Sinking 'Ship

Sinking 'Ship

This 'ship is going down!
We've hit something hard.
And cold.
Is that your heart?
Or is it mine?
No longer beating in time.
This 'ship is going down!
Women and children first.
Save our souls
Our hearts
Our love?
Got to try and stay above,
But the waves are crashing over me.
Waves of guilt; of fear.
I feel so lonely.
This 'ship is going down!
Got to try to get away.
Before I'm pulled back;
Dragged down,
Drowning.
In my tears,
In your tears.
We could flood an ocean.
This 'ship is going down!
Will I rise to the surface?
Or sink down – down – down –
And drown?
Should I stay aboard?
Or jump into the safety
Of the unknown?
The blue is beckoning,
Calling. I know it well.
My life's a misery,
A living hell.
The bow is going under,
The back-end is still afloat;
I curse the day we ever met,
And boarded this sinking boat.
The cold is lapping at my feet,
Filling me with chills.
My heart, it feels no difference,
My heart is cold. And still.
But my mind won't stop chattering,
Never has. Never will.
This 'ship has gone now, my love
Our end is, oh, so near.
We.
Never should have taken this trip,
Of us. With you.
It's going – going – gone –
Our relationship.

By J. Barrett

Sorriness

Sorriness

I know you're hurting,

I feel it too.

You can't invest time,

And walk away clean.

But this pain,

This shattered heart,

It mends, goes away,

When a new life starts.

I'm so sorry.

I don't want you to hurt;

But should I be unhappy,

To keep you happy?

I care about you.

But I care about me too.

There is no hate,

What we had was good,

No, fuck!, it was great.

But things can change,

They usually do.

And I need to do this,

I know you're hurting.

I am too.

By J. Barrett

Time

Time

        Killing myself.
                Slowly,
                        with cigarettes.
        Poisoning myself.
                Harshly,
                        with wine
        Driving too fast
                down a one-way street.
        But which way is right?
                I don't want to die, but
                        I want to kill what we have.
                I don't want to hurt you, but
                        I want my heart back.
It's time to stop.
        Killing myself,
                with cigarettes.
        Poisoning myself,
                with wine.
Loving you.
        It's time to start.
                Enjoying life,
                        with cigarettes.
                Enjoying a glass,
                        of wine.
                Time for me to get on with life,
                        without you by my side.

By J. Barrett

Ink

Ink

Oh ink, incredible ink,

marker of my words;

fluid of my thoughts.

Oh ink, incredible ink,

life blood of my pen;

stain upon my hands.

Oh ink, incredible ink,

writer of rights,

writer of wrongs.

Oh ink, incredible ink,

dark lines upon paper;

scratchings upon lines;

lines upon lines

of words

painting pictures.

Oh ink, incredible ink,

make my thoughts heard;

mark my page,

print my words.

Oh ink, incredible ink,

extension of my mind.

By J. Barrett

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday

        If I live to be one hundred years old,

Then I am now a third of my way through this life.

But then, numbers are a man conceived notion,

        time harnessed by the calenders and clocks.

I don't feel as old as I suppose I should feel;

And it was only yesterday I was but a child.

        Does that mean I'll be an old man tomorrow?

If so, I will only be old in body.

        My spirit will always be young;

                My energy will always be sprightly;

                        My mind will always be willing;

Even if my wrinkled, withering, desiccated carcass is not.

By J. Barrett

Dream a Dream

Dream a Dream

With your eyes tightly closed, as you drift off to sleep,

wonder who in your dreams it is you will be.

When you're fast asleep you can dream anything,

be a prince or a princess, or even be king.

Be slayer of dragons or feared captain of seas,

with your eyes tightly closed, be whatever you please.

An astronaut floating through space;

a time traveller flying through time;

or a lady in lace waiting dainty in line.

A cowboy, or girl, with guns slung on your hip;

or a dolphin jumping gaily through the wake of a ship.

Be a little bird flitting through the soft fluffy clouds,

or a fierce and proud lion whose roar is so loud.

Be an explorer who climbs mountains,

or digs tunnels underground,

and discovers buried treasure, that has never been found.

Be a billionaire on your yacht,

or a poor pauper in Paris;

whatever you want, let your imagination fly free.

So close your eyes child, and drift off to sleep,

and make your own adventures in a field full of dreams.

By J. Barrett

Little Old Ladies Are Dangerous

Little Old Ladies Are Dangerous

Five frail little old ladies, who were the better side of ugly,

Got me on the street one day; and then they bloody mugged me!

They didn't move that quickly, they actually appeared a little slow,

But those sneaky little pensioners, were quick and packed a blow.

The first one had a walking frame, gripped tight in her wrinkly hands,

She poked me in the belly, and told me to straighten my stance.

I stood up a little straighter; I was slouching, as I'm prone to do.

And that's when the next one came at me, little old lady number 2.

Her handbag was a whirring blur, helicoptered above her head;

And I'm certain if it had hit me square, I'd be surely laying dead.

But lucky for me, her heavy bag, just glanced upon my knee,

Still, it dropped me down to the ground, just in time for number 3.

That little old lady, she was riding high, cackling crazy on her gopher,

As she went buzzing by, she lashed out, cracking me with her loafer.

Her pleather shoe connected squarely with my still befuddled noggin;

And if it hadn't brained me dumb, I'd've been out of there, a jogging.

Instead, lots of little doily stars, floated around, and in and out of sight;

Then in came little old lady number 4, whooping with all her might.

She launched herself above me, to come crashing down upon my gut,

And blasted the wind pure from me; by now I had really had enough.

I would have given them anything, to put a stop to all of this abuse.

As I was rolling around in pain, number 5 stole my wallet and shoes.

So if you see a little old lady, hastily cross the street and stay away,

They're evil little creatures, who'll kick your ass and make you pay.

Oh, and if you're wondering what was said when I finally saw the cops,

It was, 'Listen sonny, this isn't funny,' and then they told me to piss off.

But I should have realised better, after I was waved off with detest,

Beneath that policeman's outfit, was a little old lady behind the desk.

By J. Barrett