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

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

In time this river will run dry
though now it flows fast and free
boundless and untamed
it knows no fear
it is not tranquil and composed
but ruthless;
brutal

Carried harshly in its fierce flow
I have nothing left within
to fight the torrent that surrounds me
that time and time again
compels me downwards
beneath frenzied eddies of rage and despair

Now and then this river releases her hold
and I struggle to resurface
I am beaten
I am near willing to drown;
to end misery --
overwhelming misery

As I wretchedly grasp for air
something inside refuses to yield
it beckons me onward
calls me to fight against surrender
to flow with the flood of grief
and journey each bend

I know now that in time the surge will ebb
and this river will become a stream
a tributary
a branch
an arm --
that I may grab hold
stand again
and walk away

Heaven-sent and unexpected
I found a thread of silver

It came to me in time of need
And delivered me a saviour

Under dismal cloud of despair
I’ve lingered much too long

I’ve felt my spirit fading fast
And hope was almost gone

But across the miles and the seas
A treasure most rare I’ve seen

It touched my soul and gave me strength
And a shoulder on which to lean

There is a truth in what they say
A silver lining can be found

In ev’ry cloud above our head
Silver threads of friendship abound

‘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, --!

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!

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

What love is love? The question he does ask
A love most hard to find it would so seem
‘Tis pure and true this love of which we dream
And want so greatly now to find, unmask
Have faith! ‘Tis not an impossible task!
Is true love bound by passion so extreme?
Perhaps it is defined by great esteem
For those in whose sweet love we seek to bask

A love so true is chaste, tender, faithful
It knows no bounds to deep, warm affection
It does not take devotion for granted
It honours, worships and is respectful
It proffers commitment and protection
Such pure and precious love is enchanted

This moment when the night is all aglow
My heart awakens with a love for life
Yet misery still lingers just below
This moment when the night is all aglow
I long for right with all the world - you know
A world where peace and joy and food are rife
This moment when the night is all aglow
My heart awakens with a love for life

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