The promise
Of one original thought
Beckons me
On this most mysterious day

This day
When nothing seems to fit
And I seem to misfit
The machinery of society

Have I entered
A world of ghosts?
Am I surrounded by
The damp and clinging mists of time?

Or do I find myself
Lost in the mists
Of my own mind?

I search
For one original thought
On this most mysterious day

And I find myself
In a lost place

Only sleep stands sentinel
By my side
Waiting
To possess me
Completely

A funeral procession
Of wasted dreams
Passes through my cortex

Somewhere in the world
Ships are sinking

Dark oblivion
Creeps forward
To take me away

Until
I
Once again
May return
To light

It is to be expected
That one should feel low,
Tired or fragile
When a commitment is made
To a new way of living

The old way
Was familiar
Usual
Known
Limited

But this new way
Is tiring
Challenging
Revealing
But ultimately
More fulfilling

This morning
I felt fragile
And then
I remembered
That the winds that blow
Can either knock us down
Or
If we are strong
And resist the force
We can use the gusts
To help us take flight
Elevating our lives
To unseen heights

Where are you fragile friend?
Kind, creative loving and true
Life is not easy
Don't let it crush you

Be strong, fragile friend
Be who you are
You will come back stronger
Than you thought you were

Mandela standing
Fist raised
Gandhi laughing
Malala smiling
Children playing
The buzz of nature
Growing unfettered
A roar of voices
Ripped free from constraint
Sunlight
Multicoloured
A rush of wind against my body

It’s Friday again
Another week
Draws to a close

I am still here
And so are you
We made it through to this moment

We can smile
As we relax together
In our quiet home

Ready to enjoy
Some free time
To restore ourselves once more

It’s a new day
The earth is vibrant
The skies are blue
The air is fresh

The leaves are green
Mothers are smiling
Water is flowing
Tea is being made

Airplanes are gliding
Music is playing
Trees stand together
Birds play overhead

Human beings make their way
Ready to celebrate
A happy end
To the working week

Friday
Tired
Homeward
Bound

Happy
Sleepy
Satisfied
Feeling

Anti­cipating
Warm
Family
Time

Weekdays
Work
Complete
Again

Weekend
Seafront
Walk­s
Beckon

Morning
Dozes
Coffee
Breakfast

Rest
Renewal
Recharge
Ready

Return
Work
Struggle
Repeat

The storm approaches
And a horse on a chain
Tries to run free
Yet all she can do
Is circle

Tired graffiti
And coils of barbed wire
Blur in the impatient air

A ******* a bench sits cross legged
And flocks circle the fields
Without knowing that she is waiting

Sparks will fly
As bearded men
Return to their dwellings
And youths **** on beer bottles

She is an oak
Without knowing
Strong without realising
Many branches growing

She holds firm
To the earth
And rings
Gather around her

I am the watcher
Of such things
As they pass before
My window

Is it too late
To try create

A poem
At this hour?

Extract the strange and unknown thing
That's burning in the fire

And then a voice echoes within
You'e won my friend, you've won

Through sitting down and pushing on
Right up until the end

Emotions stir
Something is born

Something of me
Is somehow
Free

I'll fry an egg
And make some toast

To celebrate
This short ditty

Friend
Are you there?
Can you hear me
This evening?

Friend
Are you listening?
Do you read
My thoughts?

Friend
It is dark
As I write
On this paper

Friend
A dim lantern
Lights up
My dark soul

Friend
No angels
Respond
To my questions

Friend
Are you with me
Or do I travel
Alone?

Friend
I cry out
For an end
To all war

Friend
Will you tell me
What ist
You wish for?

