Peter Lilly: Poems

Winter night cold waits on the borders of each settlement; Frosting the grass with delicate threats of treacherous beauty. Breath-mist is proof of life. Foxes scamper where sight meets shadow, litter is discarded chaos theory. Trying to prove its point, it argues with landfills and origami. But the pattern is gravity Garish lights from shops cause one to look away and thus annul their purpose of brightness and pavement catches. The road is the noble choice. Wide windows reveal masses, their uniform silhouettes are attempts to disguise varied faces, dancing without rhythm. Collective consciousness is an idiot. Contented, outside. November 2010

Yesterday, Ambition stopped watching traffic Brushed the breadcrumbs from its shirt And stayed in the same place -But everything has changed. Last week, Strong jaws and sharp teeth Gripped the heel of dormant future And woke it up in strange surroundings -It closed its eyes to think. Patience can be part of the proceeding, Stillness part of the stepping. Tomorrow, Ambition in the same place, will cast a different shadow Breathing in the eyes that witness blood, Storing up the giving -Because everything is changing. Next week, The sting in each step should still be there Keeping future awake to the present Because they will meet -Like flame and gun powder. But there is patience in the proceeding, And stillness in the stepping forward. October 2010