I've started so I'll finish

This epic hurdle race
Monumental hoop jump spree
I have three hurdles
One hoop and, finally free,
A cork to pop

"Success" By Christina Cassie

No need to wake or write,
No need to count down the time

Writing hand can finally rest,
Now only to hope we’ve achieved our best

Success, success,
All stressed to achieve success

But who gets to judge who’s done best?
How do you define success?
Married with babies?
The fact you can buy new breasts?

Does the louder sound of Kerchiiing
Equal the amount of happiness it brings?

Or is success measured by the amount you smile?
Even if you have to count your coins for awhile,

Should it be defined by your laughter and friends?
Rather than the bigger house, the sports car, the amount you spend,

So before you decide what job to get,
Make sure you know your own definition of “success”

Stopped

Written by James Christopher Sheppard

And I say stop

Stop your drinking and stop your thinking.

Stop your smoking and stop your over capacitated need to complain.

This six-foot hole

will swallow you whole, no sign of the apocalyptic end

or even the celebration of continuation.

But if you stopped

what would you do? If not now, when?

Let the alcohol drown your blood or the tar crack your lung?

If I say stop

will it matter anyway? That hole is just a foot in front

Laying in wait for it’s feeding.

So if I stopped

what would I become without? If I sold all my belongings,

took my passport and left, would I find my real life after all?

The hole will gape always,

but you can creep away so long as you come back.

You can’t escape your destiny, which is that hole.

"Egotistical Moron" By Christina Cassie

You’re so damn egotistical
Your ignorance is inexorable
No cure in the pharmaceutical
To love you is impossible

Too much self esteem
With you, it’s always “me, me me”
No-body else is as keen
Competition makes you green

Too much focus on your reputation
You cause your own ejaculation
You’re gorgeous, that’s no exaggeration
What do you want - a congratulations?

Too self absorbed
The weakness you enforced
Not needed to be reinforced
You and your ego need a swift divorce

You’re so damn egotistical
Your ignorance is inexorable
No cure in the pharmaceutical
To love you is impossible

Manipura Four

The ego has landed
Like shit in a sandwich

The outside looks harmless
The filling is charmless

A perceived slight is
Fuel for narcissistic spite

You’re a humour free bore
Show ego the door

Written whilst listening to 'Can't Cheat Karma' by Zounds

Manipura is number four in a series of poems exploring the solar plexus chakra which I am writing throughout the course of this year. Others can be found at Lucyfurleaps Blogspot and the Lucyfurleaps poetry blog.


For One Shot Wednesday at the One Stop Poetry site

"The Unnamed Memory of Spring" By Christina Cassie

The sun glistens,
A hint of cold is clasped in the air,
The fear of bee stings arises once again

Too cold for a strapless,
Too hot for wellies, gloves or scarfs,
Lawn mowers retire from sheds and finally cut the grass

Unlock the windows,
Remove duvets from the bed,
It’s official, winter is once again dead

Moments like this casts me back to a time when
Daffodils were scattered on the pavement
We once strolled upon as friends

You seemed so surprised
I knew your number off by heart
But you were the one I rang most in the summer that last past

Shadows are cast through the waves of the trees
Moving via the sweet spring but not yet summer breeze,
So easily could I drift off to the peaceful brushing of the leaves

The glow, the wind, the colours of spring,
Our park time meetings start reminiscing,
That specific bench in which we carved our names in

Where we delved into each-other hearts
Dissected each-others minds
Discovering our pasts, our dreams, our hopes and our red lies

Spring brings one name to my lips,
Your name, my old young friend,
Into oblivion our memories will never descend

Spring Equinox

Blossom blow and bee hum
Daffs full grow and Sun is
Too warm for my scarf
March once again has the last laugh

Time with friends
At the waters' edge
Red Spring and White
Harness stillness and wild energy

Goodbye Winter and welcome to
The phat part of the year
In the heart of
Goddess country

For Annie and Nic xxx

Written whilst listening to

More milk by The Penguin Cafe Orchestra

For One Shot Wednesday at the One Stop Poetry site- take a look!

