"A Private Grief"

The man was so proud and so private
He didn't need questions so trite
Or the camera and microphone pointing
To capture his grief and his plight
He had difficulty holding the tears back
His voice was not terribly clear
It broke with an answer forthcoming
His sentiments too sad to hear
He'd just lost his mother to Covid
Her care home had suffered too bad
And now he had lost some one precious
The only sweet mother he had
She'd been a nurse too in her heyday
In those days when care always came first
She'd been horrified it's now a business
With figures and targets perverse
The home had been cruelly infected
Protection had come way too late
Both carers and residents waiting
For the news that reported their fate
So his mother was just one more number
A cross on a roll call of names
One less pension to pay from the coffers
No finger to point any blames
The virus had silently held her
And took away life with it's stealth
The man could not hold his own mother
Could not bring her right back to full health
All he could do was remember
The wonderful mother she'd been
As he watched her eyes close from a distance
And see the nurse moving a screen
And now all the media  gathered
To highlight the home's lack of aid
A mass of flashlights and reporters
An un-sensitive dark cavalcade
Grief is a private emotion
Something no one is privy to share
So the man ran away from the spotlight
To sit in his mothers arm chair
To reflect and to grieve for a moment
And to cherish remarkable years
In private releasing emotions
As he suddenly bursts into tears.

By David Whitney    c 2020

"A Story To Be Told"

It's a Spring we will remember
The good times and the bad
The minutes ticking slowly
In the 'lock down' we all had
Those hours of isolation
Like a prisoner in a cell
Not seeing any loved ones
Or the friends we knew so well
The world outside denied to us
As we obey the rules
A place we took for granted
Just a playground for the fools
We'll all have many memories
Of the times we laughed and cried
We'll all be very mindful
Of the ones who fought and died
And whilst the grief engulfs us
We can learn by our mistakes
The World can be much better
With decisions that it makes
With hope and love we'll do it
For a future without fear
We must be understanding
There's a voice we all can hear
Yes we'll all remember Springtime
When our lives were put on hold
But come the freedom of tomorrow
There's a story to be told.

by David Whitney  c 2020

"By Any Other Name"

The rain was pretty heavy
The shelter pretty dire
A leaky roof of broken tiles
A lantern and a fire
But this was life for Henry
A barren wooden shed
A draughty place
That he called home
A hay bale for a bed
A little dog his only friend
A mongrel he named Skip
Who he found wandering
Lost and weak
Upon a ******* tip
The two of them were happy
Though they didn't have a lot
But Henry prayed for them each night
Thanking God for all he'd got
A wealth of love and friendship
From a scruffy looking mutt
Who shared a life of poverty
In a dilapidated hut
Once a wealthy businessman
With justice on his side
Accused of theft and harassment
The man still had his pride
Whilst innocent the stigma stayed
So taking things in hand
The man left everything he owned
And took to roam the land
He didn't need the luxury's
That nearly cost his life
He didn't want to live
Like he was balanced on a knife
With 'Skip' he'd found companionship
That didn't judge or blame
A life so sweet and simple
A love by any other name.

The End by David Whitney               c2021

"Different Place"

It was such a tiring journey
Over rough and rugged land
The little lad was six years old
Too young to understand
That the water he was seeking
Would be filled with germs and waste
Not clear or safe for drinking
But so dangerously laced
He had no shoes upon his feet
The water *** immense
Once filled with ***** water
Far too heavy to make sense
But fill he must, his family
Depended on his quest
So Imari as the boy child
Had to do his very best
He didn't realise the world
Was so unfairly shared
That water ran free from a tap
Not preciously so spared
That children played in water parks
Had water pistol fights
Had baths and showers daily
Drank sweet water based delights
No struggles through a barren land
To fill a water ***
Yet taking things for granted
Never blessing what they've got
A different world beyond his grasp
A different selfish place
Where riches and possessions
Put a smile upon a face
Maybe one day young Imari
Will be able to progress
But as Mars seems more important
I think the world is in a mess.

