You shall never succeed unless
To all you do you give your best;
To have any hope of success
You must give it your all...no less!

To make the best of any mistake
The chance to learn one must not forsake;
No learning from a mistake to take
Is the worst mistake that one can make!

The three little words
I will never say
Are that "I Give Up"...
No! Never! No Way!

Who has time to make an excuse
Should put their time to better use!
It is the worst way time to use;
It is very hard to excuse!

Once I had a dream
Which I made come true...
If I can do it
Well then, So can you!

One more letter of rejection!
Disappointment and dejection!
Though many of such I receive
I still continue to believe!

I write because I feel a need,
(As vital as the need to breathe)
Words that others may never read;
Though just by writing I succeed!

No ambiguity let there be;
All racists are abhorrent to me!
If those we elect can't say the same
Alas 'tis to our eternal shame!
For the views of those whom we elect
Rightly or wrongly on us reflect!

Knowing what one wants not
Is just as important
As knowing what one wants;
Perhaps more important?

The earth darkness grips
Behind the moon the sun slips
A solar eclipse.

Without mistakes, problems to solve
Best practice would never evolve;
For mistakes and problems create
A chance to learn, to innovate.

Though it is brave to keep going
Whilst knowing what it is to fail...
It takes courage to keep going
Whilst knowing you cannot prevail.

'Tis not the deep we should fear, No,
For we know not what is present;
Truth is we should fear the shallow
For all we do know is absent.

Why is it that in company
I often feel the most lonely?
Lonelier than I"ve ever known,
Worse than ever I feel alone?

Alas, what is of importance,
What is of most significance,
We oft' know not by its presence,
We learn only by its absence;
Oft' we fail to appreciate
What we have before it's too late.

Never put up with anyone
Who is always putting you down!
Your life would be a better one
Without them and their ilk around.
Let negativity begone
And positivity abound!

Life events will have an impact
Both negative and positive.
It all depends on how we react,
Cope with such changes as we live.

Some bring great joy, sorrow or pain;
They change us fundamentally.
Life cannot be the same again
As we view it differently.

Life will go on nevertheless,
No doubt more changes we shall see.
And how we react, nothing less,
Shall decide how our lives will be.

Should you be having a bad day
For one reason or another,
Do not make those around you pay...
Do not take it out on others!

Though today is Tuesday
Many think it Monday,
But that was yesterday...
'Twas a Bank Holiday!
Which in a strange weird way
Many thought was Sunday,
But just on Saturday
All of us knew the day!
But who cares anyway?
Tomorrow is Wednesday,
Just to get through Thursday
Then hooray!! 'Tis Friday!

If the whole world but a stage be
Whose cast of characters are we,
What genre fits your life story,
A thriller, farce or comedy?
A romance or perhaps maybe
Drama, action, or tragedy?

Would you be the stage manager,
The producer or director?
Would you be the lead character,
Or play a supporting role or
Just appear occasionally,
Happy just an extra to be?

And when the final curtain falls
Will you have given it your all?
Will others demand an encore
Or will they have expected more?
But of the most significance....
How will you rate your performance?

Should you feel like just giving up,
Or feel that you have had enough,
Remember you are not alone,
We all have troubles of our own.
Though you may think life is not fair
Who goes through life without a care?
We all have our own cross to bear;
Those without are extremely rare.
It is vital we keep going
For we have no way of knowing
What for us tomorrow might bring
If we do our best, keep trying.
Perhaps you  may look back one day
And proudly be able to say,
Though life was hard, extremely tough,
I'm so glad I did not give up.

Trees cannot always be in bloom
Nor are plants always in flower.
Why then people, do we presume,
Should be at their best every hour?
With their best side always on show,
No matter what, through all seasons;
Worry when they are not just so
And start searching for the reasons?
We need to realise one day
What is just natural I guess...
It's ok not to be ok,
Not to be always at ones best.

The perfect someone there is not
For imperfect beings are we,
So for the perfect one look not...
But one who is perfect for thee.

There once was a presumptuous poet
Who thought his poems were the best ever wrote,
He was quite prolific,
Thought he was terrific,
But he never wrote anything of note!

No wardrobe, no rabbit hole do I need
If it is to escape this world I look....
I just go to the library and read,
Where I can escape in a world of books.

