The emperor

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From the top of his castle mountain
The lonely emperor surveyed
Why is no one approaching?
Why does no one obey?
They’re all just so terribly boring
Why does no one venture to play?

He was a wise man, had greatness
But somewhere along the way
Confronted with dimwits and wankers
And their self importance on display
He decided to retreat to his peak
Reached zero tolerance for what they say

From there he could observe each perspective,
Had knowledge of every view
But at the top it can also get lonely
And with no one to question what’s true
The emperor often felt he was righteous
And others should best meekly ensue.

His rooster cried cock-a-doodle-doo every morning
And he happily stepped to the plate
From the centre of his private universe
He would sometimes believe in the hate
With no one to nurture his chicken
He spent much energy being irate

The mirror behind his throne was gathering dust
As over his shoulder he never did see
With no one to hold it up to his face
He sat and wondered how it can be
That all are so afraid to speak up
Why is there no one to truly challenge me?

When out of the mist a child appeared
That was not afraid to climb up
Pure and frank, not a bone out of place
It asked the emperor to stop
With honest intention it pointed to believing in love
And told him to clean his own mirror up

The child saw him naked, not blinking an eye
No questions, no judgement, no fear
It didn’t even think twice
Just shouldered the burden to bear
Together they looked in the mirror
And what did the emperor see there?

His brightness relfected in the eyes of a child
The wonder, the beauty, the world to create
The child knew no games, it just wanted to play
And reach for horizons unknown, from curiosity’s state
Not perfect, but searching, admitting when wrong
Trading happy for right, feeling love not hate

With this revelation the emperor saw
That unconditional kindness exists
Even if it is rare, it’s worth believing
Why deny yourself the promise of bliss
By only residing on your own terms
And let opportunity to grow go amiss

Wise to admit his judgemental lapse
The emperor, enlightened, immediately knew
To wield a mirror for others,
Only has value if you dare look in it too
There you might find someone positive at heart
In the child that mirrors it back to you

©2013

The blissful life of likes

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What face do you give
In the book that you live?
What image do you present?
Are you polished and kempt?

You can count on five likes
If you display your life from the pike
Your happiness will rub off on me
As you weather the hurdles with glee

Like a bird that twitters, you post your fence
Make your mark, your blissful tuppence.
So all know you have a happy life,
It’s so marvellous, abundant, rife.

That’s spiffing, commendable, so power to you!
But you’ll have to admit it is a bit one-sided too
All of us can expect the attendance of grief
At some point even the most positive might need some relief

Who is your shoulder, where do you turn?
In a world where mourning meets spurn
Where do you let it out and have it gone
So it’s vented, accepted, and done?

Patience has gone for tales of strife
Refusal galore of the dark side of life
No place for the cynics, only quick fix
A need for a thumbs up, a finger that flicks

We feel pity for another’s plight
And move on to talk of our delights
Rather than enjoy and simply do
We need to shout about it too.

Likes are nice, sharing is fun
But it doesn’t get all things done
Try it once, close the book, go and see
Get out, listen to the birds in the trees

Nothing can ever replace
The bliss of a face to face
Because ultimately, in the end
There’s nothing better than one real friend.

©2013

Free of time

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From when time began
With first light of sun
In beams of gold
Our story could unfold
Divided to unite
We shine our light

Eternity ever sends
Us upon a road that bends
I can’t see where it ends
But I know and I will find
In one moment free of time
You are mine

Opposites attract
And atoms will react
Across the eons
Purpose to frictions
Within your heart
Our tale will start

Eternity ever sends
Us upon a road that bends
We can’t see where it ends
But we know and we will find
In one moment free of time
You are mine

At the end of our time
We will see the sign
And stand tall
Straight through it all
Travel to the light
We will find inside

Future and history
Forever to be
Souls embrace
No time or space
Never gone
Always one

©2013

The wait

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The wait
Has no gait
It’s silent, still
And long
Or not
But tedious and unnerving
To those in haste
With no time to waste
And pressure to perform
On them it’s wasted
But some do see
How nice it is to breathe
Sit back, reflect
Take some time to dissect
What the heart has going on
And the mind has silenced
They find treasure in the wait
The distance to contemplate
Find space to create, innovate
And so move on again
To set it free

©2013, Myriam Heffels

Transformation

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From the gut, from the pit
Venom wells up and is spit
It’s conductive
Only to the self destructive
Cheats, defeats, hurts much to boot
And mars those it concerns

