Icicles

Icicles drip in the midmorning sun
Like a Saline bag feeding your arm.
Intravenous emotions that fill my veins
While my heart has cause for alarm.
My frosty exterior matches the scene
That I observe through a window of mist.
My demeanors unsteady, like walking on ice
Around the edge of a virtual abyss.
Thoughts of the future while denying my past
Relying on forgiveness and repent.
Making a list, of often unwanted gifts
A waste, of the money I have spent.
Another drip falls from the cold icicles
Vanishing, once it hits the ground.
Wasting away, like we all will one day
To a silence, that's serene yet profound.

Do you speak the words you intend to write?
Rehearsing how they will read.
Do you write your thoughts down right away?
Or just whenever you feel the need.
Is your pen an extension of your heart?
Does it flow from line to line?
Do you stop what you’re doing to write things down?
Or wait until you have the time.
Can you visualize the created scene?
Like a painting in your mind
Do you publish them, for all to see?
Or make your talent hard to find.
You may belong to a special group
Although, you may not know it.
As people able to make their hearts talk
Are commonly known as poets.

I can't remember people’s faces
I’m not very good with names.
But don't stop coming to see me
I need your company just the same.
I’m taking my medication
That is, if I don't forget.
I know that I can’t reminisce
Is that something I should regret?
I like when people visit me
Some seem to know me well.
They say that I am looking good
But how is it they can tell?
They only met me a minute ago
When they walked in the place.
I thought I recognized their walk
But I don't recall their face.

Every poet has a dream
To have the words they’ve written seen
To know that someone far away
Understood what they had to say
Their emotions shared, they bare their soul
As that’s the way they rock n roll
So, take some time and read an ode
It may well help you down the road
You’ll never know unless you try
To cast a verse before your eye
Some hope or comfort you may glean
By just fulfilling a poets dream

Leaving home for distant shores
Way beyond my dreams.
Watching as the sun goes down
Awaiting nights moon beams.

Standing on the forward deck
Wind blowing through my hair.
Trepidation, second thoughts
Will love come find me there?

Stars arrive to light my path
Across an endless sea.
I wonder will I have regrets
What will become of me?

I should go and find some sleep
But I can’t pull myself away.
So, there I stood against the rails
Until the break of day.

The sunrise brought me fresh new hope
On my decision to depart.
To pack your life in two suitcases
Isn't for the faint of heart.

I convince myself all will be okay
When I finally do arrive.
I'm lonely now, but will not be
If I have you by my side.

A dozen roses in a vase
A kaleidoscope of color
To pick just one to press and keep
Seems insulting to the others.
In the end I had to choose
The one that first, caught my eye
Its vibrant blossom standing out
Causing a sentimental cry.

Its petals felt like velvet
With a scent of pure delight
It seemed to glow endlessly
Even in the dead of night
This rose is one I'll treasure
For we will never be apart
It will always be there with me
As it blossoms in my heart.

While the face of pain
Distorts in a grimace of reflection.
As sympathetic well-wishers offer
Comfort and well meant consolation.
Yet, this pain isn't nerve induced
From an injury or sick body part.
It’s been caused by anguish or remorse
And is felt in the soul of your heart.
News of a bereavement that's sudden
Destroys the bridge, you were hoping to rebuild.
Resentment that had eaten your ego
Causing your love and compassion to be killed.
They tell you that time is a healer
But that’s a lie proclaimed by the weak.
Love and forgiveness are your saviour
If it’s harmony and peace that you seek.
Don't wait for news to make you suffer
As it may be the news that you dread.
Be kind and love one another
As you can't make amends with the dead.

The babbling brook leapt
Like a jester, dancing before the king.
Golden rays of sunlight sparkle to the tune
Of the sweet melodic flow of the stream
As they reflect off the surface
Mirroring musical Christmas lights.

The bears eyes grow wide in anticipation
Waiting for the trout to leap
Into their deathly grasps.
First one and then another
Clutch their slippery prey.
That ***** wildly like a bird.

