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65 · Jul 2020
Alone
Janet Doyle Jul 2020
I could say it’s the freedom,
With no one to tell me no,
And I love when I’m deciding,
Just where and when to go,

I might say it’s the quiet,
Of silence all around,
No voice to mar the beauty,
Of time without a sound,

I’ll add it’s the adventure,
When all I have is me,
There’s really nothing like it,
The wonders that I see,

But the time I spend alone,
Is when my soul can rest,
And really it’s the company,
It’s when I like me best.

JDoyle
64 · Dec 2021
A Visit Home
Janet Doyle Dec 2021
Along this narrow, dark alleyway,
A thought, a memory, or just my mind,
But there’s a reason I have come this way,
There’s something here I forgot to find,
And this lonely road I’ve walked before,
It brings me comfort I cannot describe,
The slums, the ghettos, hold something more,
They echo my fight to stay alive,
I think somewhere I saw a light,
I know there has to be a spark,
Concealed but somehow shining bright,
A light that’s hidden in the dark.
I find myself, it knows my name,
Though often I have chose to roam,
Here I belong, we are the same,
The paths of despair, I call my home,

J Henry
63 · Jul 2023
A Drink to Remember
Janet Doyle Jul 2023
There’s a sparkling in your eyes,
And tonight I’m feeling fine,
Watch the stars dazzle the skies,
Through another glass of wine,
Let’s celebrate the days of old,
We can raise a toast of ***,
I’ll recite their glories told,
And dream of the days to come,
But of this I’m well aware,
That tomorrow comes too soon,
With just ***** crystal clear
We could live upon the moon,
Will you join me for a dance?
Of adventure mixed with gin,
A discovered dark romance?
And I think we should begin,
To find a moment lost in time,
Forgotten long and far away,
Where the zzar is causing rhyme,
And that’s how I went astay,
But I know that now is real,
Though my hearts in full eclipse,
It’s this longing that I feel,
To taste the Absinthe on your lips.  

JHenry
62 · Feb 2022
We be Strangers
Janet Doyle Feb 2022
One that laughs, One that cries,
One that shows me distant skies,
Some suggestive, catch the eye,
Others don’t, though they try,
One from the south,
One in the north,
One walks away,
One coming forth,
One tells such tales,
One wants it all,
One falters and fails,
One I try and fall,
Some running by, some try to stay,
Some make me run, some make my day
One from the east,
One to the west,
To one I’m least,
To one I’m best,
One questions why,
One informs,
One is polite,
Another scorns,
And one, he paints,
Another sings,
One writes his soul,
One laughter brings,
The world it spins, and time will turn,
And I will go and I will learn,
But this is certain, and it’s true,
They’ll never be another you,
Or another me, Hell yes I care,
For these fleeting moments that we share.

JHenry
62 · Jun 2022
???
Janet Doyle Jun 2022
???
A question of the ages,
And it is getting late,
As time flips through it’s pages,
Is this free will or fate?
I stand my ground, deciding,
My life is mine to choose,
Resisting or abiding?
Are we all destined to lose?
Or are lucky ones the winners?
Though the path is winding still,
The angelic and the sinners,
Is it fate or our free will?
There’s a Heaven where we’re going,
But Hell is here on Earth,
The challenge is the knowing,
Since the long past day of birth,
As the fulcrum totters sideways,
Confusion that I feel,
Is it fate’s playful hand that sways?
Or because of my free will?

JHenry
61 · Feb 2022
After Imbolc
Janet Doyle Feb 2022
The night flashed in a sudden light,
Followed by the thunder’s roar,
Catching my eye, the brilliant bright,
I watched the sky, waited for more,
In dead of night, a sign of hope,
A storm blown in by winds of change,
Changing my mind, changing my scope,
My mind, like clouds, to rearrange,
The coming storm, to wash the past,
Brings flashing light to show the way,
To feel alive, the storm to pass,
To fight again another day,
A wind to knock me off my feet,
Water’s depth to swim or sink,
A mountain’s high, a daring feat,
My complex mind, to overthink,
And in the night an endless peace,
Knowing these things, are my friend,
My pain, my soul, my mind’s release,
The warming sun to feel again.

