A small shoal of bright yellow fish
swim in and out of the red fire coral
looking out for predators
they ignore the strange black shadow above them
and swim to another coral

I watch the fish with interest
from behind my plastic dive mask
as I begin to swim deeper
the coral’s change
to the colours of the rainbow

It seems like a new world
hidden beneath the surface
I feel foreign down here
as I don’t understand the beauty
of my surroundings

A mantra ray swims past
followed by three more
their huge wings
flap slowly and gracefully
as though they were flying

As I turn to go back to the surface
to return to my ageing motor boat
a mud brown octopus
swims up to meet me
and to shake my outstretched hand

What is anger?
a volcano bubbling inside
threatening to explode
the fury of the sun?

What is love?
a field full of corn
a blood red rose
its petals full of peace

So what is this
a man of hate
a man of love
does this mystery
change like the seas
till the end of time?

Does it hide like a frightened child
behind the rocks
far below the seas
waiting to be found?

The sailing boat pitches
in the violent sea
it rocks from side to side
a crying baby in its mother’s arms

The heavy boom swings
like an old clock pendulum
the thick ropes creak
the sail cleats strain

The mast snaps in half
like a dry twig
it falls into the sea
leaving only a jagged stump

The wind stops howling
the violent sea calms
the boat stops rocking
asleep in its mother’s arms

I see the young lover boy
creeping through the trees
ignoring his friend’s calls
Romeo is his name

He sees the lady Juliet
her young bright face
as pale as the moon
suggests marriage and love

I hide in the oak church pews
spying on the scene
of Romeo and Juliet
it made me feel rather green

I follow Romeo in the dark
a quiet ghost in the depths
he sees the lady Juliet
and he like a child
weeps out loud
his tears form rivers in his cheek

Now they both lie dead
neither can be woke
the stars joined them together
the white and the yolk

Sitting upright in the mud
the proud ship waits
silent as a tree
waiting for a lonely diver

I swim towards it slowly
disturbing shoals of fish
looking for survivors

Then the white faces
come and go again
hidden in the depths
like unsolved mysteries

Diving faces
pale as death
their transparent bodies
show the pain

I leave the ship
leaving the bodies in peace
their lives may have gone now
their souls live on forever

A man stands on a cliff edge
listening to the sea
calm as the wind
which gently blows

He stands like a statue
thinking about the past
his mind is open
I slip inside his head

I find a storm unseen and powerful
a whirlpool forms
of many thoughts
mixing to form one
confusion rules

I see a puzzle
its pieces scattered
incomplete
like a forgotten mystery

I close my eyes
and leave the man’s head
the mind storm calms
the man is at peace

An old man sits
by a roaring fire
roaring with greed
with destruction

A boy comes in to see him
the man looks away
he sends the boy home
noting the tears in his eyes
the rejection

The old man looks out
he sees the boy leave
he settles back again
waiting for the time

The clock chimes
the old man shakes
looking back over
a long happy life
then it ends

n the dark  fields
the night is silent
there is no sound
not even from the tawny owl
flitting through the trees

Then like a child’s blizzards toy
the swirling tornado forms
the black shape grows
increasing in strength

It ***** up corn
like a giant hoover
then spits it out
as if it tasted bad

Then throwing trees
like a child at play
destroying the fence
destroying the barns

Cars like toys are thrown
to the sound of smashing glass
the lamp posts snap
like wooden match sticks

The tornado slows
as though tired
it then disappears
the town can rest again

The wordsmith retires to his private place
to the forge inside his mind
pumps the bellows and stokes the fires
until they are burning with white hot inspiration

He plunges the iron ideas in to the heat
until it is ready to work with
beats them into shape on the anvil of his notebook
using the heavy hammer of his blue ink biro

Every time the hammer strikes
little sparks fly up and dance
words not needed this time depart
to used on another piece

Sometimes the ideas need refining
and have to be reshaped
parts of the cast are sometimes out of place
the spelling needs adjusting
all the time he stays at his smithy
sweat poring off him continuously
while he attempts to forge a master piece

Eventually his task is completed
and left to alone to cool
the forge is dampened down
to be used on the next occasion
his work here is completed
and ready to be seen by others

It all started with a kiss
under the hanging branches of mistletoe
your parents hung up each year in their lounge
as the clock struck the new year our lips met
only for a minute but it felt like longer
I never felt more alive than at that moment

We started seeing each other regularly
every date we went somewhere new
my almost perfect dinner companion
I'd spend most of the meal looking into your eyes
and seeing the love reflected in them

After a few months I gave you a ring
and promised my future to you
I remember seeing you smile despite the tears
as you accepted my proposal

a wonderful wedding we celebrated
under the light of a full moon
I still can see you crying with joy
as you tossed the blue bouquet to your sister

We're still going strong a year later
our first born will be due any day
I don't even know if it's a girl or boy
I've asked you not to tell me
as in some ways I'm hoping for twins

When people ask us how we first met
I smile in happy memory of that first night
we look them in the eyes and reply
"it all started with a kiss"

As the clock ticks closer to midnight
the pale old man sighs aloud
and puts his book down on his bedside table
it will soon be time for his transformation
when he becomes a young baby once more

These 12 months have not been kind to him
many scars and marks cover his face and body
each one is a memory
of those who have died in violence this year

The clock strikes the new year with a resounding crash
the old man fades away
in his place a baby appears
looking slowly around the room
before unleashing a brilliant smile
to the light of a million fireworks

