http://slow.writerscafe.org/philroberts The original writings of author Phil Roberts en-us Copyright 2026 WritersCafe.org 1775988914 WritersCafe.org RSS Generator 15 I have little thought for these daysAs the future evaporatesAnd the past grows fat and vividI amuse myself with games of flashbackFaces and places flickeringAcross an empty mindDragging their stories behind themDead memories metamorphosingInto living visceral dreamsWhere the flowers of love and loss.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/2055981/ When the nights are endlessFull of time and spaceI imagine the journeyBeyond roads and geographyAnd sometimesI almost touch a beauty that can't be seenAnd hear music from beyond our earsMy mind grasps for unknown storiesWith endings not yet imaginedMeanings as yet undisclosedFor when nights are endl.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/2050960/ I left so much behindIn those places and timesI still see the facesThough I can't remember namesSo long agoSo much has happenedAll trickling through ghostly fingersPictures in black and whiteLife in many tints and hints of greySome walked into the skyWith memories trailing and fadingSuch memories ma.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/2050389/ On wheelsOn the roadOff our headsCity boundLet's go broLet the adrenalin flowIn search of narcoticsOn Devilment RowWhere the good don't goHere dealers competeIn a threatening wayAnd if you're not boldYou better not stayYoung joeys surround youOn the carparkBut you ignore themAnd head insideThe deals.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/2038833/ As I lie hereWith eyes closed softlyI think deeply of youAnd I inhale starsThe scent of twinkling lightSo fresh and aliveSparkling gentle inside meAnd I want to write this feelingSo tentativelyAs it must beLike writing words on bubblesDelicate and preciousBegging them not to disappearLike dreams in .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/2038824/ Those twin oppressorsTime and silenceWeigh heavy on my consciousnessDigging up the graves of the pastMemories thought to be dead and goneStalking my mind againReminding me of the fool I've beenThe pain I've knownThe wrongs I've doneAnd those done to meAll returned to destroyWhat passes as my peace o.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1969867/ There is the emotionTowards one's godThe one to be worshippedOverwhelmingAll consumingWe call it loveThe feeling of a motherTowards her childA living part of herA truly deep loveThat none but mothersCan fully understandThen the obvious oneThe love between loversWhich can be ecstasy or agonyDenying s.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1969864/ The words that leave my lipsShall disappearLike breath in cold airGoing nowhereMeaning nothingThese poems into which We pour our heartsOther than the smallest fewShall be lost in endless cyber spaceLike billions of trillions of othersThe loves that we swear eternallyCan last no longer than lovers' l.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1967109/ Grey and sodden clouds cryFrom my north-western skyWhere I used to fly with satellitesBefore I was stuck at traffic lightsI'm pretending that I'm saneWith a bandage around my brainPretending that I'm wholeWith sutures in my soulTight and screaming reinsHold the prophets in my veinsAquarius turns aga.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1964976/ The moon and all the starsKnow how hard I triedThough you never willOnly the sun and sky Know my sorrowBecause I keep it to myselfAs images and hopes fadeAnd dreams turn to black and whiteThe story will always be freshWithin the heart of meThere are those who know meAnd those who think they doBut no.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1957382/ Like an old man's yearsThe days are shrinkingAs nights grow long and boldReady to own their part of the yearThat's when memories Come knocking for meDown the trembling yearsAll those lives agoI see them wide-eyed and freshFalling from the sunRunning too fast through lifeAnd reaching the end too soon.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1953227/ With magnificent indifferenceThe world swirls and eddiesAnd life ebbs and flowsAround my crusty headBut still this radiant illusionSprings eternally hopefulAnd leads us by the noseTimes of mysteries past flowAs the northern rain washes the days awayInto slick and glimmering coloursWithout earthly re.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1952850/ The inner spin which once spun withinIs slowly rolling on the outsideAnd interest wanes into a feathery sunsetAbove a vague horizonQuestions cascade into a mist of dreamsWithout purpose or need of answersThere are other things to doI'll smile if you want me toStanding alone by a closed windowJust wa.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1952847/ My back achesIt breaks from carrying you, BoySo many yearsAll your lifeAll my lifeYou hold me backAnd slow me downYou keep dragging meDown to the groundI could have flown but for youKeeping the past within meAnchoring me to the long goneI remember youScrambling in the dirtAnd fighting in the streetB.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1946128/ Do not dream too loudlyYou may awaken your conscience                                By Phil Roberts http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1944834/ Keep the innocents in the villageDon't let the children play outsideThe homeless and the nameless Must stay huddled togetherFinding shelter where they canBecause there are killers high aboveDropping bombs of hatred and rhetoricKilling and maiming indiscriminatelyAnd the killers are from so many plac.