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Nov 12 · 28
Last wishes
betterdays Nov 12
This one thing
I know
When I shuffle off this mortal coil.
Bury me not
in a six foot hole
in s park of six foot holes
Headstones
set in rows of rows.
Marked with year, start and end.
Do not do this to me my friends
I ask you
to bury me
among the roots
of a large tree
with branches spread wide
that embrace
the sky.
A tree that  
children
can clamber and climb
and see forever away,
one that is
a castle in their imaginary play.
Find a tree
with space below
so that friends
can cone  
sit, stare into those branches so leafy and green and find solace  
in what
might have been.
Or simply
read a good book
in the
tree's shade.
Let there be picnic and lovers trysts
and in years ppl
to come
let there be  
benches
for those that come to sit in peace
for short moments in time.
Let my death
have  more purpose,
than mere
memory
of my time
alive on earth  

let it be
a place with
no marker
of how long
I was  me,
but be  more
my soul's  transference
into eternity.
Let me
nourish
the world
in ways anew.
Under a tree
with an
amazing view.
Nov 11 · 51
Hummm.
betterdays Nov 11
Little words,
little thoughts
Nothing
of great import.
Not
life changing
or even life, rearranging.
Just a
whisper
in my ear.
Makes the
moment
far les drear
Gives me
comfort
Clears
the mind.
Lets me know  
we are one,
standing together,
creating life,
a forever
Just begun.
All the
little words
will run together, become a hum,
like bees in
a hive
we have a goal
making
sweet honey,
staying
alive.
Little words
Will let us thrive
Watching yung lovets whisper sweet nothings as I leave work for the day. Off home now to whisper litte words  in a much loved ear.
Nov 11 · 83
Swordmanship
betterdays Nov 11
I sit  down to
write,
Pen
in
hand
And
before me
the chasm.
Intent and plan
stand
with me,
desire too

On
the other side
Completion,
success
and the finished product
sit,
languidly throwing taunts
toward my team
of yet to be poetry.

Do I,
Will,I,
Can I
succeed..

To make
the minutia sparkle,
To make
the mundane ...miraculous
To make
the everyday moment
appear  exquisitely beautiful.

Do I,
Will I,
Can I,
Succeed in,

Making

the words upon a page
leap and pirouette, To make
them echt
a smile  upon
your heart.
To have them
express
the sadness
of the world's soul,
To settle the  emotion  
of the
moment
deep,deep
into
the marrow
of your bones.

Do I,
Will I,
Can I,

Take
that leap
Into the chasm of the unknown,
crying
Hallelujah
as I go...

You
know
I do.
...Every single
time...
Every
******
one.

When,
I sit down,
to write
Pen
in
hand.
Nov 5 · 52
Short peoms
betterdays Nov 5
There is a joy
in the art of
a short poem,
A quick
word fix
that drives
a thought home.
That provides
a jolt  
to the heart
and
rattles the bones
That causes
the breath
to catch
and
the minod
to bend

Now
of course
it goes
with out saying ;
One of
the integral part
of a short  poem
is
knowing
when
to end..
betterdays Nov 4
The little blue teapot was exactly that, small,
enough for a sant two cups of tea
or an almost generous mug

In saying it was blue,
It was a comforting
royal shade,
with a shining glaze
Stoutly round
With a sphere as
the top notch  handle
All in all
a cheery
little thing
Cheap
and
utilitarian

How many cups
had it processed:
delivered
with a
drip or dribble,
that was at first annoying,
but
eventually
becoming
an endearing part
of the overall charm of the piece

It would be generous to say
millions;
But
truthful to say
thousands
of  
thousands
As the age of the *** was 12+years
of  almost continuous service.
In which time
it had been
witness
to every
emotion.
Conversations baring
soul and psyche.
Mental discombobulation
and
emotional acrobatics that would  easily gain
employment  with
Circe de Soleil
All whilst sitting  solidly still
  on the table of the day.
The little blue teapot was simply
a background character
in the soap opera
of it's family
and their friends

And
because of this,

It's
sudden
shattering
demise,
upon the slate floor yesterday.
Brings forth this eulogy to an everyday object  
Considered
by many
to be just
a thing
But to this family
a treasured piece
of daily routine.