The End           by David Whitney     c 2021

Dumped without a conscience
Murdered without qualms
Shot, or gassed in chambers
Children wrenched from mothers arms
The Holocaust , Despicable
Lives nothing but a blight
A canker to be wiped away
What man has any right
To choose who has to live or die
Because they don't fit in
Because they pray a different way
Or don't live life like him
Those innocents who lost their lives
By merely being born
Those families who shared a love
Their hearts so badly torn
Herded like lost cattle
Starved or sent to die
Prayers for all those answers
Tears just wondering Why?
Could man not see the right from wrong
Was he brainwashed to believe
The teachings of a  monster
With a passion to deceive
It's hard to even wonder
What those people did endure
The thought of what they went through
Chills me to the very core
Life is very precious
Regardless of your race
It doesn't put a label on
A different kind of face
We're all in this world together
We must live and choose our way
So let The Holocaust remind us
Each and every blessed day.

The End     by David Whitney c 2020

"Every Tear"
(a poem in memory of those lost to Covid 19)

Bless the new Angels in Heaven
Those people we lost this last year
The lives sadly taken from families
The love shown in every tear
The hearts left in pieces, the sadness
The questions un answered, the pain
Each life, a precious soul taken
The grief that will always remain
In memories ,smiles and in laughter
Those moments you'll never regret
The face that you now try to picture
The voice you try not to forget
All those people now out of the picture
As each life tries to cope with despair
Hoping they'll walk through the door soon
And sit on their favourite chair
Tears roll and eyes red with crying
Stare blankly to greet a new day
Life has to go on though your weeping
And the love in your heart paves the way.

The End  by David Whitney    c2021

"From Bad To Worse"

The dinghy overcrowded
Wasn't worthy for the sea
The families crammed on the craft
Had no written guarantee
That they would reach land safely
To begin a better life
Fleeing from a war torn country
From the panic and the strife
For their journey fraught with danger
On a cruel and heartless course
Had the ocean showing who was boss
With a terrifying force
One family fell overboard
Their cries of panic lost
In the turbulence of water
Where the dinghy sadly tossed
A little child was pulled alive
His body icy cold
But his parents were no longer there
To comfort and to hold
They'd paid a fortune for the trip
And now paid with their lives
How desperate they had to be
How sick the devil drives
But still the people trust their luck
Whilst others fill their purse
A sorry state of greed and need
Fleeing from bad to worse.

The End                  by David Whitney c2021

"In The Comfort Of Your Heart"

When you lose someone you've always loved
It's difficult to cope
Your memories  loom large as life
And you carry on with hope
They do not see you crying
The grief you cannot bear
You only wish you'd turn around
And see them standing there
Your heart is aching Oh! So much
They were your life and soul
Without them now you're feeling lost
You haven't any goal
Your day's are filled with sadness
Your love's nowhere to go
If only they were back today
You'd say "I love you so"
You'd tell them what they mean to you
You'd hold them close once more
You'd try and stop that last goodbye
That closes every door
But life must take it's journey
And you come to realize
That your loved one's one way ticket
Was deserving of a prize
To enter into Heaven
Where a new life has to start
Not forgotten always present
In the comfort of your heart.

by David Whitney   c 2020

"Just The Clowns"


They say with age comes wisdom
And I rather think that's true
We age and we get wiser
In most everything we do
And yet inside we're eighteen
Trying hard to comprehend
Why our bodies fail our wishes
Why our spines no longer bend
Making plans we cannot conquer
As we just don't have the force
Like a donkey lame but willing
Who forgets he's not a horse
Age a number but a demon
Something we just can't control
As we live our lives as best we can
No longer 'on a roll'
So we take each day and celebrate
Those birthdays we don't need
Reminding us we're not eighteen
But sadly gone to seed
A man who's mirror image
Looks extremely like his dad
The laughter lines reflecting
All the good times that's been had
A face that's full of wisdom
Full of life's quaint ups and downs
Our mind's still stuck at eighteen years
Our bodies just the clowns

by David Whitney    c 2017

"LEFT UNSAID"
(For parents everywhere who have lost a child)

We remember how you waved goodbye
Your college life ahead
We never thought they'd be no chance
To say things left unsaid
Like how we really loved you
How you made us very proud
How your talent and your presence
Made you stand out in a crowd
We never had an inkling
That behind your smiling face
Was a soul so badly tortured
In a dark and lonely place
Your laughter hid an ocean full
Of worries and despair
We never saw a flicker
Of a life no longer there
If only you had opened up
If only we had knew
The heartache and the worries
You were putting yourself through
We might have saved you from it all
Instead we're now bereft
And grieving as we think of you
For us there's nothing left
You were our world, our everything
The reasons we'd awake
The sunshine in our daily lives
The icing on the cake
You were our one and only child
So every tear we shed
Is a precious crystal memory
Of the things we left unsaid.