JHenry
60 · Jul 2022
The Still
Janet Doyle Jul 2022
The wind begins to slither, finding openings to my room,
Something moves along the window, touches of impending doom,
Growing larger, ever closer, above my lying form to loom,
I wake up in the night,
The darkness is alive now, my bright eyes stare into the veil,
Catching motion, is it blowing? Or somehow rising up through Hell?
The chiming ever louder, and the cause I ache to tell,
So little in my sight,
The still of the night is deadened,  waiting, waiting, dare I lay?
Suddenly, the birds are chirping, can they drive this dark away?
My heart to slow, my soul at ease, surer of the coming day,
So soon there will be light,
But will I see it? Moving forward, my hand to grasp upon the knife,
Peering, searching through the darkness, can I **** what don’t hold life?
Chirping, chiming, growing louder, the wind it rises, seductive, rife,
As I walk into the night.

JHenry
60 · May 2020
Forbidden Faces
Janet Doyle May 2020
To describe it, I begin,
Claustrophobic, all closed in,
Slowly smothered, looking out,
Nervous, frustrated, tied about,
My throat restricting, makeshift noose,
Safety is it? Your excuse?
Discomfort growing, concentrate,
Get it done with, far to late,
Senses subdued, my hazy mind,
I try escaping but I find,
My hands are useless, far to weak,
To bring the justice that I seek,
My heated breath to agitate,
The ties that bind me, cut and grate,
Lashing outward, what’s the use,
These poor *******, same excuse,
Trapped and bound my very soul,
Tyranny demands a toll,
Hide me under, suffocate,
Constrict, confine me, blackest fate,
Oppressive rulings to conform,
Slavery becomes the norm,
Stifled air and muffled voice,
I tell you this is not my choice,
Forbidden faces, jaws set tight,
Eyes are narrow, hands can fight
60 · Dec 2021
Without a Compass
Janet Doyle Dec 2021
I’m alive upon this earth,
So big and fair and round,
But I’m just a tiny fragment,
Barely needing solid ground,
Isn’t right and left subjective?
Because up is up to me,
So then any road I travel,
Is right where I should be,
Because who knows where I’m going?
And I haven’t got a clue,
Though if you’re going that way,
I might walk awhile with you.
But the path it tends to spiral,
There’s always another turn,
There’s forks and thorns and pitfalls,
But, Oh my God, we learn,
And parting ways it happens,
Throw a kiss into the wind,
Goodbyes are empty echoes,
Only where the new begins,
But I think this is important!
And I promise that I would,
And I ask you humbly also,
Let’s remember just the good,
I think I’m heading this way,
Just because it caught my eye,
The path is an illusion,
Made of hopes and dreams and sky,
And I have misplaced my compass,
It just wasn’t meant to be,
But now that has me thinking,
Does it make me lost or free?

JHenry
60 · Jan 2023
No More
Janet Doyle Jan 2023
The highwayman came riding and he knocked upon my door,
And how my eyes did brighten, I’d not seen his kind before,
Returning from adventure, his blue eyes twinkled so,
His golden hair was sparkling, his rapier sat low,
The evening sun was setting, brightest crimson was the sky,
I knew that his quick hello would soon be a goodbye,
For his smile was full of mischief as I opened up that door,
And his slim form slid right past me tracking mud upon the floor,
The stories he was telling made my spirit lift and fly,
Then the sorrow that came after as he bowed his head to cry,
For friends he’d lost and failures just as many as the wins,
And how there is no telling if the adventure ever ends,
The highwayman left riding as I closed the heavy door,
And I just can’t shake the feeling, I won’t see his kind no more.

JHenry
59 · Mar 2020
Emotions
Janet Doyle Mar 2020
So turbulent and changing,
A maelstrom of the soul,
Some violent crash of whimsy,
Where colliding feelings rule,
Where all is bright and happy,
Then booming, thunders roll,
Or the slightest wave of fancy,
Now all is dark and cruel,
Where smiles are pure as sunshine,
And eyes are black as coal,
With riptides rushing towards,
An ever changing goal.

JDoyle
58 · Nov 2020
Autumn Morning
Janet Doyle Nov 2020
The leaves are all gone,
The wind whisks them by,
An autumnal dawn,
A cloud covered sky,
The sun’s shining bright,
The mountain stands bare,
I blink in the light,
A new day is here.

