ITALIAN JAYA

i think of you then
much younger than i
and my heavy and aged twenty-nine


i think of you then
when i walked you to work
through your streets of worn camden town


i think of you then
of your walking away
from my solitary and cold street corner


i think of you then
the limp that you gained
from your failed suicide so well planned
       

i think of you then
overdosed on pills
with thoughts that no other would know


i think of you then
within your dark wood
underneath your chosen death tree


i think of you then
in you council-flat room
your seductive smile walking towards me
       

i think of you then
in your joyful despair
those seeds of my love you are taking
       

i think of you then
your mouth full of want
as your harvest my secret desires                                 



Poem "Italian Jaya" jwb 18 Sept-03 Oct 2010 (Revised 2022)
Pen & ink illustration "Nude - after Modigliani" 13 July 2012

BLACK DRAGONFLY

                                                    Illustration 'Black Dragonfly © JWB 2012 

black dragonfly

I saw a black dragonfly in flight yesterday 
today that dragon fly is probably dead

for consumer societies to effectively work
ideas of uniqueness must be corrupted

I saw a black dragonfly    its body dark blue
one grey-white patch on each fine black wing

each societal clone must believe itself special
whilst its creative expression is insidiously eroded

I saw a black dragonfly    completely alone
my awe and awareness    qualitative    pointless

each society member made to feel alienated
will believe it is free making quantitative choices

I saw a black dragonfly     I reached out my hand
I wanted to feel it land on my palm

no one must know that more progress will express
more fear    and defeat    and increased isolation

I reach out my words    want you to touch them
this poem is as dangerous as a black dragonfly

written  03-06 June 2009
Poem 'Black Dragonfly © JWB 2014

Video of jwb reading 'black dragonfly''© JWB 2012 
cut and paste this link in your browser / search engine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BvdPY7Kch8

JAIPUR SUNSET

JAIPUR SUNSET

a bludgeoning reality

nothing more

dead dogs

divine temples

and

an estranged

attentiveness

in which

exotic memories

were

drawn away

amber fort

wind palace

vivid pollen green

a water palace view

all

brought to nothing

quickly disappearing

into

overcrowded frantic streets

an urban and

bucolic vibrancy

traffic

and colourful clothes

jaipur sunset

bad water

blood on the streets

yesterday

I thought

my heart was opening

today it closed

I made excuses

June 6-7 2005

"Jaipur Sunset" - Oil painting 2005 (c) jwb 2012

"Jaipur Sunset" - Poem (c) jwb 2012 

From the unpublished: “Exile Quartet” 

1972-2008 [Part 4: 'Return to Exile']