When you realise
That you are afraid
And have been
For years

You begin to know yourself

When you understand
That your behaviours
Have been played out
As mere distractions

You begin to grow

When you face your fears
Head on
With the acceptance
That you are human
And the realisation
That you are not superhuman
Solutions
Will emerge

Incredibly

And you will
Advance
Towards
Happiness

If Vincent saw these fields
Such illuminated clouds
He would reach for his brushes

A straw coloured morning
A spattering of rain
A brawling sea of clouds

The king of the sky burns
Brilliant gold through heavy grey
Rainbows shimmer

Autumn coloured leaves
Flutter and sparkle
On their final days

Beyond the revolution
There will be:

Clean air
Culture
Art
Music
Dancing
Chemical free fields and food

Work opportunities
Clothing
Equality
Balance
Nuclear free energy

No nuclear weapons
No more greed
No more war

A deeper consciousness
Dialogue
Housing for all

Governments that serve
Respect for each living thing

The revolution
Is ours to make

Beyond the revolution
Is every moment
From now

Angled rays of orange
Shimmering white edges of clouds
Deep grey and blue river
Interrupted by upright vessels

Birds on the wing
A symphony of masts
Bricks and bridges
Green and red of autumn

Relics of the past
Rising flocks of thousands
A fragment of golden sunlight
Collected drops on my window pane

Silver light
Morning people
A cloth of tumbling light shapes
Horizontal bars of truth

A pathway to hidden palaces
An adventure waiting to begin
Flags uncurling
Glassy coloured reflections

Symbols of progress
Thoughts held captive
Hearts protected with messages
A single duck advancing on the river

A V shaped trail on the water
Stand up for what you believe in
These are the reflections of my mind
This is what I see

Your eyes shine
As you gaze
Into my soul

You are pure
Optimistic
Graceful
And full of wonder

Thank the heavens
That you
Are
The future

Your potential
To create
Happiness for all
Radiates

Just as you trust me now
I trust you

The moon is watching everything
Safely distant
Silently observing

Human ******* lies everywhere
Decaying so slowly
Sodden albino leaves press against asphalt
And discarded plastic bottles
Gather dirt

Winter is coming
Winter is upon us
Will Spring ever come again?

Tiny creatures
Navigate
This world of human detritus
Only the moon is pure
For earth is become
Polluted

Have the trees lost hope
For their future?

Our hearts are closed
By the turn of world events
And fear swirls up
Laughing somehow
At the weak

'More! More! More!'
They cry
And we accelerate
Towards an end
We never wanted

A shot in the arm
Is on the way
Hip hip
Hop hop
Ouch…Hooray?!

What will it mean
For life on this earth?
Have we learned
What nature is worth?

A shot in the arm
Is on the way
Hip hip
Hop hop
Ouch…Hooray?!

This year has been full
Of loss and pain
But we have to do better
Not repeat the same

A shot in the arm
Is on the way
Hip hip
Hop hop
Ouch…Hooray?!

I hope this pandemic
Made us stop and grow
We have to put love
At the heart of tomorrow

A shot in the arm
Is on the way
Hip hip
Hop hop
Ouch…Hooray?!

From this messy world
Beauty

From the craggy rubble
Symmetry

We, like mud
Are imperfect

But no imperfection
Can be found
In your music

Sound
That melts my stony heart

Transports me
To a land
Of hope

I am uplifted
By your great creations

And generations assemble
Around your sweet melodies

What you did
What you have done
Breathes everywhere

And the world
Is better for it

Amber eyes
Grey fur
A loud reassuring purr

Four soft feet
With padded paws

A gentle tail
And playful claws

Inquisitive
Soft
And
Fun

A new adventure
Has begun

A lively kitten
In our small house

As Gurtie joins
The family

Beyond the revolution
There will be:

Clean air
Culture
Art
Music
Dancing

Chemical free fields and food
Work opportunities
Clothing

Equality
Balance
Nuclear free energy

No nuclear weapons
No more greed
No more war

A deeper consciousness
Dialogue
Housing for all

Governments that serve
Respect for each living thing

The revolution
Is ours to lead

Beyond the revolution
Is every moment
From now

I cannot deny
I am frightened

Fearful of things
That I don’t yet know

Things that I feel
I cannot change

I wonder if the path
I have set for myself
Is the correct one

Or if I can find
Meaning in the choices
I am making

Why is this road
Such a long one?