On completion of the task
And without obvious instruction
They depart the water, each with a meal
Their teacher smiles as a proud mother should
While planning tomorrow's lesson
From her curriculum for life.

Their Waterloo

Rolling waves cascade down upon the crimson-colored stained sand.
Corpses strewn across a never-ending unforgiving beach.
The repetitive sound of gunfire is deafened only by screams.
Lives exstinguished before their comrade’s eyes
Young men dying, but never knowing the reason why
As the stench of death sends birds fleeing out to sea.
A wounded warrior cries out in pain. His fate is finely balanced
Before a mortar shell seals his demise.
The regiments chaplain, covering all denominations
Looks bewildered and distraught, not knowing which way to turn,
Drops to his knees to administer the last rites to all.
He includes himself, as the enemy ****** offers no mercy.
The night sky darkens as the sun retreats to shine another day
Gunfire quietly subsides until the only sound left
Is that of an angry night tide, lapping over the souls of those fallen.
In search of peace, they gave their all, as they met their Waterloo.

A slow and somber beat
Of a mournful sounding drum.
Some walk behind your hearse
With sullen faces looking glum.
There is a single ring of flowers
Masquerading as a wreath.
It lays upon your coffin
For your soul that lays beneath.
A matinee for the star
To bring the final curtain down.
They read an eulogy of fiction
As you're lowered in the ground.
They reminisce around you
While they fill the grave with dirt.
Forgiving all your blemishes
Even people that you've hurt.
You may have kept some secrets
And some promises that you made.
But all are now deemed worthless
Just a fraction of the price you paid.

Scattered pieces of shattered dreams
Litter the road leading to my heart.
Memories lie broken on the sidewalk
As you and I, prepare to live apart.
Open wounds, that slowly bleed
Drip down and pool within my soul.
I feel my life, being torn apart
As it was you, that made me whole.
I've no more tears that I can shed
My anger rose and then it did subside.
Now, I wear my feelings like a coat
All buttoned up, and prepared to hide.
Different times in different places
I suppose I should have seen the signs.
Yet I’m the one hurt and imprisoned
Although not guilty of any crimes.
Who cares, if the sun will shine again
And make the sea a deep shade of blue.
Yes, I may see many wondrous things
But my eyes will be shut, when it comes to you.

I watched it glide across the mirror like water
Even its reflection was majestically serene.
With his head held high in a distinguished pose
This was the finest of the species I had ever seen.
With his wings folded back so tight and neat
And a plumage pristine, with not a feather out of place.
Surveying its surroundings and fellow inhabitants
As it journeyed onwards with style and grace.
He was not troubled by the river’s companions
Nor indeed did they appear to be threatened by him.
A mutual respect seemed to exist between them
This wasn't a contest either side had to win.
As they mingled together in the beam of bright sunlight
It was not just his beauty that stood him out from the pack.
With no sign of jealousy or perceived racial tension
Just a combined acceptance that this swan was black.

Why do some son’s repeat the sins of their fathers?
Why do some daughters copy their mother's mistakes?
How is it that some of us strive to end the world’s hunger?
While others are content to just let them eat cake.
Why do we forgive those who commit terrible crimes?
Yet persecute others for the slightest of things.
We complain about weather and the changing of seasons
Yet delight in the colors and beauty that it brings.
Why do we see each other by our faith or color?
When we all belong to the same human race.
Why do we praise an athlete for being a fast runner?
Yet scold those unable to pick up the pace.
We find contentment in complicated matters
But lose our composure at a simplistic task
Is it easier to hate than to love one another?
Why, is the question we all have to ask.

