Although Mother Nature
Has been ***** and abused,
Her basic laws ignored,
So misread and confused,
Our living world remains
A most beautiful place,
A jewel that stands out
From the darkness of space,
Help her to recover;
Nurse her back to full health,
For without her, how empty ...
The illusion of wealth.

You must fall like a feather
And bounce like a ball,
If people cut you short
You must stand really tall.

If kicked while you’re down
Make sure that you get up,
Show you’re a dog with teeth
If they whip you like a pup.

If they dampen your spirit
Show your hope is still dry,
If clouds cover your parade
Make your fly-pass extra high.

If hit hard below the belt
Smile and shake their hand,
If your life goes off course
Just imagine it was planned.

Flex and bend like a willow
But retain a heart of oak,
If someone upsets you
Try and treat it as a joke.

You must fall like a feather
And bounce like a ball,
And - always come out fighting
When your back’s against the wall.

My Baby:
Don't be too quiet yet don't be too shrill,
Don't be too restless, but neither too still,
Please grow up hardy, yet soft to the touch,
Not seeking too little, nor asking too much.

Years later …

My Child:
Don't be precocious, yet don't be too shy,
The middle-sized apple of you father’s eye,
Don't be too forthright, nor keep to yourself,
Don't be too daring; but care for your health.

Years later …

My Son:
Don't aim too high, nor get stuck in a hole,
Nor hang back if offered an uninspired role,
Please don't take the high road or even the low,
The main road is best ... not too fast or too slow.

Years later …

My Epitaph:
Here lies a man, who knew how to conform,
Who never left harbour, for fear of a storm,
Avoiding the hot and the cold for lukewarm,
In loving, but not too loving, memory,
Of your only son ... Norm.

Monolithic steely strides;
Cables strain, whilst nature hides,
Arms outstretched from metal sides,
A buzzard glares as by he glides.

A pylon dwarfs a nearby tree,
But makes no home for bird nor bee,
Landscape ruined, just so that we
In idle warmth ... can watch TV!

My poetic aspiration
Is to become:
A Jack of all styles
And a master of pun.

Tell Dr Blood it's Mrs Bloomsbury;
He always sees me right away;
He's such a wonderful doctor - so much
Better than that Doctor Day.

What the devil are you incinerating,
I consider your tone a right cheek,
I've not bothered you for ages; I've
Not phoned for at least … a week.

But this is an emergency;
Yes of course it's serious,
I'm sweating, shivering, sneezing
And feel quite delirious.

I'm running a terrible temperature,
I'm covered all over in spots,
My body aches from head to toe,
My muscles all ******* in knots.

My heart's got the palpitations,
Though I've still got a pulse - it's quite weak;
My poor throat's ever so red and sore,
It's increasingly hard ... to ... speak,  

My eyes are all glazed and weepy,
My ears are infected and blocked,
I think there's a chill in my kidneys
And my joints have all stiffened and locked.

My stools - are alarmingly liquid,
My water's grey, misty and strong,
I'm suffering pins and needles, in fact ...
I don't think I've got very long.

He can see me on Thursday morning,
An appointment for half-past-ten,
But that’s no good at all to me ...
I'll be better again - by then!

One day I dreamed …
There was no longer any 'Third World',
Just a united 'First',
Famine clearly vanquished forever,
And no-one died of thirst.

Power was never used to enslave,
And wars were fought no more,
Man's resources were pooled together,
To help aid all the poor.

Man respected his fellow creatures,
Living in harmony,
The oceans free from all pollution;
Helped by 'green' energy.

People didn't need to live in fear;
Crime a thing of the past,
A planet no longer fragmented;
A one-peace world at last.

I awoke in time to catch the news;
News of crime, famine, war,
Moist-eyed I headed back to my bed,
To try and dream ... some more!

Does any fragile spring flower,
Not welcome the lengthening day?
Does any young wide-eyed puppy,
Need to be told when to play?

Does any green sapling not want,
To aspire to become a tree?
Does any blind person not dream,
That one day they’ll wake and see?

Does any spider turn its back,
When its web vibrates with a fly?
Does any sleek eagle not wish to,
Claim mastery of the sky?

Does any wild cheetah refuse,
To chase dodging prey at full speed?
Does any farmer not work hard,
To ensure that his crops succeed?

Does any river not seek to
Meander its way to the sea?
Does any hurt not some day heal,
Could you one day please - forgive me?

Does any dry garden not wish,
To be moistened by morning dew?
Does any heart yearn more than mine,
To be loved forever by you?

