You’re Not In Charge

I’m sorry…
did I miss something?
Silly me
but I was under the impression
that this was actually
my own life that I was living?
You know,
where I get to make mistakes
and then learn from them.
Good and bad decisions
and then deal
with the outcome.
I’m not looking
for teachers and preachers
only experience
and your rhetoric
brings doubt
not encouragement,
worry
not enlightenment.
You proudly wear
a necklace
of slandered scalps
around your traitorous throat.
Whilst offering
wide-open
un-friendly arms
of betrayal.
I don’t need
to get to know you better
to see you…
There you are
as big, toxic and Day-Glo
as napalm.
Trot on, sunshine,
you’ve come to the wrong door.

Paul Tristram is a widely published Welsh writer who deals in the Lowlife, Outsider, and Outlaw genres.  He wrote his first poem as a teenager following his release from the (Infamous) Borstal ‘HMP Portland’, and he has been creating Literary Terrorism ever since.  His novel ‘Crazy Like Emotion’ is available to purchase right here . Also his collection of shorter fiction Kicking Back Drunk ‘Round The Candletree Graves' is available to purchase at https://bookgoodies.com/a/B0DFMTSR4F Both books are published by Close To The Bone Publishing. Read other articles by Paul, or visit Paul's website.