by David Whitney   c 2020

"Look Of Despair"

Clara looked out of the window
A woman stood waving her hand
The woman was Clara's first daughter
But Clara did not understand
Bewildered she had many questions
Why were masks hiding faces away
Why was there no hugging or kissing
Had the care home gone into decay
The woman outside looked familiar
Though Clara could not put a name
With masks over everyone's faces
Everybody looked much just the same
Clara wished her husband Henry
Could visit her like just before
But dementia had fuddled her memory
Her husband had died in the war
The woman was still stood there waving
Why on earth did she not come inside
And why was she waving at Clara
And why had she suddenly cried
Clara sat down in the corner
Nobody would bother her there
She could still sit and talk to her Henry
Though she spoke to a vacant arm chair
Each day was the same but now different
No visitors came anymore
The TV was all about Covid
What on Earth was she still living for
Tears held inside started falling
She felt so abandoned and lost
The care staff were doing their duties
But warm hugs weren't a part of the cost
She tottered her way to the window
The woman outside was still there
Clara remembered her daughter
And she waved with a look of despair.

The End
By David Whitney     c2021

“My Only One”

When there’s no breath in my body
When my heart beats its last beat
I will leave a kiss on my lips
It is yours for you to keep
Maybe I’ve not been a great man
Maybe I had many flaws
But I tried my best to be the guy
Whose love was always yours
I wanted so much to be loved
To know I had a worth
So I followed teachings to be kind
Whilst I was here on Earth
I never had great riches
Just a wealth of love and care
And two open arms to hold you
When you needed someone there
A shoulder there to cry on
When the road was sometimes steep
The gentle touch of fingers
Wiping tears we both would weep
I really think I did my best
And weathered every storm
My life not down in history
But a purpose to be born
To meet and be your soul mate
And to offer you my heart
Regardless of the final scene
When we must break apart
So when my eyes fall into sleep
And life for me is done
My love, my heart my very soul’s
For you, my only one.


By David Whitney   c 2018

"Nor Will Let Go"
The homeless man was crying
His Blanket wet with snow
His doorway told the story
He had nowhere else to go
He’d lost his job and family
His children were in care
He looked for help and guidance
But there was just nobody there
Until the day a man came by
With little dog in tow
He said he knew just of a place
The man could safely go
He said he'd wealth and property
Too much for him to bear
And he'd little time left here on Earth
So needed some ones care
Especially for his little dog who'd come to be his life
Who's friendship had been everything
Since he had lost his wife
"So wipe away those tears young man
I'm helpless just like you
And you always stroke my little dog
When I am passing through
He seems to like you very much
And always wags his tail
And you always make a fuss of him
Each evening without fail"
The homeless man was speechless
He just struggled to believe
That some one was there to help him
In a world he'd thought to leave
So the men walked off together
With the little dog named "Bo"
The proof that human kindness
Isn't lost nor will let go.
The End by David Whitney

"Social Distanced Friends"

That close feeling of being hugged
The warmth of someone near
The knowing that somebody cares
The love of someone dear
How hard it is to stay apart
No hand for you to hold
How precious is that skin on skin
Now distance is so cold
The urge to run and hug a friend
The longing for their touch
The hurt you feel inside your heart
When friendship means so much
We hope and pray it soon will end
That life can be worth living
That all the love we have inside
Can once again be giving
Until that time all we can do
Is hope this lock down ends
So we can hold and hug and kiss
Our social distanced friends.

By David Whitney                     c2021

"Soldiering On"
The line of tanks looked frightening
Their target drawing near
Inside were soldiers praying
But could anybody hear
With orders swiftly given
And directions vaguely sent
What were the tanks all doing
What was the real intent
The soldiers queries cast aside
No answers were addressed
Just do as you've been told to do
And do what you do best
It horrified the soldiers
When they realized their mission
To **** their friends and neighbours
Just to feed one man's ambition
With their target just a mile away
The convoy stopped and turned
Their enemy was back at home
Their doubts were all confirmed
So forward to their homeland
Where smug murderers relax
Oblivious that their tanks return
To continue their attacks!
By David Whitney            c 2022

