Whispers

It's how it all started.

The voices.

In the twilight hour, they whispered.

We heard them at the crossing.

Through a veil.

They gave advice we needed to hear at the time.

The advice was often simple.

Always sincere.

Time to wake up. Talk to her. Remember to breath.

They guided us in a way.

We thought forwards.

And not every step on the road is hard.

Until it becomes hard.

That step.

The voices wavered, as they always did.

A life with twilight speech

The whispers.

They don't take kindly to being ignored.

The world expects much.

But not them.

And never the people they drive.

The verdict.

Everyone wants to feel, in some way, like their thoughts matter
They want to be pitched ideas as a worthy batter
What I didn't want, what I never wanted, was this
To decide whether to cast a man's soul to the abyss

I was selected for jury, and drawn to do duty
The desire to do my responsibility flew through me
I was chosen as an equal, and now within my hands
I hold the soul of a most guilty man

I've no doubt that he did it. His victims' blood runs clear
The most open and shut case they've seen this year
The rest looked at me, shocked as I hesitate
In delivering the verdict to the official of state

You see the death penalty is still a reality to me
Part of the law of the land of the home of the free
Yes this man is bad. Yes he took a man's life
And I tell myself it's different, because I don't hold the knife.

That he looked in their eyes and knew what he did
That his victim had a wife. The victim had a kid
I try to make this repulsion to the man on the stand
Give the verdict that's needed as I clench my hand

I would like to claim, as in so many cases
That the circumstances form an uncertain basis
On which to lay enough grounds to burst out and shout
"Your honour, I claim to have reasonable doubt"

I don't have such a backbone on which to rest
Instead I face a very different test
To court holds its breath, in this theatre of the absurd
Simply to cause the death of a man, by saying a word

I've waited long enough. Caused enough anguish to all.
The state is waiting for me to make my call.
As head juror. As citizen. As someone far from perfect.
I clear my throat, and I give my verdict.

The launch

It's time.

Oh it would have been so easy.
You could have stayed still.
But no.
You, oh noble beast. You live for a thrill.

And so it begins. Slowly. The count.
You inhale. Ten.
This is it. What everything has led to.
The thing that has filled your dreams so often.

Nine. You shudder. Every last muscle.
You anticipate.
Even in this step into the unknown.
This step into fate. Eight.

You will now be propelled through time.
You will experience heaven.
This World is now to small.
It is your fence. Seven.

Six. You can feel your heart.
You can feel fully alive.
Now is the moment.
Now is the moment. Five.

Some would ask why?
What is this? Four.
You simply respond.
So I can be Three.

This moment is all.
All I ever want Two.
Before me is every wall.
I will burst through.

They doubted me.
With good reason.
It was impossible.
It still is. One.

Ladies and gentleman.
We have lift off.


Written freeform while listening to https://astrangelyisolatedplace.bandcamp.com/track/void

On Brexit

Dear everyone disheartened by this: please don't be.
Now, more than ever, we need to have courage.
Now, more than ever, we need to have strength.

For so long, we have simply resorted to fear to make our case.
Fear of the man next door, fear of the unknown.
And believe it or not, this makes people scared.

So now, as we face the unknown, we can not be frightened.
One decision is made. But other than that, everything is on the table.
The road ahead need not be that which we assume.

So, to those who voted for the first time, thank you.

Britain came out in such great force yesterday
So we need you to not be scared. To not be disillusioned. To vote again.

It is the job of those in politics to make this new message hopeful.
That we are not just a community of an island, but of a world.
To inspire the next generation into a country they want to fight for.

What has happened in the past is unchangeable.
What happens next is up to us.
So please, be strong. We need you.

This was written over breakfast on the morning of the Brexit result. After a campaign which saw a lot of young people involved with politics for the first time, I saw a lot of anger and sadness at the result. Some people don't need much to be involved, but I wanted to write something encouraging those who did. To point out why, as difficult as it is, the natural response to give up faith is the one we must not take. Well, in my opinion at least.