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1941145/ Don't hang around Waiting for the light at the end of the tunnelBecause in the endYou're just going to have to stumble your wayThrough the darknessAnd turn it on for yourself                     .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1939451/ The place I came from was known locallyAs Apache countryLater to become the LebanonI guess you get the driftEven to this dayTaxis are loath to go there after darkAnd nobody blames themEverybody smoked back thenAnd most men got drunk too oftenWomen might get a little merryWhen weekend came roundMost .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1939448/ There is a mythAllied to moonlightChased into darknessMorning rising too soonSmelling delicate dewCupped in newly opened bloomsA million micro worldsFalling and crawlingWithin the vast and yearningRolling and turningMoralities and madnessBeliefs and blasphemiesWho says which is life?But for myself I.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1934557/ This muse of mineRemains silent and invisibleAnd is no less intense for thatI still write to herTell her of my dreams and my painAnd she is part of both of theseThis muse of mineMay be no more than a ghostBut she is still my only truthThe one who loves meFor all my damned and damaged pastFor all my .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1933838/ Searching low and highOpen wide of heartClear and bright of eyeKicking around dusty memoriesAnd unintelligible dreamsI've missed somethingAnd something's missingA precious thing has left my lifeA purpose for livingA reason to carry onA glint of meaningAnd a hint of heavenI've waited and I waitAll to.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1932606/ There are sweet dreams which sometimes leadTo sadness and pain which sometimes bleedInto a strange and eerie beautyCausing the heart and soul to swellHovering between heaven and hellAnd the deepest shade of blueRolls over the infinite truthOf the sensitivity of being     &nb.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1932601/ I have eyesBut I don't see what I don't likeI have earsBut I won't hear what I don't want to hearI have a memoryBut only remember what's convenientI have thoughtsBut I keep them in safe cagesI have a mindBut I refuse to change itAnd so, you seeLet rhetoric over-rule logicLet fake news obscure truthL.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1932598/ A memory of youthful days http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1932596/ WreckageSlow-motion bloodAging carcassPain strewnAll well earnedNo station missedTime sodden giftRumour laden Balancing the edgeTwisting the knifeFlashing backwardsFun on the runStand and FightFollowing the wayWay of the waywardAimed at the graveyardHammered to hardnessTil nothing breaksStill grinni.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1890543/ See throughTall under the sunCrawling beneath starsIn night-time skullThoughts behind eyesBehind dreamsUnder darknessAnd above lightSee throughPretended truthsWithout words or formShadow shapesLay like deathChoreographed corpsesMeaningless memoriesDamaged dreamsPiled upon writhing hopesSee throughTe.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1890542/ When the moon is fullA shiny silver discI'd steal it and roll it alongLike a hoop with a stickAll the way to your doorAnd give it you as a giftThen I'd reach up to the skyAnd grab the brightest starsI'd gather them togetherAnd place them in a jarSo you could let them loseWhen the night is darkAnd wh.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1883078/ Quixotically adornedIn a creaking suit of armourStumbling from set back to let downI am learning to smile enigmaticallyAs though my thoughts are far awayWhich is so often the truthAnd my memories are bitter sweetBecause that's what they areAnd so.....Behind this slight disguiseI bumble and fumble th.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1881073/ GlowersProwlsFootsteps claimingOwning streetsAvoid the eyesGimlet glintingDon't mess aroundDeadly groundWordlessAnger incarnateNo reasonNo reasoningA natural factMagnificent horrorThreateningly uglyClosing inToo closeDead eyesPredatory grinSteel glints lightningTurn and run!Run, run fast awayNever c.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1877958/ On wheelsOn the roadOff our headsCity boundLet's go broLet the adrenalin flowIn search of narcoticsOn Devilment RowWhere the good don't goHere dealers competeIn a threatening wayAnd if you're not boldYou better not stayYoung joeys surround youOn the carparkBut you ignore themAnd head insideThe deals.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1877068/ Lost gamesLonger lost rulesNight-time crimesLungs fullOf pungent smokeBellies full of boozeAnd heads full ofSomething And nothingA kind of homageTo a kind of musicRiding across vinylAnd even crackling shellacAnd the dead man's footStill taps inside the coffinRefusing to relinquishThe hard-wired hamm.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1875770/ When you're alone and tiredAnd your mind aches too muchTo find hope or peaceClose your eyes and think of meFeel my arms around youFeel my warmth against youFor you know I'm always thereWe will leave the pain behind usAnd we'll gently fly so highThrough the soft and blue Warmly cradling skyWhere ever.