sunrise that cool, billowing thread of light unwinding cross the horizon opening the eyes of the sky and the eyes of all beneath her

the stretch, stretch, stretch of midday like a thick drop of paint in a basin of water venturing far and wide staining its borders

we squint at such majesty and note the golden swirls

a gilded shimmer stoops low and bathes the stars in ocean waves in the coolness of the eventide she hangs each orb above her like linens on a wire

oh how they speckle and glisten and flicker

until they are once again plucked and worn by sunrise

A beginning so promising, even the birds seemed to sing our praise. The days seemed so much brighter, even the sun was warmer on my face. I was understanding of the lyrics written in every sweet love song. You were the prayer answered I had whispered for so long. I allowed you to consume me, to become what meant the most. every thought that crossed my mind, every rhyming word I wrote. I never had the slightest suspicion that you would break my heart, ultimately we would end this way, or that we would ever be apart. I stand here alone without you, wondering if I ever meant anything, left with bittersweet memories of a beginning so promising.

She whispers those precious words Just to me, just to me Heated words, fiery syllables Of love, lust, longing, LOVE. She holds me to her And I melt Like the sun As it shone On that day She came to me And said “Hello.”

Ouroboros The snake that bites its tail Slips into cyclical slithering Without missing a beat. Multidirectional focus it uses to move through spaces vertical, horizontal, diagonal, Sliding into crevices Burrowing subterranean Marking territory with figure eights, Tight twists and turns Moving into sunlight Diving back downwards It moves as one Alabaster scales showcasing the fleeting difference between air, moist soil, billowing brooks, light and dark Time is infinity as ouroboros stays on track to claim its namesake The snake that bites its tail

the day her father died she didn’t even cry, she stood there, emotionless, hoping to go back in time. she wanted to believe that it was only just a dream, that everything would be alright when she knew it wouldn’t be. the days blended together, she lost her smile forever, like it was some ghost in earth that wouldn’t be the same ever. she couldn’t go back in time, she couldn’t get back her smile, she hasn’t even cried since the day her father died.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

You told me That the clock wouldn’t stop. That the clock was eternal, like us.

So then, why can’t I hear the sounds? Why am I stuck hearing nothing, but your voice in the empty void?

I know. You’re gone. So the clock went with you. Because of our lies.

We lied. Now there will be no more

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Come back come back come back again, square one step forward, N0, begin again, come back come back come back again, one step forward, N0, two steps back you missed a step, 0H, it’s not the end, now take a breath, begin again

Shut the church doors Put on your gloves Close the cafes The clock strikes 5 They bellow: YOU ARE NOT ALONE Don’t cough How rude! Tick tick tick tock No time for bullshit Stop your commute You silly fool Don’t visit your grandad! Stay away, stay away! Laugh at the panic buyers Panic buy. Halt the service sector It’s not that important anyway The clock strikes 5 They bellow: YOU ARE NOT ALONE Is your journey essential? Are you essential? We won’t be like italy You’ve lost your job Tick tock We are not America stop the schools Stop the cleaners Our beast Our greed, Did you know it can be paused! Silence A COVID Community No footsteps No planes Is this a message Is it a dream? The clock strikes 5 They bellow: YOU ARE NOT ALONE Righty-tighty Stiffen your lip Log onto zoom let’s do a quiz You can still buy fizz still shop in Marks and Sparks People are kinder And there’s less Less noise Less stress A message pops up Apologies We’re decreasing your interest The clock strikes 5 They bellow: YOU ARE NOT ALONE Skeleton workers Stop going to the parks You irresponsible parent of 3! One in one out! Our lovely British police They can stop you now While munching through your tins Keep clapping for the NHS Beans, tuna, tomatoes Any spare? Tick tick tick tock The prime ministers got it The clock strikes 5 They bellow: YOU ARE NOT ALONE He looks tired manages to crack a joke It’s still a novelty It’s Corporate socialism Don’t let your staff go We’ll pay them Tick tock April showers have arrived We get to be contemplative now behind the pages of a book We forgot to mention Not now for goodness sake We didn’t say we could pay them now Redundancy I can hear the birds I can feel the trees breathing Some people’s homes Are in their head Some homes are prisons Not designed for isolation The clock strikes 5 They bellow: YOU ARE NOT ALONE

I

Her hair coils.

Endless, meaningless, driven rhymes, Written upon a bleeding head.

She burns it. Cuts it. Marks it. Colors it. Tries, if nothing else, to Straighten it

And yet still, In the midst of the summer nights, While the moon shines above the stars, And her smile brims upon a broken face,

A single, Tiny, Sharped, Bit of

Her hair coils.