24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
The rumour spread through the city like wildfire.*
Rising up fresh with each new breath of gossip.
Fighting to stay afloat as it soared over the heads of each monger.
And with each recitation it grew in size and strength.
Then the city collected the insurance money.
* line taken from The Truth: by Terry Pratchett.
Words
Written, Spoken
Promising, Influencing, Deceiving
Letters, Phrases, Substance, Results
Fulfilling, Showing, Proving
Desirable, Sincere
Actions
fumble,
stumble,
fall;
dust-off, walk on.
—
rumble,
fumble,stutter,twist,
stumble,
fall – hard.
dust-off,
pause,doubt…
but,
walk on.
—
fumble,
wrestle,
struggle,
stumble,
fall.
pause:doubt,doubt…
walk on.
—
stumble
fall-hard,crack:
doubt,doubt,doubt
cower in fear; lie still.
but;
wrestle,
struggle.
and walk on.
—
stumble & instantly cower;lie still.
no fall but hard crack: doubt, doubt & cower in fear.
(doubt opens the crack for fear)
—
struggle, struggle, struggle
wrestle – win!
ROAR!
Sleep eludes me now
it wants no part of me
If I can close my eyes
Oh sleep why can’t you see?
Hours pass each night
while sleep fades away,
Never mind the time
I walk now in a daze.
Sleep eludes me now
Now it laughs at me,
Darkness all around
Oh sleep come give me peace.
Chilly night outside
A perfect one for sleep,
Don’t elude me now
Let me dream so deep.
When it was rough
and it was dark,
I did it all!
When it ached
And it burned,
I did it all!
When eyes were weary
And throat was dry,
I did it all!
When rain, wind and the storm hit
I did it all!
And tomorrow
I will do it all again!
I met you again
Our eyes awkwardly met
I smiled and said hi
You smiled and looked the other way
I read away with ease and confidence
The audience, they nodded and smiled
Their approval gave me courage
I read on without missing a beat
I read on
As if in reply to the sound of thunder
I read on
As if in response to the cry of the wounded
I read with care and delight
I read to stir the shy mynah birds in flight
The traffic was easy today
The drive smooth
I didn’t get too lost
I found the way
With help from my Chinese muse
A hundred years have passed
The scar on his back
remained
The fallen rubble marked his back
And the mark went with him
To the next life
And the next life
And the next
It doesn’t matter what I say
or does it?
Will these words have power
to change?
The minds of people
who are blind
Not by deformity
But by ignorance