Friend

I'm glad to see you
You know me
Want the best for me

Friend

You always have a smile for me
A spare bed for me
A drink for me

Friend

You are my saviour
A treasure
Companion

Friend

You indulge my imagination
You listen
And help me feel human again

Friend

You lift me from my troubles
Setting me straight
You never let me down

Friend

Believe
That you are great

Remember
That you are kind

Realise
That you are strong

Understand
You deserve to be happy

Good people
Are drawn to you

Happiness is
Within you

Good fortune
Surrounds you

Friend

Friend

Friend

Make friends
With yourself

Build your castle
Day in day out

Take a step further
Than before

Don’t doubt
All you have achieved

Believe in
All you will achieve

Greatness is
Your daily life

Greatness is
Who you are

Whether you feel good or not
You are happy

Friend

Friend

Friend

You are
A Buddha

Thank you for the tea
And the three cigarettes
Thank you for listening
Whilst I decompress
Thank you for the smile
When I was feeling low
Thank you for the time you gave
It made me feel ok

I know you are my friends
Because when I see you
I smile

I know you are my friends
Because when I hear your voices
I am encouraged

I know you are my friends
Because when I speak with you
I feel listened to

I know you are my friends
Because when we share our stories
And talk about things that matter
We care for each other and offer each other
Encouragement

From my window
I see swirls of green
Mottled branches reaching up
A black crow swerving
To take its perch

The down and up of
Chlorophyll hills
Horses in coats
Standing like guards, steadily

Parallel pathways of jeeps rubber tyres
A duck and a drake floating in silence

Solar panels look up to the stars
And sheep huddle, waiting
For something to pass

Tall firm pillars
Driven in mulchy brown filth
Support travellers
Across the mixed Cornish, Devonish waters

The train trundles on
Towards the East
And I wander towards
The place I call
Home

I want to think more clearly
I want to take more care
I want to breathe more deeply
Enjoying being here

I’d like to have more laughter
To taste the food I eat
I’d like to use my face to smile
At people that I meet

I’d like to sleep more deeply
And wake up more refreshed
I’d like to love my family
As if today’s my last

I’d like to feel my heart beat
And listen to its sound
Grateful for the miracle
That sends each day around

What would our relationship feel like
If we were to start it from today?

What would a new religion be like
If we were to invent it today?

What would society look like
If we were to build it from today?

How would we treat the planet
If we were given it today?

Every time the engine starts
Every time I run the bath
Every time I light the hob
Fuel to the fire

Buying clothes, buying food
Packed in plastic, to keep them ‘good’
Take out coffees, drinking straws
Mounting *******, more and more

Chemical cleaners, bleach and spray
Dyes and oils all flushed away
Airline travel, planet hopping
Don’t we see the earth is sobbing

Growing seeds, planting trees
Searching for clean energies
Help all living creatures breathe
Bring back our diversity

Spider man hoods
Limp pallid elders
Obese wheelchair pushers
Hot dog munchers
Sunglasses
Clouds
Donut aroma
Sugary slush
Blond hair and piercings
Missing teeth
Leggings
Teenage haircuts
Flashing lights
Flags
Fat arses
False fingernails
Wailing sirens
Round we go
Round we go
Ice cream and stomach aches
Muddy beaches
Calliope
Tattoos and cleavage
Buckets of candy floss
Helter skelter
Midriffs and teeth
Give me a wave
Or give me a wink
Chips and mayonnaise
**** fake cigarettes
Piercings and seagulls
Buttocks and shorts
Brand new trainers
Beer guts
High heels
Scars and pop music
Screaming rapture
Moonlight and buggies
Exhausted children
Sunlight
Sunset
Nighttime
Sleep

I got the old furlough blues
I simply don’t know what to do
The world has changed
And I’ve got no clue
If normal will return
For me and you

I had a job
But its all shot through
I’ve got three weeks of nothing
The State’s paying my dues

I wake up late
But I don’t sleep well
The smallest task
Starts feeling like hell

I got the old furlough blues
I simply don’t know what to do
The world has changed
And I’ve got no clue
If normal will return
For me and you

I’m trying to keep on
An upbeat path
But reality is
This isn’t a laugh

I’m tired of dealing
In uncertainty
I’m bored of the endless
Cups of tea

I got the old furlough blues
I simply don’t know what to do
The world has changed
And I’ve got no clue
If normal will return
For me and you

I want to break out
I want to feel free
To give you a hug
And dance until three

I’m through with this lockdown
I’m sad and I’m blue
Guess that’s what they call
The Furlough blues

The future
Is
Undecided

Life
Knows
What
Is Best

To Face
Forwards
Means
To Struggle

To be
Part
Of
A better future

What is left
When everything is taken away
What do we miss the most?
What have we taken for granted?