Countless millennia of the earth’s molten core
Heaving on tectonic plates,
Have ripped continents apart
From gorge to sky,
The wonder is …
They can be bonded once again,
By a young child’s smile,
In the mere glance of an eye.

A rover you were, all your working life,
But your conscience caught up with you,
You chose honourable re-tyre-ment and
You're now green through and through.

Once you greedily thirsted for petrol,
But finally kicked the habit,
And you now partake of fresh country air,
Just as rural as any wild rabbit.

In the past your throaty engine's roar
Out-decibeled the traffic's bustle,
But you now much prefer to listen to
The dry, restless leaves which rustle.

Alas your coachwork no longer gleams,
But you still retain all of your pride,
It's just your wish to be at one with nature,
As everything else you've tried.

A frosty morning is no deterrent,
To a well-seasoned convert like you,
It's just an unavoidable prelude,
To the sparkling spring-time dew.

Your days of road rage long since gone,
When you used to speed and scramble,
You're now content to pull to one side,
And be overtaken ... by a bramble.

On the I C,
I C,
I C Bergs.

Their splendour
Leaves me
Lost for wergs.

The deaf man heard the church bells ring,
The blind man led him there,
The arm-less put their hands together,
The leg-less knelt in prayer,
The mute's song filled the church with such joy,
There was no room for despair
And as for those sat in the empty pews ...
Sadly, they weren't there,
The deaf man heard God's mighty word,
The blind man saw the light,
The leg-less marched along with pride,
The arm-less joined the fight,
The mute sang lustily, joyfully bringing
The words of the Bible alive,
But as for those sat in the empty pews ...
Sadly, they didn't arrive!

See the owl in swift silent flight,
Surfing the darkness of the night,
In control of its black domain,
Its prey killed quick, no time for pain.

Don’t be outraged when its victim dies;
The owl’s not a mugger of the skies,
No malice shown when it hunts for meat,
It leaves alone what it cannot eat!

You are my heartbeat’s echo,
My spare rib, who’s guilt free,
You are an essential part,
The half that completes me.

I’m sure there is no universe
Where more love I would find,
But should an offer come my way
It’ll gladly be declined.

I seek no other harbour,
I’m as happy as can be,
And I’d only ever sail away
If you were there with me.

I heard a noise ...
Could that be food?
I peer outside;
I’m really shrew-d,
My sight is dim,
But I am not,
Though small, I’m fierce,
And hunt a lot,
So stand aside,
I’m coming out,
Don’t bar my way ...
Or I’ll sort you out!

Life’s hustle and bustle has ended,
Now I’ve passed away, deceased,
My new terra firma home,
A guarantee of eternal peace;
Never disturbed by clamour or noise,
I don't even hear a sound,
In this world unknown to the living,
Within the ravenous ground,
No one here is the least impressed
By status, rank or class,
Deep below the skylit realms
Of fresh-green, new-mown grass,
The worms treat everyone the same,
Whether noble born or serf,
As I idle away my leisure hours,
Under neatly replaced turf,
No need ever to work again,
I've had my share of toil,
As my weary bones I rest forever,
Amidst the once feared soil,
I reflect on life's rich journey,
A long winding path, well-trod,
Time for contemplation assured,
Beneath the mounded sod,
This place is now home to me,
I don't think of it as a tomb,
Birth and death entwined as one,
In Mother Nature's womb.

Heading into Bethlehem . . .
Three Wise Men,
In search of a stable.

Heading out of Bethlehem . . .
Three Wise Turkeys,
While they were - still able.

Mankind seems oblivious
To Nature’s pleading cries,
Mankind seems oblivious
When Nature ups and dies,
Mankind seems oblivious
To its carcass filled with flies,
Mankind seems oblivious
To God’s wrath above the skies.

Man can only think of seeking treasure,
Man can only think of funding leisure,
Man can only think of his own pleasure.

Oblivious to Nature’s sighing,
Oblivious to Nature’s crying,
Oblivious to Nature’s dieing ...

Dear Lord,
Don’t let me ask only for myself,
For problems solved and better health,
Nor ask only for kin and friends,
With minor ills and moral trends,
But make me think in global terms,
Where drought kills and injustice burns,
Please tend to their greater needs first,
Help heal their wounds and quench their thirst,
My patient faith can wait till then,
My prayer sent -
Goodnight -
Amen.

He stared at his war medals;
As bright as when first minted,
His own lustre - long since tarnished;
Only tear-filled-eyes now glinted!