I walked into our parish church
A total stranger there I'd be.
I choose a pew where I was on my own
As I didn't think I needed company.
I bowed my head and closed my eyes
Intending to say a prayer.
I tried to focus on what I'd say
But the words just were not there.
I lit a candle in your honor
On the left side of the knave.
I promised myself I would not cry
But I guess I’m not that brave.
I saw the candle flame flicker
And I felt a warmth down deep inside.
In my mind I heard your voice
Like you were there right by my side.
Your presence gave me courage
And the prayer that I could not say.
Came to me in that instance
Then it slowly faded away.
If anybody had seen me
I wondered, what they would have said.
I was talking to your candle
As if you'd risen from the dead.

I understand heartache, I understand pain
I’m familiar with extravagance and also with plain
What I don't understand is, why you’re here again.
I said, you’re not welcome anymore.
I tolerated your mood swings, I put up with your lies.
I gave in to your wishes and your threatened goodbyes.
But here you are again, right before my eyes.
I said, you're not welcome anymore.
I packed up your things and gave them to your mom.
She had the nerve to tell me I shouldn't do this to her son.
So, I told her we are finished, that I'd had it, we are done.
I said, you're not welcome anymore.
I've had the locks changed, so I don't need your key.
Now show some respect and stop bothering me.
No, we can't talk about this, over a nice cup of tea.
I said, you’re not welcome anymore.

Walked for me

Some people embarrass me, by the way they stare.
Others talk about me, like I'm not even there.
They doubt my sensibility, because I’m stuck in this chair.
But you, you walked for me.
I was finding it hard, just to pay my bills.
Struggling some weeks, to afford my pills.
I had to have them, so I skipped on meals.
But you, you walked for me
I'd be guest of honor, that's what they said.
A day out in town, and not confined to bed.
To welcome home a hero, was the title I read.
But you, you walked for me
They pushed me up the ramp, and in through the door.
A hall full of people, most, I hadn't seen before.
And there you stood, in the middle of the floor.
Because you, you walked for me.
You told me you were working out of town
For three long weeks you haven't been around
Did you know that silence is the loneliest sound?
And you, you walked for me.
When the speeches started, my eyes filled with tears.
They explained what you'd done, I could not believe my ears.
You then handed me a check, thus, relieving all my fears.
Because you, you walked for me
Seventy-five thousand dollars, I read it out loud.
The shock in my voice, was heard above the crowd.
I was welcoming home, a hero of which I'm so proud.
Because you, you had walked for me
While others had stared, or turned their head away.
Without knowing or caring, how I managed from day to day.
You solicited sponsors, then set out on your way
Yes you, you walked for me
To raise that much money, you must have walked far.
Without trains or buses, or even your car.
Welcome home my hero, because that's what you are.
As you, you walked for me.
Don't think me ungrateful, when I tell you this?
Although I'm trapped in this chair, it’s not my legs that I miss.
It’s the way that we danced, which always ended with a kiss.
And then arm in arm, you walked with me.
When we got together, I will never forget
And the answer I gave, I have no regrets
To the very first words you said, when we met.
Will you, please come and walk with me.

Moving in a straight line while going round a bend.
One step forward, two steps back,
Can't remember where I started, unsure if it will end.
A never-ending journey on a nonexistent track.
Getting nowhere fast I hear voices say.
Weights hold me back as I try to proceed.
Using all my strength so I'm weaker every day,
But I have to keep pushing if I am to succeed.
The chains of my heritage bind my limbs
Restricting any progress and physical motion
Remembering words from an old church hymn
Before I lapsed in my beliefs and my devotion
Fire in my throat makes it hard to inhale
As my breathing becomes labored and shallow
Thorns from the undergrowth try their best to impale
As the path becomes darker and narrow
For seventy years plus I've endured on my way
To a place that no person has seen
By regaining my faith and taking time to pray
I will go where nobody has been.
So, I must soldier on to find the bright light
No complaints will I make, nor will I moan
There will only be winners at the end of this fight
And pure joy that we have found our way home.

