A Letter to Myself

30/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



If I wrote a letter to myself

From me as I am now

With all the knowledge that 40 years brings

To my teenage self

Who thought they knew it all

And probably wouldn’t listen

It would go something like this:



Say yes more often when you’re young

But not so much when you’re older

Opportunities should be grabbed by the horns

But as we get older, time becomes precious

And knowing what will bring you joy

And what will bore you to death

Is a wonderful skill to have.



Don’t worry about what people think of you

Because most of those people won’t matter

Not in five years’ time, nor in fifty years’ time

So, choose wisely whose put downs you hear

Take the insults with a smile

And be gracious in victory

Because everyone battles their demons differently.



Follow your dreams wherever they may go

And don’t let anyone try to pigeonhole you

Into being someone or something you’re not

Because you’re a long time an adult

And doing something you don’t want to do

Just to pay the bills

Is hard slog until retirement.



Find your people

The ones who make you shine

From the inside out

And who share your excitement

Even if they don’t understand it

Because having someone there

Who offers that is magic.



Don’t let the excuses you make for yourself

Tie you down or hold you back

When you know what you’re capable of

When the world is your oyster

And when it’s your own voice betraying you

Because you could be great

If only you let yourself try.

The Lonely Goth: A Villanelle

29/11/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



Were I not quite so alone

I might enjoy this solitude

But that is all I have ever known



I might let out a mighty moan

To convey this all-consuming mood

Were I not quite so alone



I long for love I’ve never been shown

By family that think my outlook is skewed

But that is all I have ever known



The bouts of despair to which I am prone

Might have somehow by someone been viewed

Were I not quite so alone



They just beat me to the bone

Their actions spiteful, callous and rude

But that is all I have ever known



I might not want to sink like a stone

Or bear the brunt of insults so crude

Were I not quite so alone

But that is all I have ever known

The Salesman

28/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I don’t know what you were selling

As you came up the driveway today

You didn’t make it to the door

Because the dog scared you off



That’s it’s job, you know

To sound a stern warning

And keep unwanted visitors

From selling unwanted wares



I do have to admit, though

I did have a little sympathy

As it’s quite a long driveway

And it was so very hot



My sympathy mixed with mirth

When I saw you a second time

Coming up the driveway

From the other side



You hadn’t realised it was circular

And thought it a new address

But the look on your face,

When you saw the dog, was gold

Quiet: A Sestina

27/11/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



Do you hear the silence?

It surrounds me with tranquillity

The lull is more than peaceful

Its embrace far more intimate

And the words it speaks are hushed

Sent to quieten and to soothe



To soothe my soul with meditation

To silence the beasts in my head

To keep the voices hushed inside

To revel in the tranquillity of noiselessness

To create an intimate place within me

To be peaceful and at rest



The peaceful solitude of this moment

Will soothe the savage beast

In this intimate twinkling of an eye

The silence flows through me

A sea of tranquillity flowing over me

In hushed and unobtrusive terms



When the world is hushed around me

And all is peaceful in my life

There’s a tranquillity beyond words

That soothe all around

Because silence can speak louder

And be more intimate than anything else



It’s the intimate glance between lovers

The hushed sighs late at night

Shrouded in a silence that’s comfortable

And peaceful to be within

When a touch can soothe your spirit

And a tranquillity takes the reins



There’s tranquillity in the mundane

Intimate moments in the banal

They soothe the troubled waters

And harsh words are hushed once more

As peaceful contemplation rises

And silence spreads with every breath



This silence begets tranquillity

Peaceful interactions turn intimate and

Hushed murmurs soothe a heart that beats too fast

Thanksgiving

26/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I give thanks that I’m not American

