Fresh innocence,
Power aflower,
Baby experience
Your first hour.

Unaware, curious,
Shine 'n shower,
Child experience
Your second hour.

Optimistic,
Visionary mystic,
Youth experience
Your third hour.

Tired 'n bitter,
Lemon-sour,
Man experience
Your fourth hour.

Body bent o'er,
Spirit aflutter,
Codger experience
Your fifth hour.

i climb the scaffolding
look down below
spirit faltering
will i die in the blow?

caffeine swirling,
dizziness whirling,
truth obscured
devil-lured

dry darkness,
unfeeling eyes,
dropping, heartless
out of the skies

failing, falling,
faster than water,
missed my calling,
embracing slaughter

but i'm still here,
didn't dare,
risk the fear
of devil's snare

Nag, nagging,
Finger wagging,
Shoulders sagging,
Victim slagging.

Oh beration,
Flagellation,
Irritating
Castigation.

Cutting hemlock,
On her chopping block,
Innuendoes
Spawning ad hoc.

Super-intending,
Condescending,
Never ending,
Insult fending.

Pointless rounds
Of empty double-talk,
Wife, your name is
Self-styled wise hawk.

In grass of deception, the snake lies waiting,
With venom'd fangs, 'n jaws dilating,
Salivating, watching, baiting,
Sure to pounce, mutilating.

With forked tongue, she paints my heart black,
Sinks sharp talons into flesh o' bare back,
Drips her poison into my kidneys,
Cuts my innocence in myriad pieces.

My name is Silence; my job to suffer,
To make no sound, nor word to utter,
For though the dragon spits forth fire,
George'll guard himself from ire.

"daddy's dying",
what did he mean?
daddies don't die!
don't be obscene

i looked at my father
so thin and so drawn
but he smiled with laughter
eyes like the dawn

but the dawn never came
for those smiling eyes
as G-d came to claim
his soul for the skies

we seldom appreciate
what we have or we own
until it's too late
and we're left all alone

there was an old temple of Thai
whose monks just wanted to get high
so they got hooked on meths
but were exposed through their breaths
so they all bid their temple good-bye

now off they all went to rehab
to cure them of the sniff and the jab
but their bright robes and habit
of the monks and their abbot
made the inmates think they'd gone mad

"we're seeing orange" they said to the quack,
who put down his bottle of Jack,
said he, rather tight,
"i think you are right,
but the bottle is better than crack".

On the first day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the second day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the third day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Three million toddlers' deaths, two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the fourth day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Four massive oil leaks, three million toddlers' deaths, two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the fifth day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Five pandemic viruses, four massive oil leaks, three million toddlers' deaths, two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the sixth day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Six countries' electronic waste, five pandemic viruses, four massive oil leaks, three million toddlers' deaths, two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the seventh day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Seven world-powers downplaying, six countries' electronic waste, five pandemic viruses, four massive oil leaks, three million toddlers' deaths, two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the eighth day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Eight pointless wars, seven world-powers downplaying, six countries' electronic waste, five pandemic viruses, four massive oil leaks, three million toddlers' deaths, two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the ninth day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Nine last elephants Asian, eight pointless wars, seven world-powers downplaying, six countries' electronic waste, five pandemic viruses, four massive oil leaks, three million toddlers' deaths, two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the tenth day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Ten million famishing, nine last elephants Asian, eight pointless wars, seven world-powers downplaying, six countries' electronic waste, five pandemic viruses, four massive oil leaks, three million toddlers' deaths, two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the eleventh day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Eleven million hectares deforesting, ten million famishing, nine last elephants Asian, eight pointless wars, seven world-powers downplaying, six countries' electronic waste, five pandemic viruses, four massive oil leaks, three million toddlers' deaths, two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

On the twelfth day of maliciousness my true love gave to me
Twelve million tonnes plastic waste, eleven million hectares deforesting, ten million famishing, nine last elephants Asian, eight pointless wars, seven world-powers downplaying, six countries' electronic waste, five pandemic viruses, four massive oil leaks, three million toddlers' deaths, two ballistic missiles and nuclear waste in the Pacific Sea

in the song of robin and blackbird
Creator signs His Name
A name that can be seen and heard
by those who shun acclaim

in the work of scribe and artist
shines the inner being
in the music of drum or harpist
speaks the soul all-seeing

in the works o' nefarious schemer
in darkest destruction 'n death
in the silence that shouts like screamer
in absence of life-giving breath

walks the many-faced serpent schemer
for those with eyes to see
the signature of the anti-redeemer
antithesis of eternity

for every person stamps their name
in the deeds they do
igniting hellish fires 'n flame
or letting G-d shine through

so don't be flummoxed by this world
keep your eyes on your goal
for as cherry, almond, or walnut burled
your acts bespeak your soul

the world
a door
to be opened

open the door,
fill reality
with light

it's dark down here
limitations
shadows
annoyance

it's light up there
illumine the darkness

the light is me
is you
transform the world

Winter crept in through the back
he left the door ajar
and through the door blows bitter wind
from Canada and afar

with frosted wand he touches leaves
the climbing plants and trees
and leaves them all a-drooping
bereft of nature's weaves

with cape of grey and mountain black
he tiptoes through the shadows
and in a year he'll 'gain be back
to lay waste to field and meadows

My dear compadre,
We've been through it all,
The trials and tribulations,
Laughter and tears.