Why must I wait
For happiness to arrive?

I want to let go
Of all that is surplus

And hold close
That which is needed

It is certain
That I must advance
If I am to send forth
The flowers of my life

This day
Is someone’s first

This day
Is someone’s last

Make this day
Your day
A day of human triumph

The sun is shining brightly
Your struggle to reveal
Your unique potential
Is valiant

Bricks at the base of a building
Bear the greatest weight
Yet they stand
Strong, bold, immovable

Be the one
To bring a smile to each face

Be the one
To resolve the conflict

Be the one
To reach out

For those of us who survive
This day is precious

So it seems
To me
That when I see
I perceive
Things differently
To you
It must be true
Because
I am me
And you are you

If I saw things
The same as you
I would be you
And you would be me
And where would that leave us?
You and me
We’d not be two
There’d not be you
Only me
Stuck with my view
And no one
With whom
To talk it through

Two views
Are more than one
Your view
Colours mine
And mine
Colours yours
Creating new views
To share
Enhancing horizons
For both
To gaze upon

So let me learn to love
What you can see
And perhaps you can trust
What I see too
Together
With our shared views
We could even create the world
Anew

Ripples of clouds
Layered like whisked milk

A glimpse of gold

Birds, beaks down
Picking salty offerings
Of low tide

Sleeping boats lie
Exposing their bellies

Brave ivy clinging to railings

Silver hairs decorating
Narrow skin of a man’s temple

The green of widening veins
Drawing maps on my hands

Outside there is mist
Everywhere

In here a collection of silent travellers.

We know this road too well
But do we dance at our destination?

Life goes beyond the grasp of our expectation
And we are suddenly decades collected

And if storms can be weathered
There will be collections of memories
Experiences of treasure
And life, lit well by the lanterns of joy

All things come and go in circles
Everyone can be pulled together
For the heart is the most magnificent *****
From which all power emanates

There are spaces between

Strength, weakness
Control, release
Living, surviving
Joy, pain

Fantasy, reality
Hope, despair
Love, hate
Winning, losing

There are spaces between

The moon is beyond my reach
But it is there
Softly
Resting
In the clear blue sky

I know it is there
Because I see it
But still
It is beyond my reach

I cannot see my future
But I know it is there
Unwritten
Unclaimed
Undecided
But it is there
This much I have learned
From living
And memory

I cannot see love
But I know it is there
Brooding
Swaying like currents of water
Swirling
Attracting one to another

I cannot see death
Yet I know it is there
Kind
Comforting
Mysterious
All powerful

There are spaces between
Waiting to be filled

Who cares
Just relax
The victory
Is in the action

So what
If others judge
Doesn’t matter
One little bit

So what
If life gets rough
Whose life
Is easy?

So what
Just get on with it
Relax
And smile

Who cares
If others frown
And curse at you
Or blame you

There will
Be time to love it
And time
To work it out

So what
Just be happy
With yourself
That’s the main thing

Get on with it
Be happy
No matter
What they think

The hand I was dealt
Was the hand that I chose
I came here to fix
Things that nobody knows

My hair may grow greyer
My muscles fall weak
But my heart, it grows stronger
With every beat

The journey internal
Is far greater than
The hundreds of miles
Of a marathon man

To learn how to care for
This thing they call life
Means fighting to break through
All troubles and strife

Through joyful connections
With friends dear and true
We become what we wanted
Unique me and you

One
More
Day
Passes

In
This
Strange
World

I am
One
Day
Older

And
No wiser

I realise
I know
Less
Every day

But
Know
Myself
More

‘I’m almost back to normal’
I told a friend today
He said …’if you’re almost normal
don’t go all the way…

…Stay a bit abnormal
It’ll be a clever touch
Normal and abnormal...
We’ll love you just as much!’