When I was young and always running free
Always playing sport is, where you would find me.
Slight injuries never slowed me down
I still found a way of running around.
After all, playing sport would keep you fit
Arthritis, I'd never heard of it.
Now I’m having to have joints replaced
And doing things at a much slower pace.
Not everything that, when you’re young you are told
Will help you when, you’re getting old.
So, let me give you some sound advice
Although playing sports is really nice.
Pace yourself and your body too
Because, when age catches up with you.
Aches and pains follow you around
And grind you slowly into the ground.
I’m not trying to tell you not to play
Just listen to others and what they say.
When I was young, I was always being told
You'll regret that, when you’re getting old.

The Corridor of Life

I saunter down the corridor of life
Unable to recall the start or see the end
My vacant stare disguises what I visualize
As I distinguish between an enemy and a friend.
You think that you have fooled me, but I let you
All part of my persona of mystique
You cannot know the path my life has taken
Like you cannot tell a river from a creek.
The corridor continues through the darkness
And though it has no wall to keep me there
I seldom deviate from this, my chosen path
Or drop my guard and allow my soul to bare
The fire that rages down deep inside me
Melts the ice that circulates inside my veins
For hate and anger never solve my problems
Nor do they heal my wounds or cease my pain
One day I know this journey will be ending
Like a string that has been shortened by a knife
Until that time I'm trained to keep pretending
As I saunter down the corridor of life.

Sick of the media making up news
Tired of people disregarding others views.
Sick of the virus and the fear it’s created
Tired of the rhetoric of racism and hatred.
Sick of being told how I must wash my hands
Tired of State Governor's changing my plans.
Sick of people complaining about wearing a mask
Tired of them thinking that it's too much to ask.
Sick of the force some police officers’ use
Tired of the way that they all get abused.
Sick of the looting and violence in towns
Tired of politician's who just play this down.
Sick of the election and it's toxic agenda
Tired to think it won't end in November.
Sick of this feeling of fear and isolation
Tired of the destruction of this once great proud nation.

Whatever your color, race or creed,
The only thing that matters is the color you bleed.
Your my brothers and sisters, my siblings by creation
No matter what continent or individual nation.
Let's live together in peace and make God our reflection
Treat each other with kindness, love and affection.
The truth in the end will decide our fate
So let's change our ways before it's to late.

A blurred image I squint to see
Its form I cannot comprehend
A crescent moon is little help
Though, what light it has, it offers to lend
I stumble forward to improve my vision
My sight's fixation makes me rudely stare
What can it be that drives me onward?
Why should I worry, why should I care?
My senses alarm me, there is no sound
The eerie silence chills my skin.
Although I want to turn around
My curiosity's force, pulls me back in
If anything, my vision is more obscure
Yet the object I see has grown in size
I’d call for help but I have no voice
What will be the fate that I must realize?
I lose all consciousness and then come to
In more familiar surroundings I become aware
I never knew what my subconscious did see
Just an object in my strange nightmare.

Life has a way of keeping you drunk
High on emotion or submerged in devotion
Sipping shots of anxiety,
Chased down with depression.
From a feeling of love
Through to anger and aggression.
A champagne flute of memories
With cocktails of regret.
You're rich in experience
But drowning in debt.
In a vat of self-pity
You uncork some wine.
While telling yourself
It will be different this time.
So, lift up your life
And tell everybody cheers.
Wash away your misgivings
In the backwash of beers.
You don't have to drink alcohol
For others to see.
The struggles you endure
For life's sobriety.

They threw their kit bags on their shoulders
And headed for the nearest station.
Nine weeks of basic military training
Boot camp, was their chosen destination.
Six young men, from one small town
Who'd grown up to be, more like brothers.
Headed off with their heads held high
So proud of themselves and each other.
Later that year with a three-day pass
They headed back home overjoyed.
Their family's joy then turned to concern
When they told them, that they'd been deployed.
With courage and pride, they went off to fight
After first wishing each other well.
But none of them knew what war was really like
Although it fitted their vision of hell.
When the final battle ended and unable to tell
Who, the winners or losers had been.
The wounded were tended, they recovered their dead
But the scars in their minds were unseen.
Discharged without thought, of what happens now
They returned to the home they once knew.
But unlike before, when those six marched to war
Their number had been reduced by two.
Those six brave young men, hadn't known back then
When they packed all their gear in rucksacks.
History doesn't care, how many marched away
What matters, is how many came back.