Reached for
with
muscle memory.
A dash of color
at breakfast,
Comfort
on a cold night
A genies lamp
to a
small boy's
growing imagination.
A gift
from
one friend
to
another,
for the
shared  cup
of
Russian Caravan Tea
and a chat
that set the world to rights,
at least for another day
or two.

The little blue teapot was exactly that,
Ordinary
But also;
So much more
than it
purported to be.
So...
so
much more.
Nov 3 · 68
All things pass
betterdays Nov 3
The little blue teapot lies
broken upon the slate floor,
Shards and tea leaves spreading on the small king tide
I watch saddened  by the loss  of a gift from an old friend taken from me by
death ...
and think on the impermanent  nature of being.
Nov 1 · 123
Treefrog Mantra
betterdays Nov 1
Sun rises,
softly  creeping across the  leaf
upon which I sit.
Quiet and serene.

Green is the leaf,
Green I have become,
still and serene
I am leaf, leaf is me,
We are one under this day's sun.
Do not see me,
see me not.

I am leaf,
I am not here.
I am chlorophyll, dozing they day away..
I am leaf,
leaf is me.

I am still,
Quiet and serene
I am green,
blend, blending
into  green.
Unseen, serenely
green.

Verdant, is my name
Statue - like
stillness
is my game.
Still, serene, green

I am leaf,
Leaf is me..
I am leaf,
I am leaf...
Tiny green tree frog  siting on a leaf..
Trying so very hard to stay unseen...
Nov 1 · 597
Another day
betterdays Nov 1
One more to add to the collection
Piled up in stacks
of memories ,
good, bad, indifferent.
They loom large like a hoarders playground..
Teetering on the edge of remembrance,
Akin to a child arcing  on the up curve of a swing in motion all joy and suspense...

The oldest of days
So compressed and worn they have become mere scraps
Postcards withe messages written
In ink  faded, jaded
Like ether riding a zephyr  they pass through your mind to tiny whirlwinds from days left behind.

This day different from any other, as are they al, closes now awaiting it's
place upon a pile
All so tall now
It was a gooday another one of love, laughter  action and rest, commonplace by many standards..

But we have  learnt
to take each day and polish it like gem.

And accept it as a blessing ..

Before resting
in order to walk
into yet another day
Been a minute peoples , a bit rusty but here is my first one in a while
Jul 2021 · 458
Subsumate
betterdays Jul 2021
Pebble in hand
on waters edge i stand
Memories of you wax and wane with
each wave that laps at my feet
i sink into the soft sand..
Tears on cheek
Smooth pebble and
jagged breathe
As i let you go again. again....again
This time I don't throw the pebble away
I drop it at my feet, and watch it tumble and turn as the waves draw it back into the ocean
I watch the colours gleam and the pebble swing this way and that like a dancer swaying to the music...
I watch this small beautiful thing be subsumed by the much larger beauty of the beach

And I stand tears running freely as I learn another lesson about grief about letting go about being together but apart..
And through my tears I laugh...
Jul 2021 · 436
Miles apart
betterdays Jul 2021
Cold fingers touch my
Heart as we await news of your
Condition  ....Hoping....
In too common an occurrence.. we have a friend ...in hospital... With Covid19....and all we can do is hope pray and wiat for ***
Jul 2021 · 247
Cosy as bugs we are
betterdays Jul 2021
The sound of cars
Streaming through puddles
Competes with rain rattling
On the old tin roof

Underneath that roof
We listen to the percussion
of the log fire as it consumes
twig and tree.

The purr of the cat  stretched
out in basking bliss
Competes with the snore
of the man asleep with book
resting upon his chest

And from down the hallway
the soundtrack of a young man
defeating armies and building
empires.

All this I hear as I break from marking essays and take a sip
of lukewarm Earl Grey tea..

In the kitchen, dinner is roasting
away in the oven..with the not so small pup standing hungry guard.

