James Dyche
Poet and Writer for honesty and resonance in your projects.
New to Contra
James is ready for their next project!
I set myself a little seasonal challenge whereby I'd use the image behind each door on my picture advent calendar as a verse prompt (don't worry, I did have a chocolate calendar as well).
Head on over to my Ko-fi to read all 24 verses, plus a bonus Christmas Day one.
https://ko-fi.com/post/The-Advent-Poetry-Projet-X8X61RD9GU
0
28
'The Fool's Errand'
I flirted with you
And it felt good
Inspired imaginings that warmed my blood
We went for a coffee
I thought it went great
So my mind played the future we could create
I woke the next morning
With a spring in my step
And thought of the places we could meet next
I looked to my messages
Deflated by silence
That crushed my pure heart
And thus it was time for dreams to depart
You’ll not be forgotten
And betrayed I see
Your name is Hope, and you ghosted me.
0
22
'The Darkness'
In darkness formed
In darkness grew
In darkness, darkness
Grew in you
In darkness born
In darkness start
In darkness, darkness
Took your heart
In darkness ripe
Became you man
In darkness, darkness
Was His plan
In darkness cloaked
Emerged, stepped out
A glaring world
That made you doubt
What..
Oh..
I..
But it’s..
No..
It.. it.. burns?
In light you faltered
And then you tripped
Exposed the darkness
Feeling stripped
In light you blistered
It’s pain went deep
In light, the light
Did make you weep
In light you ended
In light you fell
In light, the light
Was your hell
In darkness returned
In darkness slept
In darkness, darkness
Your soul is kept
1
20
'Undefeated'
'Let us show you our gods' they said.
'Fine, show me your gods' he replied, and he looked up but saw.. nothing. He realised he was looking too high, and as his gaze lowered, an almost imperceptible curl touched upon his lips. Was he disappointed? Maybe, but the familiar sense of resignation soon settled. Was that.. it? 'I suppose I'm not surprised' he thought.
A deep rumbling chuckle came from behind, a sound more felt than heard. He knew what it meant, there was no need for it to speak. Even in the face of the best hope they could give, his darkness still towered over all.
Undefeated, insurmountable, he now knew there was nothing more powerful than the monster which ruled his life.
https://ko-fi.com/post/Undefeated-Y8Y01P8PRF
1
21
'The Price of Fruit'
I'm going to start today by quoting the Bible, but don't be alarmed! This is not a religious post.
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
...
Continue reading: https://ko-fi.com/post/The-Price-of-Fruit-Q5Q71P8PLC
1
19
'Crushed'
Your eyes are magnificent
Blue fire, and my heart is seared
Your glorious radiance consumes me
And leaves me quaking
Your hair, so neat and smart
Your posture, so measured and confident
I need you to hold me, let me breathe you in
As your arms steady me
Kiss me, caress me, make my body yours
And give yourself to me
For there is no life I want that isn’t you
And yet, I must let it all go
Unrequited
Rip out my heart
Just let me die
For I cannot have you
No, I have to let you go
For you were not meant to be
Like all else
With these words
I release this pain.
1
17
'Adrift (A Poem)'
Lost
Alone
Cold
Wet
Floating on dark waters
Afraid
Defeated
Hopeless
The currents take him only further out
Swallowed
Drowned
The mighty waves engulf him
Dead
The end.
1
16
'Adrift'
The rhythmic rocking, side to side, up and down. In another place and time such motion could be relaxing – letting him drift away whilst his body was very much safe – a hammock in the dappled shade of majestic trees on a balmy day. A rocking chair in front of an open fire, the crackling of the wood telling his soul he was safe. Or bathing the in the sea but at the beach, shallow, near land and a lifeguard.
...
Continue reading: https://ko-fi.com/post/Adrift-L3L21P8O16
1
16
'Not To Be'
The caterpillar
Spun its silk
Wrapped, cocooned
A butterfly
To become
Beautiful, and fly
But it all went wrong
Couldn’t break out
And so, it was not to be
The tadpole
It grazed, wriggled
Grew legs and arms
A frog
To become
And explore the land
But it all went wrong
Got eaten
And so, it was not to be
The seed
On the wind taken
Carried to new ground
A Tree to become
Mighty, majestic
Shelter for all
But it all went wrong
In water, landed, rotted
And so, it was not to be
And me
Time made me the adult
With ideas for my own
A place to be me
The intimacy of another
The memories made
Bit it all went wrong
For he was broken
And so, it was not to be
24
138
'Hair'
Oh hair, up there, what are you doing?
