A New Vision
A New Vision
A new vision for a new time, a new episode, a new year
for the future is full of uncertainty mingled with hope
We face it with a sense of expectancy
hopeful yet daunting in an immense complexity
Energy, wisdom with a strong sense of purpose
are required to embrace the unknown
We approach a mist, a maze, an entanglement
it is from within, our inner sel...
Sunday 31st December 2017 4:32 pm
There is no Shangri-la
There is no Shangri-la
The grass is greener on the other side or so they say
I climbed the stile to see for myself
All I found was more of the same
hardly any difference at all in colour or shade
I travelled afar to a tropical paradise
an island drenched in sunshine, palm trees and full of colour
A balmy climate, golden sands and blue skies
but it offered nothing ...
Saturday 30th December 2017 10:39 am
Friendship
Friendship
Ir comes with no price tag and is freely given
Few are they who enter through this door
Acquaintances queue in their scores to seek entry
but many are flawed with deceit or other motives
Friends are bars of gold to be treasured
nothing will shock nor disappoint them
They listen attentively and advise wisely
what they say is for the benefit of the soul
...Friday 29th December 2017 7:23 pm
Out of Darkness into Enlightenment
Out of Darkness into Enlightenment
The darkness of conformity stifles mind and soul
It drains even a flicker of life as uniformity holds sway
There is no fertile growth as seeds perish in the earth
No amount of water gives light to the void
Darkness is the cloak which enwraps itself around us
Ideas lay dormant or die unless the light shines
Fear thrives in the portal...
Thursday 28th December 2017 1:19 pm
The Cauldron
The Cauldron
We inhabit a cauldron of confusion
in an inexplicable existence
where bewilderment reigns supreme
We are but empty vessels
tossed about on a turbulent ocean
the land in sight is barren and foreboding
The wounded cry out as sirens in their warning
but their suffering goes unheeded
yea ignored
The bells of Christendom and the call
of the minarets of...
Tuesday 26th December 2017 9:49 am
The Bus Station
The Bus Station
Under a roof of opaque glass
there is the roar of engines
as buses arrive and depart
Pollution with diesel fumes
pervades the air as people
come and go.
Many with families destined
for holidays whilst others take
short or long haul journeys
An elderly lady sits on a
suitcase twice her size looking
disconsolately at those about her
A cou...
Saturday 23rd December 2017 10:16 pm
Disquietude
Disquietude
I possess a troubled soul along with many others
which searches for rest and ease
for a spirit of tranquility
in a world which is saturated in torment
I do not yearn for fame or wealth
or any particular sense of achievement
only to find peace and creativity
where I can be alone and free
I search for a place of contentment
liberated from a ca...
Saturday 23rd December 2017 3:29 pm
The Gay Manta Ray
The Gay Manta Ray
The Gay Manta Ray felt out of place
especially amongst a shoal of plaice
He swam the oceans mostly alone
without the comfort of a mobile phone
He was shunned by many of the other Rays
because he lived according to different ways
Essentially he was in search of a mate
yet frequently found only a hake
Often mocked by crab and eel
this wa...
Thursday 21st December 2017 10:10 am
A Fire Screen for Learning
A Fire Screen for Learning
A card table and fire screen combination
a wedding gift to my parents
made entirely by hand
A woven tapestry of an alpine scene
in a wooden frame covered in glass
Every evening I would remove it
from its place in the hearth
re arrange it into a low table
on which my school homework was placed
I sat cross legged within easy rea...
Tuesday 28th November 2017 12:26 pm
The Najd
The Najd
A landscape commanded by the sun
whose hands manipulate the will of
their master to create a swirling wind
Craggy rocks wrinkled by fissures
of heat and wind over many millennia
An undulating sea of shifting sand
a silence imcomparable
No evidence of life
Browns, ochre, yellow and burnt sienna
Lifless, bereft of birds, no echoes heard
A searing sun ...
