That good old hymn, in chorus sung:

Immortal words in notes prolonged

and even the foundations

of all united nations

will take me to the Nexus

of England and Its Language

where English has prevailed

through trials and justice, jailed.

We had to be revisioned;

our futures screen-envisioned

in the Episcope of Fond

I did not loose our bond

I have not lost our Bond!

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Why am I so unfortunate?

You ever wonder that?

Because I do, and wonder

Why am I always begging at the hands of others?

You know, those who strive to thrive unlike me,

Because I, I stare at walls.

I wonder,

Why does the wind change direction in my world?

It’ll blow north, south, east and even west,

All directions but mine,

Why does it never blow in my face?

Wh...

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A grammar school education

didn’t spare me British Leyland;

post-continental drift saw me slip

into the rut of Birmingham

on to the track my path

should’ve been turning from.

Days and nights were plaited,

moulding metal into traffic,

everything was automatic –

you only had to punch yourself

in and out each shift.

I was the relief man, the filler-in.

Wheneve...

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She Says Goodbye.

She held me tightly in her arms.

Strangely it felt surreal and very calm.

The sorrow was very clear in her eyes.

This was the day she would say goodbye.

The journey had finally come to an end.

No longer lovers possibly not even friends.

Her love overtime has slowly waned.

Where my love for her has gained.

I feel a heart beating against mi...

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Silent we stand, silent we fall,

Hardwired not to let tears touch our cheek,

Soldiering through life, answering the call,

Strength in our hearts, yet feeling so weak.

Years unfurl, our vigor wanes,

Age reveals the struggle clear,

What once was sturdy, now pain remains,

In those twilight years, silent fear.

We laugh off hurt, a joke to many,

But inside, t...

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Sweaty hands, sweaty head 

Getting ears intensely red 

My heart is taking prolonged steps 

Let me take a deep breath

Or I'll have an anxiety attack 

Whenever I go to bed,

Overthinking makes me mad 

My eyes got still at,

My surrounding becomes sightless

Let me take a deep breath 

Or I'll have an anxiety attack.

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We drove to the shore at night
and launched bottle rockets over the ocean
from the pitted chrome fender;

maybe the only memory we made together
that hasn’t completely surrendered to rust.

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Greatness doesn't strive to take the stage,
Or force its will, or turn the page.
It waits, serene, with humble heart,
Until the call, the need to start.

It's summoned forth by circumstance grand,
To answer, serve, and lend a hand.
No competition, no boastful claim,
Just quiet strength, and noble aim.

Outcomes unfold, like ripened fruit,
As greatness delivers, sans pursuit.
No strivin...

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My dear homeland, with fields so wide
And rivers that carve through vast, silent tide
On green hills where the calm winds flow
I left my heart in your soil below

Where wheat grows tall, and autumn turns gold
I, far from you, in the cold snow unfold
The distant peaks, where bears are hunted still
Sing in the breeze, a sweet, wistful thrill

Oh, my homeland, why did I leave thee?
With fo...

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I called my snack, the couch is set,  

The lights are low, no need to fret.  

Netflix is calling, the screen's aglow,  

But what’s the plan? I guess we’ll know.  

First, we scroll for half an hour,  

Picking shows, maybe Power.  

"How about this?" "Nah, too slow."  

"Wait, I heard that slaps, though."

Finally, we settle, the movie starts,  

But soon we’re check...

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Becoming slowly unrecognizable to yourself and others
Feelings and thoughts take
a hold, giving you the shudders
Memories and emotions that seem to flood your heart
Faces and places making it hard to know where to start
Decisions throughout the day, waiting to be made
Resting again in bed where it all just seems to fade
Urges of wanting help yet not knowing what to say
Triggers causing you...

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We voted in our millions – our democratic say;

The Tories were defeated; we blew Rees Mogg away;

But once we'd taken office we very quickly found

They'd hidden a black hole from us of £20b.

It needed rectifying come what may

But it ain't me, babe

No, no, no, it ain't me, babe

It ain't me what's gonna pay.

The deficit wants funding – on that we all agreed

We cannot g...

