21/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Poetry is a flood of emotions,
Captured in the lines of text
Consumed by the reader
And passed on from mind to mind
The words flow when I am sad
Like tears dripping from my fingers
Staining the page with expressions
Full of sorrow and distress
The words flow when I am tired
And can barely keep my eyes open
Yet still manage to make my fingers move
To get the words on the paper
The words flow when I am bored
And have nothing else to do
But stare at the page
Until inspiration strikes
The words flow when I am lonely
And they are my only friends
Keeping me company
When the world has deserted me
The words flow when I am depressed
To give me an escape from my own mind
And to let loose all the chaos
That builds up inside of me
The words flow when I am ashamed
Acting as a release from the burden
Of that which holds me back
When I think I am not enough
The words flow when I am guilty
No matter how inconsequential
The slight may have been
I feel it deep within my soul
The words flow when I am mad
At myself for not being more than I am
And for being too much
For other people to handle
The words flow when I am hurt
Trickling from a multitude of wounds
That I probably inflicted upon myself
In the wakeful hours after midnight
The words flow when I am hostile
Towards an imagined enemy
Closing in on the gates
To the fortress that is my heart
The words flow when I am angry
At the world for its depravity
And it’s soullessness
When it should be a comforting place
The words flow when I am selfish
And only thinking about my own needs
My own desires to be heard
And to create something more than myself
The words flow when I am hateful
The metaphorical bile rising up
And spilling on the page
With venomous force
The words flow when I am critical
Mostly of myself
And my achievements
Or lack thereof
The words flow when I am scared
That I’m not on the right path
And my world will fall apart
Leaving me bereft
The words flow when I am confused
Allowing me to understand
Myself and the world around me
Through meandering verse and stanza
The words flow when I am rejected
All the things I should have said
But never had the courage
Spewing out of me like a torrent
The words flow when I am helpless
Fighting against the tide
Without a lifeline
Unable to save myself
The words flow when I am insecure
Seeking reassurance
That I am not alone in my thoughts
And there is some way out
The words flow when I am anxious
Coming fast and furious
Over the rocks in my brain
Creating whirlpools to trap me
The words flow when I am joyful
And bounce from my fingers
Onto keys that show the world
The smile upon my face
The words flow when I am excited
Bombarding the readers with images
Burned into my brain
By thousands of neurons firing
The words flow when I am energetic
The power the sun pouring out of me
A million times a second
Filling my cup until it runs over
The words flow when I am cheerful
Bubbling up and out of the pen
Each letter, each word, each line of text
A drop of sunshine to light the way
The words flow when I am creative
Turning pictures into poems
And painting images in the minds
Of those who would soak them in
The words flow when I am hopeful
Because words can change the world
They can lift up the deserving
And shine a light on the downtrodden
The words flow when I am proud
Glittering like diamonds
Strewn across a sea of troubles
That have been fought and overcome
The words flow when I am appreciated
So that I can return the thanks
Given to me for a job well done
Or for time given up in the service of others
The words flow when I am faithful
To my own thoughts and convictions
Not swayed by passing phases
But strong in my sense of self
The words flow when I am peaceful
And at one with the world
Lost in a mediation with myself
That fills the noise in my head with quiet
The words flow when I am trusting
Of the process I go through
Of putting pen to paper
And letting go of the rest of the world
The words flow when I am loving
Showing that love for all to see
Showering all those who care to look
With a glow that radiates from the page
The words flow when I am thoughtful
Contemplating the meaning of life
All the intricacies of humanity
And why it is that this form speaks to me
The words flow when I am content
And for that brief moment in time
Everything is right with the world
Just as it should be
Poetry is a flood of emotions,
Born of the turmoils and the triumphs
Given with courage to the world
Without expectation of reward
Sunday, June 6, 2021
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
A Fleeting Encounter
20/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
He stepped onto the bus in front of me
His suit freshly laundered by the smell
That was only just detectable under the cologne
He’d liberally applied that morning
He was sporting the designer stubble
That so many found utterly desirable
But I didn’t think it suited his face
And he’d have looked better clean-shaven
If I’d wanted to wager a guess at his occupation
I would have said middle management
Probably in a bank or other financial institution
By the way he carried himself
His voice carried all through the bus
As he talked into his earpiece
No doubt his constantly connected phone
Like an extra limb he couldn’t live without
I was glad to be getting off at the next stop
Away from his pompous attitude
And his overbearing presence
To go on my way in my minimalist peace
He stepped onto the bus in front of me
His suit freshly laundered by the smell
That was only just detectable under the cologne
He’d liberally applied that morning
He was sporting the designer stubble
That so many found utterly desirable
But I didn’t think it suited his face
And he’d have looked better clean-shaven
If I’d wanted to wager a guess at his occupation
I would have said middle management
Probably in a bank or other financial institution
By the way he carried himself
His voice carried all through the bus
As he talked into his earpiece
No doubt his constantly connected phone
Like an extra limb he couldn’t live without
I was glad to be getting off at the next stop
Away from his pompous attitude
And his overbearing presence
To go on my way in my minimalist peace
Monday, May 31, 2021
Surrounded
19/04/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I am surrounded by the pressure
To be more than I am
And sometimes I don’t know
How I’m supposed to deal with that
The pressure isn’t from anywhere else
But inside my own mind
And I argue with myself endlessly
About what I should be doing
I wish I had the confidence
To achieve what I tell myself I should
Maybe one day I will
But today is not that day
I am surrounded by the pressure
To be more than I am
And sometimes I don’t know
How I’m supposed to deal with that
The pressure isn’t from anywhere else
But inside my own mind
And I argue with myself endlessly
About what I should be doing
I wish I had the confidence
To achieve what I tell myself I should
Maybe one day I will
But today is not that day
Saturday, May 29, 2021
No Matter Where
18/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Written in the early hours of Sunday, just after midnight,
Written in the early hours of Sunday, just after midnight,
whilst watching the funeral of Prince Philip,
Duke of Edinburgh, formerly Prince of Greece and Denmark.
Though laid to rest
In solemn ceremony
Replete with tears
Fallen on sunken cheeks
Of old comrades
Known for so many years
And from bright eyes
Of grandchildren
Who had not enough time
All standing as one
In grief
A family in mourning
Not now any greater
Nor lesser
Than any other in such sorrow
You will be remembered
By those who held you
In high esteem
And in their arms
No matter where they may lay their head
Though laid to rest
In solemn ceremony
Replete with tears
Fallen on sunken cheeks
Of old comrades
Known for so many years
And from bright eyes
Of grandchildren
Who had not enough time
All standing as one
In grief
A family in mourning
Not now any greater
Nor lesser
Than any other in such sorrow
You will be remembered
By those who held you
In high esteem
And in their arms
No matter where they may lay their head
The Cellar Door
17/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
We don’t have a cellar door
But I’ve always wanted one
A door to a place I can hide away
When the working day is done
A comfy world tucked away
Where reality gets shut out
And words can tumble from my mind
In quiet murmurs, not a shout
A wall full of bookshelves
And a desk for me to write
Where the troubles of the working day
Are kept far from sight
Maybe one day I’ll get my cellar door
And the stairs and cellar, too
To create a little sanctuary
That I can share with you
We don’t have a cellar door
But I’ve always wanted one
A door to a place I can hide away
When the working day is done
A comfy world tucked away
Where reality gets shut out
And words can tumble from my mind
In quiet murmurs, not a shout
A wall full of bookshelves
And a desk for me to write
Where the troubles of the working day
Are kept far from sight
Maybe one day I’ll get my cellar door
And the stairs and cellar, too
To create a little sanctuary
That I can share with you
The Inescapable Truth
16/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Everyone discovers
Their own
Inescapable truth
That defines
Who or
What or
Where and
It can
Break them
Make them
Or maybe
Forsake them
But always
Is there
Following them
Through life
Through troubles
Through ecstasy
Through trials
And tribulations
And all
That comes
With them
Everyone discovers
Their own
Inescapable truth
That defines
Who or
What or
Where and
It can
Break them
Make them
Or maybe
Forsake them
But always
Is there
Following them
Through life
Through troubles
Through ecstasy
Through trials
And tribulations
And all
That comes
With them
Friday, May 28, 2021
Drawing Breath
15/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Conscious of the air passing my lips
As I breathe in and out
Sucking in the cold, still air
Of the breaking dawn
Letting out the warmth from my lungs
Seeing my breath plume out in front of me
My hands stuffed deep into pockets
In an effort to stop my fingertips turning blue
And my feet shuffling on the spot
The lambswool lining of my boots toasty
Against the low, rolling fog not yet burnt off
By the suns warming rays
Conscious of the air passing my lips
As I breathe in and out
Sucking in the cold, still air
Of the breaking dawn
Letting out the warmth from my lungs
Seeing my breath plume out in front of me
My hands stuffed deep into pockets
In an effort to stop my fingertips turning blue
And my feet shuffling on the spot
The lambswool lining of my boots toasty
Against the low, rolling fog not yet burnt off
By the suns warming rays
Outcast
14/04/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I’ve never fitted in
Even as a child
I’ve walked my own path
And sung my own song
I didn’t get invited to parties
Or asked out on dates
I don’t go to staff functions
And I rarely go out
I hate the idea of small talk
It makes me nauseous to the core
Sending my anxiety sky high
And draining every ounce of energy
I don’t do well in crowds
With the press of people all around
Unrestrained and unpredictable
It’s all too much for me
Other people’s emotional needs
Are like a flood inside my mind
Their pain seeping into my pores
Like an invisible toxic wave
I’d rather hang out with your pet dog
Or curled up with your cats and birds
Than spend time in the company
Of the same person for all the day
It’s not that I don’t like people
They just drain me of my strength
Making it difficult to continue
With the rest of my life
I embrace my inner hermit
And just hope others understand
That when I’ve had enough of people
It’s not a personal slight
It has seen me painted as an outcast
Someone who doesn’t want to join in
But want and need are two different beasts
That often pull in opposing directions
I want to be the life of the party
I want to be little miss socialite
I want to be everyone’s best buddy
I’ve never fitted in
Even as a child
I’ve walked my own path
And sung my own song
I didn’t get invited to parties
Or asked out on dates
I don’t go to staff functions
And I rarely go out
I hate the idea of small talk
It makes me nauseous to the core
Sending my anxiety sky high
And draining every ounce of energy
I don’t do well in crowds
With the press of people all around
Unrestrained and unpredictable
It’s all too much for me
Other people’s emotional needs
Are like a flood inside my mind
Their pain seeping into my pores
Like an invisible toxic wave
I’d rather hang out with your pet dog
Or curled up with your cats and birds
Than spend time in the company
Of the same person for all the day
It’s not that I don’t like people
They just drain me of my strength
Making it difficult to continue
With the rest of my life
I embrace my inner hermit
And just hope others understand
That when I’ve had enough of people
It’s not a personal slight
It has seen me painted as an outcast
Someone who doesn’t want to join in
But want and need are two different beasts
That often pull in opposing directions
I want to be the life of the party
I want to be little miss socialite
I want to be everyone’s best buddy
But I need to keep the world at bay
Whale Song
13/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Have you heard the whale song
Drifting on the currents
Calling out a mournful tune
To the far reaches of the ocean?
