I’m back again
On the early train
And the clocks have gone back
So, it’s light in the morning

I can faintly smell
The salt of the low tide

A flock of seagulls
Races alongside my train

A man with a high visibility jacket, purple hat and a coffee
Gets on
I wonder what his day will be like

It is Monday
The beginning of a week
That will be like no other

This morning I saw
A turtle dove
It flew across my path
It landed on the pavement
And then it waddled off

I wondered what it was doing
What thoughts were in its head?

'I must gather food
I must perfect my nest
I must look after my child'

I wondered as I walked
About the thoughts I possess

My family
My workplace
Society
A mess?

Would it be simpler if I were a turtle dove?

Being human means caring for everything

The sun
The sky
The earth

Today, my stomach is a flutter with butterflies
My head holds too many thoughts
A collision of a lifetime of experiences
Accelerating to this moment

Today, I have journeyed to a decision
To try and change

Today, I travel
To face my fears
To look them
Squarely in the face
To do battle with my pain

Today
I will forgive myself
I do not need to regret
Who I am

Today
I let go of any blame
And guilt that I carry

Today
I wonder at my existence
And give thanks

Today, my life burns brightly

Today I can smile
And release my suffering
And let it blend
With the air

Hovering
Delicately
Gently

Floating above the earth
Calming
Cleansing

A man
In black suit
With briefcase

Walks
Proudly through

A bicycle
A footbridge

All in this moment
Of beauty

I could give you hugs
To shelter you from the cold
But you don’t want me to

I could give you love  
To soothe your tortured soul
But you don’t want me to

I could give you smiles
To brighten up your day
But you don’t want me to

I could stroke your hair
To make you feel safe
But you don’t want me to

I could kiss your body
To make you feel free
But you don’t want me to

I could
But you don’t want me to

A young girl
Pale
In grey rags
Sits outside Tower Hill station

I walk past
on my way to work

I hesitate

Can I really walk past?

I return

‘Are you ok?’
‘No’

‘Have you anywhere to go?’
‘No’

‘Do you have any money?
‘No’

She has a slight accent, somewhere European
I give her a five pound note

She smiles
Truly, smiles

‘Thank you’

I leave

And my heart aches for her
And all suffering

The Ghosts of Christmas Past
Haunt the hearts
Of teenagers and parents
As the clock counts down
To Christmas Day

The hopes and fears
Of those we hold dear
Bubble
And Steam
And
Burst

Life is everywhere
Sometimes
A red berry
Sometimes
A horse

I am life
Manifest
In human form

Dancing in the ocean of time and space
I plot my own course

What are you supposed to be?
It’s an interesting question
It sits in front of me
Uncompromising
There’s no doubt that I am who I am
But is who I am
Who I want to be?

I see you in the sunlight through the trees
I remember your bright blue eyes
I cannot forget the love you gave me

Where there is despair
I will flood it with hope
Where there is insecurity
I will drive in a firm stake
Where there is anxiety
I will listen
Where there is criticism
I will reflect and advance
Where there is sadness
I will quietly encourage
Where there is thirst
I will bring water
Worry, fear, anxiety, doubt, insecurity
You are words
You are feelings
But you are not the champions
Strength, compassion, kindness, friendship, wisdom
You are my weapons and I have to sharpen them
Daily

Can I be grateful…truly?
Can I open my heart…fully?
Can I connect…deeply?
Can I be me…absolutely?
Daily life, daily life, daily life
Dawn and dusk
Sunrise, sunset
Sun and rain
Waking and sleeping
Making and unmaking
Ever turning
In a sea of change