JDoyle
57 · Mar 2020
Cabin Fever
Janet Doyle Mar 2020
I’m restless, it’s that time of the year,
Life is muted, dull is here,
I say once more that spring is near,
It must be on the way.
To the river and around the bend,
Up the mountain, only to descend,
It does me no good, this cold must end,
It isn’t meant to stay.
Everywhere is muddy brown,
And drab colors from sky to ground,
Signs of life are scarcely found,
The very light is gray.
And how I yearn to once more be free,
To shed these clothes, and just be me,
To go into the world carefree,
And feel a sunny day.
But it doesn’t come so still I wait,
We northern folk, it is our fate,
This cabin fever, when spring is late,
Or winter wants to stay.

JDoyle
57 · Feb 2022
Waiting
Janet Doyle Feb 2022
He built a cage for her out of the bones of their own children,
And how little and compliant she seemed inside it,
Toiling away at imagined responsibilities,
The demons in her mind were all to willing to listen to his,
And his slothful habits never ceased to give her something to do,
A distraught mind and overworked body has little time to examine a cage,
And cage or no, it still should be clean and comfortable… right?
How complacent, arrogant and overbearing he became,
So sure of his singular tactic,
But her gaze was always far beyond the cage, she was only waiting,
Through days of stark clarity, and days on the edge of madness, she waited,
Bones are not steel,
They would weaken.

JHenry
55 · Nov 2020
Simplified?
Janet Doyle Nov 2020
There’s something about acceptance,
That really is the key,
Though often stalled by reluctance,
It’s how we need to be,
Then we can move to reflectance,
And that’s when we start to see,
From there we find transcendence,
It’s then that we are free.

JDoyle
55 · Jul 2020
Of Sleeping
Janet Doyle Jul 2020
The sun came up this morning, in a sky of pink, yellow and red,
I pulled my blankets up to my chin and snuggled all warm in my bed,
The sky of sapphire brightened, on a warm and glorious day,
I lay in a soft pile of comfort and I dreamed all the morning away,
When noon arrived in it’s vibrance, with sounds of the world outside,
I shut my eyes up tight to the light, and found I could sleep if I tried,
Now the day it so does linger, with such beauty and splendor to see,
I wake and I stretch and I smile at today, and thank it for letting me be.

JDoyle
52 · Feb 2020
Ripples
Janet Doyle Feb 2020
It’s ripples that I’m making,
And chances that I’m taking,
To keep my soul from aching,
And not be torn askew,

It’s adventure I’ll be facing
And freedom that I’m chasing,
To keep me from misplacing,
My heartbeats, all to few,

It’s all to make me wonder,
And break the lies asunder,
To keep from going under,
And to myself be true.

J.Doyle
52 · Oct 2020
Prophecy
Janet Doyle Oct 2020
Long ago when men were men and women strong and free,
They dared the heights and sang a song and left upon the sea,
When mother Morrigan with bloodied hands predicted what would be,
Now time has passed and days grow short, and freedom wants it’s fee,
I’d use this chance to make her smile if it were up to me,
Of reavers, betrayers, old man, false lawyers, these are plain to see,
As are our lost children, men without valor, nor women’s modesty,
Do we wait for no flowers or food and forests without a tree?
Dare we bow our mother’s head, to fulfill her prophecy?

JDoyle
51 · May 2020
Haiku
Janet Doyle May 2020
The day is over
Night is arriving to soon
To last forever

JDoyle
51 · May 2020
Yeah
Janet Doyle May 2020
Sometimes, I can walk the walk,
Mostly cause I’ve tripped before,
And face plants come as quite a shock,
But what you see, down on the floor,

Too loudly, I will talk the talk,
And often times just nonsense spout,
Words left open, free to mock,
It gives me more to think about,

JDoyle
51 · Nov 2020
But I need to buy gas
Janet Doyle Nov 2020
The noise is oppressive,
The flashing lights they blind,
Society invasive,
Grabbing at the mind,
“Look at me” they’re shouting,
“This is what to think,”
Propaganda spouting,
“Don’t you even blink,”
They just keep getting nearer,
As the noise becomes a knell,
And the blasphemy gets clearer,
Damning you to hell,
There may be no escaping,
Here in the blackest night,
But it’s your spirit they’ll be ******,
And you can always fight.

