Back away.

Do you
Want to get away from me?
No you said no I don't
I don't want to cry
I don't want to fly
To flee
To escape from this
Burning reality
That is our home and truth and lies
I hate what I see and
What I become
Yet I stand at the crossroads
Between moon and sun
I'm awake
And then dead
Alive
And then asleep
I don't see the ghosts
Then get haunted in the keep.
Go away, I say, screaming aloud,
Stay away from me
You're freaking me out
Reality don't exist
Reality ain't real
You're pulling my leg
Strapping me to a wheel
Of Catherine's.
You laugh
You joke and then you lie
You pretend to sigh
And say
I love you thinking
That it will make it all better.
But you're an effing fool.

Entering Paradise

She tried the path of difficult tread
Her hooves paced, in darkness' stead.
The leaves cascaded vastly overhead,
Creating a blanket under which to bed.
Under hoof were dried leaves abound,
With much sweet fungus to be found.
Toadstools made rings large and round,
To trap young children, safe and sound.
These youngsters, if orphans they be,
Who had never had a good bold family,
Would be taken to the court of King Faerie,
And the rest would be eaten, or set free.
So was the haunting rumour of the wood,
To keep children doing as they should,
And to keep them away from the hood,
Of the secret passage that darkly stood.
The one that led to a country sublime,
A place escaping society, trade and time.
A paradise not for my eyes or thine,
But only for those of horn and of wine.
Oh it is known well that Drys did bless
Her children with great humbleness
And a recipe for wine of such sweetness
That others would kill for its flavour fullest.
So wine and grapes of wrath and wit,
Caused the fauns to have run and hid,
In the forest of deepest darkness amid,
Come to the base of the Peaks of Jagged.
Or so it said, for wine is such the best of all,
And it brought a rise before the first fall,
Its the part of us that makes us all call
And jeer and say "let's have a ball!"
And so the faun trekked her tired way,
Though hill and valley by night and day,
She hardly knew what to do or to say
But knew she wanted not to meet the Fae.
Scarcely two steps did she quietly go,
Than from the foliage burst a hoe,
He looked gay and flamboyant, held a bow,
And made his declaration quite the show.
"Attend here," said he, dressed in green.
"What do you here, what do you mean?
To come into this secret place so clean,
That needs none of humans - oh great Queen!"
It was then he looked at our heroine
And saw she was quite the faun, quite thin,
Perfect eyes, knees, hair and perfect chin,
Perfect hooves and perfect furry skin.
"You must come in!" He cried in delight,
"Come out of the shadow of the night.
Oh sister dear of strength and might,
Come into the fauns' final rest from flight!"
And so in she went to perfect Paradisia,
Where the streets are both near and far
And the past is the future, or that's the idea
To have peace here you must hear sincere,
Or listen, if I am being crystal clear,
Please, fair person, lend me your ear,
And learn from this tale oh so dear,
And never enter Concordia by a path of fear.

Together

We are both mortals
In this world
The wind flies with us
The past lies behind us
No longer able to keep up
We run like two survivors
Of an ancient race
Struggling to keep up
With the others of our kind
Charging into the abyss
Nay, charging away from the abyss
Dee dum dee dum
Your body beneath mine,
Your legs carrying us both
But it's
Not sexual in any way
We're just two beasts
In a beastly world
Flying from nothing
Through everything
From nothing but ourselves
Dee dum dee dum dear horse
Carry me away into the future
And let no one find us
When they look
For us

Love before the fall

I'm sorry
For not thinking things through
I don't care
What they say
I'm in love with you.
Trust is a word
An issue
A fact
That needs got over fast
Life goes on
Hard times come
But we will work to
Make love last

Freedom

This is my Scotland
This is my country
Fearless warriors, bold foxes, strong hearts.
This is my Scotland.
When the flag flies high over Holyrood
People see and know
That the pow'r we have is granted
That the strength we have is inherited.
This is my Scotland.
Where the heather grows dry and purple
Where the wind rushes past like hurricanes
Where the joy of the people is undying
And they dance
Whirling in this devilish hootananny.
This is my Scotland.
And I don't mind the Queen
And I don't mind the pound
And I don't mind when the tea is brewed
And I call it British
Good and British
But this is my Scotland
My homeland
And I am as proud of it as my father is as proud of me
I love my Scotland.
I am in my Scotland.
This is our Scotland.
Let her colours fly free.

