Poetry

[Adena]

Lost

Lock the door.
Lock the box that is her mind.
Trap the elfin creature.

She saw him
with the key in his hand.

Her words
dancing across the page.
Fury - rage.

It still hurts
no matter how hard you try.

My ghost girl gone.
She had to die.

[Iago]

Trek

I was walking the stacks through the library today
...all these voices that I will never hear
what are they all trying to say
all these stories untold
all these lives
all these cries...

Once I drew a volume from the shelves
it was gloriously in sympathy with me
like it was written for me only
but as with all the others
I know that it can not be
the author needs to be free

To touch another and to say and affirm
the myth and the mystery
the angst and the history
the story set sail
like a burning ship
rescued by just being discovered

I had found you
my open book
I read you in one sweeping glance
your pages turned themselves
now I have placed you back in the rack
and as it should be your story goes on

[Iago]

Down Under Daughter

halfway around the globe
is not too far
for two to gaze upon
a singular star

where need resides
love arrives
and finds a way
for two hearts bound and saved

[Adena]

Escape

Crying, willing the world to wake
Fighting a battle which was a mistake
They cannot afford to lose this fight
They cannot afford to think that they might.

[Adena]

Words - Part 1
by Adena (navy) and Al Truest (green)

Words... seem misanthropic
callous smarting goads
synergistic calculus
symbiotic code...

Words are mere inventions
Attempts to convey our intentions
The cheapest form of communication
Merely a compromisation

Words are holey buckets
half full of things we say
do they quench or flare the fire up
do they know what we convey...

Words are strange conjectures
full of lies, deceit and hate
Absurd attempts at records
of thoughts and love and fate...

Words are useless mercenaries
without a care for pain
They give no fig for who they hurt
or what they help to gain...

Words are little soldiers
that battle for our way
we send the bullets flying
finding victims where they may.

Words are evil creatures
they wound and hurt at will
Despite their strangest manner
they care not who they kill.

Words are empty vessels
transporting our intent
they can calm the deepest sorrow
'can cut those to who they're sent

Words are ghosts of meanings
they leave so much behind
No feelings, no emotions
their messages are blind

Words can do our bidding
they're our little diplomats
we use them to negotiate
while we're wearing different hats

Words are hypocritical
can't keep their message straight
When we try to make them speak our mind
they'll only tell our hate

Words have hidden powers
to ignite a smoldering flame
they often have two meanings
that either lift us up or maim

Words are twisted sideways
we try to fit them in
but when we try to get them out
they've changed - to our chagrin

Words are bratty children
they're petulant you know
we think that we're so righteous
but they spill the beans although

Words are crazy grandmas
without a walking stick
they keep on falling onto us
they cut us to the quick

Words are little motors
they work at lightning speed
unless we're very careful
they will electrocute indeed

Words are like the undressed whore
who hides beneath your bed
she says she only sleeps with you
but there's no truth in what she said

Words are like the John you know
who's been rolling in the hay
but then he feels so dirty
and there is a price to pay.

Words are hired assassins
their daggers tipped with blood
and even when the daggers fail
they drag you through the mud

Words are stupid bastards
that don't know right from wrong
their parents just as ignorant
to send them on along...

Words are like the octopi
that cover you with ink
it's not that hard to throw them
but you hardly ever think

Words are much like napalm
they adhere and burn so hot
they make a lie seem truthful
even though its not

Words are rotting pumpkins
they're bitter and they're bruised
their sour seeds will sting your tongue
and leave you feeling used

Words are leaking buckets
they carry some of what we mean
they satisfy a meager thirst
but can not keep the grasses green

Words are tiny raindrops
they fall around the tears
they try in vain to wash us clean
but cannot beat our fears

Words are little cyclones
they spin us all around
which way the wind is blowing
is never really found...

Words are warty witches
with magic we must fight
they make us feel like heads of pins
It's wrong. But what is right?

Words are magic potions
often bitter more than sweet
they cast their spells upon us
with us begging for relief

Words are poisoned vials
which kill the weakest souls
they leave the rest to die alone
or beg with broken bowls

Words are rubber bullets
they bounce right of my chest
sometimes I think I'm superman
so shoot me with your best...