JDoyle
51 · Dec 2021
Broken Mirrors
Janet Doyle Dec 2021
There are cracks upon the mirrors,
Is it random or by design?
As I gaze in horror, wandering,
Through this madhouse of my mind,
Each contorts disturbingly,
Yet familiar, it is mine,
And I flinch upon my pondering,
At the images, yet to find,
Through darkened pathways spiraling,
As tortured thoughts entwine,
To obscure and bar the exit,
With broken mirrors, left behind,

JHenry
51 · May 2020
And so it begins
Janet Doyle May 2020
We dance around the fire,
Dodging to and fro,
I chase you then you chase me,
Round and round we go,
51 · Mar 2020
Tir Na Nog
Janet Doyle Mar 2020
A far green woodland,
Beneath a sapphire sky,
With silver streams meandering,
Along the by and by,
With trees as tall as giants,
And mountains oh so high,
And misty covered shorelines,
So clear in my mind’s eye,

JDoyle
49 · Apr 2020
How to impress yourself
Janet Doyle Apr 2020
Life got you feeling hopeless?
So anxious and depressed?
Are you legs a little shaky?
A dropping in your chest?
You don’t have to stop forever,
Just take a little rest,
Remember why you started,
And at your own behest,
Take just the next step forward,
Don’t have to do the rest,
It’s just the task before you,
This isn’t a contest,
And bit by bit you get there,
Creating your own quest,
Feel the fear and all it offers,
Now lay it there to rest,
Pride and confidence will follow,
You’ll know you did your best,
Sometimes it may take longer,
Than what you first had guessed,
Don’t let it make you hopeless,
To this I can attest!
You’ll be thankful for the lessons,
Feeling joy and blessed,
When you see how far you’ve gotten,
I know you’ll be impressed.

JDoyle
47 · May 2020
To be Wise
Janet Doyle May 2020
Always think with your heart,
To understand the need,
And feel with your mind,
So emotions don’t mislead,
Just listen with your eyes,
To find out what is true,
And see with your ears,
So no one can lie to you,
Now live with your spirit,
Growing better everyday,
And die just with your body,
For it doesn’t know the way.

JDoyle
47 · Aug 2020
The Dream of Freedom
Janet Doyle Aug 2020
Freedom, the long forgotten dream,          
Do you remember?
Shining in the morning, just a distant gleam,
What was it that you wanted,
And are you as you seem?

Is it you that lost it, careless in your ways,
Or was it everyone
A sacrifice freely given, to make for better days,
Was it worth it?
And are we better off now, here in this modern haze?

What is the price of freedom, dream though it may be?
Security and comfort,
That is the question isn’t it? so now we start to see,
Subtly it happens,
We lose our dreams of freedom, and join society.

But is that the way it is, or just what we’ve been told?
Who made those rules,
Do we have to sell our freedom, for another person’s gold?
Why?
Society gives no security,  and it’s gilt is chipped and old.

But the world is much the same, as when we turned our eyes,
Downward,
There are still the forests, rivers, deserts, seas, and skies,
Reminders,
That freedoms just forgotten, and maybe plagued with lies.

Don’t we all still see it, in the morning light?
Hope
Don’t we all still feel it, as evening turns to night?
Peace
Don’t let freedom be forgotten, it’s not to sell for comfort,
It is our human right.

J. Doyle
47 · Jul 2020
Lore
Janet Doyle Jul 2020
Time and again was history lost,
For a tyrant will reign at any cost,
Our books destroyed,
and minds subdued,
Or heroes slandered,
and spirits abused,
But hope, like life will find a way,
A light will shine, there’ll be a new day,
And hidden, kept hidden,
safely away,
Once thought destroyed,
forever to stay,
The wisdom that our ancestors knew,
They kept it for us, and never withdrew,
But waited, they waited,
through the long night,
To be revealed,
when the timing was right.
Fear not the darkness, just use it well,
And when the sun rises, there’ll be a new tale.

