the extreme right would have us all live divided
whereas the extreme left would have us all live in collective utopia,
and there is a little of both in everyone who holds middle ground.
Jesus sided with neither, nevertheless he lived and preached total revolution, where there is no room for half heartedness.

The portrait.

1926 London

He was poor.
who needed a starving artist in this cold winter..
Spending his last few shillings
he bought a ticket to the play.
It was at the London hippodrome.
Staring Miss Abigail Kendrick.

He had read of her
in a theatre magazine
in the little country hamlet
that he had spent his whole life.

In the theatre she shone like the star she was.
Even when the spotlights faded
All that he could see
was the beautiful color
of her turquoise eyes.

In the second act
he was in love with her.
By the end of the play
he was besotted.

He went back to his tiny room
By not eating
he bought the paints and canvas.
Carefully mixing his colors
on the pallet.

he found the exact hue he sought.
The perfect turquoise of her eyes.
When it was completed
he thought it to be the pinnacle
of his work thus far in his life.

After the next show was over
he waited outside
by  the theatre stage door.
Several Hours later
she appeared dressed beautifully

He stepped forward into the gaslight
from the flickering streetlamp.
You are the most beautiful creature
in gods creation he uttered.
I am in love with you
so much in love.

He passed the small painting to her.
And she took it from him.
It's ...it's.. so beautiful she whispered.
Not as beautiful as you milady

She kept the painting
for her whole life.
Always in a predominant position
in her stage dressing room.
She heard the artist had died
a few weeks later
after he gave her her picture.

2017
The young woman entered
.the old building in London.
Her great great grandmother
had passed on
she was left all of her possessions.
She was over 100 years old when she died
and the girl knew there
would not be much of earthly value.

But it was her duty to clear her apartment.
She saw the programs of the the plays
her great grandmother had been in.

Then she saw the painting
on her old mantle shelf.
It was so beautiful
a portrait
of her great great  grandmother
in her maytime.

The eyes were dancing in the light
even now so turquoise
She had been a great beauty.
She looked at the name
of the artist in bottom corner.
It was signed.
With all my heart and love
Roger Donovan

Her heart stood still for a moment.
She had to call her own artist man
who had stolen her heart forever.

She. Pressed his name in her contact. List
Her cell phone sent the call.
The receptionist
at the art gallery answered.
Can I speak
with James Donovan please.

He answered the phone
and said darling I have just completed
your portrait it is the best work
I have ever done.
I truly believe
I have the exact hue
of your beautiful turquoise eyes.

When the colors fall

In the night
the colors fall
From a clouded sky
comes midnight blue.

From the shadows
Whispers call me.
I know the voice is you.

In the silence
the music plays.
Memories dance
To a romantic tune
That comes from
Once  happier days

In the light
The colors fall.
From a morning sky
comes lighter blue

In my heart
the colors fall.
Each time
I think of you.

There are
many colors there
of every shade and hue.
But the only one that
I can see is Blue

In the winter night the snowflakes fall
Breaking down my memories wall
Bring me dreams of Christmas past
Where people stay and feelings last

In the night the moonbeams shine
Bring me visions of all once mine
Let me see her haunting smile
That captured me in sweet beguile

See the winter crystal clear
Where silence rains from ones so dear
Let me sleep through festive glow
My dreams now covered by the snow

It has been many faded years since I lost you.
Yet the memories of you are indelible.
I know we are very different you and I.
You with your dreams in the heavens
Plans that were cascading in the planets.

Me, so grounded to planet earth
Afraid to take the risk of wild dreams.
Yet I loved you, and
I swallowed my fears like a pill.
I climbed aboard your spaceship.

Even though it was inevitable that I would
One day fall back to earth.
Knowing all of this,even now
I would not change anything about us.

For just a small moment
I touched the moon and stars
and visited the vast unknown.
And it was you who took me there

THE Lady on the  Train.... A Romantic Love Story

1945 in postwar England.

The endless war was over.
We were all returning to the new normal.
That is if anything could ever be normal again.
The train trundled along the British countryside
The towns, the counties, passing slowly by.
Rows of houses, country farms, peace and tranquility once more.
The edge of Scotland ahhh! Scotland.

We Passed the cities into the Highlands
where pristine lochs sparkled in the rare northern sunshine.
She got onto the train at Inverness.
A change of vehicle descending south.
To a London, I did not want ever to see again.

I was reading my book on the armies of Rome in England.
She took a sandwich out of her oversized purse.
would you like one she asked softly.?
I was famished normal protocol a polite no.
But my hunger screamed even louder than my reticence
yes, that would be lovely.
Thank you so much.

