The New Year 2021

A time for New Year's Resolutions

for introspection and internal ablutions

A glance at the past where it now belongs

as we drink, dance and sing familiar songs

A time to ponder and begin anew

for there lies ahead so much we can do

Let us waste no time as the future beckons

it will soon be here in hours, minutes and seconds

If we are with ...

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A Dark Secret

A dark secret well hidden

has brought fear to be bidden

As a boy I kept mum

a secret which never saw the sun

So I concealed my voice and could not utter

nervousness was at the root of my stutter

I moved in darkened places to find

what I could not clearly outline

I became furtive and very introvert

as my secret was highly covert

I searched for a l...

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An Inner Voice

We often need to listen to our inner voice 

that still small voice of calm

Which speaks words of wisdom

words which do not emanate from ourselves

But directly to heart and mind

The voices and noises of endless distraction

often drown this source of inner wisdom

The world outside will encroach upon us

to supress those words we need to hear

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A Childhood in Despair

I was drenched

and drained in dullness

I loathed my surroundings

nearly as much as

I loathed the other

children

School was a 

frigid and hostile

environment

The moorland was

inhospitable as 

were the gossiping

biddies in their

backstreets

There was an absence

of joy, with no colour

or contrasts

I vowed when I 

cam...

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Kindred Spirits

Out of the blue, unannounced and from many miles afar

a soul arrived in my sacred space

It was meant to be that we should meet

from another land but of our common race

We bonded soon and bared our souls

a language used to forge new understanding

Since that day to this we have grown

in a place which will be truly everlasting

This was no rand...

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We are growing

Every moment of life is grace filled

we are often not aware of this

Every thought and movement is growth

we are built and modelled every moment

Every brick is carefully laid

the architecture becomes unique

Every word spoken is of learning

it matures our soul and mind

Everyday the scaffolding falls away

to reveal more of who I am

Everyone about m...

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A Forest Glade

In a forest glade within its shade

love is made

A secret place for which no charge is made

love is made

Far from prying eyes we have a place prepared

where love is made

There we take off our clothes to be fully bared

is where love is made

Rampant passion here is flagrantly made

here is where love is made

Nature's dell our hidden  abode

where ...

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The Heart of the Matter

I plunge into the abyss of my soul

Unfettered by cerebral cavities of opaque thought

I search for the core of my being

The powerhouse of my spiritual wealth

Where my true identity sits in splendour

Silence pervades this deep chasm

When visited, it becomes illuminated

A strange but enigmatic place

Where I am challenged and motivated

Besides...

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The Virus comes home

The alarm bells of anxiety rang cruelly and loudly

as the pandemic reached into the heart of my family

No longer was it a statistic but a personal tragedy and reality

so tenuous is life, not knowing the hour or the day

I raced around in my confused mind

looking for what could not be found

Messages passed to and fro to offer prayers and support

but ...

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Immaculate Renewal

The waves of the Spirit wash over me

to cleanse and renew the fervour of my soul

Then I see anew as I am uplifted above all conciousness

an ephemeral gladness envelopes me

A balm heals the past of spiritual disfigurement

to breathe on me another time of reconciliation

A second or third or more, an opportunity to reopen my eyes

to the depths of my bei...

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Our Place

We are in the right hand bottom corner

alone and quite separate as an entity

A diamond which glitters with brilliancy

giving the fragrance of creation and love

Especially conceived to be blessed into eternity

we are encased in perfect harmony and safety

Every detail is to perfection, an unparalleled miracle

outside darkness reigns into the unknown

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A Gentler Age

I was smoking my pipe outside as usual

A young observant man said that I reminded

him of a gentler age

Not many smoke pipes these days for fear 

of criticism

I acknowledged his remark and nodded

A gentler age I thought, at a time when 

young men in the trenches smoked pipes

almost to a man

Gleaned from black and white documentaries

of the Somme a...

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The Nanny State

The Nanny State is here to stay

and woe betide those who go astray

Do you smoke they say

to this there is no give away

How many do you smoke each day

I replied that cigarettes were not within my pay

A pipe yes until the tobacco has burned away

He wrote the words, A smoker he does say

I was condemned that day

I am amongst those who stand outside to...

