The ghosts of past decisions whisper in my ear, 
But they’re just hollow spectres trying to make their voices heard,
I’ve learned to deal with their fretful chatter without fear,
To disregard their wailing for the value in their words,
What had once the pain of being dragged across the open coals,
Now just offers reason, that and nothing more,
And once you realise every bridge you cross...

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We’ve been told to “Live every day as if it’s our last,”
But what would it look like if we, “Lived every day as if it were someone else’s?”
Would we make just a little more time, find just one more question to ask?
Be a little more kind, considerate, a little less selfish?
If we truly believed that it was our last chance to hear their words,
Do you think we might actually, finally, make time ...

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When life gave me lemons,
I made lemonade, 
But soon found it’s taste too sickly and sweet, 
So I gazed to the heavens,
And quietly prayed, 
To learn the true value of bitter defeat, 
And there as I knelt 
I heard a voice, 
And the words that it spoke, I knew to be true, 
“The cards just get dealt, 
How you play is your choice, 
And one day no more will be given to you.”
“So pick ...

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Call down the poets, for I just cannot find the words, 
Let them all wax lyrical and give shape to my tangled thoughts, 
Let the iron of their words be wrought, and ringing of their hammers heard, 
Let them forge their art in ink and paper as the truth is sought, 
Let them speak in ebony and stone and let their words be gilt,
To tend my broken spirit and mend my broken bone, 
And may the sou...

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Apathetic empathy distils into rage,
Aphoristic enmity scorches words upon the page,
Frightened of the Boogeyman? For fucks sakes grow up, act your age,
Winterize your heart, your home, your soul and step up on the stage,
Play your part with clarity, have courage in your cold conviction, 
Utopia's locked in permafrost, dystopian in its affliction 
Hope captured like carbon in its icy gr...

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Every passing stage of life that’s risen on the road to greet me,
Has quietly laid to rest, the stage that went before, 
And though I mourn the loss of what has gone, I do not mourn completely, 
For each gave me its all and never left me wanting more,
So as I slowly age and become ever more complicated, 
I do not shed a tear for the passing of my youth, 
For each age that has passed has...

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Cry a little stream of salt for all the things you’ve lost,
Let it’s bitter rivulets quench your weary thirst,
Try and pick the diamonds from the dirt to recompense the cost,
Of nuggets of your best from the detritus of your worst, 
Know that only by mistakes is it that we can find the answers, 
Little glints of light that pick out amongst the gloom, 
And that so called, “Winners,” are ...

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History will judge us all, like it not, 
Our actions, subtractions, additions and omissions, 
Retractions, and remissions and conditions and what not, 
Hope it judges fairly, and that you won’t be forgot, 
Accepts all your submissions and also in addition, 
Accepts your recognition of the ever looming, “Slot,”
Which will be your final resting place, 
Allows for all your best, in case,
...

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What does it take to be able to regard yourself as a good person, hmm?
What does it take? 
Is it that you always give to charity? 
Or have the clarity to never make a mistake? 
What does it take? 
Maybe you tithe, give money to God and think it odd that others don’t,
Or won’t, is that their mistake?
To want to have and eat every single slice of the cake?
And if all of their professed notio...

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In the quiet moments,
The lulls before the raging storms,
The space between the rise and fall of the waves,
I sit,
I sit in contemplation of the moments to come,
I sit in readiness for the time I must stand,
I sit because I am tired,
I sit because I can,
Knowing that no amount of protestation can calm the coming storm,
Knowing the futility of trying to fight the waves,
May as well t...

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When I think about the passage of time as it eats away at my bones,
I always remember Roy’s, speech, in his dying moments at the end of, “Bladerunner,”
“I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.”
In that...

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Value time for what it is,
The most precious gift that you will ever receive,
More valuable than anything else life can give,
But the clock forever ticks, and offers no reprieve,
So value every hour, every minute and second,
Those that bring you shame and those that make you proud,
For one day your true worth upon this Earth will be reckoned,
And not in cash or conquests, “there are no...

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Structure your expectations. 
No, “Free rides,” no, “Free lunch,
No promises of happiness, nor even to be fair, 
Not one intention of pulling even a single punch,
No commitment set in stone to, “Always be there,”
No guarantee of, “The fairy-tale ending,”
Nor any, “Happily ever after,”
No pretension of intending, 
To fill your life with endless laughter, 
No easy passage through storm...