JDoyle
47 · May 2020
Days like this
Janet Doyle May 2020
Blustering, gusty, winds that blow,
Twisting trees sway to and fro,
Shadows dappled, clouds are low,
The brook it babbles, let it flow,
Sunlight peeks out, all aglow,
I’m heading home but walking slow.

JDoyle
46 · Oct 2020
Appalachia
Janet Doyle Oct 2020
I walk this ancient hill,
Eons beneath my feet,
So quiet and so still,
It’s here I am complete,
My life the smallest dot,
Upon these mountains grand,
But there is no higher thought,
Than to be part of the land,
And I’ve a moment just to be,
In this endless stream of time,
But I forget I’m me,
As I make another climb,
To ridges that show it’s wonder,
In valleys that hold the prize,
With rivers winding under,
The ever changing skies,
Consuming in it’s splendor,
These mountains that I know,
I’m humbled by the grandeur,
As on and on they go,
And I’m content to wander,
So happy just to roam,
Such beauty to discover,
In my Appalachian home.

JDoyle
45 · Oct 2020
For Warmth
Janet Doyle Oct 2020
I’m so much like my brother snake,
Searching for warmth, I fail to make,
To lie in the sun or curl up inside,
The colder it gets, the more that I hide,
Comparable to the vampire’s lust,
Desperate for warmth, knowing I must,
Upon my brethren impose,
For body heat or some extra clothes,
I go to heat, as a moth to a flame,
Seeking for warmth, always the same,
When autumn falls, and cold settles in,
I start my search for warmth again.

JDoyle
45 · Apr 2020
And this I wonder
Janet Doyle Apr 2020
if you take the time to think about it,
The pain of this world is crippling,
Empathy makes my insides,
Hurt so much,
It’s a needle hug, and a poison touch,
A hopelessness that is too,
much for tears,
Of horrid truths and dreaded fears,
Just a dull, painful dread,
For the living, for the dead,
I feel helpless, guilty and sad,
The struggle seems to be,
To see,
To create,
Good there within,
A battle we can never win,
For it does so little.
All we are, and all we feel,
This is the cost then, of free will,
Such a very precious gift,
but are we worth it?

JDoyle
45 · Jul 2020
Wanderlust
Janet Doyle Jul 2020
The wind it calls me, come along, to the lands that wait anew,
The mountain thrums and beckons to me, see the peaks I’ve made for you,
The sea it whispers then it roars, leave the world behind, askew,
My heart to pound and soul to go, tempered always by today,
To return and wait again, as again I’m called away,
As my heart aches from the beating  and my soul screams for release,
Away, away, from lands I know, not every soul desires peace,
But banners bright and shining mail, and clashing swords that seek the heart,
Or gunsmoke thick and cannon’s roar,
And charges brave as lives depart,
Pirate flags on winds of change above a rocking deck of gore,
Flying crafts take to the skies, and seek frontiers, forevermore,
Dystopia, a chance to fight, as society does fray,
And all the while, my restless soul, leads me once again, away.

JDoyle
44 · May 2020
80%
Janet Doyle May 2020
80%
I wonder where that leads to,
And just what does my touch do,
The veil that I can’t see through,
I’ll move it right aside,

I’m only gonna try it,
If I break it I will buy it,
Don’t care you tell me nigh it,
Is impossible, you chide,

Maybe I can make it better,
I’m always a go getter,
I’ll just remove this fetter,
Such I can’t abide,

That bend is calling to me,
The beauty that I might see,
I’ve just one chance to be free,
My heart will be my guide,

I don’t have any real plan,
To live throughout my lifespan,
Just want to know that I can,
So confident my stride,
44 · Jun 2020
At Day’s End
Janet Doyle Jun 2020
A gossamer veil of evening,
Gently tossed upon the day,
As Luminescent moonbeams,
Coalesce to light the way,
For life is a real illusion,
As all the world is a play,
And forever is just a moment,
That will never go away.