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That Great Emotion

Love has no ownership , no script

it rises above normality and convention

It tingles with an ancient beauty

never distressed, only ever empowered

It is aroused out of nothing to something

never confined to boundaries or limits

Love is a gentle force in powerful clothing

as it embraces all manner of souls

By it we are attracted and consumed

into...

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The Land is Fallow

The land is fallow, the virus has struck

the grass weeps and the fields sleep

Trees stand bare as onlookers stare

the land is fallow for a while, a year

The land is pock marked with tangled weeds

no longer is it time to sow the seeds

People retreat to the warmth of their hearth

nothing is achieved on inertia's path

Clouds and rain no lon...

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Stillness

Early morning as daylight heralds a new day

I sit alone in my pre ordained space

to be still in thought and prayer

as I contemplate and commune

with the essence of my being

where the Divine Spirit has made his home

In the background I play softly and

listen to Gregorian Chant or the

strains of Peer Gynt in the beauty 

of the morning song

Peace b...

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Held in Abeyance

The death throes of autumn have finally receeded

as the muffled drums of winter steadily begin their desultory beat

Nature retreats amidst cold winds, frost, sleet and ice

to clouds laden with snow waiting to the unleash their confetti

We shrink and cower by open fire sides with toasting forks

 to sleep wrapped in overcoats and gloves under weighty blan...

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They danced the Tango

She sat in a pale blue satin dress with white silk stockings

revealing legs of perfect form from ankles of a delicate strength

She smoked her cheroot in a languid manner

the feathered plumes of her hat, a crown of serene nonchalance

He asked her for a dance,

she accepted extinguishing her cigarette

On the floor, her stage of familiarity, she leaned a...

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HAfter the Cabaret - Impending doom

Outside we heard the distant dark rumblings

in the clouds of impending war

Inside we were oblivious to such a world

as we danced, drank, smoked and made love

Darkness was at the outer limit of all horror

as we procrastinated in luxury and self indulgence

Our heads were buried in the sand as we sipped cocktails

and flirted outrageousl...

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Lockdown

I prefer to call it house arrest

as it is fast becoming an endurance test

Now we suffer human deprivation

an unbearable and intolerable condition

The pubs are now out of bounds

but the milkman continues his daily rounds

I go shopping wearing a bandit's mask

which makes the business more of a task

My glasses steam up and I collide with others

and on one o...

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Acceptance

I came across naive pebbles on a crowded beach

of different shapes, colours and forms

Frequently moved by the ebb and flow of the tide

yet all packed neatly together as if for comfort

Each individual pebble a part of a sea of stones and rocks

no two alike but in a common unison of sorts

I picked one at random, amazed at its uniqueness

no two were allike...

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A Tribute to Decency

If it were not for this patch of land

This small part of God's vast creation

Amongst a desultory but decent people

I would be lying in some back street

Having been raped by a broken bottle

Or murdered and deposited in a field

Where the harvest had yet to be reaped

Or thrown from the highest building

I live, exist only by grace in a place of litt...

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The Divide of Prejudice

We were young and adventurous

curious about the world and ourselves

Our friendship had been forbidden

as we came from different religions

He was catholic and I was not

bigotry had seized upon our young souls

One day he took me to his church

where I glimpsed its interior and splendour

We dared not speak of this exploit

We always m...

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Inner Conflict

There are times when I am enveloped in a dense cloud of unknowing

In a state of utter and inner solitude I become transfixed

The atmosphere becomes pressurised and intense

A fearful beat of a strange sound emits a cascade of anxiety

I become inert, highly aware of where and who I am

Peaks of prominent unassailable mountains pervade my vulnerable soul

and bl...

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You would have found me.....

You would have found me in a perambulator

or on a small seat fixed to my mother's bicycle

It was a time of austerity, of making do with

socks that were darned and pullovers knitted

Our home was a prefabricated bungalow

erected along with others on a bomb site

The German Airforce had re landscaped the area

everything appeard to be new a...