He belonged to a generation
That sacrificed it's fragile youth,
And traded it for our defence;
For freedom - and for truth.

Although a very modest man
Who accepted his war-torn lot,
He wanted the world to remember,
All the others - left to rot?

A past filled with campaigns like his,
Couldn't easily be put aside,
Though through many a tortured memory,
God only knew - how he'd tried.

Don't ever forget this brave soldier,
Who now struggles to pull on his vest,
For if you forget the alive and with medals,
You'll surely - never remember the rest!

Do you know what it’s like
To be required no more,
To be put out to grass,
To be kicked out the door,
To know your work’s ended,
No more will be done,
To be slung on the tip,
Pushed aside by the young,
To be pensioned off
In an unceremonious way,
To know you’ve had your’s -
Every dog has its day,
To have an appetite for work,
But be left to hunger,
To be replaced by someone
More able and younger,
To be told you’re too old,
When you feel in your prime,
To be sent on your bike,
Before it’s your time,
To be all washed up
And flushed down the drain,
To have no physical wounds,
But still be in pain,
To feel your age,
Find you’re no Peter Pan,
To see your life going
No longer to plan,
To recall when you felt rich,
But now you feel poor,
To hear your heart slowly pumping,
Alas’ it races no more,
To experience an emptiness
That nothing will fill,
To have no medical symptoms,
But still feel ill,
To be out of control
Of your own destiny,
To be constantly asking
Why me ... why me?

Picked from the garden of life,
As unique as any flower,
As beautiful as a rainbow,
Trapped in an April shower.

Like a blossom pressed and dried,
Its colour fading never,
I have pressed you
Between the pages of my life,
Where I hope you will stay forever.

Do you know what it’s like
To have your freedom back at last,
To be able to choose new colours
Once pinned out of reach to the mast,
To find tho’ you’ve lost your employment,
You can still keep hold of your pride,
To discover the grass is greener
On the unexplored other-side,
To patch up your battered ego,
Once thought irretrievably torn,
To feel a strong urge to celebrate,
When others expect you to mourn,
To take a fresh look at careers,
When you thought it was all in the past,
To discover your destiny’s liquid,
And never in concrete cast,
To realise your aspirations,
Which no more are held on ice,
To alter your life’s ingredients,
And add a small pinch of spice,
To discover you’re no longer frightened
By things that are different or new,
To embrace all those sensible changes,
And take a much loftier view,
To keep everything in context,
And never let monsters appear,
To look to you dreams and take aim,
Keeping your sights crystal clear,
To be intimidated no longer
By applicants younger than you,
To know a wise captain will always
Choose an experienced crew,
To retain your sense of adventure,
Your instinctive love of fun,
To put down the now closed chapter,
And enjoy the one just begun,
To be welcomed back to life’s table,
And invited to sit down and dine,
To feast till you’re utterly bloated,
And swill it all down with sweet wine.

Happy Birthday to a Man :-
Who today becomes a Fifty year old,
Who looks like a Forty year old,
Who thinks he's a Thirty year old,
Who fancies a Twenty year old,
Who acts like a Ten year old.

The trouble is he's not a "One-Off",
God keeps using the ‘Same Old Mould’.

Born to search,
Born to seek,
Born to help,
The mild and meek.

Born to rule,
Born to lead,
Born to show,
We can be freed.

Born to Mary,
Born to atone,
Born to break
The hearts of stone.

Born to rally,
Born to rebel,
Born to dampen
The fires of hell.

Born to save,
Born to die,
Born a Saviour
For you and I.

Besotted,
Beloved,
Be brave,
Betrothed,
Be wed.

Be kind,
Be loving,
Be faithful,
Be happy,
Nuff said.

Dear Lord,
If only we had your humility,
If only consciences were blame free,
Could turn our cheeks if roughly struck,
Could face moral issues, and not duck,
Serve ourselves right, by serving the master,
Serve no other; avoiding disaster,
Treat our enemies as long lost friends,
Treat our hatred as a means to amends,
Offer our souls as only yours to use,
Offer our spirits, which we never lose,
Share what we have with the sick and the poor,
Share what we have and be left with more,
Think of your will, and not think of our own,
Think of Heaven as our eventual home.

We know how hard it is to reach this goal,
We know that to score ... would make us more whole.

Even the smallest creature makes ripples,
When it enters Life’s Great Pond,
And those ripples just keep on expanding -
Far, far, far beyond.

Morn.

Cockerels
Crow.

Days-
Light
Grow.

Hours
Pass,
Sun
Shone.­

Sunset ...
Reddy,
Steady,
Go,
Gone.