JDoyle
43 · Nov 2020
Night
Janet Doyle Nov 2020
The black river, it slithers
it’s way to the sea,
And the skeleton trees
stand stark in the night,
I pull up the darkness
a shroud to surround me,
A sliver of moon,
casts the world’s only light,
And the wind whispers softly
of words long unspoken,
Like fleeting shadows
on the edge of my mind,
Promises I’ve kept
and those that I’ve broken,
And something forgotten
I’ve been meaning to find,
But night obscures vision
and the colors they fade,
And the road that I can’t see
still calls me to roam,
I go as to a lover
my soul unafraid,
Ebony wings to surround me
and welcome me home.

JDoyle
43 · Jun 2020
As I Question the Fates
Janet Doyle Jun 2020
The first hag closed her only eye,
She murmured soft “I’ll tell you why,
Violence, it comes along with life,
As does sadness, death and strife,
An agent of change, to use so well,
It’s not who starts, but who will fail,”

The next hag shook her gray locks free,
She crooned, “dear one, can’t you see,
A natural order, again revealed,
If they won’t talk, they **** or be killed,
The sun will rise up, yellow or red,
And love remains, for living and dead,”

The third hag cackled, grinning wide,
She laughed, “there isn’t a right side,
Glory for some, a winner shall rise,
To give their own mix, of truth and lies,
Fear not the changes, face each day,
The soul continues, come what may,”

JDoyle
41 · Apr 2020
Looking out the window
Janet Doyle Apr 2020
And adventure awaits!
The vines entwine my spirit,
The mountains call my name,
And oh how I can hear it!
The sunlight leads the way,
I’m off to find tomorrow,
With the glory of today!

JDoyle
41 · Mar 2020
Friday the 13th
Janet Doyle Mar 2020
Friday will foretell the end,
13 omens will they send,
Tears will flow as though they’re bled,
As horror fills your heart with dread,
The veil of worlds to further rend,
Into the depths all will descend,
Hell behind and worse ahead,
A pity that you aren’t just dead,
A masquerade you must attend,
You cannot scream, so just pretend,
Across the land false hope was spread,
The fate of all, you’ve been misled,
And at long last, you comprehend.

JDoyle
41 · May 2020
Time
Janet Doyle May 2020
Time continues just the same,
As always it has done,
A different person, a different name,
Under the same sun,
Countries rise and then they fall,
The Earth allies to none,
But gives its bounty to them all,
Nurturing each one,
All will heed our mothers call,
When it’s our time we’ll know,
If we cannot stand, suffice to crawl,
To life or death we go,
The moon remains as it’s been set,
Changing life just so,
Though each of us, one chance we get,
The same as long ago,
As the ocean changes where it’s wet,
And mountains rise anew,
To some a gift, to some a threat,
The many come from the few,
As it has been, before we came,
And what it will still do,
It’s not supposed to stay the same,
But life, it will continue,

JDoyle
41 · May 2020
Pain is Pain
Janet Doyle May 2020
How can any of us really say,
who has run the harder course,
who has climbed the greater hurdles,
Who has faced the stronger force,

Life is hard

I cannot say to you,
That my heart hurts more than yours,
That the claws have ripped me deeper,
That the fist hit me more sure,

Pain is pain

And if we faced it bravely,
Or could only sit and cry,
Does it now make any difference,
In the worth of you or I?

Don’t pass it on

I think that we should keep it,
And let it make us kind,
Let it temper us with the compassion,
We can have, but couldn’t find.

JDoyle
41 · Jun 2020
Comes Tomorrow
Janet Doyle Jun 2020
As hearts and minds forget they’re free,
The red sun sets, will tomorrow be?
Confused and cruel hypocrisy?
Accepting this new way,

A starless night, so full of hate,
Choosing wrong, just to call it fate,
To harm is not to liberate,
So far, we’ve gone astray,

A future we won’t recognize,
With it’s conformity and lies,
The day will dawn, in different eyes,
That quickly look away,

JDoyle
39 · May 2020
The Wind
Janet Doyle May 2020
The gentle wind disrupts the grass,
Swaying flowers, let it pass,
Wind whispers through the trees,
Teasing summer, with a breeze,
Telling us, life doesn’t last,
Live it now! And rushes past,
The wind roars to bring the storm,
Then it changes, cool and warm,
Spring’s wind will be gone soon,
Round the world and to the moon,
Find yourself, within the song,
Spread your wings and go along,