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A Mysterious Warmth

I heard a knock on the door

Two men stood there, simply dressed

We looked curiously at each other

"Are you warm?" one of them asked

"Yes"  I replied, "on the outside"

"But of your inner self" came the response

"I feel nothing here", as I touched my chest

"Come with us to a warmer place" was their invite

We left the house together

The front doo...

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Darkness and Light

The sun is low in the sky

as scanty clouds scud swiftly by

Most of the leaves have now gone

for in most places there are absolutely none

a gust of blustery wind presses against my face

as I bend forward into the wind apace

Leaves of autumnal splendour are everywhere

we choose carefully what clothes we decide to wear

Dawn arrives unannoun...

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True North

We often sublimate ourselves

to conform and meet the

expectations of others

We aim to please but seldom ourselves

always others

Life can be spent in such a charade

which brings damage and no joy

We must enter into our inner selves

to face reality and come to

accept the truth of our identity

to do so with courage

The real me and the real you

No...

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People Watching

I watch

I observe

I look

I search for clues and tell tale signs

for places of origin, fashion, and demeanour to find

I probe

I compare

I analyse

I evaluate all I see and more besides

I speculate on the minutest detail which may reside

I ponder

I fantasise

I desire

to see behind the veil which life affords

to discover what is discret...

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The Curtain Falls

A dull twilight atmosphere of greyness prevails

Suspended between night and day

Winds gently buffet the branches of failing leaves

As a perpetual drizzle saturates the sodden earth

It is time to sleep, to rest as even autumn is now spent

Fading green leaves with red and yellow edges about to fall

As if flags are lowered at half mast

A chill which find...

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November is here

This quiescent mist which envelopes

the landscape

An inaminate veil as a blanket of

obscurity

Heralds the onset of shorter days

and longer periods of darkness

Into this stagnant gloom we reflect 

on death as nature falls dormant

A time of All Souls and of Remembrance

An apt climate choreographed for a

season of meditation

Hibernation and lo...

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Luis

I love him for his innate vulnerability

so I can massage those florid areas

of soreness to restore

confidence and bring healing

I shower petals of affection on his

trembling inner self

where darkness and doubt lie

in an abyss of inbred fear

His spontaneous outbursts of love

are fountains of intense colour

I am forever intrigued by his

evolutionary proc...

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Blessings Abound

We have many blessings which we seem to

know nothing about

Should we know them with real joy

we would shout

We know little of the hell of war

and starvation is far too far

We have an abundance of food

and clothing

There is little left to stimulate

any loathing

Good fortune and money line our

pockets with wealth

There is little need for s...

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A Dusty Road

Blown into eternity

the end has no formality

no significance to speak of

Reduced to mere dust

we are scattered into

a universe of particles

to be at the will of

the winds that blow

We will have left no impression

no remains 

but dust thinly scattered

Celestial debris

of no significance

What was it all for?

Caught up in the

draught o...

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The Dinghy of Hope

Floundering in perilous seas

above an ocean's grave

clutching children

clutching each other

starry skies

A lunar beacon

grey heavy laden waves

a swirling ocean

Gripped by fear

prayers gasped

Water sodden clothing

a chilling wind

Dawn comes

as a lover returns

hope, a touch

more prayers

another day

Perhaps good fortune

...

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An Account

Seas of complacency

refuge of many 

foot weary and hapless

to swim the surface

albiet briefly  in tranquility

A wave breaks

chaos is King once more

scattered in confusion

no flowers in 

purple tulip vases

Empty carriages

with fine horses

await on cobbled streets

echo misery

A plummet to 

new depths

in iron clad walls

down throug...

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The Eternal Void

Dark and light wrestle in the vine

steps down to oblivion

Floundering in obscurity

bowels and bowels of nought

Surface light yearns

a fluidity sways the spirit

Tranquility holds fast

walls encompass security

Outside ambivalence 

to the perennial

The womb is home

speculative comfort

Before the neon lights

and depravity in

perfection...

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A New Horizon

The boat has been moored for months

fearful we have left her to be

No knowing the seas that lie ahead

as so many suffer and others are dead

Our lives have been turned upside down

needs and wants have been rearranged

Often we don't know which way to turn

but as times passes a new life we must learn

No longer are we able to kiss and hug

to s...

