As we meandered down memory lane
You recaptured the ghost of your smile
Tonight the real you emerged
Loving, intuitive
We parted with reluctant goodbyes
The medication granted us this......
Tonight we kissed.
For one last time I knew you
The thought is like heady wine
Tonight.........
And only for tonight.......
You were mine

She could do anything
The girl with talents diverse
Act in a play
No need to rehearse
She could write a song
You’d be humming
All night long
She could strum a tune
You’d be strumming
Strumming along
She could do anything
She could sing
She could do so much
So much was not enough
When the living got tough
There was one thing
She could never do
That was to love herself
The girl with talents diverse
Her heart was a stone
She was lost, so alone
Left on the shelf
She could do anything
But she could not
Would not do anything
To set herself free
I could not
Do anything
To make her love me

by Sheila Haskins

Everyone should meet a tree
In a faery forest glade
In sunshine and in shade
 Everyone should meet a tree
Trees with spreading roots
Their branches green with shoots
Everyone can get to know a tree
In each and every season,
You don’t need a reason
Tree life brings balance, harmony
Take a trip, a forest ramble
Deep within the woodland green
Hug a tree with healing powers
Passing  peaceful hours,
Revelling in the history
Everyone should meet a tree

Oh lord the winds are blowing
Oh lord there is no knowing
When the storm gives way
To another kind of day
People come and go
They seem to be real
But how would I know
How they think or how they feel
Not allowed outside my door
What is the living for?
It seems another species
Aliens are coming through
Wearing masks, a disguise
All they reveal is in their eyes
They don’t seem happy
They don’t seem free
I want to talk to them
But I have to let them be
Oh lord the winds are blowing
Blowing over me
Blowing over you too
And there is nothing
There is nothing

.....................................

Nothing I can do

I won’t pretend that I’m clever
I’m not at all pretentious
Some people think it’s contentious
Doing all the stuff that pleases me
I’m unpredictable as can be,
Like the weather
This is how it is
But when I start to fizz
I write
Any time, day or night
And hope you may enjoy it
When folks get together
l sing
For the joy it will bring
And hope you’ll sing along
This is how it is
Sometimes I pluck my violin
Making a most untuneful din
At least I’m very strict
This I’ll not on you inflict
One day you’ll play along
If you want to
I am the proud custodian
Of a beautiful melodeon
Together we have fun every day
Then there’s all the other stuff I do
The stuff that helps to get me through
You don’t have to be clever
I say to you whatever
Enjoy the thrill of the ride
Let all your stuff inside
Come out
Never fear and never doubt
At the end of the day
Be proud to say.....

I did it my way

Manufactured lives
Unravelling unravelling
Babbling babbling
Gobbledegook
Baiting the hook
Stepford girls and wives
His master’s voice
Obey the call
No choice at all
Misplaced glamour
Sculptured hips
Botoxed lips
Never enough
Wasted lives?
Get tough
Take a hammer
Hit the spot
Ditch the lot

Not a day goes by
I don’t look  to the sky
And realise
The beauty all around
Feet on the ground
There are angel wings
Up above
This world has a dark side
An ebbing tide
Yet there is love
I hate every mistake I make
When I falter and  fall
On the scale of things
I wonder
Does it matter to me
Or anyone,  anyone at all
Insignificance perhaps
Is the master plan
Who owns the soul
God or man
Here comes another lapse
Of faith in anything
Always there’s hope
Of tomorrow
And what the day may bring

She doesn’t know what she will find
As she leaves the grownup world behind
No words to express the thrill of chasing dragonflies
Grabbing shoots of grass, plucking daisies from their beds
Stumbling over grassy mounds on and on she goes,
Happiness running through her fingers, tingling in her toes
Crimson poppies are giants standing guard
The field is full of stones, the earth is very hard
A butterfly flutters by almost landing on her head
She tries to catch it in her arms, falling down instead
There’s no-one to catch her; big tears form in her eyes
The world’s a lonely place, no more will she roam
Her name is called;  a gentle voice that feels like home
She runs to her mother and the safety that she brings
Cuddled wrapped in love, lulled to sleep by lullabies
Dreaming of her secret world, touched by faery wings

Tide  turning
No burning
No  heat
Air sweet
No rain
No pain
Tide  turning
No yearning
For the past
Die cast
Fearsome foe
Let him go
Wish him well
You can tell
Tide turning
Soul learning
Knowing
Farewell lust
Trust
Seed  growing
 To fruition
Purity
Maturity
No competition
Tide  turning
No  burning
Peace....

Release

You are calling my name in vain
I can’t hear; ears blocked like a drain
The tide flings me ashore, all in a rush
Drifting to land, no fanfare, as if I wasn’t there
There’s a mystery in the monkey puzzle tree
I am clueless, as I expected to be
Still there’s history between us
Absolution for you, too late for me
The waves are calm, you could part them if you so desired
Not I, I lie here unable to move, so tired
I am continually tossed as the winds blow over me
No longer tempestuous, wild untamed
You are calm serene, I will be blamed for my wrongdoings,
While you will charm the angels, make them sing
And I will fall into the abyss
A lost inhuman inconsequential thing

Today I am dying
All hope gone, sick of trying
Tomorrow is a new day
Sunshine all the  way
Today I am dying

.......

Tomorrow?

Tomorrow I am flying

Today there is pain
All is lost once again
Tomorrow brings a new breeze
Rolling in across the sea
Rippling through the trees

Today I am dying

Tomorrow?........

