An island of my own

I will find an island of my own
From the hustle of the crowd
Decorate it with silence
Leave the inhabitant wowed

It will be my refuge
From the storm that is to come
A place to heal my wounds
If the battle is not won

And in this island of my own
This place that only I have known
That I need as my place to hide
I have some small room set aside

So that if you need some shelter too
I have an island to share with you

Give Love a try

I sat two tables from the dingy counter, a warming drink in hand
Watching the Advocates at work, my angry retort fully planned
You may have seen them too, trying to spread their infectious word
Theirs the most dangerous idea, that you have ever heard

They've converted half this hiding place to their dangerous belief
When one's eyes finally grab my face, and spots my open grief
They take the other by their hand, give an affection squeeze through their glove
Walk over. Stop. Evangelise. "Excuse me. But have you heard the good word of Love?"

I force a fake smile, and watch the smaller one recoil slightly
"No." Too brutal. Kinder. "Tell me" I say much more politely.

Silence. I think they know I mistrust them, but they can't back down.
Heavy is the heart that follows the head that wears the crown.

"Love is..." they start, and sigh. I see them gain peace of mind.
"Love is the most wonderful thing that any being could ever find
Love is your destiny, and has been since your birth
Love gives more rewards than anything on Earth
It's the reason you wake up, it's better than your dreams
It fills you up inside and it leaves you bursting at the seams
Love is truth, Love is life, Love could never lie
So please, I ask you, wont you give Love a try?"

I can't hold it any longer. Their smiles are far too sweet.
Smiles which don't leave their face as I rise quickly from my seat

"You speak of love and all it does when it's requited and in good times
But love is the reason for many of history's most unforgivable crimes
I've seen hearts never recover from an honest rejection
I've seen good women slaughtered as an object of affection
Suicides from people who Love but were never meant to be together
Countless deaths on the hands of Love that stretch on for forever"

The Advocates look shocked. I see them, standing there
One opens their mouth. I interject "No, don't you dare.
Don't you tell me that it's worth it, that it's worth all the pain
Look at all the agony ever inflicted by love's name
I've seen factions form from fellows who think folk should only love a certain way
Fighting follows love like night follows day."

"So how is it worth it. Tell me, please.
How can something so soft bring grown men to their knees?
I've seen the rough and tumble and I believe I want no part
Of this cult-ish obsession that has infected both your hearts."

They respond before I can stop them, "But have you known Love before?
And what wonder it is to have someone you adore?"

"Of course I had tried love. Once. A long time ago.
What. We all have. And I learnt what we all know.
That Love betrays. That Love is an infection.
So now I don't want Love. Or any of this affection."

"But affection is something every person needs
To want to feel another's touch is nature, not greed"

"Love is a drug! And sure, I've relapsed on occasion
But after the highs I felt the lows, so I feel no persuasion"

"Love is perfect, but the people practising it are not
Yet these flawed people deserve something which you seem to have forgot
That life is at its hardest when you try to do it without another
Another flawed individual you can call friend, and lover"

"I'm an addict! And here you are trying to make me relapse
You must know, a desire to re-Love runs through every synapse?

"Then why stay away, based on what others have done in Love's name?
Do you think we followers of Love don't also feel history's shame?
So why do you think that we find Love in our hearts still?
Because Love, true Love, conquers all, it's our calm and our thrill"

"We're not saying Love is easy, that you have to Love right now
Just that we find Love pleasing, and that it saves us somehow
So we pray that for you, if Love should come along
You'd be willing to try its song again, it doesn't have to be for long
We're sorry for what you've gone through, we understand it is tough
But give Love one more chance. That should be enough"

And before I could retort, they turned and left.
Leaving me alone, and leaving me feeling bereft.
I know what Love can do, that it can drive you insane.
And yet. And yet. Maybe. Just once. I could try Love again.

Aesop Inspired

I've saw a person panic about pursuing a dream, not realising they were ready already

And I saw a shadow sure that they stuttered their steps but I could see that their steps were steady

I knew a kind man willing a bold stand on his own for the grandest vision

But he insisted on waiting for some unknown to come and give permission

So, if you've been waiting for an unknown message, this poem is as good as any.

It's time for you to rise. It's time for Anxiety to take a knee

You are not the lack of self-confidence that you so often portray yourself to be

Paint a self-portrait in oils that don't run if you treat them right

Never underestimate the power of light so be a sun and shine this dark night

It's a path with no map which is no easy road to take

And the habit of not being brave is a difficult one to shake
I hear some want to live a comfortable life that doesn't stretch them too far
But they still feel stress and strife because we're human and it's who we are

So it's time to make a shelf worth of memories that you can display

It's time to stop watches from ticking away yet another two rotation day

A crowd watches in anticipation, will our hero get out of their own head?

Or cling tight rooted to life planted in a flower bed

So take advice from this daffodil that poked its petals through concrete

You don't make grey have colour unless the colours come to compete

Distant rainbows forever illuminating horizon skies

Are unreachable illusions until you leave your raindrop and rise

I've seen people panic about pursuing a dream,
And many (maybe most) just give up and scream
But in a world of unknown actors you must look inside your own heart
Only then, once you are sure that no enemy, no friend, no self is stopping you
         Can you pluck up the courage to be the one that writes your part

Travelling

I love diving into a new culture

Visiting a city for the first time

Admiring the art and architecture

The story of the polish and the grime

I love finding what makes a place unique

Even when those things are off the main track

It's not just sheer adventure I seek

What I love most is that which I bring back

That part of my mind which had to expand

To encompass a new type of lifestyle

An island of my brain for this new land

But the thing that always most makes me smile

Is meeting great people in every place

They who truly give a culture its face

Caterpillar

I am very fond of my caterpillar friend
They work very hard, and like to pretend
That they are brave, this caterpillar I know
But life is tough, and little caterpillars need to grow
Despite all the dangers they face beyond belief
Trying to shake them off from their caterpillar leaf

Life is tough, so don't feel any caterpillar shame
From hiding away from this caterpillar game
Having to rest a while in a pupa bed
Means I will simply call you my chrysalis friend instead
And I will wait. For you to emerge. In your own time
Don't let me rush you, caterpillar chrysalis friend of mine

Because we all go through changes, need time alone
And dear caterpillar chrysalis friend of mine, oh how you have grown
You may not believe me, and you were always beautiful
And you may think I'm saying it just to be dutiful
But after all the growth, it's possible this story will end
With me calling you now, instead, my butterfly friend


Dedicated to a friend, who was going through some tough changes, and deserved to feel a little special.