What or whom you believe in matters not
If believe in yourself first you cannot.

Writers write not to fill bookshelves;
Writers write to fulfil themselves.
They write because they feel a need,
Words they know others may never read.

Sure as day always follows night
There shall always be those who write

I may have had a misspent youth
Though to tell you the honest truth
I would not change a thing 'cos hey...
It made me who I am today.

I love you more than words can e'er express,
More than possibly you could ever know.
For with you I have found true happiness
And the meaning of true love I now know.
I could have had no way of foreseeing
That I could love someone as you I do;
With every fibre of my being,
Certain the only one for me is you.
That we should never part each day I pray,
That you should be part of my life always,
For I love you more with each passing day,
Know I shall love you for all of my days.
I feel we were meant to be together,
That you and I are soulmates forever.

If our past we could rearrange
For better or worse would things change?
If our future we could foresee
Would it a curse or blessing be?
If all we have is the present
Should we not savour each moment?

To our fears we could easily succumb
Or try our hardest them to overcome;
Choose to let them rule us and stagnate
Or use them to ourselves motivate.
For when we overcome our fears only
Can we be all we could possibly be.

Others you should not judge, criticise
'Til you have seen the world through their eyes;
Know where the person is coming from,
Know the challenges they overcome.
For on you it does reflect badly,
It says much more about you sadly.
Makes you seem shallow, superficial,
So narrow minded and judgemental.

Often 'tis not what is said
But that which remains unsaid
That so much more can convey,
More than any words can say;
That can cause the most regret,
Can reverberate long yet.

In cotton wool I would wrap you,
Keep you from all harm if I could,
Though I know that if I were to
It would do you more harm than good.

Though to protect you I may yearn
I may not always be there to.
Therefore I must ensure you learn;
Both protect and empower you.

'Tis our nature to be humane
Though we prove time and time again
Just how inhumane we can be,
How we lack in humanity.

Those who can read, though not to choose,
Much more than those who cannot lose;
They are no more intelligent
Than those who want to read but can’t.
Who wants to but can't, one day will;
Though who choose not to, will not still.

Committing to change is the key,
Having a plan, a strategy.
Aims and goals that are within reach,
Not stopping 'til you achieve each.
Guarding against ambivalence,
Embracing the experience.

Who the whole truth fails to reveal,
Who pertinent facts do conceal,
May not in truth a liar be
Though are truly untrustworthy;
Unscrupulous, devious, sly,
Dishonest, though they tell no lie.

Often we wait, we hesitate,
We contemplate and ruminate,
Deliberate, procrastinate,
'Til it's too late.
'Til whereupon, not acted on,
Our chance has gone. Perhaps our one,
And only one, chance is forgone.
And life goes on....

Never give up on your journey
Unless you truly know how far
You have come or how close you are
To where it is you want to be.

Poetry by its very nature
Its immortality does secure.
For from the seed that one poem sows
Others take root, germinate and grow
To bloom as poetry of all kinds
From many fertile, creative minds.
Thus ensuring the art shall endure;
Shall flourish long in to the future.

Please God never let the day come
When I need to seek asylum,
That my home I should have to flee,
That I become a refugee.

For there are many, not just some
Places I would not be welcome.
The number of which seems to grow,
Soon there will be nowhere to go.

Should you make me a refugee
Pray God not in vain let it be.
Let it teach all humanity,
Compassion, mercy, empathy.

Life is too short to be miserable.
Do what you love whenever possible.
Whether you live to work or work to live
It is vital you maintain perspective!

Not all angels have a halo or wings.
Not all demons have tails, horns protruding.
It can be so hard to tell them apart
For good and evil lie within the heart.

I know not what it is of which you speak
When you do speak of the impossible,
For with every passing day I seek
To push myself whenever possible.
Things I thought were impossible before
I subsequently went on to achieve,
And know I am capable of much more
If only in myself I can believe.
How can anybody possibly know
What in the future might be possible?
For with each day we develop and grow
Do we not redefine our potential?
Each new day brings new opportunities,
Offering endless possibilities.

As stars the night sky illuminate,
Poetry does the darkness abate.

Some write for a hobby just,
Me? I write because I must.
Writing to me is a need
As to life the need to breathe.

If I had given up along the way
No way would I be where I am today.
Though reaching our goals can at times be tough,
To get where we want...we must want it enough.

Though good employees may come to you with problems,
Great employees will bring some solutions with them.

How the burning flames of passion
Can the coldest of hearts fashion...
Frozen, impenetrable,
Of love no longer capable.