By the door coats, boots, scarfs and facemasks await our after dinner walk..half an hour around the neighborhood, then back into  the house. This is our lock down life...
We in Australia have been relatively free of the Covid 19  virus ..the area I live in has had no cases for just over 400 days  but earlier this month an area adjacent has had some case of the new delta strain appear...so we are once again in lock down...ir is school holidays so it is some what easier.. and again because it is a rainy winter the urge to go outside is curtailed..
My heart goes out to those more directly affected...
Jun 2021 · 246
Bad gateway boogie
betterdays Jun 2021
Tis the bad gateway boogie
The records spinning round
Can hardly get a foot in
Hardly make a sound.
Trying really hard  to make a comeback tour
But you all know it's been 6 months or more
But you need to know
I'm kicking
Heels and toes.
..hoping to check in
Seeing how it goes

Not sure if you will see this

But if you do know those Bad Gateway Boogies

Has me singing the blues
Nov 2020 · 245
Grand
betterdays Nov 2020
It's been awhile,  I know
This year time slips away
Been busy doing n not much
But living simply, thinking lots

No excuse not to do, not to write.
But staring at blues sky
And cat's eyes takes up  time

And now there is new generation
To see
A baby boy so free
of worry and care
All raspberry lips and brown eyes
and burping smiles
Swaddled in love and light and hope
Noah, the new captain of that ship
Calling watches with ***** cry
Two are three
And I am grand

It' been awhile
But things keep happening
Not all bad
Some  really good
Some  would say grand
A reminder that
The world carries on in spite of itself
My niece and her lovely husband gave the family a gift of a delightful little boy this week.
Noah Francis  welcome to the world
You grand little chap
Aug 2020 · 294
Flying blind
betterdays Aug 2020
looking fo a pinprick of blue
among the silver linings today
but can only see cotton candy white
and  flannel grey

set my plane to fly high and straight
but all it seems to do is fly in an
eternal, infernal figure eight.

cannot see the horizion
or sight the sun
flying without sight
Is like trying to run
with your legs hobbled

you don't ever  get far
and you inevitably
end up with a cut,
a bruise or a scar.
Jul 2020 · 214
6 by 26
betterdays Jul 2020
Each Day
a marathon
Unto itself
Jun 2020 · 231
The Big Parade
betterdays Jun 2020
Show me your gods
All fur, purr and bark
Feather, skin, scale.
Those demi beings
that mark your heart
and steal your soul.
Those scraps of love
That make hard days whole
mornings bearable and nights
A little less lonely, predictable
or indeed a little less cold
The bed hoggers, extra joggers
The shoe chewers, the foremen
the cuties, the mute beggers
Soulful singers, paper bringers
Howlers, growlers,meowers
Chirpy talkers, hissers,
water blissers,
Princes  waiting to be kissed
sloppy drooly kissers,
the sandpaper lickers
The back leg kickers
those who make biscuits
those who sleep,
like loaves of bread
Tail waggers, live in baggers
Perch dancers, walkies prancers
**** machines, Catnip dreamers
Redlight baskers

Show me your gods..
be they small, large, short, tall
Slim, plump, grim lumps
Portly, courtly, royalty
or  hot  fluffly messes

Bring them out to parade
with these god's
a home is made
and in these days dark and dreary
We need these gods
for when we become weary
Of the world we've made
We need
somewhere to lay our hearts
some thing that has a unlimited
grab bag of fresh starts.

These gods
everyday the give you a bit of
extra heart extra hope
A reason to hang on
to laugh to cry, to talk to sigh

So show to me;
your gods
and say a prayer
and thank the lord
he made them with care.
These little(or not so little) beings that steal our hearts and rule our homes...have in this family at least, made life a little more bearable over the last couple of months
So lets celebrate them
Jun 2020 · 149
Weather report
betterdays Jun 2020
Foggy breath on glass
As I wrap my scarf tighter
Crisp and clear today.
Jun 2020 · 171
Relief
betterdays Jun 2020
Toes cold and aching
Fires flicker in amber dance
Red wine warms the soul
Apr 2020 · 203
ANZAC Day 2020
betterdays Apr 2020
We stood
on the driveway today
at dawn
Candles in hand,
as the boy  down the road
played The Last Post,
imperfectly but with
such a beautiful heart

We stood
on the driveway today
With rosemary
for remembrance
and red poppies too
Pinned to our chest.
as birds flew over head

We stood and  remembered
the sacrifice and courage
We stood and remembered
those who did not return
those who did but left
brothers and mates behind
Those who fell,
those who returned injured
In body or mind.