I wake from a seemingly endless sleep
My senses confused and blurred.
My eyes unfocused as I struggle to see
What during my slumber had occurred?
Flames and smoke bellowed skyward
Obstructing a magnificent dawn.
Shattered glass and debris littered The Street
That had known me, ever since I was born.
Was this about justice, retribution or rights?
Or defense of the land’s constitution.
In truth, no one knows or cares anymore
The meanings lost in the utter confusion.
Peaceful protest has become a piece of the past
Replaced by, vile tongues spewing hate and revolution.
Every lesson we learned is challenged or dismissed
Erasing history and man's own evolution.
They're people who brag that they kneel for a flag
That waved gallantly through the enemies’ fire.
We hear defunding cries, there is hate in their eyes
And all hope for our future is dire.
We pray it will pass, the stupidity won't last
But rich donors are refueling the fires.
Yet in all this we've found a statement of truth
That is, most of the media are liars.
When the dust settles down and the fires burn out
Will there be any, of our past left to delete?
Can we all make amends and call each other our friend
And feel safe when we walk down The Street.

Situations you’re not understanding,
Reasons that can't be explained.
Feelings of hurt and rejection,
Drown you, like a downpour of rain.
Missing the taste of your lips,
And hearing the beat of your heart.
Doubting that there was good reason,
For pulling us so far apart.
I know that you tried to make contact,
But ignoring your call was my choice.
Although, I am longing to see you
Right now, I just can't hear your voice.
It seems fairly simple to phone you,
But the blood in the wound is still moist.
Someday,  just a scar will remain,
But right now, I just can't hear your voice.

It could have been so different
The ending might have been brighter
But life has landed a big left hook
And floored this once unbeaten fighter
Dazed and unable to recover
Could he, be saved by the bell?
Lying there prostrate on the floor
With a sad beaten story to tell
He never saw the blow coming
Though the signs were there to see
Blind to the stark reality
Of how the finish would be
Left in a heap of emotions
Bruised and bloodied lies his pride
Wishing the ground would swallow him up
But in truth he has nowhere to hide
Yet even now as he lays there
Reflecting back over the years
It should have ended so different
Than to drown. in his own pool of tears

So many thoughts swirl through my mind
I've been troubled now for quite a while.
But no one sees my darkest thoughts
As they hide in secret behind my smile.
Anxiety chills the warmest nights
Some I barely get to make it through
Disguised in public so they don't know
It helps to crack a joke or two.
A simple tear rolls down my cheek
My self-pity consumes my body
Yet people think my life is good
I’ve managed to fool most everybody
Like a rodeo clown, I mess around
And hope that nobody will see
But there's one person, I cannot fool
And that person, I know is me.

Thoughts from my sleep

Things, are not always black or white
So many shades and colors lay between
People don't have to be wrong or right
Just as something’s remain unseen.
Skies can be clear or even overcast
As nature needs both the sun and rain
Love makes you happy while it lasts
But hate only brings people pain
The moons always there but not always full
Like a glass is half empty sometimes
When you finish a book, have you read it all?
Did you see what's hidden between the lines
Opinions may differ but a fact doesn't change
Just as history cannot be undone
Things, seem to be normal, but turn out strange
Yet they've molded the person you've become.
If we always search for the middle ground
Would we ever arrive at the end?
If we are never lost, we could not be found
With nothing broken there is nothing to mend.

