"Neon Sign" (Entry 524)

Neon slime green sign

oozed its request 

into the auditorium darkness of

the theatre.

The only light.

Unable to switch off.

Battery back up in case.

This was its time.

Even when it hit,

the earthquake,

the health and safety request shone out.

“Emergency Exit” it shrieked

as the audience screamed,

as walls crumbled and 

the roof and curtain came down

for the last time.

*********

Note: Written before the awful tragedy at the Apollo Theatre, London - http://nimaxtheatres.com on 19 December 2013. My thoughts and warmest wishes go out to everyone involved in the accident. 

(http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25459567)

"Disco Beat Death" (Entry 496)

1 - 2 - 3 - 4

The disco beat bounced through his head.

BeeGees with sledge hammers.

That infernal tune on internal loop.

That bloody adverts fault,

meant to save lives.

First aid,

CPR,

chest compressions to the rhythm of ‘Stayin’ Alive.’

Ironic,

now the victim was Forever Dead.

He’d been there, willing them along,

counting his breaths, 

trusting they would keep the patient going,

as they attempted to stop the blood from literally 

Going down the drain.

He didn’t see the car hit,

but from what he was looking at now,

it must have been a head-on.

Over the bonnet and thrown into the gutter,

Like the rest of the unwanted discarded detritus.

He stared at the body,it looked empty.

A shell, some call it,

like you could hold it to your ear and

still listen to its past life, like

The distant roar of the ocean.

No, that mass of meat was nothing but compost, or ash, now.

He should know,

it was his body he viewed through

non-existant non-corporeal eyes.

He knew he should be reviewing his life,

or regretting what he should or shouldn’t have down.

Trouble was, he couldn’t stop thinking about that fucking tune,

“Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Stayin’ Alive!”

He prayed it wouldn’t last into eternity.

"Let the Tide Wash Over" (Entry 257)

The current pulled.
Tugging at his arms,
while broken shopping trolleys and polluted reeds
grabbed and held his legs fast.
He stopped flaying,
giving up the fight,
instead to release -
to gulp in the rushing dirty water.
Gushing into his lungs
replacing where air once flowed.
The wrong substance to petrol his internal engine,
his body broke down,
as his mind calmed and
crystal sparkles filled his mind.
Then a smile in his rive grave.