What lies ahead
Beyond the storm?
What will we build?
What will we treasure?
What will we discard?

All past adventures
Seem like dreams
And all chasing of recognition and notoriety
Seem even more shallow
As we gaze backwards
Through our new lens

Paradise must be built
We cannot compromise our planet any further
Air must be clean, water must run pure
Trees must prevail in much greater numbers
And humans must remember
This painful time

Together we stood
In the snow and the wind
Together we waited
For hope to begin

Together with youth
Our hearts did beat
We took a step forward
As thousands did meet

With pride and emotion
We re-lived the day
When back 60 years
Josei Toda did say...

'To the youth I declare
The future is yours!
I trust you to act
Like never before'

With song and with dance
Spoken word and great beats
6000 young Buddhas
Brought all to their feet

We will never forget
This historic day
Our future re-born
In a beautiful way

In five years from now
With joy and with pride
Our children will say
We were there, side by side!

Our friendships and joy
Will grow and increase
Generation Hope
Creator of Peace

You are small and grey
Furry and neat
With kind eyes
Of pure green
And a purr
That makes us all feel
Cosy

Each day you sit in silence
On the sofa
While I work at the desk
And you seem happy to spend the hours with me
Resting your chin on a cushion
While I try and work out a way
To keep my business alive

When you were little
You rushed around our house
Exploring every hidden place
Climbing out of the highest windows
And clambering down drainpipes

But now you know the most comfortable spots
Aware of what is best for you
And your children
Knowing these things
You never get into arguments
Only seeming interested in kind encounters

At dinner time
You always make sure
The others have arrived
Before you take your first bite
And this makes you
The kindest cat in our house
And we love you for it

I see ghosts in the woods
They are everywhere

Standing in the trees
Bathing in the lakes

Embodied in the bricks of the priory
Everywhere

We have been born
Into the world created by these ghosts

And we are the ghosts
Creating the world out children will inherit

One day I will be a ghost
Standing in the trees
Bathing in the lakes
Embodied in the bricks of buildings

Will I terrify the children?
Or will I have made them smile?

Morning breaks
Eyes open
Trees lean
To peer in through the window
At the sleepy giant

Huge and hairy
He yawns and groans
Lying beside him, his beauty
Dreams and sighs

Heavy feet trudge along the hall
And furry four-legged creatures
Curl around the giant’s ankles
Eyes wide with anticipation
Of the first meal of the day

From the glass
A wild haired sleepy-eyed creature
Stares with a gloomy look
At last great hands move
And hot water splashes over the whiskered face

A few grunts and stretches
And the monster is freshened
And a lantern in his heart is slowly lit

A new dawn has broken
And the beast
Reaches his numb hands
Out to humanity
Asking
'May I walk with you
On this lonesome road of life?'
And one by one hands join
And a smile appears on his grizzled face

Morning dew
Whispered dreams
Rainbow Colours
Silver Streams
Heartbeat
Evergreen

You give to me

Time stands still
Meet my gaze
Sunbeams
Through a morning haze
All these things
Every day

You give to me

Soft is this morning
Quiet my bones
Slow my heart beat

An empty space
Rests
Before my sunken eyes

Wait
My spirit
Flutters

Gentle is this morning
It demands nothing of me
Simply begs the question
What will you make of me?

Methodical clock
Beating out seconds
Your hands are driven
Only by energy
Time is not your measure

Energy

Gifted to me
By the universe
To do
To be
Human

Energy
Borrowed from eternity
To do
To be
Human

Energy
I place
Here and there

Infectious
To others

Wandering

Here and there

History

Strange tapestry of invasion

Displacement
Settlement
Resettlement

Buying
Selling
Ex­change

One idea
Supplanting another
To satisfy the needs
Of the time
To slake the thirst
Of the powerful few

History

Reflecting movements
Of generations
Upon generations
Until we ask

Where is home?
Where is home?