Lost my job and can't look for another
Can't go and visit my elderly mother
Must not socialize with family or friends
And no one can tell me when all this will end
You must wear a mask when you go out to shop
Stay six feet apart or get busted by a cop
Self-quarantine if you think your infected
Watching fake news debate who'll be elected
A stimulus check meant to last you all year
And a toilet paper shortage is my wife’s biggest fear
Healthcare workers have been the frontline
Will they give them a pay rise? Surely, it's time
Though supermarkets are packed I can't get my hair cut
Cannot go for a beer because the bars are all shut
Never before has this world ever seen
The lies and the panic caused by covid nineteen

A perfect place and the right time
For you to say what's on your mind
The right time and the perfect place
To confront your demons face to face
Open wounds that will not heal
Pent up emotions, that make you ill
Things said in anger while on the phone
Have sent you to the quiet zone
You've arranged to meet, and make your peace
But it triggers an explosion, a verbal release
Things to say, swirl inside your head
Even stuff, that should be left unsaid
Maybe you, should not have met
You may say things, you’d now regret
Will it clear the air, will tranquility reign?
Can barriers be broken, or will our egos remain?
This may indeed, be the perfect place and time
To keep your heart in focus, and your thoughts in line
So, what if it's, the right time and place.
Just turn the other cheek, and walk away with grace.
Silence can sometimes, make you feel alone
But there is comfort, in the quiet zone.

Silent whispers that burst your eardrums
Blurry images that burn your eyes
Falsehoods told with such sincerity
Planned events become a big surprise
Colors fade into a dark oblivion
Words that scramble from a native tongue
You reach the end of your tainted journey
To find your back where it all begun
Storm clouds gather but the suns still shinning
Rainbows form over drought stained sands
Explaining circumstances that have engulfed you
But only children seem to understand
Let me go for these chains won't hold me
Turn me lose from this unlocked cell
Hear the calls that silently haunt me
Is this my heaven or my living hell.

A broken man lays stretched out on the sidewalk
A cardboard mattress and a newspaper duvet
Some people pass and drop coins in his beggar’s cup
Then a kid on a cycle steals the cup right away

To you, it may not be the crime of the century
But it was all that he had to get himself fed
So, he packs up his home there in front of the bakery
Goes round to the trash bins in search of yesterday's bread

His clothes are a mismatch of discarded garments
His shoes not a pair or even the same size
Nobody speaks to him to ask how he's doing
So, nobody sees the distress in his eyes

He walks to the corner to await the kind people
The one's who bring soup and a warm cup of Joe
He studies the area for his new home location
As he can't stand the thought of having nowhere to go

Time, he has plenty, but a purpose he has not
Just walking the streets in search of himself
Political candidates, they promise to help him
But once their elected they only care for themselves

As stars fill the sky and bones grow very tired
He lays out his mattress and makes up his bed
The sight that we see, may appall and revolt us
But try looking out, from inside his head

Picture in my mind
Hills and mountains reach up, as they stretch to touch the sky
The clouds like vintage sailboats, So Graciously, sail on by
The greenery below reflects, the shadow of the sun
Earth in all its glory, from the time that life begun
A dirt road to our future, or a pathway from our past
The backdrop of our childhood, which we knew could never last
A fence post forms a boundary, to keep us in or keep us out?
The weather is our custodian, To winter floods or summer drought
And as the dusk is falling, A cool wind blows through the trees
Then the majesty of the landscape, sends me praying to my knees
Regardless where life takes me, no matter what I'll find
I have my place of comfort, And this picture in my mind

