Elephant Small Vol 2 Read online

Elephant Small

  Vol 2

  Stanski

  Copyright©2013 Stanski

  Crawling Distance

  In Decline

  The Night Jasmine

  The Fourth Millennium

  Hotel 27

  A Fetish For Frustration

  Elephant Small Vol 1

  Cover photo © Stanski

  Elephant Small

  Vol 2

  Contents

  1. Farewell

  2. Vital

  3. New Horizons

  4. Bat Mantra

  5. Phoney War

  6. Right To Reply

  7. Coming To Terms

  8. Lady Blue

  9. Before And After

  10. The View From Limbo

  11. Can Heaven Wait?

  12. Self-Taught

  13. Seeing The Light

  14. Poetic Justice

  15. Heroes

  16. Gobsmacked

  17. Two Types Of Obedience

  18. One Discovery Leads To Another

  19. Tough Guy Dad

  20. What Doesn’t Kill You

  21. Your Thing

  22. Splitting The Infinitive, Splitting Up Infinity

  23. Cliché Clash

  24. Where’s The Justice?

  25. Isn’t It?

  26. Vote For…?

  27. Ballot Box Blues

  28. An Economy Of Words

  29. Serial Chiller… Or A Warning…?

  30. Sense Of Expectation

  31. Duogenic

  32. Ask A Silly Question…

  33. Sound As A Pound

  34. Jury’s Out

  35. Winter Break

  36. Tradition Of Travesty

  37. No Drama

  38. Regret

  39. Another Day; Another… New Year?

  40. Eternal

  About The Author

  1. Farewell

  Once the life and soul, now visibly weakened

  Reduced to a shadow of his former self

  Comforted by the intimacy of friends

  Intimidated by confusion, conflict

  But no stranger to the bloody battlefields

  Fatigued by the frequency of Friendly Fire

  And misadventure of misguided missiles

  Sustaining the shots, he still soldiered on

  To epic encounters with the enemy

  Erosion, attrition, have taken their toll

  He lives – after a fashion – to tell the tale

  And serve as a warning; unheeded, ignored

  By those who believe in the Greater Glory

  Who bear not the scars, the constant reminder

  That every single life is expendable

  In years to come, when the family gather

  To bid their farewell’s, as they lay him to rest

  A message, etched forever in stone, will read

  “Here lies a hero, in need of a cure

  Unbeaten in battle, yet losing the war”

  2. Vital

  The precious gift of life is a heartbeat

  Each moment is defined by a heartbeat

  From cradle to grave, first round to final

  Thoughts, words and actions hang on a heartbeat

  Unscheduled pace of youth; now fast, now slow

  Reflecting the rhythm of a heartbeat

  Maturity mellows me to the core

  Choices no longer take but a heartbeat

  Age slows my mind as time accelerates

  Existence condenses to a heartbeat

  Preparing to meet the maker of hearts

  A tribute is expressed through a heartbeat

  As vital signs fade, one thought remains strong

  I long for that throb; yearn for a heartbeat

  To feel the pulse just one more time, I’d give

  Everything I possess in a heartbeat

  3. New Horizons

  Road signs; no help

  Their hieroglyph markings

  Display a language you can’t understand

  Traffic signals

  Familiar warning

  A universal colour-code command

  Through the red light

  To a head-on collision

  In your haste to reach the point of no return

  Through the green light

  A twisting path to freedom

  A tortured course to everything you yearn

  But if you keep your eyes on the road

  If you keep your hands on the wheel

  Just a matter of time before you learn

  Read the signs in the eyes of your mind

  Keep a safe distance

  And don’t get too close to arrogance

  Pride will cause distraction

  Each and every action

  Requires a choice, a decision, a reaction

  But if you make the wrong one, you’ll get nowhere

  That’s not a place you want to go

  You just escaped the living hell of nowhere

  4. Bat-Mantra

  Daylight divides and conquers

  Giving each master a slave

  We lead and our shadows follow

  Loyal from cradle to grave

  Life exists in our shadows

  Dark thoughts dominate the shade

  At night time we’re reunited

  As both light and shadow fade

  Shadows return to their hosts

  For safe-keeping through the night

  Bedtime companions till morning

  When we’re exposed to the light

  Dreams guard over our shadows

  But nightmares can overtake

  Revealing to us a dark side

  We tether when we awake

  Never allow our shadows

  The chance to show us the way

  If we become our shadows

  Darkness will reign over day

  5. Phoney War

  Wake me up when the war starts

  I wouldn’t like to be late

  For my first day in action

  On the front line

  When they begin dropping bombs

  And testing our defences

  Will you be there, by my side?