Living in the land of the free

Where people are anything but

And there’s seems to be nothing to be done



I give thanks that I’m not American

With their control disguised as religion

Where women are seen as subservient

And men made all the rules



I give thanks that I’m not American

Where guns are more important than people

And militia are not regulated

Nor trained in any way



I give thanks I’m not American

Whose political system is in disarray

And despotic narcissists can win elections

By conning the uneducated



I give thanks I’m not American

But I give thanks for my American friends

Who fight the good fight daily

And will never surrender their rights

River: a ballade with double refrain

25/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



We sat by the fast-flowing river

You, me, and mum and dad

All nervous and a-quiver

Waiting for fun to be had

But the weather was awfully bad

For as far as we could see

Which made us dreadfully sad

And we waited beneath the tree



The wind made us shake and shiver

And coats by the layer we did add

The sun shone in a tiny sliver

Waiting for fun to be had

You felt like a terrible cad

For driving us out here for tea

You overreacted a tad

And we waited beneath the tree



The clouds did their rain deliver

Which made you ferociously mad

So I pulled out the pate made of liver

Waiting for fun to be had

Crackers were served on napkins of plaid

While mum sang a fine melody

Which made us tremendously glad

And we waited beneath the tree



This lark would surely be a fad

Not taken up by high nobility

As we felt somewhat like a nomad

And we waited beneath the tree

The Angry Man

24/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



There’s an angry, angry man

Sitting in a house

He doesn’t even own

And definitely doesn’t deserve



He’s a man who cannot tell

The truth from a bald-faced lie

And will not be corrected

When he undoubtedly gets it wrong



He’s angry at his colleagues

Who play by the rules

Thinking they should have his back

No matter what the cost



He’s angry at his rivals

For their very existence

And what he sees as

Favourable treatment



He’s angry at his predecessor

For getting so much done

Despite the road blocks put in front of him

And the rising racism he faced



He’s angry at those subservient

When they will not tow the line

Making outlandish, spiteful claims

About their ability and integrity



He’s angry at the media

For uncovering the deeds

He’d rather have kept hidden

From the public's prying eyes



He’s angry at other leaders

Who ask him to uphold deals

That go against his bigoted ideals

So he hangs up on them instead



He’s angry at the intelligence agencies

For bringing intelligence to light

Because it reflects poorly on his image

As a man in complete control



He’s angry at comedians

Who so often take the piss

Creating skits of his administration

That are far too close for comfort



He’s angry at the citizens

Who demand he do his job

Because they ask more than he can give

And he hates to be seen as weak



He’s angry at the courts

Who throw out his frivolous suits

Because he has no actual evidence

And even his lawyers know that



He’s angry at democracy

For standing in his way

And not letting him be the supreme leader

That he thinks he deserves to be



But after four long years of anger

His reign of terror is nearly done

Though he’ll fight it every step of the way

Like a toddler throwing a tantrum



And when’s finally evicted

From the house upon the hill

He’ll turn his anger to fear

When he realises he’s on his own

The Address

23/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



Politics and sexism have gone hand in hand

For more years than I care to remember

Some more subtle than others but

None of it warranted in the least.



You would have thought that calling attention

To act after disgraceful act of misogyny

Would slow it down somewhat

But the bull keeps raging on.



I could address every such instance

And the expose would take many volumes

Given I can think off the top of my head

Of at least ten in only five years.



But none of these events should have happened

When it was so succinctly spelled out

In that famous speech eight years ago

By one Julia Gillard, PM.



Each and every woman should repeat

On a loop if deemed necessary

Those famous words she did utter

Regarding the leader of the opposition.



        I will not be lectured

        About sexism

        And misogyny

        By this man.



She went on in astounding detail

To recount his many misdeeds

And, to use her perfectly accurate words,

His repulsive double standards.



This address fell on the deaf ears

Of the men who should help lead our country

And even other women as well

Who make excuses for their colleagues behaviour.



Fast forward to more recent times

When a female member of parliament

Offered her resignation from her party

And the male members walked out on her.



Or perhaps when the supposed leader

Turned his back to play on his phone

Ignoring a female member of parliament

As she spoke to those assembled.



If our leaders cannot set an example

Of how to exercise equality of the sexes

What hope this there for society

Unless we remove them from power.



We must address the problem

By using our democratic right

To vote for people who walk the walk

Instead of just paying lip service to change.






