You See What I Let You See…by Jessie 1/05

What do u see when you look upon me…Do you see a rock in front of thee?

You see what I let you see …you know what I let you know.

I am not the rock you think me so, nor am I the hunter’s mighty bow.

The strength I have, you think you see is nothing more than fantasy.

There are days I can conquer the world and days I can’t face it.

I am a tragedy within a comedy, laughing to conceal the pain.

Lean on me and I will hold until the weight crushes us both

Ask and I shall give until I have given more than I had.

Put me on high and disappointment will inevitably be near by.

Outwardly I am as still as air in the eye of the storm, while inside
I shake uncontrollably.  

I can calm and steady the frailest of souls for I have the trust of all, yet none in myself.

I am the one that people depend on and I am weary of the burden it brings.

Like a raging fire I can consume all in my path…yet wet me and I am merely steam, dissipating within the air.

You see what you want to see…

Examine the rock, for it has faults and will one day crumble.

What do you see when you look upon me?

You see what I let you see.

Whispering Rock… by Jessie 4/05


One day in need of answers, I traveled far away

Searching for the whispering rock, in hopes of what it might say

Deep within the forest, amidst the mighty trees

Dark and quite secluded, through the rustling of the leaves

A light pierced through the canopy and shown down upon the rock

Awesome and inspiring, all chocked up and couldn’t talk

Climbing up, I sat up on, the light enshrouded stone

Asked the simple question…Why am I alone?

Things got still and nothing moved, as if time had just been stopped

Then suddenly a shaking, emanated from the rock

A whisper came from where I sat, the answer now revealed

You are a rock, you sit alone, your fate is all but sealed

Open up and let love in, don’t stand so hard and cold

Soften up and take a chance or be alone, tell you are old

The shaking stopped, the whisper gone, the light had disappeared

Direct and to the point, the answer very clear

Then I laughed and I thought, that’s silly… I like the way I am

I have no need for love and could care if I had friends

Then, no sooner did I start to go; my legs became like lead

I should have heeded the whispering rock and all that it had said

Now I sit amidst the tress, cold and now of stone

Just another whispering rock, Forever to be alone

My “Daffies” and Bluebells are budding now.
Maybe my Crocuses too.
Roll on Summer is what I say,
Clichéd though that may be.

No more dark dreary “days”,
With biting icy winds.
No more freezing fog
Or fretful snow.

Let’s have glorious sunshine
Bathing all our land.
Ice cream and holidays,
Leisure and luxurious slumbers.

Those Daffodils will be history by “Flaming June”
And with that “roll” will come the “rock”
Of sugar seaside sticks
With dancing music.

Oh to bring back Rock and Roll,
So we can do it again
Down on the beach
Where children ride on donkeys
While dogs frolic on the sands.
To play football again,
Jumpers for goal posts
On lush green grass.

Sunny summer.
Bring it on.

Paul Butters

© PB 9\2\2018.

A stepping stone
Rough around the right edges
So you won't slip
When you step on me

Spitting on my hands I pick up my courage and face the dawning day.
No-one told me it would be like this,
This feeling of powerlessness,
The lack of control.
Today someone gave up their seat for me on a bus.
Why? Does my fragility show?
I am no different to yesterday,
When I was young.
When I am old and wiser, and worthy of respect
When my hair and skin are grey
These changes creeping quietly
Will mask my still young heart.
In my head I'll hear rock music roaring
Drowning out the years
While my smile belies the tartness of my tongue and
Poison wit.
Remember, we do not really change with age
We just grow older.
We just grow
We just
We
Die.

Looming over deep dug dale
with wending fjord below,
the Pulpit Rock stands over all
in Norway's chilling snow.

A sunny day it was that time
when I fared with my kin.
Up the Pulpit Rock we marched,
met with glory's din.

Imagine now, a cloudless sky
with sapphire blue abounding;
folk from far and wide had come;
the beauty was astounding.

That ancient Northern land in front,
home to the god of thunder.
Though sweat dripped from our weary brow,
we stood and basked in wonder.

So if you've never hiked that way,
you're in for quite a shock.
You'll find a world beyond your own
upon the Pulpit Rock.