The food trolley arrived I ordered two cups of watery after war coffee
and two custard tarts.
I showed her Hadrians wall
as we passed it.
The city of York which had been the center of the British civil war
Cavaliers and roundheads and all that.
I guess by now she knew I was a terminal bore.
But she did not seem to mind.

She smiled and laughed dutifully at my jokes.
What she did not know
By the time we reached Crewe
I was in love with her.
Obviously a woman as beautiful as her.
Would have no interest in such a stogie
old Bachelor schoolmaster like me.

I had no skills in alluring the fairer ***.
Only Shakespeare Plato Descartes.
But as the train pulled into Euston
dust from the coal-fired engines entered
a piece of soot into my eye
From the open window of the carriage

She came to my aid taking the dust from my eye with the rolled corner of her handkerchief. The pain immediately subsided. And then she kissed my lips softly yet firmly.
I have never kissed a man unintroduced she whispered.
But I do not want to wait for you
you are very shy.

2006
The snow fell on Greyfriars school early that winter
We had retired to the headmaster's quarters which would be ours for the rest of our days.
I remember the train, my love.
She whispered
her beautiful gray eyes still as young as the springtime.
You gave me half your ham sandwich
my love I answered weakly.
Then at Euston, you kissed me first.
Like this, she said her familiar sweet.lips reached mine.
That's because I found the man that I wanted for my life partner she purred.
My last vision in this world was her beautiful face.
The light faded in my eyes for the last time.
She melted into oblivion.

I was on a train alone again like so long ago.
The British rail trolley came
I bought two weak watery coffees and two custard tarts.
Keep riding, sir be patient
the tea lady's voice said kindly.
She will be with us soon, at Inverness

A schoolmasters life ..story by Jude kyrie
1919  chipping Sodbury England

Grenville school for young Englishmen

The bell for evensong rang out
It was seven o'clock the boys would be
Going to the school chapel he wanted to see them.
He was so old where had all the time passed.
He remembered it was 1876 he was such a young
Man so full of dreams and possibilities.
His days at a schoolmaster at Grenville school for boys
had begun.

He knew he was a shy stodgy schoolmaster going unnoticed.
No promotions just the same grade.
Then a miracle happened
Grace found him
he did not mean a gift of faith
He always has that of course.

If was the most stunning lady he had ever seen.
He was at the train station at Chippingham Wold
The fog had set in and the trains were delayed...
He sat in the waiting room and she was there.
Her smile lit up the room.

I did not have the skills to enchant the fairer ***
Only the words of masters like Chaucer and Shakespeare.
She said would you like to join me for a tea and scones
She withdrew a flask of sweet tea and gave me one of her scones.

We talked for hours in the deep fog that kept us there overnight.
She said thank you for keeping me safe overnight
I was quite afraid, he thought she did not look afraid.
The train arrives to take us to Chipping Sodbury.

As we exited the train
she slipped me her address
on her scented card that
Was perfumed with gardenias.
I still have it even in my eighties
I had fallen for her you see.
But who would not have?

I picked up my courage from my boots
And knocked on her door.
We married six months later.
I have never been as happy before or since.
The next five years were heaven she charmed the
School committee and all the boys

They loved her
well almost as much as I did you see.
She  kissed me at the door after the cricket match
We beat you Turnberry Wells by seven runs
I was pink with excitement.
We are having a child she said.
I wept with joy.

Then when the labor came she had eclampsia
And the labor was very hard
After many hours the doctor came down
From the bedroom.
I looked up
He shook his head.
And the child I whispered.
His sad eyes cell to the ground.

I never married again
How could I,
I had drunk from the cup of perfection.

1914
The great war came
At evensong, I read the names of my fallen boys
William's, Burns, Sands Rene And  Colley
Who received a posthumous Victoria Cross
For pulling his wounded Batman from the line of fire
In a failed charge upon the German trenches.

The tears fell from my eyes as their faces
Appeared as the boys I loved.
The war tumbled to an end
and the sons of the fallen came back
As young boys to Grenville

I was old and headmaster of that sainted school.
The roll call of the new boys announced their names.
William's sir, Burns sir, Coley sir
I taught your father's I said softly.

Then the years rolled by
I was lay on my deathbed nearly ninety now
I heard two of the young masters outside my door.
The old man is dying
He lost his wife years ago you know.
Never had any children its such a shame.

As the light faded into my eyes.
I whispered.
but that's not true
I had a thousand children
And they were all boys.