The man stood at the altar
In his military glory
His metal legs a memory
Of a bitter war torn story
His brother as his 'best man'
Standing proudly by his side
Remembering that moment
When his hero nearly died
The church packed full
Of love that day
The atmosphere unique
Today one in a million
Full of magic so to speak
The ***** started playing
And the congregation stood
The man glanced to the doorway
It was expected that he would
And there in white organza
Was his nervous blushing bride
A vision, very beautiful
Her father by her side
And as she walked towards him
He had tears he could not hold
He'd prayed this day would happen
Now it was starting to unfold
The story of a soldier boy
Who'd fell for someone blind
A woman so remarkable, so brave
And Oh! So kind
A person who had overcome
The darkness of her sight
Who'd walked a path of loneliness
Till she'd found Mr.Right
And there he was before her
Looking handsome and so smart
And though she couldn't see him
There was his picture in her heart
So as the bells rang out that day
The newlyweds rejoiced
As confetti showered over them
Congratulations voiced
For theirs was a love story
Everybody hopes to find
Something wonderful
Accepting the true fact
That love is blind.

THE END by David Whitney c 2020

"So Very Blessed"
( a poem about the Corona Virus)

They'd been in love forever
Now she was fighting for her life
The virus crept in silently
And it cut just like a knife
Her breathing was so laboured
Every breath a mammoth task
Her tortured face obscured
By the sad presence of a mask
All he could do was sit and wait
Each hour a living hell
He couldn't sit and hold her
There was no one there to tell
How much he loved his sweetheart
How he couldn't bear to think
That she might slip away from him
Her life now on the brink
He held his head to hide his face
As tears streamed down his cheek
A nurse approached him weeping there
He found it hard to speak
She said that he could see his wife
As there was very little hope
In mask and special clothing
He sat near her and he spoke
He told her that he loved her
And he gently held her hand
He said she had to fight for life
The life they both had planned
Her body heaved a little
The nurse rushed to her bed
The panic shown upon her face
Spoke volumes  she was dead
And lost in grief and sorrow
He prepared to hear the worst
He didn't see her open eyes
Nor feel her touch at first
But slowly she came back to him
And though too weak to speak
The nurse said she was on the mend
The virus passed it's peak
He cried a million tears of joy
His prayers had been addressed
He felt like he had all the world
Their lives so very blessed.
The nurse was also weeping
She'd seen many lose their life
But the tears were tears of happiness
As the man embraced his wife.

The End           by David Whitney   c 2020

"The Accused"

Thought I'd blotted the past behind me
But seems the ink has never dried
Memories still appear and haunt me
Eyes red with tears I've cried
Second chances never found me
Hopes and dreams rot on the shelf
Blame still firmly on my shoulders
But the blame's with someone else
Diary entry has the answers
But nobody wants the truth
Read between the lines I've written
If you want to find the proof
I was framed, I didn't do it
But everybody thinks I did
The real culprit was so clever
And his movements were all hid
In the end there must be justice
In the end I must be free
But at present I'm a shadow
Of the man I used to be
I huddle in the corner
Where the sunshine lights my face
Dreaming dreams of new tomorrows
In my freedom's warm embrace
But for now I chalk the days off
In my cold and lonely cell
Praying for a little justice
To release me from this hell.

by David Whitney           c2021

To those who live in high rise flats
These times won't last forever
You may not have that garden space
But we'll get through this together
It may seem like a nightmare
You may even shed a tear
You might think this is punishment
Or a time of utmost fear
It might bear on your patience
If you've children in the home
You might feel that you're living this
Completely on your own
Nobody has to be afraid
Though this might be as it seems
It's only for a little while
You'll still realize your dreams
The future is all ours to share
And whilst it's out of reach
We're all sat in the same life boat
All heading for the beach
All longing for our lives again
Though better than before
All praying for a safer world
That beckons from the shore
And as the sun shines down on us
We'll smile and we'll embrace
This time a fleeting memory
Now hope has shown it's face.

By David Whitney    c 2020

"Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day"
(a poem inspired by the passing of Sir Captain Tom Moore)

Captain Tom inspired us all
He surely earned his wings
He lived his life and gave us hope
And what commitment brings
It brings us all together
When the days are dark and long
It brings a ray of sunshine
So we all can carry on
Unselfishly it makes us see
That we are not alone
It paves the way for progress
In a world to us unknown
With strength and understanding
We can all conquer our wars
Tom proved that age is nothing
No deterrent to the cause
So now that Tom has left us
He expects us to be kind
And to think of one another
Now he's left us all behind
To fight this fight and seize the day
When all seems to be lost
To battle on and win this war
Regardless of the cost
"No virus will defeat us"
I can almost hear him say
"Don't mourn for me remember this
Tomorrow will be a good day"

