Author name: Hayden Veil

In an earlier incarnation, Hayden Veil enjoyed a successful career in software engineering, writing late-night poetry in pursuit of sanity. On 2 February 2020, the world of Hayden Veil changed: Ghosts became real and with its soul laid bare there was no turning back from the perpetual path of poetry.

Poetry Drafts / / By

I crave pancakes on a stick,
cloudberry mash and
reconstituted belly fluff,
lint tickling my curiosity
of rain that hover
and never fall.
I crave valid arguments,
valid lies in a truth-less world
with pancakes
โ€” on a stick

Poetry Drafts / / By

Every night, I watch you mount
reach for my outstretched arms,
fingers clasping, shadows dancing
in the humming darkness of night.

Every night, I watch you
and your faceless apparition,
seeking recognition of friend or foe,
before kissing everything
that is you.

Every night, I watch you heave
breathe life into the inanimate,
before the humming stops
as the church bell tolls
a cry for midnight.

Every night the same plight,
in darkness you depart
in darkness you ride
in darkness you come
before I open my eyes

to the perpetual silence
in the darkness you left behind.

Poetry Drafts / / By 
Donโ€™t react to my message
You are my flesh and blood,
respond and reveal yourself 
but donโ€™t react, donโ€™t react
to what I said, reply respond
but donโ€™t react, donโ€™t distract 
the reasons for being.

Poetry Drafts / / By 
TW: Flashing Images
Stroboscopic lightning and needled firs,
you ride as I suffer the rage of cones,
sap rise and fall, backs bounce on boulders,
balls bounce, balls โ€ฆ  bounce โ€ฆ bounce;
you ride the lightning, rip me to shreds,
then silence, stillness, only breath;

Poetry Drafts / / By 
I awoke naked and cold
in the land of shame and long shadows,
diapered in ignorance and innocence
amidst piles and piles of snow.

I sprouted naked and cold
in the land of shame and long shadows,
pursued by ignorance
amidst tender bitterness. 

I grew naked and cold
in the land of shame and long shadows,
haunted by their hereditary rules
then flew the nest like a bird scorched
by a blackened Bunsen burner. 

I wilted naked and cold
in the land of shame and long shadows,
became a man 
lost in the ways of others. 

I awoke naked and cold
in the land of someone else,
bewildered but dreaming of forgetting 
the land of shame 
โ€” and long shadows.

Poetry Drafts / / By 
Audiences of paper cutouts,
inflated importance flailing,
every clap and cheer automated
to follow the whims of the creator;
clap clap cheer clap
clap clap sheer 
โ€“ lunacy;

(clap clap cheer clap)

latex dolls, inflatable joys,
toys that speak in unknown tongues
a rope to safer shores;

(clap clap cheer clap)

silent confession booths
hierarchical and patriarchal,
we went hand in hand
faithless and unbound,
clapping all the way;

(clap clap cheer clap)

we barked at the moon,
until you began 
your moaning intonation 
โ€” of deflation. 

(clap)

Poetry Drafts / / By 
I wish effort would precede joy,
once achievement
twice victory and conquest 
thrice joy and joy and joy. 

I wish all could see greatness in others,
once patting the back
twice high-five and fist bump 
thrice cheering, cheering, cheering. 

I wish effort would give joy
joy pave way for achievement 
achievement perceived as victory 
victories shared and cheered
โ€” ad infinitum

Poetry Drafts / / By 
Thoughts, dispersed drops of consciousness 
dancing through daunting times; a vapour,
vaingloriously waltzing 
in the darkness of a single mind. 

Thoughts, consciousness left churning 
by remnant echoes of torrid times,
distorted dreams mulled over, and over
in the darkness of a single mind. 

Thoughts, drops 
like gargantuan grains of sand
roughens the polished panes,
transparency for translucency
privacy to insanity 
in the darkness of a single mind. 

Thoughts, 
consciousness,
the domain of a single unified mind;
dust tapping along to the beat 
of one.
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