It wants to wreck, wants to hide
What has become naked to the eye
The absence of control
The surrender of the soul
To the journey that is right
The indomitable desire to let go

By heart that now bleeds
The transfusion it needs
Is readily accepted
As the passion that burns
And the will to grow and learn
Is stronger than the fear

But as the mind shifts, bends
The ego resists its end
So voices of doubt still reside
To fight destruction of habits once safe
But now proven to be inane and concave
There is conflict with every leap

All foundations are crumbling
Out of time, falling, tumbling
Praying to be safe, to be caught
By transformation complete
And a world no longer boring or bleak
But overhauled, uprooted, alive

Dawn will break, light will arrive,
Bringing perspective of a different life
Of excitement, inspiration and joy
No limits to options, no fears to create
The rebirth of true talents innate
And hope you’re still standing when the storm ends.

How will I be remembered?

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I was diminished
And I agreed
Outnumbered ruthlessly
Then nailed to the floor
And stigmatised
Deeply stigmatised
Never will I be
Crucified to your cause again

How will I be remembered
When my life is tempered?
Forsaken by all
But I tried
Before I died

I stand alone
Face the rain
The endless river
I cried into the sea
Before tears dried
Now they are dried
Always will I have
My smile upon my face

How will I be remembered
After the world has ended?
No one left to see
All the scars
Of endless wars

I walked away
From the edge
The bottomless pit
Where I once resided
Before I climbed
Up I climbed
Never will I go
Back into my murky shadow

I don’t need to be remembered
When my soul is rendered
Back to it’s home in the light
Finally free
I am me

Colours of time

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Where am I to go
Am I safe enough to know
My own world of beauty inside
Is the sight of truth
While the outlook is just bleak
What am I to do
I’m slowly drowning in the blue

I wish you could see
All those colours that I see
I can show them, but you don’t see me
I turn to you, but you turn away
And I can’t speak, I can’t say
Look at the harvest of time
The pain of the past we all keep recreating 

When will you listen, why can’t you hear
The message of love instead of fear

Tiny moments in time
When we seem to get it right
And in our universe we collide
So we can run free
Until the cold wind of change
Brings the icy snow
The white replaces warmth of yellow 

I wish you could see
All those colours that I see
I can show them, but you don’t see me
I turn to you, but you turn away
And I can’t speak, I can’t say
Look at the harvest of time
The pain of the past we all keep recreating 

When will you listen, why can’t you hear
The message of love instead of fear 

The people I meet
Are not getting me I’m sure
They just see the crippled outside
Of the heart that loves
Despite the cruelty of the world
Wonder can be seen
In flowers growing from the green 

I wish you could see
All those colours that I see
I can show them, but you don’t see me
I turn to you, but you turn away
And I can’t speak, I can’t say
Look at the harvest of time
The pain of the past we all keep recreating

 When will you listen, why can’t you hear
The message of love instead of fear

What I will give
Might never survive it’s birth
Still I will see its creation through
And give my soul to you
Until there’s no more left to give
When love is dead
I will surrender to the red

I wish you could see
All those colours that I see
I can show them, but you don’t see me
I turn to you, but you turn away
And I can’t speak, I can’t say
Look at the harvest of time
The pain of the past we all keep recreating

You might never listen, so you won’t hear
My message is love instead of fear 

Black hole

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I’m living in a black hole
Suspended since time began
Stuck in the physics of my soul
Inside my own event horizon
Never touching my whole
Can’t travel this universe
As if I am pinned to a pole
There I can see it,  while left to feel
All of the pain within my role
There is no escape, no solace
Just the hope to reach the goal

Puzzle

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In the vortex of time
To know
It was always mine
I am left and right
Above and below
After the fight
There was the blow
Sudden and unexpected
And I hear music play
Words that try
But fail to say
And there’s no need
No question why
As in the silence remaining
I am heard and understood
All encompassing
Minds destined to melt
By the spark that ignited
All of my life
I catch it falling
Into the perfect fit
Like the pieces
Of the grandest puzzle
The universe has to bid

©2013, Myriam Heffels

Game of the name

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What is in a name?
Is it all in the game?
Will it change you?
Does it point to?
Like a lighthouse
Beacon in the night
Calling out a light

What is in a name?
Is it just a game?
Could it move you?
Will it point to?
Like a lighthouse
Beacon in the night
Calling out a light

Listen on Soundcloud: The game of the name (improvisation):