People Like Us

We’re the fucked up generation

The ones with more flaws than smiles

We’re destroying our own bodies

On a road that goes on for miles

There’s voices in our heads

Telling us to stop, give in, give up

But we don’t listen subconsciously

Instead we drink and get banged up

Self-harm scars and anti-depressants

Have become so normal nowadays

And you remember when choosing your ice-cream flavour

Was the most difficult decision of the day

Having sex at thirteen

And smoking twenty or more

Has become so normal

Or else you are a bore

Eating disorders take over

As girls gaze at twigs on the cat-walk

Wishing they looked as thin as that

Not realising their mind is warped

Technology is our new best friend

You can hide behind the keys

Tapping vicious words, press enter

As someone breaks down on their knees

Drugs are accessible

If you know the right gang

Getting high, lighting joints

To prove to them you’re a man

Education doesn’t matter

When you get married at seventeen

Have three children by the age of twenty two

Without achieving all your dreams

Alcohol fuels your brain

With an escape from this place

But you don’t understand

It’s not a competition or a race

You can be yourself

It’s not an offence or a crime

Enjoy your childhood while it’s there

You’ll soon run out of time

The people like us

The fucked up girls and boys

Like to make a mess

And lots and lots of noise

We’ll carry on living

Making mistakes as we go

But in the end we need to learn

That the self-hate has to go

Because how can someone love you

When you don’t love yourself

It’s like reading a book

That’s gathered dust on the shelf

You stare in the mirror

With tears falling down your face

You’re not perfect and never will be

But you’re part of the human race.

(Inspired by Kelly Clarkson's song People Like Us)

The Hotel Room

The rain lashed down the windows
As the tears fell down her face,
She walked, lost.

Alone in her own house
Past old paintings and photographs
Opening and closing the wooden doors.

The eerie lights flickered
But to her they were stars
Guiding her, showing her the way.

Shutting the back door
Reception area approached
The woman smiled at her.

The lift churned
As did her stomach
With anticipation.

Soft carpeted corridors
Soothed her bare feet
And caught her falling tears.

As the opened the bedroom door
The sight awaited her
One she’d longed to see for so long.

He was lying on the bed
With a bouquet of roses in his hand
And a smile on his face.

The Song Of The Sausages

Sausages are such peculiar things

When they split and spark and almost sing

In the pan they create a familiar tune

That takes over the whole room.

They sizzle and fry and chuck out grease

While you try to keep them in one piece

Cheese and onion

Or pork and leek

It's so strange how

These sausages speak.
 

They slip and slide

Around the pan

While you do all you can

To stop yourself catching their hot spray

After all it's been a long day.
 

Sausages are quick to cook

Comfort food

Now I'm in a Richmond mood.
Make me gravy

Put the kettle on

Whilst the sausages sing their song.

Procedures

As my pen moves I imagine what she’s doing

Is she surrounded by the smell of death?

Perhaps she’s filling out a death certificate

Whilst I daydream at my desk.

The paper is blank, just like my heart

And the smell of coffee awakens me

Is she preparing a body for its last goodbyes?

Whilst I imagine my stomach swelling.

As she travels to the hospital

To collect a corpse

I fantasise about rushing

To the delivery room.

She witnesses the end of life

Every single day

Whilst I dream of starting new life

Every second of each day.

She says she loves her job

I often ask her why

But she never hugs me

When I start to cry.

She smells of hand gel

Cleanliness and soap

But it doesn't disguise

The fact that we can’t cope.

Our marriage is dying

Can we save its life?

All I want is a baby

With my beautiful wife.

Images From My Life

Mummy left me crying
At school, for the first time
2 years later
Jonny was born
A golden angel
10 years or so went by
And then that magic night occurred
The rain drummed on my skin
And your face burnt into my mind
Your soft lips kissed mine
I still remember
My own squeals of excitement
When Dad brought home
Two baby guinea pigs
The sad night
When my best friend left
I waved goodbye to her
From the back seat in the car
Moving schools was hard
I was the new girl
Settling in was harder
When they call you "Midget!"
Then college began
The best 2 years so far
Meeting new people and
Forgetting the pain of secondary school
Leaving college was tough
Passing my exams was tougher
Especially as I was ill
Riddled with depression
Then on 15th August
My life changed forever
I got into university
Mum screamed
I cried, and now
I'm here.

Mum’s Handbag

It’s a cave

Filled with jewels

Ready to be found

It’s hell inside there

Crammed with paperwork

Yesterday’s To-Do list

And last week’s receipts

Letters from long lost lovers

And notes to self

It gets emptied

Annually, near Christmas

Cleared out, cleaned

Then all put back in

Until the following December.