Recognition

I saw it in

Your eyes that day

I heard it

In your voice

You, like me,

No longer see

Living

As a choice

0

Universal

She said she’d written it

About herself

When I saw her

On TV

But there’s no way

She could portray

The exact same feelings

As me

0

On With The Show

Save your cheers

Your whoops and applause

I don’t deserve it

I’m inherently flawed

And please don’t say

That’s why you love me

Because that’s even worse

Than just clapping would be

0

Gritted Teeth

The hardest part

About being depressed

Isn’t crying

Every day

The hardest part

About being depressed

Is pretending

You’re OK

8

Unqualified

If you needed help

He said

Why didn’t you just ask

Because I knew

She said

You weren’t up to the task

0

Craving

I held you once

In my arms

Yet you slipped

Right through

My fingers

Now my heart burns

For your return

As the touch

Of your hand

Lingers

4

You Just

You just haven’t met the one

They said 

You just need to give it time

You just need to fuck off

She said 

You just don’t get to decide 

3

Stop Killing Children

The world is now

In disrepair

Our humanity

In tatters

Yet all you can say

Is “how dare they”

Like being right

Is all that matters

2

We’ll Never Know

If we could go back

What would you do

Stick around for another

Drink or two?

Or would you leave me

There alone

And find someone else

To walk you home

0

Resting Witch Face

I don’t need

To don a costume

Or paint my face

With vampiric

Ghoulishness

I’ve already spent

The year

As the epitome

Of drear

So there’s no need

For today’s foolishness

6

Autonomy

It won’t be

The fault

Of destiny

Or a hand

Fate fails

To deal

I’ll leave

Unperturbed

And without

A word

Because that’s

How I’ll fucking feel

2

Maybe Next Time

I really am

Very sorry

I did not mean

To offend

But to look

Interested

In what you

Had suggested

I couldn’t be bothered

To pretend

4

Adequate

I’ll never have

The perfect body

I’ll always be

An imperfect soul

So to get through each day

Without further decay

That

Is the fucking goal

3

Groomed

Please don’t act

Like you asked

When you

Just fucking took it

There’s no hiding the fact

It wasn’t lawful contact

However

You fucking put it

0

Clock Watching

I commend

Your curiosity

I absolutely do

The fact

That I’m not

Remotely arsed

Says far more

About me

Than you

0

Never Gonna Happen

It wasn’t

That I didn’t see you

I knew

You were standing

Right there

It was more

That I

Just ignored you

And passed by

Without

A care

You see you

Are quite unimportant

And mean not a thing

To me

And mine 

So I suggest

That you also

Start walking

And stop wasting

Everyone’s time

0

Winter

Here I am

Pretending again

Faking a smile

To hide my pain

I fucking hate this weather

15

Snacks

Lying here

With you

Sure is

A delight

In fact

It’s this

That keeps

Me warm

At night

3

A Well Trodden Path

Tell me about yourself

He said

I’m here to listen

Not talk

There’s nothing left to say

She said

As every ware I’ve had

I’ve hawked

0

This Dating Life

You weren’t even worth
Making a mess
Of my shiny red lips
Or that brand new dress

You didn’t deserve
What was underneath
Or to hear me moan
Between the sheets

So now you know
Why I “got the hump”
As you’re home alone
Having fucked things up

And when they all ask
How my evening went
I’ll be sure to tell them
Of my utter torment

2

Spineless

Please don’t say it’s over

He said

I won’t believe it

If you do

It’s exactly that lack of backbone

She said

That I hate most

About you

2

Punching Low

Why the fuck

Would you stay

When you know

That shit

Is not okay

There has to be

Some other way

For you

To leave

Without delay

4

I See You

You’ll say

You didn’t mean it

And it was

An honest mistake

But you’re a shit actress,

Quite frankly

So I know exactly

Just what point

You were trying to make

2

No Means No

If we both stay here

He said

I fear my resolve

Will break

Let’s be very clear

She said

That’s not your choice

To make

0

Sleeping On Trains

From the corner

Of my eye

I see you

Sitting there

Her head resting

On your thigh

Your fingers

Stroking her hair

I remember those days

My head touching his

When my heart

Would do nothing but flip

Yet all I feel now

Seeing such bliss

Is the overwhelming urge

To be sick

2

At The Hip

Highlands or Islands

Anywhere will do

I’d happily live

In outer space

As long as it’s

With you

6

Charming Collaborations #7

Stranger Danger 

The night our worlds collided 
So different and yet the same 
I lost myself in your eyes 
Without even knowing your name

