PEOPLE

Have you ever noticed The way people talk? Say things they dont mean.

The way they act towards you, Also how it seems, That you are the one giving

A group becomes separate, then one person. The past is nothing but a tool, That goes forward or backwards.

The people you knew Are now on solid ground. The uestion is where do you stand.

ECHOES

!ne of many in the mist of nowhere. "or miles # walk barefoot, feeling the earth under me. $tter loneliness creeps up then the darkness as the door shuts. %itch black and a shiver goes down my spine. "lashes of images go through my mind, "aces of the young and old& childrens smiles and laughter. $nknown is the rise of the tide like little characters #n a comic book everyone runs to safety. The walls are alive, cold and damp. A knock can be heard, A reminder its still there Thump, Thump, Thump.

#dle hands& make a good playground for the devil.

Thinking is the source of a problem. Torn apart with feelings, # walk the same way # came. $nfamiliar roots # see a state of utter confusion& if you are lost #m lost too.

MY MESSAGE

'y message is short and sweet The erosion of the mind, !ccurs as the clock chimes twelve And tick tock it goes.

An endless mind field, # awake to the sounds !f birds chirping in their nest.

A broken glass, (ecomes part of a pu))le. The piece that does not uite fit.

The broken window in my room, represents my inner most thoughts. *rushed into little clear crystals, The glass mirrors what it sees.

ADDICTION

The needle has become 'y best friend. The pain from the +ab is comforting .

An ultimate rush 'arred by unforgettable

and unbelievable things. An attainable high !f never ending pictures.

# am an outsider looking in #ve seen and smelt, (ut never taken. 'y world is the fear !f reali)ation setting in.

THE DRUNK

The bottle in my hand Symboli)es what people see

,rowning in the sorrows ! f yester years gone by.

$nknown is my story # am now the one standing on a street corner. ,esired uestions not asked build up.

Huddled up in a dark hallway settled for the night -ith only my memories to keep me warm. 'emories of a home, family and friends The bottle in my hand symboli)es what people see. .ot someones son, daughter, husband or wife. A person with a past.

GIFTS

/ife and time, 0ifts bestowed to most. Hand in hand they are received.

#ve walked through a ma)e of flowers, Accompanied by many. #ve read the message on my door.

#ve closed my eyes And opened them. All in all #ve lived.

THE BOGEY MAN

# have seen the bogey man, He lives inside of me. He lives in all of us. #n bed and cant sleep, tossing and turning& sweat dripping from my brow. # have seen the bogey man, have you? He lives in all of us. A mother buries her young. A husband leaves. !ne man kills another. #ve seen the bogey man have you? He lives in all of us. A son steals from his parents, A daughter runs away,

and a family is left homeless #ve seen the bogey man have you? He lives in all of us.

THE PUBLIC MASACARE

Hidden from society, !nly to be noticed. *urtains are drawn, -indows opened

An icon for the world to look at. "resh smell of flowers (lossoming consumes the air.

A touch withering them to the roots. The inevitable is the unmistakable cycle,

1nding where it started.

WILL I

The uestions we ask ourselves, -hen will # be old enough? -hat will # look like older? Am # wiser now?

The face # once saw in the mirror,

#s the one # still possess? Are the doors opening for me? As # am one to do as # please.

,o # have any hope in the future? !r will the wheels turn, and the doors shut? -ill #?

LIFES HUNGER FEEDS

Too far away To see all that is near.

2uestions asked ,o not enthuse me

#n my little world, # am closed up #n four walls.

# feel and touch ,o not know how to escape. .umb to the e3istence of answers.

HOPES PRESSURES EXISTENCE

/ost amongst the crowd "ound lurking behind. Seen in the eyes is hope

Held on for dear life -aiting in silence believing that things -ill eventually change.

Slow and disappointing a process. Hope e3ists as a last resort. A ticket of reassurance.

NATURES STORY

The things we hear and see Are what makes the sounds we know. Actions and thoughts of the streets conflict. The one in control is you. There are no boundaries to your limits 4each out to a world of dreams and pick.