The dawns gentle light
watching over us all
as we looked to
the left and the right
to see neighbors all
Standing  in their driveways
Gifting our diggers
the respect they are due
for the service they gave
to the countries they love

We stood and gave thanks
as the last trumpet note died
and the kookaburras  called
Australia the nation stood tall
Because of the pandemic and associated restrictions with regard to gathering of any type other than households
The usual ANZAC Day comemerative parades could not take place..instead it was suggested we "Light up our driveways "
ie wake for the dawn service normally 5.30 to 6  and stand with  lit candles in driveway as the service took place.(over radios and TVWifi Hookups) .
Our street (all of our street)did this not by any group plan but by each family deciding to stand and honour those who fought in battles for our nation and others throughout our history
...I am so proud that every house represented
..it was a sacred time...
One that my words fail to do justice to...

ANZAC Day 2020
Lest We Forget
Apr 2020 · 129
Bring
betterdays Apr 2020
Bring out your words today
Bring them out with gentle care
So that they may do good
in a world awash in despair

Bring them out,
not in whispering assassination,
or with  edges sharp
and cutting designed
to harm, maim and torment

Do not bring words
that ring with anger
like a brass bell
broken and clanging

Nor should you charge
your words with
vindicate electrics,
primed to shock and burn.

Do not fling arrows
with aim to pierce and scar

This is not the time
for that...
Know as much as you desire it
There may not ever be
the time for that...
as much as you wish
to whip the heart of the other
this is not the time
and besides,
this they do well
enough themselves

Be the better,
salve their soul,
beaten, broken
and decrepit
almost beyond repair
be the sunlight
amongst  the gloom
Be the kindness
In an unhappy house
an anguished room
Be the guiding star
In someones darkest night
Be gentle be the light
It may cost you
the righteous anger
seeded deep in your soul
but then again
it may  just make
both you and the recipient
a little more whole,
a little more right,
a little bit more able
to fight the good fight

So bring out your words today
bring them out with flair
bring them out and show
us you care.....
Words are not dead...bring life to your space and beyond...
Apr 2020 · 139
Echo
betterdays Apr 2020
Flower sticks dried out
Stand sentenal to
a life ruled by busy laziness

Once vibrant petals
Hang with tenacious
grace, determined in death
to remain relevant,
Notes of a happier time

There epitaph ..
need to do something
with those flowers
echoes in my mind as
i again brush pass them on
my way out the door
Mar 2020 · 149
Plenty of time..now
betterdays Mar 2020
Plenty of time to write,
now as the doors stay closed
at the knowledge factory
and we wave goodbye
to  common sense.
Plenty of time to write,
as we keep our youngers
home and teach them
distance education
the art of befriending
from a socially
acceptable distance.
Plenty if time to write,
small shopping lists,
so one can dart
in and out of local shops
Plenty of time on our hands
as we realize that our house
may not be as large as we thought
Plenty of time to think
the thoughts we probably
should not think..but do
Plenty of information shared
but how much of social pages
armchair experting is truth .
Most importantly plenty of love
and hope and joy to be found
hidden amongst the angst.
Plenty of time to write
of this, to spread the love
and not the fear..
Plenty of time..
We are safe and cosy for the present...in sort of lock down, working from home
Hope you all have safety net too
Mar 2020 · 132
the state of it
betterdays Mar 2020
the state of the human heart

both, astoundingly abstract
and sumptuously surreal

born of colours kaleidescoped
by fractured fractaled emotions

painted with either abandon
or cramped contractions

framed by circumstance
guided by thought,
or thoughtlessness

hung by guilt,hope arrogance

viewed through binoculars,
keyholes, rose tinted spectacles
seen in clouds and reflections

reviewed with misunderstanding

sold for praise and cheers

gifted to uninterested or uninteresting

left to gather dust....

