Looming Weapon Of Destruction

I am not afraid because you say I do not exist 
I will not question my own faith 
or hide in the shadows 
of your looming weapon of destruction
...on the contrary
- If to you, I do not exist, you can never destroy me 

If I am the water slipping through your fingers 
you can never drink me, drown me;
or use me to wash away the stain of your choices
If I am the sand beneath your feet 
you can never use me or my labors
to build your castles in the sky 
Because when the tide rises 
I will wash away into the glorious sea
I will be of no use to you - only to me
If I am the flip side of your bigotry, 
the brunt of your misogyny or racism;
prisoner chained by your legislated laws 
If my protected rights 
are restricted by your ignorance,
by the stroke of your pen -
None of this will impact me

You see,

I am not afraid because you say I do not exist 
I will not question my own faith 
or hide in the shadows 
of your looming weapon of destruction
...on the contrary
- if to you, I do not exist you can never destroy me. 

If I am indeed the flip side of what you are 
than nothing about you can touch me 
Because I am invisible in your world, 
I do not exist and my power is in - that I am 
- and your ignorance keeps you oblivious
My power is that you can not destroy 
what you do not believe in or acknowledge 
You stand on a podium to impose your stance, your presence 
You and the like, use fraud as a "prop" to legitimize ego
I stand on my own 
I stand with my feet planted 
in Mother Earth
My head high, eyes to the sky - rain or shine 
There is no one that will ever hold me higher 
than I hold myself

You see,

I am not afraid because you say I do not exist 
I will not question my own faith 
or hide in the shadows 
of your looming weapon of destruction
...on the contrary
- if to you, I do not exist you can never destroy me.

© 2016 TrilbyYates 

Carrying Our Secrets

It's just a round-about way 
of saying nothing with meaning 
...or true intent vibrate
In the distance I can hear the song
There is a dullness in the roar,
and when the dust is kicked up
and no one settles in,
bullets will be a blazing - glory
It really won't matter what pocket 
you carry your version of Jesus in 
Left or right handed manipulator 
fly's solo wing span reaches out 
and grabs the core of your heart;
grabs you deep until there isn't 
anything left to sink your fingers into
And the teacup you hold 
so poetically drops to the floor 
tiny splinters of perfection 
splash across glistening translucent tile
Rolling thunder drifts out and off the shore;
far, far away and dissipates into an abyss 
of all that was kept on the down low
When truth and deception were 
as close as Siamese twins 
attached by the purity of their genitals 
A symbolic way to keep the other honest 
keeping the faith and straight forward thinking
What remains to be seen or felt 
when the lid is slowly lifted off the cardboard box 
perforated illusion creases rippling score
from Heaven and Hell releases all the pain 
and a self serving glory - to its own demise 
And the Angel's wings will flutter compulsively 
and fly against the destruction of ancient lore,
while seductive smoke and fiery cinder carrying our secrets 
out to the depths of a cold and everlasting sea


© 2015 TrilbyYates 

Light and Dark

Light and Dark 

(from Windows Of The World 2001, by T. Yates) Complete Piece

Heart aches uncontrollably
I feel very lost
So much of what we knew is in rubble
People pass by with hollow eyes –
They shudder too often without warning
I flinch and hold my breath when an airplane fly’s overhead
Sirens scream and recreate that ghastly moment –
Flashbacks and denial walk hand in hand as if familiar lovers
How does one get beyond such a monumental tear? 
The sound of an intentional ripping is heard in every corner of this city
Where is the dark and light, the tall and short of it all? 
We always played in the shadows – light and dark, our comrades
Now we have nothing to depend on, except uncertainty

To my left is a firehouse
My eyes overflow
I don’t hide my sadness
The candles flicker in the dark
Illuminating the stars and stripes
Our brothers, our sisters, their pictures – 
Images of life gone by, while others remain
Leaving powerful love notes taped to the windows
Begging their God to be kinder next time around

A priest passed by me 
With the arms of the firefighters 
Carrying his presence to the alter
His head fell in an amazingly peaceful pose
His face gentle and calm
A hallow of dust floated around his head like a sorrowful crown
His Rosary still in hand
Angel’s wings in full flutter guiding the soldier
Taking him home

A few months later...

Some of the babies have been born
Bitter sweet rejoices are heard around the world
As cries of innocence take their first hard gasp of breath
The child cries in all of us as it did when the band stopped 
Playing our favorite songs in 1993
The songs repeat and fade in our minds - twirl and dance
In our desperation, we instinctively and frantically 
Reach out to hold the tune close 
As it slips away again in 2001
Our hands linger in mid air for endless moments
Questioning continually questioning...

It’s our dance
Our two-step
The footings never change –
The dark and light of it will lead the way
We will faithfully follow
The blind leading the blind
We will listen as the mute speak for the deaf
The lame take their first steps

Our eyes could have been eternally shut
Voices never spoken
Our cries never heard 
We could have crawled on our bellies 
Out from under the rubble…
We were carried, we walked
We helped one another
We stood in the choking cloud of destruction 
And came to meet the dark
Face to unknown face
Walking in the direction of the beaming light

A beacon in the mist 
Of our own clouded memories
Instantly became clear
As if a God had reached out 
And sent all of us the same map –
Directions to a brighter future
All accepting unconditionally without question
The sheep being led to greener pastures
We walk with our hearts pinned to our sleeve
And share a battered sense of unity...

Trilby Yates, September 2001



© 2014 TrilbyYates 

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