The great Ginko tree
Can live
Three thousand years
In one place

Watching
History

Watching
The migration
Of people

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

Those

Who give it all

Win

What is more important
Than time?

I may not be able
To give you many things
But you will have
My time
My attention

What is more important
Than listening?

I can lend you
My ears

I am hearing you

I am listening to you
As you
Express your life

I may not be able
To give you the things
That you thought you wanted

But I am giving you
My life

This is my sunrise
This is my golden morning
Not even the fiercest enemy
Can wrest this from me

So dazzling that I can barely look
So bright and true
As to leave glowing imprints
On my retina

Burning golden orb
Owning the cloudless sky
Radiating warmth wherever you go
You bring life to all around you

Melting the overnight frost
On blades of grass
Filling me with hope
Warming the inside of my bones

You, the sun of hope
Are rising
To banish the darkness of the night

Trees lean into you
Their hundreds of years of life
Nurtured by your offerings

I wish that your rays
Would fill my blood
And travel through every vessel in my body

You, our sun, could never die
And we, your children
Are given eternal life

Friend
You are gone too soon
From this earthly place

Gone too soon
And so quickly
That I wasn’t able to say
'Goodbye'
I didn’t even say
‘Thank you’
And I am so sorry for that

Friend,
I feel that your energy
Is still surrounding me
And that you are watching
What is happening in this world
Observing what we will do next

And I know
That I must act wisely and truthfully
If I am to honour you
And all the things
That you stood for

Friend
You didn’t want to talk about your illness
You preferred to work and work
Right until the end
Giving all that you could
To those who depended on you

And now your departure
Has shaken us all
Left us shocked and stunned
Barely able to understand
Anything at all

Friend
Your life was as beautiful
And strong
As a diamond
Your commitment to building community
Unshakeable

Friend
You will be missed
By so many people

Perhaps you didn’t realise
What you meant to them all

Perhaps you did

Maybe you knew
That your time
Was drawing near
And you needed to be
Near your birthplace
Far away from this place
Surrounded by your children
And your parents

And we
Will gather together
When you are laid to rest
To mourn
The passing
Of an honest
True
Friend

Can I tell you
How I really feel?

Would I embarrass myself
Would I shed a tear?

For years we have been together
And now I must part

But I will keep your voice
Close to my heart

Can I describe to you
What you have made me feel?

Can I share with you
Moments of pride, hours of joy?

Would you laugh at me
If my words come out wrong

Would you cry with me
For people now gone

Could we remember
All the memories we have?

Or does time pass too quickly
To allow us the chance

We did our beautiful dance
You and I

And now we must part
And say

Goodbye

I finished my book
A classic novel
And now I miss
The companionship
Built through journeying with
That main character

For the last few weeks
I looked forward
To being with him
Thinking with him
And wishing for him
As he travelled
And lived out
His fictional life

In that sacred space
Our two lives intertwined
And I was transported
From my own cares
Into his world

And now it is over
I must address
My own life
And
I must find
Another book

Goodbye friend
Life for you
Was troubled and dark
In the end
You felt too alone
To survive this world

Goodbye friend
Although you are gone too soon
Drowned in a sea of swallowed pills
I still feel your presence

Goodbye friend
I hope that our prayers
Will touch your life
As it journeys through the cosmos
And direct you towards
The happiness you deserve
In your next life

Goodbye friend
In the end
A darkness dominated your final days
But we know your natural state
Was one of light and life

Goodbye friend
We will miss you
And we regret that you weren’t able
To come through it all
To experience a different life

Goodbye Mr Cummings
Your days in power are done
You’ve got a cardboard box with you
Departing looking somewhat glum

Goodbye Mr Cummings
Your Brexit work is done
It’s seems you are no longer known
As Bojo’s pal and bestest chum

Goodbye Mr Cummings
Where to will you go?
The military?  The media?
Who could possibly know?