held tightly, torturously so
for  fear of it flying free

weighed, found wanting
yet alway needing more

when  the heart smiles
the whole body sings
when it cries,
we often look away
from it's sorrow.

we can be heartfelt
heartless, hard harted
soft of heart, heart sore
we can have a heart
overwhelmed, full of grief
overflowing with love

we need it to beat,
be strong, faithful, steady

all this: ascribed to a muscle,
inside a cage, inside a bag
working hard to keep us upright

look, at the state of it.......
Feb 2020 · 132
cyclic
betterdays Feb 2020
puddles of sky water
lay awaiting the sun's kiss
back to cloudy homes
lots of rain(about 450ml over the last three weeks) and lots of heat makes for muggyness....as you can almost see the water rise from the puddles....the good news is that after 210 days the nearby peatbog fire has finally been extinguished
Feb 2020 · 134
settling down
betterdays Feb 2020
the afterthought of rain
lies heavy in the air tonight
the earth slowly steams
aand on the elctricity lines
the  family pink  of galahs
amuse themselves
doing 360 degree loops
on the rain slippery wires
round and round and round
with child-like glee

down tne road, the  jackos
settle in for the night
amid laughter and gossip
and much flapping of wings

i watch the geckos race up
the wall to postion themselves
under the porch light
and await the night's buffet

somewhere over near the pond
the old frog begins to sing
i am pleased to hear him
i thought we had lost him to the heat
his basso profundo love cries
follow me into the house
as the mosquitoes  begin their
bloodsucking serenades.

and the earth slowly steams
Jan 2020 · 133
need
betterdays Jan 2020
need to swim more
lengthen ma muscles
cool ma brain
float before i hit the drain

need to dive from sweat
into the cool clear deep
snap ma head back into place
sluice the grime offa my soul

float for a small eternity
take a dip to rearrange
ma dna, get in touch with
the primordial me,
osmos some salt, remember
the sea, grow some interal gills
just be just drift, with the tide
be taken not steer,
need to steep and stew and brew...
Jan 2020 · 104
Amen to that
betterdays Jan 2020
The big rain came.
The big, blessed, rain came,
just last weekend.
It was glorious:
big fat splotchy drops,
making splashable puddles
All, bringing down the temperature.

That wonderful smell of
petrichor..so deep, rich and musty

The look of a world made clean

The joy on people's faces,
such a delight to weary souls

Firefighters danced and whooped
with relief.. Farmers wept and
children gambolled about in the mud.

It has not broken the drought.
Nor put all the fires out.
But is a start...
It is: many a prayer answered.

Today the world looks
brighter, better
And the forecast is
for more rain...
                          ...Amen to that
Solid rainfall over the past week just  under 100ml over a five day period...
Jan 2020 · 88
Tanklife
betterdays Jan 2020
lips pursed
tip of tongue
out, testing
air quality

head cocked
eye beaded
swivels
and back

legs windmall
forward motion
and stop with slight
over reach, stillness
achieved, basking now
under sun lamp

body glistens,
muscles settle
into contours
of tree branch

little gecko
eyes unblinking
in your cage
of glass
Newest pet ....
Jan 2020 · 138
Any one spare a penny
betterdays Jan 2020
kindness given
kindness received
small transactions
unseen, .
but not unnoticed
are the true pennies
from heaven
tossed with love,
into the wells
of our tired hearts