Night,
Black,
Quiet,
Lonely,
Fear
B­orn.

Morn.

Cockerels
Crow.

Days-
Light
Grow ...

God’s Light split,
Laying bare its constituent parts,
Diverted on course,
Nurtured by prismed skies,
Producing rainbow’d shafts
Which penetrate even the darkest hearts,
To be feasted on, only to be contradicted,
By sad, unbelieving eyes.

Have you ever sat and pondered
In a darkened room;
Reality melting away
In the murky gloom,
Ignoring gravity's attempts
To try and hold you tight,
Heading off into space on a
Magic-carpet flight?

Did you explore the Universe,
Travel through all time,
Contemplate your own existence;
Even think of mine?

Did you ever find the answer,
To the question, Why?
Did you really want to return from
Flying through the sky?

Did you come back with a jolt when
Someone came in the room,
Did the bright light startle you;
Did reality resume?

Jesus lived, and
Jesus died,
Jesus laughed, and
Jesus cried.

Jesus loved, and
Jesus felt.
Jesus stood, and
Jesus knelt.

Jesus heard, and
Jesus thought,
Jesus prayed, and
Jesus taught.

Jesus healed, and
Jesus fed,
Jesus preached, and
Jesus led.

Jesus lived, and
Jesus died,
Jesus is risen, and
He is alive.

Literary critics don’t always like
The poetry what I do do,
They say it should all be recycled;
Flushed down the nearest loo ...
They say they cannot find a metre;
Although one works for the Water Board,
They dance all over my dignity;
My self-confidence they have floored,
They say me grammar is somewhat bad,
I think the word they used was appalling,
Their taloned claws, grip sharpened knives,
They give me quite a mauling.

But kind, gentle reader (grovel),
I’m sure that at least you understand;
That my thoughts are erratic explosions,
Not controlled, orderly or planned.

As long as my simple poems
Make you ponder, weep, or smile
I’ll carri-on regardless,
For it would all have been worthwhile.

Another 'Major Improvement' ...
This time it's a road,
Another victim croaks his last,
Goodbye Mr Toad ..!

With a mentality as cold as an
Up high,
Sky spy,
Fly by,
Watch die,
Vulture ...

I just cannot abide
This blame,
Then claim,
No shame,
Blame game,
Culture …

Allow me the time …
To stand and stare,
To ponder on the how and where,
To lose myself in thoughtfulness,
To unknot my mind’s tangled mess,
To consider and to meditate,
To transform into a Zen like state,
To notice reflections and reflect,
To self-diagnose and introspect,
To absorb all of nature’s treasure,
And to enjoy this age old pleasure,
Allowing my heart to beat more slowly,
Not thinking all creatures are below me,
To quietly try to comprehend,
The meaning of life and to what end,
To allow my soul to come into view,
To allow my spirit to mend, renew.

The muggers,
The rapists,
The murderers,
The paedophiles,
The confidence tricksters -
Pray for them.

The weak,
The naïve,
The young,
The old,
The inadequate mixers -
Prey … for them.

You would have to
Consider yourself
Colour prejudiced,
If you thought ‘white-lies’,
Were any less damning
Than any other lies.

Lies are the footprints marking
‘The Trail of Deceit’,
As plainly left,
As those by feet.

One lie can spawn
A thousand more,
Can force the truth
To seek the door.

No lies are innocent,
No lies are small,
Lies are best told …
Not at all.

You’re never too old to learn something new,
You’re never too old to explore,
You’re never too old to have hopes and dreams,
You’re never too old to want more,
You’re never too old for a challenge,
You’re never too old to complete it,
You’re never too old to achieve your goal,
And then, remarkably, beat it,
You’re never too old to make a difference,
You’re never too old to aim higher,
You’re never too old to change the world,
You’re never too old to inspire,
You’re never too old to share your thoughts,
You’re never too old to give,
But mostly, people must realise …
You’re never too old to live.

Love and friendship makes
The world go ‘round,
While hatred
Applies the brake.

Let’s pray that love
Will long prevail,
If only for ...
God's sake.

Spring born,
Summer's scorn,
Autumn lost,
Winter tossed.

Many, many years ago;
I put a message in a bottle,
And it floated far out to sea
To date no one has answered it ...
But perhaps, one day ... one day,
One day ... one day ... maybe.

Many, many years ago;
I aspired to achieve a dream,
And my dream it lingers still,
To date I’ve not achieved it;
But perhaps one day ... one day
One day ... one day ... one day ...
One day ... I will.