Words are bitter apples
picked too early from the tree
and yet if they were left 'till ripe
the better they would be...

Words are crystal goblets
often fragile and pristine
but careless transportation
can shatter our esteem

Words are pretty jewellery
that we give to those we love
and yet when they're given with fury
they're things we can't be proud of

Words are little badges
we wear them like a sheriff
we judge you on appearance
and impose you with a tariff

Words are cracking cymbals
crashing all around
discordant notes and reverie
leave harsh and grating sounds

Words are clockwork soldiers
their rusting keys are stuck
a lot of force might help them turn
but you'll need a lot of luck

Words are broken speakers
without a volume switch
transmission interrupted
their meanings just a glitch

Words are sharpened butcher's knives
they're made to cut and slice
and when their blades come to the heart
their deeds will have a price...

Words are like a highway
the cars go speeding by
a hit and run mentality
just leaves you there to die...

Words are misfired arrows
which fire right through our hearts
every nuance in our speech
could be the way it starts...

Words are like a buffet line
we pick the best we see
but unbeknownst we soon find out
about the hidden fee

Words are dark insanities
without their medication
their owners are all experts
at lies and obfuscation

Words are whirling dervishes
they swoop and swirl around
they come from every angle
to pummel and confound...

Words are hungry lions
that catch us unawares
they gobble and devour us
negating all our prayers

Words are wanton beggars
asking for a dollar
they want to buy euphoria
and wallow in their squalor

Words are shiny cutlasses
with chips along the side
when dueling they are painful
while still remaining snide

Words are humming engines
comprised of complex parts
they get you where you're going
on the road of broken hearts

Words are broken biscuits
which crumble in our mouth
they're dry and dull and tasteless
and they throw our feelings south

Words are tiny fishes
swimming 'round in schools
they move on in in clusters
and redefine the rules

Words are hunting parties
with several loaded guns
they point them at each other
and don't have time to run

Words are breeding rabbits
spawning with such ease
their non stop mating habits
are transmitting their disease

Words are broken rivers
spilling their despair
we have no time to dam them
their hurt flows everywhere

Words are busy beavers
cutting down our wood
they redirect the current
to a place misunderstood

Words are nifty barbers
hired to cut our hair
we do not know what they have planned
we think they wouldn't dare

Words are blind pedestrians
tapping on the curb
the walk right out in front of you
and imply they are disturbed

Words are rotting apples
diseased and badly bruised
one bite from their foul flesh
will make you sick at being used

Words are tattered clothing
torn and stretched and worn
they draw the wrong attention
and invite unwelcome scorn

Words are poisoned water
that was bottled up and sold
and when the buyers drink it
they regret what they were told

Words are politicians
kissing babies on the cheek
they confiscate your confidence
and their ethics sure do reek

Words are costly violins
which cannot be re-tuned
the notes they play sound awful
and their price tags are a wound

Words are poor magicians
their tricks are old and worn
their prestidigitation
is haggard and forlorn

Words are squeaking rodents
begging for their food
but no matter how much junk they eat
they'll still be just as rude

Words are like computers
always on the fritz
the programs are all so obsolete
they drive us all to fits

Words are well-faked diamonds
they shine and sparkle, sure
but when it comes to what's inside
they leave us wanting more

Words are Spanish ham shanks
none are cured or taste the same
they hang around and marinate
and go by different names

Words are green tomatoes
picked before their time
and when they're put in poems
they do not seem to rhyme

Words are ancient mummies
we wrap them up in gauze
they haunt us in our nightly sleep
wondering what we caused

Words are mossy tombstones
their message half obscured
and when we try to clean them
we find their cloaking is secured

Words are dirty glasses
soiled from overuse
we drink the cup of knowlege
but it is a poor excuse

Words are shattered ornaments
which cannot be repaired
and when they are delivered
we wish we'd never cared

Words are like wrapped up gifts
we're thrilled to rip the bow
but when we learn just what's inside
it's more than we want to know

Words are dirty puppies
discarded in a box
they run around our houses
chewing all our newest socks

Words are like that parakeet
sitting on its perch
instead of singing and flying high
your name it shall besmirch

Words are unmarked cop cars
scouring all our streets
looking for the victory
in numerous defeats

Words are schoolyard bullies
throwing round their weight
their methods crude and violent
they're more than we can take

