The held breath of midnight.

The old year solemnly folds.

Heralding blank canvases

Future stories as yet untold.

Fireworks, their colours burst,

In a star-studded velveteen sky,

A celebratory good riddance 

Last year finally passes by.

Welcoming, most heartedly 

Expectations of this newer year

Counting down the final seconds 

In unison, we raise a cheer

Profferi...

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Outside, bright gold and crimson bows hang large on frosted trees

Whilst white snowflakes dance merrily on winter's gentle breeze,

Bells chime lyrically, heralding midnight Christmas Eve

As Santa Claus brings presents to children who still believe

The sound of the reindeer hooves on the roof, clip-clop repeat,

Girls and boys are unaware, as they're snuggled fast asleep

...

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Poetry, like love, created when hearts and minds collide.

When any worry of inadequacy is reassigned to one side.

The pen caressed with a sensuous stroke,

Delightfully reliving thoughts that memories evoke.

In a world of words, many thoughts combine,

Erotic displays, dirty dancing with rhyme.

The cursive quill stimulates two lovers entwined,

A rhythmic embrace, with emoti...

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I'm not sure what I'm unsure about,

I don't know what I don't know or doubt,

What I do know, and this I know to be true,

The love I give is just not enough for you.

I can't care about things for which I have no care

Won't share with others who similarly won't share

What I do know, is our need for mutual respect

For you, the love I give is less than what you expect

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In darkened shadows, an ungrateful heart resides,

Ignoring countless blessings, in pitch it hides.

No flowery blooms of appreciation in this barren pasture,

A stark thankless, cold, depressing life that’s fractured

Thank you’s blown away in the whispered wind,

Gifts overlooked, gratitude in recall and rescind.

Each kindness lost to a black void of disdain,

Ungrateful echo...

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In the land of lost content, irregular shadows play,

Stronger memories are now fading in the light of day.

We've harvested all those yesteryear fields where dreams were spent,

Whilst on the wistful journey to the land of lost content.

Through autumn's fallen leaves, through libraries of tales untold,

Wayward laughter set in a gallery of smiling gold.

Where your pou...

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These injuries may limit my future path,

An IED blast, I'm the aftermath.

But don't you disregard me, my heart is true,

This soldier's bulldog spirit shines through.

Whilst abilities appear restricted,

Physically and mentally afflicted

Self-pity trumped, perseverance prevails,

My unyielding tenacity never fails.

Challenges demand much strength and resilience,

E...

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Only now can we begin to understand

How much each has loved and loves still

How much faith we’ve stored in both at will

Past years, lives out of hand, new futures planned

Troubled once, previous love not so rounded,

Tears: Hereafter bliss unrepleted,

A.N.other took our time and cheated,

We watched unsounded marriage vows grounded

Our new love won't allow either to...

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Many threads coalesce to become this life's tangled weave,

Though reason and mercy, are rarely given or received.

Yet to forgive and forget, one another's wrongdoing,

Displays compassion of spirit, empathic reviewing.

Patience and tenacity, we view meritorious

Bullying of others is considered inglorious.

We subjugate wrongdoers rightly to the rule of law,

Without first un...

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There will come a time

When meadow blooms are mindfully mum,

When majestic woodland oaks succumb

When poetry surely loses rhyme.

There will come a day

When exploits are regaled less often,

When hope is nevermore an option,

When love and laughter have gone astray,

There'll be a minute

When atonement for our wrongs is done,

When the final song to sin...

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Hokusai's Great Wave

(Mount Fuji presidary)

Crews cower lower

Deep troughs, white horses

(Mount Fuji introspective)

First drowned, then trampled

Man's impermanence

(Mount Fuji remains steadfast)

Against nature's force.

The Great Wave's power,

(Mount Fuji oblivious)

Grasps man's life, now death

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Courage.

Fearless; Dauntless,

Treasured, feisty spirit.

Father's love-struck weekend punchbag.

Victim.

Patient.

Doting; Caring.

Driving; Shaping; Praising.

Sculpt’s progeny's crucial futures.

Teacher.

Eager.

Avid; Fervent.

Striving; Grasping knowledge.

Universe absorbed to recall

Student

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Dullen eyes, 

thinned skin, 

salt 'n' pepper hair. 

Droopy jowls, 

saggy bags, 

who's that there? 

Sounds lost, 

blighted sight, 

thoughts frittered. 

