Subjected Subject

I would rather be your subject

than your object

Sweetie

In this absolutely loveless sentence

of ellipses

Or even your clause 

in lieu of this phrase

of endless 

colons

Yet I'm here 

scribbled

In  stolid brackets

of your indecision

IM aginations

and sure in actions 

deserving of exclamations!

AH!!!!

Just letters

and spaces

and spaces 

and letters

With no sketches

Of hope

to climaxed creativity

OH!!!

Good Heavens!

I dangle here

Verbless

In the appendage of your heart

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick

Afraid to Love

You are not afraid to love

Like I fear the way 

you don't love me

Then love the scare

Of being free

Then tear

The cheer

Of you and me

And hug and kiss

This nobody

That holds my hand

In fantasy

And reads my mind

Good grief!

He be

That Lonely

Cling

That walks with me

Makes no demands

humble he be

To catch me in

fidelity

A cunning fool

for sure is he

You are not afraid to love

You just don't

love me

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick

Treadmill

My heart

Is racing

On this treadmill

Going nowhere

Yet present

To do this

another day

Oh the ache

Of holding on

To these

Unfeeling handles

Unknowing

mandles

To pace

This illusion

That can never

compare

To a real jog

anywhere

Up scary land

Where fake friends

Hold hands

With big hearts

From life's demands

down these

Hills and valleys

Leading to Leftbank

I hate treadmills

they go nowhere

BOX

I met a man today

who fit so well 

in a box

I wondered if Jack was his name

He had neither fortune nor fame

Just a peaceful smile on his face

He could no more hear,touch,or taste

Indeed it is really a shame 

That I never knew Jack's name

Or why he spent so much money

For an hour

In this honey-colored

box

Tracks

I have passed through this track a few times

I am sure of where it leads

If I touch that picker bark tree

I am almost certain I'll bleed

I use this stick to anchor my steps

Now the hill isn't that steep,after all

Though, I dare not balance on that beam

Because there is a high chance I'll fall

The tree by the river has a ribbon

So I'll just keep walking this track

My eyes scan the ground for mapepires

And wild animals that might attack

Sometimes I feel a bit lost here

Unsure if to turn left or right

But the bush is so beautiful

So pristine from hominids

I might just lay here for the night

What is the name of that bird

with the weird rattling song?

