A Poem by Me  POF

I read "No photo of me, so no reply!" Like starting a fight with her opening line.
So I removed mine! I'm rebel at heart, but I do have them if you choose to enquire.
But are photos all that define us now?
I am willing to take a chance they are not.
But I do have photos and you're welcome to see, when your ready, if you're chatting to me.
But the photos are not of me holding a dog or my two daughters to bolster my cause. To show you I am a wonderful dad or that the gym is clearly my second home.
There are no photos of me a decade ago in Summer shorts that my ex chose!
If you understand what I am trying to say, it's because all profiles seem to read the same.
The five in a photo and the blond is me!
Do the other four even know they're on here?
You like to stay in and you like to go out. Do you need a photo to prove that?
You like food, and love to cook and dine out here's my dinner just look at that!
Then there's the best and one I like most
"No players please" I have had enough.
Oh ladies please!! Men are like shoes, have you ever bought the first pair you chose?
And the runner up tickles me so, own teeth and hair, and must be tall. A taller woman in heels is great. It's not my ego thats in the way.
So am I cynical or speaking the truth? Have you seen yourself in the words above?
I didn't write to offend at all, but maybe one of you gets the point.
Should men give a list of do's and don'ts?
As women do, like designing a doll.
Should we list make up and spandex as miss selling and cheat, and list only women above 5ft 3.  I hope my words made you laugh. If not cheery bye and good look on POF.

I try every day...
Putting the stars back in the sky

For so long I watched people fall into darkness.
Like the stars that shone so bright in my life.
Put out by others darkness the beauty removed, the light extinguished.
I was one of those stars, gone.
I couldn't shine as so many dark clouds hung over me.
We are all the same.
All we are is the dust from stars, nothing more... or are we.
I wallowed in darkness of depression like a weather front obscured me.
Dark clouds others left.
But sometimes I would see a star shine in the night sky I just had to wait for the clouds to clear.
I would hang onto its light like my very life depended upon it.
The wind simply blew them...away.
That was it!!
They hadn't stopped shining, nor had I.
We just couldn't be seen for all the dark clouds in life.
It was like a eureka moment.
What if each day I did one act to clear someones clouds.
Try and blow them away a little bit.
Do that and someone sees them shine.
Ask nothing in return save this..
When you can however small, blow someone elses clouds away if you can.
So I began.
Sometimes it was something big to move a cloud.
More often just something they couldn't do themselves but massive to them.
I mean we are just the stuff of stardust, just energy so why not use it?
Could it be that simple?
One cloud at a time pushing them out of the way.
Little clouds mostly and occassional big cloud and the odd storm.
But.. it worked.
Putting the stars back in the sky one deed at a time.
Here's the point.
My life is full of stars again.
People who shine because helping them clear their clouds gave me back that.
Try it
Just one little thing to remember..
If you help one star shine
you brighten your own sky..
Their clouds may be your clouds too!
You may not get it right every time.
One day at a time
One cloud at a time
But try x

One day he heard someone say he had the face only a mother could love.
Nothing ever hurt more as he was adopted.

I wish I could hang my mistakes in frames
Walk past them each day
To remind me of how not to do things again.

If we consider our life to be like a elevator starting at the ground floor. As we grow we move to differing levels. Sometimes we skip levels that we think we can do without or not need to experience. Bypass them. Often later in life we have to go back and descend to them before we can go higher. Sometimes people end up in the basement. There is a bar there and lots of bad ideas. But again you may need the visit. For some the basement is where each day the lift comes to rest. But the basement is cold after the bar closes and the other drinkers leave. If you make it out you have a choice of not pressing the down button again. The lift of life is never static. If the lift breaks down and you get trapped there isn't an emotional fireman that turns up and rescues you from the lift. You have to work out for yourself which floor you want to be on. There are signs and guides. But unless the lift breaks and someone has to repair the mechanism, you're on your own.

About three years ago I visited the Cavern pub on Matthew Street. My friend Ian Prowse runs the open Mic night. They have two rules. No cover versions and three songs maximum. I hadn't been for a while and was immediately set upon by Ian to sing a song he likes that I wrote. So when the time came. Up I got and sang. After I went to the bar, my nerves shot. I ordered a drink and a lady approached me and said how much she enjoyed it. We chatted and she asked was I there every week. I said sadly no I have other commitments. She then said she would be back next week as working in Liverpool again would I like to meet up for a drink? . I agreed to meet at 7, Matthew Street. I had just met Heidi.
The next Monday I finished work. Jumped the train to James Street and there she was. I asked had she eaten yet and she hadn't. So we went to a little Thai place on South John Street. We sat down ordered a bottle of white wine and made our selections. By the time we had finished the starters there was about 1cm of wine left in the bottle and she was very chatty and loud. Much to the delight of the couple on the table next too us who seemed to hang on her every word.
The main course came and went as did the second bottle. I still hadn't got halfway into my second glass. Now truly smashed she says "I suppose you will want a BJ after this?" The lady on the table next too us almost choked, her husband let out a laugh and I said, I know not why, "That sounds nice, but I was looking forward to the Apple pie with ice cream to be fair."
That was it for the couple next to us. His wife almost had an embolism and he laughed his head off.
Heidi got up threw her napkin on the table, downed her glass of wine in one, announced to the fellow dinners "He's not getting laid tonight" Turned, almost demolished the table leaving, and stormed out. The couple next to me now in tears, the waitress comes to the table and asks "Err is the lady coming back?" I reply No I don't think so.
She then asks would I like dessert?
Before I can say a word the chap on the table next to us says "I hope you have apple pie and Ice cream for the poor guy"
The waitress said "No" and that finished it. Three tables of people laughing relentlessly.
I sat and had melon ***** and they chatted like we had known each other for years.
What of Heidi?
She was never to be seen again.

A morning trip on the 86 off to town to do some work.
The peace all shattered from the third row back and red faces all around.
On her phone for all to hear of another journey had recently.
 The pageantry of his going down, broadcast to all going to town.
I don't know where she got on but we all know now how she got off.
I wonder if she really knows that no one wanted to know.
His skills may have been a thing of awe but on the bus love you're just a ***** !