Poetry from Paul Tristram

Authenticity Reigns Supreme

Voltaire wrote his first stage play

‘Oedipe’ whilst

imprisoned in the Bastille

… that’s what I deem

a fantastic call to Literary Arms.

We cut our own pathways

… there is nothing

‘groovy’ about imitation,

the greatest form of flattery

is admiration and appreciation.

My written lines are infused

with my character,

which has taken a lifetime

to create, a single (oftentimes

traumatic) notch/scar at a time.

I am as much my ‘Work’

as I am my intrinsic DNA…

and the deeper I dig,

like a Welshman mining coal,

the Clearer my Purpose becomes.

Cold Chips In Yesterday’s Newspaper

He used to be a ‘Hero’

… until she booted

him out, and moved

that Ex-Jailbird in.

Ran into a burning

house and saved

2 infants, years ago

… passed them

down from a window

to a mate in the yard.

Now, he kips in that

end bus shelter…

is always in the bins,

and bursts into tears

whenever anybody

shows him ‘Kindness’

… which is why

everyone has Stopped.

Mr. Brackets

Failing [Dismally] as a Puppeteer

… he took up Knife Throwing,

whilst waiting for Inspiration

to bring a new [Creative] Target.

“I once fell in love with a fallen

Chorus Girl I met in a bar,

one rainy afternoon in Lampeter.

She was on the run from London

… sloppy-drunk, yet still only

halfway between complete Ruin

and what she had [Once] been.”

There will be no ‘Permanency’

… if you surround yourself with

[Fleeting] people… ill-equipped

with a personality and character,

un-self-centred enough for Pillion.

Listening To The Blues Without The Blues

Standing out in the kitchen

writing a poem…

whilst in the background

John Lee Hooker’s

busy singing about being

10,000 miles away

from the woman he loves.

Meanwhile, my emotions

are calm and balanced…

I’m after ‘The Bag’,

gunning for advancement,

and carving a pathway

off into uncharted territory.

New Supply, And The Preparation of

“… we END with saying ‘Grace’

but begin with Murdering

ALL ‘Trust’ and warm

‘Feeling’ towards us… so as

to build up ‘Control’ properly.”

NEGLECT is a Weapon,

and Silence [when utilised

properly] is the cruellest

… Torture Chamber…

you can ‘Subject’ someone to.

“Is this going to hurt?”

… give no Clarification,

‘Anticipation’ is the Key to

Nightmare Doors Unimaginable…

Unapproachable [Invisible Barriers]

Fresh flowers every birthday

for the last 15 years…

and she still doesn’t know

it’s me who sends them.

Not the prettiest girl in class,

but without a doubt,

the sweetest… and those

‘Freckles’, melt my heart so.

The only time I got sent

in front of the Headmaster

was for sticking up for her

when that snivelling bully

hit her bag onto the ground.

I didn’t realise my own

strength… bloodied his

nose and shrunk his pride…

she gave me a Kitkat

in the dinner hall as thanks,

I STILL have the wrapping.

She’s been married twice,

although she’s single now…

and she’s the ONLY woman

on this damned planet,

I cannot Brave a ‘Smile’ for.

Polaris

Finding your own Personal

‘North Star’ is Paramount.

Success is oftentimes

achieved along the way

to attaining a Goal…

yet, the urge to hit a Target

still out of reach…

will keep you Battling on.

For decades I associated

with Life’s dispossessed,

the Vagabonds, Gypsies

and wayward Drifters…

it did provide ‘writing

material’, but also stunted

and slowwwwed me down.

I was lucky enough

to be born with Ambition,

‘Bigger Picture’ vision…

and with an endless thirst

for bettering myself

through Ritualistic Graft,

and ‘Intense’ Self-Learning.

Paul Tristram is a widely published Welsh writer. He yearns to tattoo porcelain bridesmaids instead of digging empty graves for innocence at midnight, this too may pass, yet. His novel “Crazy Like Emotion”, collection of shorter fiction “Kicking Back Drunk ‘Round The Candletree Graves”, and full-length poetry collections “The Dark Side Of British Poetry: Book 1 of Urban, Cinematic, Degeneration”, “It Is Big And It Is Clever: Book 1 of A Punk Rock Hostile Takeover” and “South Wales Outlaw: Book 2 of A Punk Rock Hostile Takeover” are all available by Close To The Bone Publishing.

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