TANPA NAMA (NAMELESS)
Was silence hollowed out of us
Or something wholly of its own?
My heartbeat has grown too faint to hear
No humming veins disturb these stony ears.
When the wind dies on the desert floor
And stillness calms the ocean roar
Is it silence when there’s none to hear?
As you near it do you fear it more?
Unlike other limber cats
I face forward I never back
Is that a tail? I can never tell
So many tales you can never tell
Time can never tell
I can never tell
BEAUTIFUL MOON
if you shoot for the moon,
he will have the last laugh
i wanted it all, his best offer was half...
a night in his bath made imposter of day,
oh beautiful moon, did i chase you away?
the thief in my room could not see in the
dark
that the moon is for free
if you know how to ask..
(better not to ask).
i stumbled and saw it was not meant to be
you’re still hanging there always out of reach
oh moon, you’re the moon, you’re the moon
that makes madmen moan
you lured the waves
and made a crooner croak this lonely tune
i mean you are that moon,
not a figure of speech
beautiful moon
you’re out of reach
ANNABEL
Strange girl, faraway star
never got a fix on who you were
the manner of your arrival
was nothing pretty it was survival
Oh Annabel
you played the rules and you broke the
game
you flew back into that famous black hole
from whence you came
deranged angel….
sour knell of your broken bells
you turned quite pale as you cast your spell
you liked a hint of that sulphur smell
didn’t you, Annabel?
compound ritual error bred existential terror
when bodies fell past your window
then you knew it was time to go
to disappear into your own shadow
scripture was wrong
but the script was strong
we were hardly meek
but we sang along
you just made it up
as you rolled along
you kept rolling on
oh annabel
lucky they who got your shirt undone
could never say they were the only one
you bled red
you were one of us
homegrown alien
on a london bus
genius with a fiery tongue
they stuck to us the songs you sung
you left us too young
left us too young
SPHINX
Reluctantly I took the call
Knowing it was from the Sphinx
Sphinx said “I’m not the one who knows it all,
But I have had pause to think,
I’ve seen kingdoms rise and empires fall
Some stand tall, while others shrink
Power power everywhere, not a single drop
to drink
In the desert that’s no joke
Its thirsty work beguiling folk
While madmen hover at the brink….
We romanced back when we were young
In my feline innocence
Curious sins whose price has been
To become your conscience
Milk you spilt turned quite sour
All actions have their consequence
Years peel off or add a layer
Memories are the fists they clench”
Dear Sphinx please be succinct,
The days are short, I’ve chores to run
I’m happy that you thought to call
Sorry to be so humdrum
Kindly summarise your conundrum
“Easy truth is not my thing
I would rather play the riddle game:
How come you bums who sing and strum