There is a fragility to you now,
Your hands wrinkled and cold,
Your memory fading.

I hate the talk of your death,
It hangs in the air like an icy dagger
Long after the conversation has finished.

Though I know it's inevitable it fills me with dread.
Within the walls of your house
I feel safe and comforted.

A cupán tae offered to us immediately on arrival
To the ever-welcoming 'St. Philomena's'.
The treasured home made brown bread for tea.

Your hearty laugh rings out
Through the old bungalow,
The lines in your face falling into those familiar creases.

Nothing will be the same when you leave,
The heart of this dear house will be hacked out
Leaving only our memories of you.

Thanks to you we have many of them,
Each as precious as the last
Encapsulated in a golden haze.

Within these walls I feel so comforted
The familiar routine fills me with contentment.
Homemade brown bread and a cup of tea,
Guaranteed banter from the moment I arrive
Not to mention your hearty laugh which fills me with delight.

So many memories are kept safely in this house
From when I was young until now.
It is the anchor.

You gave us sweets for the journey home when we were little,
You and Papa planted trees for us in the garden,
You slagged Dad's turned up shoes,
You told me about your love of dance.
Your never failing cheerful disposition is admirable,
A lesson for which I am eternally grateful.

When I come home the smell of your house lingers on my clothes,
The familiar scent.
I have a quarter of your treasure, your delicious bread.
Your unending generosity means my pocket is lined with a crisp note.

Despite all this, the thing I value the most is you,
And that you are in my life.
You are more valuable than treasure.
Everyone loves and respects you,
Higher praise I cannot imagine.
Everyone loves my Nana.

It's going to be ok.
That's what they say.

Listen to them.
They will help you comprehend.

It encapsulates me,
even wrapped up warm I feel cold.
Where are all my friends now?
Where are you all now?
Oh that's right, forgetting about me,
getting on with your lives,
you just leave me be.

Stuck in a rut,
nothing excites me anymore.
Not the sun shining,
or the funny memories.
I'm numb yet overwhelmed,
constantly tearful.

While I sit here and reflect I remember the good times,
The unforgettable experience that was being with you,
I realise I don't regret any of it.
I loved you and I'm not afraid to admit it.
But things change and time heals.

Now I appreciate the time we spent
But look forward to moving on,
To make new memories with someone else.
Someone who will love me like you did.

It wasn't meant to be but the memories I have I will treasure forever.
My first love.

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my *******,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite new a thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body.  i like what it does,
i like its hows.  i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones,and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which i will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,
i like, slowly stroking the,shocking fuzz
of your electric furr,and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh….And eyes big love-crumbs,

and possibly i like the thrill

of under me you so quite new