Have you heard the bat screech
Echoing off its surrounds
As it flies deftly amongst the trees
In search of bugs on the wing?
Have you heard the lion roaring
As it protects its pride
From young pretenders
Who might start a leadership brawl?
Have you heard the cattle lowing
As they stare up at the moon
Wishing they could leap so high
And not be grounded by reality?
Have you heard the monkeys scream
From treetops threatened by destruction,
The noise of chainsaws and woodchippers
Almost too much for these primates?
Have you heard the wolf howl
Long and loud into the night,
Through woods and valleys
They stalk for their prey?
Have you heard the donkeys braying
From fields and paddocks far and wide
Their work not yet done today
To make our lives easier?
Have you heard the cicada chirp
After so long underground
Escaping to call and breed
And to die within weeks?
Have you heard the pig snort,
It’s joy at vegetable scraps
Undeniable and heart-warming
As it tucks into the swill?
Have you heard the kangaroo chortle
As it bounds merrily over red rocks
And fences meant to contain them
But have no hope of doing so?
Have you heard the elephant trumpet
As it crashes through the trees
That fall and snap like twigs underfoot
And the pack moves ever onwards?
Have you heard the toad croaking
It’s baleful plea to be loved
And seen as elegantly beautiful
As its amphibious cousins are?
Have you heard the raven caw,
Black as the night,
Rooted in the stories of the dark
And creating magic with every sound?
Have you heard the bee buzz
As it flits from flower to flower,
Laden with pollen to help regenerate
The wild and untamed meadows?
Have you heard the owl hoot
With its haunting cry carrying
From barn to barn
As it searches for mice?
Have you heard the hyena laughing,
Cackling with excitement
Over the thrill of the chase
As they race across the savannah?
Have you heard the magpie chatter
While it sits on high remarking
On all the lovely heads below
And which one it will dive bomb next?
Have you heard the lambs bleat
Calling for their mothers
Wanting attention and milk
As they frolic between the haystacks?
Have you heard the pigeon coo
From roof tops and window sills
As they eye off statues And unsuspecting pedestrians?
Have you heard the whale song
Drifting on the currents
Calling out a mournful tune
To the far reaches of the ocean?
Have you heard the bat screech
Echoing off its surrounds
As it flies deftly amongst the trees
In search of bugs on the wing?
Have you heard the lion roaring
As it protects its pride
From young pretenders
Who might start a leadership brawl?
Have you heard the cattle lowing
As they stare up at the moon
Wishing they could leap so high
And not be grounded by reality?
Have you heard the monkeys scream
From treetops threatened by destruction,
The noise of chainsaws and woodchippers
Almost too much for these primates?
Have you heard the wolf howl
Long and loud into the night,
Through woods and valleys
They stalk for their prey?
Have you heard the donkeys braying
From fields and paddocks far and wide
Their work not yet done today
To make our lives easier?
Have you heard the cicada chirp
After so long underground
Escaping to call and breed
And to die within weeks?
Have you heard the pig snort,
It’s joy at vegetable scraps
Undeniable and heart-warming
As it tucks into the swill?
Have you heard the kangaroo chortle
As it bounds merrily over red rocks
And fences meant to contain them
But have no hope of doing so?
Have you heard the elephant trumpet
As it crashes through the trees
That fall and snap like twigs underfoot
And the pack moves ever onwards?
Have you heard the toad croaking
It’s baleful plea to be loved
And seen as elegantly beautiful
As its amphibious cousins are?
Have you heard the raven caw,
Black as the night,
Rooted in the stories of the dark
And creating magic with every sound?
Have you heard the bee buzz
As it flits from flower to flower,
Laden with pollen to help regenerate
The wild and untamed meadows?
Have you heard the owl hoot
With its haunting cry carrying
From barn to barn
As it searches for mice?
Have you heard the hyena laughing,
Cackling with excitement
Over the thrill of the chase
As they race across the savannah?
Have you heard the magpie chatter
While it sits on high remarking
On all the lovely heads below
And which one it will dive bomb next?
Have you heard the lambs bleat
Calling for their mothers
Wanting attention and milk
As they frolic between the haystacks?
Have you heard the pigeon coo
From roof tops and window sills
As they eye off statues And unsuspecting pedestrians?
Thursday, May 27, 2021
Watching Over You
12/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
As I stand here
Watching over you
Watching you sleep
The rise and fall of your tiny chest
I wonder what the future holds
For you
For me
For the both of us together
The fun and games as a family
The outings to the beach
Or boating on the river
Creating memories that last a lifetime
In moments that are gone too soon
But I’m also filled with a fear
That I’m not good enough
That I might fail you
And I don’t know how to deal
With the overwhelming dread
That leads me to contemplate
Whether I should be here
Standing over you
Whether it wouldn’t be better
If it were someone else
Watching over you
As I stand here
Watching over you
Watching you sleep
The rise and fall of your tiny chest
I wonder what the future holds
For you
For me
For the both of us together
The fun and games as a family
The outings to the beach
Or boating on the river
Creating memories that last a lifetime
In moments that are gone too soon
But I’m also filled with a fear
That I’m not good enough
That I might fail you
And I don’t know how to deal
With the overwhelming dread
That leads me to contemplate
Whether I should be here
Standing over you
Whether it wouldn’t be better
If it were someone else
Watching over you
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
What If
11/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
What if we choose to be kind?
To give of ourselves
Our time and our energy
To support those around us
What if we choose to give thanks?
For the things that others do for us
For help that we receive
And for the privilege that we have
What if we choose to stay positive?
Even in the face of obstacles
That threaten to derail us
And spread love to our neighbours
What if we choose to embrace humanity?
If we lifted up those who lift others,
If we celebrated family and community,
If we look past our differences
What if …
What if we choose to be kind?
To give of ourselves
Our time and our energy
To support those around us
What if we choose to give thanks?
For the things that others do for us
For help that we receive
And for the privilege that we have
What if we choose to stay positive?
Even in the face of obstacles
That threaten to derail us
And spread love to our neighbours
What if we choose to embrace humanity?
If we lifted up those who lift others,
If we celebrated family and community,
If we look past our differences
What if …
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Wonderland
10/04/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
Oh, to be Alice
Falling down the rabbit hole
Escaping from day-to-day life
Into a world of fantasy
Or maybe to be Dorothy,
Spirited away to Oz
Only to find out
There’s no place like home
Oh, to be Alice
Falling down the rabbit hole
Escaping from day-to-day life
Into a world of fantasy
Or maybe to be Dorothy,
Spirited away to Oz
Only to find out
There’s no place like home
Saturday, May 22, 2021
Rush
09/04/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
Somethings don’t deserve your patience
They must be seized
– Like the day –
Taken in hand and moulded
Before the clay dries
So, rush
Headlong into the snow
To make those angel wings
Onwards into battle
To take the enemy by surprise
And tumble head over heels
In love with life
Rush, now
Before those legs grow weary
And cannot carry you
Over the hills and far away
To where daydreams escape
From minds lost to the notion
That life is for the living
Somethings don’t deserve your patience
They must be seized
– Like the day –
Taken in hand and moulded
Before the clay dries
So, rush
Headlong into the snow
To make those angel wings
Onwards into battle
To take the enemy by surprise
And tumble head over heels
In love with life
Rush, now
Before those legs grow weary
And cannot carry you
Over the hills and far away
To where daydreams escape
From minds lost to the notion
That life is for the living
The Last Image
08/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
If I’d known this would be
The last image I’d take of you,
Would I have made the effort
To take another picture?
It’s quite a nice picture:
You’re sitting on a bench
Hair flowing in the breeze
Half a smile on your face
You never really liked it:
The lighting wasn’t flattering
And you didn’t fancy that top
With that particular shirt
Now it’s all I have:
A moment in time
Frozen forever but
Captured in the blink of an eye
So, I don’t think I would
Take another picture of you
Because that’s the real you
And the one I keep in my heart
If I’d known this would be
The last image I’d take of you,
Would I have made the effort
To take another picture?
