In a remote place of safety, leaders declare their instructions.
Generals order these commands, to wreak havoc, death and destruction.
This ageless, timeless madness is once again repeated.
With no mercy or compassion until the enemy’s defeated

Through smoke filled skies a blinding light
With deafening blasts echoing throughout the night
Buried in rubble an injured child cries.
A mother seeking shelter can find nowhere to hide.

Displaced desolate families, witness schools and hospitals ravaged.
While innocent children slaughtered are sadly deemed as collateral damage.
Doctors and nurses toil endlessly to save many shattered lives.
With no provisions, fuel or medicine, they pray some can survive.

A soldier may be victorious, but he will never truly win.
If leaders send him somewhere else to do it all again
Greed, wrath and tyranny often raises its ugly head.
And the true cost as always, will be the mourning of our dead.

The resonating beauty of a poppy in full bloom
Will forever embody the memory of those we lost too soon.
Old soldiers in their finest have earned our gratitude and respect.
We must learn from their sacrifice and vow never to forget.

I grew up in a seaside, rural spot.
Where the winters were cold, and the summers were hot.
Spent sunny days on the riverbank fishing all day.
Until the bailiff came and chased us away.

We’d play games on the beach and soak up the sun.
Then one day the strangers come.
They took over the beach and chased us away.
And told us to find somewhere else to play.

More and more strangers arrived every year.
The farms were built on as jobs disappeared.
The strangers kept coming and were happy to pay.
And purchased our homes for somewhere to stay.

The place is now heaving on hot summer days.
The locals are busy on minimum wage.
Priced out of the village where they had all grown.
And generations before them had always called home.

Our magical haven of tranquillity
Is now full of holiday homes down by the sea.
Many who grew up there no longer belong.
The strangers now own it and the locals have gone.

The crying sun whispers to a cloud.
The north wind hears and howls out loud.
We’ll make them wish they’d never been born.
Let’s stir things up and cause a storm.

As rain stings my skin and the wind grips my soul
I look for shelter and wait for a lull.
Hoping things can only get better.
I look to the sky and curse the weather.

I booked a flight to Costa Rica
Sat by the window, you should have seen her.
She noticed me across the aisle.
Said “hello” and gave me a smile.

We met on the beach – drinks at eight.
Made love through the night – this must be fate.
Awoke the next morning unable to move.
She whispered softly “I’m going to **** you”.

On the wall hangs a sign
Tomorrow’s wet, the next day’s fine
So, who decides what’s to be done?
The wind – the rain – the crying sun

The storm now almost at its peak.
His body’s strong – her mind is weak.
No one can tell the way she feels.
She loves them once – and then she kills.

As pressure builds inside her mind
Explanations hard to find.
Those memories that just won’t fade
Still confused, she grabs the blade.

As the sun bursts through an open blind
I struggled to fathom her crazy mind.
She said “I’m sorry - but I’m not to blame.
I’m never wrong guess I’m insane”.

With staring eyes and a plastic smile
She hesitates for just a while.
“We’ve had our fun – no harm done.
If I **** you now, no one will know”.

And as the light begins to fade
I think of all the plans I’ve made.
My life now hovering like a shroud.
I look through the blind to a lonely cloud.

The breeze softly whispers “there’s nothing to fear.
The sun’s now setting the end is near”.
And on my journey to the other side
I see the storm begin to subside.

Up on stage the worlds his own
He gives the crowd a spellbinding show
Leaves the stage to rapturous applause
And always leaves them wanting more

But as the curtain falls and the lights are dimmed
The demons inside him begin to set in.
His doubts and fears eat into his skin
As the walls around him begin to close in.

Frustrated his life's forever on show
He just wants to hide but goes with the flow
Persuaded by all that the show must go on
Feels he's falling apart and everything's wrong

He wonders how long he can disguise
The feelings inside - he tries hard to hide
So, he laughs and jokes – paints on a face
And leaves no room for thinking space

Convinced he's fake and his act is stale
He craves to escape, believing he’s failed.
For him the sweet smell of success has turned rancid
And his questions “what if” remains unanswered

The deadly solitude after the show
Eats into his brain as he drives slowly home
He cannot think straight as his minds in a spin
Paranoia and self-loathing begin to set in.

He opens another bottle - his mood is still sinking
And swallows some sleeping pills - to help him stop thinking
I guess he just wanted to bury it all
But has tragically performed his last curtain call.

She never looks for fortune or favour.
Just a fair rate of pay in return for her labour.
To every task she will give her all
Puts others first and keeps her cool.

She’ll always say if somethings wrong,
Wants people around her to feel they belong.
Tries to help others and goes out of her way
To ease someone’s burden and brighten their day.

If her trolley is loaded in the supermarket queue,
She will offer her place if your items are few.
Will never judge but understands,
That sometimes we all need a helping hand.

An act of kindness like a gesture or smile,
Is given freely and often worthwhile.
Sometimes we struggle but inside we’re the same,
Our humility costs nothing, yet all of us gain

He climbs out of his car and admires his reflection.
Intoxicated by his self-perceived perfection.
He tells himself he's number one.
Says he's entitled to his fun.
He never wants to pay his way.
And when he's asked, he walks away.
He lies to cover up his tracks
Distorts the truth and denies the facts
Says self-preservation must be his rule.
Believes he's a winner and thinks he's cool.
He's a legend inside his tiny mind.
But sadly, one day he will find
He's on his own - his friends are gone.
And he won't understand where he went wrong.

The day we met for the very first time
The moon and stars were all aligned
Like a summer rose that’s in full bloom
Your radiant beauty filled the room

My soul just melted in your eyes
You lifted me and mesmerized
I felt somehow that we I belong
As all my doubts and fears were gone

The day you made my dreams came true
Is when you said the words “I do”
Small things we took for granted before
As time goes by mean more and more.

Laughter and memories we share and treasure
Our hearts will be entwined forever
A love that will last till the end of time
You’re my forever Valentine.