The food stall owner

I remember, the first house I rented in Chang- Rai,

And how it sat just opposite the road

From an old man and his food stall.

I remember how he would stand

Sometimes camouflaged by the rising smoke from the stove,

All day underneath a little silver roof

Held by a little silver cart – that he called his kitchen

I remember when I first wandered towards his stall

Not knowing how to order -

But he served me fried egg with pork

That he later taught me to be pad kee mow

I remember that every day, as he cooked

He wore a red cap printed with “Number 1” on the face

And the cigarette clinging affectionately on his left lip

Was his daily dose of some kind of a connection

For months we exchanged no words,

Maybe a nod here, an awkward glance there…

Sometimes when I was eating at the stall,

Sometimes when I was writing songs with my guitar outside the house,

But one day, when he didn’t know I was home

I caught him crossing the road,

shaking a bowl in his hands

Calling, “Pi-casso, Pi-casso!”

I remember how I hid, crouched under the window

and watched as he fed my puppy, Picasso

and watched as he hurried back to his stall with the empty bowl

as though no one had seen that other side of him.

Grapeshot publications

"Streams of Consciousness" in "Grapeshot" online magazine

http://www.grapeshotmagazine.com.au/?page_id=222

Gazebo

From far away,

a white gazebo stood in the middle of the field,

wrapped with gold light bulbs

in the way of how you would wrap a long ribbon

around a Christmas present.

The bursts of light were draped around the roof,

in an almost upwards spiral motion

some, naturally falling from the sides.

Inside, more of these lights were hung

almost in perfect lines, smiling gently from one column to the next.

Running through the grass field,

a pathway led to the gazebo

- a plain canvas, splashed with a myriad colours,

Like a Pollock.

On each side of the path, a dozen or so spotlights

lined up like little soldiers saluting to everyone who walked past

And as the spotlights shone on the surface,

shadows in the shape of flowers, blossomed on the canvas.

For a few minutes the guests would feel as though

they were a part of an art installation, and

that they were walking on someone’s painting.

But today was no art show;

it was exactly the perfect summer wedding

that she had always pictured it in her mind.

She had always imagined getting married at night,

because everything is always instantly more beautiful during this time of the day.

Right now nothing could be more perfect,

than to be married to her high school sweetheart.

Thanks Sophie Ward!

Sophie Ward from the Paper Castle Press put three of my short pieces on her blog, here they are @

http://papercastlepress.com/blog/?p=5448

Puppet Show

It may be an extremely depressing assertion to make, but I am frequently reminded of how inherently weak all human beings are. We all sadly believe that we are in control, but truly - it is this false ideology of control which ultimately leads to all of our downfalls. Because even when you believe that you are in control, there is always someone around the corner who is waiting to shoot you down.

Although there are some who prove me wrong, in the end everybody else whom I have encountered are like puppets, dancing, playing and acting - as though life is like a foolish game. There is no meaning to these masquerades, however, it appears to me that this constant need for deception are a catalyst from insecurity and unhappiness.

In the end, the saddest part of all of this is - by the time you acknowledge what you have done wrong:

Lied
Cheated
Stole
All of the above,

And you begin to finally feel something about what you have done - you are too much of a coward to recognise the mess that you have made. The mess that you are.

Yes, you've fucked me over - but in my own mind, I am clinging to the sweet scent of Karma comming right your way.

Sometimes

I don't know why I was hit so hard, but sometimes, in life you will meet an individual who simply shakes you to the very, core of your being. Although there is no tangible way of explaining it, there is just something about them, which makes you feel like you could live life forever - just like this.

Sometimes, the two extremes of love are intertwined, and the only thing I can feel, is like a tapestry of only black and grey. And although the reality has been clearly painted in black and white, I am a foreigner to this feeling. Perhaps there is simply a connection - a connection which which makes you constantly think twice. But it is also a connection which brings us a touch of comfort (and maybe even familiarity).

Sometimes, when we hold hands and brush our bodies gently against each other - you bring a tingle down my spine. And for that moment in time, you let me into your world and I find myself naievely wondering whether or not you are feeling the same.

Sometimes, when you piggyback me and spin me around on your back, it feels as though I am almost yours - and I truly wish that one day I will fall, and you will come down with me.

Sometimes, when you tell me that I am beautiful, I have to cover my face with the blanket. And on the surface it may seem like I am pushing you away, you should know that deep down, it's because you made me blush...

Sometimes, when you equate me as being childish, I am thinking deep down, that in actuality, you are the one who is childish - for not knowing how much I could potentially look after you.

And secretly, I wish that you want to look after me as well...

Ace of Hearts

Verse 1

Today is like a day of reverberations, a day where all the bits of pieces she's been gathering together in her mind
have all been put together
like a complete jigsaw puzzle
Like little earthquakes, she felt you shake me around and you made her fall...
And during the aftershock you made me her...you made her see

Chorus

Oh baby, she aint wrong but here she goes
there she goes away, running, running, running, away with him
Oh baby, she aint wrong but here she goes
there she goes away, running, running, running, away with him

Verse 2

Remember the time you shuffled that deck and pulled out that ace of hearts - just like magic
And It seemed as though you were meant to be...but
You dont want to love me, You just want to play me...
Just like your magic tricks, everything is like a card game to you

Chorus

Oh baby, she aint wrong but here she goes
there she goes away, running, running, running, away with him
Oh baby, she aint wrong but here she goes
there she goes away, running, running, running, away with him

Bridge

But today your games have all ended now
Because she is no longer chasing
Because she is no longer waiting
And today your games are over now
Because we're no longer playing
No, we're already escaping

Chorus

Oh baby, she aint wrong but here she goes
there she goes away, running, running, running, away with him
Oh baby, she aint wrong but here she goes
there she goes away, running, running, running, gone.