All my books

In my book of dreams
There are one thousand themes
A thousand genres
That write an epic
In my book of thoughts
There are one thoughts knots
That tie the fate
Of one poor orphan
In my book of ideas
There are one thousand seers
Who predict the future of
An unwell land
In my book of songs
There are one thousand wrongs
To balance every single
Little tight
In my book of plays
There are on thousand ways
A thousand paths
To walk down
In my book of years
There are one thousand angel tears
That captured the essence
Of the evil beast
In my book of myths
There are one thousand will'o'the'whisps
That lead the young girl
To her mother.
In my book of love
There is a single dove
Who brings the story
With her
To all those who will listen.
In my book of hate
Its too late
And the story lies forgotten
Never read.

Extract from "Zoltan" tentative title.

I looked at my brother proudly. My small fourteen-year old heart pounded in my chest, the spirit of all our people with me. At my side I felt the presence of my uncle, likewise as happy as me but more cautious of our presence in the Principalian crowd, and the others behind me. As a group we were the white snow in a blanket of summer, staring up at the procession and following them with glee.

People stared at me, but I did not care. I called out to Frederik with cheerful glee, shouting at him, "Fred, Fred!" and he waved back as he rode past.

The bannerman who had initially bumped into me struggled to get further away, but with the crowd to one side and the procession to the other he could only suffer my joy. My wave blocked part of his vision, my flag blocked his as I waved it erratically, and around us people let out small gasps. But what could you do when you were young, barely a beginner mage and irrevocably and irreversibly admiring of your older brother?

The crowd and the bannerman would just have to suffer and wait. It was my time to love who I was and where I was from, along with my companions who were the lone Narvegans in this ocean of Prominenes.

Things

The love I bear for thee
Is beyond the realms of knowledge
Somewhere in the cosmos
Is a machine that can process
The tenth percent
Then it will suffocate
And die
There is nothing more than existence
Of magma, galaxies and stars
Nurseries, births and deaths
Lego men standing tall
Elves of green and flowers
Yet none of them can compare
To the extraordinary depth of what
Love actually means.

Heart of things

At the heart of everything
There is a love
At the heart of pain
There is a voice
At the heart of suffering
There are two eyes
And two hands
Bloody and tortured that
Hold themselves out to yours
Saying
"It's okay. It's okay."
It's the heart of things that
Give a peace
It's at the heart of things
That hope is found
Those dark immortal eyes
Those blood-soaked hands
And that voice
"Its okay, love, my child dear
Its all okay."

He

Strong heart
Never letting go
Devining rod
The one in the know
Eyes of fire
Heart for the brave
Coming home
People to save

Spent Whilst Canoodling.

Matchless
Hatchless
How can you
Go bury the hatchet
Catch it
Match it
Hold it
I can't compare you
To a
Summer's day
M'dear
Love it a tangled web of
Lust and truth and
My darling dear

Sharlto

Today, tonight, when on a farm
I was out walking far and wide
By me was a great gentle dog
With onyx eyes and soft brown hide

Though he was kind and he was fine
But he had a friend oh so small
A little terrier, midget and scruff
Who found a bird against a wall

The bird was a grey pigeon male
Who was as frightened as a hare
I took the dogs home to save him
Then returned to a terror stare

Those eyes of fear made me sigh
The cock got up, fluttered to get away,
As I reached out to touch his breast
But he is sorrowfully there to stay

His broken wing is of no more use
His legs are strong but nature, old
And fox, or owl, or starvation come,
He will die before night is cold

So I write this poem just right now
As I come home from letting go
I am sad to say I left him there
Yet I granted him a name - Sharlto

The First And Last

In the library of a thousand shadows
There's one that lies dauntless, uncrucified.
Its a darkness that wakens each awful night,
And bellows never to the world, but sighs.
His wings are made of paper-dust,
And those claws are actually quill pens
To all who come across this shadow,
They bow their heads and duly attend.
For every last testement and every last will,
Is written in his legendary leather tome,
Every last word spoken by every evil man,
Whether they died abroad or at safe home.
This is the Shadow of Last Silence, my dear,
And his task is to write down the last of all,
All sins and good wishes are all cast aside,
To find the last action, state or triumphant call.
The pages of the library books flutter,
They chime to the music of the night,
Taking in the depth of each one shadow,
They hum together, then take flight.
The shadows then go with them all,
All thousand wraiths of sable dark black,
Flying into the nightime savage dank air,
To escape from the gates, feed, then come back.
But one shadow remains within library walls,
Watching all else go outside to eat and dine,
And he waits to see his love of light return,
When the sun rises to bring day and shine.
For his love is the Light of First Noise divine,
Her voice is the song of angelic beasts above,
And she is glory born living, pure, blest,
And as First and Last they are, incarnate Love. 

