Dawn

Flame burning 
On the carved altar
Bringing light
To darkness
Eyes closed
Head turned
To the wall
Prostrate
Under the image
Waiting
Under the glare
Of your idolatry
Expecting the blow
Or the blessing
Voice echoes
Long after the sun 
Until its final sounds fade
Fighting darkness
To stay and listen
When before I’ve always run
Scripture binds the room
In silence
Until it begins again
With a new dawn

Bells Toll

Staying in the dark
as the temperature falls,
touches my skin
Here, when I want to run.
Doors open,
Cloaks on the floor.
Talking,
My silent tongue.
Hounds fallen
abated in time.
Locked in the room 
lined in reams
Lifting the print
from the walls.
Lights burn 
Moon falls
Drinking the cup
Passing the cloth
Placating the crowd
as they stand in the square.
Waiting,
The Holy Door,
I walked through 
years before.
Walking in the footprints
Standing in the shadows
On the empty chairs.
The echo in the pillars,
The doves that fly
waves from their wings
passing distance and time.
To stand alone at this door
as the bells toll

Fog

Film frames
That flicker on white walls
Seen this before
Knew your face
Long before I saw it
From somewhere long ago
Like waves finally
Finding where to land
Like the glass
When the fog clears

Now

Sitting in the dark
Listening to the echoes of your voice
Carving the walls
As they land
Lighting the candle
Watching the warmth
And light spread
Hands on the walls
Feeling
What hollowed them
What built them
Hearing 
As it lands
Casting shadows
The sounds of the past
As they catch up
I wonder
If it sounds the same now

One

When the sun shines
You’re the silhouette against the sky
Blocking the view
Changing the world
Striking shapes 
Against the sky
Holding my breathe
Watching
To see if it moves
Waiting
To exhale
To blend into 
For the layers 
To fall 
Into one

To be free

Droplet falling,
like tears
long ago
since dried,
falls on her,
making her cheek wet
as it passes to the ground

Falling like rain
Caught in a storm
Wet cloth
Skin slick
Head bowing
with the weight
as it falls down

Covered
Surrounded
It falls
pounding
on wet skin
Heavy
She falls down

Bowing
Held down
On bended knees
In the line of fire
Falling from above
Crushing
Seeping
Fighting to breathe

Changing
Waiting
Fire on water
Pushing back
Rising up
Feet on rock
Head above

Driving back the line
Where water crushed skin
Will conquers
She’s screaming
Stepping forwards
from the water
Falling
Crushing
As the scream dies
she walks
to the ledge
and jumps
to be free.

Expire

The sharp intake of breath
is the line between
the land and sky
It’s the curve of the birds wing
that cuts the line
that protects
the divide between
hope and possibility,
the dreams alive each day,
the clouds that form,
and pull down
as each breath
 expires

(20.8.11)

Waiting...

Picture

In the picture
With your hand held high
Balled to a fist
Raised to the wind
Raised to the world
Determination no bound

The picture faded
To sepia tones
And I swear
In the quiet moments
I see your fist fall
And unclench
Bowed in submission
You let the world in

Shadow

The shadow that walks
Beside my footsteps
Laughs with abandon
Welcomes without reserve
No exception

The shadow that moves
Alongside my path
Has been here before
In past or in present
With the light that shone long besides

The shadow alongside
Has walked for hours
In silence
In presence
Of everything I gave it

The shadow within
Has looked on
At the shades of judgement
That coloured the view
I saw

The darkness is mine
Flowing from the light
That shone
So very brightly
It changed the colour
And the view
Soaked up
Without consequence

I’m seeing it before me
And I close my eyes.