The poacher by Grant Harbison

It’s the goodness of my soul that lets you live

But I am not God and I refuse to forgive

For your cruelty I cannot  comprehend

And on the grace of God you can only depend

Our Creator created the animal first

Not a toy for our blood thirst

In the beginning all was good

The hunt for that necessary food

Through time we should have grown

Yet our human existence has shown

When their world we so callously encroach

And when they turn to ours we viciously reproach

And poach

So beautiful is the wild

And so protective is the mother with child

Bleeding

Pleading

For her life and her offspring just to spare

Evil doesn’t care

Poacher raises his gun

Smiles because he is having fun

Subjugation by Grant Harbison

A man

No less

Furtive proclivity

Can’t suppress

A man

No more

Transformed behind the bedroom door

Hetero aberration

Alter ego’s subjugation

Satin and silk

Heels and lace

Cerise lips

And made up face

Perplexity

Desire attests life’s complexity

A contradiction

Compelled to concede to anomalous affliction

Devouring delicate manly pride

With the need to express the feminine side

Choose life by Grant Harbison

I saw her there

Jocular eyes and long dark hair

And that perpetual air of devil may care

I was curious to know what was on her mind

Would she be cruel or would she be kind

Her reaction was not what I anticipated

As I was neither praised nor berated

Instead she offered me her hand

And I grasped it although I didn’t understand

Moments later I gasped in surprise

When I saw my life flash in front of my eyes

For the first time I really saw me

Seeing what I was and what I could be

Suddenly I had the urge to break free

To bask in this joy perpetually

My hopes began to soar

Until she stopped in front of a very large door

And whispered in my ear just before she went through

“First you have to be me before you can truly be you.” 

Foolish Pride by Grant Harbison

Stand aside foolish pride

For thou are but a burdensome thorn in my side

A millstone designed to make fools of men

Have not thee done that time and again?

With haughty superiority

Mocking man’s inferiority

Desiring to tempt

Thine power too persuasive to pre-empt

Stand aside I say

No longer will I allow thee to sway

For I do decree

Sagaciousness shall set me free

I am who I was meant to be

And with that willingness just to be me

Nothing more and nothing less

I shall pave that road to success 

Winter kills by Grant Harbison

She tosses and turns in her bed

So many thoughts inside her head

Keeping her awake

Winter brings that familiar ache

Of times gone by

Fighting the urge to cry

She takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh

Listening to the wind as it drives the rain

She stares at the droplets running down the window pane

It’s the empty season

Where melancholy needs no reason

And when the latter years are devoid of frills

And lonely has replaced desire and thrills

The prescription for life has the bitterest of pills

So easily and so callously

Winter kills

In the name of their God by Grant Harbison

They create their own killers for their belligerent God
Mind washing the brain of a hapless sod
Others lie and abuse
Devoid of compassion for those that they use
They create their own words
Not according to their Book
Knowing that most won’t even bother to look
They pretend it’s about love
When they instil minds with fear
Using that cliché that the world’s end is near
And if you don’t pray
Or see things their way
They’ll tell you about hell
And how you’re going to pay
It’s no wonder the world is in the mess that it’s in
For the Power is not external
The Power is within
Closer than we know and not high above
Without judgement and vengeance
Unconditional love
Yet still we allow
And to the charlatans we bow
Feeding their greed
Thinking that somehow that they might fulfil our need
Life might not be fair
And we need someone to care
But the perfect existence is so very rare
As we all have our troubles
Anxieties and woes
Without that the human soul never grows
Yes, we’ve had the great prophets in days of old
Great Messiahs and the stories they’ve told
But those great men who were born in the East
Have followers who have turned them into the biblical Beast
Convincing the masses to confess their sins
While in reality it’s only their power that wins
And still we are drawn
Like the chess opening pawn
To submit to the falsehoods of unscrupulous men
Repeating that process over and again
I just wish you could see
And know that you’re free
This is a world that belongs to you and me
Our Creator has given us His Almighty grace
For us to progress as a proud human race
And believe it or not
Or call me insane
But I know that I’ve been here again and again
It’s just a short journey from that Heavenly plane
Where love is abundant and no cries of pain

What I'd give by Grant Harbison

I’d give her the moon

And all the stars that shine

The universe too if only she were mine

I’d give her my heart and everything that I own

Make her my queen and give her my throne

I’d walk on coals and run through fires

Do anything her heart desires

I’d walk miles in the rain and sail through a storm

Just to keep her safe and keep her warm

Gifts of love I’d constantly shower

Attend to her needs every waking hour

Be utterly fearless and even risk my life

If only she’d agree to be my wife

I’d love her until my very last breath

And if there’s a chance to extend that love after death

I’d keep it stored deep inside

Until once again we meet on the other side