Ring Of Marime

For Rachel and Robyn

There was a little girl called Marime,
Marime,
Her parents were the loveliest ever seen,
Seen,
She skipped around dressed in green,
Green,
And she was as precious as a queen,
Queen.

Her parents had a special sapphire ring,
Ring,
They used to marry in late spring,
Spring,
Marime was promised it for her thing,
Thing,
When to them, a man, she would bring,
Bring.

And to them she brought proud Zoltan,
Zoltan.
He had a crow, a bad eye and no tan,
Tan,
He was a bit of a brute and an uncertain man,
Man,
But she will love him forever, while she can,
Can.

Scalded

With my raw red hand I
Write this message to you
My blog my darling dear
The one thing I have to
Touch the world and speak
My true true thoughts
Well today my darling dear
I have to say my hand
Is so so sore and tingling
In pain because I was running
With tea to catch my train
And it
Slipped.

Fluff

So much fluff
Not enough stuff
Like skin and bone
Stick and stone
Heart and fat
And "don't eat that"
That's a hairball of hair
That shouldn't be there
It came from the cat
At least it's a fluffball cat

Away, Far

You are who you are
Don't question your morals
If things go too far
Just hold on in sorrow
To the rigging of the side
As it pulls you away
Overcome by the tide
You let go and begin to sway
Floating
Away, far away
Away, far away
Away

Stout

There's a little bit of love
Left in my chest
A little bit of everything
But I don't need to rest
I've got two legs, two arms
A good set of bones
A head and a heart
All mine, no loans
Cause I'm working hard
To see this through
I'm working tough all day
And won't fail you
I'll just have this love and stuff inside
I'll never need to run, or fly, or hide
Its just my heart to give more and more out
And I'll hug you the same even when you're stout.

Working

Going to somewhere that I don't even know
Nervous, excited, its not even so
I have to go soon, my wit is all lost
I am working this weekend, but at what cost?

Has to, Must

Someone has to work
Someone has to suffer
Someone has to do the worst
And gain the darkness in the light
Someone must fight
Someone must kill
Someone must learn that is the one way
To bring the day into this night

Other Things

There are sometimes other things.

Other things that stay their way.

These other things are vicious.

They are rowdy. They tear and strike and roar and argue until they be blue in their bloated faces. They are cruel. They are not human.

Other things exist for the sake of causing conflict.

They are not friendly. They do not seek to make friends.

Only enemies.

Other things stick around unwantedly and strike when you are not looking.

They are the things that harbour the deaths of others.

Dragon Sanctuary Submission

Through my University's Creative Writing Group we had a competition to write the story behind a small dragon leather model from the "Dragon Sanctuary," and where this creature came from. I am honoured to have won this competition, with the following insert:

(( Dragon Sanctuary Homepage; http://dragon-sanctuary.com/shop/ ))

Dragon Species: Draco Ignis
Dragon Name: Kirchran
Date of Birth: unknown but thought to be around 1602

