PIANO MAN

Never ending keys of white and black,

no meaning, no life, no heart.

A teacher, old, with a bend in his back

yet a mind so wise and smart.

He put my finger in their place

He gave the keys a name

He taught me how to keep up pace

a musician I became

But he grew too old, as did his wife

His hair went grey and fine

And so ended his musical life, another victim of time.

My tortured mind went silent and numb

from the hurt of his loss I could feel

To the blessed piano, I did succumb

and my wounds started to heal.

Key after key, I played and played

until my tortured fingers bled.

For me, the royal red carpet was laid,

by the best of musicians, I was led.

But the best fade away, after a while at the top,

one cannot last a tired wave

and a forced smile,

mere shadows of their past.

I set here now, and I cannot play

yet I have the will to go on.

My feeble mind will not obey

But I'm still a man of song.

By Emily Peyton

THE WATER AND THE EARTH

Whispering over pebbles

seeping through fine sand

as pure as pure can get

down dry and salty land.

Now there are several talking

communication brings them together

a combined force, increased strength;

the water of wet weather.

The earth drinks thirstily

filling its heart with life.

People scratch at it with their fingers

and cut it with a knife.

The white sky turns blue

the green land brown

yet in the overfull dam

a small child drowns.

The early slowly dies

no-one feels its pain

But wait, there is still hope

from the heavens comes more rain.

Is there a bright white light

when the earth almost dies?

We say we care, but is this true,

or is it another lie?

By Emily Peyton

HARD TIME?

You spilt some milk

on expensive silk

your tooth's been snapped

it'll have to be capped

you flunked out of school

you feel like a fool

you go laid off

because of your cough

you just go dumped

your shoulders are slumped

your brother's dead

he's cracked his head

you got a big fine

for crossing the line

yet I see with you

and many other too

a distinct glimmer

or is it a shimmer?

a ray of hope

that helps you cope

a dignified shower of

human will power

By Emily Peyton

SOLD

The contract is signed

your soul is mine,

as part of our recent deal.

Confirmation of sale

will come in the mail,

with all that I concealed!

Was my price

really that nice?

Were you really that needy?

No sane man

ever can

be so stupidly greedy!

Did you think I was Christ

and I jsut might

secure your place in "Godsville?"

All the wheelers, dealers

and contract sealers,

wouldn't sell their soul to the devil.

Where once was your soul,

will now be a hole;

to be filled, only by me!

Keep your ships docked

and all the doors locked,

because now the devil is free!

By Emily Peyton

SILENCE

What is silence? nobody knows.

When everything goes quiet, I suppose.

When is silence? Not at night,

or at dusk or dawn or in broad daylight.

Where is silence? Over the moon?

or with the fork that run away with the spoon?

Who is silence? A he or a she?

Does it have feelings like you and me?

How is silence? Got the flu!

So that's why nobody can hear you!

Why is silence impossible to find?

all we want is peace of mind.

By Emily Peyton