Words are Pounding inside my head
Though I’ve no idea what’s just been said
It’s so surreal I might be dead, I shake and sweat with fear
Twenty hours a day locked in this cell
And deafened by the dinner bell
They say they can relieve my hell, But I’m just to blind to hear
Medications that make you numb
Other patients stare and some poke fun
A psychotic nightmare I’ve become, no reason to smile or cheer
Opioids to ease the pain
How does that help, I’m just insane?
Taken back to my room again, And I only asked them for one beer.
It seems they don’t except requests
I must behave, well I do my best
But I’m living in a viper’s nest, as they wait to strike, they leer
Paranoia, schizophrenia, dementia and all
Just depends on which doctor they call
Cannot tell if it’s spring, summer or fall, As I can't get outside of here
Bars on a widow placed high on a wall
Too high to see out and altogether to small
It hardly let’s in any daylight at all, I don't know when nightfall draws near
No visits allowed but who'd come visit me?
I’ve really no friends and no family
I’ll die a statistic, that's all I will be, staring straight at the headlights like a deer.

Encircled by its ruins
Lies a sanctuary with an alter
A relic of a worship place?
Or sacrifice and slaughter
Gargoyles that warned off demons
Lie broken and defeated
Crumbling bricks and mortar
Are left where they were seated
Deserted on the hill top
A monument of time
When things were very different
And blasphemy was a crime
So, if you’re seeking a saviour
And don't know where to start
It isn't on a hill top
It lies inside your heart

The summer of 2020 was ruined before spring
A virus spread from China and panic it would bring
Hoarding became fashionable, and price gouging the norm
Locked inside our sterile homes to ride out the unseen storm
Stores had shelves left empty after every night’s refill
Everybody viewed with suspicion, even those who were not ill.
Health workers were the frontline their own safety in doubt
Working double and triple shifts, as sleep they went without
Other essential workers enlisted for the fight
Against an unseen enemy they battled day and night
The search to find a vaccine quickly gathered pace
The only real opponent, was time in this fierce race
Many public buildings closed their doors to stop the spread
The media dealt in numbers of new cases and the dead
But one figure wasn't mentioned yet it was one we had to hear
The number who'd recovered, a glimmer of good cheer
When the battles finally won and we can put all this behind us
We can all join hands and say we beat the coronavirus.
                                                           Trevor Reynolds 2020

This all started in my teens, it was just a little ****
But I found I smoked it more and more, As I felt I had the need
To pay for the substance, I sold a little crack
I lost respect for my parents, so began to answer them back
They kicked me out when I left school, Because I couldn't keep a job
I was branded by society, As a ****** or a yob
I started using needles, as a way to get my fix
Was living in a doss house, with my own kind, I had to mix
In and out of jail, it became quite systematic
This is the true-life story, of how I became an addict
Counselling I tried but it wasn't meant to be
Sitting around in circles telling stories is not for me
So, they booked me in a program which they say I cannot fail
I can hardly not turn up as it's held inside the jail
I’ve three years left to serve if I stick to the regime
After all is said and done, at least I'll come out clean
So now I'm moving forward my life no longer static
It makes me proud to say, I’m now a recovering addict.

Nighttime

Fireflies dance to the tune of the breeze
Birds chirp a parting good night
Dusk hurries out the day to usher in the night
And a mystic calm befalls the hollow
Lights come on in the darkening sky
To greet the spotlighting moon
An owl hoots while surveying below
The menu of fare for her dinner
A desperate dog fox calls for a mate
Eager to quench his growing lust
As others sleep the nocturnal bats
Soar as the birds of the night
Time floats by, until shattered
By the uninvited intruding dawn
While vowing to return
The night retreats from the advancing sunrise
        Trevor Reynolds 2020

Dementia

My memory is not what is was please forgive me if I lapse
I get confused and sometimes lost, I’m prone to some mishaps
I hurt the people that I love, Who I know in turn love me
It's just hard for me to remember, how things are meant to be
So, remember me for how I was, not who I've now become
Was I a husband or a father? Or just a mother's son
I'm tired now I need to sleep, It's time I’m on my way
I really did enjoy our chat, who are you anyway?
                    Trevor Reynolds 2020