DREAMS

These are the things dreams are made of. # picked up a book lying on the side of the road and every night # would read it.

A mothers words to her child 5%ick up a pen and paper and write,

write every little detail.6 These are the things dreams are made of.

# cracked +okes and acted until it became part of me. # now sit on the throne, # built.

# took dancing lessons, singing lessons and was photographed in every position known to man. -hat is left to show is me. These are the things dreams are made of.

ECHOES II

Strolling hand in hand couples walking in the moonlight A child wonders of to far, worried e3pressions appear

nothing but sand and sea, reality sinks in.

#dle hands make a good playground for the devil. Time roars its ugly head, you either move with it or get left behind. Torn apart with feelings # walk the way # came, unfamiliar roots # see.

A state of utter confusion if your lost, # am lost too. # search for a place with people, clear blue skies and stretches of sea water. A place # can call home and rest my weary head in times of need.

THE PAST

/ooking back at all the time # spent thinking when # should have been doing, and doing when # should have been thinking. Thinking of the past wondering if # could change all that there is. Thus the story continues and unfolds, unsure of where # am going and what # am doing, because it is the unknown that is the hardest part. The desire for more is fuelled by the hope for something different, which creates a void that needs to be filled. 4unning on empty you eventually get tired and all your energy dissipates. -hat remains is your reflection.

GOODBYES

# hate goodbyes they are so final. # rather say see you later or whenever thus two people who have lost their way *an eventually find themselves.

%erhaps in a crowded room, or as young lovers Sneaking out at night to share a few stolen moments. That way things left unsaid or forgotten resurface.

HER WORLD

A womans point of view not only covers the ins and out of how she feels, but also entails her place in life. -hether she is a mother and a wife or a daughter and a sister. She has a role to play& she doesnt always know her place in life but searches for it. Her attitude along the way maybe uestioned by her peers& however the way she handles re+ection is the real test of strength. To show emotions is looked at as a sign of weakness, so she creates a mask to blend in& soon to become a normality in a cra)y world& her world as a woman

A SPECIAL PERSON

There are many people, who come and go in your life, but there is always one you tell all your secrets too. The one who withstands the distance of time. That one special person you can trust, and call a friend.

A LITTLE MORE TIME

'any people would love to have more time to do things. The time to find yourself or travel all over the world. The time to follow your dreams, even the time to spend with a close friend& catching up on all the gossip youve missed because yesterday you were sad, and the day before you had too much do. Then again most people dont reali)e how short life is, so they let it pass them by.

THE ONE

# wasnt sure about that one and the other # didnt trust& however this one # like. # thought that one was nice, while with the other # was going through the motions. This one # happen to love.

# thought it was the real thing with that one, and # wanted it to be perfect with the other. #t turns out this one takes my breath away& maybe it was fate that brought us together. As the saying goes it was meant to be in the first place.

BELONGING

# eat from the forbidden fruit, because # am not suppose to. /ike a spoilt child # crave and hunger for more, it is never enough. 'y appetite a bottomless pit constantly grows and # am left with a hollow feeling.

The feeling where you are not uite sure of who you are, and what you want. So you follow to belong, to belong you forget the beginning, the middle and the end. To come back to the place you started from, a place you once knew so well and felt safe. A place that is familiar to you that you can see yourself residing in.

ONLY HUMAN

/ike everyone else # make mistakes and # have doubts. # have even been known to shed a few tears, every now and then. # t has also been brought to my attention that despite being calm and understanding, # am still not always sensitive to the needs of others. 1ven though # am older, and supposedly wiser now # still need advice. That not only makes me human but venerable.

REMEMBER ,o you remember when we were young and everyone else was old? -e couldnt wait to leave the nest to follow our dreams. However things change and so do we. -hat seemed important before no longer is, and what we want for ourselves is not the same. .ow our children cant wait to leave to fulfil their dreams, what is left are our memories, some sweet and some bitter.

