Collateral Child

carefree child playing in the mud
years on, sense of self evolving
still full of wonder, tears wept away
nurtured, befriended, loved and hurt
head walloped, seeing stars
schooled by ruler, belt and cane
missiles landing, crunch and thud

misfit, cast out from teacher’s class
belittled, humbled, humiliated
guts churn, hostiles behind the door
eject the rejectors, born to speed
swim the pool, they are in my wake
launch out smiling, ten boards high
free fall through the looking glass

plunge in deep, ear pressure pounds
beautiful bodies, beautiful thoughts
resurface together, skin touches skin
crazy singers, melodic goose bumps
words, limbs and numbers intertwine
incomers welcome, tremendous thrash
ongoing orgy of emergent sounds

bold murals, parallel state of mind
walls and gables, visions of the past
bonfires lit across the para-land
pallets piled up as high as steeples
flags flaunted, pavements coloured
banners parade, big drums bang
frightened eyes, the balaclava kind

forms of guile, men in holy robes
circling collar, cap and turban wrap
scripture, scroll, shiny-ended book
damnation, coercion, fear and guilt
repentance, faith, forgiveness of sin
reward in heaven, love and saints, 
evil and devils, pointy-eared lobes

representatives of the glorious god
supreme being, awful omnipotence
they worship, spin, turn and twist
weaving tales of hierarchical order
offer the sacrifice, suffer the children
base emissaries of the bestial beast
bent over grotesque, fiendish clod

deadly manmade unintelligent tools
slaughtering kids along with elders
collateral child worth host of angels
merciless soldiers, illegal land grabbers
settlement expansion, mind reduction
killing each side of the barrier fence
world will not pity these pitiless fools

mighty weak, the righteous wrong
invalid altar of absolute knowledge
certainty uncertain, that’s for sure
delve far on down then up and out
truth teased from falsehood found
reality shimmering, beyond the light
insights swooping with joyous song

civilisation and zeitgeist advancing?
enough! you will not break my spirit
I am off, relaunching, transforming
my universe may need it’s little one
I will bring my morsel of comprehension
before disappearing a long time dead!
here to glimpse a moment dancing

last whimper, screaming across ages
recorded for future god-like creatures
hello from me to what- or whomsoever
I present to you my pain, my pleasure
my playful hands, my ideas inkling
the point of me suspends in mid-air
wind still blows, time turning pages
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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