From the humblest of beginnings
Began a tough innings
A family deprived
His dad had died

So to work he went
To help pay the rent
From a teen to a man
In a short time span

He had many a job
Hard earned each “bob”
He was a keeper of bees
He picked beans and peas

With marbles and shanghai
He had a keen eye
So rabbits he’d stalk
Their pelts he sought

A butcher and baker
And fence post maker
A fisherman and fruiterer
And even spud picker

A shearer of great ability
Those shears he clicked with agility
From morn to night
He worked hard alright

Met a girl and made her his wife
Ten children now blessed his life
He provided as best he could
Forever working for their good

A large family and so little money
Life, of course, was not always sunny
Simply he lived, simple his dwelling
The trials he faced so very compelling

A ****** awful thing was done
A terrible tragedy stole his son
With grief immeasurable and untold
He held together; staying controlled

Children struggled to forgive their mother
As she left him and found another
Yet for her he would always stand
Always hoping to win back her hand

Another tragedy claimed a limb
We thought it would be the death of him
His work, his wife, his health now gone
Yet silently, painfully he continued on

We knew his heart was terribly broken
Yet always forgiveness he had spoken
We knew he lived with daily pain
But silent and strong he would remain

His strength and courage was beyond belief
But for him there would be no relief
His children were now all grown
He died, one night … alone

If I could wish a thousand wishes
I'd give them all to you
For one is all I need my love
To make my dreams come true
From now until the end of time
I'd wish to stand by you --
To sleep with you and wake with you
Would be the perfect rhyme
Of things and grandeur I’d not want
Just simple joys of life and love
Heav’nly gifts so freely given
A blessing from the Lord above
        And so one wish is all I need
        A small but magical seed

With generosity of time and care
He teaches her about the things he knows.
Such as a couplet is a rhyming pair
And how a sonnet ought to be composed.
Pentameter iambic is the key
With accents, syllables and scansion too.
It seems a huge and baffling mystery
But bit by bit he gives a hint. A clue.
“It helps to tap your fingers on the desk
To count the syllables and hear the beat.
For some this seems bizarre and quite grotesque
But listen hard and count along. It’s sweet!”
          A teacher true who cares for flawless rhyme
          I thank you friend for giving me your time.

As you start your new adventure
With hope, excitement and longing
I wonder about that greener pasture
And the dreams it might be growing

And as I muse, reflect and ponder
I settle with but one impression …
Whatever dreams are there and yonder
Are worthy of pursuit and possession

Please know of my sincere affection
For all the kindness shown
You steered me in a new direction …
A mentor, none better have I known

Your support so kindly imparted
Will be both missed and treasured
Lovely, generous and kind-hearted
A friend by whom friends are measured

I wish for you happiness and health
Amazing travels, both near and far
A future filled with such joyous wealth
But for now, my friend … Au revoir

I breathe you in until I can no more
And savor ev’ry moment that you’re near
Breathless. Winded. Your closeness I adore
For in your sweet embrace I have no fear
I drink you in until I am replete
You fill and overflow my wanting heart
Two souls rejoice and hearts together beat
A bond beyond compare; never to part
And as we slowly dance this dance of love
And all others are but a silhouette
You draw me close; as one; like hand and glove
Then speak to me the words I’ll not forget

And in my heart they’re locked; and there they’ll stay
Forever more – until my dying day

With a smile and all our love
We send this wish to you
This wish of Happy Birthday
And blessings all year through
For you our friend are dear to us
More dear than you can know
So here we are now - one and all -
To let our feelings show

You rouse our hearts and minds to see
Those with less than you 'n' me
To count our blessings; search our souls
And thank God we are free
To dare to dream; to spread our wings
Are all that you inspire
And so we fly above those clouds
Soaring high and higher

More gentle, kind and caring man
We would be hard to find
You lift us up and share your love
You are one of a kind
We love all that you do for us
So these wishes we send
May you have the happiest day
Happy Birthday, dear friend!

First kiss. O dulcet, glorious, first kiss!
Undeniable, absolute and sweet.
Honeyed naivety. Breathtaking bliss.
Nigh naught in life can possibly compete.

Your kiss. O mellifluous, first true kiss!
Delicate symphony of pure passion.
My heart surrenders; it cannot resist
The sounds of soft, diaphanous satin.