It’s quite a nice picture:
You’re sitting on a bench
Hair flowing in the breeze
Half a smile on your face
You never really liked it:
The lighting wasn’t flattering
And you didn’t fancy that top
With that particular shirt
Now it’s all I have:
A moment in time
Frozen forever but
Captured in the blink of an eye
So, I don’t think I would
Take another picture of you
Because that’s the real you
And the one I keep in my heart
Friday, May 21, 2021
Peculiar
07/04/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I’m peculiarly peculiar
A strange sort of soul
Wonderfully weird
And erratically eccentric
I’m up and down
And round about
Inside out
And back to front
I’m eager and willing
And avoid at all costs
Yes, no and maybe
All rolled into one
I’m sinner and saint
The good and the bad
The lover and hater
And entirely apathetic
I’m high and so low
Flat as a tack
Up and about
And down in the dumps
I’m full of confidence
Drowning in doubt
Creating and destroying
All in one breath
I’m your very best friend
Your absolute worst enemy
Your greatest fan
And ready to tear you down
I’m the ultimate human
Inexplicable alien
Familiar animal
And supernatural pixie
I’m the stories you read,
Late at night, under the covers
While you smile and cry
All by yourself
I’m the builder of my world
In all its curiousness,
Its absurdities abundant
And its style strange
I’m peculiarly peculiar
Atypical and abnormal
Odd, unconventional
And perfectly me
I’m peculiarly peculiar
A strange sort of soul
Wonderfully weird
And erratically eccentric
I’m up and down
And round about
Inside out
And back to front
I’m eager and willing
And avoid at all costs
Yes, no and maybe
All rolled into one
I’m sinner and saint
The good and the bad
The lover and hater
And entirely apathetic
I’m high and so low
Flat as a tack
Up and about
And down in the dumps
I’m full of confidence
Drowning in doubt
Creating and destroying
All in one breath
I’m your very best friend
Your absolute worst enemy
Your greatest fan
And ready to tear you down
I’m the ultimate human
Inexplicable alien
Familiar animal
And supernatural pixie
I’m the stories you read,
Late at night, under the covers
While you smile and cry
All by yourself
I’m the builder of my world
In all its curiousness,
Its absurdities abundant
And its style strange
I’m peculiarly peculiar
Atypical and abnormal
Odd, unconventional
And perfectly me
Reluctant
06/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I was reluctant to say hello
I didn’t think you’d say it back
You wouldn’t want to be my friend
You were too good for me
I was reluctant to ask you out
I didn’t think you’d say yes
You wouldn’t want to be my boyfriend
You were out of my league
I was reluctant to say yes
I didn’t think you’d really mean it
You wouldn’t want to be my husband
You were way too successful
I was reluctant to let you go
I didn’t think I could
You wouldn’t want to live like this
You were too much for this world
I was reluctant to say hello
I didn’t think you’d say it back
You wouldn’t want to be my friend
You were too good for me
I was reluctant to ask you out
I didn’t think you’d say yes
You wouldn’t want to be my boyfriend
You were out of my league
I was reluctant to say yes
I didn’t think you’d really mean it
You wouldn’t want to be my husband
You were way too successful
I was reluctant to let you go
I didn’t think I could
You wouldn’t want to live like this
You were too much for this world
Always Five
05/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
When you were little
I wished you’d never age
You’d stay my precious little princess
Forever and a day
But I never meant for it to happen
Especially not like this
The last time I saw you
Your smile flashed across the park
Your pigtails swishing as you ran
My mind occupied with other things
And you climbed the hill
Ready to slip down the slide
It took me a few minutes
To realise you hadn’t come down
I looked around for you
All to no avail
And the search became more frantic
As the minutes themselves slid by
My heart was beating through my chest
Hands shaking uncontrollably
Air struggling to fill my lungs
As I screamed your name
And fellow parents joined the search
But coming up empty
The police were called
They arrived sirens blaring
To take over the haphazard search
And co-ordinate the organisation
Of checkpoints and interviews
As I broke into a million pieces
As every hour passed, I cried
Tears staining my face
Salt stinging my eyes
The heartache and fear within me
Tearing me apart
From the inside out
Divers scoured the bay
From the mangroves at the shore
To the depths of the ferry channel
Extending the search
Yet still finding no sign of you
Or any clue of where you’d gone
Your face was plastered across the TV
Every network running the story
Of a little girl lost,
Missing, taken
Somewhere out in the world
Away from her grieving mother
My life was turned upside down
As hours turned into days
And days turned into weeks
And still no sign of you
As if you’d disappeared into thin air
Like the angel that you are
Strangers blamed me
Their anonymous notes
Shoved viciously into the letterbox
Asking me how I could hurt you
And that I should burn in hell
For something I could never do
The posters with your picture
Stay on every telegraph pole
Replaced within a day
Should they fall or be blown away
Or torn down by unfeeling monsters
Who will never understand
Somewhere you are out there
And I hope you remember me
But as the years drag by
I feel I might be just a dream you have
That haunts you as you sleep
And you don’t know why
I try to imagine what you look like
As the birthdays come and go
And now that you’d be an adult
The fear that I wouldn’t know you
If I passed you in the street
Fills my heart with dread
What music are you into?
Do you still love to read?
There are so many things I want to know
But will never get the chance
Because someone stole you from me
And I fear I’ll never get you back
So, while you’re turning twenty today
I can’t see you that way
My precious little princess
All grown without me there
A life lived that I’ll never know
Because to me you’re always five.
When you were little
I wished you’d never age
You’d stay my precious little princess
Forever and a day
But I never meant for it to happen
Especially not like this
The last time I saw you
Your smile flashed across the park
Your pigtails swishing as you ran
My mind occupied with other things
And you climbed the hill
Ready to slip down the slide
It took me a few minutes
To realise you hadn’t come down
I looked around for you
All to no avail
And the search became more frantic
As the minutes themselves slid by
My heart was beating through my chest
Hands shaking uncontrollably
Air struggling to fill my lungs
As I screamed your name
And fellow parents joined the search
But coming up empty
The police were called
They arrived sirens blaring
To take over the haphazard search
And co-ordinate the organisation
Of checkpoints and interviews
As I broke into a million pieces
As every hour passed, I cried
Tears staining my face
Salt stinging my eyes
The heartache and fear within me
Tearing me apart
From the inside out
Divers scoured the bay
From the mangroves at the shore
To the depths of the ferry channel
Extending the search
Yet still finding no sign of you
Or any clue of where you’d gone
Your face was plastered across the TV
Every network running the story
Of a little girl lost,
Missing, taken
Somewhere out in the world
Away from her grieving mother
My life was turned upside down
As hours turned into days
And days turned into weeks
And still no sign of you
As if you’d disappeared into thin air
Like the angel that you are
Strangers blamed me
Their anonymous notes
Shoved viciously into the letterbox
Asking me how I could hurt you
And that I should burn in hell
For something I could never do
The posters with your picture
Stay on every telegraph pole
Replaced within a day
Should they fall or be blown away
Or torn down by unfeeling monsters
Who will never understand
Somewhere you are out there
And I hope you remember me
But as the years drag by
I feel I might be just a dream you have
That haunts you as you sleep
And you don’t know why
I try to imagine what you look like
As the birthdays come and go
And now that you’d be an adult
The fear that I wouldn’t know you
If I passed you in the street
Fills my heart with dread
What music are you into?
Do you still love to read?
There are so many things I want to know
But will never get the chance
Because someone stole you from me
And I fear I’ll never get you back
So, while you’re turning twenty today
I can’t see you that way
My precious little princess
All grown without me there
A life lived that I’ll never know
Because to me you’re always five.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
The Night Watchman
04/04/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
Standing at the crease
Way before I should
Holding the fort for those
Who should have come before
Facing the oncoming attack
Tired from the day in the field
My fresh legs ready to run
But not getting ahead of myself
Defence is the name of the game
Making sure I don’t fall cheaply
Just making it through to the close of play
Playing the team game
I can only dream of innings
Like Gillespie in Bangladesh
Knocking out a double century
Before a lack of partners ended it all
For now I stand my ground
Staring down my foes
Protecting my wicket
With all that I have
Standing at the crease
Way before I should
Holding the fort for those
Who should have come before
Facing the oncoming attack
Tired from the day in the field
My fresh legs ready to run
But not getting ahead of myself
Defence is the name of the game
Making sure I don’t fall cheaply
Just making it through to the close of play
Playing the team game
I can only dream of innings
Like Gillespie in Bangladesh
Knocking out a double century
Before a lack of partners ended it all
For now I stand my ground
Staring down my foes
Protecting my wicket
With all that I have
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Cantankerous (Sometimes I think)
03/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Sometimes I think you’re crotchety
An old man sitting in your chair
Annoyed at the world around you
And taking it out on all of us
Sometimes I think you’re just stubborn
Set in your ways since forever
Unable to change how you live or love
And unwilling to make any compromise
Sometimes I think you’re bloody-minded
Deliberately setting yourself at odds
With the rest of the family
Who only want you to be happy
Sometimes I think you’re ill-natured
From a life too hard to comprehend
And I wouldn’t surprise me in the least
If it played on your mind all too often
Sometimes I think you’re being testy
And it takes little to set you off
Your temper quick to irritate
And you’re becoming increasingly impatient
Sometimes I think you’re simply cranky
Grumbling about all of life’s woes
How nothing ever seems to be easy
And life is one struggle after another
Sometimes I think you’re grumpy
And grouchy and gruff and aggrieved
The whole world seems to be against you
Even if that’s in your own mind
Sometimes I think that you’re crabby
A surly curl to your top lip
Snapping and overly combative
Over even the most minor of things
Sometimes I think you’re temperamental
Prone to bouts of unreasonableness
With your quarrelsome nature overriding
All the good that hides deep inside
Sometimes I think you’re petulant
Like a child who can’t get their way
Arrogantly insisting everyone fall in line
Like a boorish sergeant-major
Sometimes I think you’re obnoxious
Acting out in spite against all who care
Making for many a prickly encounter
When it could have been so very different
Sometimes I think you’re cantankerous
But I know that’s not all that you are
And I must summon all my strength
To make it out from the cloud around you
Sometimes I think you’re crotchety
An old man sitting in your chair
Annoyed at the world around you
And taking it out on all of us
Sometimes I think you’re just stubborn
Set in your ways since forever
Unable to change how you live or love
And unwilling to make any compromise
Sometimes I think you’re bloody-minded
Deliberately setting yourself at odds
With the rest of the family
Who only want you to be happy
Sometimes I think you’re ill-natured
From a life too hard to comprehend
And I wouldn’t surprise me in the least
If it played on your mind all too often
Sometimes I think you’re being testy
And it takes little to set you off
Your temper quick to irritate
And you’re becoming increasingly impatient
Sometimes I think you’re simply cranky
Grumbling about all of life’s woes
How nothing ever seems to be easy
And life is one struggle after another
Sometimes I think you’re grumpy
And grouchy and gruff and aggrieved
The whole world seems to be against you
Even if that’s in your own mind
Sometimes I think that you’re crabby
A surly curl to your top lip
Snapping and overly combative
Over even the most minor of things
Sometimes I think you’re temperamental
Prone to bouts of unreasonableness
With your quarrelsome nature overriding
All the good that hides deep inside
Sometimes I think you’re petulant
Like a child who can’t get their way
Arrogantly insisting everyone fall in line
Like a boorish sergeant-major
Sometimes I think you’re obnoxious
Acting out in spite against all who care
Making for many a prickly encounter
When it could have been so very different
Sometimes I think you’re cantankerous
But I know that’s not all that you are
And I must summon all my strength
To make it out from the cloud around you
Discarded
02/04/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
You threw me away
As if I meant nothing
The days, weeks, months
We had spent
Discarded as rubbish on the tip
I cannot see it
Any other way
That feeling of uselessness
Overwhelming me
And weighing down my soul
You did not want my love,
My heart overflowing,
Anything else I could offer
Rejected all at once
With no thought for me at all
But you should not keep me
Out of obligation
Or to save me
From the world inside my mind
At your expense
You threw me away
As if I meant nothing
The days, weeks, months
We had spent
Discarded as rubbish on the tip
I cannot see it
Any other way
That feeling of uselessness
Overwhelming me
And weighing down my soul
You did not want my love,
My heart overflowing,
Anything else I could offer
Rejected all at once
With no thought for me at all
But you should not keep me
Out of obligation
Or to save me
From the world inside my mind
At your expense
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Fools
01/04/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
What fools before me
That cannot see
Beyond the end
Of their own bank account
To a world of wonder
That passes them by
In pursuit of more
Of what they already have
When what is out there
Is far more enriching
Than the accumulation of things
That are no more permanent
Than the memories formed
In the experiencing of moments
The joy of the discovery
The power of the unknown
But they would deprive
Themselves and their own
Of something money can’t buy
All for the desire
Of fool’s gold
What fools before me
That cannot see
Beyond the end
Of their own bank account
To a world of wonder
That passes them by
In pursuit of more
Of what they already have
When what is out there
Is far more enriching
Than the accumulation of things
That are no more permanent
Than the memories formed
In the experiencing of moments
The joy of the discovery
The power of the unknown
But they would deprive
Themselves and their own
Of something money can’t buy
All for the desire
Of fool’s gold
When it rains
31/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I stand outside
The rain falls
Crashing down
On barren soil
Parched too long
Thirsty for more
Cracked and open
Drinking its fill
Dark waters flowing
Over dusty red plains
To oceans full
Along ancient courses
Where people build
Unsuitable houses
For landscapes old
And disasters new
Where lives are shattered
By that rain
As it falls at once
And crashes still
Then flows and seeps
Until barren soil
Is left once more
I stand outside
The rain falls
Crashing down
On barren soil
Parched too long
Thirsty for more
Cracked and open
Drinking its fill
Dark waters flowing
Over dusty red plains
To oceans full
Along ancient courses
Where people build
Unsuitable houses
For landscapes old
And disasters new
Where lives are shattered
By that rain
As it falls at once
And crashes still
Then flows and seeps
Until barren soil
Is left once more
Ever Since
30/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Before the light
Before the dark
Before the everlasting love
After the world
After the stars
After the universe flickers and dies
While I breath
While I mourn
While I bear this unspeakable sorrow
Ever since you
Ever since then
Ever since all meaning was lost
Before the light
Before the dark
Before the everlasting love
After the world
After the stars
After the universe flickers and dies
While I breath
While I mourn
While I bear this unspeakable sorrow
Ever since you
Ever since then
Ever since all meaning was lost
The Market
29/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
The closed sign hangs on the door
The market has shut up for good
It’s wares no longer wanted
And custom long since gone
The heart itself lies empty
The windows boarded up
No future here can be seen
A vacant, empty lot
The closed sign hangs on the door
The market has shut up for good
It’s wares no longer wanted
And custom long since gone
The heart itself lies empty
The windows boarded up
No future here can be seen
A vacant, empty lot
Saturday, April 17, 2021
Floating
28/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Looking up at the clouds drifting overhead
Surrounded by the swell of a thousand waves
Thinking of nothing but the silence
And drifting without care or concern
Looking up at the clouds drifting overhead
Surrounded by the swell of a thousand waves
Thinking of nothing but the silence
And drifting without care or concern
Closer
27/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I long to feel closer to you
To be welcomed into the inner sanctum
To be trusted
To be loved
To be honoured as one of your own
As a friend
As a confidant
As a lover
As a member of your closest family
But I must wait for an eternity
Wait until you realise
Wait for the right time
Wait though I yearn
Wait so very long for that which I desire
For your touch
For the joy
For my heart to fill
For the softly spoken words I crave
I long to feel closer to you
To be welcomed into the inner sanctum
To be trusted
To be loved
To be honoured as one of your own
As a friend
As a confidant
As a lover
As a member of your closest family
But I must wait for an eternity
Wait until you realise
Wait for the right time
Wait though I yearn
Wait so very long for that which I desire
For your touch
For the joy
For my heart to fill
For the softly spoken words I crave
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Adam
25/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
There’s something very odd
About the story of Adam and Eve
And that is the blame that is laid
Upon the shoulders of the Eve
Yet Adam seems to be
This tag along character
Beguiled by the wiles of a woman
Created to be his companion
By an omnipotent deity
Who could not foresee
The fall of his own creations.
