Happy Families

HAPPY FAMILIES

The silence spoke volumes
Passive aggression
She didn’t know the term
But then she had no need

She had no real desire
To continue living
And so was quite grateful
For his contribution

He had no real desire
To continue living
And so was quite grateful
For her contribution

Passive aggression
The silence spoke volumes
He didn’t know the term
But then he had no need

Redeemed

REDEEMED

First comes forgiveness
After long denying it
Then this too dissolves

Dug In

DUG IN

“I do not need proof.
My beliefs are strong enough.”
A slippery slope.

Dread Affliction

DREAD AFFLICTION

Overthinking
One terrible affliction
Thinking gets enmeshed
Goes blind lost in emotion
Pure intuition cut adrift
Time to let go

Return
Remain
Release
Relax

Sit still as silence
Thirty minutes and reboot
Duly calm readdress the issue
If caterwauling chitcat reinvades
Stop – take ten deep breaths
Ten – one after the other

Give yourself a hug or two
Tap your baton a time or two
For you are conductor here
Call the players to order
And issue your order
Da capo – Da capo

Return
Remain
Release
Relax

And et cetera

DADT (1994 – 2011) – A Villanelle

DADT (1994 – 2011)

Welcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Benny
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

A spiteful, misbegotten fear cloaked in a pious shell
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Denny
Welcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell

Discharged to stop them tainting other personnel
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Jenny
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

There’s no marker on the battlefield where they fell
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Kenny
Welcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell

Just to speak their love’s name was to rebel
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Lenny
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

They understood prejudice only too well
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Penny
Welcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

——————————————————————

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT)

Maitre D’ (A Four By Six)

MAITRE D’

I spat into the soup
Unclear why this might be
Anger or derision?
While they partook of it

Not Ours To Give

NOT OURS TO GIVE

We do not own love;
Love owns us. (Whenever we
Don’t get in the way.)

Bad Blood

BAD BLOOD

Have you forgiven me yet
For being myself
Have I forgiven you yet
For being yourself
Until then round and round
Round and round we go
Getting off this roundabout
Is the first step – Step two
Reserved for the intrepid
Involves dissolution, release

Gale Force

GALE FORCE

Beware the winds, love
That blow away certitude
Or identity

The Most Dangerous Risk Of All

Playing the game of life.

Been using my free time to examine the moment before time catches up with me. How about you, reader?