Words are perfect gemstones
hidden inside rocks
to get them out is really hard
and when we find them, they will shock

Words are like the geode
mysterious little finds
split them open to reveal
a hollow heart inside

Words are like volcanoes
spewing out their heat
blowing out the anger
engaging in deceit

Words are little earthquakes
we tremor under foot
our world can split wide open
and be swallowed up in soot

Words are ancient fossils
cast down and left to rot
the idiots will dig them up
and be ashamed at what they got

Words are mighty fortresses
we hide behind them so
we take their slings and arrows
and are resilient to our blows

Words are reinforcements
running hard and fast
their swords are next to useless
their shields will never last

Words are dingy undies
mom warned us so about
you never know who will see them
when we're hurt or down and out

Words are well-aimed punches
which will send us black and blue
and when the scars at last come up
they'll all run through and through

Words are empty blackboards
that we smudge and scrawl upon
and when we think no one is looking
we scribble things so wrong

Words are angry spirits
who surprise us in the night
they catch us while we're open
and strangle us too tight

Words are like cheap postcards
that we get from traveling friends
they say that they wish that we were there
but they are lying once again

Words are little secrets
they hide themselves so well
but then they spill the beans
we thought they'd never tell

Words are fishy odors
they linger in the room
we cover up with aerosol
but the taint almost consumes

Words are ballerinas
dancing sweet across the stage
they're dancing for their masters
betrayed with unlived age

Words are lazy vagabonds
not willing to do the work
hitching rides on piggybacks
not caring who gets hurt

Words choose to be homeless
they're bludging off the rich
the middle class all hate them
and boo them off the pitch

Words are candy cigarettes
oft' too sickly sweet
they're just as bad as real ones
when they are too far from discreet

Words are insulation
which someone put down wrong
they make the roofing smoulder
they burn the singer and the song

Words are little piggies
building on what is there
and when the wolf comes knocking
on their chin there is no hair

Words are pure-bred heifers
beautiful and sleek
their parents were incestuous
the children far too meek

Words are tarty harlots
they appear to be so fun
but getting down and dirty
can leave you wrecked and bummed

Words are restless sleepers
that struggle with the sheets
they kick the covers everywhere
messing up the room so neat

Words are skunky beer mugs
with smelly suds inside
they foul the air around us
and sully where we reside

Words are broken banjos
with only one remaining string
they're completely out of tune
and twanging everywhere we sing

Words are beatnik bongos
beaten half to death
the hackneyed counter lingo
almost takes our breath

Words are little flowers
open to the sun
We wish we hadn't picked them
but the damage has been done

Words are like a fish-hook
we cast them out to sea
we try to lure our bounty
no matter how much the fee

Words are thorny roses
their buds and blooms entice
but come too close and they will prick
which really isn't nice

Words are like cheap whisky
they don't cost much to use
but bar room brawl behavior
results from too much booze

Words are fine liqueur
the drink of connoisseurs
inducing lies and love affairs
this too could be all yours

Words like wine to winos
leave you facedown on the street
'can't tell what may have hit you
while you lay like lifeless meat

Words are cats on heat
enticing all the studs
but then they start to fight it out
and fall into the mud

Words are mongrel dog packs
roaming vicious predators
they attack from every angle
and bloody that fine head of yours

Words are angry elephants
with deadly sharpened tusks
even if you run away
they will chase beyond the dusk

Words are like safari
you go hunting for the beasts
but the animals can turn on you
and have you for their feast

Words are dripping iceblocks
sitting in our laps
they melt all over propriety
and drench the drunken saps

Words are like our DNA
they are proprietary code
they link with other properties
and alter the current mode

Words are lionesses
always on the prowl
they hunt the weak and hurt the strong
and leave us to fall foul

Words are like a condor
circling their weary prey
they want you to collapse you see
from simply what they say

Words are flying dutchmen
swift across the sea
firing their arrows from far away
and killing you and me

Words are trapeze artists
flying without a net
they dare the unimagined
and often find regret

Words are crying babies
keeping us awake
some are loved and some are not
and some were just mistakes

Words are like baby babbles
all goo goo gaga stuff
we think its cute for quite a while
but in time we say grow up!

