Sometimes I miss you in a way that it hurts
Sometimes I so need to hold you when you're not here
I pick up your pillow and hug it
Sometimes you're here holding my hand,
Your breath kissing my cheek
Sometimes I feel you in the room silently keeping me safe
Sometimes a message reaches my soul from yours that lifts my spirit
Sometimes I can't go on without you and yearn for your return
Sometimes love is a mistress
That takes you and throws you against the wall but never lets go
Sometimes my heart overflows with so much love
It drenches me
My body soaked and heavy with emotion, passion
And a longing for the brush of your lips on mine
Sometimes this life is a mass of lost thoughts
Competing with a reality of the day
Sometimes I wish I could lift you up in my arms
Take you to a field of buttercups, poppies and cornflowers
And just lie and stare at the sky with you in my arms
Sometimes,  sometimes,  sometimes

Capture your dreams and keep them safe
Nothing is between them and you
Tell the world your heart’s desires
It’s a wonderful place  to be
Let no-one say that there is no magic
In every day or every night
You can prove the most special things
If you capture your dream
Hold them close and make them real
Imagine you are there
Close your eyes and count to three
Spin around and round
Look up to the sky above
The clouds move by and clean the blue
Azure and brightly lit
Mornings come but dreams live on
I am sure of it
Love is but a state of mind
Just a dream for you?
Then someone comes and  holds you close
And makes that dream come true

Whatever went before is passed
Strictly turning away I disregard its hurt
Never before as now have I experienced
A comfort zone of love

Falling down was easy before
But I had no blanket, taut and safe
No hand to hold when times were tough
No shoulder on which to cry

Now and onwards all is well
Complete and carefree, away from the pain
Not lost as I was in a deep crevasse just trying to look up
Sinking in despair

I have you my love
All is transformed into calmness and serenity
No concerns of tripping up or falling
Because you are there to hold and care

My sanctimonious smile can be written as that
Casting adrift the boat that was hopelessness
For today I am free to live and love
You have given me so much

Some time ago
In lands of mists and cloud
Our eyes claimed a space
Above the deepest gorge
Overseeing the depths of our hearts
The span of time since then
Has melted into brilliant sunshine
Completely we have come through
Eons of revalationary idylls
Backwards and forward we rock
Whilst we gather our thoughts
The fleeting time holds us
Moving our visions from whence we came
To our place now
Swirling, dream-like

Facing you I catch the light
In your eyes and focus
But dazzling me with your mind
You lay back on the cool grass
Arms outstretched
Stooping I collect your hands
And bring them close to my face
Softly kissing your fingers
The scent of your skin
Excites me as the warm sunlight
Suddenly bursts through the cloud
Strokes my back and lifts my spirits

As I stoop further
And gently take you in my arms
Lifting you, as light as a dry feather
Swinging you round
Making your hair stream outwards
Curtain-like
You laugh and I laugh
Hysterically we collapse
And lay holding hands staring at the sky
Bodies heaving as the laughter subsides
Electric passing through us
The spark of life invigorating

Simply lain your hair sits proudly, cut
Creating a crown of beauty
Feathered, the strands which pour
rivulets down your smooth neck
Your shoulder shelving the resting place
of curls
the deep dark light now kinder as you sleep
still but vibrant ever full of sweetness
merry as the moon shines
lighting the room as dreaming
you are complete and at one
with the world
Your brown hair
rests whilst you slumber
waiting to become the glory again

Claim the right to be mine
Discard the old notions
Feast your soul as we speak
Listen to your heartfelt rhythms
Clone your passions and keep them
Next to you and available to touch
Mother yourself and resist the temptation
From everyday door to door tedium
Even now you don't need the plan
You require nothing but vision
Look as we walk and stay focussed
Our hearts are much greater together
Our minds phenomenal
If we fall we rise above the left-over threads
Because home binds us and caresses us
The silent notes of winter
Frozen and hollow we disregard
Their implications and welcome
The spring and all it brings us
Manifesting fraying in the cold passing
And firming the winds of summer
The bright new year is at last
Holding hands with our souls
Eternally warming between us