There are many people clearly
Who dislike Michael O Leary
And his company Ryanair
Who offer flights abroad, low fare.
I have to say I am a fan,
I have great respect for the man
For how he built the company
And boosted our economy.
When with Ryanair I have flown
Very few problems have I known.
What I pay for is what I get;
The have never let me down yet!
And they are always improving
With passenger numbers proving
Many like to fly Ryanair
Despite all the bad press out there.
Let's give credit where it is due,
To Ryanair and Michael too.
Ryanair is undoubtedly
A great Irish success story.

How others react when all goes to hell
So much about their character does tell.
How they act when things are going well though
Much more of their true character does show.
How one interacts daily with others
Of their character is a true measure.

Eighty five dead today in Iraq
Following three suicide attacks.
But why is there no worldwide outcry?
How many innocents have to die?

As the death toll continues to mount
It seems these deaths somehow do not count.
Is it because they are "over there"
That so many of us do not care?

Have we not learned  from what went before,
When we could and should have done much more?
Each life should be equally precious,
If we think otherwise, shame on us

"One mistake
does
not One make"

The day you left my heart did break,
Each day you're gone my soul doth ache.

Life is not about brevity
Any more than longevity.
It is all about what you do
With the time that is granted you.

Books left on bookshelves
Might as well be dead....
To bring them to life
They have to be read!

Never could I imagine a friend who
Could be a better friend to me than you.
There's no better friend in reality;
Best friends forever I hope we shall be.

Those who on negativity do dwell;
Who fail to recognise the positive,
Are those whom without we could all do well,
To whom our precious time we should not give.
For 'tis rare they have any good to say
About anyone, indeed anything.
Just ask yourself at the end of the day
What exactly to your life do they bring?
Have we not got enough with which to cope
Without their constant negativity?
To leave them behind is our only hope
Before like them we all turn out to be.
How much happier lives we all could live
If we focused more on the positive.

No halo have I
Nor do you have wings.
We are you and I
Imperfect beings.

Though for each other
Just perfect we are.
Loving each other
For all we both are.

Often I have a dream
That leaves me full of fear,
For in said dream I scream
But nobody can hear.

Athough in my worst dreams,
The stuff of my nightmares,
Others can hear my screams
But not one of them cares.

To the enemy you cannot forgive
You shall be bound for as long as you live.
Only forgiveness can sever the bond,
Can set you free to finally move on.
Though to forgive can be so hard to do,
Forgive not for your enemy....but you.

Tears come from the heart
Though through our eyes flow
To sadness impart
So others can know....

Though give up writing never would he,
It was his very reason to be.
Whether published or not
He did not care a jot...
Because he needed to write you see!

There was a man who wrote poetry,
There were none more prolific than he.
And all that he wished
Was to be published
But alas it was never to be!

Every once in a while
Every one of us should
Take time out to give thanks for
All in our lives that is good,
To truly appreciate
Just how well off we all are;
How really we have it great,
Could be much worse off by far!

Let not others get under your skin,
Do not react but instead respond.
For if you react then they will win,
You are giving them just what they want.
To react is all power to lose,
To respond gives them nothing to use.
If you can be the bigger person
And not react, then you will have won.

Were it not for friends like you
I know not what I would do.
No better friend could there be
Than the friend you are to me.
Glad I am you are my friend,
Long may it last, never end!

Never should children have to know
How much to their parents they owe.
Although when they reach adulthood
Know, without being told, they should.
How parents give to us so much,
How grateful we should be for such.
Whether passed on or living yet,
Ne'er should we our parents forget.

How on earth could they not have known
All those who tried to bury me?
That buried I was not, but sown
Only to grow stronger daily!

How on earth could I not have grown
Fed by their negativity?
Which was fertile enough alone
To both nourish and strengthen me.

They could have just left me alone,
There was no need for it really!
Now they must reap what they have sown,
Must take responsibility!

Is it better to try something
And to risk any consequence?
Or worse not to try anything,
Risk being of no consequence?

To myself I make a promise,
A vow to be all I can be;
To live up to my full promise,
To the true potential in me.

Let not others expectations
Impose on you limitations.
They know not your true potential;
Of what you might be capable.
Who knows any better than you
What you might be able to do?
Though your limits you may reset
As extra confidennce you get.

Of expectations all one needs
Is for all of them to exceed.
Not only others but your own,
For potential is an unknown.
With learning, life experience
There comes a growth in confidence.
Who can tell what you can achieve
If in yourself you can believe?

Some leaders thrive on their power,
Great leaders strive to empower.
Some feel power is absolute,
The great ones though... know the real truth.