Saturday 25th November 2017 9:54 pm
Disdain
Disdain
Seldom are words ever spoken
the eyes give their full expression
I refuse to cower but my soul is intimidated
Whispers, stares and unspoken words
from the platform of the self righteous
It would be better to be crippled or in
some way retarded as they receive
overt compassion and help
To be different is to the ignorant a
challenge whose response is preju...
Friday 24th November 2017 7:51 pm
The Visitor
The Visitor
The house was silent and still
I was sat reading a book
as my dogs slumbered
on a nearby couch
The story stimulated my imagination
as I became less aware of
my surroundings
A mighty roar awoke my attention
a rushing sound of fury unleashed
A powerful wind assailed the house
the curtains blew about in a frenzy of panic
as window panes and shutte...
Friday 24th November 2017 4:22 pm
What Comes Next
What Comes Next
The imponderables fixate us
as we reach out beyond our existence
For some it does not bear thought
Yet it remains a mystery unsolved
We see with clarity of evidence
our earthly demise
and decay bringing us to nought
Do we possess an indestructable spirit
which continues, but to where
Is there a destination or other dimension
For what purpose w...
Tuesday 21st November 2017 2:08 pm
People Watching
People Watching
A venue of opportunity is required
to observe a microcosm of humanity
as it tarries to and fro
Examples of life styles abound
as couch potatoes mingle with
aspiring six packs
Where the elderly express impatience
with the young
The finest coiffure crowns its
elegant frame as the indolent
care nothing for their appearance
Where the unimagina...
Tuesday 21st November 2017 11:13 am
Enveloped in Darkness
The night is polluted with light
until I clamber up to the tree line
where darkness is a shroud
covering the silhouettes of the pines
Stillness and silence are all pervasive
solitude becomes my cloak of warmth
Flora and fauna slumber in sacred sleep
An oasis of unadulterated nature
fearless I embrace its sanctity
A welcome drenches my soul
I am so close to my original...
Monday 20th November 2017 6:38 pm
Destiny
The rudder broke and disappeared
out at sea the ship drifted aimlessly
The captain faced uncertainty
as the engine faltered also
Disagreement on the bridge
fuel perilously low
Fever breaks out below decks
it is highly contagious
Sails are raised but torn
no whisper of wind apparent
Radio reports pirates are close
The ship carries gold bullion
Water trickles into...
Monday 20th November 2017 1:48 pm
The Passage of Time
The Passage of Time
History is a great teacher
and needs to be heeded
Nothing is permanent
all is transitory
People come and go
as do civilisations
cultures and ideologies
What is built
is brought to ruin
What comes to fruitiion
falls into decay
The delights of today
are the detestations
of tomorrow
What is hailed now
is soon trampled on
Con...
Sunday 12th November 2017 2:47 pm
The Cerebral Cavern
The Cerebral Cavern
I wish to live in my mind
to observe from afar
to avoid direct contact
or verbal confrontation
I am comfortable within
at peace with who I am
unaffected in pure isolation
With age others become tedious
my patience is at a low ebb
My mind is fertile
full of imagination and creativity
Here in this inner sanctum
I can compose, paint and ...
Friday 10th November 2017 3:23 pm
November
November
We reach a heavy purple velvet curtain
which appears to stand in our way
It beckons us forward into a darkened chamber
Inside it is cold and damp
The walls are festooned with the names of the dead
All Souls
We search for our kith and kin but in vein
The names are innumerable
In the distance the muffled sounds of gunfire
the dull thud of explosions
Sil...
Thursday 9th November 2017 3:57 pm
Appearances
Appearances
Don´t judge a book by its cover
words which are true indeed
But what of people
and their outward appearances
With inexplicable instinct
I am able to determine like or not
Face, expression, eyes and demeanour
before a word is spoken I know
I am seldom wrong or misled
even at a distance with no introduction
my mind is made up
where does ...