The full transcript of Julia Gillard’s 2012 Misogyny Speech can be found here:

https://singjupost.com/julia-gillards-misogyny-speech-2012-full-transcript/?singlepage=1

Thursdays at St Kevin’s

22/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



There’s a church across the road

Where they have meetings in the evening

For all different types of groups

And for all types of different people



The week starts with the men’s group

Advertised as a place of discovery

About what it is to be a man

And talk about things that interest men



They spill out and cross the road to my café

Still discussing what they did on the weekend

And boasting about their child’s achievement

While chowing down on burgers and fries.



Sometimes it’s the youth group

Meeting with the hip, young pastor

Who tries to lead them towards his god

Through games and slices of pizza



Some of them are only their for the friendships

Having no interest or belief in a higher power

And the chance to hang out in the corner booth

Sipping milkshakes bought with minimum wage



Another evening is the women’s group

Full of those once considered yummy mummies

But now slightly past societies idea of prime

But still with so much left to give



Their meeting is later at night than the others

After dinner is done with the family

Sometimes popping in for a glass of wine

Before heading home to do it again tomorrow



But Thursdays are a sober experience

With a mix of people with a common struggle

Who find comfort in the community

They have found in a small church hall



Some are religious but most are just lost

Caught up in a spiral they couldn’t control

Until they encountered the support

That this disparate group could give



They come in for coffee afterwards

In pairs or small groups mostly

With a weight seemingly lifted

From shoulders that have carried so much



Sometimes they come in alone

And stare intently into their coffee

The steam wafting by their faces

Contemplating the entire universe



The usuals have their ups and downs

Appearing with monotonous regularity

Or with a deep-seated sporadic zeal

Intertwined with bouts of reticence



Some of them are in the program

Stepping their way to sobriety

Others just want a safe place

To unburden their aching soul



They may come from different backgrounds

And having different standings in life

But they all share a common goal

And take a common oath



These are friendships born of adversity

Of compassion and empathy

Giving new life to those who seek it

With open hearts and open minds



But not all the stories from St Kevin’s

End happily ever after

Not every torment can be resolved

Nor every would healed



Some fall off the wagon

Some fall from grace

There are no miracles in those hallowed walls

Only tales of the tormented types



As I pour another coffee

I offer service with a smile

The smallest of gestures

For those most in need



Whether they pay with loose changed scrounged

From the backs of couches and under beds

Or with crisp new notes from ATMs

They are all the same to me



They are all starting afresh that night

As they have every other time

Their conscience has drawn them in

The that church hall across the way



I would not give up my Thursday nights

For any other shift in the week

They are my favourite customers

Even when they never say a word



Because it wasn’t all that long ago

I walked a mile in their shoes

And Thursdays at St Kevin’s

Was my respite from the world

Friendship

21/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I have never been good at friendships

Or relationships with any substance

I seem to always expect too much

Because I give my everything



I’ve had to learn not to give so much

Of myself to other people

Because it’s never returned in equal measure

And I feel myself being drained



I look at people who have friends

Who can drop everything to help each other

And I wonder what that’s really like

To have lives so intertwined



I have grown increasingly accustomed

To doing things on my own

That I have forgotten how to ask, I think

But I also never feel disappointed



I used to keep things bottled up

Because I thought people would think

I am not as strong as I should be

And I never wanted to be seen as weak



Now I do the very same thing

but for very different reasons

I don’t trust people to care enough

To go out of their way for me



I want a friendship of shared experiences

Not of managing expectations

The bar for which drops ever lower

With every day that passes

A Face in the Crowd

20/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I only saw you for a moment

A fleeting observation

Capturing my heart briefly

Then releasing it once more



Your hair was dark brown

Like rich chocolate cake

And if I’d known you

I’d have wanted to run my fingers through it



Your eyes sparkled like diamonds

Piercing, pale and blue

Cutting through me

Like a hot knife through butter



Your skin glowed in the afternoon light

Radiating a warmth of soul

That I would not see again

For a great many years to come



I only saw you for a moment

A fleeting observation

But you stayed with me

I have not let you go ever since.

Sitting Alone in the Crowd

19/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



Sitting alone in the crowd

Watching the happy faces,

The warm embraces,

The eyes shining so proud.