Stiffened joints, 

unfaked aches, 

mind littered. 

Once young, 

agile, virile, 

now neglected. 

forgotten youth, 

decrepit exhibit

Mirror reflected.

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A drifting dinghy in the shed tear of a storm’s cry

Souls crouched desperately frightened beneath bedraggled rags

They seek a future: We have one to give, and that’s why

Our safe refuge is undetermined by their tattered flags

Don’t consider them foreigners from a foreign land 

They are pitiful parents, young children who need our care

To be warmly welcomed, not pol...

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The lightness of liberty gives me lift to fly,

Without restriction into the blue open sky.

No chains will ever bind, no bars will ever cage,

I pen freedom across every poetic page.

My firm voice speaks out against tyranny boldly

For my future's sake, there will be none to hold me.

In my youth, the fire of my empowerment burned,

The lessons of previous generations learned.

I...

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Like Achilles, we're headfirst into the river of life

Slowly floating downstream towards death, irrevocably

Circumstances may speed many through whitewater rapids,

To an untimely end, somewhat unbenevolently

Those less fortunate perish in cascading waterfalls

While others simply meander aimlessly in shallows

Egotists, ignorant of the plight of their own drowning

Unaware t...

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One, Two. Do I know you?

Three, Four. What’re you here for?

Five, Six. Just for kicks? 

Seven, Eight. Tell me straight.

Nine, Ten. Are you with them?

Eleven, Twelve. Or yourselves?

Thirteen, Fourteen. You got morphine?

Fifteen, Sixteen. Oral or vaccine?

Seventeen, Eighteen. See Nurse Nadeen.

Nineteen, Twenty. She’s got plenty.

Twenty, Nineteen. One Girl crime scene.

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The ferociously frenzied yellow-eyed Globaticus

chews for an eternity every morsel of road kill

licking her lips after each glorious chomp

swallowing hard whilst enjoying the thrill

Flavouring the prey with a pinch of black pepper

rubbing salt into the drying skin of the trunk

flickering her tongue around bloodied nooks and crannies

A meaty lump hits her stomach, kerplunk...

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Our yesteryear

Youngster's fear, turned to dust

Just then. We discovered punk,

we dunked our souls

unlikely society trolls, we were individuals

residuals, no modern comparison

An Oliver's army garrison, we fought back

dressed in black, moved by the beat,

leather booted feet stomped the city.

what a pity, Johnny Rotten died

We cried, while out of reach

On Rockaway B...

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Many years unfold, and our last hours swiftly scurry

Family and friends gathered reminiscing on a life well-founded

Reflecting on this mortality, we decisively flame out in a hurry.

Pondering the may or may not have been, of experiences unsounded

In my final thoughts, I attend, again, each celebration.

Those cherished occasions change as we grow old, 

Happy times, often...

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It started very slowly

Then, it quickly got out of hand

Commencing, without warning

Without pressure or demand

It continued more rapidly

Then either could understand

It began with no previous forethought

Neither plotted nor pre-planned

Our feelings moved on so quickly

They caught us both by surprise

Wrongly, others may have supposed

This had been formerly devised

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Waste no time debating,

What defines your moral character.

Let not your public words

Be another man’s disparager.

Actions speak more clearly

than a thousand words you say,

Don’t allow ignorance or arrogance.

to be the persona you display.

No need to argue endlessly,

On the attributes of reputable men,

Or whether the depth of their piety

Is more significant tha...

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Unseen, many gods remain concealed,

I tread life with reason as my guiding light, 

Proud owner of a sceptic's heart,

Dogmas unbound, no ancient tomes reviewed, 

My creed is doubt, in doubt I find my way, 

With open eyes, the world is revealed

Unseen, many gods remain concealed

No prayers whispered, no insight divine, 

I marvel at the cosmos and its starry field, 

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A new 180-page book of my thoughts and ramblings, buy yours on all the usual sites including JDRussell.online.

All I can say is, I have read it and I think it's wonderful 

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She cradles her head between her hands

as if dispatched by Madam la Guillotine.

Eyes tightly closed, hair stickier wet than the dew

blood spouting from fissured jugulars.

As her head fell, it left a blood-red stain

Upon Madame's blade, upon the gravelled stone court. 

She cradles her head between her hands

too tired to hold erect when cradled in Hypnos arms

Sleep overwhelms...

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City's beating heart, a grey-clad sentinel. 

winged grace, comic-faced, yet objectionable.

