lucky charms and lucozade in the happy years
daffodils spilling into the smile of dawn’s lovely pearls
the small man in the nuclear rainbow exploding in 64 dimensions
the cow’s mind blown by the river flowing backwards
aaron at play in the daisy-chain days under the sigh of the single star
jennifer dancing flamenco with her heart in the apple barrel
james and sara eating ice creams on the moon
i enter into the poem of new empires; the tuk-tuk tucking around the blue folds of bangkok
the fisherman bowling alone in santa barbera
the prostitutes kissing in the heat of the kampala night
the tribesmen hunting for red deer on the outskirts of ancient rouen
the one eyed serf tilling the opium fields of afghanistan
my childhood friends drinking flasks of sorrow under the neon lights of nottingham
if i come home from the tambourine wind it is because i miss you
if i miss you it is because summer tickles favours on my young tongue
and i want you to teach me freedom
freedom at 29! freedom at 90! freedom at 17!
freedom to catapult into the blue eyed universe dazzled by the virgin sun
freedom to give birth as the first buttercup spreads her leaves in spring
freedom to drink drops of milk from the white winter lambs
the brilliant freedom of the panda stirring in the lemon grass
freedom at 21! freedom at 66! freedom when i am on my knees crying
by the sink because when i dream of her cotton mouth
i see a bird in a golden cage i see my eyelashes scattered over the dandelions
i see myself waving goodbye in the decision i took called freedom.
Charlie Baylis
Illustration Nick Victor