I pick up my bags

And head through security

Soon I will be free

But for now, time lags.



There’s no one to greet me

At the end of my trip

I must get a grip

And acknowledge I’m solitary.



I head to the station

To wait for the train

The day has been a drain,

I need a vacation.



I sit quietly by myself

and hide behind my book

Knowing I have to cook,

Wondering what’s on the shelf.



I’m not sure I’ll have the motivation –

I may just fall in a heap,

Dinner will surely keep –

And it’s not worth the aggravation.

The Station Master at Caringbah

18/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



When I was a child

My mother didn’t own a car.

She hadn’t driven very far

Since before the day I was born.



We took trains a lot,

And buses, but mostly trains

To school and home again,

And to sport training sessions.



It wouldn’t matter the weather,

Nor the season, nor the occasion,

We would traipse up and down steps

To and from platforms and concourses.



Most staff would give us a smile

Or say hello as we passed them by

Our faces familiar to them

But nothing beyond that.



But one station master was different

He would go out of his way to help,

Stop for a chat with us both

And felt very grandfatherly to me.



Maybe it was because I was young

And all older people seemed that way

Because I’d not had a lot of experience, 

With both grandfathers long since gone.



All I know is that he was nice

And a genuine kind of man

I wish I could remember his name

But it was so long ago.



When it late and dark,

He would keep an eye on us

Making sure nothing happened

And that we made our train safely.



And if the wind had a bit of bite to it

Or it was raining cats and dogs

He’d let us sit in the ticket office

By the heater so we’d stay warm.



He taught me how the indicator board worked

And how to change the destination signs

Without any notion of reward

For the kindness he bestowed on us.



Now I am grown with my own child

Who loves the railways, too.

He hopes to work for the network

And become a train driver one day.



I wish I could have introduced them

Because I’m sure with all my heart

They would have gotten on famously

But I know it’s far too late.

Waiting for Inspiration

17/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



Do not wait for life to happen

When life is what we make it.



Be the person you dreamt of being

By reaching out and grabbing your dreams.



Sitting back and watching the world turn

Will not move you forward in this life.



Break through the fear of the unknown

Like an animal escaping from a cage.



Create the experiences you desire

And do that which brings you joy.



And if you find yourself adrift

Be inspired by what life throws at you.

This Poem is Not For You

16/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



This poem is not for you.

It is for me,

And only me,

Because if you saw it

My heart would break

And I would never want

For you to knowingly

Be the cause of my pain.



I know what I need:

To release you

So I may be released

But I fear not feeling,

I fear the emptiness

That would pervade my soul

When I no longer yearn

For something I can’t have.



This poem is not for you.

It is for my heart

And it’s unrequited love

Because I cannot tell you

My heart’s desire

And the longing I feel

For you to be mine and

Be part of my world.



I am bound, inextricably,

To a feeling I cannot share

So to set myself free

But I do not wish to be free

I cannot exist beyond this cage

That I have built around myself

When it’s all I have left

For my heart to hold onto.



This poem is not for you.

It is a cry into the void

And you are not there

Because you don’t belong;

My world is not your world

And I cannot ask

For you to step out of yours and

Be uncomfortable in mine.



I wish things could be different,

To have this feeling transform

So you could feel it too

But that is not possible:

I am alone in this void

That I have created

When I knew there was no chance

For us to be as I hoped.

On this same spot

15/11/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



I stand here

Looking into your eyes

The same eyes

I have looked into

Every day since

We stood here

Twenty years ago

On this same spot

Declaring our love

Would last forever

But we're not there yet

Forever is still a way away

Many years hence forth

Determined

14/11/2020 -  Poem a Day Compilation

Determination, energy, and courage appear spontaneously when we care deeply about something. We take risks that are unimaginable in any other context. – Margaret J. Wheatley



        I



I cannot imagine the determination

Of the women who have gone before me

Who fought for the rights I enjoy

When the odds were stacked against them.



Where would I be without those pioneers

Whose courage in the face of hardship

Granted me the voice I take for granted

Having never had to fight a day in my life?