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The old year will soon be turning

into a new one again

but for now the dark nights are continuing

to begin early and stay too long

we're treading our yuletide way once more

so the trio of camel riding Kings

will be setting off on their star satnav'd journey

to the very much acclaimed stable

me? I too will be off in the coming days

to watch and listen to the chr...

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Through the mist and fog
of early morning
I see car headlights crawl 
into view
Everything looks so sad today
the whole world’s a cemetery 
The sun sheds a sad stream
of light
intermittently
I’m out with my friend, a dog,
name of Woody,
we no longer hear church bells
in England, it is verboten.
Nothing is familiar anymore:
no wilderness, no heart ache,
no winter fires stripped o...

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No more hello's

No more goodbye's

No more drama

With emotional flies.

Tangled webs,

stationary steps.

I'm pouring tears,

spilling silent fears.

I'll pluck my wings,

I'll cut the strings.

The buzzing fades

while chaos evades.

This love is a wrap,

[But oooh,]

It was a beautiful trap.

No more wings, no more tries

No mo...

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That is no session for old men. The young

With lithe legs and arms stretch like sapling trees

We, flailing generation whose Latin songs

Fail inflamed and arthritic joints to ease

We began at eight, it’s now ten, how long

Before one amongst us succumbs, and dies?

Caught in that sensual music all wrecked

Monuments of years of bad neglect

An agèd man is but a tragic ...

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Is there a ship stuck in Suez?

Yez, sez the man in the fez

who probably isn't Egyptian

as they no longer wear them

and judging from his diction

and a one-armed affliction

it's a scene from a comedy sketch.

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People like to boast about places they've been

and things they've seen

The Pyramids, Machu Picchu, NYC

But for me nothing beats the thrill

of the sight of Combe Gibbet 

on the top of Inkpen Hill

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You were high Summer,
the scent of orchards
on my breeze, the wine
that i felt drunk on,
the warmth of your sun
a blessing to me;

your kiss was honey,
your caress so soft
and yet confident,
keen to understand
and be understood:
you were strong, were You
in knowing yourself;

you pronounced my name:
i heard nature's sigh,
the cosmos singing;

your laugh was music
to my ears, co...

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SWEET MEMORIES 

By the Urban Poet

A little sweetshop on every street corner

in every parade, as if part of the order,

of life and time, so within this rhyme we can reminisce, of the tastes, delight, and sheer bliss, the humble sweet has given us.

Like a kiss of life that soothes and calms, excites and tempts. 

Like pick and mix, Lucky bags of tricks

and treats, surprises to be...

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You can do it…

No need to quit…

Stand nice and tall…

I promise you won’t fall…

Take out every fear…

God is always near…

Just do your best…

Without getting stressed…

Whatever the outcome…

Celebrate, play the drum…

You followed your dreams…

Whether solo or in small teams…

Be proud of how far you have come…

You are definitely not useless or dumb…

Just continu...

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Ice puddles like lily pads

an archipelago of creeping freeze,

stepping stones of tears perhaps

shed by autumns grieving trees...

then captured in the frozen glare

of sunlight’s first defiant rays,

they'll fade as if were never there

to herald in such hopeful days.

So many things unseen by men

the simple and the subtle change,

that slip through time like...

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Never regret the past days,

Never put off your happiness for tomorrow.

Believe in the dawn rays,

Don't look back without any sorrow.

Set up your aims and go ahead,

Don't interfere in others business,

Be kind and help the others instead,

It's time to have your fitness.

Call up your dearest ones at once,

They are waiting for you on the phone.

Yo...

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this peculiar light

early evening paling

thinly clothed,

a charlatan stolen from

this morning’s pocket,

I scowl with disbelief at

the cracked willow

bark framed in blue

juxting with each blink

copper grey, grey copper

back and forth,

I stare intently

to stop blinking,

there it goes again

switch, swap, change

copper grey, grey copper

like someone in...

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Why is it a thrill to watch you leave?

Tugging at the wings you used to spread on me.

Why do I feel this is a fling?

Maybe it’s the way you’re looking down on me. 

Hope you recognize what this means.

We got no more love, those are just soft held dreams.

