Two Poems by Shoshanna Beale

Lost

In this grey and desolate world I wander like a ghost
through haunted cityscapes and narrow muted streets,
and I search and search

I walk through silent streets, past houses drawn with drapes,
walled in high brick fences that speak in a fierce dog growl:
‘you’re not welcome here.’

I pass shadowed man-shapes that reach out twisted limbs
to scratch my face and pull my hair with spindly hands
while bright round eyes peek between their branches
and watch until I walk past.

These dark streets are a shroud that hide my restless feet
and wandering eye—I am a ghost, unseen, unheard.
I search the skies and the streets for escape from an unknown fate,
for answers to questions I’d never thought to ask—

until light blossoms in the dark; windows like welcoming eyes
and an open gate seems a mouth about to speak
And I put aside my restless search until tomorrow night.

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Spring Dreams

Spring is coming, the tension of new life,
new starts and second chances fills the air—
Queen Mab waits, a feather raised like a knife,
for me to leave behind the day’s affairs
and fly with her through the brightening sky.
She taunts me with fresh grass and bright flowers,
warm winds and a golden smile from up high,
birds singing in a riot of colours—
but though my heart yearns to follow her call
this mountain of work cannot be ignored.
I watch the sun like it’s a bouncing ball—
drop paper and pen and run to the door.
Life’s too short and second chances can wait
for the sun to set and spring to abate.

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about the author:

Shoshanna Beale is Melbourne-based writer, poet, and novelist.   She writes poetry, short stories, articles, reviews and maintains a writing-orientated blog.  She works as a freelance writer and editor and is currently finalising her first novel.  You can see more of her writing at www.shannabeale.wordpress.com .