Can any one spare
a penny.... or two
                     ......today
With thanks to the Nattyman..for throwing his piggy bank at us
Jan 2020 · 143
Untitled
betterdays Jan 2020
i wish I did not
have the taste of
burnt dust always
on my tongue

i wish  i could go
one day without
tears in my eyes

to turn on the tv
and not see another
burnt out bouse  or
ravaging flames

i wish i did not
have to thank
volunteer fire fighters
those who risk themselves
daily to help others

i wish i did not silently weep
for the future of this land
as it goes up in flame
as flora and fauna
become extinct
in one terrible day

i wish i could get
the burnt dust smell
out of my house,
my clothes,
my nose and mouth

but apperently, this..
this new catastrophe
is the new norm around here
I live in Nsw Wales  Australia...where I am there has been some sort of fire for just under six months (the longest burning is a peat bog fire)  we were ringed by fires about two months ago,whilst smal town near us were decimated by fire the larger coastal town I live is was fortunate enough  to    be out of harms way....we have has massive amounts of smoke...the fires nearby whilst mostlt cointained still burn...and new fires burn further south.....we have lost great swathes of Gwondalian bush  up 8n the mountains and it is thought that this has been an extinction event for many species .... this is an unprecedented  tragedy.....
Dec 2019 · 195
twenty, twenty
betterdays Dec 2019
twenty, twenty vision
clear insights enable to see
all the stuff coming for  me

excepting my blindspot has
grown awful big about a decades
worth of blinkers, giving me tunnel vision

but there is light, up ahead
small and bright, leading me
away from darkest night
toward daybreak
future bright

step on into the day
make of the future
what we may
twenty twenty vision
all the way
little wine muse scribbling ..to start the new decade...
Dec 2019 · 173
oh! christmas tree
betterdays Dec 2019
with the taste of burnt and burning on my tongue
i look out to the mountains,
hidden by haze and slow drifting smoke

it is the day we put up our tree
but this year it seems  bittersweet
there are many who have lost houses
some who have lost family
all of us have lost innocence
with regard to the wrath of fire

we carry on unpacking boxes
of tinsel and bric a brac
remembering thosee who gave us
special items, remembering christmas past

we laugh and love, easing the tension
and soon the tree is done, toto green
for our climate but cheerful and robust

this afternoon the town tree light festival begins
a parade and gathering, this year an opportunity
to thank the firefighters and their families

and another new tradition, a christmas tree
where you can leave gifts for those,
who have lost something or everything
in the fires
betterdays Nov 2019
fires all about
sky orange
not from flame
but refracted light from
smoke so thick
you can gather it
in your hand

the flames miles away
for us but for some
on their doorstep
devouring house

ash falls like snow
and sits in drifts
up against firetruck tires

men and women
volunteer warriors
return soot black
and exhuasted
to rest before
returning
to the front

devastation
of wildlife corridors
devastion of small towns
live's lost and broken

and it is still only spring
Our town is one affected by the fires raging on the Coast of NSW Australia,
we had a day where the sky became orange due to the amount and type of smoke...this smoke can be seen on sattelites..our town appears to be have kept safe..but many outlying villages  have been decimated by these massive fires..It as amazing that there has been minimal loss of human life(5deaths at present) but the loss of flora and fauna is unimaginable.. as to homes and infrastructure massive...
We are ok my family and friends have been lucky... but it is and will be a difficult time....for some time...for many in this area...please keep us in your thoughts
Nov 2019 · 161
gathering
betterdays Nov 2019
stealing time
to pen some words
that may be
considerate  enough
to rhyme

stealing time
to sit  apace
with  myself
and muse away
a small portion of
this humid hour

stealing time
to stare at space
and watch
the dust motes
dance with
ballerina grace

stealing time
with vacant smile
as the world and
his wife, walk on by

it is  in moments
like these stolen away
that i gather the beauty
of each and every day
Nov 2019 · 470
fire breath
betterdays Nov 2019
the smoke haze is settling
now  the landscape wears ashes like
a widows mourning dress

