Oh, darkened skies, don't hide the dawn

For I long to see nights end.

The sunrise rescues me from my fears

As the darkness is not my friend.

A fog of depression hangs low in my valley

While I anxiously await the sun.

To dry the tears that adorn my cheeks

From the tracks down which they'd run.

I feel responsible for all that’s wrong

Though I know that I cannot be.

And even as I think things through

The blame, I still lay, on me.

People try to pretend they care

And lift me from my gloom.

But through the crowd I realize

I’m alone in this mass filled room.

So, I beg you clouds, let the light shine in

Make my demons depart for a while.

I know come dusk they will return

And a frown will replace my false smile.

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.

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.

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.

A field of splendid color
Stretches far across the plain
This rosy red silk blanket
That hides the tales of death and pain.
So many men were slaughtered
Each taking their last breath
While serving king and countries
On the poppy fields of death.

They fought in Northern France
And in Belgium's Flanders fields
Young men from many nations
Were mercilessly shot and killed.
Not realizing their future
They gave their life and rest
With both enemy and comrades
On the poppy fields of death.

How long will we remember
The sacrifice they made
The importance of their legacy
And the part their courage played.
They helped to mold our lives
By giving of their best
So long ago and far from home
On the poppy fields of death.

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.

Next time you light a candle
Look closely in its flame.
You'll catch a glimpse of who you seek
Though they may not look the same.
And if the flame does flicker
You must follow where they go.
So, you can reunite with them
When you stare back in the glow.
Your mind will tell a story
That you and your flame do share
Though the ending may be different
It depends how long you stare
When your satisfied it's finished
And it has all turned out just right
Just gently blow out the candle
And kiss your flame goodnight.

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.

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.

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

A squad car cruised up his parents drive
To notify them he was no longer alive
They even explained just how he'd died
But nobody, nobody cried

The family gathered from far and wide
Telling tales from times gone bye
No one knew if they were true or lies
Yet nobody, nobody cried

The clock on the church struck straight up five
As they packed in the pews like bees in a hive
And on his headstone was simply inscribed
Nobody, nobody cried

Nobody cried as they lowered him down
A six foot hole in consecrated ground
Nobody cried, not a single tear was shed
They didn't care when he was alive
Nobody cried now he is dead.
                            Copyright@trevorreynolds2021

In a twisted game of Russian roulette
Every chamber is loaded
Although only 3 years old I too am a target
My trusted bear with one chewed ear
Laying silent in my grasp
And although tears run down our cheeks
We’ve been instructed not to cry
The whistling of bullets heard over our heads
Are deafened by an explosion nearby
We are to move but my body feels frozen
I use to run and play but that was before.
Before my father was killed and life turned gray
My mother grabs my hand and says run
But my legs have not thawed and I stumble
Dropping my bear as she pulls me up
I escape her clutches and turn for my bear
I hear shots………..game over.

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.

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 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.

Looking back
I left the track
Going completely off the rails
I had no other plan
I didn't give a ****
No exam passes, only fails
I saw the light
Put my life right
Found a sense of hope out there
Feet back on the ground
No longer fooled around
Became someone who began to care

The daylight slipping through the blinds

Like search lights hunt the wanted

I try to conceal my presence

Under ruffled sheets and blankets

But alas I’m discovered.

Digging furiously at my camouflage

I'm exposed to a wet nose and wagging tail

I feel a walk is very much on the horizon

And though I still feel weary and lethargic

My refusal will not work

And so, another day begins

And my bond with nature tightens

You can never deny such love and loyalty

From a furry trusted friend.

I’m finally here kneeling beside your grave
My finger tracing over your name on the marble stone.
It’s been a year I know, although, it seems more like five
Time has dragged so slowly it almost stood still…..
I loved you……
Why are these places so windy?
I still don't know why you did it, we could have talked things through
I would have listened honestly; I could have helped….
I want you to know above everything else
I loved you…….
You know I did; I could have told you more often I guess
I should have told you more often I know
But I need to believe that you knew….
I brought you some flowers but I have no vase, I’ll just lay them here.
I loved you…….

I closed my eyes but sleep wouldn't come
Twisted thoughts of yesteryears
Making you smile making you cry
Laughter becomes sobbing so quickly
Morning brings about no change at all
Reality sinks deeper in your heart
Memories seem to burden my load
The weight of which is crippling
I knew this time would one day come
But selfishly I wanted more

Honeysuckle blossoms, homemade strawberry pie
Lovely thoughts of summer, beneath a bright blue sky
Swinging on my hammock, in the summer haze
Looking up watching the world pass by, while soaking up the rays
Sipping on a julip, with watermelon snacks
Hoping for a gentle breeze, as sweat trickles down my back.
It only feels like yesterday, we had a foot of snow
How quickly nature changes, how little we still know.
We take the world for granted, expectancies are high
And when we don’t get what we want, we shake our heads and cry
Lower your expectations and except what life your given
Let’s do things out of love and pray our sins will be forgiven
It’s easy to do nothing and watch while others toil
Yet in the end we all return to dust upon the soil
Enjoy a rest if you earned it, breathe in a new day’s air
Find the purpose of your life, it's why God put you there.

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

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.

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.

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

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

While the holidays bring joy to many of us, for some it can be a time that triggers anxiety, depression and mental health issues, if someone wants to talk to you, please be prepared to listen.

I listened to her problems
I understood his pain.
The weather may be sunshine
But to them it feels like rain.

I didn’t need to answer
That wasn't in the plan.
Just someone who would listen
And try to understand.

I offered some encouragement
A little bit of hope.
Something they could hold onto
Something to help them cope.

It's good to share your feelings
To get things off your chest.
It may be a total stranger
Or someone who knows you best.

As long as they'll just listen
You do not want a debate.
So please, just talk to someone
Before it is too late.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.