It feels like you don’t trust me, no more.

I hope this doesn’t tear us at the seams.

I fear I keep losing self esteem.

...

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My spirit’s faint, of joy and beauty starved,

Of late, this grieving heart has known but gloom,

So, prayers I’ll say on ancient Anglezarke,

And dance with Gaia, to a brighter tune,

Where soars my soul, between earth sea and sky:

Fear’s put to flight, in nature is true strength.

A lark’s song celebrates up there on high

The beauty of our vast horizon’s length,

The grandeur o...

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When I'm sad

I like to think of the sky

It's so open

When I feel weighed down

I like to think of a plant

It knows how to just be

Just be in whatever arrives

Like the sky

Blue

Like the plant

Green

Lovely

Simplicity

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Two men on a bus their business background did discuss,

One proudly bragged how he had started a flea circus.

The end of the conversation I intrestingly did catch,

The man admitted  he had started it from scratcb.

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I am drifting through the world and

I am getting older.

I woke up being twenty today

But when I fell asleep last night I was only fifteen.

And you held me in your arms

And told me that things get better

That this is not permanent.

And you were right.

I woke up today with nothing

But yesterday I had you.

Did you know?

Did you know it was temporary?

Yesterday I wa...

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Agony in misery in hopeless blackened light,

Regretting all that we have said

Beyond the veil of night.

I chose the path of least remorse

And yet here I am

With your heart

So soft, so supple

In my red stained hand.

Beaten

Beating

Beatless.

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Rigsby would get my vote

the king of a seedy bedsit land

ruler by prejudice

yet both feet insecure

despised but proud

a king wasp in his nest

tortured by desire falling just short.

I would vote for him

in place of a representative

as reliable as any I have yet known. 

We all feel sorry for Rigsby

and for ourselves when things go wrong

but he doesn't claim a...

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It has been an honour to be featured in The Starbeck Orion magazine over the last 25 days. Here is a link to the whole issue:

https://the880.substack.com/archive?fbclid=IwY2xjawGoORFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRQsR7cY8kSWz0xKXIpoqPGj9xidVNnyulKYQ782aW4WPMn4yjr7WL_b0g_aem_x4wxDZNMO8rNDy8Ly0AnZw

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Stagnant

Like rainwater sitting out for days,

Attracting flies,

Like moths to a flame.

Serving no meaningful purpose,

So we remain

Unfulfilled—

Nothing’s changed.

Entrapped

In a recurring cycle,

Appearing to be renewed

As more rainwater starts to fall.

But new drops only meet the surface,

Clean merging with the murk below,

Clear streams swallowed by t...

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A Trilogy of Poems about a Sunflower

Sprout

Born as Helianthus annuus,
the little sprout grows, chasing after the light,
filling life in a nameless void.

It is Heliotropism,
a gentle motion that wanders,
swaying within the light,

Soon, its wanderings cause it to bloom,
It embraces life in joyful brilliance.

Bloom

It blooms
in the mystery of Fibonacci’s formula,
granti...

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Here comes Monday and me have to work
Ya can't escape from the daily grind
Tuesday comes along all to soon
Best to grin and bear it me find
Wednesday comes alive ya man
Me doing the best me can
Thursday I can suddenly see the light
Friday arrives me face is smiling
Everything is gonna be alright

Me wake up late on a Saturday 
Me head it hurts but that's okay 
The weekend is here me ha...

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The fractured walls of wickedness in war

Are on display each day at any time.

The morning tittle tattles rise and fall

And poets churn out verses in sweet rhyme,

But somewhere, here or not so far away,

A child is killed by missiles from above,

A mother grieves for her departed son

And husbands weep for what they think was love,

While no one makes the evil men account

For...

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Clock hands running, we should stop talking, the sunrise appearing in the back, the skyline saying goodbye, tears ain't here, anguish all over my skin, am I a fool for this? Deserted streets, lights red, yellow, and green ignite my smile, should we stop the car and turn it all around? Seatbelt on, rushing to the storm, I thought we were turning around, but it’s about time to die for this life. 

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just because you see
hate means you should copy it 
try peace and kindness.