Dear ancestors hear my voice
On this Samhain eve I have a
Message for you
Be sure I have found my love
A love that releases me
The version of me you may not know
The one that I have became
It is true that this love has grown
Grown into a perfect and lasting covenant
Love that is rare and true
She is the embodiment of me in a
Special and all seeing person
She has given me sight to see the world in its glory
The Vision of which I have never known
She has given me heart to carry on when all seems lost
Courage to face each day
The tenacity to make the most of my life and of hers
The soul that we share is complete in the extreme
It is extreme as it is perfect and as one
She gives me more than this more than I could ever
Ever ever say.
I found her just six years ago
She came to me in a rush of circumstance
Something unexpected and yet hoped for
I can say much of this but all I need to say
Is that I love her so dearly it hurts
It hurts because life itself is so fragile.
I hold this love in my hand and cherish it
Cherish this day as we walk together into our
Seventh year through the mist and veil
Of Samhain, oh Samhain,
This is our time  

Max Hale
Dedicted to my Jan on the anniversary of our meeting six years ago.

Remembering that day
The first sight of your little face
Rounded cheeks and beautiful mouth
Eyes tightly shut.
How proud I was to have
a daughter
Since then I have continued
to be proud and thankful
How many Dads have such beauty
****** into their lives that lasts?
Not just beauty of a visual nature
But one that is from the core
Throughout body and soul.
You have never given a second
of disappointment or sadness
No anger, no worry nor concern
Just happiness and joy
Perfection is an over used hyperbole
In this case not
Thank you for giving me and everyone
the love and steadfast care
We may or may not deserve.
So on this special day
From my heart and from
every fibre of my being
I want to tell you that
There is no-one like you
You have a special place inside me
My love goes with you always
May you feel the energy of the cosmos
Caring for you and the life blood
Of our earth supporting
Helping and keeping you safe
Amongst the trials of this mortal life
And as the winter solstice approaches
When the sun is reborn into our world
May you have health and love always

For my special daughter Vicky

Dad ***

Clever minds that stretch
The many elements which live as our backdrop
Too often everyday is spoiled
By unnecessary people, gathering ammunition
For climbing invisible platforms of command
These are cast aside by simple smiles and welcomes
And it was.
Even if the task was invisible to me at first
My soul felt at home amongst these new work mates
My responsible position was underwritten
Given gravitas and a freedom to which I wasn't quite used

The time was charged with familiar but different
It was fraught but strangely healthier in paradox
The honest fight was taken with gestures of family proportion
Success had waned but the unity of 'knowing' was the strength
That continued to support that Company
In spite of the turmoil my personal facets were given air
To run and to adjust, to temper and to manage
Poor communication was completely disastrous
The confusion of three currencies
And the balance of understanding left us guessing
Never mind agreement or translation

Through all this, looking back my heart is lifted
Not by the freedom or the ability to achieve ...mostly,
It is the strength from our leader,
That calm, silver haired man
When many were distraught you kept us going
And fed us with hope and built our confidence,
Not always with the obvious
But gave us the ability to win through by believing ,
Believing in us and building back our motivation and teasing out
The raw infrastructure of our true capabilities
Never before has anyone, apart from my Mother
Believed in me as you did. To tackle the toughest of tasks
Anything that the industry, the public or our customers
Could throw at us, we dealt with it.
Sadly you could do nothing at the final demise but take the role
Of a father giving news of an aged relative sadly moved by
A force greater than yourself
I know had you the influence, the power and the funding............

You were always more than a boss Chris
Your transparent enthusiasm raised our spirits
And in times of worry I hope we lifted yours too.
I think of you often, thank you for being a friend
After we were no longer professionally connected.
I see your generous smile and your warm handshake
I can hear your laugh now
It's always a treat to catch up over a beer.
I now find you in my phone, in my photographs
But mostly in my heart for being a great bloke
You taught me so much.

Speak soon, with love, Max