The artist is constantly tortured
By the fear of losing life
Whether it is the loss of his or her own life
Or the loss of a moment...

The artist is only satisfied
When something meaningful is captured
A moment, a mood,the fleeting brilliance of sunrise
Or the shine of light on a beautiful woman

Such things manifest
And then, they are gone

The artist feels loss deeply
And wishes to hold fast
To the transient wonder of life

The artist counters death
By capturing life while he or she can

And thus the artist lives
Beyond death

I wish I were
Swimming in the sea
With you

I wish I were
Drinking coffee
With you

I wish I were
Spending time
With you

Knowing
You
My friend

I wish I could
Change
Your point of view

I wish you could
Change
Mine

I wish I could
Give joy
To you

I wish I could
Hold
This time

I wish I could
Do
Great things

I wish I could
Celebrate
The world

I wish I could
Paint a beautiful picture
Of the future

Just for us
My friend

I wish

I wish

I wish

There is light creeping through
The dark folds
Of our house

There is kindness
Lurking beneath
Words that have been spoken

There is a space that
Can be found
For us to exist
Together

So
Let’s take a cup
Of wine
And bury
The hatchet

Let’s be grateful
For all the work
We have done

On this evening
Let’s rest our tired bodies
And take comfort


For tomorrow will yield
Wonders
Unknown to us

A great artist once said
Art is when someone’s subconscious
Talks to another person’s subconscious
Through art
I believe this to be true

I sit
In the quiet
Awaiting
A storm

I wait
For the first
Distant rumble
To sound

I sit
With myself
In the present
Moment

For I know
This reverie
Soon
Will pass

Maybe
I'm dreaming
And I'm not really
Awake

Maybe
I'm dumb
Unable
To speak

Maybe
I'm waiting
To make
My mark

Maybe
I'll become
Great
At last

Will anyone tell me
What is good
What is bad?

Or do I have
To work it out
Myself?

I sit
In the quiet
Awaiting
A storm

I sit
In the quiet

I sit
Alone

Mother

You shine like a jewel
Cheerful, bright

You are never daunted
By the future

You are always present
In the present

Your smiles and singing
Set angels dancing through the house

Your delicious cooking
Provides life giving nourishment

You are a resevoir of love
You create the quality of the day

Mother, wife, friend
You express how you are feeling

You truly relax
Into who you are

You are
An inspiration

With my own eyes
I can see it
With my mind
I can understand
But my heart
Cannot feel it

So I talk about it
To strangers
Who try to help me
Showing me
Faces
Full of caring

Living together
Isn’t easy
Living alone
Is harder still
If only I had the energy
To find a way
To make it work

There’s beauty in the world
But I just cannot feel it
Its seems to be
On the other side
Of a screen

I am invited to look in
Or to look out
But to be part of it
Is a different matter
One day I will
Fly away
For sure
For sure

I sit on the train
Holding my net

Hoping to catch ideas
From the ether

Something to write
Something to share

My net has holes
And so do I

What lies beyond the end of a day?
What could exist either side of extremes?
Which dimensions are emptier than space?
Why does the sun never seem to fade?

How can I learn to live better than now?
How will my legacy of living endure?
What will my final hour be like?
How will my own extinction occur?

How might we better inhabit this planet?
How can we change sickness and death?
How can we balance the rich with the poor?
How should we live the millennia to come?

Why does the moon seem to change in appearance?
Why do my thoughts spin in pre-dawn hours?
Why is living so painfully beautiful?
What is decided and what is to come?

Why do demons
Wake me at dawn
And keep me
From resting my muddled head?

Is it fear of dying
That wakes me from slumber
And shakes my heart
Like a broken whisk

Dying will not be so bad
I think
Not so frightening
After all

Throughout my days
I dream
That life should be better

Though I wake exhausted
From the turmoil of my worries
Reality is never worse than the fear

A glimmer of hope
Is all that is needed
To break through the darkness

The human spirit
Is boundless
Creative
Free
Strong
And Unchained.

It is our gift
To the Universe
And our gift
From the Universe

You want me to fail?
You want me to depart?
You think I am useless?
You think I am worthless?
You think you are better than me?
You judge me?
You want me to die?