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The Ecclesiastical Empire

A city of basilicas adorned with wealth

Art treasures occupy every niche

Their magnificence is overwhelming

An expression of beauty adornes even their lintels

Candles flicker before statues and icons

The prayers of the faithful on their knees

The poorest invariably give more than they can afford

Domes, cupolas and stained glass

The fra...

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Mendicants Slumber

In the light of day when the city is bright and free

they roam in dead earnest to sell or simply be

A diminished identity cries for recognition

a job or some longed for and much needed ambition

People know who they are and from where they come

they are but as parts of an eternal sum

Their eyes cannot conceal defeat and dismay

as they search for ...

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The Layers of Age

I feel the layers of age as I draw each breath

every movement is a reminder of years past

I am crouched through frailty and surgery

my body aches intermittently with each twist and turn

Life is slowing down quite perceptibly

but I worry not about this inevitable process

My mind and soul are still invigored

temptation still attracts carnal desires

T...

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A New Love  (dedicated to the Eternal city of Rome)

My old loves have fallen

from grace

No longer do they hold a

place

They have been relegated

to times past

For a new lover beckons

at last

He has always had a 

place in my heart

And this is from 

the very start

I considered him to be 

out of reach

Like a sand castle on 

a crumblling beach

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Shake off the Dust

For those who seek personal aggrandizement at your expense

Shake off the dust from under your feet and walk away

For those who smile at your face then cheat you

Shake off the dust from under your feet and walk away

For those who befriend you and then stab you in the back

Shake off the dust from under your feet and walk away

For those who ...

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Nothing is Lost

We play the smallest part in life

briefly we are here to live and be

From birth to death our print is made

then only to disappear, but not to die

For death is final and has no home here

to see is not to love, but to know is

What we cannot see remains with us

in memories of heart and mind

Both of which cannot be turned into dust

nothing is lost for...

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An Ocean of Time

Memories reverberate across the ocean wave

you touch my heart on the crest of each nerve

I want to reach out but the mist of time says 'no'

yet for the sake of love I cannot let go

Time has not lessened my passion for you

despite all others my heart has remained true

I am blessed with good fortune yet sad

between us there was no room for anything ...

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Alone in a Pandemic

He sat alone looking interminably sad

his mask had fallen beneath his chin

In his mouth a pipe clenched between his teeth

a trickle of blue smoke grew into ascending rings

The wooden bench was in the village square

surrounded by the usual High Street shops

An unopened newspaper lay on his lap

mostly unread with the usual contents of dread

Deep in...

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I did not belong

The landscape of my childhood anaesthetized my soul

I had no vested interest in it for it was ugly and raw

An industrial scene the place of my exile was utterly foul

a sea of chimney stacks in grey fields of gloomy chaos

A simple glance was sufficient to avert my gaze elsewhere

and cast my mind back to memories refined in pastures green

I had been ta...

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I imagine....

To imagine is to conjure the mind

entering into the folds of desire and fantasy

To lie in a solitary darkened room

images flash to and fro at random

We construct our dreams to suit ourselves

others arrive unannounced to charm us

Journeys are undertaken and the past relived

faces and places return to haunt us

Intense sadness and the joy of exhileration

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Exactly the Same - 1939

They are exactly the same

as we peer into the past

 and absorb the present 

a new generation is brainwashed

The President for Life

in a one party state

A Fuehrer for Life

in a one party state

Jews, gypsies, gays and dissidents

segregated for extermination

Uighur Muslims and dissidents

selected for re education or eliminatio...

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Gangster Town

A giant gothic structure

where concrete blocks

keep democracy at bay

Gangster Town

a wind tunnel

an echo chamber

of futile banter

Gangster Town

the talking shop

of little earthly use

a cavern of deceit

Gangster Town

the casino of corruption

where nests are feathered

and plummage preened

Gangster Town

a Victor...

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Another Glut of Dictators

A new coven of dictators has emerged

an unholy alliance of tyrants

Grim handshakes are exchanged

in a darkened souless mutuality

Unwritten alliances are formed

as the oppressors of the masses

They threaten peace and stability

and delight in aggression and provocation

Together they are the champions of evil

fearful and ready to destroy de...