I suppose it’s not all that odd
When you really think about it
And the people who penned
The stories of creation
Because they were all men
Wanting to rule over the land
And its people
Regardless of the consequences
That would be felt for centuries
Into the future
And all over the world
Their male deity could do no wrong
Nor their male first created
Even the saviour who would come
So many years later
Was born male
And so many of the noteworthy characters
From Noah to Abraham to Moses
They are all of the masculine description
With women playing second fiddle
Or being portrayed as evil temptresses
Not to be trusted in the least.
So let’s revisit how we see Adam
And how we look upon Eve
With the choice to eat the apple
Squarely upon both their shoulders
Placed there to tempt them
By a deity who already knew the outcome
And created the human race
As a plaything for his amusement
Or perhaps it’s all a figment of the imagination
Of ancient and long forgotten men
To keep their women underfoot
There’s something very odd
About the story of Adam and Eve
And that is the blame that is laid
Upon the shoulders of the Eve
Yet Adam seems to be
This tag along character
Beguiled by the wiles of a woman
Created to be his companion
By an omnipotent deity
Who could not foresee
The fall of his own creations.
I suppose it’s not all that odd
When you really think about it
And the people who penned
The stories of creation
Because they were all men
Wanting to rule over the land
And its people
Regardless of the consequences
That would be felt for centuries
Into the future
And all over the world
Their male deity could do no wrong
Nor their male first created
Even the saviour who would come
So many years later
Was born male
And so many of the noteworthy characters
From Noah to Abraham to Moses
They are all of the masculine description
With women playing second fiddle
Or being portrayed as evil temptresses
Not to be trusted in the least.
So let’s revisit how we see Adam
And how we look upon Eve
With the choice to eat the apple
Squarely upon both their shoulders
Placed there to tempt them
By a deity who already knew the outcome
And created the human race
As a plaything for his amusement
Or perhaps it’s all a figment of the imagination
Of ancient and long forgotten men
To keep their women underfoot
Friday, April 9, 2021
Sitting on a rock
26/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Sitting nonchalantly on a rock
While carving out a chock
I fed fish shredded hemlock
As they swam about a wok
A camel in a floral frock
Pulled in to yonder dock
Looking for a matching sock
For the hen and her cock
She asked a man called Sherlock
Who sent her round the block
To a place where she could hock
For a few dollars her stunning smock
She could not hide her shock
And thought him quite the jock
She was not the one to mock
And of his ideas he should take stock
Behind her, gathered in a flock,
Were cuckoos straight out of a clock
Carrying a case with a heavy lock
That looked like it had taken a knock
What was inside gave me a shock
And I hoped it was not a crock
It was a pair made for peacock
Emblazoned with a shamrock
The camel thanked the cuckoo flock
And took careful stock –
A sock for the hen and for the cock
In a little box with a heavy lock
And I was left upon the rock
With my fish and my wok
Wondering if I might find a sock
Emblazoned with hemlock
Sitting nonchalantly on a rock
While carving out a chock
I fed fish shredded hemlock
As they swam about a wok
A camel in a floral frock
Pulled in to yonder dock
Looking for a matching sock
For the hen and her cock
She asked a man called Sherlock
Who sent her round the block
To a place where she could hock
For a few dollars her stunning smock
She could not hide her shock
And thought him quite the jock
She was not the one to mock
And of his ideas he should take stock
Behind her, gathered in a flock,
Were cuckoos straight out of a clock
Carrying a case with a heavy lock
That looked like it had taken a knock
What was inside gave me a shock
And I hoped it was not a crock
It was a pair made for peacock
Emblazoned with a shamrock
The camel thanked the cuckoo flock
And took careful stock –
A sock for the hen and for the cock
In a little box with a heavy lock
And I was left upon the rock
With my fish and my wok
Wondering if I might find a sock
Emblazoned with hemlock
Pisa
24/03/2021– Poem a Day Compilation
I’d like to be like the tower
That makes its home in Pisa
Who’s slant is so iconic
And something of a teaser
I’d be the centre of attention
And beloved around the globe
Models posed in front of me
And sometimes they may disrobe
My outlook on life would be tilted
To a most precocious angle
Rapunzel’s hair would hang strangely
And get in such a tangle
Those who climbed my stairs each day
Would develop an odd kind of gait
One leg longer small price to pay
For their curiosity to sate
But here I am, mere mortal
Of no significance or worth
Compared with the leaning tower
Who’s stood since long before my birth
I’d like to be like the tower
That makes its home in Pisa
Who’s slant is so iconic
And something of a teaser
I’d be the centre of attention
And beloved around the globe
Models posed in front of me
And sometimes they may disrobe
My outlook on life would be tilted
To a most precocious angle
Rapunzel’s hair would hang strangely
And get in such a tangle
Those who climbed my stairs each day
Would develop an odd kind of gait
One leg longer small price to pay
For their curiosity to sate
But here I am, mere mortal
Of no significance or worth
Compared with the leaning tower
Who’s stood since long before my birth
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Surely
23/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I waited by the bus stop
Watching the traffic lights
Cycle through from red to green
And back again
Around the intersection
Letting each set of cars
Move off to their next destination
Carefully orchestrated
To supposedly allow
For the optimal flow of traffic
But you can’t please all the people
All the time
And the occasional horn blast
Would break the steady rumbling
Of engines
And tyres on roads
That are long overdue for repair
Showing potholes and cracks
Faded lines and arrows
Not needed by drivers familiar
With the area
With the way the roads met
With the predisposition of trucks
To pull out of the servo
When they think it’s clear
Not seeing the motorcyclist
Coming around the bend
And swerving to miss
The 25-ton monster
That needs all three lanes
Just to make it out of the driveway
And continue on its way
Oblivious to the shaken rider
Who saw their life flash before their eyes
And had to pause
Momentarily
To suck in deep breaths
Before pulling up to the now red light
Near where I waited patiently
For a bus that is late again
Surely, it’s not that hard
To get the buses to run on time
I waited by the bus stop
Watching the traffic lights
Cycle through from red to green
And back again
Around the intersection
Letting each set of cars
Move off to their next destination
Carefully orchestrated
To supposedly allow
For the optimal flow of traffic
But you can’t please all the people
All the time
And the occasional horn blast
Would break the steady rumbling
Of engines
And tyres on roads
That are long overdue for repair
Showing potholes and cracks
Faded lines and arrows
Not needed by drivers familiar
With the area
With the way the roads met
With the predisposition of trucks
To pull out of the servo
When they think it’s clear
Not seeing the motorcyclist
Coming around the bend
And swerving to miss
The 25-ton monster
That needs all three lanes
Just to make it out of the driveway
And continue on its way
Oblivious to the shaken rider
Who saw their life flash before their eyes
And had to pause
Momentarily
To suck in deep breaths
Before pulling up to the now red light
Near where I waited patiently
For a bus that is late again
Surely, it’s not that hard
To get the buses to run on time
Family
22/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
Family is meals together
Sharing stories of the day
Over a take away
Or a roast out of the oven
Family is a train trip to the city
To look at the lights at Christmas
Or wander around the harbour
Taking happy snaps with the kids
Family is sitting on the beach
Under an enormous umbrella
With ice blocks melting down hands
And burying someone in the sand
Family is packing the car
And heading off camping
In the national park
For a long weekend
Family is curled up reading
All different books and magazines
At the same time
Just enjoying the peace together
Family is what you make it
Whether you’re born into it
Or it pulls you in
And it’s what makes you complete
Family is meals together
Sharing stories of the day
Over a take away
Or a roast out of the oven
Family is a train trip to the city
To look at the lights at Christmas
Or wander around the harbour
Taking happy snaps with the kids
Family is sitting on the beach
Under an enormous umbrella
With ice blocks melting down hands
And burying someone in the sand
Family is packing the car
And heading off camping
In the national park
For a long weekend
Family is curled up reading
All different books and magazines
At the same time
Just enjoying the peace together
Family is what you make it
Whether you’re born into it
Or it pulls you in
And it’s what makes you complete
Each night
21/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Each night
I look up
Out the window
At stars
And the moon
And the infinite black
I see
Lost civilizations
Forgotten people
Born and gone
Before our eyes
Without our knowing
The tremor
Of a planet
It’s heart
Spewing forth
Destroying itself
From the inside
The twinkle
In the distance
Of a world
Undisturbed
And at peace
For millennia
Each night
I look up
Out the window
At stars
And the moon
And the infinite black
I see
Lost civilizations
Forgotten people
Born and gone
Before our eyes
Without our knowing
The tremor
Of a planet
It’s heart
Spewing forth
Destroying itself
From the inside
The twinkle
In the distance
Of a world
Undisturbed
And at peace
For millennia
Perfect
20/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
We all strive for some perfection
Somewhere in our lives
Whether it’s something big
Or very, very small
I don’t know that anyone achieves it
Or gets anywhere close to it
But it’s the journey rather than the destination
That is the reward
Some people think they find it
And more power to them
But I think life is about the imperfections
The quirks and the questions
So, don’t be afraid to fall short of it
As long as you’ve given it your all
Because no one and nothing is perfect
And we all want somebody and something
We all strive for some perfection
Somewhere in our lives
Whether it’s something big
Or very, very small
I don’t know that anyone achieves it
Or gets anywhere close to it
But it’s the journey rather than the destination
That is the reward
Some people think they find it
And more power to them
But I think life is about the imperfections
The quirks and the questions
So, don’t be afraid to fall short of it
As long as you’ve given it your all
Because no one and nothing is perfect
And we all want somebody and something
Unnecessary
19/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
This world we have created in unnecessary.
