A Game?.

In a life where hearts collide,
A tale of strength and will resides.
Be sure to tell him, speak it true,
I was never a fool for you.

I have faced far fiercer storms,
Danced in fires, embraced the burns,
The weight of battles I have braved,
A warrior’s spirit never waived.

Trials that sought to break my soul,
I stood tall and carved my role.
Each fracture, a lesson learned,
Resilience is a lesson fiercely learned.

So when you speak these words untold,
Let him know, as your story unfolds,
That I have overcome my worst strife,
Blazing on the tumultuous path of life.

No longer caged in your desperate game,
I seized courage and shattered the chain.
In your endless guilt, my spirits soared,
All illusions of your trust I firmly ignore.

Now, as I stand firm, head held high,
Know that your presence can’t defy,
The strength that courses through my veins,
Empowered by scars etched with gains.

In this game, forgiveness did reside,
A glimmer of hope, the truth could not hide.
I cast away the chains of your deception,
Embracing freedom, free from infection.

Steve Halstead.

Talk to Me Not.

Talk to me not
Tell me not of tales of old
A golden age in memoried times
Talk to me not
Tell me not of times to come
When blackness sweeps the world
And all is lost

Talk to me of now
When flesh on bones
And pulsing blood
Remind me I’m alive.

Tell me of times modern
Of Twitter, texts and calls
Tell me of reality TV
Where third rate celebs strut their stuff
And court worship from below.

Let me watch it all
Lost in the maelstrom of my being
Let me stand apart
Without judgement
And in my parity
Court no conclusion

I am of the moment
Twixt worlds so far apart
As to galaxies compare

Can I survive
Or through sculpted glass
Gaze at my distorted time
And puzzled wait and stare

Norman Turkington
From The Book Nearly Man 2 Almost There Available On Amazon.

ADVICE TO BREAK A VICE.

Take it from one who has fended off kicks,

No-one can rebuild your wall for you.

Just pick somebody who won’t steal your bricks;

Someone who will stay and support you,

And be well aware when you dwell on your lot, that distortion can lead to delusion.

So many with temporary problems, choose the permanent sort of solution.

By John Tirebuck.

Broken.

Remember when you were on your knees?
Who helped you? Yes, it was me
You were dying of thirst,
But it had rained for weeks

A beautiful heart and mind,
Is worthy of treating with kindness.
Don’t repay me with gratitude,
Because I feel like I’ve been consumed.

And I don’t want what’s bad for you.
I know you have your point of view.
It’s not about what you think of me.
I accept that we can sometimes disagree.

And I’m tired of fighting;
Words dividing.
I know I’m tough,
But even I know when I have had enough.

I’ve always been honest with my
Ungrateful user; abuser of my generosity.
My silence means that I lost the contest,
A tired, broken, used commodity.

By Steve Halstead.