I Died Last Night

I died last night, Passed in my sleep
An appointment with God, I had to keep
He welcomed me, with open arms
While angels sang, and recited psalms
He told me things; He'd watched me do
And once or twice, He mentioned you
Please dry those tears, don’t cry in vain
One day He said, we’ll meet again
Save your strength, Keep up the good fight
I gave of my best, until I died last night.
                             Trevor Reynolds 2020

When you look in a mirror, what do you see
A reflection of how you use to be
Or do you see the changes there
Some wrinkled skin, or greying hair
Look past your image into your mind
I wonder what in there you'll find
Or maybe deeper down in your soul
And see the things that make you whole
We can dress the surface to tell a lie
Making us younger as time passes us by
But something we should never hide
Is who we are down deep inside
When you look in a mirror, what you should see
Is the person who you want to be.
Trevor Reynolds 2019

In every plant seed there's a flower
Waiting for the chance to bloom.
While some mature and blossom
Others fade away, far to soon.
We marvel at the flowers
Their beauty, color and style
But what of all those others
Who grew for just a while.

They blossom in God's garden
In full majestic splendor.
No weeds to choke them down
No storms to demand their surrender.
We will all see this fine display
When we reach the promised land
As we walk through the gates of heaven
Led by Our Savior's hand.

Depression grips me by the throat
As I struggle it gets tighter.
Now's the time I'll find out
If I'm a quitter or a fighter.

I want to quit and fade away
Just sit quietly in the darkness
But something stirs me from within
And leads me through my blindness.

I hear His voice, I feel His presence
The black clouds part and disappear
He picks me up into his arms
And speaks the words I long to hear.

I'm with you every step you make
I will guide you through life's maze
So trust in Me and keep your faith
Throughout your troubled days.

Open your eyes and start to see
The wonders that await you
Fill your lungs with sacred air
And sing your songs like birds do.

Forget dark thoughts that stone you down
Your sins are all forgiven
Just read the words that are in red
Then remember why they are written.

By Trevor Reynolds

He Watches Me
I know He watches me
I speak with Him sometimes.
His words engulf my silent thoughts
To help me read between the lines.
His guidance I should often seek
Yet, alas I do forget.
But He forgives me of my sins
And heals my hearts regrets.
One day I hope to thank Him
For all that He has done.
Not just for me personally
But for everyone

May God Bless everyone who is suffering from Depression.

Relaxation help me please
Before this world brings me to my knees
Relieve my stress, unload this burden
So I don't need, to hide behind this curtain
Close my mind as I close my eyes
And I'll no longer see these stormy skies
Anxiety crowds and clouds my soul
As deeper I fall into this large black hole
To take my life, I do debate
But what other mess would that create
An end to this I cannot see
And that as well depresses me
So let me sleep, my thoughts dispelled
Or take me from this living hell
One thing after another, a continuous succession
Leaves me lost in a dark depression.
by Trevor Reynolds 2017

There's an empty seat at the table today
There's a bed not slept in last night
There's the deafening sound of silence in the room
There is darkness even though there is light

There's  a cloud of reality hanging around
There's a memory passing through your mind
There's so many reasons for celebrating a life
There's words like loving and kind

There's  another day tomorrow, I hear people say
There's light at the end of the storm
There's others who need your attention right now
There's the hungry and folks to keep warm

But, there's still an empty seat at the table today
And, there's still that unslept in bed
And, there's a voice missing from the din of the crowd
But their words resonate in your head

There's peace for their souls and relief from their pain
There's the memories to last your lifetime
There's things that you shared and others who cared
And there's times that were just yours and mine.
                                                               By Trevor Reynolds 2017

I can't have depression because I'm a man.
I'll take care of everything, you know that I can.
It's not about ego or my self esteem.
And I'm not being moody, just what do you mean?
Go to the doctor, visit a shrink.
Whatever would our family and friends start to think?
I'm  just over tired that’s all that it is.
Let's put this behind us and don't tell the kids.
I can’t have depression because I'm a man
Or maybe I'm wrong, and really I can.

By Trevor Reynolds 2019