The bell’s knell resonates through the narrow streets,
Filling the air with a thick, steely hum,
Synchronizes with the pitter-patter of the rain.
The heavy, dry, curls in the air,
Like thick cigar smoke,
Leave wispy, harsh trials of sound,

Footsteps echo through the streets,
A desperate attempt to stomp out it’s worrisome tone.
Time flows, smoothly but surely,
Distinctly burning age into the world.

Execution and delivery crawl closer,
Fueled by the churning sea.
Life and death wait anxiously, ready to reveal themselves to the world at Father Time’s signal.
The clocks count down, slowly but surely,
Devouring them with ease.
Time stops for none.

Weighing on the mind
Is the fear that out of a corner
A dream will come true
Dreams then will be forfeited
Cast into a mould
Of bare forgiveness.

That night
Words spilled into
Night’s song
What I recollected
Were haunting birds
A book of poems
Overlooking mists
And I started reading
When darkness said
This is not the time
Let light sail across seas
And a poem will flutter
Orchestrating skies and seas.

This morning as an afterthought
I bit the tears
Out of ancient rocks and hills
To make them mine
And when they left
I heaved a sigh that they
Did not linger
And make me, them
Their woes
Their bleeding
Me them
Their battles
Their ephemeral happiness
Their warriors
Their gladiators
Their brown-faced gnomes
Their scatter of feet
Their protean lust
Their minerals, their granite.
Their sullied mines
Me, them.

In midnight’s volatile hush
Dreams take over
Amidst the noise of a dog barking
One dream holds centre stage
Me in school
And the school slowly
Transforming into a many-domed
House, with schoolmates playing.
I mull over the dream
And remember the teacher who
Admonished, don’t dream.

Juggling thoughts
Staying relevant
Replacing desire
Can you do that?

Crossing over is not so bad
The cashier was flirting with me at the chicken joint
Or did I perceive friendliness for flirting
When you deal with chicken all day, I might look pretty good.