Words are giant baseball bats
with minds of their very own
human beings are their balls
even the strongest of us are prone

Words are like a virus
they get beneath our skin
they multiply inside us
and weaken us within

Words are an addiction
you must keep coming back
they wound you, but you need them
they spin you off the track

Words are like a staircase
they take you up or down
the upper level offers more
than struggling on the ground

Words are hidden cameras
recording every move
the photographs reveal the 'truth'
there's nothing they can't prove

Words are paper dollies
cut to fit our whim
we discard the ones that we do not like
but there's no real end to them

Words are freedom fighters
they're brave and strong to some
but when it comes to others
they may as well be pond scum

Words are like a bucket brigade
passing one by one
we dose the flames but just enough
until the deed is done

Words are busty dancers
high on adrenaline
they're not worried about what we think
even when they make us sin

Words are writhing strippers
revealing naked skin
we may see much more than we would like
and there is no mystery at the end...

Words are clever stalkers
they instil in us the fear
they only serve to force us
from all that we hold dear

Words are diamond miners
digging deep for gems
but when the sparkling bounty's found
instead of us it goes to them

Words are sl*tty singers
showing everything to all
their songs are about sex and drugs
the lyrics so appal

[Adena]

Abuse

they wished
to be orphans
so they could one day learn how to smile

what a terrible wish.
they were wounded.
but society said they were vile

these are the people
who grow up dead
unable to let themselves feel

because if they did
they'd lose themselves.
the pain they're suppressing... it's real.

[Adena]

Angel Wings

a little girl
awake at night
hugging bears
tears blurred her sight
they wet her cheeks
they stained her dress
she let them fall
she looked a mess
her wings were growing
soft and white
the feathers bloomed
with all their might
but they were clipped
she couldn't fly
she had to stay.
She had to die.

[Adena]

Why do I dance this unreal dance?
The dance of who we are.
The dance of the sperm that made me me
and the egg - the darker half.

Why do I sing the song I sing?
The song that I am not.
The words that I sing belong to the past -
they speak of what I lost.

The music has been torn away.
My heart and soul are bare.
I left behind my shred of hope
and walked into despair.

Long ago you asked me who I was.
I am not her any more.
I left her behind when they let me die
and my boat cast adrift from the shore.

[Adena]

He is like her.
He has no words.
Trapped within his mind.

He watches her.
He takes her hand.
He is kind.

To escape, she sings
Soft notes like bubbles burst against the bars of her cage

To escape, he cries
The bruises there to mark the rare impenetrable rage

They are both caged.
Neither can escape.
They run as one, still bonded by their common fate.
And as they leave, one hand in his, she shuts their cage's gate.

[Adena]

Elucidae - Part 2
for the one who got away

Not your world.
Look through these eyes.
These old, old eyes.

See a girl
without a care in her world.

Maybe
before the church
that was one of us.

Now broken women
not made to last.

Elucidae - Part 1
by S. C. (28/1/2010)

No questions any more
She learnt the lesson of his lore
Eighteen cuts for talking back
Three more to get her back on track

Every semblance gone
She sings a woeful, grieving song
Every bruise another fear
That rips her from her life so dear

Tears of loss and pain
Her torture has begun again
She weeps alone within her cage
She tries to shake her blinding rage

No questions any more
Is she insane? She can't be sure
No memories of what came before
It's burnt into her skin.

[Adena]

Odyssey

Let me take you through
the joy and the heartache
let me take you back
through my past
to many years ago
let me take your hand
and lead you through
this life that I live
let me enchant you
with my stories
welcome
to my world.

[Adey]

More good work Adena. I'm reading your stuff and would imagine that others are too..

[Adena]

Fathers' Day
2006 - schoolbook, written to L. J. B.

There is nothing to celebrate.
I cannot send a card.
My thoughts for him will go to Hell
It's really not that far.
I have no love for my father.
You cannot make me lie.
There is no-one to thank on Fathers' Day
And I think that you know why.

[Al Truest]

[Adena]

The Canyon

This eternal divide
with two on each side
puts friend against friend
and parents with child

Nothing can bridge it
Though many have tried
Peace and tranquility
have been denied

Both sides are steadfast
Hatreds abound
The sheep stand bleating
As the goats stare them down...