Our kiss. O inimitable first kiss!
Melody of sweet spontaneity.
Intoxicating and velvet abyss.
True desire; nay mere velleity.

Heavenly pleasure ‘tis the first, sweet kiss
Heart and mind will forever reminisce.

‘Tis the eyes of the Lobster: all beady and black
Little black pearls; but luster they lack
They stare and stare with nary a blink.
And heavens to Betsy if you know what they think!
With pinchers and crushers and blood of blue
I’m not so sure I’d want one in my stew!
The new year dawns and here am I
Writing of lobsters and I’m not sure why!
Oh, but I jest and of course I do!
‘Twas a bet! I lost! And now pay my due.
Sincere apologies to those who read.
I know it’s rough. I must complete this deed.
          I hope this ditty; whatever it be
          Fits the bill and you’re more than pleased, --!

‘Tis you, my love, who are my fate
You fill my heart and make me smile
My kindred spirit, my soul mate

Of you I dream, For you I wait
Each moment with you, so worthwhile
'Tis you, my love, who are my fate
  
We talk each night until it’s late
Sharing truth, heart, self and trial
My kindred spirit, my soul mate

Heartfelt poetry we create
The language of love our writing style
'Tis you, my love, who are my fate

I love you heaps, I dare not wait
To tell you this once in a while
My kindred spirit, my soul mate
  
Treasured moments, just you and Kate
The moon and stars, an ocean mile
‘Tis you, my love, who are my fate
My kindred spirit, my soul mate

Celestial, heavenly queen
Beauty unrivalled
Oh vanity! ‘Tis quicksand of reason
And angry Gods speak

Purity and innocence
Surrendered
Shackled to crystalline quartz
And blamelessness the sacrificial quarry

Retribution is costly --
Though beauty shines brightly
With vanity
Comes lonely truth

Solitary silence he seeks
Away from the celebration of him

Kerfuffle and commotion
He does not covet

He retreats to the tree’s shady veil  
Respite and relief silently welcomed

Detached and almost concealed
The wooden pony his dependable friend

Dappled light playfully dancing
Seclusion does not disappoint

Sanctuary, Shelter
Stay safe, oh beautiful child

A sprinkle of tiny freckles
Adorn her pretty face
Her golden hair a curly frame
His fingers long to trace

Contentment and pure joy she brings
To each and every day
His mind has filled with hopes and dreams
That she is here to stay

He cannot wait to hold her close
And smell her perfumed skin
To drink in her proximity
And let their love begin

His eager body aches and burns
With powerful desire
He cannot fight it any more
He needs to quench the fire

He makes his move, he takes her hand
And leads her to his bed
She does not pause, she wants this too
No word between them said

To gentle touch she does respond
His heart begins to race
Rousing wave of love and passion
He rides with eager pace

He rides until he can no more
Then ecstasy gives chase

On golden fields
your painting so vivid
vibrant
bespattered
far and wide
burgeoning with hope and cheer

and mine eyes behold

Your orchestra
performing
a beautiful golden-yellow symphony
trumpets trumpeting
powerful
intense
sometimes a little boastful
perhaps even narcissistic

and mine ears respect

Across your gilded seas
the bells toll
heralding new beginnings
composed
in unison
together
but not

wandering lonely
silently drowning in unrequited pleas

forever holding faith

and I, your witness

This pearl. Ah, this beautiful, precious pearl.
Creamy, buttery; rich and velvety.
A teardrop. Wrought beneath the churning swirl
Of a deep and unfathomable sea.
A tear shed for unobserved injury
Penetrating calcareous armour;
Weeping silently; seeking serenity
And embracing quietude with ardour.
The injured life gives way to a treasure
Near unimaginable.  Beguiling.
A jewel in life beyond true measure.
Natural and pure. A gift of being.  
      The world is our oyster. Imperfect. Whole.
      The pearl - a lithe and unencumbered soul.

glistening, wet jewels
well in the camber of hazel eyes
like droplets
brimming on the tip
of a dewy green-brown leaf

resting but a moment
holding tight a promise

yet threatening to tumble
as the maelstrom
erupts
in eerie quietness
mutely twisting
whirling
spiraling downwards

then
without a whisper

and in the hush of aloneness

a shining bubble
spills

and bursts

On ever-changing tides
they floated for nigh a lifetime
growing worn
tattered
and frayed around the edges