The End        by David Whitney c2021

"Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day"
(a poem inspired by the passing of Sir Captain Tom Moore)

Captain Tom inspired us all
He surely earned his wings
He lived his life and gave us hope
And what commitment brings
It brings us all together
When the days are dark and long
It brings a ray of sunshine
So we all can carry on
Unselfishly it makes us see
That we are not alone
It paves the way for progress
In a world to us unknown
With strength and understanding
We can all conquer our wars
Tom proved that age is nothing
No deterrent to the cause
So now that Tom has left us
He expects us to be kind
And to think of one another
Now he's left us all behind
To fight this fight and seize the day
When all seems to be lost
To battle on and win this war
Regardless of the cost
"No virus will defeat us"
I can almost hear him say
"Don't mourn for me remember this
Tomorrow will be a good day"

The End        by David Whitney c2021

"Treasure"

The child was barely six days old
His cot a cardboard box
His little body wrapped in rags
No hat no gloves or socks
He'd been placed on the doorstep
Of a Church on Christmas Eve
An hour before the Midnight Mass
A note said "Feed him please"
No name or information
Just a sweet Angelic face
With eyes like tiny sapphires
Begging for a warm embrace
A plea went out around the town
To find his desperate mother
But nobody came forward
No sad story to discover
And so the little boy was found
A home where he could live
And a couple who would offer him
The love they longed to give
For they had tried for years and years
For a baby of their own
But fate had not dealt them the cards
For reasons still unknown
And so they got to keep the boy
Their prayers at last were heard
And so they named him 'Treasure'
Their lives blessed by this one word
So if you yearn for something
That you feel is out of reach
Remember prayers get answered
When you practice what you preach
And give a thought to 'Treasure'
Who was the answer to a prayer
A little child found wrapped in rags
The hope born from despair

by David Whitney                      c2020

"We Pray"
God Bless the children
Caught up in a war
Some lost now forever
Some orphaned for sure
Some cradled some dying
In safe mothers arms
Some lost and bewildered
At the sound of alarms
Who'd welcome such suffering
They can't have a soul
They won't go to Heaven
They're out of control
How can they sleep peacefully
Knowing their crime
It's not war but ******
Disguised all the time
God Bless all those children
Their parents their race
God Bless everybody
Forced out of their place
May wisdom and knowledge
May truth pave the way
May Love always combat
What's evil
We Pray.
By David Whitney              c2022

"What A Life Is For?"

The lad lay on the London street
His hand clutching his chest
He saw his life flash by his eyes
He'd tried to do his best
Just sixteen years that's all he was
No trouble making lout
He'd just been in the wrong place
At the wrong time
There's no doubt
A gang of maybe six or eight
Had prompted an attack
No reason for the violence
No strength to fight them back
A flash of light across a blade
Was all he really saw
The pain set in just seconds after
He had hit the floor
And now he'd be a number
A statistic in a book
Another lad who'd died
Whose life was mercilessly took
A common daily problem
Hardly shocking anymore
A senseless disregard for life
And what a life is for.

The End    by David Whitney   c 2021

"When The World Wakes Up Again"

We'll all be celebrating
When the world wakes up again
We'll appreciate the life we had
Without the ball and chain
The streets alive with people
Going about their daily chores
The shops with tempting merchandise
Now opening their doors
The hugs from friends and family
We missed so very much
Those things we took for granted
Out of reach and out of touch
The schools now full of children
Hearing laughter ,playing games
The workers back to work
The sound of aeroplanes trains
Theatres full of people
Vibrant night clubs, cafes, bars
The sports arenas teeming
Roads now woken up with cars
That world we thought had died on us
Now wanting us to think
What we always took for granted
Can be taken in a wink
It's a lesson that we can't ignore
So obvious and plain
We must love one another
When the world wakes up again.

By David Whitney  c 2020

"With A Kiss"

Oh! Mum I wish that you were here
As Mother's Day is very near
Though we don't need a special day
To say those things we want to say
To tell you how we miss your smile
And wish that we could hug a while
To let you know just what you mean
To let you know how we've all been
Since you left us those years ago
How still our hearts pine for you so
For you were all the world and more
You taught us what true love is for
To cherish those who mean so much
So hard now you are out of touch
But rest assured you're always here
Beside us always have no fear
A Mother who we'll always miss
Our love to you sealed with a kiss.

The End   by David Whitney   c 2021