  Or underground?

  I will wear my uniform

  Display my true colours

  I should be decorated

  For bravery

  I have seen active service

  In previous encounters

  But we always defeat them

  Different this time?

  Could you bear it to lose me?

  Would you weep at my graveside?

  Do I really need to ask?

  Nothing changes

  They say war is just like love

  Nothing is against the rules

  What am I talking about?

  There are no rules

  So when this war is over

  Do I go back to sleep then?

  And continue my nightmare?

  Or will you stay?

  6. Right To Reply

  Inside the minds of those who think they know

  Attention to the rules is paramount

  I wonder why we don’t still live in caves

  If we were born to follow, not to lead.

  The truth is, we will harvest what we sow

  Don’t think our contribution doesn’t count.

  The best ideas come and go in waves

  Ignore them and we’ll never plant the seed.

  To forward thinkers, rules are introduced

  Not to be broken, merely to evolve

  Along with change in time and attitude

  Developing within our heart and mind.

  What starts life ‘hard and fast’ is often used

  To
guide us through the problems that we solve

  And purists everywhere will claim “It’s crude!”

  While suckling on the rules they hide behind

  Eventually, it’s ‘guidelines’ that emerge

  So we don’t stray too distant from the point

  Which in this case is speaking thoughts in words

  So speak your mind, not that of other folk

  And if we’re able to survive the purge

  That throws our best intentions out of joint

  We’ll learn to stand alone, not roam in herds

  Safety in numbers? To me that’s just a joke

  But if you think they’re all out to get you

  You’re probably just out to get yourself

  Because you’re not so quick now on the draw

  Their rules will always take somebody down

  If you don’t think you’re up to something new

  You’re going to let them beat you to yourself

  Up goes the white flag, admitting to your flaw

  Another fair cop – it’s you who looks the clown

  What happened to that confident young man

  So full of idealistic aggression?

  Did he listen too hard to his critics

  And opt for the quiet, peaceful life instead?

  That man who always said “Because I can!”

  No longer speaks with such heartfelt passion

  When they told him his game was ‘just not cricket’

  “The competition’s much too strong,” he said

  Confidence will translate to arrogance

  In the minds of commentators who spectate

  But performers always hold the stronger stance

  Don’t ask permission; speak your mind – dictate!

  7. Coming To Terms

  Tell me I’m wrong; tell me I got it wrong

  You think you’re right; you always think you’re right

  If I were you, I know what I would do

  Keep out of sight, so we don’t have to fight

  Competition; you want pole position

  You won’t take less than a resounding ‘yes’.

  If I say ‘no’, you just tell me to go

  Let’s take a guess; my fault we’re in a mess?

  Each time you say you want things your own way

  You change your mind, telling me I’m unkind

  It’s very sad; the things we could have had

  But what we find, is we left it behind

  Where did it go; the love you used to show?

  You were so good; you always said we could

  Beat all the odds. You believed that the gods

  Were in the know, and our future would glow

  If we were true to ourselves, really true

  We’d learn from past mistakes and make it last

  For our lifetime. Now that we’re in our prime

  We shouldn’t rue all the things we’ve been through

  Let’s make a vow, as we stand, here and now

  What made us cry can just lie down and die

  We will never forget its forever

  I love you now; I’ll never forget how

  8. Lady Blue

  Lady Blue, why do you weep?

  Am I really worth your tears?

  Better men have held your heart

  Shared your passion, nursed your fears

  What do you dream, Lady Blue

  Behind the shroud of darkness?

  Night-times veil insulates

  Your secret, silent desires

  Intimacy deserts you

  Lady Blue, when we’re alone

  What are those latent feelings?

  Do they yearn another one?

  Still, you cry, when you’re alone

  Your subconscious, Lady Blue,

  Mourns the passing of our love

  A love I believed was true

  I’m a stronger person now;

  My honest self-assessment.

  Lady Blue, your love-light pales

  Afraid of my commitment?