As the year passes he will age
and become an old man again
there is much to do while the year is young
a full 12 months of learning to be had
a whole new set of chapters to be written
he starts to crawl towards the future
whatever it may bring for all

I lie on the scarred battle field
with bloodied arms and legs
listening to the whistling of the shells
the explosions rock the ground

I see my comrades around me
lying unmoving on the mud
my feeble cries for help
land on deaf ears

The sound of whirring wakes me
a man in a white over coat
moves slowly closer
holding out his hand
as if at a meeting

I wake again
along and in a bed
the doctor comes in to see me
his pale face shows sorrow

As I stand alone in the rain
by the big stone monument
I shed a tear and think
how close it was
for one of them
to be me

I stand on a lonely cliff top
my grey half closed eyes
stare at nothing
but the darkened sea

The blind moon escapes the clouds
and shows its shining face
the moon is deaf as well as blind
but every one sees it now

I look at the moon
its shining rays fall on my face
the moon’s face
shimmers in the sea
like a bad reflection

The tiger stops for a drink at a pool
his crouched form shows off his muscles
his eyes show two small fires
but his gentle tongue makes not a ripple on the pool

A small boy plays by the water fall
enjoying the torrent on his shiny skin
the roar of the water on the rocks
copies the voice of the mighty lion
prowling in the undergrowth

The crash of a tree as an elephant appears
dipping his long trunk in the pool
he splashes the tiger on the other side
the tiger shakes himself
to him it is all a game

The boy leaves the waterfall
and runs away from it all
he stops and turns his head
eyes intent and awake
and walks away from the mighty jungle

Something moves in the tall forest grass
the smooth skin shines in the sun
a skin with scales
of both brown and yellow

The snake scans the ground
with lidless unblinking eyes
its ears intent
hidden by a piece of skin

It spots something moving
a small frightened mouse
hiding in a clump of grass
trying to avoid the stare

The snake has already eaten
but gives the mouse a stare
the mouse runs off
the snake looks on
its tongue flicking in and out
now and then

The tired snake
coils itself up like an old rope
and goes to sleep

A ship steams towards the shore
No port but a sandy beach
with tall palm trees stretching
like tired hippies

A crash of the falling anchor
the loud clanking of a chain
throws up the screaming birds
like a poor magicians card trick

The blanket like sail
***** in the wind
an extra large hanky
waved by a sorry hand

The smoke from the funnel stops
the tired engine pants
like it has had too much exercise
the birds settle to rest again
as the ship slows to a stop

As many men sweat and groan
with heavy stones on ropes to pull
the pyramid grows and grows
like a small child growing up

The man in charge watches on
whip in his clenched fist
his dark eyes look over the work
his ears alert for rebellion

The pharaoh sits in his palace
unaware of the troubles of his slaves
drinking fine palm wine
from a large golden chalice

The sphinx lies on its plinth
like the king of beasts taking a rest
demanding respect from all
its large yellow form
casting spooky shadows on the sand
as the sun rises up over the horizon

Tall chimneys ****** up brick red necks
their smoke black heads unblinking on the scene
for the chimneys have no eyes
no nose to smell out the waste

A small boy crosses a ***** street
his blackened face
mixed with tears and sweat
make a pattern of his features
a sign of over work
a sign of torture

Along the street a river winds its way
like a great sluggish ***** snake
its low banks brown with mud
like a rugby player after a match

The boy finds a comforting shelter
a small shack with a blanket
the patterns faded with much use
but it is comfort for the boy
as tired he falls asleep
his eyes closed his breathing quiet

Not much moves in the streets
as the red brick sentinels
blind and deaf watch on
unmoving as the night draws on

The sun pokes its rays
from the shiny blue sea
a man stands alone
waiting watching
the wind in his hair
the fire in his eyes

The birds awake
spread their wings
their voices add to the roar
the beast of the ocean waits
its roar adding to the crash of the waves

The man sees it all
eyes intent ears awake
the roar of nature
far out balances
the roar of the waiting world

The lonely darkness
swallows up the light of day
nothing is left of the light
but a thin pin *****

The pin ***** opens
the dark is lit up
a fire burns bright
the flames reach up
with burning hands

Three silver rings
thick and thin
a circle of gold
bubble in the fire

As gold liquid flows
the thunder is heard
as grey light is lit up
from the volcano

Our computer who art in the study
Hallowed be thy printer
We have had you for years
May all work be done
From now until 3000
Give us today our daily printouts
And forgive us our viruses
As we forgive those who send viruses to us
Lead us not to the recycle bin
And deliver us from the Internet
For thine is the A drive
Hard disk and mouse
From now till 3000

Amen

My gerbil standing proud
On two feet she looks around
Grabbing the bars with two paws
She bites them with her tiny jaws

Bored of that she goes for food
Stripping the seeds of sun flowers
Flicking away what she doesn’t want
She turns the bowl over and jumps away

She tires from this
And goes back to her bed
Though she’s only three years old
She still has more time yet

Sitting on the fence
my cat looks round
looking for any prey
she gets up and stretches
a rabbit moves and the cat jumps

A flash of black and white
a rabbit’s scream
the cat holds it down
the dog comes up to see the prey
both cat and rabbit run away

My dog running through the fields
her tongue hanging from gaping jaws
she slows to sniff a rabbit hole
nose close to the ground
spies a young rabbit
she bounds as it escapes

She whirls round
and spies another
but she hears my call
she races over
stopping just in time

She now lies sleeping
curled up in her bed
while she’s chasing rabbits
it’s all but in her head