Those who can clearly see and clearly hear
Who choose to turn a blind eye, a deaf ear
To all they do not wish to see or hear,
Are clearly shallow; clearly insincere.
Their own happiness is all they hold dear;
That they care not for others is quite clear.

If all were either black or white,
If grey areas there were none;
If all were either wrong or right,
One or the other, no question,
Would it be either good or bad?
Would it be a blessing or curse?
Would it make us happy or sad?
Would we be better off or worse?

The deepest wounds leave scars that never go
Perhaps so that we and others may know
That all our pain and suffering is real
And becomes a part of us as we heal.
Tho' often 'tis the deepest wound by far
Which hurts most yet leaves no visible scar.

Who knows all the right answers
Though intelligent may be...
Who knows all the right questions
So much wiser are truly.

When lost in the depths of despair,
When all hope appears to be gone,
One has to dig even deeper
To find the strength to carry on.
Though one may doubt the strength is there,
It lies within us all somewhere.

Though darkness will often descend
One should remember on such days
That dark days shall come to an end
And the light will return always.

If to Fear we would succumb,
Nothing then would we become.

Entwined, despair and hope
As two strands of the one rope...

"What will be will be"
Seems like a cop out to me?
Where there is a will...

For what is past do not lament,
Yearn not for what is yet to be.
Learn to live now; in the moment
For it passes so fleetingly....

All those who look but do not see,
Those who listen but do not hear,
Show such a lack of empathy
That those who truly care should fear.

.

To be any more than ordinary
Requires that little extra simply!

Ne'er can any mountain be climbed
Unless at first one is inclined!

Whether on stone or wood, slate or leather,
Papyrus, parchment, vellum or paper,
With fingers or stylus, chalk or the quill,
Much later with the pen or the pencil,
Or the typewriter, computers today;
Writers, to write, will always find a way.

Know how to adapt to change or...
To success become a stranger.

You will always be my little girl
Though now a woman in your own right,
And as you step out into the world
I pray to God you will be alright.
Though in cotton wool I would wrap you
To keep you from all harm if I could,
I understand that if I were to
That I would do you more harm than good.
Over the past few years you have grown
Into a wonderful young lady;
The strength of character you have shown
Tells me I have no need to worry.
So go girl! Do what you have to do,
There's a great big world waiting for you!
But remember, whatever you do,
That I shall always be here for you.
Love Dad x

With each new day I am born anew
Into a world of opportunity.
There is no limit to what I can do
Nor to the potential within me!

If the world my oyster be...
Then, my love, the pearl is thee.
Without you my world would be
Just a shell; would be empty

Where all might look hopeless,
There is still hope no less.

On this the start of the New Year
Friends and family far and near
Health and happiness I wish you
And good fortune the whole year through.

Like the moon and the stars
My friends and family
Do in my darkest hours
Shine much brighter for me.
Each a glimmer of hope
In the darkness I see,
I know not could I cope
Were they not there for me.

Any man can drink 'til he drops,
Never know the right time to stop;
Can get out of his mind on drink,
So drunk he can no longer think!

It takes a real man to say No,
I've had enough, I have to go;
To be able to have a drink,
To enjoy the craic ... but still think!

What I admire most of all
Is the leaf that is last to fall;
That so resolutely lives on
When many thought it would be gone.

A symbol of strength and courage
As life enters its final stage,
Facing a foretold destiny
With so much grace and dignity.

Each day struggling to survive
Against all odds, to stay alive.
Somehow finding the will to fight,
To remain proud despite her plight.

There is no doubt the day will come
When finally she will succumb,
Though I shall always love, admire
Her will to live, her sheer desire....

For all in life she gave to me
I shall cherish her memory,
Though her love of life I believe
Is the true legacy she leaves.

Those who cannot hear the music playin'
Think because I dance, I am quite insane.
While I pray they hear music one day soon,
'Til then I'll keep dancing to my own tune!

They say pride comes before a fall
Which I do not believe at all,
For how would we progress unless
We can take pride in our success?
'Tis pride in success I believe
That motivates us to achieve.
So whether they be big or small
Celebrate your achievements all!
Take pride in any job well done
And apologise to no one!

Every day you could wake up and choose
To try something new; What have you to lose?
Or you could just stay in your comfort zone,
Do for all your days all you've ever known.

Whatever you choose either way is fine,
It is up to you; It's your life not mine.
But do not forget... Life is for living;
To have no regrets the ultimate thing.