  You drag your past behind you

  Characteristically

  It’s another ‘Lady Blue’

  Lame idiosyncrasy

  Turmoil ravages my thoughts

  Lost Souls and I, take a walk

  Brings me back to my senses

  Lady Blue, I want to talk

  I came to a decision

  Based on my time spent with you

  My verdict, my conclusion

  You are not my Lady blue

  9. Before And After

  My dream is the light

  That pours from my hands

  It gives me strength,

  And the courage I lack

  I have good cause

  To trust in its demands

  As it guides me and

  Guards me from attack

  This ear to ear smile

  I’ll never replace

  It will bring me

  Good luck, and line my purse

  In later life

  I will assume my place

  Among legends

  Celebrated in verse

  Abreast of advances

  I’ll guarantee

  My spot in the limelight

  The public gaze

  Dynamic and

  Flexible, all will see

  My life’s achievements

  Are worthy of praise

  My reality

  Darkness; broken strands

  Weakness as

  The glow fades

  To grey; light black

  Lost faith, lost direction

  In foreign lands

  Beaten, forsaken

  And stabbed in the back

  Emotions betrayed

  I’ve no poker face

  Life has prepared me to

  Expect the worse

  In youth I was able

  To set the pace

  Yesterday’s blessing; life

  Is today’s curse

  The onslaught of

  Modern technology

  Cast me adrift

  In an uncharted maze

  Aggressive, relentless

  - A Tsunami

  Scatters its debris

  …All my yesterdays

  10. The View From Limbo

  We used to be close, but now

  You spend too much time reading

  THAT BOOK

  What is the fascination?

  You never show emotions

  In your day-to-day routine

  As that volume can inspire

  IS THE STORY

  A work of classic fiction?

  Will it become a movie?

  A compelling biopic?

  It is a biography

  But not a very long one

  Still, for years you have read…and read

  Ignoring my discomfort

  These should have been the best years

  OF MY LIFE

  11. Can Heaven Wait?

  Gather your thoughts, collect your ideas

  Your time will come before you even know

  No time for blaming others for your faults

  When it’s your turn, it’s really time to go

  A relative’s identification

  Confirms; ‘Long live the queen; the king is dead!’

  Ten million people watching TV

  Witness the event, ‘live’; unedited

  “He’ll go to heaven, rest assured

  He never did a bad thing, good old Geoff

  Other people will have to wait their turn”

  But it doesn’t work that way in ‘real death’

  Candidates are literally dying

  To qualify for life’s eternal ‘prize’

  Goodness knows, the population’s striving

  To claim its reward; try it on for size

  Behind the scenes, evil men wait each day

  To catch the unsuspecting, unawares

  Heavens gates, only a
lifetime away

  “It’s Hell on Earth,” so some say; “No-one cares”

  “They can always go to their confessor

  And he’ll absolve their deepest, darkest sins”

  In life, they’re bad; in death, they’re even worse

  The final test will see who really wins

  Some think they’re really going to make it

  Never stopping, thinking, asking why

  They did the things they did, without conscience

  They’ll face the Great Confessor in the sky

  It’s not something everyone believes in

  Some people are content with what they’ve got

  Which isn’t really much, let’s be honest

  There IS more to life; believe it or not

  12. Self-Taught

  A school

  For fools

  Teachers teaching

  Preachers preaching

  Education?

  Incantation

  Ignorance

  Intolerance

  We don’t need it

  They will feed it

  Our attack?

  Our pay-back?

  Work today

  Our own way

  Learn it elsewhere

  Wing and a prayer?

  We’re not fazed

  Be amazed

  Be prepared

  We’re not scared

  It’s just a case of

  Mind over matter

  13. Seeing The Light

  Sleeping gets me dreaming

  Waking gets me thinking

  All day long I’m working

  What is this thing called ‘life’?

  Dreaming is just a thought

  Thinking is just hard work

  Working is just my life

  Life is just like a dream

  Dreams turn into nightmares

  Thoughts become ideas

  Working becomes a drag

  Life is always too short

  Finalise my labours,

  Concepts, vitality

  When I meet my maker

  My life will become death

  At the very moment

  I give myself to God

  All I’ve thought, dreamed, worked for

  Will make it all worth while

  14. Poetic Justice

  A blank expression on his face