aokigahara

deadwood on a silent shore
the crack of daylight on her face
says maybe she won’t want to die
one day

ever unsure
unable to see tomorrow
yonder rot & spore
& chokehold of black trees

the war in her brain
can anything numb the pain
thunderclouds or amnesty
they say the forecast is up to she
dumbly she hangs ‘tween root & limb
awaiting the rain

ever unsure
the marrow’s in the morrow
this is what they say
but hope is a blithe man’s game

deadwood on a silent shore
she doesn’t know how to be
defiled she hangs lightly
for another day

Aokigahara

by TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2023

the zenith of lilith

you placed your foot upon my shadow
resolutely stopped me leaving
so i’m asking why you won’t let me kiss you

every time you petal your thighs
all the angels commit suicide
a field of red puff shudderings
as far as the eye can see

you placed your foot upon my shadow
resolutely stopped me leaving
so i’m asking why you won’t let me know you

and whenever you peddle your lies
all the demons almost believe you
but i didn’t make it rain this time
so you cannot blame me

you placed your foot upon my shadow
resolutely stopped me breathing
so step off, bitch

the zenith of lilith

by TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2022

let it rain

have you dared to declaim with your true face
have you seen how they inward flinch
have they made a monster of the hole in you

have you longed for truest validation
have their eyes doth pummelled your face to tears
have you hidden your tears under veil of rain

if only this was a happy song
if only we could fill our lungs again
if only for the air ‘tween the drops of rain

have you pulled truer weeds from the broken earth
have you doth counted and more so for praying
have you monstered after the four-leaf clover

have you truly known that you never belonged here
have you paid your respects to friend grief again
have you layed yourself down in the face of pain

if only this was a happy song
if only we could feel our lungs again
if only for the air ‘tween the drops of pain

by TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2022

meanwhile… rain

let’s not run away
next time they hunt us down
let’s stay there and look
at their bewildered faces

let’s sit on the dirty curb
have a smoke (though both of us don’t)
and watch as they’re chased away
by a freezing november rain

by TETIANA ALEKSINA
© All rights reserved 2021