Poems

Midnight Guest

Like a soft silent breath he comes,
A shadow through the emptiness,
Disturbing nothing, and passing without trace,
Settling upon your sleep like a once remembered dream.
He slips between the sheets, beneath the layers,
And under skin,
With delicate fingers brushing nerves,
And waking senses that lay like dormant pasts.
His whispered words from ear to ear,
Disrupt the patterns of sleep that you wear,
That hold you to this comfort,
This surety upon which you build your skyscrapers to the stars.
He shows your eyes behind their lids,
The things to yourself you dare not reveal,
And guilt and fear, and regret and hope,
Sit side by side uneasy like wordless guests.
And lips taste distant scents,
As unfolding hands let slip to fall,
Everything that once belonged or else had promised to be,
And all that remains is the smile like bitter lemon.
And leaving now on breath still moist,
A shadow slips from you silent.

Paper Cuts

Paper cuts

Inside my head

A lattice-work that lets the poison

In seeps stealthy

Twisted demon

Fingers flatter – disguise the reason

Tiny seeds

A choking vine

Grow these thoughts that lead to treason

Distant views

Unsettled shores

Seas that seek to drown out passion

Paper cuts

Beneath all sight

Infect my mind beyond all reason

Paper cuts

Inside my head

The lattice-work drowns me in poison