You were merely a stranger 
Who stole my heart
In the most dangerous way
Now I am searching 
For a glimpse of you
And the space we once shared
In a crowded square

Written in collaboration with Cassa Bassa at http://www.flickerofthoughts.com ©2023

10

Charming Collaborations #6

It Is What It Is 

From what happened 
Between us last night
I have a feeling 
This has potential

I even contemplate
to stay for breakfast
skip work
and love on you more
But after my first cigarette
I realised 
for our art to be perfect
I must play the escape artist
once more

You see I cannot give you
What you want 
Unless we can agree 
To take it slow 
I may not be sure 
Of many things
But my fear of love
I know 

If that's not enough for you
We'd better call it quits 
Not everything has a happy ending
Life can be a hit and miss

Written in collaboration with Cassa Bassa at http://www.flickerofthoughts.com ©2023

11

Onto Better Things

Back in the day

The words flowed freely

And I knew just what

To impart

But I’ve recently found

Since my new love’s in town

That for poems,

I’m no longer arsed

4

Foretold

You say that I am crazy 

And always take things

To extremes 

But I know full well

That you lie to me

Even in my dreams

0

The Corporate Ladder

Give yourself a break

He said

We can all see

You’re trying your best

I just can’t afford to flake

She said

With all these cuckoos

In the nest

0

The Sycamore Gap

I saw it first

On TV

In a film made long ago

(If you can forgive

Their dodgy accents

It’s not that bad, you know)

There it stood

Pride of place

As part of that iconic scene

A symbol of majesty

And resilience

In a landscape stoically serene

Who knew

That its destruction

Would be so upsetting to me

It’s not like it was

A person

But a 300 year old tree

7

Wronged Parties

I just don’t understand

He said 

Why she would try to tear us apart 

Because the cost of true love

She said 

Is always someone else’s heart

2

Liquidity

You can’t drink from an empty cup

He said

Your throat is still left parched

To have a cup in the first place

She said

Would be a fucking start

0

Deadened

I wish

That things

Were different

And I could be

More in control

But my drive

Is non existent

So I’m stuck here

In this hole

4

Straight Up

If you knew

Anything about me

You’d know that shit

Isn’t my style

I’d say

To your face

That you’re a cunt

And not hide it

Behind a smile

6

Shut Eye

To expect a nightly vision

She said

Seems a tad extreme

I barely get to sleep

She said

Let alone to fucking dream

0

Showtime

Time to tell your truth

He said

To stand up and face the crowd

I’m not sure how I’ll cope

She said

Saying all this stuff out loud

0

A Bridge Too Far

I’m sorry

For all

The pain

I caused

For those

Emotions

That I

Withheld

You see

I did

Love you

Very much

I just didn’t

Love myself

6

Detrimental

There’s nothing worse

Than when it hurts

And that

Is all the time

Yet I’ll pretend

To the bitter end

That everything

Is fine

2

Prince Charmless

I want it like

The book

She said

I need

The fairy tale

I can offer you

He said

A dream or two

But nothing

On that scale

2

One Series Too Many

It reads more like

You just couldn’t be arsed

Your ending, descending

Into abject farce

Perhaps next time

You’ll be less weak willed

With your writing, exciting

And us feeling fulfilled

2

Showdown

The day

Is getting closer

The hour

Is drawing near

Will I find a way

My truth to say

Or will I simply cower

In fear

2

Cardboard City

Another winters night

Passes me by

As I lie here and think

Why me God, why?

I did everything

That you asked

Completed each

And every task

And yet here I am

All alone

With nowhere safe

To call my home

Wondering what else

I have to do

To feel anything other

Than contempt from you

2

Hiding In Plain Sight

It’s looking like

We got it wrong again

Because of his persona

We missed their pain

And although, I’m sure,

He’ll issue his refrain

Any protest now

Must surely be in vain

0

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