You are my brother,
My ally and friend,
The one I can turn to
When the road seems to bend.

Our bond's unbreakable,
Our friendship like no other,
Ever grateful for you,
My dear compadre.

Through thick and thin,
Stood side by side,
Friendship's a beacon
In e'er-changing tide.

Honored to know you,
To call you my own,
My dear compadre,
Never alone.

Brides of whitest, delicate lace,
Gowns immaculate, as snow their face
Softest pink, a blush to embrace,
Rose, as rising sun to race

Sheets of white, 'candescent as moonlight,
Waves of coral, leaves and floral,
Rows of candle, as calcic stalagmite,
Mauves 'n violet as wild wood sorrel.

So yon maidens of sweetest spring
Herald the Queen Summer's oncoming
Her nectarous drupe and fruit offspring
The bountiful boon she will bring.

Behold the language of your Beloved
Speaks in tongues of secrets vivid
Of kindness, giving, eternally sipid
Of warmth and fire, of ardour vivid

So when next you spy the verdant maidens
Bedecked finery, blossoms laden,
Whispering, bowing, to one cadence,
Know you see the One true Haven.

Clambering o'er crag'd rendezvous
beheld I a jewel of sapphire hue
a hue as deep as heaven's blue
God's gift on earth, from Him to you

Surrounded by lush tree and plant
my breath surveyed the view in pant
Eyes as pools as yon intoxicant
Senses wanted to yell and rant

About the lake of Grasmere village
Seen from mountain's hill 'n ledge
From Loughrigg fell and softer terrace
From high above bluebell effloresce.

About a beauty that cast a spell
Of cerulean blue in emerald dell
A sweetness that one canna quell
The waters from God's Citadel.

Silent boy,
Face, melancholy,
Your brooding eyes
Tell a story.

Tell me why yon golden tears
Course a cherub's cheeks?
Why the sorrow of four-score years
Plows velvet in coarse creeks?

Sweet boy, speak out,
Tell us your pain,
What your eyes have seen,
Your heart, its bane?

The child, he looked,
His eyes, unseeing.
His soul abrooked
Torment in being.

'My father', he whispered,
'My father', he said.
'My father', he whimpered,
'My father . . .  he's dead'.

A mouse in a corner was I,
Wanting to hide or to fly
to a desert or forest enclave,
to a hill or mountain cave,

i had no idea why,
what turned me awry,
why black shadows haunted
day and night daunted

chased by terror and night of fright
as if the shadows could harm 'n bite,
never ceasing, no respite,
not e'en tiniest glimmer of light

i yearned self to deep-six
to sail along the river Styx
to escape, to run, aye, to leave
this place of little reprieve

i'm still running and will continue
till i learn my lesson of life
perhaps that G-d is deep within you
even when the darkness's rife

Mind's a fog,
Mud-fill'd bog,
Words dropping,
Then stopping.

Round in a maze,
Brain a-craze,
Dithering haze,
Maybe a faze?

Pass some coffee,
Still the drossy,
Open-eyed zombie,
Trying to work.

blue velvet
eternal sea
royal curtain
'I am that be'.

devil incarnate
shatters the peace
muscle of hate
venom'd release

scarlet tears
human blood
Ancient of Years
buried in mud

metal and powder
pierce the external
but no earthly power
can stop the eternal

for yet from chagrin
shall salvation sprout
as new world begins
and old world will out.

lemon and lime fill the air
bedeck the boughs with sunshine glare
deck the earth with golden stair
before Lord Winter lays all bare

do i think of interactions myriad
that crying causes when giving tears?
do i analyse my emotions and period,
the synaptic connections between the ears?

why then do i separate earthly rumble,
the earthquake, volcano, the earth crust crumble,
from the inner sigh that permeates
the earth's gyrations' dire straits?

why are we deaf to the inner language,
the pain, expression, the spiritual anguish,
why do we dwell on science, logistics,
on physical mechanics, theoretical heuristics?

one tear, it is said, in the sea is shed,
a tear of pain of all mankind,
a tear of pain as blood that's bled
from carotid vein from heart to head

that tear causes the mountains to tremble,
the typhoons, tornadoes, and earth dissemble,
it's a tear of fear, of fright, of dread,
a tear that fears that love is dead.

it's a tear that waits, that longs to hear
the beating heart of humankind,
that's still awaiting one single tear
from human heart and human mind.