The tenacity is must have taken

To stand up for equality

To demand what should be given

Without a second thought.



        II



To confront the injustices before us

We must draw on our determination

And use the privilege we have acquired

Until we are all on equal footing.



To protect those still fighting

For that which should be free

We must harness our determination

And be a force with which to be reckoned.



To not know if you would succeed

But giving it everything you have

In the hopes of creating a better world

For those who would come after.



        III



Do not think your freedoms

A burden which you must bear

For that is a grave disservice

To those who paved the road under foot.



Take their strength as your strength

And stand on the shoulders of giants

For they have given you your voice

To use now that they cannot.



Give you voice to your children

So they may continue to create

A future for all people

Not just a select few



        IV



Women suffered for your suffrage

So long denied to them

By those who claimed governance

Based on the genetics of their birth.



Yet, still, so many women

Throw their vote into the trash

For no better reason than

It’s all a bit too hard.



Hard is having no voice

And no recourse to change your fate

While men exercise their power

With no care or concern for you.



        V



Women marched for free movement

Beyond the supervision of the men

Who granted fathers, husbands, brothers

The power to keep you against your will.



If we abandon our will to others

We are little more than slaves

Seeking permission to exist

While those same men seem to thrive.



The success of men who hold women down

Is always predicated on the choices of women

To allow that type of behaviour

To remain unchecked and unpunished.



        VI



Women birthed reproductive reform

Giving us the sexual revolution

And the right to our own body

To do with as we please.



They continue to fight for consent

And to ensure women are believed,

To make the world a safe place for all

And that all women are seen as equal.



And now we must join with them

To be united in our heroism

That binds us together as women

And makes us stronger as people.



        VII



So hold on to your determination

Let it guide you through the night

As a shining light lit by women

Who burn brighter than the sun.



Drink in their determination

Let it overflow from your cup

And may it refresh you in your journey

To maintain the battlefront.



One day we will see the fruits

Of the labour of so many generations

And of so many women

So were fierce in their determination.

