to rest
The butterfly
Flies
Away.

Bumble Bee

The bumble bees rustle in the leaves
For a moment everything
Stops
The light hits the grass
We sing a new song
Make new wishes
We are like dancers in a field
Wild and free
But only in our mind
She whispers
Not much will make us stir
We ignore the garbage
Focus on what we need
It is a fine dance
Familiar and homely
Not taxing on the body
Cool when it is hot
It is a fine synchronicity
A work of many years
Mainly we lie still
Take in our powders and potions
It makes us a little bored
There are no new stories
No people to watch and observe
But we like the silence
That is golden
We can almost hear the bumble bee's wings
Busy on a mission
Happy in flight
We like the thought of life continuing
We like the thought of being slightly removed from it
Distance makes the heart grow stronger.

Discover

There is so much to learn and rediscover
But we are trapped underground
There is a small window in the ceiling
Enough to reignite our imagination
Bring in the sun to a darkened day
The window reveals hope
Hope is something we need
To climb up
And out
No jumping with Rabbit
Or tea with Hatter
We are on our own here
The silence breaks our ears
Perhaps we hear birdsong
Or lapping waves
Anything is possible she mutters
We have books and words
On good days we revel in them
On bad days they cannot rescue us
But they are always there
A constant friend and companion
Just like me
She smiles
And I hold her hand as darkness
Descends upon us.

Tea and Apples

Alice claps her hands in glee
On the table are chocolate and blueberry muffins
Fine china cups
A porcelain teapot
Full of sweet tea
We must not waste a morsel
She says
We do not know quite why we are here
Should I take some apples
She asks
Of course little cricket
You can have whatever you think will help
Her eyes spin like pinwheels
I read her face
It is happy
I would like to linger in this moment
Before it is gone
I love these tea parties she says
I do too
It is a break from day to day
A ray of sunshine
Amidst the rain
When we are finished we hold our tummies
And sleep
Cake can really help
She says
Hatter, dormouse, me
We all agree
Nothing finer than a tea party with people
You love and care to be with.

Virus

I am bored of this disease
Moans Alice
It seems to have been here forever
It is a virus
I reply
It crawls under our skin
Like tiny black spiders
Will it ever go away?
Of course
Everything goes away
It just takes time
Shall we jump through the mirror
She squeals
Have a little trip
Through the looking glass
That sounds splendid
I say
We put on our best clothes
Outdoor clothes
Polish our shoes
Comb our hair
And jump
We disappear from the constant chatter
And live freely in our minds.

Transformation

We are living in a curious dream
The butterfly flies by
Like breath on the wind
We watch it flap its wings
To watch it is to follow a story
A transformation of body and soul
We always find a part to play
Waiting in the background
Ready
Willing
Able
But we shake
Before the first glass
At the first light and as the moon fades
We are held hostage by this need
Change feels impossible
How quickly we sank
We would like to be better
We have forgotten how to be
Sickness is easy
To live well is hard
Alice rolls onto her tummy
Contemplating the words
She is a candle in the night
A soothing hand in the heat of day
Change is possible she says
If you really want it.

Sunshine

We do not feel like the weather
Sunshine and lollipops
We feel like we have swallowed thunder clouds
And lightening rods
A dark feeling on a sunny day
We wait inside
Isolated
We do not miss going out
Outside is strangers and blood
We hope for better things
But know we will not have them
You do not try hard enough
She whispers
It is not hard to be happy
You just need to look at the birds
And believe in the sun
I take in her words
They are true
She is full of sunshine
Potions and cake
I am full of rampant storms
I ache for quiet and rest
Instead I drink
It makes me sick
Somehow sickness is not an alarm bell
It just is
I lie in bed and watch the sun pass through the sky
No clouds
No rain
Just a peaceful sky and dreamless sleep.

Roses

We are standing in a strange field
Hatter has laid the table
Full of treats and delights
Rabbit has stopped time
Chipped yellow roses
Fall from the sky
Flooding our feet with colour
We would be fools to be surprised
Would you like a cup of tea
She asks
I leave the pegs on the clothes line
Join her at the table
That would be nice
I say
The sun shines
The streets are empty
These are curious days
Drinking tea and eating cake
Makes us feel at home
At peace
Of course it is all a dream
Everything except the roses
We watch them fade and fall
Wait until they turn to crisp paper
And place them in our special box.

Small Things

We remember all the small things
Remember the signs and symbols
The rows of numbers
They feel close to us
More urgent than the big things
Like being caught in a net of stars
Each thing tangible and glowing
The sky is blue
The graffiti shines
We read them as messages
Remember the man who watched us
Secretly we think he still does
What a dull thing to watch
Sighs Alice
All we do is write a few words
And sleep
Maybe he protects us from ourselves
Maybe he wants the best for us
I believe in that big wish
Gather up the flowers and the stones
Keep them in our pocket
They are physical reminders
Markers
A trail of small things
Memories and wishes.