Nothing we do or say is needed
For the further development of the human race
Yet we persist in doing and saying the things.
All a person needs in this world
Is food and shelter and love
But it’s the wants and desires
That make the unnecessary necessary.
This world we have created in unnecessary.
Nothing we do or say is needed
For the further development of the human race
Yet we persist in doing and saying the things.
All a person needs in this world
Is food and shelter and love
But it’s the wants and desires
That make the unnecessary necessary.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
The Bookstore
18/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Walking through the doors
There’s an unmistakable smell
Fresh coffee and old books
And just a hint of freshly baked cakes
The chairs are big and comfy
Like grandma’s warm embrace
And the service is friendly
And they’re always up for a chat
Sometimes I go in for breakfast
Bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes
A book of poetry with well-worn pages
And a large cappuccino to sip
It’s a good place to people watch
On a sunny weekday morn
The park across the path bustling
With kids before they head to school
When I meet friends for lunch
Chicken salad with sweet chilli sauce
And a cool class of fresh lemonade
Discussing the latest sporting memoir
It’s easy to lose track of time
And before you know it it’s been hours
Though it’s never a problem
To settle in for half the day
On occasion, when I don’t feel like cooking,
I’ll savour a frittata and side salad
And a large pot of peppermint tea
With my favourite Stephen King
It doesn’t matter what time of day or night
It always feels like home
A little shop around the corner
That takes me a world away
Walking through the doors
There’s an unmistakable smell
Fresh coffee and old books
And just a hint of freshly baked cakes
The chairs are big and comfy
Like grandma’s warm embrace
And the service is friendly
And they’re always up for a chat
Sometimes I go in for breakfast
Bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes
A book of poetry with well-worn pages
And a large cappuccino to sip
It’s a good place to people watch
On a sunny weekday morn
The park across the path bustling
With kids before they head to school
When I meet friends for lunch
Chicken salad with sweet chilli sauce
And a cool class of fresh lemonade
Discussing the latest sporting memoir
It’s easy to lose track of time
And before you know it it’s been hours
Though it’s never a problem
To settle in for half the day
On occasion, when I don’t feel like cooking,
I’ll savour a frittata and side salad
And a large pot of peppermint tea
With my favourite Stephen King
It doesn’t matter what time of day or night
It always feels like home
A little shop around the corner
That takes me a world away
St Patrick’s Day
17/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I like St Patrick’s Day
Even though I’m not religious
And it’s not the saintly idea behind the day
That gets me in the spirit
But the fun and frivolity
That comes from celebrating in a secular society
Where old traditions are embraced
For a variety of new reasons
I like St Patrick’s Day
Because of the legendary stories
That surround this man of the cloth
And give him his saintly vibes
Like bearing the cross and the shamrock
In bold reference to the holy trinity
Even though threesomes of deities
Are well known in Irish lore
I like St Patrick’s Day
For celebrating a man bestowed deeds
For which he could not possibly be responsible
Like ridding a nation of its snakes
When no evidence of the slithery specimens
Appears anywhere in Ireland
Despite many a desperate search
Through the fossil record
I like St Patrick’s Day
Because it conjures up such novelties
As leprechauns and all that is green
Despite neither having anything to do
With Ireland’s beloved saint
But it just adds to the joie de vivre
That seems to emanate
From the mere mention of the day
I like St Patrick’s Day
And one day I hope to experience it
In the bustling streets of Dublin
Or the rolling hills of Connemara
Where I can immerse myself in the festivities
And lose myself in nature
Creating my own reverence
Of that ancient saint’s day
I like St Patrick’s Day
Even though I’m not religious
And it’s not the saintly idea behind the day
That gets me in the spirit
But the fun and frivolity
That comes from celebrating in a secular society
Where old traditions are embraced
For a variety of new reasons
I like St Patrick’s Day
Because of the legendary stories
That surround this man of the cloth
And give him his saintly vibes
Like bearing the cross and the shamrock
In bold reference to the holy trinity
Even though threesomes of deities
Are well known in Irish lore
I like St Patrick’s Day
For celebrating a man bestowed deeds
For which he could not possibly be responsible
Like ridding a nation of its snakes
When no evidence of the slithery specimens
Appears anywhere in Ireland
Despite many a desperate search
Through the fossil record
I like St Patrick’s Day
Because it conjures up such novelties
As leprechauns and all that is green
Despite neither having anything to do
With Ireland’s beloved saint
But it just adds to the joie de vivre
That seems to emanate
From the mere mention of the day
I like St Patrick’s Day
And one day I hope to experience it
In the bustling streets of Dublin
Or the rolling hills of Connemara
Where I can immerse myself in the festivities
And lose myself in nature
Creating my own reverence
Of that ancient saint’s day
Monday, March 22, 2021
Loving you
16/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
The recipe for loving you seems simple
First you start with two ingredients
A little estrogen and testosterone
And let them simmer nicely
Then you add a bit of adrenaline
For that bit of kick
Followed by a splash of dopamine
To get the heart going
And just enough serotonin
For those neurotransmitters to soak up
To create a bond that lasts
We’ll throw in some vasopressin
Just to make sure everything sticks
Finally, we’re going to add a pinch of oxytocin
The ingredient responsible for those cuddles
On long, cold, winter nights
And when all those ingredients
Have had the time to mix together
The result is a bubble of love
That can never be repeated
With any other person
In exactly the same way
The recipe for loving you seems simple
First you start with two ingredients
A little estrogen and testosterone
And let them simmer nicely
Then you add a bit of adrenaline
For that bit of kick
Followed by a splash of dopamine
To get the heart going
And just enough serotonin
For those neurotransmitters to soak up
To create a bond that lasts
We’ll throw in some vasopressin
Just to make sure everything sticks
Finally, we’re going to add a pinch of oxytocin
The ingredient responsible for those cuddles
On long, cold, winter nights
And when all those ingredients
Have had the time to mix together
The result is a bubble of love
That can never be repeated
With any other person
In exactly the same way
Loyalties
15/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I could never love another
My passion is unbounded
I live and breathe for the days
And the nights
And the seemingly endless afternoons
Spent in your company
The highs and the lows
The good times and the bad
Being one in the moment
A connection like no other
No question of where I’d rather be
Wild horses couldn’t drag me away
Because this is my life
My childhood
My adolescence
My youth and my adulthood
My world and my being
A space in my heart filled
With the triumphs and the defeats
Of all my years on earth
A loyalty flowing through my veins
That nothing can drain
Imprinted on every fibre of my being
Every neuron
Every cell
My beloved now and always
My loyal Sydney Swans
I could never love another
My passion is unbounded
I live and breathe for the days
And the nights
And the seemingly endless afternoons
Spent in your company
The highs and the lows
The good times and the bad
Being one in the moment
A connection like no other
No question of where I’d rather be
Wild horses couldn’t drag me away
Because this is my life
My childhood
My adolescence
My youth and my adulthood
My world and my being
A space in my heart filled
With the triumphs and the defeats
Of all my years on earth
A loyalty flowing through my veins
That nothing can drain
Imprinted on every fibre of my being
Every neuron
Every cell
My beloved now and always
My loyal Sydney Swans
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Glitter
14/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
It gets into everything
Every nook and cranny
You’ll be finding it for weeks
Even though you’ve scrubbed
Every square inch
Of every single surface
But there it is
Glinting in the sunlight
Mocking all your efforts
To rid your life of it
Knowing you never will
It gets into everything
Every nook and cranny
You’ll be finding it for weeks
Even though you’ve scrubbed
Every square inch
Of every single surface
But there it is
Glinting in the sunlight
Mocking all your efforts
To rid your life of it
Knowing you never will
An Unlikely Place
13/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I didn’t go looking for inner peace
Or anything like that
I didn’t really think I needed it
Because I was fine
I got through each day
Turned up for all my shifts at work
Did all that was required of me
But was that enough?
When I walked through the doors
To that tiny theatre space
I felt a sense of calm
As I took my back row seat
I was nestled in the corner
The outside world far away
Listening to the act on stage
Telling jokes about the absurdity of life
And as I sat in that small dark corner
I laughed and I cried as I laughed,
Happy tears and sad tears
That stained my cheeks as they ran
As the house lights came on
I wiped my cheeks dry
And gathered up my belongings
Preparing to face the world again
As I watched the crowd disperse
I realised they were completely unaware
Of the transformation that had befallen me
In that hour in the dark
I knew that when the walls closed in
And the world became too much
I could hide in that back corner
The let the dark wrap around me tight
I didn’t go looking for inner peace
Or anything like that
I didn’t really think I needed it
Because I was fine
I got through each day
Turned up for all my shifts at work
Did all that was required of me
But was that enough?