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Sozzled

Swarthy and bearded

a dominant brute

of salacious repute

exhaling blue smoke

betwixt whiskey and a joke

Propped up yet leaning

one eye seeing

with hat tossed back

a knotted tie is slack

Always here, never there

tight stained his attire

A lamp casts a shadow

as a curtain does a window

Stupified and nonchalant

the day's climax redundant

Th...

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A Portrait

The portrait caught my desultory attention

it stood out in an instant, a glance

Head and shoulders, a slight of the head

eyes focused on the instrument of capture

Features emanating an intensity of thought

a hand holding spectacles askance

The impression possessed a certain individuality

a face with a veiled sense of purpose

Pen and paper not visible but ...

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Be Yourself

Stand upright and alone

Reject conformity

Discard all your labels

Do not read newspapers

Read and educate yourself

Form your own opinions

Reject any form of prejudice

Learn to say no and mean it

Abhor all violence

Do not follow the herd

Choose friends carefully

Go where you please

Do not give in to fear

Don't identify with others

Refuse...

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Catapulted

Sensual and salacious desires arouse the senses

as they race to the fore leaving all else in their wake

As a stream cuts its route through virgin land

a coup has taken place as all control is lost

We kiss, fondle and run with our hands

our innards burn with a passionate ardour

Sinews break from their moorings

as the heart pulsates and reaches fever pitch

...

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A Smoky Cafe

It was bizarre if not exotic with an array of aspidistras

a delicate white wrought iron staircase curled above the dance floor

Where dancers were in perpetual flow as they tangoed to and fro

waiters wore white shirts and black bow ties with trousers of course

The strains of tango music permeated the entire cafe

as women sat with elongated cigarette holders gentl...

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The haves and have nots

Behind veils they are cloaked in disguise

their voices are inaudible and secretive with lies

They cooperate in order to manipulate for gain

egotistical they feather their nests with those they have slain

Fingers are pointed at others and away from themselves

they live in fear of blame and shame like frightened elves

Single minded in their pursuit o...

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It draws near

A sinister wind blows its evil dust of grey ashes

leaving a residue for the potential of evil to come and dwell

It swirls along narrow alleys close to home

made manifest in irritability and resentment

From outer space we see the angels in dread fear

as fish flinch and seek deeper water

Factories churn out what we can well do without

greed and the ambition...

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Are we going to do this again?

The nations of the world slowly re arm with missiles and tanks

New submarines are launched alongside aircraft carriers

Are we going to do this again?

Trades wars, border disputes and plagues beset us

More casualties and increased poverty and prejudice abound

Are we going to do this again?

Brinkmanship, threats and even mo...

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The Stone Tower

For many a year I lived alone in a tall stone tower

its walls were sturdy and strong with power

The door was locked with a drawbridge and moat

inside its cold interior by candle light I wrote

From its lofty windows I beheld magnificent views

I had never been out so was only able to muse

One day in the height of summer the door opened to beckon me

f...

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Advance into Nothingness

From metal crates metal cylinders are dropped to kill or maim

Inside metal tubes we fly off on holiday to evade reallity 

From metal pipes come gas and water

We drive metal cars to contaminate our world

With an addiction for stainless steel we adorn our homes 

to shine in our self made worlds off dullness 

Old stone wells gave us water, clean...

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Onward and Beyond

In an eerie darkened cosmos a, planet spins free

blues and greens fuse together in a vaporous trail

Stardust swirls in a strange unison in constant motion

This vista can only be seen from afar

from the depths of outerspace in a greater void

A planet amongst many yet unique to embody life

a self contained home of light and life

from which nothing can e...

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Eternal Youth

The elixir was a disappointment

as the mirror reflected no noticeable change

I stared glumly as good money had been wasted

not one blemish had been removed

nor one wrinkle concealed or subdued

I had vigorously rubbed it all in, lavishly so

a few drops had even caressed my tongue

Fuelled with enthusiasm I was now dejected

all had been in vein, a useless...