"Sleep Deprivation" By Christina Cassie

I tap my legs down one at a time
I turn my pillow over to the cold side
I shut my eyes hoping I’ll naturally drift off
But alas, I’m only kidding myself

Make another trip to the bathroom
This time, in a zombie-fied state,
My legs are so damn tired that
Even they are giving way

Seventy-five pages in and eyes still aren’t tiring
I can’t take anything in because
I’m too tired to be concentrating

IPod’s been playing for over two hours
I’m so hungry; I could do with some fruit sours
Is that dripping coming from the sink or the shower?

I can’t switch off!
I can’t switch off!
I CAN’T FUCKING SWITCH OFF!

I make a list of things to do before I die
One - Swim with dolphins
Two – Fly through the sky
Three – SLEEP!
If I was living on a farm
I’d go and count the sheep

I’ve popped a Nightol
I’ve drunk malt Horlicks
How difficult is it to catch some sleep?

Oh great, now the birds are singing
The sun is already rising?
Whose dog is that fucking barking?

Its six thirty already?
What the hell is wrong with me?
All I want to do is sleep

I’m so tired
I’m so tired
I’m so…
I’m so…
…………
…

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Arrrrghhhhhh!!!

While You Sleep

This brain flits from one poetry idea to the next
Look at my timetable and the date of my test
I tick off my reading list for the day
Fold the clean laundry and put it away

Come across my silver and amber ring
Plan my visit to the Museum of Everything
Work out what time I need to catch the train
To Chalk Farm and cross my fingers for no rain

Debate whether to buy the rare book I borrowed
Remember to buy a battery for Charlie Robot clock tomorrow
And buy a tube of your preferred toothpaste
Brush my teeth with the one you don’t like so it’s not a waste

You sleep soundly and dream
I plan and hope and scheme
My head is a basket full of promise
Held by a girl in a red hood

This is for One Shot Wednesday at the One Stop Poetry web site

'Battle' by James Christopher Sheppard

You could take me to a place never imagined,

Or present me with the greatest love affair as you have before.

I can fall in love under your spell,

Just as I can fuel hatred.

I’ve never flown, despite trying,

but I’ve driven through a war engulfed San Francisco with my mother more than once.

I started smoking because of you

and had my heart fucked with,

time after time.

I’ve seen things a teen should never have to see, but I lived it,

Because you made me.

I yearn for you,

But I never know where you will take me.

You are the unpredictable trouble maker

that sometimes makes the class laugh,

But sometimes bullies the disabled child

who already knows his chances of being loved are

ten times

lower than the boy he sits next to.

I know that I need you

and sometimes I try to give myself to you, but can’t let go.

I can’t keep my mind from protesting,

marching loudly from every direction,

‘you will not sleep’.

Sleep

Sleep is my water
Fatigue is thirst
Insomnia is drought
But equally –
A good night’s sleep
Makes the sun come out

"Thoughts that Derive from The Drunken Aftermath" By Christina Cassie

It is true,
There are times I can't handle my drink
But hasn't everyone forgotten what they said?
And exactly what they did?
Shouldn't everyone be forgiven
For their innocent but wild behaviour?
But then I see his face
And that's when I think-
Could he think his dream girl is too embarassing to be seen with?

Is it possible that instead of realising
That I've finally been freed of caring
About what everyone else watching thinks,
He thinks - "That's a girl I don't want to be with"
Would he prefer someone more tame, quiet and pristine?
A girl who will tag along and
Never have her head in the sink?

Knickers may be on show from another drunken fall
But believe in me, I do know
Wrong from Right and Right from Wrong
The same girl who, when drunk and sober
Only wants you to be the one to call
And tell you, You're the one that freed her,
You're the reason she no longer feels so insecure

Yet the mind questions
If these harmless drunken actions
Are things you'll be ashamed of?
Or if you will laugh and see the innocent fun?
The type that helped you fall in love,
To a girl who hangs off a chandilier
A girl with several straight and gay boys near
A girl whose not afraid to strike a pose
A girl who desperately hopes you'll always love, never loathe

'Submit' by James Christopher Sheppard

Lines of life applied with pressure against my face

Slow, careful movement as the incomparable shiver vibrates over my scalp and down through my spine

Satisfied mind empties

Embrace the sensual freedom, articulation

Submit

and be carried

Carry me out of real time

Float

Around

Around

Hide me and make me magnificent

I can be the horizon

Higher with every drop

Submit

Bottoms Up