Tiny frail limbs drown within her too-thin berry coat,
Edges matted with dirt, ragged sleeves
Scraggly hair lay behind its owner’s head
Ignored, unkept, a corpse upon her back
Faded, pilling cotton tights, belie her tarnished Innocence
Awkward, cheap, plastic shoes
Clobber and restrain any remaining exuberance
Listless eyes opened wide
Grubby little fingers anxiously stroke small coins
She stands, motionless in front of the store display
Glossy, artificially vibrant rubbish piled high into perfect rows
Already she hears the Siren Call: Consumerism
An antiseptic, soothing the vigilant, chaffing poverty she lives
For within every smooth, filmy wrapping lay a flicker of Hope
A moment of Peace, the seductive power of Ownership
C-r-e-a-k, cro-o-ok
Click, Clack, Tink
Eeeeekk
Blubb, Glub, S-p-p-t
Drip. Drip.
Shhip, Shhup, Shhip, Shup
THUD, THUD, crack!
Seeee-saawww
Pfffttt! S-pp-Llu-TT-er…
Cough, Cough, Wheeezz
She has seen better days,
Probably even seen worse,
Yet with eyes of Hope
I caress her tired limbs
The aches and pains of growth
Change, beyond her prime
When all she desires is to lie down
Smooth and wash her neglected skin
Under the heavy makeup
Scars and wrinkles of experience:
Fears, happiness and tears
Still manages to shine
The faint character of her youth
As I step upon a fresh page
History of this building, I mark my small Niche
My time here, but a blink upon this Grand Dame’s life,
Yet it is mine and I love it so…
Pride of a New Home Owner
The billowing atmosphere breaks across
A sharp grey sky
Our Hero scans the horizon
Today's Mission: Lunch
Past crumbling ancient ruins, through winding, wild forests
Navigating quickly between the towering concrete canyons
Footsteps echoing a solitary reply
Arriving at last at the Hunting Ground
Slipping between the grazing Alien creatures
From behind a cut rock cropping
Lunch is served: contents unknown
The real adventure has only just begun…
Using high definition instruments and chemicals,
(Knife, fork, napkin, salt & pepper, ketchup)
Carefully testing, our Hero attempts to dissect and define
Meat is certain, origin many possibilities: Turkey, veal, fish, rooster, pork…
(These thrifty creatures are known to devour anything)
Vegetable matter is detected, origins unknown
Uncategorized: species unique to the region
Our Hero, famished, devours the contents
The results (albeit tasty) go unidentified
Mission: Incomplete
With courage our Hero sets out into the Alien world
Each day, to tackle yet once again
Mission Impossible: The Mystery Meal