trusting no fixed star
but the compass in my chest
to chart my own path

plastic handles bite my palms
head spins, as heartbeat ba-bumps

welcome days in – ever winding
the humdrum must be done
wound down – until day’s out

at my cluttered desk
I stitch poems line by line
lest gray cells ooze out

the words remain concrete
a scripture my own

fountain pen twirling
needle of unwritten words
seeking sacred course

A two-person rengay, written with David at The Skeptic’s Kaddish. David’s lines are italicised.
I think this is the first time I have written a poem with someone else and it was an interesting exercise. I started off with the first stanza and deliberately left out any motivations about the words to see where David went with it. Each time after that, though, we did explain our reasoning for the words. I think the final result became quite a balanced poem and a balanced reflection on life too. I’ll let you make your own mind up on that though.
17th Jan 2026 – shared with Poets and Storytellers United #210 – collaboration