Lump

They said to me
Hands up
You are surrounded 
By brilliance
Talent
Beauty
I withered
Sank into my lumpy
Unsteady
Frenzied
Trauma

Moulds

Little girls with messy hair
Don't fit 
Little girls with loud voices
Don't fit
Little girls that grow up
Don't fit
Rage against the mould
Tear their hands off you
Grow up
Be loud
Stay messy
Shun the crowd

Grown Ups

I still don't know what I want to be
When I grow up
Not a teacher
Not a doctor
Not a mother
Not a wife
When I was little I knew I wanted
To be just like
James Brown

Dancing sins
Janis Joplin
Screaming blues
Salt 'n' Pepa
Throwing shade
Nowadays I just scribble
And scat away the hours between
The same old drivel
While I wait
To be a grown up

Spring

I should never think of spring
Springtime is lonelier
Even than winter
With its blooms
And its babies
And its blissful lovers
Cooing under virgin leaves

Cold

The world has seen fit
To make me cold
And I will burn you
With my frozen heart
 

Cousins

Every now and then
The mean reds take a hold
And I need reminding
I need cajoling 
I need a firm hand
And a soft melody
Formed from blood and laughter

Ice

Many coloured threads of you
Sing within me
Weaving the same old songs
Never unraveled
Despite my fire
And if I must be a tapestry
Let me be your creation
Of ancient ice

Artists

We're just like you
We just drive older cars
Drink at different bars
We work jobs we hate
Stay up much too late

We're just like you 
We just have different dreams
Root for different teams
We slave over chords
We live to tread the boards

We're just like you
We just want a little love
A little understanding
A little smile
Every now and then
We're just like you
Artists

Seven Years

Science says it takes seven years
For every cell of us to be replaced
So I'm counting down the days
Until I know for certain
That there is none of my flesh left
That has been touched by them
Until I know for certain
That all of my flesh is renewed
That I am a new body
Untainted by them
I'm counting down the days
Science says it takes seven years

Light

Let the darkness die
Let it wither away to pin-bones
Let it rot
Let the light be mine
Let it burn 

Whisper

Black ink curls
Untouchable
Just a whisper
Of time in flesh
Unbreakable
Blood stained
Salt cellar heart
Mirrored demons
Untraceable

Because the Night Terrors

Because the night
Belongs to dreamers
I remain sleepless
Dreams stolen from me
By those that fell before me
Those that had no healing
For their horrors

Because the night 
Belongs to lovers
I remain sleepless
Love stolen from me
By those that hurt and harmed me
Those that had no healing
For their horrors

They made me bleed instead
Their tribute to the night
Because the night
Belongs to terrors
 

Aubade

Every morning a fresh skin
A choice to be made
Power in the offing
I miss you
The way you stirred coffee
Your hand on my jaw

I miss you
The way you strummed guitar
Your words on my palm
Freedom in the grieving
A choice to be made
Every morning a fresh skin