I used to look
now I see

I used to crush
now I love

I used to hug
now I embrace

I used to rage
now I engage

I used to jump to conclude
now I skate to it
taking my
time

I used to fall in
now I rise to
taking you
with me

I used to blush
and
I still
do

May I share with you ?
This simple Haiku
30/10/18.

May I share with you?
This uplifting poetry
With me all my life.


From Memory my favourite poem by Rudyard Kipling. “IF”.

If you can keep your head when all about you Are loosing there’s and blaming you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you ,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about ,don’t deal in lies.
Or being hated ,don’t give way to hating ,
And yet don’t look too good ,nor talk too wise.

If you can dream ~and not make dreams your master ,
If you can think ~ and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to ,broken.
And stoop and build them up with worn out tools.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch and toss,
And loose ,and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the will which says to them “Hold on “

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue
Or walk with kings~ nor loose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you ,
If all men count with you , but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds worth of distance run
Yours is the earth and everything that’s in it ,
And  -which is more- you’ll be a Man,my son !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now my father and mother gave me a copy of this poem when I was about 10.
I have tried to tick all these boxes ever since.
It may seem a little old fashioned now as it was written about 110  years ago.
It’s always helped me.
I needed each and every virtue today.
,

Seldom seen in the stew of Scranton skies
But there it is
a rubber band of fog  
smudged across black distance...
Myriad-multitudes
They are truly there
Each burning ball
gathered beyond my imagination
by the Moon Mother
Who scrubs the faces
of her little stars

Ask not what the Universe can do for you.

Ask what you can do to aid the Universe ?
~.An Acrostic exercise ~October 27th 2018.

Ask not what the Universe can do for you.
Sometimes they are under relentless demand
Kings and beggars and entrepreneurs pray

Never mind ,what they can offer the Universe
On a daily basis pray for their own deliverance
To make ends meet, eat a crust , or a cure

We poets here on our favourite web-site know
Having been seeking the true way forward
Ask not what the Universe can do fo you.
Though this is the expected way to pray

The first thought in our head should ever be
Hey ! What can I do to aid the Universe.
Earth and the environment but a small part

Universe stretches deep deep into the cosmos
Now where do you think heaven rests in this ?
I believe it is here and surrounds us completely
Virtually every loved one that has passed on
Every thought process that you possess
Reacts in your minds eye as memory
So perpetuating the life span of a loved one.
Expand your own meditation to include them.

Clearly giving an aid to the Universal spirit.
Asks not what the Universe can do for you.
Never complain about being forsaken by God.

Do as you would be done by and **** it up.
Only pausing to calculate the best way to rise

From the sad position you find that you’re in
On giving something back to the Universe
Riches will flow back to you a thousand fold

Yes but not necessarily in a financial way
Or in an appropriation of jewels or art
Universal gifts seldom trade in those chattels

Ask what you can do to aid the Universe
Simply think about it in a pure and selfless way
Knowledge gained during your own life’s span

Wake up and smell the coffee if you can
Having negotiated the slings and arrows
Ask what you can do to aid the Universe
To me its a simple question n a simple answer

You can positively manifest your own pathway
On that road you have many crossroads
Universe has trained the minds of past lives

Coincidentally you carry the minds past loves
Ask what you can do to aid the Universe
Now bring back to mind all souls of meaning

Dedicate the sights and the fragrance of life
On a kind of conference call to the departed

Tell me if you think what I say is too far fetched
Only I know that it works ,well it does for me.

Ask what you can do to aid the Universe
I posed that question many many years ago
During the time that I prayed then to God

The crisis erupted between Russia an the US
Hydrogen and nuclear bombs were threatened
Europe ,a state of emergency unprecedented

Undaunted I joined the Civil defence, in ‘62
Now looking back , I realise my pathway’s set
In not expecting the Universe to be helping
Venus in retrograde and other cosmic moves
Effects of the moon phases all considered.
Reality is you hold the precious key to success
So next time you pray , you’d better pray good.
Entreating God to advise his plans for your day

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Acrostic poem written by Philip. 27/10/18.