You are chaos and disorder, if I leave you be
And also, if I don’t
..
Continue reading: https://ko-fi.com/post/Hair-V7V11ON2BB
1
16
'Sediment'
It’s always there, the sediment.
All the bits and things, accumulated.
Gathered by time,
The sediment.
In the waters calm, it sits
Idle and still, all is clear
Unnoticed, unfelt
The sediment.
But these waters are a torrent
The rapidity of flow, unceasing
Churned, tossed
The sediment.
The constant rushing of thoughts
Buffeting my mind
I cannot see through
The sediment
No, not these waters, serenity
As in not this mind, clarity
Not this heart, hope
The sediment
My sorrow
Forever.
26
148
'Stop Keep Going'
I’m so fed up of attempt
So fed up of try
I’m just so off with holding on
So tired I could cry
I’m done with perseverance
So letting go of hope
All is fruitless endeavourment
No, I cannot cope
No more of just keep plodding on
And seeing what may come
Dreams endlessly crashing down
Is just so wearisome
So, just to repeat:
I’m so fed up of attempt
I’m so fed up of try
I’m just so off with holding on
It’s easier to die.
1
14
'The Lie'
And there it is
The lie
Because you couldn’t be honest.
Did you think you were being kind
Sparing my feelings
Avoiding hurt
And letting me keep a false hope
Holding on to what is not
Waiting, open
But the lie never lasts
The truth always reveals
And then what
The dishonesty hurts more
But also this:
Do not think I didn’t figure it out in the end
1
13
'The Raven-haired Witch'
She was the raven-haired witch,
But not because her hair was full of feathers,
No, it was just black.
Like her soul.
She was the raven-haired witch,
But she did not caw, instead she cackled.
It wasn’t laughing,
She was just trying to seem normal.
She was the raven-haired witch,
But she did not peck your eyes out with a beak
Instead, she just pierced your soul with her tongue
And make like it was good for you.
She was the raven-haired witch,
She tried to be just another one of us amongst us
But, if you didn’t know she was a witch,
You’d still know she was a witch.
But that wasn’t the worst thing about her.
No.
The worst thing about her was her hypocrisy
1
11
'I Will Watch You Die Then Follow You'
I see life for what it is
A mere flicker, a whimper
We are but a blip of unimportance
Temporal, insignificant
Some are fools to think they matter
With their pathetic egos
Look at me
I did this thing
I went that place
I'm so funny
But you'll soon be over
Darkness, silence
You don't recall what was before
Because there was nothing
And the nothing will claim you back
Inevitable, Inescapable
Remembered for the longest
Only by those you hurt
Until we too are no more.
1
10
'It Hurts'
Keep them at bay
The things that hurt me
They are the wolves that tear me to pieces
And leave me bleeding
Keep them to yourself
The things that burn me
Charred flesh cracks when I move
An endless agony
Speak nothing at all
Lest I know the things
That are an icy dagger deep in my gut
Revealing within
The soul
That cannot bear the weight of existence.
1
12
'Why I Like an Autumn Chill'
I used to dread
That Autumn Chill
An anxious childhood chill
The end of Summer chill
The back-to-school chill
The quiet child, ‘please don’t pick on me’ chill
The (must it always be football) PE chill
The last-to-be-picked chill
The shouting teacher chill
And his ‘hurts-my-ears’ chill
The friendless child chill
That just wanted to stay home in his own world.
But now I don’t mind
An autumn chill
It’s a ‘I quite like this’ chill
Because an autumn chill
A yellow, orange and red chill
A worm casing in mud chill
A ‘birds back at the feeder’ chill
A cosy jumper in the evening chill
Is a reminding chill
It’s an ‘I survived’ chill
And a sense of relief chill
That I don’t have to do those things anymore.
18
104
'The Unfortunate Ladies'
Her name was Rebecca, and she lived in the sea
She came up for air intermittently
But when she saw there were people around
She breathed in the water, and chose to drown
Her name was Susannah, and she knew how to fly
But somehow, up there just seemed way too high
So she stayed firmly planted on the solid ground
Where mauled by a tiger, in bits she was found
Her name was Joanna, and she hid in a cave
Afraid of the darkness, she had to be brave
The alternative was to step into fresh air
And be part of a world, for which she didn’t care.
24
134
'A Short Weave'
And at that time
That time when I
When I have failed
Have failed to turn
To turn every dream
Every dream into realty
.. what then?
1
10