A messenger, a precursor of fanciful tales

brushed up by urban winds, setting sails. 

Bustling human streets provide isotach soaring

an outpouring of nuisance thoughts, unadoring. 

A scavenger, a subtle dancer on the city's stage

iridescent, with a watchful eye, colourful sage.

A...

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To love a woman, be dependable and firm,

Assure her of the future. Let your love affirm,

Into open arms, harmonise your connection,

Support her in her dreams, as one, in the same direction,

Cherish her continually with utmost affection

Both hearts gladdened, realising your love is right

Andante dance tempo, hold her close, hold her tight

Watch her for direction. Be keen t...

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Frivolous laughter whilst playing together in the park,

Their youthfulness and you, two ends of an ageing arc.

Their unbridled exuberance, to them all life is a lark.

Frivolous laughter whilst playing together in the park,

Time stands still as childhood memories embark,

The light of adolescence shines brightly through the dark

Frivolous laughter whilst playing together ...

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That night, as black as Coal hewer’s hands

 A sliver of moonlight edged the darkened cloud

A heavy fall of August rain fell onto the moor

That washed their faces, though heads were bowed

Her small cottage doubled as a village shop

High upon Northumberland’s, Elsden Moor, 

Mistress Crozier warmed by the heat of her fire. 

Heard a loud knock knock knocking, on the wood...

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Beneath the veil, a vision as yet unclear. 

Eyes widen, whispers hushed as she appears, 

Head held high, assured and confident, 

Opulent, her dress stitched with extravagance, 

Look closely at how the bodice compliments her frame, 

Desirous women wish they could dress the same

Behold, raised veil, her beauty revealed. 

Exquisite radiance nevermore concealed. 

Alabaster...

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Oh, crimson Rose, nature's gift of grace, 

Your ruby petals entice fairer sex embrace, 

Your lusciousness evokes men's hopes and dreams

Erect stance stems, a metaphor for love’s extremes.

Your thorns remind us that the path of love’s not smooth, 

Yet tenacity helps us hold on to love we can not lose.

Avoiding those thorns that safeguard your velveteen bloom, 

We choose flush t...

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In our innocence, as babies, we sleep,

Cradled closely in mother's love so deep.

This great world of wonder yet to behold

A million fascinations are still untold.

This child of learning carries heavy loads,

Whilst choosing future friends and future roads.

He absorbs knowledge like a Kalymnos sponge.

Opinions consumed, no notion expunged

This lover takes the s...

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Norfolks Hemsby shore

Tidal surges persist. 

Every passing storm 

More precious land's dismissed. 

The consequences

Abruptly take its toll. 

As Marram grassed dunes

Relinquish any hold or control.

Higher levels and warmer seas, 

Rising tides and storms collide,

Crash against geologically feeble coast

Which then inevitably slips and slides.

The once sandy du...

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Take it for a teatime dance,

Show it the joys of a fine romance.

Take it to the movie flicks,

Show it all your back-row tricks.

Go for a drive in an opened topped ride

Where to go? Well, you decide.

Escort it to fancy restaurants

Wine and dine, whatever it wants

A turn of speed in a two-seater sports,

Down country lanes, to seaside resorts.

Take it away on vacation we...

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High-waisted, French-laced, or Brazilian,

White cotton, red silk, or black string,

Bikini briefs and hipsters,

Caress my lady's skin.

Her Bridget Jones’s.

(bigger knickers)

Conceals zone.

Small pants

   Groan.

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Too often she carries her weight in despair

Dark thoughts have free rein in her life, she complies 

Dwelling on the burdens of the life that she bears, 

Unable to craft a new story of care,

She dances to the beat of negative vibes

Too often she carries her weight in despair

She has no imagination, pizzazz or flair

No way of knowing how to turn tail on the tide

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''Don't trouble the doctor needlessly.''

She said, ''I just want to take my rest, ''

''With your hand in mine, lying peacefully.''

''Remembering our younger years when we were blessed.''

Together, hand in hand, they reminisced,

That moment long ago when they first met.

The passion when they initially kissed

Handsome docker and spirited brunette

Recalling clandesti...

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In darkened shadows, where hope seems but a waste, 

Despair entwines the very core, leaving little space

to the possibility of taking any other direction,

Wrapped tendrils bind in an icy brace.