Wednesday 8th November 2017 9:35 pm
Ageing
Ageing
I am old yet young
I feel as if I am thirty
but in reality close to seventy
My friend Maria is eighty one
yet insists she is twenty four
and is determined to remain so
Every year we celebrate her birthday
I wish her a happy twenty fourth
anniversary
Old with vigour and vitality
concealed within an ageing frame
Ambition and desire supressed
by...
Tuesday 7th November 2017 11:04 pm
The Rat Race
The Rat Race
I am spun like a spinning top
my vision blurred almost to blindness
I hear nothing but the whir of the top
I am overcome with a sense of nausea
I beg for it to stop and set me free
In time the revolutions lessen
some vision is restored
Then I am still, unsteady, off balance
as I focus on my surroundings
Anxiety and the need to lie down
overco...
Saturday 4th November 2017 11:32 pm
Juxtaposed
Juxtaposed
We have reached that portal of sadness
adorned with emblems of grief
Memorials, monuments and the Menin Gate
Few now remember or are connected
to human slaughters fading into the past
Bugles sound to replace gunfire and sirens
Bowed heads in silence to replace steel helmets
The future promises nothing better
as the repetitive cycle of war gathers momentum
...Saturday 4th November 2017 5:49 pm
My High Street
My High Street
A disabled seller
of lottery tickets
Rowdiness from drunks
in a nearby bar
Groups of elderly men
with black coffees and
endless cigarettes
Obese women strapped
into lycra pants
Graffiti depicting a
crude penis
An overworked
pharmacy with a queue
of hypochondriacs
Washing drying
on balcony rails
An unceasing flow
of traffi...
Friday 3rd November 2017 4:24 pm
The Young
The Young
To treat a child as an adult
is eminently sensible
the height of being responsible
To speak down to a child
engenders a demeaning
bereft of sense or meaning
To enable them to grow
the more they need to know
Don´t insult the intellect of the young
they are as yet unsung
Engage them and converse
otherwise they will go in reverse
Take them along ...
Thursday 2nd November 2017 7:49 pm
Petrified
Petriified
A day at Chester Zoo
happy and carefree
full of interest
A variety of animals
abounded for all
to see and wonder
A large cage
housed many
monkeys who made
a horrendous din
We peered in curiously
as they too were curious
They shrieked
then a little girl
crawled close to
the cage
She was gripped
by a frenzied monkey
He shook h...
Thursday 2nd November 2017 3:37 pm
A Life of Anxiety
A Life of Anxiety
The family fled into the
air raid shelter
leaving my mother behind
in a state of undress
fumbling in the dark
Sirens wailed
anti aircraft guns barked
search lights scanned the sky
the drone of approaching bombers
Eventually she left the house
by the kitchen door
as an incendiary bomb
fell and exploded in front of her
She screamed and...
Thursday 2nd November 2017 2:56 pm
Unfinished
Unfinished
Enthusiasm the engine of my soul
often flags and fails on life´s road
A sudden burst of unbridled energy
soon extinguished as if by a canon of water
Occasionally revived as a wilting flower
but never regaining its former luscious texture
Onward, forward and undeterred
a rekindled flame of renewed vigour
Each day brings recharged light and hope
...Tuesday 31st October 2017 7:23 pm
Desire
Desire
To see is not to touch
a frustration too much
The love to reach out and feel
would make the heart reel
A burning fervent desire
from which I never tire
These thoughts forever with me
how else could they be
It occupies much of my time
in my head singing like a rhyme
I am forever on the look out
for those who may be about
A brief enco...
Monday 30th October 2017 11:24 pm
Personal Fashion
Personal Fashion
I used to wear
what I thought
was right
Now I wear
what I personally like
I was perpetually
concerned about
my appearance
Now I have given way
to no allegiance
I have become quite
outrageous in fashion
I suppose it is
some kind of passion
I often copy the attire
of others
but no longer
do I bother
I have given way
...Sunday 29th October 2017 11:08 pm
The Enigma
The Enigma
The enigma within rests
imprisoned in my soul
As a bell rings it is
ignored, accepted or
disregarded
Identity is complex
as a rain forest rich
in diversity
beauty coupled with decay
I look about and within
to fathom who we are
in this kaleidoscope
bewildered, bemused yet strangely safe
Puzzled by others, often hurt
frequen...