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This glass is cracked, that’s true, but it’s still half full of water,
Still intact enough to hold the sweet liquid of life,
And true it’s seen some use, perhaps more than it ought to,
And its shine's a little dull and its chips and cracks are rife,
And it can’t be held too roughly, cos this glass it’s seen some action,
But it still holds water and it’s stronger than you’d think,
And th...

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Conscience, my conscience,
Be the ever guiding light that illuminates my way,
Be my inner sunlight and shine brightest in the absence of day,
Conscience, my conscience,
Be the compass that leads me ever true north, when all seems lost,
Be the thing that guides my steps irrespective of the cost,
Conscience, my conscience,
Be my champion, my rod and my shield, in this long and lonely fig...

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Our flag is torn,
We were playing, “Tug of war,” with it,
And now we’ve gone and ripped it and don’t know who to blame,
We just got bored,
We felt we could do more with it,
Than tie it to a pole and let fly in everybody’s name,
Some took the left,
And some took the right of it,
And then from either side, we heaved with all our might,
And every thread,
Was straining at the heart of i...

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(A prompt from a friend from a quote from Alice in Wonderland, "I think of at least six Impossible things before breakfast)

This morning as the chime bell rings and wakes me from my slumber,
Before the fog of fitful dreams has barely chance to pass,
And I am lifted from the spell of dreams that I was under,
Though I would gladly stay there, but wake I must, alas,
My mind is brought to focus...

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Seneca once said, 
“Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack,”
And in that ancient statement lies the key to being strong, 
Let adversity be the foil that sharpens your wit, strengthens your back,
That you may find your way even in the places where you don’t belong,
Face every challenge with a smile and an open mind,
Gird your spirit for the trials to come, turn your back on...

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How do I climb the next step?
When all hope is gone, when all strength is gone,
With barely even a wisp of will left to go on,
How do I climb the next step?
Why should I even try?
It seems like there’s answers for every question except one, “Why,”
And that’s the only one I really need but I ask and, no reply,
So why should I even try?
And what if I don’t want to climb?
What if this step, ...

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Take my hand brother, sister, 
As I have taken yours before, 
It doesn’t necessarily hold truth or answers,
My hand holds something more important, yours, 
And true, it cannot take away your pain 
Nor shield you from the rain in this stormy weather, 
But it might help you to stand again, 
And it’s just a little easier if we stand together, 
So take my hand brother, sister, 
As I have...

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I have no stones to cast, I am not without sin,
Nor so free of error, that my stones could be thrown, 
My, “house of glass,” is glazed with panes so thin,
The slightest pebble of hypocrisy would leave my windows, “Blown,”
And each of my mistakes, when counted on the ledger,
Would fill so many pages that the book would need re-writ, 
And every line and letter, acts as mindful measure, 
...

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 (An homage to the first proper poem I ever learnt and still one of my favourites, Jabberwocky. Although I always felt a bit sorry for the dragon, so I wrote this from his point of view).

Creep little dragon, in the wabe, where slithy toves do gire and gimble,
A vorpal sword hunts for your head so keep your footsteps lithe and nimble,
And please beware the beamish boy who wields that wicked b...

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Hand me the bitter pill, 
I’ll take my truth unsweetened, 
My shoulders broad, my back is strong, 
My spirit will remain unbeaten, 
And though my road is long, 
And my time upon it fleeting, 
I’ll face the things that I got wrong, 
With courage whilst my heart’s still beating. 

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There is no preaching to be had here,
No misguided self righteousness papers over the cracks, 
No delusions of grandeur nor knotted ball of fear,
Just open eyes, open ears and an open mind to both opinions and facts,
Open eyes to see past the ugliest acts of humanity, 
And to truly appreciate the beauty held within, 
To read between the lines of insecure insanity, 
And see where madnes...

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(Inspired by a line from one of my favourite poems, "Invictus," by William Ernest Henley)

Steady your ship, though the boiling waters lap at your hull,
And wind whipped rains lash down against your decks,
Your course is set, your sail is full
Keep going, “Better late in this life than early in the next,”
Don’t set your sights on false horizons,
Nor fret when you don’t have the best of the ...