Mini Biography: Kirchran, was rescued on the slopes of Ben Nevis, unusually far from her home. Due to her size and body shape this was thought to be the Alps in Southern France, although this has not been confirmed. She was found with large wounds on her back left hip and tail, spanning from the pelvic vertebrae until the sixth from the tip of her tail. These were large gashes, presumed at first made by another Draco Ignis, however close inspection by the Sanctuary's dragon anatomy specialist, Professor John Westerly, found them to be nothing of the sort, but rather weapons of human design. Because the majority her wings were not damaged Kirchran had managed to escape her attacker, although it is amazing that she did with the amount of blood loss. The Sanctuary was placed on high alert when Kirchan came, as it was very soon obvious that she was heavily pregnant with eggs. A space was quickly made oustide, but near the Sanctuary, for her to create a nest and lay her three eggs there. After exhibiting the usual behaviours of Draco Ignis and burning the earth for the nest, Professor Westerly and the other researchers were satisfied upon her pyscological state. They took her into the darker, damper areas of the Sanctuary to imitate the tunnel conditions her species is used to and set about bringing her into a full recovery. Further reports around the presumed area of her origin gave stories of Witch-hunters and Monster-hunters, sent by the Spanish Inquisition to slay dragons that they see as being of Hell. Kirchran was kept in isololation under her injuries were healed enough, and then given the chance to be released. As it was she chose to stay within the Sanctuary, and despite not taking any interest in her three chicks who later hatched and grew into strong individuals, she became a favourite of the researchers. She did not bare any more eggs, although she did give strange signs of mourning when another Draco Ignis was brought into the Sanctuary two years later; a male who was extraordinary ill. He later died, and her low, strange behaviour, which included raising her head and baying out long sad bellows, suggests that he was her mate. He has been named "Romeo" for this reason.

Fox

Like the sweetest soul in my
Body I hold him close at night
Like there is nothing else to hold
As if I will never let go of
His small soft body, calm to touch
The comfort of a thousand hugs
Cannot even begin to measure
Up to the warmth of my small
Russet fox.
My dear Geode this is for
Your small joys that each day
You give me though you are
Never aware of it you tiny
Russet fox.

You won't remember

On and on I will be gone
Until the setting of the sun
Beyond the valley and the sea
I'll be far behind the horizon
You won't remember me
But I'll remember you.

Run

Letting go
Never no
Keep on going
Though there's nothing
Run away
Never say
I am here to stay
Darling
Here to stay

George

George Plantagenet born of 1449
Was drowned in a vat of malmsey wine
His death came about in 1478
His head appeared in a spike at the gate
A traitor, a hater, a liar and cheat
Had his share of beer and share of meat
Accused his brother, his grand queen too
Threw all his chances down the loo
He was a lot of a fool and a lot of a boy
Got frustrated if his brothers broke a toy
Such as his little fair wife or his honour
He made traitorous deals in a oner
Enough to have him sentenced to death
In malmsey wine - what a horrid mess.

'Neath

When the cold wind blows there's
Nothing but the freeze
You shelter 'neath the angel's wings
But it never seems enough.
Stuck here on this alien world
You strive to find some source of
Happiness in the emptiness
Of hopeless reality indeed.

Boom boom boom

This is mine and I am yours
Forever and ever I am sure
My heart is beating boom boom boom
But for more love I have no room
Because I already have given it all to you.

For Gordon

Heart

If there ever was a thing more powerful than this
It would be my god
If there ever was an idea as beautiful and truthful as this
It would be the thing I worship
If there is a opiate as beguiling as this one
I would be addicted
Wanted and desired
Beloved and admired
I think of this ideal called love and romance and consider
What have I more to lose
Than my heart?

Kidnapping

See a baby
Think
"Mine?"
Cause you
Want one so much you just
Shove your ownership on
All of them
All the babies
Smiley face
Grin
I want one give me one womb and eggs and sperm now!

But
Then you have to remind yourself
Wait
Shit
I'm still a virgin
So my over flowing absolutely ridiculous stupendous over ambitious
Amount of
Maternal instinct
So
I
Will just have to suffice
With
Kidnapping for now.

Truth

Can be no other
Truth than this right here
This room, this house
This small world of faith
Let the last droplet of blood fall
On this carpet of white
Snow white
Let the beautified lady come forth
And lighten our way in the spring

Thump

All the wings
Of all the angels
Could not hold me up
As I fall down
Down
Down
Down
Thump

The Beast

There's something in the water
Fin above the waves
Cutting through the seafoam
Eating the ones he saves

Hating the neverlanders
Wanting to die soon, soon
There is a beast in the water
His eyes reflect the moon

Silver in tone, my dear
Grey like the haunted fog
He'll scare those who stray far
With barking, like a rabid dog

Savage and roaring, here
He has nothing to fear
For he's the god of this sea
King of all far and near

So you've got to beware
Of the fins in the water
Roar back and snarl if he comes
Prepare to heartlessly slaughter

Sitting

I'm just this sort of idiot who sits around all day and does nothing useful.
Well I'm sorry world for being like this.
I'm sorry, I'm fucking sorry.