When I walked through the doors
To that tiny theatre space
I felt a sense of calm
As I took my back row seat
I was nestled in the corner
The outside world far away
Listening to the act on stage
Telling jokes about the absurdity of life
And as I sat in that small dark corner
I laughed and I cried as I laughed,
Happy tears and sad tears
That stained my cheeks as they ran
As the house lights came on
I wiped my cheeks dry
And gathered up my belongings
Preparing to face the world again
As I watched the crowd disperse
I realised they were completely unaware
Of the transformation that had befallen me
In that hour in the dark
I knew that when the walls closed in
And the world became too much
I could hide in that back corner
The let the dark wrap around me tight
Saturday, March 20, 2021
Dragons in the Outfield
12/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
He threw pitches like a canon
Strikes by the dozen
Three up, three down
And clean sheets galore
But his turns at bat were not so grand
Swinging at balls
And watching clean hits
Sail straight into the catcher’s mitt
When he did make contact
It wasn’t always fair
Flying foul more oft than not
Or finding a fielding glove
His coach was at a loss
At training the balls would fly
Clearing fielders and fencing
Homers coming every other pitch
So he went to see a psychologist
Who came to see him play
And diagnosed his problem
Almost immediately
A strange fear took over
When facing those blistering balls
And the wise old psychologist
Knew just what to do
She gave him a new persona
A character he could become
The sorcerer of scoring
And it seemed to do the trick
The very next game he got on base
And stole his way around
Getting home to thunderous applause
From his teammates in the dugout
From then on, his stats improved
And his confidence rocketed
The runs came thick and fast
But that home run was elusive
Then one rain soaked, soggy day
With the clay heavy underfoot
The crack of bat on ball was heard
And the infield watched it soar
It was pure magic as he rounded first
And continued onto second
Then third and home soon followed
As the ball cleared the fence
He’d overcome his demons,
The monkey off his back,
And all it had taken was
Defeating the dragons in the outfield
He threw pitches like a canon
Strikes by the dozen
Three up, three down
And clean sheets galore
But his turns at bat were not so grand
Swinging at balls
And watching clean hits
Sail straight into the catcher’s mitt
When he did make contact
It wasn’t always fair
Flying foul more oft than not
Or finding a fielding glove
His coach was at a loss
At training the balls would fly
Clearing fielders and fencing
Homers coming every other pitch
So he went to see a psychologist
Who came to see him play
And diagnosed his problem
Almost immediately
A strange fear took over
When facing those blistering balls
And the wise old psychologist
Knew just what to do
She gave him a new persona
A character he could become
The sorcerer of scoring
And it seemed to do the trick
The very next game he got on base
And stole his way around
Getting home to thunderous applause
From his teammates in the dugout
From then on, his stats improved
And his confidence rocketed
The runs came thick and fast
But that home run was elusive
Then one rain soaked, soggy day
With the clay heavy underfoot
The crack of bat on ball was heard
And the infield watched it soar
It was pure magic as he rounded first
And continued onto second
Then third and home soon followed
As the ball cleared the fence
He’d overcome his demons,
The monkey off his back,
And all it had taken was
Defeating the dragons in the outfield
Spending My Days in Bed
11/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I used to dream
About being able
To spend my days
In bed not worrying
About the world
Or getting up for work
But now that I
Have no choice
But to be in this bed
I miss having the choice
And wish I hadn’t
Been so stupid
As to put my life in danger
For a cheap thrill
Not knowing the result
Would change my life
Forever in ways
I never expected
Like resenting the bed
I’d long to spend
More time snuggled in.
I used to dream
About being able
To spend my days
In bed not worrying
About the world
Or getting up for work
But now that I
Have no choice
But to be in this bed
I miss having the choice
And wish I hadn’t
Been so stupid
As to put my life in danger
For a cheap thrill
Not knowing the result
Would change my life
Forever in ways
I never expected
Like resenting the bed
I’d long to spend
More time snuggled in.
Friday, March 19, 2021
Holding my own
10/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I was never expected to be as good
As fast
As strong
As agile
But I proved all of them wrong
The opponents
The media
The public
The coaches saw something in me
A determination
A courage
A force
That made me into something
That survived
That persevered
That triumphed
And I learned to hold my own
I was never expected to be as good
As fast
As strong
As agile
But I proved all of them wrong
The opponents
The media
The public
The coaches saw something in me
A determination
A courage
A force
That made me into something
That survived
That persevered
That triumphed
And I learned to hold my own
The Whisper
09/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Have you heard the whisper?
The talk about the town?
The factory is closing
The whole operation shutting down
There will be job losses everywhere
From the bottom to the top
Workers, managers, overseers
All will get the chop
No one seems to know a date
Or what is exactly going on
It’s all rumours and gossip
And a fear we’ll soon be gone
Without the factory and its workers
What will happen to this place?
No industry and no people
This is the future that we face
Many won’t be able to retrain
Their lives sunk into this work
No love from rich CEOs
Or politicians with a smirk
Right now, it’s just whispers
Passing from ear to ear and back
But when whispers become reality
Too many will fall through the crack
Have you heard the whisper?
The talk about the town?
The factory is closing
The whole operation shutting down
There will be job losses everywhere
From the bottom to the top
Workers, managers, overseers
All will get the chop
No one seems to know a date
Or what is exactly going on
It’s all rumours and gossip
And a fear we’ll soon be gone
Without the factory and its workers
What will happen to this place?
No industry and no people
This is the future that we face
Many won’t be able to retrain
Their lives sunk into this work
No love from rich CEOs
Or politicians with a smirk
Right now, it’s just whispers
Passing from ear to ear and back
But when whispers become reality
Too many will fall through the crack
Sunday, March 14, 2021
Shade
08/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I’m done living in your shadow,
Letting you shine at my expense,
When I should be the one glowing,
Living high on my own success.
I’ve let you take all the credit
For the triumphs in our lives
When I’ve worked more hours
And driven every achievement.
But I can’t take it anymore
Because you don’t see the harm
In letting the world believe
That everything is about you.
You’ve spent all our lives together
Gaslighting me and putting me down
But I’m seeing you for what you are
And it’s my time to throw some shade.
I’m done living in your shadow,
Letting you shine at my expense,
When I should be the one glowing,
Living high on my own success.
I’ve let you take all the credit
For the triumphs in our lives
When I’ve worked more hours
And driven every achievement.
But I can’t take it anymore
Because you don’t see the harm
In letting the world believe
That everything is about you.
You’ve spent all our lives together
Gaslighting me and putting me down
But I’m seeing you for what you are
And it’s my time to throw some shade.
Hidden
07/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I’m hiding somewhere good
No one will ever find me
Not an inch of me is visible
And I can’t see a thing
It’s a bit dark where I’m hiding
But they’ll never think to look
And I will be the winner
For the first time in my life
They’ve been looking for a long time
I’ve been quiet all the while
I can hear them searching everywhere
Except this place where I am
They know I don’t like the dark
And I’m being very brave
My bother and sister will be surprised
When I finally reveal myself
I know they’re really struggling
They’ve roped in mum and dad
I can hear them making a search plan
To try and find my secret spot
The cupboards are being opened
Even the ones I cannot reach
But I’m not behind any closed door
Just tucked up in my spot
The dog has sniffed around me twice
I think he knows that something’s up
But he’s not given me away at all
And I love him so very much
He’s curled up in front of me
Blocking me further from sight
It must have been an hour now
And they still haven’t found me
It’s rather comfy here
With a rug and pillow to keep me warm
And the dog breathing deeply
As he dreams about chasing butterflies
They’re taking their time finding me
And I wonder if they’ve given up
I’ll give them a little bit longer
Before I show myself
I’m getting a little bit tired
My eyes just won’t stay open
I don’t suppose it would matter
If I just had a little nap
I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep
I don’t know if I slept at all
But, somehow, I am in my bed
Snug as a bug in a rug
I’m hiding somewhere good
No one will ever find me
Not an inch of me is visible
And I can’t see a thing
It’s a bit dark where I’m hiding
But they’ll never think to look
And I will be the winner
For the first time in my life
They’ve been looking for a long time
I’ve been quiet all the while
I can hear them searching everywhere
Except this place where I am
They know I don’t like the dark
And I’m being very brave
My bother and sister will be surprised
When I finally reveal myself
I know they’re really struggling
They’ve roped in mum and dad
I can hear them making a search plan
To try and find my secret spot
The cupboards are being opened
Even the ones I cannot reach
But I’m not behind any closed door
Just tucked up in my spot
The dog has sniffed around me twice
I think he knows that something’s up
But he’s not given me away at all
And I love him so very much
He’s curled up in front of me
Blocking me further from sight
It must have been an hour now
And they still haven’t found me
It’s rather comfy here
With a rug and pillow to keep me warm
And the dog breathing deeply
As he dreams about chasing butterflies
They’re taking their time finding me
And I wonder if they’ve given up
I’ll give them a little bit longer
Before I show myself
I’m getting a little bit tired
My eyes just won’t stay open
I don’t suppose it would matter
If I just had a little nap
I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep
I don’t know if I slept at all
But, somehow, I am in my bed
Snug as a bug in a rug
Saturday, March 13, 2021
Mars
06/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
Not so far away
A little red planet orbits
It’s surface untouched
By human contact
Save little robot rovers
Sent to gather data
To transmit back to earth
Through the vastness of space
So that we might find out
Whether it can sustain
Human life on its surface
But I fear should we go
We would not learn
From the mistakes we made here
And destroy another planet
When we have the ability
To save the one we have.
Not so far away
A little red planet orbits
It’s surface untouched
By human contact
Save little robot rovers
Sent to gather data
To transmit back to earth
Through the vastness of space
So that we might find out
Whether it can sustain
Human life on its surface
But I fear should we go
We would not learn
From the mistakes we made here
And destroy another planet
When we have the ability
To save the one we have.
Friday, March 12, 2021
Strange Noises
05/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Have you heard the scratching on the roof?
What do you suppose it is?
It’s too late for birds
And bats don’t roost like that.
Did you hear that sudden thump?
Was that footsteps I heard above?
I hope they’re not doing any damage
To the roof or to themselves.
Can you hear them screeching?
Are they fighting all the while?
Maybe that’s just what they sound like
And they actually get along.
Do you think that sound is possums?
Are they really that very loud?
It seems more like a herd of elephants
Traipsing about up there.
Have you heard the scratching on the roof?
What do you suppose it is?
It’s too late for birds
And bats don’t roost like that.
Did you hear that sudden thump?
Was that footsteps I heard above?
I hope they’re not doing any damage
To the roof or to themselves.
Can you hear them screeching?
Are they fighting all the while?
Maybe that’s just what they sound like
And they actually get along.
Do you think that sound is possums?
Are they really that very loud?
It seems more like a herd of elephants
Traipsing about up there.