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1875132/ Time and spaceHave both grownToo many facesHave come and goneI broke a trustTurned it all to dustNow you've grown coldAnd I've grown oldEven friendship's at an endBut I still miss youNow and then                 &nb.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1873128/ Dark againDarker thanColourless soundsFrom ceiling to wallsAlwaysStrange doorsLike gaping mouthsDragging tearsCracking openScreams of silenceA day or nightThen comes the lightAt long weary lastEnded futureUseless pastNothing holdsNarrow roadsDamaged junctionThere's a timeComes the lightFollow the li.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1872641/ In the night somewhereA baby criesAnd somewhere elseLovers sighAnd as time passesAn old man diesSomewhere out in spaceA planet turnsAnd light years awayA star sun burnsMaking us merely dustAnd no-one learns               &nbs.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1870128/ Merry Christmas !! http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1867350/ How the nights went onBarely marked by the dawnMadness and chemically drivenHardly bothering to thinkJust pass me a drinkParties and music a givenLaughing too loudIn the heat of the crowdAnd reaching far too farJokes and laughterNow and hereafterFollowing a falling starUntil it hits the ground .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1864838/ slight rewrite http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1862367/ Subtle changes in the nightNow the stars are not so brightAnd the moon declines to shineThe way it used to doWhere once I felt warmthNow I feel only emptinessEmanating towards meAnd I believe that I'm past caringAnd in the face of negligenceA heart merely becomes feralWith the loveless it is goneNee.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1861986/ In the morning I awakeWith the after-tasteOf a half-remembered dreamAnd a barely formed faceShadow of the pastAnd emotions that lastAnd some of these dreamsWould make a hero cryAnd some of these dreamsNo matter how I tryI know will stay with meUntil the day I die      &.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1857209/ I made my way Through the raging yearsTo a certain tendernessAnd I've knownA grown man's tearsAnd the agony of emptinessAnd in my timeI have done and seenMore than I could standBut what was thenAnd wherever I've beenI'm just another tired man         &nbs.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1857207/ When I was a younger manTime moved so much quickerThere was always something happeningAlways something changingSomewhere to goSomething to catch up withOr even to escape fromPeople came and wentThen came and went again"Where's he living these days?""Who knows what's happening?"Now things are quieter.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1849510/ All of the shining mad onesWith their heresies of realityAnd other visions and other voicesAre not diminishedBy the multitude of choicesThat is their truthUpon each waking dayThey are woken by the howlFrom beyond the first earAnd into the deeper mindWhere there is other languageAnd blinding colours .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1848637/ Shiny bricks and skeins of yellow grassBarely perceptible coloursHung with liquid hazeDog s**t and thunderHeavy close and thickMiasmaClings to sweatRunning with drizzleClings to dampDrowning the pores of the skinMaking collars clinging stickyRubbing and abrasiveIn view of the towering flatsThe greyl.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1848396/ I sit here looking through my windowAt the early morning mist and mizzleMy mind is still sluggish and half dreamingDrifting through memories and imagesWithout purpose or reasonAnd from nowhereI remember a night in the pastWhen I awoke crying a nameAnd my secret was betrayed to the moonAnd the name w.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1847973/ Edges of shadowsIn the corners of eyesToo fast to seeIt might be me Is it trueWhat you see?Is it real?Is it really me?You do not hear my voiceOr know the colour of my eyesYou would not know me in the streetOr recognise my accentShould we meetAnd yetYou have seen my soul In the words I writ.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1847475/ Born of the sun and earthAnd kin to the moon and seaLife's immensityExceeds humanityAnd the planet needs usNo more than fleasSo don't be fooled into thinkingWe will always existIn terms of the universeWe are no more than dust            &nb.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1847208/ Seems appropriate at this time of year :) http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1847043/ Through a broken windowCovered with dirt and cobwebsAnd from within an empty houseCrumbling and derelict Even the bleakest landscapeCan look fine and goodWhen the water runs inThrough the sagging old roofIt makes the rain outsideSeem healthier and cleanSo that drafts blowing throughCracked and .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1846754/ Doom ladenLight my wayWith candle of blackest tallowAnd flame of brightest whiteI follow my natureMy gravitationWithout questionGodless and lawlessOut of the wild I cameStill wet and tremblingHairless and bared to allI lived off the fruit of the landAnd open to the skyAs is the way of my kindWhat di.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/philroberts/1846589/