LIFES SIMPLE ANSWERS

.othing is as easy as it seems, you might want your old life back. -hat you might not understand is that your life now consists of different things. The now may seem meaningless with so many uestions unanswered. 2uestions that redefine who you are but undermine others. 2uestions that dont need to be asked because everything you need is in7front of you.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

(ehind closed doors voices could be heard Then came the door slams, with that the uestions. She asks him why, he cant find the answers for her.

'aybe it was the reali)ation that she wasnt enough for him, or that he wasnt able to give her what she needed. Then again it could be that they were to busy talking to listen to each other. To busy to say thank you for being by my side. To busy to say # love you.

WOMEN

-omen are like gold A precious gift to have And an honour to hold.

Their tears allow them to grow -hile their hands ever so delicate *omforts whoever is in need?

-ith age not only do they (ecome priceless but knowledgeable So cheers for the older more e3perienced woman.

REGRETS

The thing about regrets is that you wish you had done things differently. %erhaps talked more, or taken the time to listen. 'aybe things could have worked out differently between us

#deally we could be friends. How about soul mates that started out as star cross lovers. /overs who sneaked out to be with each other. However were two people who met uite by accident and fell in and out of love.

THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE

"alling in and out of love (reaking and mending hearts, crying and smiling All come with the territory of what it means to be in love.

4emembering the first date, the first kiss and the first time you both said # love you. A fool for love you buy flowers, chocolates and book a table for two in a fancy restaurant& Trying to recapture the magic that was there at the beginning when everything was new.

0etting butterflies in your stomach and feeling e3cited in the presence of each other. -ithout saying a word your eyes meet and do all the talking for you while the course of true love redefines itself.

FAMILIAR STRANGERS

To someone # call a friend you make me smile and laugh when # dont want to 8ou made me reali)e life is to short and every moment should be savored. # believed that everything was possible because of you. # dared to dream in the belief you were by my side. The fear that one day two people who knew each other so well may become familiar strangers lingered, a cruel twist of fait

TIME Time waits for no one. Adventures are lost and gained They can make you or break you, 8ou can also find yourself lost.

"ollowing the footsteps of others& "orgetting who you are and what you want out of life, #t all becomes second nature to you. #n time things become seeming7less An emptiness that can not be e3plained grows.

Time waits for no one, new things are learnt And decisions are made stemming from the past A second chance to do things over.

TOMORROW

'asterful and strong as well as being determined with a lot of dedication, the fingers work ever so uickly in swift movements. To make it stop seems like a crime but again there is always tomorrow, or the ne3t day. The ne3t time # want to do that, tomorrow # will start again. 8esterday # forgot to do this so today # will. However tomorrow is now today.

TRUST Some ones father, someones mother and someones child disappears& they become part of the system. 4egrets about things you never said or did develop into frustration and anger. The hope for a second chance, an opportunity to start again, knowing nothing is for certain. However reali)ing what you have is special. Special enough for someone to want the same thing, desperate to break it and scared to face the truth.

IN A HURRY A person in a hurry is someone -ith a lot on their mind, and a lot to do. -ith so little time and so much pressure on one.

# t is easy to forget all that has been achieved& "ocusing on the now instead of the little things. #t is the little things we take for granted and brush aside. The little things like acknowledging someone and saying thank you.

#t is easier to forget than remember what is in7front you. 1asier than taking time to stop and step back from any situation and put things right. -e are given a choice, the choice to move on, or keep looking back, remaining in the same place.

A MANS BURDEN

The burden of man is curiosity that carries him to many places far and near. -ith time it all becomes a distant memory and a time to reminisce. %eople and places fade into the background accept for their voices. 9oices that are reminders of the past, and the stories that are passed down& Stories that are part of us, and who we have become.

THE DAY AFTER

The day after passed and # am trapped. Trapped in a mind filled with so much, that is constantly working. See things even though they might not be there. !ver the years it has been bruised and battered remembers certain things. Sometimes it is paranoid& yet it remains a rich and vibrant a beautiful mind.

FAMILY

"amily can make you laugh or cry, but the most important thing is they respect one another& learning to let go at the right time. "eeding of one another to gain support, but reassured in urgent times to have a shoulder to lean on with a place to reside. *oming home means revisiting the past and being close to the ones you love and sharing e3periences.