Poem ~ Our garden where we would sit n laze .
Ref 023
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our garden where we would sit and laze.
Under the canopy of beautiful tree palms
Rippling waters trickling by whilst we dream

Gardens of tropical plants tended n charmed
And dollars well spent on this tropical scene
Reflections mirrored up to the sky becalmed
Did this paradise figure in our wildest dreams?
Even as loving kindred spirits were we charged
No never though our lives of years we teamed

Without a doubt we teamed to live as one.
Hoping for a life force ,greater than it seemed
Expecting that with luck our life had just begun
Real life Angel ,she was, all I would ever dream
Established early on,we would have such fun.

With plans to live forever, I fear, I was so wrong
Even the best laid plans of mice and men .

Will never stand up to be predictable
Our garden where we would sit n laze
Under the canopy of beautiful palm trees
Lagoons where we watched our charges play
Digging in the sand and giving Nana joy.

Silent now as I sit with you reflecting
I sit in pain knowing that my Darlings gone
Triggering another tear to salt my eyes

No doubt folk kindly say “just love yourself “

Love myself ? Well OK , but my darling’s gone
And in Our garden where we would sit n laze
Z zzzz Barbara oh please let me dream of you
Eternally ,sweetheart in my heart to carry you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Written by Philip.
Sunday 7th October 2018.

When all else fails you have got to love thyself
A poem written by Philip. 2/10/2018. Ref 021
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When all else fails you have got to love thyself
Having spent so much time loving you my dear
Eternal will be that love and never ever waiver
Not in a million years although I share you !

Although I share you with the wide wide world.
Love that you have to others was boundless
Love that was free and so unconditional

Even when all else fails. I will be there for you
Linking arms with you and marching through.
Seeing that now we’re alone we love ourselves
Especially now that we are spiritually alone

For now we are alone when all’s said n done
And you in your heavenly corner and I in mine
In a biblical context love our neighbours
Love them as ourselves and love thyself
Simply love all and sundry unconditionally

Yes and love yourself with an equal passion
Often I would hear your words. Know I love you
Unspoken now , because God took you away.

Hectic now are my days on earth without you
And I guess more than ever I must love my self
Very sad the long moments that I now endure
Every day I find a mountain of which to climb

Grandchildren vanished as a wand was waved
Oh I guess that care we gave is tossed away
Though I love them all without conditions

They will remember me as a distant memory
Oh when all else fails you gotta love thyself

Love yourself and get on with your life.
Onward as if you have not a care in the world
Virtually ostracised from your life of yesterday
Especially as you and I were so in love.

Though many people of our age stood back
Happiness came to the front with our love
Year on year month on month a day at a time
So now you’ve gone from me my darling girl ?
Earth angels and guides comfort my grief.
Love ? For there is no better word as how I feel
For love I send you n and save little for myself
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Written by Philip
2nd October 2018.

Everlasting love is a commitment  Ref 008

Everlasting love is a commitment.
Virtual reality cannot ever compare
Everlasting reality is my love for you
Reality that continues unabated
Longer than  affairs of the heart
As my darling I know you by heart
Since the first Happy days meeting
The first day of the rest of my life
I discovered an everlasting love
Not withstanding your aloof brow
Golden are the moments shared

Love's unconditional commitment
Only true lovers understand it .
Very close encounters promote it
Especially within thy noble form

I love you so much my Barbara
So much once to inspire my mind

As constant is my wish to praise

Composing lines of loving prose
On each and every living day.
My mind races with the inspiration
Mastering words of literary giants
In songs of praise dedicated to thee
Then understand my commitment
My commitment ,to my darling girl
Everlasting love is my commitment
Not just for now but forever always
Thank you for our life commitment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Philip.

If I were heaped with constant praise
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If I were heaped with constant praise
My head would swell my hat won’t fit.
All I ask is my poems sometimes read
By comments saying words well said.

Six mumfs ago I cuddent even spel poet
Already Now by God I think I are one
I can rhyme hard things like cat and mat
And being a sudden genius is such fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Written by Philip  1st November 2018.