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A Common Wealth

We must stop and draw breath

to seriously consider a better world

The past has eroded our individuality

diminished our identity and potential

into a world of greed, violence as a commonality

We must come together and pool our resources

We stagnate and wear false masks

leering at television screens of horror

as we lounge in comfort and luxur...

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The Prodigal Son

I am a repeat offender

it is part of my inherant nature

My intentions are good

but my spirit which is willing

gives way to a body which is weak

Lust is tattooed on my soul

as is the pursuit of pleasure

Original sin for me is selfishness

I am wayward and self indulgent

Always ready to apologise

and seek Divine forgiveness

But equally ready t...

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We are lost

We are free falling into a darkened chaos

some try to point the way but to where

We have been lied to, misguided and misled

humanity is the victim of its imminent destruction

In our folly we repeat history, hold fast to old beliefs

non of this is of any consequence when the abyss lures

A culture of blaming and complaining is rife

no one in all honesty ...

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Leaving Home

I kicked off my shoes in disgust

as I had more time to waste and wait

I was impotent because of my age

bound by the law to adhere and acquiesce

I stood and fumed barely able to conceal my anger

I wanted to smash something, a nearby fish bowl caught my eye

The word livid was beneath the surface of my soul

I was about to explode at any moment

I ...

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Encased in Memory

I was not present when he died

but far away in a different world

Yet I could see him in his coffin

composed and peaceful

He had earned this

after a gruelling life

They buried him in a Church Yard

close to the west door.

He would not have minded

it was at mother's insistence

I was not there but I saw him

a noble figure still with dignity in...

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The Plateau of Reconciliation

Winter lies dormant as a distant memory

Autumn ahead on a new blustery horizon

Spring has served its purpose of renewal

As we bask on the plateau of a summer's sun

We have reached that idyll of warmth and comfort

Where gardens are enrobed in fragrant majesty

A court of delightful colours as a Divine gift

Peace reigns in this kingdom o...

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The Black Sunbeam

It sat resplendent outside the front of the house

as it graced a dowdy neighbourhood with unrivalled elegance

It gleamed with layers of intense black polish

to announce its nobility and modernity

Along the street for those who did not own cars, yet some did

an intermittent array of other cars stood in awkward uniformity

They ranged from pre to post ...

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A Pressed Flower

I had procrastinated for far too long

as it sat above the house hidden

to give it shape and additional room

Our loft was a chaotic storeroom

the unwanted added to the untidy

I climbed a rickety ladder aloft

into a cavern of perpetual darkness

with a solitary naked light bulb

With torch in hand I surveyed the scene

old suitcases, cardboard bo...

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This is my Country and these are my People

For years I lived and worked abroad beyond the seas

fuelled by an adventurous and curious nature for fresh pastures

These wanderings ranged from desert lanscapes

to the idyllic islands of the West Indies

Europe fell easily within my grasp of view and desire

from snowcapped mountains to verdant valleys

I integrated myself into var...

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Seasonal Sensations

The body tingles as a transformation takes place

goose pimples yield to outstretched bronzed arms

in the landscape of an English summer

It is assured as night follows day

so does Spring herald the summer idyll of hope

The replaceable gives way yet again

as wicker basket chairs and mowed lawns

sit gently beneath the fruit trees in blossom

Sandals ...

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Do you see?

Don't cast a wandering eye

which captures nothing

You will see nothing

if your mind is preoccupied

Stop and stare and observe

fix your concentration on seeing

Do not allow yourself to be

a train window with life flashing by

All that can be seen has merit

even the dull and ugly

We learn more by seeing about us

than by transient thoughts

A leaf...

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The Intrusion

Juxtaposed with the dutiful arrival of Spring

bringing garlands of heavenly bouquets

We slumber in a permanent fear

of a plague whose rampant character

lies beyond the control of any man

Forget me nots bloom in the shade of a tree

daisies and dandelions grow wild in the fields

Hastily constructed hospitals await the infected

mortuaries receive unpreced...