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The past falls away behind me as Autumn leaves blown in the winds,
The future stretches out from here, in the uncertain threads of a dew soaked web,
Only the present, the absolute, “Here and now,” where history ends and chance begins,
Has any bearing on the things that must be done, the words that must be said,
The things that have gone before, have gone forever,
Only their lessons are n...

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Skip a stone across the pond then run with all your might,
Brittle bones will click and clack beneath this mirror of moonlight,
Little waves of water lap the shores on this All Hallows night,
Tittle tattle jaws behind closed doors will talk and give their kids a fright,
Tell them of the pond and then it’s awful secrets are revealed,
Tell them how each bracken frond around it’s edge keeps...

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Hush the wind that whispers in my ear,
Still the turning of the world, 
Brush the cobwebs from my eyes, that I might see clear,
Uncurl the words that upon my tongue lay curled, 
Unwind the threads that lay twisted in my mind,
Unravel the thoughts of untamed doubt,
Let the chains of uncertainty, fall and be left behind, 
Those are bindings I can live without, 
Dispel the mists and coil...

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You’re drowning in the air, choking on hypocrisy,
And though many argue that that’s fair, it’s still sad to see,
You’ve spent so long shouting to hide your mediocrity,
And posturing and pouting about how you love democracy,
And telling us you’re a genius, despite evidence to the contrary,
And thriving in this atmosphere of toxic animosity,
Boasting of your weapons and their terminal vel...

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You are of the soil,
The blood runs in your veins as the rivers to the seas,
The fire in your heart rages, so as to burn away all doubt,
And allows your intellect to soar upon the breeze,
Your will is cast in iron, set in stone, 
Your wit is sharpened to a razors edge,
You took the shadow at your heart and named it as your own, 
And in so naming took control of all the danger of that i...

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Oh how we twist,

In the roiling firmament, this unrelenting mist,

Where no shape drawn is permanent, where nothing can persist,

Oh how we twist,

Oh how we turn,

A flicker flame of turbulence, watch it all burn,

In bitter flames of recompense, when will we learn?

Oh how we turn,

Oh how we coil,

Serpentine around the wrist, slicker than oil,

The tightening grip you...

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Will you dance in the meadows,
Or look through the window,
Will you move your feet to the wild, frenetic rhythms of life,
Brushed by the tall grasses with the wind in your face,
Or will stay, “Safe,” behind the pane of glass that separates you and the breeze,
Will you know the cut and scrape of the wild, enraptured dancer first hand,
Or will you try to capture that feeling vicariously f...

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Life seems to have revealed itself to me in stages,
Presented its lessons at a time when I needed to learn them,
Laid itself bare and at the same time hidden its meanings,
And the one thing I’ve learned above all other things is how little I know,
And as we all step blindly forward on the crest of the ever passing moment,
And into the ever unfolding unknown,
The one lesson that has been...

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Try and hold true to your truth,

Try and not lie, especially to yourself, 

Don't age prematurely, nor cling desperately to youth,

Attend to your spirit, your mind and your health, 

Don't overfill your pockets or mouth, 

Don't under-fill your heart or your mind, 

Never ignore the darkness that lives in both,

Show it the light, let it learn to be kind,

Know that a silent, sol...

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Be content with you,
Satisfied with yourself without being, “Self satisfied,”
We are a constant work in progress, true,
But the true value of yourself, to you, should never be denied,
Know that in the end, you are enough,
Because you set your own standard, decide your own will,
And a life valued in material stuff,
Will leave a bottomless void that you can never fill,
So be content that you...

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Dry your eyes and wipe the snot from your nose,
“Boys don’t cry,” you see, or at least that’s how the saying goes,
But your tear streaked cheeks deny every shred of this, and it shows, 
And every time you think about the scent of her, the river flows, 
So shed your tears ‘cos she’s gone and she's never coming back, 
Let them fall to the floorboards and soak through the gaping cracks, 
A hear...

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Something to remember,

Before you lose your temper,

Once you have a child,

You're not allowed to be a child,

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Uncle Sam is gasping, flailing at the surface.
Drowning in the cold and ever rising waters.
Churning it to foam, though that’s proving worthless,
 I doubt it’s what he wanted, or what his people fought for,
Uncle Sam is coughing, trying to shout out,
Trying to scream a message as he fights to stay afloat,
“If you want to save me, please be of no doubt,”
“The lifeline you can throw is contai...