They were tangible once
and precious
even solemn

But
somewhere along the way
they were neglected
discarded
and abandoned

On the darkest of stormy seas they bobble now –
weather-beaten
unrecognizable
decayed and fetid

The things of a lifetime
rotting -
in their cold
watery grave

Sliding from the silky, satin sheets
Slowly she saunters to the terrace
And scans the sparkling, star-sprinkled sky
  
As slender arms loosely clasp her svelte, ******* swathed silhouette
So too her thoughts encircle her sweetheart
  
She smiles as she recalls their tryst...
  
          His strong embrace holding her safe and secure
          Lips that tease with nearness
          At last bestowing passion-soaked kisses
          Whilst hands slide up to her soft, supple breast
          And trace circles around her sensitive, cerise *******
  
She is lost now
Caught in the exquisite snare of sinfully-sweet reminiscences
Of two lovers seeking to please
And thirsting to be satisfied...
  
          Slow, tantalizing caresses gracefully ****** their souls
          Hearts, minds and bodies of two lovers now aroused
          Suspended over the precipice
          Oh, yes, such blissful anticipation
          And then … surrender
          Surrender to sweet, sweet ecstasy!
  
As she stands now on the circumference of sensual abyss
She sways slightly
A soft breeze strokes her sun-kissed skin
It whispers to her spirit and begins to sing a song
A song so enticing
So stirring
That small goosebumps rise and glisten
  
So once more she slips betwixt silky, satin sheets

Cute snowy-haired child
Sprinkles of freckles; gilded face
Tender spirit; meek and mild
Paints a glorious picture of grace

A child of December
The angel I remember

Gentle, this boy; and unpretentious
A quiet achiever; naturally gifted
Imaginative and conscientious
But even here you drifted

A boy of December
The angel I remember

Kind and selfless; not materialistic
Boy not boy and man not man; Seeking alone.
Always seeking. Exceptionally artistic
The gentlest of gentle I've known

A son of December
The angel I remember

The poet emerged
Words lingered on lips. And died. Unspoken.
Feelings buried. Submerged.
Lineage and ties broken.

A man of December
The angel I remember

in the hush of the moment
there is much to cherish --

a child at play
with his imaginary friend

a shimmering glimmer
in almond-brown eyes

the dance above town
of birds in flight --
rising
falling
crisscrossing the sky

a winter’s eve
and a hot, deep bath

candlelight flicker
the moon and the stars

a rainy day
spent snug in my bed

the sun that smiles
and kisses my head --
peaceful
soothing
my soul well fed

those sleepy eyes
from sweet dreams wake

a hug he gives
my day he makes

and you, my love
you fill my heart

the gift of you
my world thou art

I close my eyes
my prayers I send

in the hush of the moment
these things never ...

The job is done
And it has been done well
The soldier is now home
But he lives in hell

He lives with pain
Pain without end
He begs for relief
But the pain does not bend

He marches on
His head is lowered
Through brutal times
He continues forward

A son he has lost
Through tragic circumstance
He visits him often
In memory and chance

He feels guilt and shame
And a pain he cannot abide
But this was not his doing
And his son walks by his side

The pain without end
Leaves him crippled and weak
He pleads for release
And forgiveness he seeks

The soldier stayed at his post
He has held it for so long
He is tired now
And struggles to stay strong

The soldier searches
And he prays
For the secret to life
For the reason to stay

He calls for the answer
He is so weary
His body is broken
And to die seems easy

A wife now fights
She fights for her land
And she fights for her husband
She is making her stand

The soldier marches onward
His country has been served
But he holds his post for family
And life must be preserved

March on brave soldier
For the path is in front of you
Fight on dear soldier
The secret is those closest to you

Oft had I thought ‘twas meant just for a male
And mindlessly I’d chosen not to read
Until one day I was summoned to heed
Melville’s epic tale of The Great White Whale

The wandering sailor - “Call me Ishmael”
Captain Ahab -  vengeance his greedy need
Reckless, careless; anything to succeed
Yet, his destiny, rightly, was to fail

Hodge-podge of cultures from all walks of life
Scruples, beliefs, tenets, lessons  and more
Adventure and religion - all were rife
Herman challenged and gave voice to it all

The world then -  the world now - deeply in strife
When will we learn and stop fighting the war?

