Seven billion souls Being spun around On this flat Earth; A rotating disc, Master of its Domain, At the centre of the Solar System, Where it belongs, The star of the show, A Double A-Side planet.
A luckless boy With a disc camera Chases a picture of beauty. A picture of his favourite bird: The Song Thrush.
This boy feels as free As the bird he seeks. This boy sings his own song Unaware of a bigger chorus That will, one day soon, Drown out his naïve tune.
Still, with tail up, He chases that elusive bird With a camera he does not understand On a film he will never develop.
But he is lost in the moment, Skulking and flitting From one place to the next Trying quietly (but loudly) Not to startle the Song Thrush As it whistles its timeless song.
No need to worry about My culture My language My identity There is no threat to my ethnicity. My mother tongue is dominant, The cultural lingua franca on each continent. But at what cost, this monoglot monopoly? Maybe I unknowingly lack empathy? Do not understand that other languages need to breath. Other cultures need the space. Other identities need support. That they face existential threats. That my neighbours feel squeezed. But what can I do when I am surprised Each and every time when I am told That not everyone speaks the English at home?
A child assumes adults' superiority Hero worships older members of the family Absorbs opinions overheard over teas and coffees And tries them on for size at school Just as he might sneakily try on an Uncle's cool leather jacket - comforting, macho and confidence-giving - But he eventually outgrows the jacket Casts aside those learnt opinions; Tough, stubborn opinions With rugged exteriors And lined with silken narratives That, thankfully, perished over time.
These lines should allude to My feelings at this present time. So, filters off, Stick to a simple structure, No fancy words To polish turds. Let's drop the contrived rhyme Truth-telling isn't a crime, So here goes... Life gets dull post-40 And, like my body fat content, Time is spiralling out of control.