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The Hedge of the World

The world is found in a maze

Passages linked together in symetrical chaos

An 'ad hoc' arrangement of no design

People enter and begin a fruitless pursuit

They wander unguided along green corridors

So high are the hedges the tallest cannot scale its walls

Or see beyond their own confines

Time can be spent in sheer frustration

Dead ends are freq...

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A Painting

I glanced at the landscape and moved on

The Gallery was full of people, a busy day indeed

I returned to the landscape, to see it once more

Before me, my eyes read in between the colours

The landscape gave way to my life, the past

I became mesmerised as images flashed before me

My childhood, family, times good and bad

I painted a superimposed landscape of my ...

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Sea Fever

The hatches are battened down

All is safely stored within

The wounded captain is on the bridge

The engine chugs slowly in motion

Those below have taken to their hammocks

The rudder is free with no control

The only sound is the lapping of water

We are adrift in a sea of plague

No destination can be determined

The doldrums have their way

A soporific at...

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A Tenuous Existence

We live on the edge

We hang by a thread

We clutch at straws

We live by grace alone

I wake in trepidation

I walk not knowing

I think in spasms

I am mostly lost

We search and ponder

We compare and wonder

We enquire with doubt

We often need to shout

I am well and truly alone

I am surrounded by people

I seek solitude

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Hadrian

A wall to predate that in Berlin or

One to mirror the Great Wall of China

Bestowed the name of the philanthropic Emperor

To consolidate his vast Empire, to discourage war

Steeped in ancient Greek culture he fell in love

Not with the Parthenon or the Temple of Olympus

Uninspired by the voices of Delphi

He was besotted by the beauty of a young man

Love flouris...

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A Curse or a Blessing

A plague sweeps across the land with vengance

Where blossoms are brimming in our gardens

Amidst anxiety and terrible uncertainty

The sun sits above us as a golden crown

A cough, sneeze or fever sends a shiver of fear

As leaves appear and nature comes to life

Confined to home and garden, time to contemplate

But free to relish the arrival of Spring

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Homely Love

A heavy cloud descends upon the town

The sun has withdrawn its brilliant rays

A creeping mist winds its way along the streets

Few if any venture out into this damp landscape

Huddled around hearth and fire for warmth

Kettles whistle as crumpets are toasted by lurid flames

Night draws in to exclude the outside world

Street lights glimmer in the encroaching gl...

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A Silver Framed Photograph

I see your face almost every day

But I know you have passed away

I ponder at our similarities in life

But you were killed at twenty in strife

On a street in Belgium your life ended

But here I live a life open ended

You sacrificed everything for our nation

All we suffer from is nervous tension

You left these shores aged nineteen

And sinc...

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Infection

The bats from hell have left their caves

Insidiously they spread their wings of dread

They are indiscriminate in their choice of victim

Random in whom they infect with plague

Fear and panic grip the heart and mind

We glance over our shoulder with uncertainty

Expectation lurks around very corner

Some withdraw behind door and curtain

The fatalistic stride fo...

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 Antiquity

A passage through the arches of time

Upon which cascades the fortunes of history

Rome and Athens where are your children

Cast asunder in the lands of Bohemia

We will perish without you

Revisit us and revitalise our civilisation

Lest we sink into an abyss of ugliness

Save us as we plunge into the unkown

Anchor us in your antiquity

Nurture us with your p...

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Stabbed

An unexpected and searing pain

I crumpled with an agonised scream

I was breathless with disbelief

I fell foward as others screamed also

People coming and going

A shot rang out in the distance

I am going to die here and now

These words rang in my pulsating head

I was turned on my back

Words of comfort were softly spoken

I prayed to God , Save me please.

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A Load of Luggage

Railways and their stations full of steam and soot

Deafening the noise as porters shouted and whistles blew

We heaved and pushed to climb aboard the express

Wearing our uniforms with cases and kitbags encumbered

Destined for camps, ports and airfields in remote places

Never sufficient seating we sat in narrow corridors

Beneath dimmed lights as others str...

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The Voice of Integrity

The voice of integrity

Is the voice of poetry

Not the voice of opinion

But the voice of dissent

The poet writes from the heart

His very soul cries out

He rails against injustice

And applauds courage

The poet seeks for the truth

He cuts away the undergrowth of deceit

The poet is driven by his conscience

He cannot remain silen...

