Dream Watching

We open the window

Look out at the midnight sky

Dream watching

She calls it

I feel the heat of her hand

Nestled in mine

I wonder what we will find

She squeals 

She stands on the tips of her toes

Pushing at my body

Almost slipping out

I am like a shell

Quietly calling for my dreams

Maybe if I find them

I will open up

Reveal the treasure 

Inside my soul 

Float away

Like a drifting star 

She has eyes like a hawk

I can sense everything she sees

It feels alive

Full of energy

The dreams of youth

Not burdened by the knowledge of days

It grows cold

Our skin prickles

She does not want to leave the window

But I guide her softly back to bed

Our heads sink into the pillows

Warm and welcoming

We close our eyes

Wait to feel heavy

To sink into all our dreams 

Those we have watched

And those we have found.  

Lesson

She hands me the silver spoon

On it rests a flash of honey

It has dribbled onto her fingers

And is stuck to her face

She wants me to swallow it down

If it were tea or cake

I would feel happy

But honey makes me sick

The way it sticks to your tongue

Makes you feel as if you cannot breathe

But I do not want to disappoint her

So I have learnt a few tricks

Ways to keep her happy

The honey rests on my tongue

Congealing and heavy

I close my eyes

Slowly it melts

She smiles at me

Maybe she knows

How much I dislike it

We do not have many secrets

After all

She claps her hands

As I swallow

I pour myself a glass of water

Sip it slowly

Wash away the residue of sweetness

Perhaps I would do anything for her

As she does for me

Love certainly is a lesson

We both think quietly 

As we drift off into a sugary sleep. 

Winter Morning

We watch the winter sky

Fall down 

Our faces windswept

Chapped and grateful 

If we listen carefully

We can hear Rabbit's watch

Ticking and tocking

We can't be late

She giggles

We cannot fool him 

For much longer

I reply

We take a sip of juice

Cinnamon and tangerines

It is like sunburst on our tongues

The scent is winter

Crisp and urgent

The flavour

Tart and bracing

Perhaps a day will come 

When we are not tired

I never feel tired

She squeals

I sit still and remember

How it feels to be excited 

Full of life and hope

That never came to me 

When I was young

But she passes on the feeling

Like electric blue

Her hand in mine

Welcoming in

The crisp new

Winter morning. 

Celebration

The cake is slowly rising 

In the oven

It smells sweet and warm

Like rainfall on a summers day

We watch it through the glass

It's like magic she squeals

We are having a celebration

A party to mark the days that were

And the ones that are yet to come

We set the table 

A red check tablecloth

A porcelain teapot

Cups and saucers 

Shiny spoons

And knives and forks

We blow up balloons

Pink and blue

Pink for the colour of her skin

Blue for the colour of her dress

She huffs and puffs

Falls over

Dizzy and happy

We tie strings around them

Let them float

As high as the ceiling

As wide as her eyes

For a while we forget that

It will only be us at the party

We seem to be enough for each other

And all her friends are fading

She twirls and sings

Perhaps it feels like a birthday

A real one

Where everything is special

Soon enough the cake is cooked

I lay it on the table

The top is golden

The bottom filled with cream

And jam

I hand her the serving knife

She cuts two slices

We sit back

Let the soft sponge 

Melt on our tongues

It is heaven

This is a very fine party

She declares

Silently I agree

And let the day drift away

To become a shining memory.

Cornfield

We make a nest

In the green cornfield

The sun has made the stalks

Bristle and crackle

They scratch our bare feet

We slide through

The rows of corn

Sink into the green grass

Lie underneath an open sky

Where the specks on 

The butterfly wings

Catch the light

Blue and tender

Magical

Alice sings to herself

Her voice makes me smile

It is good to be on the

Other side of the door

I am not sure how much longer

We could wait there

Wishing

Hoping

Dreaming 

Moving our body

Moves our mind

Opens up a bigger world

Reveals doors and windows

To pick and choose

Just like Wonderland

She giggles

We do not think about

Where we will go tomorrow

Or any days ahead

All that counts is today

Making it through day and night

Enjoying the sun

Lying quietly

In our green cornfield. 

Carnival Dreams

Alice laughs

That girl is silly

Dressed all in black

Her heart cut out 

Into a red balloon

Which she holds above her head

Does she not know 

The Red Queen

Is the Queen of Hearts 

She asks

We are lying under a blue sky

I like my dress

She mutters

It is fit for any adventure

Her white pinafore

Shines and glows

Her shoes are like mirrors

I am in soft cotton

It eases my skin

Makes me feel wrapped up

Cared for

The trees move

The leaves are nothing more

Than skeletons

From time to time

We drink a sip of tea

It tastes divine when taken 

From the china cups

Time passes

Another day slips by

Silent and unnoticed

Calm

Far removed from night

And our frantic

Carnival dreams. 

Distillation

Summer has drifted away

As imperceptibly as grief

She was a courteous guest

Full of light

And orange skies

Now winter comes

It turns the sky blue

Gifts us with moonlight

We like the distillation

The crisp lines

And bitter cold

We blow on our hands for warmth

When dusk draws in

We escape in the night

Visit stars

Take wing and flight 

In our dreams we are graceful

Unburdened by our aching flesh

Our skin still tears and burns

The pain comes

And goes

We wear soft cotton

To wrap us up

Like clouds

She giggles

For a moment everything is clear

We know our place

Understand our time

Accept what will be

In the end

We still miss her of course

But life is simpler

Without the Red Queen

We can play and dream

And that makes winter

Very fine indeed.

Hurricane

We open the window

Stick our heads out

Let the eye of the hurricane

Touch our skin

It feels electric

Charged

Painful

Do you remember when

Pain kept us alive

She giggles

Her words get swept away

In the current of air

I like that

It feels almost like a celebration

A casting away of the old

An opening for the new

The leaves crackle and burn

The flowers bend

We are alive I think

Isn't that curious 

She says

We stand at the window

Right until the light fades

The sky is too crumpled

For stars

The wind has made us ready to sleep

We drink warm milk

Cuddle up in the red bed

The hurricane has passed

Now a gentle breeze

Rocks us

To and fro

To and fro

I feel her hand reach for mine

This was a better day wasn't it

She says

Yes 

I reply

A better day indeed.