Murky Air

13/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



The air is murky today

It hangs heavy in the atmosphere

Cloying

But not sweet like spring should be



The dread of summer has come early

Much earlier than last year

I can smell the smoke

It’s too far to see just yet



But there’s a darkness around me

Despite the clear skies overhead

I can feel the rain in my soul

Long before it falls on the ground



It won’t come soon enough

The trees will turn black before then

Their leaves gone

The bush unrecognisable



My sweat and tears won’t help

And the tanks are bone dry

The winter rains few and far between

For too many years now



The gutters have been cleared

The ladder still propped up

Idling beside the house

Just in case we need it



You wouldn’t think there’d be anything left

When we’ve suffered through this

Less than twelve months ago

And it nearly broke us, then



We pray for clouds that won’t come

To a god that doesn’t exist

Because it’s all we can do

When hell arrives at your door



I can hear the sirens blaring

Roaring down the road

Trying to get ahead of the front

Before it jumps the river



We call it a river

It’s not even been a trickle lately

The animals have moved on

They’re smarter than us



Last year it was licking at our fence

Embers drifting on the hot breeze

The air thick with smoke and fear

And sheer desperation



I don’t remember what we did

If we manned a hose

Or beat out spot fires

With tattered hessian sacks



I do remember some things

Things no one should remember

Things that are seared into my brain

And that I can’t drown out



I remember what charred kangaroo looks like

Teeth showing through melted flesh

Fur all but gone

Not being brave enough to check pouches



I remember the sound of exploding gas tanks

From cars we couldn’t get to

That couldn’t save us

From the descending inferno



I remember the crackling

As branches were consumed

By an ever-hungry beast

That refused to be tamed



And I remember the whites of the eyes

Behind soot stained masks

Of men and women

Who stared down death and won



But memories won’t spare us now

As a thousand freight trains bear down

With a ferocity you can feel before you hear

And hear before you can see



I’d give anything right now

For this murky air to be a summer storm

Dumping gallons of glorious water

On parched fields and paddocks



What I wouldn’t give

For that grey creeping over the horizon

To not be filled with nightmares

But bringing with it salvation



Maybe this year won’t be as bad

Maybe me heart won’t break again

Because I know I can’t keep this up

When old scars haven’t healed

Solitude

12/11/2020 - Poem a Day Compilation



I do not crave solitude



I mask the emptiness in privacy



I fear the isolation



I see the yawning chasm of separateness



I feel in my heart the seclusion



I give in to the loneliness

Remembrance

11/11/2020 - Poem a Day Compilation

Take this poppy

Soaked with memories

Of fallen sons

Of lost daughters

Of battles long since over

And pin it to your breast

That it may pierce your heart

And spark a fire

Deep within your soul

To end the misery

That comes from war

And rips out our hearts

And forces tears from our eyes

And gives nothing but sorrow.



Take this poppy

And weave it through

The wreath you will lay

On the memorial for those

Who sacrificed so much

So we can live

With the freedoms

We so enjoy

And, all too often,

Take for granted

But for which we are thankful

And must show our gratitude

More than those rare occasions

Scattered throughout the year.



Take this poppy

And hold it dear

Though the colour may fade

And the petals fall

Because it is all I have

That I can give

To remember those soldiers,

Those high flying pilots

Those naval combatants

Whose names can be found

Etched on monuments

And shines and memorials

That no name should appear on

But too many do.

Staring into the distance

10/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



Sitting by the edge of the cliff

Breathing in the sea air

Listening to the birds

Staring into the distance

Following Orders

09/11/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



I didn’t know it would be like this.



When I signed up, I was so young,

Idealistic and full of hope,

Probably with a good dose of naivety

Thrown in for good measure.



It was employment that paid well,

Gave me structure and discipline,

At a time in my life that was uncertain

And I needed a steadying influence.



I didn’t know how easy it would be.



I was swayed by the camaraderie

That was lacking elsewhere in my life;

I had no real friends that I could count on

Nor family to have my back.



That’s how they get you, though,

By providing that which you’re missing

And making you so dependent

That you don’t think you can live without them.



I didn’t know how quickly it would happen.



There’s little things you see at first

That you ignore because it’s not worth it –

Not worth the effort of making a fuss

Because these people are not just colleagues.



You ignore the things they do and say

And each time you do it gets worse

Because they know you won’t say anything,

Because you didn’t the last time.



They keep pushing the boundaries,

Seeing how much you’ll let them get away with

And you don’t want to believe they’re capable

Of the things you know they’ve done.



I didn’t know I could be duped like that.



Before you know it, you’re in just as deep

As everyone else around you

Feeling obliged to keep following orders

Even if they go against your moral character.



You do things that you never thought you would

Because there is no questioning authority,

If you are told to do something, you do it,

Regardless of the consequences.



I didn’t know I could be so heartless.



When all is said and done,

I have no one to blame but myself

Because I compromised my values

For a comfortable life and some prestige.



But there’s no prestige in being the bad guy

And it’s cold comfort we built the roads

When those roads are built on the lies

And we were paid at the expense of others lives.



I didn’t know I could be so compromised.



The day has come when I must face my actions

And I must bear all responsibility.

Following orders is no excuse

When I had a choice at every step.



I chose to not question my superiors,

I chose to ignore what my eyes could see.

I must answer for what I chose for myself

When it broke so many of my countrymen.



I didn’t know I could abandon my humanity.



There are no amount of apologies I can make

That will bring back those that are lost

Or turn back the clock

To undo all the wrongs in my past.



I will be held accountable

And not hide behind my position

Because I need to prove to myself that

I am better than my action show me to be.



I didn’t know it would be this hard, though.

Dreamer

08/11/2020 - Poem a Day Compilation



The Beatles had it right

When they asked us to imagine

Though they also recognised

That some would see them as dreamers

But is that such a bad thing to be?



I want to be a part of something

Something that is universally good,

That is built from the dreams of the many

Who had a vision of a better future

In which we could all follow our dreams.



Thoreau said that dreams

Were the touchstones of our characters –

The standard by which we should be judged

And to which we should live up to

In this world of our own making.



If you dream just for yourself

Then you live just for yourself

And I hope my dreams are bigger

Than the small bubble I occupy

And reaches out to those around.



