I’d pack a purse,
One with tight strings.
You’ll need it to pinch your pennies
And count your blessings.
You’ll have to put your head down
To count your lucky stars
While others reach your dreams.

Facing the light is futile.
It puts the darkness behind you,
While highlighting shadows for the world to see
Refusing to face the shadows will leave you blinded
Cast into darkness, alone, forever.

They go on about the climate
An economic one so cruel and dark
Where Mother Nature is cold and harsh
They say, in the land of plenty, how little there is
And how a lot won’t go a long way
So the clouds roll in with doom and gloom

But those dark clouds can’t shade the bright side of life
Where there are no jobs, there is work to be done
And he is well equipped
With rose-tinted glasses to see the light at the end of underground tunnels
Taking leaps of faith that don’t mind the gaps
Because no matter how cold that climate gets
He has a cloud-proof jacket with a silver lining

On the other side they can’t believe
The way you’re so uncaring
Through all the screaming you can’t hear
The pain and weight they’re bearing
As they walk away you may reflect
On a truth that should be glaring
The muted voice from a see-through face
And hollow eyes just staring

With the push of a button I ricochet
From victim to perpetrator
From expert to novice
From prude to whore
From lovesick to heartbreaker
From rowdy to quiet
From reckless to responsible
From friend to foe
From less to more

How I long for a piece of string
So I can hang like a pendulum
Swinging from extremes
To settle on a balanced center

English Cellphone
Schwester you poo!
That’s such an English thing to do
A cup of tea is so very small
But it did break you cellphone’s fall
A cucumber sandwich would not be as wet
It’s as English as tea and a much safer bet

Let him be
Let him have a few drinks
Let him have his say
Let him slur and swear
Let him raise that withered hand
Will he have the strength to harm you
If he’s just an old man?

Here it is the groundbreaking work of Paul Harold Seele aged 10 (I think).
I may have left out a few lines, this is all I can remember.

My Pet Pete
I have a very unusual pet
It was love at first sight when we first met
He dines on chunks of juicy meat
So to make things rhyme I named him Pete
If you don’t know what Pete is you’re a banana
For my pet Pete is a piranha

She’ll glance over photos
Squinting at faded ticket-stubs
Unfolding once-treasured notes

She thinks about burning it all
But there’s no need for symbolic gestures
Unceremoniously, she’ll toss them in the bin
Amongst elderly mushrooms and kitchen debris
Without a hint of nostalgia she’ll go about her day

We’ve broken down barriers and bricks lie in ruins
The building blocks for new walls and tombs
Walls that close-in with a comforting crush
As I grow and they squash the pressure’s too much
If I won’t break then what’s holding me back
Surely I’ll have no reason to stay

What’s left to write home about when the ink has run dry?
Can conversations stay candid for such a long time?
We scrubbed through the grime and this filth of a skin
Exposing blood and bones and the worn heart within
If skin held in problems the bones can’t contain
Surely I’ll have no reason to stay

As time ticks by in a race to the end
The road will widen and straighten each bend
But every bump and miniature molehill
Seem harder to conquer when aiming for mountains
If molehills can’t stop me from getting away
Surely I’ll have no reason to stay

No the Answer

Must a journey be impossibly difficult to place value in the destination?
Have you got anything to lose?
If you act with integrity, do you need to justify your actions?
Do you have to pour your heart out to EVERYONE?
Would they hesitate to inconvenience you?
Is there any harm in trying?
Is it really THAT important for them to know that you were right?
Do the finer details have to be exact for you to achieve the big idea?
Does it matter if you can’t see the bigger picture yet?
Is this really worth a nervous breakdown?
Does it make you unhappy NOW?
Will you just assume that they understand?
Is this currently your top priority?
Is your paranoia justified?
Do you have proof that this isn’t just in your head?
If it feels right, do you need to think about it?
Can you honestly say you don’t deserve this bliss?
Do you need other people to determine your worth?

No longer controlled by the old timer’s hand
Pinocchio faces perils in the human wasteland
Tripping and falling he stumbles along
Reminding himself what’s right and what’s wrong
The strings that are trailing bend his arms without failing
His hand can be guided when he’s undecided

But Pinocchio is a headstrong fighter
So he twists the strings to make them tighter
With a sweaty brow he’ll never lose hope
That he has the power to snap every rope

And once his limbs are unrestricted
He’ll learn that humans should be dissected
For the things that wrap him in a bind
Are controlled by ties on the inside
When the strings threatening to pull him apart
Are the tiniest strands attached to his heart

You speak with hints and innuendo
You write in rhyme and riddle
I’ll read between the lines
And find myself within those spaces
Alluding to men that can only be me
I can’t find your truth in all that jest
When you finally say that it’s not me
I’ll realise that, all this time, it never was

Fine then! It’s your loss
I’ll chalk up another one
But when everyone is always losing
I have to wonder if anyone wins

Is Michelangelo the reason I love Pizza?
Did Gambit teach me all my tricks?
Why did I never like The Hulk’s strength?
And is there a reason I fell in love with Rogue?
Wasn’t Peter Parker a photographer?
Is he this reason I climb walls?
Am I driving Kit or the Batmobile?
Did you see me pass through the room like The Invisible Man?
Or do you prefer the loud and proud He-Man type?
Does Professor-X even think this much?
And is that Archangel’s need to fly?

So who are these characters with different names?
And do I need the red jumpsuit or hats of disguise?
If I’m no superman, then why am I still trying to save the world?

Your ocean could be pretty deep
The pressure is too much to bear
I hear that evil lurks below
It can get very dark down there
And the seas are rough in these parts
It really is safer to stay where it’s shallow

A rose-tinted view of a beautiful world
The pure understanding of unconditional love
Compassion for those that can not fight
Achievable dreams more glamorous than fairytales
The power that comes from the strength to be gentle

But the most valuable gift a mother can give
Even if blue falls far from hazel
Is for a mirror to greet the boy with a perfect man
When a son sees himself through his mother’s eyes