Goodbye Mr Cummings
Enough words have been said
I wonder what strange thoughts and schemes
Are rushing through your head?

Goodbye Mr Cummings
Who’s next to fall I wonder?
Has your brand of toxic rhetoric
Cast your dreams asunder?

So take a pause you would be chaps
Who cuss with sharpened tongue
The clock will tick as you advance
To make sure you’re undone

I approach
The end of this day
And abandon it
To sleep

The end of
This Friday
Never to come again

And I want to see
The back of it

Rather than cling to it
As a precious tranche of eternity

How human it is
To have good days
And bad days

I actually don’t want to read the news
I’d rather stare into the deepest blue

I don’t want to know about all the world’s problems
I’d rather just find some where to rest and snooze

My head gets too full and wild with worries
I’d rather discard them or perhaps just a few

I'd like to sit on a beach by the sea  
And do nothing but take in the view

Id rather not worry about people
And all the bad things they do

I’d prefer to look at the plants and the trees
The birds and the bees and thank them too

Today I could just let my guard down
And go with my flow I suppose

Perhaps by stopping to worry so much
Things might get better – who knows?

Courage is grace
Grace under pressure

I saw it written  
In a florist's book

As I walk down the street
I see my old friend

He greets me cheerfully
And somehow he laughs

He's going to be fired
After thirty odd years

Grace under pressure
Grace under pressure

Each day I rotate
And I spin and I turn

How can I create?
Can I create?

I need to give more
Be more, learn more

Turn my old heart
Inside out

Get what's within me
Onto the outside

I can’t hold it in
I have to release

No matter how ugly
Life's not always pretty

Sometimes it's sick
Unhappy, unholy

But that’s what it is
That's just what it is

I will wonder aloud
How to use my power

In which direction
To focus my strength

To be as I am
Just as I am

And pass days with dignity
One then another.

The Dragon Blood tree
On the isle of Socotra

Stands tall and quiet
Uncomplainingly

The Dragon Blood tree
Shows grace under pressure

It lives as it should
Courageously

Young politician
Remember to learn
Before you try to lead
'Driving up standards
Takes leadership', you say

Leadership is listening
Leadership is caring
Leadership is learning

Leadership means reforming your own character
Instead of trying to reform others

Before you build something new
Build on what is there

Young politician
You are there to serve
Not to dictate
You are there to explore
Not to judge

Young politician
Others must guide you
For you may guide yourself and others
To desperation

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

The closer together we are

The stronger the attraction

The further apart

The weaker the pull

When I hear great music
I don’t need anything else

Not money
Not food
Nor shelter

The Music Takes Over
And I am carried away

Not money
Not food
Nor shelter

On a magic carpet
Into a plane

Not money
Not food
Nor shelter

Where my body moves
And my heart rises

Not money
Not food
Nor shelter

And my soul is set free
By the mystic entity

Not money
Not food
Nor shelter

Grey
The colour
Of cloud

Silently
Words
Tumble
Like petals

There are times
When everybody wants you
And there are times
When nobody wants you

There are times
When everybody needs you
And times
When nobody needs you

My body
Yearns
To rest

My mind needs nothing to contemplate
I empty the vessel of my existence
To fill it with the new

You might not know
But my love is here
To catch you
If you fall

I will be one
Who listens
When your heart is broken

I will be a strong guardian
Should you ever need my shelter
As you voyage from home
Out into the wilds

I will feel your tears
And share them with you
For I know that friends and lovers
Will hurt your pure heart

But it is better for you
To have lived, loved and given
Than to have been too afraid
To share your heart
With others

The young do not see the future
The same way as their seniors
Elders have traveled their own unique path
Gaining wisdom along the way

The young will take a different path
Collecting new wisdom
Learning new truths
Building society anew

Yet somehow
A bridge binds
Old and young

Hope exchanges with experience
And vitality blends
With the security of wisdom

When the old guide the young
Towards a brilliant future
Then there will be hope
For every one
Of us

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