Wednesday 11th October 2017 10:41 am
Existence
Existence
Surrounded
hemmed in
suffocated from life
perpetually a prisoner
from the world about
Encircled by convention
stunted by false love
a self made cell
from which escape
is only for the birds
of paradise
Pressed down and locked
desires pitted with shame
a weighty past as a
stone around the neck
Where is the passage
to freedom, the wa...
Wednesday 11th October 2017 9:59 am
Depression
Depression
Clouds settle upon us
we are incarcerated within
A heavy atmosphere prevails
no view is in sight
Little light filters in
time becomes endless
Interest is diminished
everything falls to a new low
No longer a desire to read
enthusiasm plummets
Routines are interrupted
life stalls, even fails
Meaning is in abeyance
introspection...
Saturday 7th October 2017 11:33 pm
The Shell
The Shell
The shell opened gradually
as I peered out earnestly and deftly
Light filtered into my tiny cavern
as I pondered what lay without
The darkness was one of security
and obscure confidence
Yet I had an appetite to see
outside and see all that I had been told
No dismay only amazement
as I took leave of my
oceanic home and its kingdom
I stood...
Thursday 5th October 2017 11:53 am
Love at first sight
Love at first sight
Together we unite
but in the darkness of the night
Filled with hope
we are fooled
as dawn brightens
and day comes
What was before
is no longer now
Passion vanquished
and sated
Hope remains but
clarity has a new destiny
a new landscape
Lust remains
but insecurity
arouses doubt
Love is desired
but fearful of
what is r...
Thursday 5th October 2017 9:02 am
Recovery
Recovery
Eyes that spiral with delight
a heart filled with hope
confidence renewed
self esteem restored
talents recognised
social skills firmed
enthusiasm gained
optimism forefront
Lile revitalised
happimess realised
life energised
Love accepted
appreciation achieved
A new world awaits
opportunities arrive
Friends welcome
family restored
f...
Thursday 5th October 2017 7:02 am
Dark Times
Dark Times
Darkness pervades
our light is diminished
Pessimism now reigns
as hope does fade
Calamity in the ascendancy
no respect for humanity
Bullets ring out
as people fall and shout
The world is bleak
more so every week
Souls are vanquished
as evil is cherished
We glance with concern
but fail to learn
Confusion is King
new bells do ring
Ho...
Thursday 5th October 2017 4:41 am
Dark
Dark
It was late and dark
I was restless, inexplicably so
I wanted to be out
and in the night
I sat in secluded silence
unable to decide or reach out
I needed to be unfettered
utterly alone and
unencumbered
I took off all my clothes
nothng remained to adorn me
I was naked from head to foot
Slowly, assuredly I walked
silently to the door
The air was...
Sunday 17th September 2017 10:27 am
The Inner Sanctum
The Inner Sanctum
My inner sanctum
a cavern secreted
from the glare of this
mortal coil
undisturbed, inviolate
where creativity and thought
hibernate happily to bring
peace to the enquiring and
troubled mind
A den exorcised of temporal
intrusions where orchestras
play concertos and symphonies
of constant delight to lure
the soul and seduce the spiri...
Sunday 10th September 2017 2:12 pm
Reason
Reason
Years lost
time scattered as waste
fruitless the labour of conformity
Passion suffocated, stifled, past
Energy lost in a sea of serenity
Sacrificial, an offering
for nothing
A worthy soul damned
to eternal loss
by a heartless world
For what, for why?
I collapse in despair
as torment rages within
my empty soul
With energy and faith
I gave...