no longer the rage, the flames, the fire
the passionate devourer has been siated

leaving destruction as it's  rememberance
Fires near our place over the last week...no human life or buildings destroyed....but loss of much wi.ldlife.....and the area is decimated and cover in ash.....Many thanks to volunteer firefighters.fòr mammoth effort to get fire under control.
Oct 2019 · 371
Smoke inhalation
betterdays Oct 2019
Heard today of the demise
of a couple elderly 78 and 73
caught in the malestorm
of a bushfire, unable to leave
the property they had  lived on
for more than 50 years...
they took shelter in the house
he built...only to have it become
their pyre ..they were found together
There is  poetry in this, love passion,tragedy, darkness and despair
and though these word do not come anywhere near describing the situation, it is my belief that these two people deserved some words written for them...
May they rest in peace...
There have been terrible fires in New South Wales over the past month and whilst 45 houses have been lost, there have been few tragedies...our firefighter's have been working night and day...this elderly couple was found today...in the burnt out shell of their home... May they rest well in each others arms..RIP
Oct 2019 · 498
circular
betterdays Oct 2019
rain upon roof,
gentle falls,
creating a cocoon
of humid heat
in which we sit
mesmerized by;
the soft sound of
rain upon roof.
Sep 2019 · 188
hope
betterdays Sep 2019
it is the frayed string
of hope
that sustains a shattered
mind
hope floats,

a little walnut boat
set upon the darkest  of seas

hope sees the dawn in the
deepest part of the night

hope sustains
hope maintains
hope remains
hope endures

that ember of grace, that ember of grace
endures, ever-ready to be coaxed into a flame

sometimes hidden deep within
but never absent, never absent
always wanting, wishing to be found

awaiting planting in fertile soil
taking nutrients in growing,
stabilizing  fragile ground

hope is life
life is hope

hope is knowing both flower and ****,
have purpose, that of both we need
flower for joy,
**** for silent comparision

hope loves both,  gritty or beautiful  
have place within a heart willing to grow
for as it has been said before:
by poets far better than me.

you do not see the dawn,
with out the darkness
of the night...
Aug 2019 · 189
this morning
betterdays Aug 2019
there is something truly
enticing, about the curve
of  back, as you sit
on the edge of the bed,

lost in that moment between
being  abed and rising
that delay, whilst you decide
yay or nay, to the day.

there is a challenge in the
***** of shoulders
and the swell of good eating
that rests upon your hips

that makes me want leap into action
and draw you back
from the edgeof mundanity,
of everyday routine
and ravage you silly,
make you howl
and make you moan..

i want to taste your sleep drenched skin
and feast upon the energy kept quiet
i want wake you, make your open eyes
make your pupils dilate,
as i drink the night out of the depths of you...

but I am to slow, in my langour
i have lost the moment,
you stand and stride off
into the day
i turn and lay on my side
hoping the sun will leach
the frustration from my being
Aug 2019 · 317
Very busy
betterdays Aug 2019
so very busy
not doing much
just living a life
on the edge of a crust

cold weather
makes  me sleep
seems I am powered
by solar rays as I reach
my latter middle aged days

but all is good, all is fine
as I pour  another wine
grab a book off the shelf
settle in and read
for my health.
Jul 2019 · 438
musing in the wee hours
betterdays Jul 2019
here in the little wee hours
on the night so cold
my toes ache
i sit pondering
life and such
by the light
of fire and tablet

wrapped in blanket
threaded with memories
i think nonsense and ingenuity
and watch cinders fly

on the hearth the dog and cat slumber
wrapped around each other pretzel-like
defying with casual snores,
both physics and laws of natural enmity.
there is an ease to their bromance
that both confounds and humours me

behind me spreading on the couch
like slow(very slow) moving lava is
the surf god, encased in flannel and ugg
he gargles breathe like an old Harley
soon I will escort him to bed and leave
him to the embrace of his new lover
Madame Cpap...and they can share
a night of slumber in a wind tunnel
then in the morning , he is mine once more

the golden boy sleeps elsewhere tonight
having come into the season of sleepovers
he resides in a tent,  in a bedroom
half a suburb away ,oblivious to
the sound of stretching apron strings
he too shall return to me tomorrow
older and with new cultural references
to share with his increasingly
dim witted parents

for now, in the wee hours
i stare at the cinders
and see the old man as younger
and the boy as babe
as my toes ache
and my eyes leak
just a tad....
Jun 2019 · 247
Susy
betterdays Jun 2019
paul kelly telling yarns
in the background,
harmonica and guitar

