Ahhh!
A hoarse scream leaps from my body —
An ‘oral' stage clue;
A non-verbal prompting that my inner child is overwrought.
The endless stream of capitalist-driven sanctions
Force me into action.

Yet, I revolt --
And write
p o e t r y.

Priceless is the air we breathe,
priceless is water.

Priceless are the drops of rain
that fill up all the oceans.

Priceless is the Moon and priceless is the Sun.
Priceless is your love for me—
so pure and true.

Priceless is the cool breeze
on a sunny day.

Priceless is a river
flowing through a barren landscape.

And priceless is your smile to me.
Love me always, like only you can—

You're the sole custodian of my heart,
keep it safe till the end of time.

*****,
Is not a word
That I've heard in a while —
I used to hear it all the time
As a child;
I was spunky,
A spunkster,
Spunkalicious!
And all these terms of endearment
Made me feel warm inside.
It was only later, much later,
When I was more mature
That I discovered what the term really meant…
Which made me rethink all those childhood memories in a new light —

I was in there (the bath)
<AGAIN>
Minding my business
Wrangling words that waned
When slip,
A lapse of judgment (confusion)
The phone dipped
Into the water —
Fast thinking,
Reactive reflexes retrieved
The potential bath bomb,
A few quick blows
And phew…
The phone is just as it came.
Just cleaner!

You do not need to know what I do
It is a weird question
"What do you do?"
Followed by
"Hi, how are you?"
It is the bullshittery of it all
The nonsense like that of Aqua Net.
Keeping every strand in place girl
Don't you worry
Aqua Net has saved many a day
She is the superhero of the world

Lawrence Hall
[email protected]
Dispatches for the Colonial Office

                                          “Just One More Thing”

His shabby raincoat
His rumply old suit and tie
His “Just one more thing…”

I was a late bloomer
To coffee, introduced via
The slow progression
From hot chocolate,
Advancement to a latte with two;
Latte with one,
Then a flat white!

Each transition marked a significant life succession;
Graduation from High School,
The first time I kissed a girl,
Waking up from the coma,
My first house purchase —

(Not that I was aware of the deeper meaning at the time)

Coffee became my driving force; searching out new experiences, cafes around the country and overseas —

Each time I held a cup
In my hand,
I was holding myself —
And my dreams, grand
Some spoken, many not
Even dared.

The thirst became a daily ritual,
Transforming my inner reflective space
As I too matured,
Softened, shaped by life and grace.