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Bend a will to fit your need and wink your lying eye,
Sing a song of sixpence and a pocket full of rye,
Drown the loud dissenters at the bottom of the sea,
And lose your home and savings all because of me,
The king is in his counting house counting out his cash,
There’s less than he pretended hidden in his stash,
But he won’t let you see what goes on behind closed doors,
‘Cos he’s too busy ...

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This heart beats for the people in pain,
This heart beats for those who play the crying game,
For those that wish the day would change but know it will remain the same,
This heart beats for you, although it doesn’t know your name,
This heart beats for a world that slowly burns,
This heart beats for those that see the lesson but never learn,
For those with a one way ticket to Hell, ‘cos ...

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Never be, “Too tired,” to offer a consoling hug,
Never be, “Too busy,” to listen to their woes,
Never duck their questions and give them a dismissive shrug,
'Cos you’re the one with answers, if you’re the one that knows,
Knows their deepest fears and the things that stress them most,
Knows the things that make laugh, knows what makes them cry,
But only if you listen and holds them when ...

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“Out of the ground we were taken for the dust that we are, and to the dust we shall return,”
But your name may linger on past the coffin and the urn,
In the cold, hard light of day, history may remember,
The deeds you did upon this Earth long after you are ash and ember,
So aim high, be bold, be true, hold hard to rhyme and reason,
Plant your words as fertile seeds that stand test of tim...

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Let the light of love guide you on your way,
Though your mind be drawn to the dark of night,
May it grow bright and ever light your day,

Though broken-hearted, let that hold no sway,
Let the soft warmth alleviate your plight,
Let the light of love guide you on your way,

Gentle is the light banishing the grey,
As the new dawn breaks and drives away night,
May it grow bright and eve...

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Imagine that you’re living and not just, “Attending,”
That your existence in the world has meaning beyond mere observance of your time extending,
That you’re not chained to some empty endless toil,
And your value as a person goes beyond the, “Skin deep,” which time will inevitably spoil,
That your hard won insights could be of use to others,
Your experience of truly living, as Father, Si...

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The world turns beneath my feet as it should,
The skies pass above my head as they always will,
The winds whisper soft secrets to the trees of the wood,
My heart beats and my mind is still,
No worries can penetrate this endless calm,
No passing concerns can break this spell,
The endless frettings of a turbulent world can cause no harm,
My mind is still, and all is well,
As a spider ex...

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Memento Vivere, "remember to live,"

Bound by the knowledge that one day you'll surely die,

To take only as much as you give,

And in that taking, take only what you need, and know why,

To measure every breath and heartbeat as a gift,

To take joy in the teachings of every lesson learned,

To value abundance as much as times of thrift,

And that your brief time is measured by the t...

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Dispossessed and disenfranchised from the size of that dispossession,
Inner cries minimised by the cats’ eyes lining this procession,
The sullen silence of the passenger belies the lies in his expression,
Eyes fixed on distant skies quietly despising his concession.
 
Too young to rationalise the, “Where’s and whys,” of her decision,
Too young realise why she despised their long division,
T...

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Here I am, in the moment,
Focussed on the here and now,
Enjoying the day for what it is,
Not knowing why, not knowing how,
Just gliding on the wave of the eternal present,
Not fretting on the future, nor locked up in the past,
What do I know of what is yet to happen,
And of the things that I have known, only lessons should last,
I refuse to carry the useless millstone of regret,
I ca...

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Whisper a wish to waking skies that they might know your hearts desire,
Praise the rising of the Sun but don’t gaze upon that ball of fire,
For though it shines down on the Earth and drives away the still of night,
It’s incandescent heart would scorch the eyes of men, it burns so bright,
Let its warmth anoint your weary soul and give you strength to stand,
As it casts its light down on t...

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May life make you truly rich,
May your blessings be divine,
May your house be blessed with love,
May your life be blessed with time,
May your mind be filled with wonder,
May your heart stay strong and true,
May your fears be cast asunder,
May your courage see you through,
May your spirit always shine,
May the gods grant you my wish,
May your blessings be divine,
May your life be tr...

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