Your soul, your vessel lost amongst the souls

No guiding hand, no flicker to ignite a light 

that will illuminate any forward gain,  

Grasped by darkness, your life in blight

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The emptiness of your heart haunts my soul.

The taste of bitterness still lingers here.

A lovelorn dagger plunged deep, takes its toll.

Entwined, our two halves would've formed the whole,

Images shattered. Love has disappeared.

The emptiness of your heart haunts my soul.

Passions dancing, emotions take control,

Fate's cruel hand then blurred our love unclear,

A lo...

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In the realm of life's intricate design,

There inhabits a truth that's so refined,

"You have the power to control your mind,"

Let outside events remain unaligned.

Embrace this wisdom. Let it be.

the beacon of strength for you to see,

In every challenge, big or small,

Find the power within and stand tall.

For storms may rage, the winds may blow,

Your mind i...

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No! This can't be happening, she losing against death, I’m losing her from life, my yesterdays, my today, my tomorrows, my evermorrows, eyes dimming, breath failing, muscles wasting, she’s my light, my breath, my strength, where will my strength go when she goes, my mentor, my judge, my jury, my supporter, my forgiver, my friend, hold fast my gentle lady, I’m not ready to let you go just yet, ...

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The years have rolled,

A young man stares back

from an old passport photo.

He believed himself wiser,

older than his youthful years.

Principles form from boyish ideals.

Once ambitious, once determined.

A fighter, a winner, yet still a beginner

The youngster in the old passport photo

is still inside this old man,

staring back from my mirror.

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Early nineteen forty-five, west coast of Burma

In charge, Colonel Kan'ichi Nagazawa

The tiny strategic tropical island of Ramree

‘’Defend at all costs!’’ he said ‘’Till your last hour!’’

The Colonel mined the beaches,

Fortified the garrison in the cliffs.

Split his force to maximise his fire

Left no stone unturned, there were no ‘ifs’

Twenty-first of January,...

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Your moral character is unsmirched, unmaligned.

You've lived life with good purpose, well-defined,

Sure-footed, with a firm grasp on each day,

An inner truth illuminates your way.

With fortitude and intent. Let your image grow.

No waste, no haste, no laziness on show.

Embrace acquaintances as new friends you’ve made

Spirited dialogue urges pretension to fade.

Engage li...

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Random acts of kindness, and charitable schemes

Brings inner warmth that bolsters self-esteem

Embraced in the comforting arms of selflessness

Discard ego, when virtue is the emphasis

Don't yearn for an ovation, no self-serving aim

When goodness blooms, those less fortunate gain,

In those moments of compassion, we truly see,

The epitome of man's bred humanity.

In the ta...

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Judgement day comes for an apian hive
On the threshold, will it die or survive?
The Bee's priority is the unhoneyed comb
Unaware of the finality of her home,

What harms one bee, ruptures the greater whole,
Their shared destiny, the colony's goal.
The bee is the hive's cooling, beating heart.
Each tiny winged creature, a precious part,

What threatens the hive may destroy the bees
Confl...

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New World

Morning dawning

Emerge, embark, proceed

Life prospers only furtively

Evolves

Nature,

Peaceful, serene,

Complex doting mother

Beautiful, a world harmonised.

Nurtures

Climate,

Changing, warming

Heatwaves, fires, freezing, droughts,

Nature's response to inaction.

Flash floods

Humans

Raging, burning

Denied self-indulgence

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In those moments of doubt, when challenges arise,

You're facing tasks seemingly too vast, or unwise,

Remember, my friend, that ambition's not lost,

Impossible is not out of reach, or aloft

Should your dreams feel distant, beyond your scope or touch,

Yield not disheartened to your inner-self too much.

For possibility knows no bounds, there's no wall,

You crucially possess ...

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You have hurt me, and yet,

I search not for retribution.

Seeking a distinct vantage point

I do not find revenge in imitation. 

Harsh words once cruelly spoken,

An opportunity for easy repetition. 

Yet substance is my pride

I do not find revenge in imitation,

There is no detail I must explain

I’m in no need of vindication.

I’m unlike you; I’m therefore sure,

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Regrets linger heavily, 

There are long shadows cast,

Love’s flame extinguished, 

There’s no chance we’ll last.

In fervent haste,

I bade us a final adieu.

Hopelessly, passionlessly 

I forgot how to love you

There was an absence of heart, 

a chasm so wide,

We stood naked and adrift, 

In love's ebbing tide.

Our love slipped away, 

Like the timers...

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