The power of me

I’ve been around the world
Quite a few times

Met a few good men
And plenty more pretty girls

Quite a few hearts I captured
And broke a lot more

I have experienced pain
In all its different guises

I have toiled for decades
Only to see the work
Destroyed in a minute of malice

I have been maimed and shamed
Sullied till I was devoid
of all honour

I have learned
To seek succor
From friend and foe alike
And got smarter in the process

These I have endured
Knowing fully well
That my day would dawn

So, as I stand
Before you today
Steadfast is my faith
In the power of me

ennui

I flip through the Guardian pages,
Intrigued by the predictability of it all:
Rigged elections in some corner of Africa,
A discredited politician closer to home.

I slouch on my couch, try and shut out
All the humdrum that so bogs me down
I am roused out of my reverie
By the shrill sound of sirens
Whizzing past my window

Even now as I try
To piece these few sentences together
I can’t help but notice
My disjointed train of thought

Resurrecting Dad

I want to fill my space with you
Every bit and piece of you
Strewn all over this loft

I want to clone you
Carve you from memory
So every sinew in you is plain to see

I want you here
So close to me
That you could never leave again

At last, I have you
Every bit and piece of you
Etched on my psyche

In hot pursuit of nirvana

Want to know why I lie, cheat and steal?
Truth is, my father was poor
His father even poorer
So I vowed to veer off

My ways may be wayward
But my bravado is laudable

Still, I feel small
Somehow inadequate -- no matter how large the largesse

Maybe someday I’ll find a treasure trove
Buried in the inner core of my being
Pray God I won’t have to lie, cheat or steal
To claim it

Close to the edge

How grateful I am
For the sanctuary that is my
Sanity. For the chance to dream,
Sleep and dream again.
See, I don’t know for
How long I can keep
Doing this.