JDoyle
39 · Apr 2020
A Hard Goodbye
Janet Doyle Apr 2020
My heart was heavy with sorrow,
The pain of today takes tomorrow,
But my eyes caught hold of a sight,
Of emeralds playing in light,
I saw, that it was green there,

The tumbling of sadness with hope,
Just what is the best way to cope?
With the good and the bad intertwining,
The cloudburst and said silver lining,
And for now, I am still here

So we pick up the pieces of life,
Find strength in the hardship and strife,
Focus on all the things that we love,
Find hope there within, sort of,
And live without fear,

We honor the life before death,
Grateful for the heartbeat and breath,
And wonder what life is about,
With so heavy a heart or without,
We return to good cheer,

Just like the cold winter turns spring,
Always new life it does bring,
This crucible that we call Earth,
With it’s crushing pain and great mirth,
And a green spring is near.

JDoyle
39 · Mar 2020
Perspective
Janet Doyle Mar 2020
Fear, I see you,
My old friend,
And forward do you urge me,
And sadness,
You’ve come again,
To help me more to see,
Pain, I know you,
Long we’ve walked together,
And much I owe to thee,
You hardship,
Are always near,
Let’s move along, shall we?
Regret, let’s talk,
With so much to hold dear,
Why question what could be?
Yet it is you, restless,
That sets my soul to wander,
And leads me to be free.

JDoyle
39 · Mar 2020
Old Man Forest
Janet Doyle Mar 2020
As I walk along today you quietly accept me here,
You listen to my ramblings and always let me near,
You never turn away from me, I know that I belong,
You always have a lesson for me, and you make me strong.

I’m humbled by your acceptance of me, because you are so old,
So beautiful and inspiring, so gentle yet so bold,
You’re powerful beyond all measure, our very lives controlled,
And yet you’re always right there for me, you always take the time,
And never turn away from me, my problems, quests and rhyme,

But I’m thankful just to be here with you, and share your quiet mood,
To see the sunlight softly dappled in this solitude,
To know the wonders that you offer, always something more,
Places of ease, but also challenge, so much to explore,

You’re magnificent to see and giant in your nature too,
Yet all the little things that matter are never ignored by you,
I bow my head and forever ponder,
The beauty in all you do,
You simply show yourself to me, and allow me free to roam,
And each and every time I’m here, I know that I’ve come home,

JDoyle
39 · Apr 2020
Can’t fight the wind
Janet Doyle Apr 2020
The crying of the giants,
Screaming through the veil,
The moaning of old spirits,
Writhing in their hell,
A call goes out for freedom,
Amidst the rebel yell,
It tells me change is coming,
I hear it in the gale,
The winds of change surround us,
Mark the tolling of the bell,
And better days are coming,
Now listen to my tale,
Though the sun is shining brightly,
It’s warmth is no avail,
The gusts so cold around me,
Mayhap it is my knell,
As much as it does call me,
The lure of each new trail,
Warmer days are coming,
I’ll stay home, just as well.

JDoyle
38 · Apr 2020
Life
Janet Doyle Apr 2020
For all the world is there before us, to make of it what we will.
We only have to shape our vision to match that which we feel.
And when we finally get it right, that’s when we start to heal.
It’s through the learning of these things, we find our own free will.

JDoyle
38 · Sep 2020
To Dare
Janet Doyle Sep 2020
It feels adventurous to walk a trail,
Lest we forget the ones who blazed it,
Go this way and all is well,
Envious of, who first appraised it,

Freedom found in a world anew,
Blessed they that walked in silence,
Those society could not subdue,
Who made a life by sheer defiance,

We follow now, so thankful for,
Discovered beauty they chose to share,
But leave the trail, to go explore,
And sometimes be the one to dare,

JDoyle
37 · Sep 2020
Cold
Janet Doyle Sep 2020
The cold it creeps into you,
And it will slow you down,
It numbs your heart,
And withers your soul,
And turns your mind around,

Chilled fingers twining inward,
Creates ice along your spine,
It blinds your eyes,
And freezes your ears,
Til the cold is all you can find,

And a life of unending winter,
Growing frost bitten and old,
Or time and again,
You can step in the flame,
And never let yourself get cold.  

JDoyle
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