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An Afternoon Storm

Created in hell the wind beats against all in its path

Rain lashes against window panes

It pelts its fury on roofs and chimneys

Animals fearful seek shelter

Foliage bears the brunt of this onslaught

Branches sway buffeted by sudden gusts

The sky darknes as afternoon becomes night

Litter is scattered in its wake

Traffic is reduced to a laborious cr...

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The Inner Sanctum

My home is my sanctuary

Blessed by love

Insignificant to most

But where I am surrounded

By those objects

Who reflect who I am

In this place of peace

I enter into my inner self

And do so in peace

From which comes 

A creative spirit

I think deeply

Uninterrupted and fluent

There is an outpouring

Of truth and vitality

Silence is my...

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We cease to be

One third of our alloted time is given to sleep

A great portion of our life here on this earth

A time when all that is concious is cast aside

When we enter the portals of another existence

When heart and mind meet to journey together

To places of fantasy and remembrance of other times

Encountering faces and places known and unknown

Taken where we have no...

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The Sounds of Night

Outside it blows

the house responds

Windows gently rattle

the dogs slumber in unison

a gentle murmur of contentment

A hum pervades all

a distant bell chimes

A cat triggers a light

it scurries away

The faint sound of music

an indeterminable melody

A melllifluous snore

I am not alone

The room is jet black

inky black with no shadow...

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Shifting Contrasts

The heat of life and the industry of the soul

War threatens, disease is rampant

We fall and falter over hurdles and stiles

Stung by the nettles of deceit and treachery

Wounded by the sword of infidelity

Pierced by shameful memories too grevious

Catapulted into an unkown kaleidoscope

Turn this way and that, no right from wrong

In sleep a melody pla...

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Satie

Nightfall descends slowly upon a city scene

Ninety years ago beneath gas lamps and tramcars

A shower of rain has abated leaving mirrored pools

People come and go as does the traffic to and fro

I subdue the sound I hear and superimpose my piano solo

One more in keeping, not with silence, but at odds with what I see

A more tranquil and melancholic atmosphere pervades

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Time Heals

The fury of anger and the heat of passion

An all consuming searing of emotions

Are in the present moment boundless in intensity

The after glow of passion generates a fondness

Where memories are venerated and cherished

The aftermath of unbridled anger unleashes

Embarrassment with vengance and damaged pride

Into these emotions of intense human behaviour

Com...

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Cut Adrift

Cut adrift in a maze of chaos and confusion

I am rejected flotsam abandoned in a great endless ocean

Never alone I collide with others and their thoughts and words

Which only adds to my sense of loss with no direction

Hope for what, I ponder, undulating waves prevent any real view

Often swirling mists envelope the ocean's surface 

At times cold and wretched, fr...

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My Mother in Law

My Mother in Law is a woman of substance

not to be messed with or ignored

A matriarchal figure who rules the roost

woe betide those who challenge her spirit

Confrontation with her achieves little indeed

her stoicism is utterly remarkable

As is her intellect and wit

never to be underestimated or side lined

A mother, a grandmother, a linguist and more

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Images Lost

Images lost but time not forgotten

as I weep inwardly my irrevocable loss

Moments of exhileration and passion

hidden from view behind a curtain

A burning desire for release

amidst emotions of intense love ferment

They remain to this day

I am haunted by love and ever longing

My soul cries for the loss of you

O let me love you eternally

I yearn and h...

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Perspectives

There are times when we need to draw perspectives

to adjust our thoughts, views and opinions

To peer down a tunnel with blinkered sight

is to lose any sense of reality or normality

We are too quick to judge and fall victim to errors

when quiet reflection can sober our thoughts

and cleanse those cerebal cavities

Those who seek fame and wealth are always wit...

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A Vacant Room

It spoke not one word of its owner

there were no signs of it being lived in

Large windows gave an abundant light

there were no curtains only blinds

The furnishings were spartan and unadorned

with clear lines of black, white and glass

The sofa was of black shiny leather

a two seater with a matching armchair

A clear glass table for coffee and drinks

o...

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