Saturday 9th September 2017 9:59 pm
The Deep of Night
The Deep of Night
An inky sky studded with
an array of celestial lights
envelops the town below
where most slumber
in worlds of dreams
and fantasies
A high street empty
almost desolate
with a solitary line
of lamps which glimmer
as if moved by some
silent pulsating rhythym
A cat scurries across
the street as a distant
door is slammed
The scene ...
Saturday 9th September 2017 3:02 pm
The Morass
The Morass
As blinkered mules they chew the cud of life
neither hearing the wind or the cries of others about
Single minded, encased and enclosed
they stumble and roam with heavy muffled hooves
Their sphere is not to share or appreciate
they could be eternally cast off
and be unaware of their travesty or fall
we behold them but they see us not
Gratificatio...
Sunday 3rd September 2017 2:27 pm
What have we done?
What have we done?
We inhabit an interface world
a separation of our own creation
causing structures to arise against
the pristine wildrenesses of
incomparable perfection
Concrete, glass, bricks
and tarmacadam
sprawl in a constant motion
an invasive force at war
with our natural landscape
We deface with buildings
of no grace without a
trace of beau...
Sunday 3rd September 2017 11:45 am
The Twilight Years
The Twilight Years
Should I go home to die
or remain here to lie
Shangri-la does not exist
so why stay here and persist
Should I return to my home county
as if reclaiming some lost bounty
Could there be a corner waiting for me
in the shade of an old oak tree
Three score years and ten
and along comes this yen
To abandon a peripatetic existence
and ...
Saturday 2nd September 2017 4:57 pm
The Surrogate Writer
The Surrogate Writer
My thoughts could never languish
as does my mortal frame
As my mind is a perpetual
cascade of ideas each which
indent themselves in my complexity
Words are in a flurry
as snowflakes dance about
Phrases interlock and call
to be heard and remembered
Intense activity inhabits
and pervades my thinking
capacity, relentless in
a desire, a...
Thursday 31st August 2017 11:00 pm
What we do...
What we do...
A day bright and sunlit
breezes curling about
the pliant foliage of
natural life
A tranquility whose
exterior conceals all
For to see clearly it
is inside our minds
and homes a reality
to find
A child plays with glee
in the shade of an
outstretched tree
The labourer with bricks
builds a wall, a house
A mother cooks and bakes
...Thursday 31st August 2017 2:02 pm
Two in One
Two in One
I cherish solitude
the door through
which inspiration enters
Alone my mind
creates conversations
between us both
In mental confinement
I deliver lectures
and speeches
I comment on others
none of which is ever
heard or known
as it remains within
I am fascinating
hilarious and
self opinionated
often arrogant
and surprisingly rude
...Wednesday 30th August 2017 12:00 am
A Dormitory Town
A Dormitory Town
It registers not a thought as one passes through
an assemblage of stale architecture and dark alleys
Culture and history find no abode here
It wakes before dawn, deserted by day and dormant at night
Its inhabitants eat, drink and sleep in dreary shadows
Seasoned drinkers and smokers manipulate dominoes
with wrinkled faces and bleary eyes
Doorsteps from...
Tuesday 29th August 2017 8:02 pm
Black Lives Matter?
Black Lives Matter?
Nature´s mighty arm moves with unstoppable power
Winds erratic and forceful sweep all before it
This momentum of intense movement, a prelude to a cleansing rain
which thunders down as mighty bullets
to saturate an earth already quenched
A landscape soaked, no longer firm
gives way as a hillside dislodges itself
Moving mud slides inexorably forward a...
Sunday 27th August 2017 9:34 pm
The Nation State
The Nation State
I do not want to be part of a federation
I prefer to live in a sovereign nation
where my individualism and identity
are connected to my cultural entity
We must reserve the right to be who we are
and not imposed on or influenced from afar
We have our own language and way of life
and do not welcome invasion or strife
We live comfortably with...
Thursday 24th August 2017 3:52 pm
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