You have a way with words
That keeps me here for more
The language of your love
‘Tis music I adore

I catch my breath and listen
For the words you speak to me
The poetry from your heart
I drink in tenderly

You have a way with words
They fill my mind, my dreams
They linger oh so sweetly
Like radiant moonbeams

Your words caress my heart
And gently soothe my soul
They kiss me on my lips
Their sweetness I extol

Delectable whispers
Tantalising and whole

Tall, frightful, mountainous man
the fear you strike within is easy to explain
sheer size causes my heart to pound
so fast and loud that it is all I can do to contain
it from leaping outside my tiny frame

With whisker twitching and hide flinching
I crept from the safety of my hole, inching
one small step by paltry step
seeking meagre crumbs; mere scraps of food
to feed my hungry brood

And there I chanced upon you
(well, it was your dark and menacing shoe
that first caught my beady little eye)
then, fleetingly, thoughts I was about to die
stopped me in my tracks, and there was I,
wondering ~ should I fight or fly?

Yes, there I stood, frozen in time
and it seemed that you were too
as we, the two of us, both you and I,
for one moment (or was it two?)
took measure and looked each other in the eye

But I am not a silly fool
and though I am just an insignificant being
I have learned a golden rule ~
at the very instant a man moves his feet
it is time I must be fleeing!

with a heavy heart and heavy steps

i climb the stairs

and enter the void.

Emptiness - my silent, inhospitable host.



She has prepared nothing --

offers nothing.

nothing but Her smothering, palpable, deafening presence.



my shoulders drop all the more as She takes hold and draws me in.

then, for the longest time i stand,

having moved no further than those few steps into Her house.



She does not care to make me comfortable.

why should She?



from within my being

hunger cries out.

an insatiable yearning

no, not for food but for more --

so much more.



i long for him to hold me close;

for his breath to settle upon my neck.

i crave his nearness as he whispers in my ear;

telling me everything will be alright.




my body aches to be touched.


my being cries to be held.


my heart hungers for something it has tasted,

but knows it cannot have.



i know not how to satisfy those needs;

only the simplest of necessities.



i have not eaten this long and busy day

and so, as i do many days of late,

i take from Her cupboard

and prepare a dinner of breakfast cereal.



there seems no point in sitting.

why seek comfort with one that does not wish to give it?

so i stand beside the island bench in Her kitchen;

eat out of necessity;

and drink in Her ceaseless, deafening mockery.



"how apt", i think,

and  then smirk along with Her;

as i realise i truly am standing on an island --



alone.

Cool ripples of water caress her toes,
sand percolates in between--
sunlight and sea dance playfully,
transcendent and serene.

Gliding high on the playful breeze
wings spreading free and wide--
seagulls call and soar together
over the shifting tide.

He knows she is waiting for him alone
there on that distant isle--
in mind's eye she waves to him,
her face lit by a smile.

Yes, eagerly there she waits for him
feeling his love so near--
she lingers awhile by the water’s edge
seeing his face quite clear.

She's dreaming of their togetherness
of the moment she'll hold his hand--
and while she waits, she writes to him
this poem in the sand.

Bewildered
Too little to understand
Bitter cold fear
Reflected on a tear-stained, perfect little face
In vivid blue eyes
Distress and panic
Then
From a little boy’s grief-stricken heart
A plea --
Echoing on the chilled air of Winter’s night
Desolately
Desperately
Untamed and barren
Again and again --
* “Daddy!  I’m sorry daddy!”
“Come back, daddy!”

lonely hours pass into days
and I know not where I should turn
in the dead of a summer haze
my sorry heart doth mutely yearn

with comfort and caress long gone
and hope but a fanciful dream
should all reveries be withdrawn
and solitude held in esteem

where is reason and where is rhyme
they move not forward nor restart
the pulse of life and love mark time
and dimly march upon my heart

what’s it called - this place without name
this place without beat and cadence
perhaps … inertial reference frame
or is it ... a place to commence

Love is kind
Love is true
Love is blind
Love is you