You and I

Many years of sweat and toil
With countless tears that my cheeks did soil
I brought you up my little plant
Not royal roses or rich yellow daffodils
Or exotic dahlias with pretty little frills
Did I expect from you little plant.
With every rain I stood with you
And felt the morning’s first drop of dew
I kept you company always little plant
I withered with the seasonal drought
For every new leaf, with you, I fought
Through all I kept you alive little plant
Now you become tall and strong
Your trunk is wide and your branches long
You do not turn to see me little plant
I still water you with no grumbles or peeves
And cut away your dead branches and leaves
Yet you take me for granted little plant
I give and give and give to you
And you treat it like nothing new
Is there nothing you want to say to me little plant?
No thanks no sorry no gratitude I want
No remorse or regret my dreams can haunt
I only wish your happiness little plant
But I also wish for a little get with the give
Or at least my own life to live
I am almost a part of you little plant
You laugh and say “I did not ask”
Yet in my generosity you did bask
Why is my freedom only when you allow little plant?
Full of anger you huff and puff at me
But a childish tantrum is all I see
Were you really ignorant of the truth little plant?
I stop the water, I stop the care
Now I see how well you fare
Can you be without me little plant?
“Yes” you say and push me away
And starve of care and water for a day
But I realize I am a part of you little plant
Without you I cannot be
And you cannot survive without me
Can’t we acknowledge this together little plant?
Let us give and take what we each can
With newfound vigour and full of elan
Together we can flourish and grow little plant
Not you to me or the other way around
But together towards happiness we are bound
And I say to you I love you, little plant.

On a slow ship to heaven

I am on a slow ship to heaven
It’s a promise I’ve gotta keep
The pain makes it real
The pain gives you focus
Behind all closed doors I suspect
A world of joy denied to me
But the nameless fears of the future are put away
As I endure the pain of the present
There is a pattern, there is a path
But to follow will cost me much more than a lot
Empty words of comfort and wisdom
Fake avowals of love and affection
Scheming selfish manipulating acts
All I find and brush aside
For I cannot tell them from the truth
Painful disillusions, bitter disappointments
Broken trust and unkept promises
All I can do very well without
I feel the age and the sorrow
But not the guilt or the regret
Through a bubble of the toughest glass
Do I see and am seen by others
It is a race of the good and the bad
So close I can no longer tell them apart
But it doesn’t matter so much
My feet find their own direction
And I follow with no choice
I am on an excruciatingly slow ship to heaven
For I’ve made a promise to meet one there
And no matter however long it takes
It's a promise I have got to keep