THE IM PERFECT COMPLEX %ortrayed an image, which was acceptable to all. -right when it mattered. *ertain when it was important. %recise in everything # do. # challenged myself to stay one step ahead. 1ventually # learnt to appreciate the little things in life.

THE WAY THINGS WHERE -hen # was younger # thought things where hard # e3pected life to be tough. !verlooked what was said and done. (ecame haunted by the past *reated problems that never e3isted& "ound what # was looking for in me.

THE MANY FACES OF EVE # knew her as eve but she was known to some as 1velyn and to others as 1va. She approached life in much the same way she lived it, fast and furious. "ast to live life to the fullest furious to survive and keep adrenaline going. #n time 1ve known to some as 1velyn and to others as 1va opened up to me and learnt to love. The kind of love were your heart skips a beat and it feels right.

A LONELY HEART A lonely heart is a lost soul knocking at your door seeking companionship. -aiting to be noticed and wishing for things to be different. Hoping for things to change, while getting bruised and battered along the way. #n the meantime it is learning to survive, by accepting what life throws at it.

A WOMANS TAIL The woman ne3t door is also the same woman picking the children from school. The eccentric roommate in college whose plans to travel got cut short. She is the one who fell in love, the one who met the potential in laws and the other woman. The other woman left behind that became an after thought. Her presence grew with time until she became permanent fi3ture. A battle of wills begins, may the best woman win.

NOTHING .othing is forever. 8ou hope to succeed. -ork is a means of survival. 'ove forward by leaving the past behind. 8ou learn by interacting with others. :nowledge is passed on by teaching. /istening to others is an act of appreciation. Thoughts are a form of e3pression. 9oicing an opinion present your own personality, And you compromise to get along.

ME MYSELF AND I # am an individual amongst others finding myself. The self that is comfortable in taking a chance. A person who is assertive, and learns to do better by being proactive. The self that is flawed, but learns from mistakes.

THE HUMAN RACE

-ith the years follows the know how. The knowledge that is gained with time. 13perience learnt from life.

8ou learn more about yourself Appreciate what you have and lost. %ick yourself up when you are down.

Have a back up plan when things go wrong. 'ake decisions when you dont want to. -ork hard only to be invisible.

"ind yourself lost after years of searching. Scared because you stopped believing. ,rained as a result of life, there are no guarantees only hope.

DARK AND BEAUTIFUL

,ark and beautiful # am but # am told otherwise, because # look different. ' y skin is not pale but the color of ebony and my eyes are not blue or green but brown. 'y name isnt easy to remember so you dont. # learn to speak your language and you try to speak mine. -e learn to compromise, and discover what matters is what # can offer you and what you can offer me 5"riendship.6

THE LUCKY ONE

# wear short dresses accompanied by long elegant shoes. The perfect dress up doll, or better yet a cuddly toy. 'y moms pride and +oy, my dads hope and glory. Siblings and rivalries my role models of the present and the future.

'y four walls consist of galleries time gone past. Time that stands still and time that waits ahead. 1ach in a little frame of sliver and gold. 13pensive gifts representing me, the person # was and the person # am.

THE HEAD STONE

# sip a glass of champagne. And remember the last time # did. # raise my glass to toast everyone, Thankful for the name on the tombstone.

Amina was among us. Amina was a friend. Amina was a sister. Amina was a daughter. Amina is not me or you but could have been. #n living memory of her life # celebrate.

STUCK

1yes wide open but are firmly shut to the things around us. A flicker here and there a reminder how small our e3istence is. A chance to contribute and listen to that little voice -e often ignore.

A CONSUMER SOCIETY

(uy and sell to make a profit. Skim a little from the top to improve your image. %ress on like nothing has happened. Thats the way of the world we can only fantasi)e and hope for the best. -e also act on impulse to make a change in our lives.

EXCESS

Having nothing is the reali)ation of ones e3cess. The things that seemed important but are not, -hat mattered but was insignificant. %riceless is what life teaches you.