Hesitant
04/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I saw you across the playground
Hair tied up in a ponytail
But I couldn’t speak to you
I caught sight of you at school
Sitting front and centre
But I sat up the back
I glimpsed you at the shops
Getting a chocolate milkshake
But I couldn’t say hello
I noticed you at the park
Kicking a ball with your friends
But I kept walking
I spotted you coming towards me
Smiling ear to ear
And you spoke to me
I saw you across the playground
Hair tied up in a ponytail
But I couldn’t speak to you
I caught sight of you at school
Sitting front and centre
But I sat up the back
I glimpsed you at the shops
Getting a chocolate milkshake
But I couldn’t say hello
I noticed you at the park
Kicking a ball with your friends
But I kept walking
I spotted you coming towards me
Smiling ear to ear
And you spoke to me
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Memory
03/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I’m starting to forget your voice
Sometimes I hear it in my head
And it doesn’t sound real
Just my memory of how you sound
There’s something in a voice
That holds the character of a person,
A whisper of their soul
That can’t be found anywhere else
The inflections that reflect their smile
The pauses and the rushes of words
That sing as they speak
And warm the heart of everyone who hears
When I remember your voice
It’s not quite you
But it’s all I have left
Because you’re not here anymore
I’m starting to forget your voice
Sometimes I hear it in my head
And it doesn’t sound real
Just my memory of how you sound
There’s something in a voice
That holds the character of a person,
A whisper of their soul
That can’t be found anywhere else
The inflections that reflect their smile
The pauses and the rushes of words
That sing as they speak
And warm the heart of everyone who hears
When I remember your voice
It’s not quite you
But it’s all I have left
Because you’re not here anymore
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Jekyll and Hyde: The colour of my thoughts
02/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Your lipstick welcomed me
Like a moth to the flame
The roses in your hair tempted me
I was not to blame
My blood boiled at the thought
Of another having you
I saw red when you even glanced
At another man you knew
I bought honey dew and apricots
And we feasted on them all
It was an impulse decision
As we wondered through the mall
I should have bought carrots
To add to our meal
Instead of being frivolous –
That wasn’t part of the deal
That sundress you wear
Makes me so very happy
With marigold and lilies
And I hope I don’t sound sappy
Other men are yellow-bellied
Scared to take what is their right
Cowards, every single one
Afeared to show their might
I would gift you the grass, the trees, the leaves
If that should be within my power
No penny nor hundred dollar bill to much
To make my love for you too sour
Yet the green-eyed monster rises
When chance to meet a friend
And spend such precious time with them
From daggers through my heart I will not mend
My family stock blue-chip, trustworthy
Safe and strong as houses built
To protect fair maidens from such harm
That would cause lesser men to wrack with guilt
But I am blue without you near
Succumbing to that dreaded loss
That I may not breathe, my lips lose colour
And into a fresh grave my bones you toss
A purple haze descends around you now
Creating an air of mystery
That provokes a curiosity within me still,
That will be studied as monumental history
I am as King, draped in finery
Of deep mulberry and flecks of gold
But for you I would disrobe
For your eyes only this to behold
I am enamoured by your femininity
Soft chiffons of pink drape across your neck
While delicate bows lace your hair
And dreamtime petals mask the deck
I am drawn by your naivety
As innocent as the soft pink flesh
Of lips that never have been kissed,
Of body that my advance might cause to thresh
I am sturdy as the tree that stands
Protecting all that shelter here
Within my branches, each yet stronger
You should never know any fear
I cannot help but to wrap you up
And my mind does wander in this embrace
As your breast presses close to mine
To thoughts unclean and acts unchaste
You are pure as the driven snow
An angel freshly fallen from heaven’s door
That landed with such grace and light
I knew you were the one I must adore
My icy veins run cold without you
Feelings frozen and untouched
Harsh and cruel, without remorse
Miserly, my purse strings clutched
You are wise beyond your years
Not a hair any shade of grey
Yet you seem to know me well
And see the good in me, I pray
But stony-hearted I must appear
To those purveyors of doom and gloom
For I have no time for them
When radiant beauty I must groom
I look into your eyes and see a depth
As looking out into the night sky
Beyond the stars to another world
Being so beautiful I might cry
Dragging in all around it
My vast and unremitting soul
Feeds the core of my very being
I believed in you
01/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I believed in you
When you were broken
And led you to the light
I cradled you
And comforted you
When you cried out in the night
I gave you more
Than I thought I had
So that you may be whole
I nurtured you
When you were down
And fed your aching soul
Now you are
A brand-new man
Confident from head to toe
And I am left here
Torn in two
Watching you as you go
I believed in you
When you were broken
And led you to the light
I cradled you
And comforted you
When you cried out in the night
I gave you more
Than I thought I had
So that you may be whole
I nurtured you
When you were down
And fed your aching soul
Now you are
A brand-new man
Confident from head to toe
And I am left here
Torn in two
Watching you as you go
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
I Entered a Dark Forest
29/02 – Poem a Day Compilation Bonus Poem
I stood at the edge of the forest
The sunlight barely filtering through
The wind gusted about me
And I wrapped my cloak around my shoulders
The basket I carried was heavy
Full of treats for my grandmother dear
Who lived all by herself
On the other side of the forest
I’d made this trip before
With my mother several times
And know they way off by heart
Even if it does look so very dark
I’d been warned about the creatures
Who live in the forest
And how they might try to tempt me
Away from the path before me
I was to ignore their plaintiff cries
And continue on my way
Straight to Grandma’s house
With no delay at all
As I ventured deep in to those woods
A wolf first howled then cried to me
Begging for some tasty treats
That surely wouldn’t be missed
But I remembered my mother’s warning stern
And kept right along the path
The wolf tracking right there with me
Hoping I’d change my mind
The wolf it was most cunning, though
And it snuck ahead of me
Arriving at my Grandma’s house
Before I was even near
It made its way into her room
And gobbled her up right there
Then lay upon her bed in wait
For me to walk through the door
The wolf did not look at all the same
As my Grandma’s gentle features
The ears, the eyes, the nose, the teeth
All certain give aways
I screamed my little heart up
Until I thought my lungs would burst
And a woodchopper working down the lane
Came running to help me out
He startled at the sight he saw
A wolf bigger than he’d ever seen
And me, a little girl wrapped up
Under the reddest cape there ever was
With one swift swipe he sliced the wolf
Straight down the front as it reared
And out stepped my Grandma
Without a scratch anywhere on her
The woodchopper took the wolf outside
And Grandma had a shower
She said she felt a little odd
From her ordeal inside the wolf
Then we three sat and had some treats
To calm our shaken nerves
And all agreed this story would
Never be believed
I stood at the edge of the forest
The sunlight barely filtering through
The wind gusted about me
And I wrapped my cloak around my shoulders
The basket I carried was heavy
Full of treats for my grandmother dear
Who lived all by herself
On the other side of the forest
I’d made this trip before
With my mother several times
And know they way off by heart
Even if it does look so very dark
I’d been warned about the creatures
Who live in the forest
And how they might try to tempt me
Away from the path before me
I was to ignore their plaintiff cries
And continue on my way
Straight to Grandma’s house
With no delay at all
As I ventured deep in to those woods
A wolf first howled then cried to me
Begging for some tasty treats
That surely wouldn’t be missed
But I remembered my mother’s warning stern
And kept right along the path
The wolf tracking right there with me
Hoping I’d change my mind
The wolf it was most cunning, though
And it snuck ahead of me
Arriving at my Grandma’s house
Before I was even near
It made its way into her room
And gobbled her up right there
Then lay upon her bed in wait
For me to walk through the door
The wolf did not look at all the same
As my Grandma’s gentle features
The ears, the eyes, the nose, the teeth
All certain give aways
I screamed my little heart up
Until I thought my lungs would burst
And a woodchopper working down the lane
Came running to help me out
He startled at the sight he saw
A wolf bigger than he’d ever seen
And me, a little girl wrapped up
Under the reddest cape there ever was
With one swift swipe he sliced the wolf
Straight down the front as it reared
And out stepped my Grandma
Without a scratch anywhere on her
The woodchopper took the wolf outside
And Grandma had a shower
She said she felt a little odd
From her ordeal inside the wolf
Then we three sat and had some treats
To calm our shaken nerves
And all agreed this story would
Never be believed
The Priest
28/02/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
The priest sat looking out the window,
Long since retired from preaching.
His bible sat on the table before him,
Unopened over these last few days
He knew it back to front,
Could quote any passage from it.
He’d studied all the stories
And could recite sermons from memory.
He wasn’t sure when he’d begun to doubt
But it wasn’t a sudden revelation,
Coming slowly over time
Like a stalagmite growing within him.
He’d lived his whole life as a Christian,
Taking the lessons very much to heart
And trying to live a good life
And an example to his congregation.
He didn’t overindulge in drink
And counselled those who did,
Organising places in support groups
Or finding accommodation for those in need.
He didn’t believe abortion was an option
Except in the most extreme of circumstance
But forgave those who saw no other way
And offered them a place in his church.
But over the years he’d noticed
The increase in those of not faith,
Not just a migration
From one religion to another.
He saw that they were good people,
Not the monsters he’d been led to believe,
And wondered how a just deity
Could send those people to hell.
He heard them question his brand of belief
With logic and reason and grace
But what they lacked was an ability
To believe, to rely on just faith.
The idea that someone might be comfortable
Not knowing the answer to it all
Stumped him on many occasions
And he realised that he didn’t know.
There was no solid evidence
That would pass muster in an historical text
But he had faith there was something out there
Even if he had no proof.
The doubts that had crept in to his mind
Were of a more specific kind –
Was the god he felt in his heart
The same god he could quote chapter and verse?
He’d heard of a woman admonishing her husband
When he was lying on his death bed
For not praying hard enough
For the cancer to be taken away.
He’d read about all the clergy
Within his religion and others
Who committed terrible, vile acts
And never saw a day in prison.
Somehow the idea they’d be punished
In the next life by a vengeful god
Wasn’t as great a justice
As he believed the victims deserved.
How could he have dedicated his life
To an organisation so corrupt
That they would not just turn a blind eye
But actively cover up those evil deeds?
He could not shake the belief
That there was something more than this world
But what it was, and who was there to meet him,
Were shrouded in mystery.
He would go to meet his maker
Whatever he might find
And if that maker was simply make-believe
Then that’s where his story would end.
The priest sat looking out the window,
Long since retired from preaching.
His bible sat on the table before him,
Unopened over these last few days
He knew it back to front,
Could quote any passage from it.
He’d studied all the stories
And could recite sermons from memory.
He wasn’t sure when he’d begun to doubt
But it wasn’t a sudden revelation,
Coming slowly over time
Like a stalagmite growing within him.
He’d lived his whole life as a Christian,
Taking the lessons very much to heart
And trying to live a good life
And an example to his congregation.
He didn’t overindulge in drink
And counselled those who did,
Organising places in support groups
Or finding accommodation for those in need.
He didn’t believe abortion was an option
Except in the most extreme of circumstance
But forgave those who saw no other way
And offered them a place in his church.
