upon the winter solstice
she greets me with a candled cake as
the red curtains unveil stage lights
and the piano keys begin to dance —
“join me below the spinning disco
let’s murder this goddamn dance floor”
and so, as the music blurs in the distance
we stand, the colour drained from our faces
wheezing into the crisp air of the night
she curls up beneath my blankets
fuels the dreams within my core
but, even with colourful calendar-filled days
she rests on my shoulder, every time
she watches bingo on saturday evenings
at the aged care by ivory street
as she peers at me through the window
scribbling over my week-due homework —
“jump the fence if you may
spend the night to yourself”
and so, beneath the starry night
i share a toast with her amidst silence
my other half who walks unscathed
she cherry picks each limb
and traces along their stretch marks
the frown lines on her face
plastering like cement in its prime
when my hours are burdened
nightmares flood down the roads of hell
my cheeks, buried in bruised arms —
“you don’t deserve nothin’, dear
what a fool to the friends you have”
and so, under the puppet strings
i draw imperfect lines on her skin
alas; healing within seconds
as my body turns an ugly purple-blue
sometimes, at the right angle
her presence dissipates upon sunlight
and i lose her for a matter of hours
as my arms roam beneath the clouds
and the roses nourish an elegant, rich white
yet, she will always return at dusk
and shelter herself with my covers
as her lips whisper a soft chuckle —
“see you tomorrow, dear;
let us hide and seek once more”
Eulogy
the voices inside our heads will never leave. the most we can do is accept and overcome.