Best friend

There is no one else I know
Like you
Who can make me smile
Make me sigh
Make me cry
When you do

We laugh together
So horrendously
Waking the neighbours and causing them
To rap on the door
"Go on and shut up in there.
Go on and shut
Up in there."

"I am so sorry"
Was the reply
But we never meant it
Oh no we couldn't mean it
Because we'll be laughing forever now
You're the one
Who makes me laugh
You are
Then one who makes
Me cry
And weep

You are my best friend
And I love you for it
In that fabulous
Best-friendy
Way

Little Hoofsteps

Come now little hoofsteps
Patter your heart away
Come now little hoofsteps
Daddy has gone astray.
But don't worry little hoofsteps
Though he's left his little family
But don't worry little hoofsteps
Because its where he wants to be

An Inch Away

Because all I have to do is lean forwards.
Then your lips meet my lips
Your breath becomes my breath
We share the same air and we
Share the same mouth
For that moment we are intertwined
Marvellously like two buds blooming at
The same perfect time.
All I have to do is lean forwards
And we will kiss.
As I caress your hair all I can
Think about is your lips
And they burn like tindery flames on my
Imagination's lips.
Burn and mark their presence there
Their life and
Their existence in the bane of my memory
Like scars that will not fade except
They are not scars but rather
Stains of pressed flowers on the pages
Of books, the pollen seeped through
To the next.
Oh I am an inch from kissing your lips
But we both no I cannot because
I am not free to

Suicide Note Found In A Lecture Hall

Indeed, most verily, verily I say,

I never meant to end this way

For I became bored in a lecture,

Indeed I did,

I found I could no longer go on, go on,

And found I could no longer go on.

Why?

All I want to do is die
All you never wanted to do was cry
The lord came down and touched my cheek with a sigh
And said "carry on, child, carry on"

Crazy love

Please give me time
No need to whine
As I use up lines
To make this rhyme
You said that I am
The sand in the clam
Not working quite like "bam"
Oyster's good with jam
Yet this little heart
Flutters when we part
I feel like thou art
The wind in my fart
So come on crazy love
Give me a wee shove
Be my pearl white dove
And take me away

Like, Failed

Look into my eyes, fool
You're like a topsy turvy kind of fellow
With hair like the top of a thistle
All sticking up and soft and like
Green, stupidly green
Like a gremlin sneaking up badly
At night on a perfectly hearing girl
Who turns and taps her foot
Yeah it was terrible you beast
Totally you like
Failed

Loud

I think I might be
In love with a man
Or a boy maybe
Who holds my heart in his hand
I think I might want
To see another man
It will break his heart
Or both at one time
You see I'm lost and I'm found
I'm inside and out
I'm up and down and confused
With sound
Cover your ears
Because I'm about to scream
So loud

Breaker

You search into my heart
You delve into my soul
Rip my being apart
Have not a care at all
As you look for something shimmering
A diamond amongst the glass
And my imagination lies there open
My innocence, for you, to grasp
You take it and shape it and maul it so
And break it and fake it and fix up too

Love poem

The sun is red
Sky is blue
I am so lucky
That I found you

Under

The earth is like a surface of brown
Spread out under a canopy of midnight dark
Outwards flowing outwards
Expanse and endlessness
Universes retire while the canopy remains

On Viewing a Segment of the Main Building of Glasgow University Through a Narrow Window

You are tall.
Quite angular, I have never noticed
Gothic arches, Gothic turrets, Gothic windows
Just pure
Gothic
I view the world through a narrow window
Sitting in this large white hall
Within my own space
Own realm of time
Yet onwards life goes
On and on

We are quite similar, dear building
In the sense, at least, that we are out
Of time, I mean
Maybe out of this world also
You are existent in a world that changes
Yet does not change
And I stay here despite the world around me
Busy lives making busy work
Drink, sex, fornication, essays, deadlines
All due, due, due
Yet I am a dull-witted fool
Doing nothing now,
But just existing.

A tree obscures part of my view of you
But I do not mind
Because I know, really, what you look like.
You are, all in all, after all, simply
Divine.

Sleep Coming

Slowly falling asleep
I am
Slowly falling asleep
Boring
Dull and trying to
Listen
Yet
Slowly falling asleep