There is no one to judge me here

I might as well shout along

Do you hear the whisper of trees

Or even the aching of woods

Us hominids are so self-absorbed

I'm certain very few of us could

Orchids and blue butterflies

Are still pretty much out of sight

Alas another ribbon ahead

I guess I ought not to turn right 

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick

Party Vibes

There is a cake with your name on it

In a room full of strangers

Crying out your name

Crying out your name

There is a  piñata with your name on it

The blind and blind folded

Alternate their swings

Lashing at  your name

Thrashing out your name

No one stops to think

At there own stupid thoughts

About their own stupid thinking

While jeering at your name

While jeering at your name

There is a song with your name in it

And strangers stutter to hold your note

With their words like gibber-age

Rhyming with your name

Out-of-timing with your name

I heard they're throwing you a party

The dunce-dunce,the educated dunce

A few clowns

And the foolhardy will be there

Carrying 

your name

around the musical

electric chair

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick

Seasons

Seasons take a special course

It's like a four step dance

that never ends

No one misses a beat

Just happy timely

dancing feet

Spun by the wind

But you

You go from hot to cold

To hot to cold

Summer to winter

Then summer to winter

Always missing beats

Always missing steps

With no wind to love you slowly

to where you should be

Even the light's amiss

to love

regardless

I thought we could agree

on this

But there is an unspoken whiff

a sky of darkness 

to it all

And I do not like the dark

Safe Space

There is a room that I encircle 

But I scarcely ever look in,walk in

think in

There is a bicycle on the outside

And a lot of books on the bed

There is a voice that guides

So that I'll keep a straight head

And sometimes I wonder

when the flan in the rice cooker

will cool 

And I still smile

Because wearing red

Makes you lose your cool

It's date bait

You are so worth the smile

You were so worth the wait

All these years and you still

Can't play

the guitar or accordion 

well

And only the dust

on my keyboards can tell

That we have a lot in common

Your anger went from 1 to 1000

Then right back to 1 again

To meet my thousand

And that fear never moved us

It's the way you towed me

on that bicycle

The way you never disappointed me

Maybe even the way you tasted my hair

The way you reminded me of me

The way I pretended you didn't

The way you knew I was pretending

The way I feared your accuracy

And Russia declared war on Ukraine

And you are caught in the middle

And I wonder if I will ever see you again

i even dreamt you my dear friend

For the first time ever

on a cruise ship in Tobago

Yes,I do worry

Because there are only two reasons

I think you'll go silent on me

And we have worked through the first reason

When you got married

And in this season

I am caught in the middle

Of the person you know

And the person you feared

And the person you would definitely hate

And I don't want to waste my thoughts

On anything that's loveless or cold

It is a good thing your room is still vacant

So sometimes I use it

As a safe space

Because I know love lives there

When the Light Shines

When the light shines

Sure steps of advancement

Are made

to shadow 

A balancing act

On a fulcrum

Of  constant companionship

When the light shines

Around the story table

Granny's salt and pepper

Strands

 in cornrowed hallows

On wall screens of signs

And hand signals

oNly visible

When the light shines

When the light Shines

Candles melt

To crik cracks

As cousin Gertrude

Exacts 

just the right

amount of wise cracks

And Catherine

Who

Took her dignity back

'With George's two front teeth

In one slap

When the light Shines

A full house

Of laughter

and encores

To keep Mr. Scipio

awake

And running footsteps

As the the floor boards quake

To folktales

And Mermaids

And songs

When the light shines

And if the grid does not

provide

The night

With sufficient light

The children will perform

their rights

At the flicker of

the candle light

Until the day is in sight

 

House of Joy...

I CHOOSE YOU

I stuck out my foot and tripped them

Because Sweetie,

I was rooting for you to win

Then I found reasons to disqualify them

their own imperfections

within

Nothing they offer was ever be good enough

Or ever ever will be

Neither anything they say or do

Because Sweetie,I choose you

So your flaws may be like the gran Canyon

Yet they seem quite explorable

And their motes,almost invisible

Albeit there so damn despicable

Their speech in pleasantries and compliments

Just annoy every nerve in me

And for your silence,in this race of verbatim

Sweetie,I'll give a trophy

PACKAGES

They can't

show themselves

so they themselves

camouflage

spewing hatred

as longing

spewing hatred

as concern

spewing envy

as patriotism

spewing lies

claiming ties

using titles

to mask

their tricks

spewing venom

as labels

and libel

into the souls

of the silly

who are too blind 

to see

too  evil to hear 

too proud to admit

truth

Making themselves

new hands

new legs

new eyes

new lips

new actors

sure channels

of hate

And fools

swallow the bait

and  infect themselves

with the same contagion

of

packaged prayer

packaged care

packaged patriotism

packaged fear

LOL! Beware!

 Of

this camouflaged

Hatred!

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick

RENK

 You are wreaking with intent 

The same way skunks show off
their renk
Leaving a lasting impression 

 

an obnoxious scent 

 
That turns beauty
Into a sign 

to flee 

Almost  the way dogs

mark their territory 

To keep others  

Off their post 

 

But partner your stench 

A little worst
It never leaves you 

Black with a little white
Evil with a little good
Acting the way you should 

 
Never the way you could 

 

Being your best self 

LOL 

 

You are wreaking with intent
Leaving a lasting impression
That can never 

be erased 

 
Searching for reasons
To justify your nasty ways? 

But a skunk can only skunk 

Lol 

You Renk 

 

copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick

The Wind

From corners you visit

Bowing to a great command

To rustle the leaves

And move the waters as you please

Unmatched strength in common air

The Elements in Tanka 2023

The Ocean

The ocean whispers

As it tiptoes to the shore

It brings great treasures

From adventures others crave

And stories beyond the grave

The elements in Tanka 2023

The Earth

For every footprint

The earth bears a herb to heal

For every heartache

There is an earth remedy

For those who lack completion

The Elements in Tanka 2023

The Moon

Full moons make me smile

As they chase shadows away

Poised in silver style

To mark seasons after day

To many they show the way

The Elements in Tanka 2023

The Stars

 Constellations show

At the birth of the chosen

Destinies aglow

Sure signals from the heavens

To map the path of greatness

The Elements in Tanka 2023

The Sun

You are so bright now

Your radiance is unmatched

Oh divine sunshine

To your warmt I am attached

Until the night comes

The Elements in Tanka 2023

SAGABOY

When carnival is over

You- Sagaboy

will return to your

place of unimportance

waiting for another song

hoping for another dance

another chance

another stage

 on which to  prance

When your jab jab crew

take of their masks

and return home

from their acts of power

unable to give you 

anymore favor

You-Sagaboy

will understand

That there is no glory

In being

A marionette-man

There is no honor

in being bought and sold

for favors

even Pinnochio

traded in his goodwood

for a real manhood

one with no pricetag

or snag snag

Just  integrity

Sagaboy

All that talk about slavery

and Caucus mountain

All ,the satanic stanzas

You spitting 

And look at you Sagaboy

Watch how you whining!

