BOy is often told; “You know what you’ve got coming to ya!” But when BOy doesn’t. When BOy gets it wrong. Does it make what he got – right? And why should BOy have to be brave in the face of the cowardly acts of others? Why does he think he should be able to get there in time to change the course of bad things? Will he remain forever frozen on the edge of anticipation? Will there come a time when it’s safe for BOy to say “I don’t know?” When BOy is encouraged to feel and react to his own emotions and pain? When he can warmly and sensitively console another – BOy? Say ‘yes – it hurts’ and ‘no – that’s wrong’ ? To thaw and skip like stones beyond his tightly bound existence?
Once upon a short time ago,there was a girl with plaits so black she cut the tie with big chunky scissors believing it would bring her eternal silence. But it left her with nothing at all to distill her teaming thoughts. So she gathered her litter of locks and spun them into a spiraling lace that grew circles around her temple tall keeping her forever safe.
Most days you’ll find her growing tomatoes out the back.
(Clunk & Jam book, 2019. Drawing from Youth Focus camp, 2007.)
Shame on you, and you, and you. Hiding truth. Not feeling lies. I lifted up – they put me down. I got gobbled up by cracks in frowns. Now I wear no silky touch. Or dish out shouts, it hurts too much. Duck for cover or run and hide. I bare nothing more than those who lied. Play in pages nice to look. Connect up pieces they once took. And when I spin maybe they’ll see. But it’s not for them. I dance for me.
It’s Coming From The Phone Box – Can Someone Else Get That Please.
Footnote: For those days when you don’t want to fight anything – or save anything. There are so many things going wrong around the world and it’s natural to worry alot. But it’s also okay to kick off the boots, and gloves and hang up the cape and take time to restore. Or dream sweet dreams …..
Amelia Bloom dreamed … every street corner had a worry bank so everyone felt safe.
(‘Tardis’ reposted from 2009. Both appear in Clunk & Jam book, 2019)
