Kop Les*

just found out he died

pity

won't get to tell him,
that teacher of mine
that bruises on kids
cancel out
that one on your forehead

the blackboard duster
you used on my knuckles
"knuckle-duster" ha ha
your attempt at humour
you sadistic fuck
also wiped off all the stuff
the good moral lessons
off the blackboard of my mind

that blackboard ruler
the edge of which
marked my life-line
disturbed the rules
you held so dearly
and tried to enforce

If I could
would I punctuate
every fat'hah
dhammah
kasrah
of the lessons you got me to learn,
with punches to your head,
to your spittle-flecked beard
so you learnt
that this is not the way
you teach
or inspire
or treat a child?

Or would I embrace you?
show you I was the better man
despite your lessons
because of mine
Frailty your companion
your enemy, time.




so much I would tell you
so much I could teach you

just found out you died

pity



*Kop Les- Afrikaans, literally "head lesson", referring to memorising verses of Arabic.

wordshot,wordspawn

Clock, tick tock
counts down
frown, words escape me
flock through too quickly
shoot them down
aim, fire
wordshot from both muzzles
some fall down
no word-dog, noun-dog to track them down
me trying to sniff them out
in the dark
the screen black night
did I delte?
should I delete?
did I just drop a line?
the space bar pressed but too much space
no reassuring cign on the desktop face
funny how we need to see what we think
read what we write
instead of just link
what we feel
to what we think
like what we piss
to what we drink.
a minute to go
need to see
not even an ultrasound view
of the words I have spawned
a glimpse of them thumb-sucking
before they are born.
20 seconds,
no now 15.
Oh well
it's done
Welcome to the world
little one

Free Writing Challenge

I don't do tags. This is not a tag, it is a challenge, an exercise. Now that we've cleared that up, this is how it works:
a) choose a topic
b) set a timer for 5 minutes
c) switch off your monitor to reduce the temptation to edit
d) write continuously, no edits
e) post. I'll put my one up shortly.

Naturally

You ask me how to write a song
how to get the notes to sound just right
to get the melody to ring true
when your voice is music to me

You ask me how to write a song
how to get the rhythm and the rhyme
to get the speed and the timing
when your heartbeat sets the tempo of my day

You're the ink on my page
and when I look at you
the words just come
naturally...
naturally...

You ask me how I tread the boards
how I remember all the words
how I cry like it really hurts
when you're my leading lady

You're the light on my stage
and when I think about losing you
the tears just come
naturally...
naturally...

Easy as it is to breathe
natural as it is to grieve
your love comes
naturally.

caffeinity

espresso frenetic
slowed down
to drip feed
efficiency of function
more important than speed

I bide my time though
I rest my mind though
latte lax
cappuccino content
enjoying the moment
savouring each drop
ignoring the grounds
at the bottom of the cup.

ego unwound

Sunset
Maghrib
the world spoke in hushed tones
curtains were drawn
while we climbed steps
to a shrine on the slopes
to wash in a stream
and pray
the words of our
impromptu imam
cushioned by layers
of green and red satin.

later, back on the beach
something happened that night
watched by 12 stone Apostles
and perhaps something more
without words
without warning
all of us
just
let
go



no music
apart from the wind
whispering "Allah"
and waves kissing sand
like lips mouthing "Muhammad"

and we whirled
not knowing what to call it
our hands and feet
moved us
and we followed

ego unwound

the night four came undone
and witnessed the One

Tissue- poetograph

Imagist has some very good graphical interpretations of poems on his site. "poetographs" he calls them. I was curious to see which verse he would choose, and what he would do with it. Here is the result.