Are you my down fall?

Am I yours?

What will you do when I am gone?
Will you want me back?

I will hold on
Until it is time
To let go
And fall

When all is lost
And everything that you had
Is gone

When all that is familiar
Is removed
And the sounds of others
Have fallen silent

When the breath of companions
Is stilled
And the list of things
That needed to be done
Is done

All that is left
Is
Oneself

To face the essence of oneself
To sit alone in the silence of oneself
To wonder at the thoughts of oneself
To ask
Why am I here?
Why am I here?
What is my purpose?

To face oneself again and again
And again

And ask oneself
Why?

Only then
Can one

Change

What can I do today?
What can I do?

I could do...
Nothing

Let the day...
Pass
Hoping somehow
Things will just...
Fall into place

But would things fall
The way
I want them to?

What can I do today?
What can I do?

I could focus on
Everything that I can’t do
As that is plain
And easy to see
And a good reason
To do very little

But rather
I would be
Someone
Who tried
To do
Something

So I ask myself...

What can I do today?
What can I do?

Not a word
I can tell what you are feeling
By how you move

Not a word
Even the slightest curve of your mouth
Tells me everything

Not a word
You lift up your lover
Effortlessly, gracefully

Not a word
Your body bends
Into a million different shapes

Not a word
In perfect synchronicity
You decorate the stage

Not a word
You hold our gaze
Transporting us from this world

Not a word
Yours is the story
Waiting to be told

Not a word
Yours is the dance
Of the soul

Roses climb high
And display
Their coloured petals
In the early summer sun

Bees gladly draw
Of their nectar

And I can see things
Differently

It all happens
So quickly
Life’s moments
Together
Connections
And meetings
As time
Marches by

So stop
To engage
And savour each moment
For seconds pass freely
To ether
Without rest

Each beat
Allowing
A precious creation
Of memories
Heart bonds
To honour
Our lives

One day I'll be ancient
Withered
Frail
Yet ever connected
To the child
That once was

Today I will embrace
Every single part of myself
And every single part of the day
There will be no space for sighing
No room for disappointment
Only joy and creativity

Today I invite delight
To be my companion
I will treasure each opportunity
And dance with the universe
I bid guilt and sadness farewell
Opening the door and waving them out

Today the trees wave and smile at me
And I smile back

Today I am open
And ready for anything

Today I will work to give
Give my utmost and best to whatever I do

Today I will make a plan
And stick to it

Today I am proud
Of who I am

I remember the time of irresponsibility
When I suckled the ******* of life
When I gulped the wine of the earth
And rolled in the grasses of freedom

The times were high
But short
And I have lost them

My friends
Where are you now?

I need your embrace
I need your love
I need to feel one with you
I need to feel whole

I am dissected
Ripped down the centre
Unable to describe who I am

I must return to older things
Deeper truths
I must make friends of stories
And run into the cracking seas

I will press my forehead to whomsoever will lean with me
But I can no longer offer you jewels
And fruits
Enough
No more
Enough
Never

Once I could stand tall like
A tower
But now I bend
But I have not yet snapped

I am racing towards my demise
I will be dead soon
Only to arise
Transformed

I must have watched
Thousands as they went past.
Some of them smiling
Some talking
Many with headphones in
Just trying to keep going
Pacing
Racing
Running
Advancing

These are the five-hours-plus-brigade
Non-athletes
The heavily built
The fancy-dressers
The fun-runners

The fundraisers
The elders
The young
The determined
The never-give-uppers
The heroes
And heroines

Pale faced
Sweating
Exhausted
Aching
Stumbling
Lumbering
One step
At a time

These are the champions
Running for mum
Running for dad
Running for children
Running for hospitals
Running for rhinos
Running for bees
Running for hope
Running for life
Running together

Pounding their bodies
For the good of others
Pushing themselves
Beyond the limits

We are the cheerers
Lining the route
The clappers
The callers
The encouragers
The supporters

Togetherness
Created
A mass
Of people

One day
One goal
One finish line
One people

If I stare at the trees for long enough
I see them glowing
And I forget all the things
That trouble my human brain