The jab jab crew

Your strings 

still pulling

copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick

When you

 When you were dancing

I was not invited to the ballet

When you were singing

you saved me no seat

in the audience

When you were drinking

You never offered me a shot

When you were shopping

my worn out shoe 

mattered not

When you were down

All roads led to me

When you were angry

My ear , the refuge for your story

When you were hopeless

I took the time

to connect your dots

When you were broke

 Into my purse your hands thrust

When you were scarred

They were my wounds to nurse

And when you celebrate

I am not invited

Then you

When I woke this morning

Life was so amazing

Then you

called

I could hear the birds chirping

As they flocked my surrounding

Then you

visited

The trees never seemed

More lovely in their shades

of envy

Then you

spoke

The dog wagged it's tail

Hundreds of times

in a minute

Then you

shouted

So many reasons 

to laugh

Online

Then you

emailed

And it's always all about you

Surrendering chaos

into my pen

Then you

Then you

Then you

Trump

In the storm of life

Everywhere you turn

There is someone 

with a knife

Un cuchillo

For your back

Cold predators

Ready to attack

Sure scavengers

Buscando un relleno

de tu gozo

de tu sueño

de tu esperanza

compasión

de tu empatía

They demand your time

Your energy

Your space

Your resources

Your ear

Your mind

They demand your mind

They will suck life out of you

If you care

Build them a wall

Build them a wall

Build them a wall

so you can live

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick

REEL

You have already concluded.You have

Already judged

Throw me a line now.You have

Already reeled

These disfavorable words.You have
jingled as love

Throw me a line now.You have

Already reeled

Oh the soca of paranoid! You have

Gyrating from your lips

Throw me a line now.You have 

Already reeled

These worthless dancers limbo.You have

denied them worthwhile tips

Throw me a line now.You have

Already reeled

Ignore all of my curtsies.You have

withheld yours.Oh

Throw me a line now.You have

Already reeled

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick

Dead Ends

I saw a bird in the garden

Enjoying sweet nectar

Then flowers danced 

At the thought of fruitfulness

I saw the wave break

to deliver

Then the sand in gratitude

released its treasures

to the sea

Even a cloud on some days

release water

to cool the said atmosphere

That made her

In life

There are givers and takers

But all one way streets

Lead to dead ends

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick

Abraham's daughter

I am

Abraham's daughter

In a world of speculation

 ridicule,implicatins and lies

I am

Abraham's daughter

Not June, not May, not Shamfa

I see 

beyond flesh

I hear

beyond distances

I understand across realities

And I know

That all that you say

is speculative

wrapped in a sheet 

of implications

I am

Abraham's daughter

I hear you

And I see you

So I know

 That I am unworthy of your snicker

signed:

Abraham's daughter!

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick 

Time

Are you the one

standing with the sickle

and hour glass

waiting for some cliche

to pass

like : only time will tell?

Time my dear,

does not do that 

very well

But humans do

through actions

they define

what they think of you

Time

is the thing

investments are made of

but life is no investment

Life, is a gamble

so don't wait on time

to play you

some unfair game

Make your move

don't let time beat you

Throw your dice

because this thing called time

It is not nice

it is just another cliche:

Time waits on no one...

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick 

Mission 101

This silence

can turn the desert

into an oasis

scheme or strategy

there are many things

this silence could be

to anyone

who has the time to see

for beyond the cactus

lies

an army 

of toy soldiers

REAL TALK

You have not accepted my reality 

And I am oblivious as to what yours 

might be 

It seems like I must cross a million hurdles 

just to hold your hands 

Hurdles that are all constructs of your expectations 
Society, friend-circles 
And maybe even experience 
But they all seem ridiculously unfair 

to me 
I cannot be what you expect me to be 
 

My arms have no more stretch left 

My veins arise under the duress 

of just living 

And I live within my range 
So, to be the what, how, where and who of 
your fantasy 
Is certainly impossible for me 
I am not able to cross those hurdles 
And unless you do 
we will never be 
I have shown you my reality 
And it is you who refuse to meet me there 

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick 

SHOW OFF

Standing on this stage 

Of grief

Flexing

Your muscles

In your top-heavy show

Of more head than heart

Walking on thin ice

with more weight

than wisdom

Putting on your

balancing act

To bring in the new year

Your ego of fireworks

In this season

Is as out-of-timing

as it is cruel

But models do

What models do

When putting on

a show

Copyright©2023 by Camille Caliscia Patrick