Mal Sharp Poems

A day will come when I will die,
I won't want you to sit and cry.
I want instead from all, a smile,
Ignore the fixed funeral style.
...

Can I continue making the same mistakes,
Shall I continue just for your sake.
Will you ever see the damage it does,
Can we ever be what we once was.
...

Life isn't fair, we all know this
A toss of the dice, hit or miss
A game that most will surely fail
A one way ticket straight to jail
...

As a child I was taught to dream,
Dream of bigger and better things.
Now I am told that it's all a scheme,
A dream meant only for the kings.
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To understand others is hard,
Which is why so many don't try.
Any openings are all barred,
Near impossible to get by.
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It is beyond me to conceive,
All the reasons why you believe.
Messages left in an old book,
Acquiescence is all it took.
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I have known you all your days,
And I held you when you came.
Understanding the clichés
For once, I cried without shame.
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The walls are closing in,
The air getting thinner.
I thought I'd escaped,
Came out the winner.
...

How to undo what has been done,
Turn back the clock and start again,
Go back to where it all begun,
To stop it going down the drain.
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I would have thought I would have learned,
From the mistakes I've made before
Each time, yet still I'm not concerned,
It's too strong for me to ignore.
...