vista: spring hopeful
as a large butterfly
scads on by

temperature a perfect mix
of balmy and zephyr breeze

on that breeze the salt and coconut
foretelling summertime glories

condensation pearls, then rolls gently
down the glass of my g&t

the remnants of a crab and prawn roll
lay on the indgo blue plate, like art abstract

a single tear slides down my cheek
as I acknowledge it is one more year

happy birthday ....dear departed you
Jun 2019 · 12.6k
miles mean nothing
betterdays Jun 2019
miles mean nothing to a heart that is pure
words penned in grace, sent to ether
give heartease to the overstretched
sowing stiches of understanding
in tapestry threadbare

little suns and stars
shining bright in love and hope
from face unseen and adirondack chair
gives strength to one down, from down under
allows grief, the words needed the abilty to care
for these simple gifts, no payment required
from the heart open to care...
in response to a beautiful poem" the dirge of memory" gifted to me by Nat Lipstadt....one in a million..
Jun 2019 · 218
upright
betterdays Jun 2019
age screams
not so silently
back, carrying
burdens
have caused
muscle to seize

every step
measured
every movement
silent movie slow

inflamed muscles
hiss and growl
as I inch to and fro

yearn,
to be
horizontal,
alone
to
realign
but
no
off to
work
I go
......
heat pack
my solace
time my foe
Have strained my back(doing something that was everyday in younger years ago)
But have to go to work for marking day(students present work and discuss motivation etc) H ave bee there as I gave assignment to gauge growth as performers..
Jun 2019 · 251
bloom's last kiss
betterdays Jun 2019
you are the last of
this years frangipani bloom's
the wide green leaves
of your tree,  are already curling
grey brown upon themselves
to drop dry and rattling to the path
leaving the wrinkle of dead man's fingers
to winter alone

but you are the tree's
final salutation, one last hurrah
waxed cream and butter beauties
that you are....

summers kiss, happiness in
one bloom,  your esscense
fills the room with sunshine and grace.

now you scant few are the last
of the frangipani bliss
you are as the night grows cold.
as the days grow shorter
the last zephyrs  of  fragrance
whispering fond farewells

you are summer's last kiss
one of  gentle memories
blown about by summer's breathe
May 2019 · 225
in between
betterdays May 2019
he stood leaning against the frame
neither in or out but on the threshold
partly in shadow, partly in relief
like a masters painting
all angles and shade
linked to "outside" and " inside"....a series of brief poems exploring linked ideas of word entitiès....
May 2019 · 260
inside
betterdays May 2019
empty coffee cup
door ajar, lets in cool air
scented with salt air
Loosely connected to "outside"...
May 2019 · 323
outside
betterdays May 2019
outside of the glass
crows complain about the cold
inside coffee calls
Apr 2019 · 289
fine day for remembering
betterdays Apr 2019
pride wars with regret
old men march in ranks depleted
medals clink  in time to the town band
children hold grand childrens hands
then the bugler plays
and as the notes fly into silence
old men cry in defience of age
that has wearied
and remembrances of those gone before
they remember more and more
lest we forget ...
sunshines in the bluest of skies
and there is youth once more in tired eyes
anzac day 2019
Apr 2019 · 380
living in the globe...
betterdays Apr 2019
stay sane
within the insanity
draw a line in the sand
make it straight, yet flexible
enough to withstand
the  rough winds of argument

watch the sand blow away
still the line remains,
a furrow on the brow.
a burning bridge
beacon to  the too dark night
burning fever, feverbright

stay strong as belief does
becomes ash and ash does
becomes sky, flying forth
as squiggles written on ephemera

stay sane, within the insanity
this brief, brief, briefest time
for once the line is
broken and sundered
and the reality cold, enters in

then the sad, sad, sadness shatters
the snowglobe world within

water on the floorboards
may be tears or not.

glass shards scattered everywhere
and ginger bread house lost

once the ball is broken,
it cannot be retrieved

gliitter once unfrozen
will not be tamed again.

you will find that stuff for decades
and remember the insanity again...
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