If I could have a dream

Like Martin Luther King, Junior

That inspires generations

From all around the world

What a good dream it would be.



To have a dream that resonates

So strongly around the world

That it is talked about and quoted

For years and years to come

Long after you’ve passed on.

Tea and Biscuits

07/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



Won’t you come round for tea and biscuits?

We’ll sit on the balcony

And while away the hours

Of this glorious autumn day,

Watching the world go by

As we discuss world affairs

In every increasing detail

Until we have solved all the problems

If only we had the available resources.



Won’t you come round for tea and biscuits?

I’ll put the kettle on as we sit

Snuggled by the wood burner in the kitchen

As winter draws in around us

Swapping gossip from the shopping queue

Or school pick-ups at the gates

While the cats weave delicately

Between our feet under the table

Looking for attention and treats.



Won’t you come round for tea and biscuits?

The smell for the garden in just divine

As all the flowers burst into life

Heralding spring has arrived

And, if we’re extraordinarily lucky,

We’ll hear the baby birds chirping in the nest

At the bottom of the garden

While their mum picks worms and bugs

From the veggie patch I haven’t managed to kill.



Won’t you come round for tea and biscuits?

We might make it an iced tea this time

As the summer sun is beating down

And these temperatures are just too much

For hot drinks in the afternoon

But we can sit in the shade on my new umbrella

That the kids bought me for my birthday

So I could enjoy the space with you

Whatever time of year it happened to be.

Famous

06/11/2020 - Poem a Day Compilation



I don’t want to be famous.

I want to be successful.

I want people to know my work

But still be able to go shopping

Without being mobbed

Or get petrol without notice

And I definitely don’t want to be

Signing autographs in the ladies.



I want to be anonymously wealthy

So I can give to the charities I like

And not feel worse than I already do

For not supporting every other one

That comes knocking on my door

Or ringing me while I’m having dinner,

Regardless of the persistent requests

To be removed from their contact lists.



I don’t want to be famous.

I want my name to inspire

But not be associated with my face

Because I value the idea

That I could be anyone you see

And that whoever you pass in the street

Could be the one behind the talent

And that is a gift to the world.

Almost, Nearly, Not Quite

05/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I suppose you could say

I’m pretty long in the tooth

There are more grey hairs than not

And more wrinkles than I’d like



I’m definitely getting on a bit,

My knees don’t work like they used to

My hands shake from time to time

And I forget a word or two.



There are some who say I’m over the hill

But not sure I’d go quite that far

Because what they’re putting down to senility

Is just a few quirks of my character



I’m no spring chicken, that’s for sure –

I won’t be running any marathons

Or competing to the Tour de France –

But not a lot do that when they’re young.



People think you’re past it when you’re old

But, really, you have so much left to give

And you can still make a valuable contribution

When you’ve got all that experience.



If you think you’re not long for this world

Then you’re probably right, my friend,

But if you keep yourself engaged

There’s no reason to slow down.



I’m not as young as I used to be –

Sometimes I fall asleep on the couch

Or forget why I walked into a room –

But that doesn’t mean it’s the end.



I might be as old as the hills

As my granddaddy used to say

But I can still weave a good yarn

And fill a room with love.



For someone of my advanced years,

Having spent our prime in service of others,

I’m looking forward to a bit more time

To spend on those things I’ve neglected.



So, though I’m getting up in years,

I’m not quite on the final leg

I’m nearly ready to hang up the boots

But almost means I’m not there yet.

The Entrance

04/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I stood before the gates

That towered o’er my head

Majestic in its grandeur

Behind which nobility’s bred



I turned the key hesitantly

The cold metal creaking as it turned

Opening a whole world for me

For which I’d always yearned



A tree lined avenue stretched out before

And far into the distance

Meandering through the grounds

Following the path of least resistance



As I walk, I wonder silently

About the generations who have been before

Who they were and how they lived

What was fact and what folklore



Then, rising up before my eyes

A palace fit for any queen

With the grandest of steps ascending

What visitors they had seen



Imposing wooden doors, tall and proud

Daring weary travellers to try their luck

To win a fair maiden’s hand, perhaps

Or show what courage they could pluck



But no need for luck that day

I was the rightful heir to the manor

Accompanied not by a fanfair

Nor met by any banner



Just the quiet knowledge of being home

The work of restoration all to come

For this stunning, grand old dame

And for the house that will not succumb

Dad

03/11/2020 - Poem a Day Compilation



Dad, can’t you help me?