But over the years he’d noticed
The increase in those of not faith,
Not just a migration
From one religion to another.
He saw that they were good people,
Not the monsters he’d been led to believe,
And wondered how a just deity
Could send those people to hell.
He heard them question his brand of belief
With logic and reason and grace
But what they lacked was an ability
To believe, to rely on just faith.
The idea that someone might be comfortable
Not knowing the answer to it all
Stumped him on many occasions
And he realised that he didn’t know.
There was no solid evidence
That would pass muster in an historical text
But he had faith there was something out there
Even if he had no proof.
The doubts that had crept in to his mind
Were of a more specific kind –
Was the god he felt in his heart
The same god he could quote chapter and verse?
He’d heard of a woman admonishing her husband
When he was lying on his death bed
For not praying hard enough
For the cancer to be taken away.
He’d read about all the clergy
Within his religion and others
Who committed terrible, vile acts
And never saw a day in prison.
Somehow the idea they’d be punished
In the next life by a vengeful god
Wasn’t as great a justice
As he believed the victims deserved.
How could he have dedicated his life
To an organisation so corrupt
That they would not just turn a blind eye
But actively cover up those evil deeds?
He could not shake the belief
That there was something more than this world
But what it was, and who was there to meet him,
Were shrouded in mystery.
He would go to meet his maker
Whatever he might find
And if that maker was simply make-believe
Then that’s where his story would end.
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Her Fabrics
27/02/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
My aunt was a sewer
Always fabric strewn about the place
All manner of threads and weaves
From thick denim to delicate lace
She made teddy bears for charity
For children to cuddle tight
When away from family in hospital
And facing their toughest fight
She made jackets for women
Who lived in shelters near and far
When they’d left home without anything
To escape violence under the radar
She made costumes for schools
To clothe their performing arts
From drama ensembles to dancing troupes
Her skill was off the charts
She made blankets for all the babies
Born into our growing family
Not a one was ever forgotten
From Jonathon to Amelie
I wish I were a better sewer
But I never took the time
More interested in sports and games
Or which tree I should climb
But sitting there in her sewing room
Surrounded by fabrics of every hue
I had the urge to pay a homage
And I knew what I must do
Carefully I measured out a square
From every piece than I could find
Some big and some much smaller
But all chosen with a heart that’s kind
I lay them out upon the floor
Arranging them as best I could
Before pinning them together
A task I never imagined I would
I looked up on the internet
How to thread the sewing machine
And after a false start or ten
I felt like the sewing queen
The squares come together
A mammoth task I’d undertaken
But I would not be dissuaded
My plan wouldn’t be forsaken
Finally, I had a quilted blanket
Bigger than my arms would stretch
With seams a little crooked
And no mean price would it fetch
But I would never sell it
It was my reminder of her brilliance
A thousand little pieces
That tested my resilience
Every colour is a piece of her
Every thread a memory I hold dear
Never will she be far from me
With her fabrics always near
My aunt was a sewer
Always fabric strewn about the place
All manner of threads and weaves
From thick denim to delicate lace
She made teddy bears for charity
For children to cuddle tight
When away from family in hospital
And facing their toughest fight
She made jackets for women
Who lived in shelters near and far
When they’d left home without anything
To escape violence under the radar
She made costumes for schools
To clothe their performing arts
From drama ensembles to dancing troupes
Her skill was off the charts
She made blankets for all the babies
Born into our growing family
Not a one was ever forgotten
From Jonathon to Amelie
I wish I were a better sewer
But I never took the time
More interested in sports and games
Or which tree I should climb
But sitting there in her sewing room
Surrounded by fabrics of every hue
I had the urge to pay a homage
And I knew what I must do
Carefully I measured out a square
From every piece than I could find
Some big and some much smaller
But all chosen with a heart that’s kind
I lay them out upon the floor
Arranging them as best I could
Before pinning them together
A task I never imagined I would
I looked up on the internet
How to thread the sewing machine
And after a false start or ten
I felt like the sewing queen
The squares come together
A mammoth task I’d undertaken
But I would not be dissuaded
My plan wouldn’t be forsaken
Finally, I had a quilted blanket
Bigger than my arms would stretch
With seams a little crooked
And no mean price would it fetch
But I would never sell it
It was my reminder of her brilliance
A thousand little pieces
That tested my resilience
Every colour is a piece of her
Every thread a memory I hold dear
Never will she be far from me
With her fabrics always near
Friday, February 26, 2021
In Five Years
26/02/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
In five years, you’ll be 21
In your own place, maybe
Have a partner
Possibly have a degree
Or at least a qualification
And be out in the world.
I wonder what sort of job you’ll have,
Whether it’s a train driver
Like you imagined when you were little,
Or a meteorologist or historian
Like you want to be now
Or something completely different.
It doesn’t really matter what you do
Or who you love
As long as you’re happy
And know that whatever choices you make
I will always be there for you
In five years or in 50 years time.
In five years, you’ll be 21
In your own place, maybe
Have a partner
Possibly have a degree
Or at least a qualification
And be out in the world.
I wonder what sort of job you’ll have,
Whether it’s a train driver
Like you imagined when you were little,
Or a meteorologist or historian
Like you want to be now
Or something completely different.
It doesn’t really matter what you do
Or who you love
As long as you’re happy
And know that whatever choices you make
I will always be there for you
In five years or in 50 years time.
Across the Street at Number 12
25/02/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
There’s an old lady across the road,
She lives there on her own.
Her girlfriend passed a few years ago.
They’d been together for twenty-seven years
Ever since she came out to her husband,
And I don’t know how that went down
But I feel like it would have taken guts
To be married for so long
And have kids together
Then decide you not only don’t want to be married
But you want to date people of the same sex!
She’s the sweetest old lady I know,
Almost like a grandma to me.
She’d get me Christmas presents
When I was a little kid
With immaculate wrapping
And bows tied with care
Along with a card written in cursive,
Faintly smelling of her perfume
And maybe a hint on home-made cookies.
Now that I’m an adult, she invites me over
For whiskey sours and platters of cheese,
And conversations about the meaning of life
That last into the wee, small hours,
And Sunday trips in the city
With high tea over-looking the harbour
Eating cucumber sandwiches and chocolates
Before window shopping for all the things
That we can’t afford but wish we could.
Her children live interstate
But they visit when they can –
Christmas,
Easter,
The occasional birthday –
And I know she misses them a lot
So, when they’re not around I visit her
And she tells me about her life,
Full of ups and downs and round abouts
And more love than I could imagine.
She comes from a big family
But all her siblings have now passed away.
She keeps their memories alive
With pictures hanging on the wall
And visiting their resting places
And having one-sided chats with them.
She says she enjoys her chats
As she sits by their graveside,
It being the only time she wins an argument
With any of her sisters.
We’re planning her outfit for Mardi Gras –
She wants it even more outrageous than last.
You wouldn’t think to look at her
As she goes about her daily life
In her pants suits and demure shirts
That when the parade rolls around
She’ll be out there covered in sequins
And adorned in feathers galore,
Rainbow garb from head to toe
And flags of every description.
She’s of the very strong opinion
That life is for the living
And we should take every opportunity
To celebrate our diversity.
She lived too long hiding her true self
And, though she loved her husband dearly,
He wasn’t who she was supposed to be with
And when she met Louise that day
She knew it was now or never.
I think her husband always knew
And he took it very well
Unlike some others in the neighbourhood
Who couldn’t keep their opinions to themselves.
First, he moved into the spare room
While he looked for a place of his own
And, then, when he eventually found something
It was just around the corner.
He still pops round to do the gardening
Or put up a picture hook
Even though he’s now remarried
With another family to look after.
They all seem to get along
And his new kids love the fact
They’ve had an extra set of parents
And older sisters with whom to share the love.
So, if you’re ever passing by this way
More often than not
You’ll find me hanging out across the road
My own kids playing in the yard
With Faye’s step grandkids,
Which she babysits every other Saturday,
As we sip on whiskey sours
And watch the world go by.
It’s a constant reminder
That family is what you make it
And blood may be thicker than water
But love is the tie that binds.
There’s an old lady across the road,
She lives there on her own.
Her girlfriend passed a few years ago.
They’d been together for twenty-seven years
Ever since she came out to her husband,
And I don’t know how that went down
But I feel like it would have taken guts
To be married for so long
And have kids together
Then decide you not only don’t want to be married
But you want to date people of the same sex!
She’s the sweetest old lady I know,
Almost like a grandma to me.
She’d get me Christmas presents
When I was a little kid
With immaculate wrapping
And bows tied with care
Along with a card written in cursive,
Faintly smelling of her perfume
And maybe a hint on home-made cookies.
Now that I’m an adult, she invites me over
For whiskey sours and platters of cheese,
And conversations about the meaning of life
That last into the wee, small hours,
And Sunday trips in the city
With high tea over-looking the harbour
Eating cucumber sandwiches and chocolates
Before window shopping for all the things
That we can’t afford but wish we could.
Her children live interstate
But they visit when they can –
Christmas,
Easter,
The occasional birthday –
And I know she misses them a lot
So, when they’re not around I visit her
And she tells me about her life,
Full of ups and downs and round abouts
And more love than I could imagine.
She comes from a big family
But all her siblings have now passed away.
She keeps their memories alive
With pictures hanging on the wall
And visiting their resting places
And having one-sided chats with them.
She says she enjoys her chats
As she sits by their graveside,
It being the only time she wins an argument
With any of her sisters.
We’re planning her outfit for Mardi Gras –
She wants it even more outrageous than last.
You wouldn’t think to look at her
As she goes about her daily life
In her pants suits and demure shirts
That when the parade rolls around
She’ll be out there covered in sequins
And adorned in feathers galore,
Rainbow garb from head to toe
And flags of every description.
She’s of the very strong opinion
That life is for the living
And we should take every opportunity
To celebrate our diversity.
She lived too long hiding her true self
And, though she loved her husband dearly,
He wasn’t who she was supposed to be with
And when she met Louise that day
She knew it was now or never.
I think her husband always knew
And he took it very well
Unlike some others in the neighbourhood
Who couldn’t keep their opinions to themselves.
First, he moved into the spare room
While he looked for a place of his own
And, then, when he eventually found something
It was just around the corner.
He still pops round to do the gardening
Or put up a picture hook
Even though he’s now remarried
With another family to look after.
They all seem to get along
And his new kids love the fact
They’ve had an extra set of parents
And older sisters with whom to share the love.
So, if you’re ever passing by this way
More often than not
You’ll find me hanging out across the road
My own kids playing in the yard
With Faye’s step grandkids,
Which she babysits every other Saturday,
As we sip on whiskey sours
And watch the world go by.
It’s a constant reminder
That family is what you make it
And blood may be thicker than water
But love is the tie that binds.
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