A tear that one day will turn to delight,
when man embarks on bold emprise
to seek the G-dliness that's in full sight
if only humanity would open its eyes.

violin strings
taut to the touch
tremble, tremour and break

deepest springs
of holy smudge
turn grey, of form opaque

give us wings
a line to crutch
salve from exhausting ache

a balm from stings
from hurt too much
a limit to chafe we take

soul longs to sing
escape from hutch
to soar the skies as lake

reflecting King's
celestial drudge
the sun in morning's wake

Try to paint in words
The experience of G-d's Presence

Hear His whisper
In your mind
Iridescent shining rainbows

Warmth and love
Where self has no place

You have the choice
To draw near
To disappear

And who can say no

I danced with Him that night,
Heart alight, light, so bright,
He was close to me that night
As I held Him so tight.

What will be this next year?
Will we drift asunder?
Will He my love remember? (and I Him?)
Will I plummet? Will I flounder?

He was close to me that night,
The spirit in my hair,
As I swirled with Him so light,
His Spirit in the air.

My heart it beats His song,
Though the distance between us grows,
Though I know it'll be so long,
Before my arms behold His wonder.

Do you know of Whom I speak,
He Whose Name I dare not whisper,
He Whose closeness intoxicates me?
Oh, my G-d, I swear I'll miss Ye.

stick it together with sellotape
hide the cracks as best you can
as long as it stays in rotund shape
leave the mess for another man

~
Dishevelled he stood, unable to speak,
from years of abuse in youthful upkeep
the years of admonishment had taken their toll
reduced to obsequious, lugubrious soul

the once-happy boy, unable to opine,
or quip in humour, save garble and whine,
decades would pass before he'd undo
and jettison the harm taken years to accrue

now he stood dumb, bewildered and slow,
top ziggurat of abuse, debilitating blow,
still, gentle flower, a gem unscratched,
as new-borne babe, chick freshly hatched

unprimed, unready, for onslaught of world,
the cruel schadenfreude, the evil unfurled,
the juggernaut of malevolence, of intemperate hurt
that would crush gentle flower, dissolve into dirt.

near the water, 'n verdant rushes,
on a summer evening late,
hiding 'neath the dog-rose bushes
where pond-skaters feed and mate,
on the slithery grassy *****
above the bank of sand
there I saw Joy and Hope
sitting hand in hand

ere the golden crimson sun
had disappeared 'neath the waters
ere the twilight had begun
ere daylight sought its quarters
I heard the sound of echo'd laughter
as ripples in the water
as a melody from hereafter
sound of Joy and Hope that sought her

gone were the works of man,
steel and concrete temple,
gone were the ordered plans
of buildings regimental,
gone were the pinks and greys
of black 'n urban roadways,
all i saw was light of day
aflame with gold, salmon sun-ray

E ndless wisdom of no bounds
H ewed space, no light, no sound
Y ielded self yet self surrounds
H eart pulsating life abound

Y ou see the end in the beginning
H iding death in the living
V oid shapen through Your giving
H ome to Heaven through forgiving

A ir and fire, water, earth,
D eath 'n life, endless rebirth,
N ature nurturing name of worth
Y earns in You to find safe berth

When fixes don't seem possible
'n problems appear insolvable,
just shine your light as best you can
and you'll see a little miracle

your inner brokenness gets healed
as shadow to sun must yield,
for from within, shines spark of Man
your infinite soul revealed

I wondered through the darkness,
Dust,
Dirt,
Trepidation.
Saw half-naked shadows
Flit through desolation.

Despair,
Dejection,
Disease,
Tiptoe over corpses,
Shake their head in disbelief
At human folly.

Like fresh ice-cream
a newly baked cake
the ripple of a stream
the stillness of a lake

Is innocence untouched
Purity unsmutched
'Fore world makes inroads
'N virtuosity erodes

Now life's been hurdled
'n the cake's gone stale
the ice cream's curdled
and from the lake, a wail

Diamond-studded, velvet black,
skies invite eyes to search
to wonder at the planets' track
angels on their perch

Endless their revolution
no false step or fall
perfection in execution
Of their Master's call

the stars on high stand forever
testimony to their Creator
the amicable Restaurateur,
Inventor, Innovator

one
tear
trickled
down
broke into a million cries

A wizard from Tunbridge Wells
made matzoh with his spells
but instead of water
he added his daughter
and couldn't get rid of the smells

so this wicked 'un from Tunbridge
Decided to take umbrage
at his lack of sense
at his daughter's expense
'N fell into an apoplectic rage

He ranted and raved with such yells
the snails took refuge in their shells
till he jumped in the bray
of his daughter's fray
the old wizard from Tunbridge Wells

subtle as an amber sunset
midst blushing orange clouds
as the flames that play duet
with pyre of corpse in shrouds

subtle as the rush of water
cascading in mock wrath
daring to the death 'n slaughter
the rocks that lie in path

subtle as beguiling magic
wrapping mind 'n heart in veil
blurring sadness, memories tragic,
in golden misty dale

What am I?