I’m so cold.

I feel so all alone here,

And I just want you

To be here.



I can hear the traffic nearby

But those people can’t see me;

I have no voice left, Dad,

I don’t know how you’ll

Find me.



.There are no lights down here,

Just walls

All around me, Dad,

Blocking me from the world

And overshadowing any hope.



There’s a pain radiating through me

I can’t breathe;

I wonder what I did wrong –

Whatever it is, Dad,

I’m sorry.



I can’t help who I am, Dad,

Who I was born to be,

Do you think

I’d choose this

With all I’ve had to face?



I’ve turned my back on the insults,

Walked away from the names,

But the hate still found me, Dad –

Tortured me –

Broke me.



I can’t move from this spot

I didn’t think

It would end like this

I’m not ready to go yet

Can’t you come get me now, Dad?



The darkness in people’s heart

Is spilling out into the streets

And now I lie in the midst of it, Dad,

Drowning

In the bigotry they’ve learned.



Why am I paying the price

For the fear,

And anger in others?

What did I do to them, Dad,

That they feel so justified?



My shirt is soaked through –

Tell mum I’m sorry,

It’s the one she bought

For Christmas,

But it’s torn now, Dad.



Tell her

It’s ok,

Don’t mend it –

I won’t need it, Dad,

Not anymore.



I know you didn’t like it

When I was out

At a club;

It should have been safe,

I promise, Dad.



You worried, Dad,

And I should have

Listened

But I didn’t think

It would be me.



I wasn’t a headline

In the paper,

I was safe

And good,

Dad, please.



I want to go back

To when I was young

And you held me in your arms,

Telling me you’d always protect me

But where are you now, Dad?



I’m so tired.

My eyes won’t stay open

And, Dad,

Even when I manage to

The world is out of focus.



Can you help me?

Dad, I need you

I don’t want to be alone

It wasn’t supposed

To be this way.



There’s nothing left

To do

To say

To feel

Dad



Please

Can you

Find me

Take me home

Dad?



Dad?

It’s ok

I’m sorry

I can’t …

The Road

02/11/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



We walk this road together,

You and I,

But we see it very differently.

It’s all rainbows and butterflies

When you walk along it

While I see nothing of the sort.

All I see ahead of me

Are potholes and speed bumps

That I have to navigate around.

You see the flowers that grow

By the side of the road

When I see only weeds.

I want to see the world

Through your rose-tinted eyes

But it is faded and frayed.

I walk the road with you

Because I know I’ll see someday

The rainbows

The butterflies

The flowers

Not through your eyes

But through my own.

Family in Lock Down

01/11/2020 -  Poem a Day



I listen to those people

Who bemoan the fact

They haven’t seen their family

In months and months and months

Because of a global pandemic

And I am jealous of them

Having someone to miss

When my family are so disparate

And have been for so long

That missing them is nothing new

And I feel no pull to see them

Like other people seem to do.



I listen to those people

Who can’t be without

Being in the same physical location

As their family members

For a few short months

Just because they’ve been told

They can’t cross a border

Even though they haven’t

Crossed the same border

In any of the many months prior

And I don’t understand

What’s changed so much.



I listen to those people

Who would rush to see

The family they love

With all their hearts

Despite the risk it poses

To not only themselves

But to the ones they love

By passing on a virus

They don’t even know they have

All for the sake of seeing

Their family in the flesh

Instead of on a video call.



I listen to those people

And I wonder what it’s like

To have that sort of connection

With family members living far afield

When I don’t even feel compelled

To leave the house most days

Except to go to work

Because it pays the bills

And puts food on the table,

Yet others can’t wait

To set foot out the door

And see other people.