Humans and humanity

A woman is not a vessel
Into which to spill your seed
Not a soulless tool to feed you
To meet your body’s greed
A woman is not a cup
From which you can freely drink
Not a puppet or a plaything
To entertain your wink
A woman is no mere painting
No unfeeling work of art
Her body is no sculpture
To excite a hungry heart
She isn’t one of her father’s wares
Nor property of a spouse
Not an asset that changes hands
When she exchanges vows
She is not your unworthy skank
Nor your deity or your muse
She exists without you
And has every right to choose
She’s a thinking, feeling person
A living, breathing whole
An independent human
With mind, body, heart and soul.

A man is not a monster
To steal from someone’s soul
A man is not a beast
To reduce a woman to a hole
A man is not an idiot
To presume only he can feel
Nor is he a demon
To claim a woman for a meal
He is no barbarian
To assume he may freely take
Hurt, pillage and plunder
And leave agony in his wake
No, he is not an ogre
To feed on human flesh
Not a zombie or a vampire
To take a soul to feel refreshed
He is not a sociopath
To enjoy another’s grief
Not an animal or a werewolf
A ruffian or a thief
And yet, every day, around us
A man ignores her will
And tears into her soul
So that he may feel a thrill.

Thought prison

My thoughts, they chase each other
Passing batons in my brain
Vying for attention, driving me insane
They jostle in my headspace
Their knees and elbows poke
They dart around like hummingbirds
Or marinate and soak
They make my breathing quicker
They make my stomach churn
They make me yearn for freedom
But my brain will never learn.

Favourite place

I just want to play here
In the sandbox of your mind
Dig around with a plastic spade
And delight in what I find
Leap across the monkey bars
Till I feel like I can fly
Travel on your train of thought
Asking “Why? Why? Why?”
You surprise me with your riddles
Tease me with your jokes
Tell me a conspiracy theory
A mystery and a hoax
Make me laugh and giggle
Make me grin with glee
Make me look with new eyes
Transforming what I see
Tell me I can do it
The world’s no match for me
Tell me that for any lock
I already hold the key
And I will follow you anywhere
Over land or sky or sea
Through mountains tall and oceans rough
Past river, lake and tree
For your mind is my palace
And it’s my favourite place to see
And when I dance around it
That’s when I feel most free.

Haven

Cocktail dresses and red lipstick swim around the hall
Men with flashy grins and fat cigars – handsome, yes, and tall
Dressed to the nines, it’s easy to blend in
But nothing here excites me, not the people nor the gin
And then suddenly, I see you – and my heart, it gives a leap
You’re dressed in a plain suit, obviously cheap
Shabby shirt, shabby shoes, even a shabby grin
I want to throw my arms around you – you make me want to sing!
I cross the hall so quickly, I want to fall into your arms
You look so pleased to see me, I struggle to stay calm
Where have you been all my life, you wicked, witty man?
Go on, don’t just stand there, hurry, take my hand!
Let’s escape this place lest we suffocate from the pretentious, hollow air
Let’s run away and live on love – you’re the answer to my prayer!

Fireman

To see you smile
I’d let you go
Because it’s crystal clear
You love him so
So I’ll gladly do it
I’ll trade my smile
To watch yours light up
And glow awhile
So go on, join him
Run to his side
And if he makes you cry
I’ll stay till the tears have dried
I’ll cherish the chance
To hold you close
Stroke your hair as you cry
And blow your nose
Then I’ll watch you
Trot right on back
To dance by his side
Now playful, relaxed
Yes, I’ll be here
Your fireman
Ever ready to love you
The one way I can.

Home

You are so romantic
But oh, I didn’t mean to fall
And yet now, I’m lying here
And I’m lost inside it all
I’m lost within the love you give
Lost inside your heart
Wandering through your atria
To claim the softest part
Perhaps I’ll settle down here
Declare this cosy space my own
Somehow, I’m just so willing
To name your heart my home.

Bravely broken

I’ve got friends all around me
But I don’t let them see me ache
Because I’m the one they turn to
I’m the one who never breaks
I never learned to say “I need you”
I never learned to ask “Please help”
I was taught to be the ‘strong’ one
And leave my feelings on the shelf
Now, a dozen hands are willing
Ready to catch me if I fall
But they’ll never know I need them
Because they’ll never hear me call.

Fool

I pretend I have no feelings
I act like I don’t care
But you’ve seen my type before 
And you know I’m prone to tear 
You’re aware that you will hurt me
You expect that I will bleed
And you don’t want to see it 
But you can’t give me what I need 
And so you tread on glass chips
You are wary with what you say 
You try to break me gently 
So I might love another day
But you denied me my humanity 
You turned me into a tool
And the fact is you were right 
When you whispered “You’re a fool.”

Force of nature

I thought you were the ocean
And that you were here to stay
But you were a tsunami
That swept me up along your way
I thought you were the winds of change
And no mere summer’s breeze
Alas, I should have enjoyed your kiss
Without falling to my knees
I thought you were every season
But you were simply a monsoon
That drenched me in affection
And then vanished like the moon
I thought you were the northern lights
With an everpresent glow
Alas, you were a shooting star
Already on the go
No, you’re not the treasure island
I thought that you would be
You were simply a volcano
Erupting from the sea
I thought you were the midnight sky
Not a storm cloud soon to flee
And foolishly, I longed to grasp you
As you thundered over me
Yes, you are a force of nature
But a vanishing cyclone
Yesterday I caught your eye
Today I’m broken and alone.

Suit of armour

I’m putting on my suit of armour
Steeling myself for your goodbye
Fighting not to feel it
Biting my lip so I don’t cry
Telling myself I don’t need you
Holding my head high
Though a heavy heart pulls me down
Today I’ll hush its cry
Promising myself
I’ll somehow be okay
Telling my heart it will live
To love another day
Tightening my boots
Lifting up my shield
Holding back my heartache
Praying the tears won’t yield
Picking up my sword
Though I’ve no fight in me today
For today is the final time
I watch you walk away.