jump through the hoops, and run
straight into the fire, on and on –
an immortalised time loop. 

a fiery path to take, the forsaken child
runs out to play, again and again –
instant gratification at stake.

blaze through the rows of vices, so
neatly arranged. one more, just one more – 
to numb the soul first.

then inhale the charred remains, to 
wash out the pain. breathe in, breathe out –
before it all goes faint.

jump through the hoops, and run 
straight into the fire – 
because you are stuck 
in a time loop.

reality is a nightmare of many proportions.
the chase for a futile utopia, continually imprinted in our imaginations.
how generously gifted by the world. to light up our souls like fireflies,
flickering with life, palpitating to the beat of our mechanisms –
crimson red coursing with zeal for the future utopia.

a nightmare ends with a jarring douse of reality.
the fiery light illuminating our souls drenched by sweat and haste
to start the day. reality strikes, like the scorching heat. that threatens
to blind our windows to the world and char our blackening souls.

we find utopia in our minds.
when the moon hangs over our heads
and darkness fades into the black hole.
we fall and we tumble, and get sucked into a dream.

A dream is also known as a nightmare.

set fire to my lungs,
and burn my insides for fun,
the same way you lit up the flame
that swept across my body –
it ignited.

the intricacies of your movements, 
chest heaved against mind, exhaling
sweet nothings which I took in,
like a drug. 

a transient intertwining of two souls, 
one more deeply entrenched than the other.
sucked into an inextinguishable wreck, and
looking on as the other floats on the
waterfall of a new adventure.

put out this inflammable mess, of
a flickering flame that wavers desperately.
searching for something that will douse this charred burn –
this aftertaste left fizzling in the senses.

weren’t you ever warned not to play with fire?

Shadows fall unto your face,
erasing the scars that threaten to
destroy the consequences of your
past mistakes.

Ephemeral brilliance sweeping 
past and pushing the fear of
the future away. What more 
can the heir to erudite ask?

Settle down and fall in,
a transient and fleeting moment
is all it will take for this captive
to run astray and slowly burn. 

Ripples of waves, hues and shades
of grey and blue that burst through the
cool of the end of summer and the rise
of days. Fallen leaves of a crimson red
that dropped like drizzle and grazed the 
luscious expanse of the floral daze.

Autumn’s breeze brushed lightly on his face
and sent a chill that swept through his veins.
Time was ticking and the ensuing wintry spell 
sent an icy tingle through the man. 

Stuck in the rut of a teenage wasteland,
he climbed his way out of the raw and frigid 
chasm of summer’s end. Pushing against the 
gnawing forces of days past, and rising from the
ash-grey pit of a lost age. 

An arm outstretched towards the dazzling
sunlight that illuminated the sky, he emerged 
from the bubbling decay of vice. Out from the 
drowning hollow, and into the dawn of a 
florescent space.

where are you now?
I can’t seem to hear or
see, everything around me’s 
a mess. Stuck in this daze of 
smoke and unforeseeable future.
When will the time come for us to
run? And jump through the clouds
of bliss with eternal weightlessness.
Across the bay, and into the light, a 
spectrum of waves encapsulates my vision.
Against the resistance, into the night, once again,
renewed and illuminated. Senses alive, my mind is 
flittering between the shadows of the canvas and 
your silhouette. The heat emanating from your skin
sends a torching ripple through my pulse and the
sound of deafening silence is ringing in my ears. Empty
spaces and filled crevices, water droplets forming puddles
on the pavements. Run into the unknown, jump into the 
fire, because when you take that leap, you’ll enter into a mist 
that is the unforeseeable future. The sudden deafness – fade into
darkness.

The clash of the cymbals sounded
In the dead of the night, as
Glasses clinked – Silhouettes of 
lovers sipping on red wine.
Laughter that ricocheted off the
Ash-grey asphalt and stone walls;
The pulsating flow of the canal
That the charming city oozed,
Under the constellations that
Illuminated the pair of souls. 

An engine revved in the background.
Then the man stood up, 
picked her up.
And they dashed into the night.
Between the deafening skylines,
Under the echoing thunder that
Thumped to the bass of their heart.

Do you remember 
The first time we met? 

When spring awakened, 
February’s magic glittered 
With promise and vibrance
Like the sunrise that filtered 
Through the cracks of my eyelids 
When I awakened to the beginning 
Of a new age. 

The first time I saw you, we haven’t met. 
I only knew your name and in a glance 
You disappeared into the crowd. 

And on that morning I sat alone in the darkness, 
The door pushed opened and you entered the room 
And entered my life, and dreams and thoughts. 

Lest I forget the contours on your face
The sound of your voice 
And touch of your palm- The tremors of my insides 
With every second you crept further into my heart. 
You navigated the crevices of my labyrinth and 
flattered my shaky self esteem 

Like a smooth talker, 
Why don’t we play a game? 
Serenading my soul, 
The smoothness of your voice 
Eyes interlocked and hearts intertwined 
How can I ever forget 
The first time you sang to me.

I don’t know what came over me
I asked you out and you agreed. 
We had a nice walk 
And a nice talk
I thought it was something 
I felt like there was something 
But alas I was deceived 
And nothing came of it 

And every inkling moment since then 
Has been a roller coaster ride 
That I’ve been strapped in, 
Trapped in. 
As it finally near the pit stop 
And jerks to a stop I can’t get off. 

And so, we go again. 
You spin me Round and around. 
One last time, 
Before I’m lost never found.

I

Trumpets sounded as dawn came
New bonds were formed, vows exchanged
The lovers escaped into their beautiful reverie,
Of laughter and happiness, temporary pain but everlasting pleasure. 

As darkness swept across the glass house,
Inevitable dusk came upon them all.
But alas two became three, and it was all forgotten. 
Joyful chuckle, piercing cries – their lives revolved around. 

Relatives came and went, entranced: 
“You look just like your father!”
She merely laughed, he betrayed no emotion
Whichever artist that God sent out to paint the contours on their faces
Created a masterpiece. 

II

The glass house reverberated at the sound of a booming cry
Then shattered into infinite shards, that burst into a prism of blinding lights. 
The battlefield was set, the pieces were strewn.
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. 
A charge into the abyss, a cut across my body,
The shards turned a bright Crimson red,
Never-ending, consuming the flesh of the three beings. 
But they wanted more. 
With every ounce of hope I willed for it to stop,
But the blood flowed on, 
And the clocked ticked on. 

She struggled against the opposing, overpowering being.
A piercing scream, I stood helpless. 
“You’re just like your father.”
Then she collapsed.

I took a plunge into a rabbit hole
And landed in a pool of bubbling wonder.
The splash sent ripples wherever I go
Every now and then I stopped to admire,

Excitement in the air, the taste of passion lingering on my tongue. 
Awe inspiring, fireworks that brought in the start of something new. 
A spark, then an explosion, a myriad of colours that bombarded my sight. 
My eyes painted the night sky in every motion and every flicker; resounding thumps that mirrored my heart. 

And then the waves that enveloped me just months ago, 
That sent ripples through the veins of the new world,
Fizzled and died down like drain water down a hole. 
Sinking, dying- in the ocean emerged a girl.

The promise of a new era,
Love and excitement. 
Was just a dream of a forgotten generation.
Boats against the current,
Ceasing to exist.