Who Can Create Alone?

Most of us can fight in the heat of anger,If we must.
In the high blood of battle’s rage;
With the adrenaline of nearby buddies,
And the solidity of resupply,
Command, control;
Flag.
Home.
But who can fight alone?
In the cold stillness of night,
With empty stomach,
Torn uniform,
Broken weapons,
Broken will.
Who can fight, like that;
Alone?
Against the dark?
Against those forces that wait quietly for us
On the precipice of death?

Most of us can create in the warmth of light.
Beside the hearth
Of companionship;
The friendly comfort of collaboration,
Recognition.
Money.
But who can create alone?
In spite of the night of anonymity.
In spite of the cold stillness of poverty.
In spite of the gaping maw of the Exit Bag, waiting.
Who can create alone?

--- Tim Carter, 8 May 2011

As an animal

As an animal,
As a being who
Sparked into existence
And had a chance to walk around,
And look,
Smell, hear and taste...

As that being,
You must accept that you will die.

(Okay... Vegetables, too...
Let's not get too egotistical here.)

--- 24 May 2014

Tonight I heard

Tonight I heard
The most amazing sound...

I had given myself a night off,
A few pints, etc...

I remember a feeling
That all things were possible now,
Coming home from the pub.

Then I sat outside
To smoke some fine pipeweed,
As Gandalf would say.

I have been met with relief
This past year or so.
Respite.

I am in good straits.

It's a long story...

Anyway,
Tonight I have been sitting
In the courtyard of my building
After it all...

And I heard the most amazing sound.
In the amber electric light
But also the quiet of the night...

The shoots were emerging.

Earlier that night I spoke
Of how, we in the north would
Just burn the layer of leaves
And dead grass that would've built up,
In spring cleaning...

But in Toronto,
That would invite the Fire Department...

So this layer of dead unwelcome foliage is overtop,
Of everything here.

Anyway I heard the movement of the shoots,
I heard, as they emerged
I heard them shifting the dead foliage above;
Rustling,
At one point even seeing a leaf shift
Slightly.

I was surrounded by the sound of
Emerging shoots...
Just subtle, scattered rustling
In the night,
But to be in tune with it,
To listen to the darkness
I could hear it.

It was the sound
Of new life from the ground,
And the feeling
That anything is possible.

--- 1pm 11 April 2014

Depression Is A Combat Zone

Where was I on
The Eleventh Hour
Of the Eleventh Day
Of the Eleventh Month?

In a waiting room.

This is who we are...

This is who we are...

Look down and you'll see it:

You're a little ragdoll

Hanging off of your eyeballs...

--- 12 Nov 2013

Every day without fail

Every day without fail
(It seems)
I fall asleep
When I wake up.

--- 23 Oct 2013

Obscenity In My Time

I open a favourite video of mine,
Just about an hour ago
(As of posting this),
And this ad comes up on Youtube...
About this product called
Poo-Piroueee, or something like that,
Which basically is a for-real
Scientifically-designed product
That covers the smell of your shit