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In those fearless eyes

I spotted a pang of dread,

Closing the streak of tries

You finally bent the lead. 

Taking your bagful of stories

To the place where gravity ends,

You must be sharing memories 

With your long-lost friends.

Uncountable vivid memories 

Will forever be treasured,

In the loss of all and any hope,

Your words will be measured. 

All...

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[A]rtists

[D]eep thinkers ..never on-timers

[H]ilarious off the scale..mental one-liners

[D]aft natured.. fun..blessed are whom find us

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Bruv, you know that thing, that thing we were talking about

when we went out for drinks and we almost passed out?

Bruv, you know that thing, that thing, the other week in the pub

we were chatting about when we were out

on the lash and I was up for a snout?

Looking back, I regret it, like what must you think?

This thing that I told once I’d had a drink?

You know ...

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I cradle a seed within my chest, 

A yearning dream that dares not rest. 

Each prayer I whisper, soft and true, 

Hopes it will bloom in skies of blue. 

"And though my seed hides out of sight, 

Your laughter breathes it back to life." 

Your laughter ignites my shadowed skies, 

A fleeting flame, a lover’s sigh. 

In every glance, a wordless plea, 

That you...

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Poem 129 of 230:  TO A DRIVER - AUTUMN 2000

As Lancashire fields

    Became flood plains,

And still-worse storm yields

    Caused Southern pains,

I walked up Bolton roads

    (A new contract,

I’d again changed abodes),

    Feeling quite whacked.

For, while mini-cabs

    Passed-by quickly,

I received the sharp jabs

    Of cold, gusty,

Snow-filled air...

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Laila Liqourish

Well, the black robed friars grew the sweet root

At St Richards and St Johns in Pontefract

And the local folk called the black gold Spanish

After travelling monks who brought it back

It was used as a medicine to cure a wide range

Of ailments of the gut and of the lungs

And the only side effect of treating the diseased

Was the colour of their lips and t...

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This poem challenges the myth of inherent greatness in those who rise to prominence and reminds us that success often comes from luck, influence, or fear—not brilliance or charm. It inspires readers to value their uniqueness, silence doubt, and pursue their own path with determination and pride.
 

Do you feel small, unseen, unheard?

Does the world seem tilted, its justice absurd?

Remembe...

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Life is always new 

things tend to move 
we get stuck 
then find the groove 

by mistake or with luck 
learning to 
ride with you 

I’m down with ups 
life’s always new

did I ever mention 
we share 
a certain tension 

it’s a secret 
lesson 
I’ve never learned 

repeated til I’m badly burned 
restarting my library soon-life’s always new 

even at its worst something’s 
...

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The river slapped against the dock,
unpleasantly,
incessantly.

We stood under the bridge
where Walworth once
had Tyler’s head displayed.
A revolt betrayed
by a misplaced faith in kings.

It’s not enough, she said,
to pull men from the river.
We must also go upstream
to see who pushed them in.

Upstream, the palace,
its sunlit terraces,
its privileged view.
We knew.
As Tyler bef...

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As usual I'm planning to do a little Christmas Show on the Community Radio station I work on which is 96.9 Allfm so if you would like to take part please send  before Dec 10th. missruthaoreilly@gmail.com thanks :)

Deck the Allfm 

With Holly​

Tra la la la la 

La la la LA

We need some poets

To be jolly 

Tra la la la la la la la

 Or Have you written

a nice story?

Tralala...

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Football after school became

a game within a game. Wait

until the man goes for his tea

then invade his hockey pitch.

No jackets for goalposts here,

real wood, sometimes even nets,

limed markings,  tonsured grass

without bare patches.

Teams chosen, slowcoach Steve

picked last, and off we go.

Refereed by consensus. Corners,

free kicks, won by loudest shout.

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How old am I, remind me of my name?

Who is that face in the photo frame?

I’m told that I live here now, is that so?

What’s the date today, as I don’t know?

Why is this jigsaw puzzle on my tray?

What is my problem, will it go away?

Why are these strangers kissing me?

Why are they upset as tears I can see?

It’s getting severe this memory lapse.

I need somebody ki...

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