I think of all the years
That they have grown
Without complaining
Or yielding

I see their strength
And I wonder at their message
I am alive with them
And for a moment I feel like I am special

A special man
With a purpose
And a life to live
And I feel like I am glowing with the trees

I am one with the vibration of nature
Alive with the earth
Part of the universe
If I stare at the trees

Joy is to be found
In seeing young people
Working together
Laughing
Discovering their identities
Creating memories

Those of us
Who are adults
Can support the young
On their voyage
Of learning

We owe
A brilliant future
To our young

The future
Should be built
For them

I think I will get out of bed
I think I will feed the cat
I think I will make some tea
I think I will pray

I think I will shave and take a shower
I think I will get dressed
I think I will eat a bowl of cereal
I think I will clean my teeth

I think I will stroke the kitten
And look in on my sleeping daughter
I think I will walk to the station
I think I will buy my ticket
And go to work

Maybe there I will find what I am looking for?
Maybe there I will find out who I am
Because on this particular morning, I am here,
But I am not here

I am present,
But I am not present

Even the beauty of a silent and glassy high tide
Cannot reach my heart
The person I want to be
Is somewhere else

The person I thought I would become
Is somewhere else

Today
I won
And lost
And won
And lost

I was singled out
Caught out
Tripped up
By myself

And I crashed down
And got up
Again
And apologised

It’ll be all right
In the end

Today
I lost
And won
And lost
And won

And I still experienced
The smiling faces
Of those
Who care

Those In power
Are only in power
If I make
Them so

Today
I lost my power
Gained my power
Lost my power
Gained my power

I lose
By failing

I win
By learning

Such is
The human way

And now
Sweet laughter
Rings through the air
And I
Can smile
Again

Robin
You stand atop the lamp post
Your breast red
Vibrant
Shining

You are singing

Just singing

Your eyes sparkle
As you look out to the day

Alive
Delighted to live
Happy
Confident
Joyful

Robin
You care not
For human troubles
Your day lies ahead of you
And you will live it
Without hesitation

Must we always fight?
Should our days and nights always pass this way?
What is it that one person does
That so angers another?
Could we not smile together?
Admire the fullness of each others lives?
Could we not step out of our own shoes
And into another’s
Just for a second?
Dust always dances through the air
I only see the particles when the sun shines
But they are always there
I share my vision
Slowly, carefully
With her
But should I share my emptiness with anyone?
Who would want to know it?
All I can do is share myself
As I am
And it is enough
For the moment
It is enough

Every moment
Is more precious
Than a shining jewel

The play of afternoon sunlight
On high tide water

The gathering of birds
Perched atop a weather vane

The embrace of a loved one
After a shared struggle

The multi-coloured setting of the sun
Over silhouettes of winter trees

Steam rising
From a freshly made cup of tea

The swelling of hearts and dropping of tears
In recognition of a shared emotional experience

This world is full of more beauty
Than I could ever put into words

All that is required
Is surrender to one’s senses

A willingness to see all things
With wonder

The courage to open one’s heart
To the workings of the universe

Are you covering up?
Then you must uncover!

You are not allowed to wear this,
You must take that off!

You will pay for this!

This is wrong

Policeman
You’ve no right
To tell women
How to dress

This cannot be law
This cannot be right
This is incorrect
Let there be no doubt

If laws create division
We must educate

Let us be human
Let us apologise

We may not get things right all the time
But we must recognise the errors
We have made
And set them right

The future
Is
Undecided

Life
Knows
What
Is Best

To Face
Forwards
Means
To Struggle

To be
Part
Of
A better future

The dreams of those long gone
Echo throughout the ages
Finding home
In the hearts of the living

The hopes of the living
Connect with the desires
Of those yet to come

A golden thread binds the souls
Of all living beings
And the power of our wishes
Is greater than we can ever imagine

Your body
Is not for sale

What you show
Does not change
What is within

I cannot buy you
And you are not buying me

We are not commodity

We are more precious
Than all money

We are not measured
By the shape of our physical exterior

Instead we are known for
What we think
What is in our hearts
What we do