For Liz

A kaleidoscopic

lad insane

courses through my veins my brain

my only way of being

right now

freaking through sound and vision at break neck speed

on a celestial course

of course

there’s no other way of being

right here

right now

an onomatopoeic

crash

a sonic boom

electric blue

sets jets scrambling

there’s nothing to see here

no cause for concern

they said

as they twisted our gaze away from the truth

again.

And yet for once they spoke the truth -

there’s no cause for concern.

Planet 9 is fine.

My Man who fell to Earth

our roles reversed

our souls entwined

I’m here

right here

right now

Moonlight

Starlight

Aurora’s hypersonic flight.

Expand your crescent mind

and see the soft glow on the unlit part of the Moon

for what it really is.

Earthshine illuminating the lunar sky.

© Spangle McQueen May 4^th 2016

Screen attack

I am staring at this mini screen immediately behind which are two more screens which I'm supposed to be working on. Deadlines loom behind the light of three screens bouncing off my spectacles lenses behind which I weep. When did life turn into this multiple screen disorder?

If you’ve been gassed…

This will not be brutal

but

if you’ve been gassed

you may experience

burning

in your eyes, nose, mouth

and skin.

You may experience

blurring

of your vision.

This will not be brutal

but

If you’ve been gassed

you may experience

breathing

difficulties and

coughing.

You may experience

raging feelings

 from pepper spray exposure.

Intense anger is a common response.

This will not be brutal

but

if you’ve been gassed

you may experience

confusion, disorientation

and panic.

But do not panic.

The effects of tear gas and pepper spray

are temporary,

not life-threatening

unless you’re vulnerable –

a child

or elderly

or immune compromised.

If you’re pregnant

you may be at risk of spontaneous abortion.

If you’re a nursing mother

you may be at risk of passing toxins

onto your infant.

Contact lenses may fuse to eyes

And cause blindness.

This will not be brutal

but

you may wish to avoid being gassed.

But please be aware

Police abuse is unpredictable

and avoidance is not always possible.

If you’re at risk of being gassed

a gas mask might be best

but please be aware

tho’ gas masks work best

they can look intimidating

and make us targets of police violence.

So, think carefully about your

impact on others

when you decide how to protect yourself.

And remember

this will not be brutal.

 N.B A lot of these lines were found at http://facingteargas.org/bp/70/if-youve-been-gassed

Found Poem

Ripples in the fabric of space-time
Simulation
Gravitational waves are prediction of the Theory of General Relativity
Their existence has been inferred by science but only now directly detected
They are ripples in the fabric of space and time produced by violent events
Accelerating masses will produce waves that propagate at the speed of light
Detectable sources ought to include merging black holes and neutron stars
LIGO fires lasers into long, L-shaped tunnels; the waves disturb the light
Detecting the waves opens up the Universe to completely new investigations

Haiku for refugee children

Aegean moonbeams
Lighting descents to darkness
The full Mourning Moon

blue

she flirts with turquoise

the sea and sky
watch passive

waves splashing
to the tune of the blood-lit moon

stars still shine at the allotted time

tinges of green fade

a painted lady combs her hair
til she's loving blue again

Haiku

pink twinkling lights
entwined with silver lace vine
British fall back time