Tomorrow I am flying

The Elder comes when day is done
When night time draweth near
The Elder comes and with him comes
The Elder Elfin fear
Folks dread his breath upon their own
Fear he’ll creep into the home
Steal the souls of folks he scares
Folks who dread the creaking stairs
Those who creep and pray and weep
Will find he comes when they’re asleep
How shall we cast him from our dreams?
Easier than what it seems
Those who boldly stare him out
Will never fear when he’s about
Leave a torch to light his way
Turn his darkness into day
Eldic runes upon your door
Protect your home forever more

There are little tiny Muselings playing in my head
They whisper in my ear and follow me to bed
Into my soul they gently creep, singing ‘till I fall asleep
Morning finds me filled with wonder and delight
My eyes can only see the magic of the night
What should I do? Blessed with all this beauty
To my own heart be true; an honour not a duty

To
.......................

Pick up my pen and write

Colours bleeding down the years
Grey clouds raining with the fears
Impatient youth slowing down
Something lost, something found
Clock ticks, mirror betrays
The final passing of the days
A few months adding up to older
Fire burns as wind blows colder
Then comes the last enduring heat
Warmth of ashes, air is sweet
A place to lay a weary head
The comfort of a cosy bed
Reluctantly, acceptance grows
No need to worry or to ponder
The secrets of the wild blue yonder
The air is fragrant with the scent
Of borrowed time, memory spent

I’m plugged in
You‘re plugged in
This is my cathedral
This is my house
Steady on the mouse
I keep my angels here
Lest they disappear
Those inner demons
If I let them in
Every time I write
They will win
Words are powerful
Eager to get through
I write poetry
Nothing can be
Completely free
Of vanity
It’s Insanity
To even think so

Sad house
I have to go
You were nonchalant
Concerning fears
Unresponsive to tears
You needed love
You craved laughter
In the rafters
Ringing up above
You were grief
No relief
Relentless pain
Can’t do this again
I’m here for now
God knows how
I do it
I’ll get through it
Please believe
When I leave
I'll find
Good people
To leave  behind
Before I go sad
Or bad........

Or  out of my mind

You didn’t want anyone to get behind your eyes
Not anyone, not even me
You weren’t dishonest when you told me lies
They were to protect you from others’ unkindness
Their blindness, refusal to acknowledge your beauty,
Made you hide things you didn’t want me to see
I didn’t want you to go home
I knew they would all be waiting
But you, you’d be on your own
I knew you would go; you had such a sense of duty
Our eyes met, I never can forget
The misery reflected in their depths
Forgive me love; I do not have your humanity
All I can see is others treating you badly
It makes me so angry so I tell you this is insanity
Sadly there is nothing I can do
But to go on loving you
And hope that will be enough to get you through

Wear your pyjamas and stay in your bed
No need for alarm it’s a cold in your head
It’s not the ‘flu and it’s not beri- beri
What you should do is eat and be merry
Resist little germies; take advice from your Mum
Phone up your worky and say you can’t come
Hot lemon and whisky tots flavoured with honey
Loosens your cold and makes you go maudlin
Put on your  music, Bob Dylan is calling
When you are well, he feels kind of sad
When you are sick you agree with your Dad
Bob is the best friend that you ever had
Never wear headphones, annoy next door neighbours
Send your Mum shopping for Lemsip from Savers
After a while you’ll start to enjoy
All the care and fussing you had as a boy
So when the certificate comes to an end
Work is a no-no; a don’t want to go-go
Spots on your face will keep you in bed
Your belly is scarlet; your face is all red
Under the sheets hide a *** and a pen
With luck you won’t have to work ever again

There’s always a threat to be pandered to
Always a cloud in the sky
Always the ones who are doomed to die
A drug, a panacea is yours you can take
There’s always hope if you buy it
Beware of the choices you make
Your fear will help you grow old
If you have the coin, give them all that you’ve got
You may be here, though others may not
You are part and parcel, a cog in the wheel
They will teach you to think, teach you to feel
Remember that threat will always be here
The shadows they show you will fill you with fear
There’s always a cloud in the sky......

Ask yourself why

There’s a little corner in the room
Where she hides away
Alone and silent in the gloom
She'll be there today
There’s creaking on the floor
Shadows by the door
Drafts no-one explains
Rattling of the window panes
Sighing, sometimes crying
She’s so sick of trying
To communicate her life
Of maiden, mother, wife
The time is coming soon
Another month, another moon
An anniversary in June
Then she’ll know it’s time to go
There’s a little corner in the room
Dark and silent in the gloom
The midnight hour is past
She’s free to leave at last
She’s gone to find her way
My ghost of yesterday

Raising power, hour by hour
Raising the roof to the sky
Some think it's kinda spooky
Say we must be  kooky
Cloaked in invisibility
Nothing here to see
Over and above
The quantum norm
Surging with the tides
Releasing love inside
Accessible to you
If you want it to be
Non negotiable
And free

I’m not what you wanted but I am what you get
I dance in the rain and my knickers get wet
I wear lots of rings, holey tights, gaudy things
I haven’t much schooling; I don’t give a jot
I know all of Earth’s creatures; I love them a lot
I don’t tire of giving; you can take my last penny
Even if it means I am left without any

I can’t be tied, my feet start to itch
They say I’m a changeling, I say I’m a witch
I left home to be courting the Lord of the Green
Making my hay when the summer was keen
I sleep in the barn, when the winter draws nigh
I ride and I glory in freezing cold snow
I’ll tell you my story if you want to know

The skies are so blue, except when they’re grey
That’s lucky too; it’s a beautiful day
When the moon is a finger gilding the soil
You’ll find I may linger in love for a while
I’m a ship in the night, passing you by
I want you to know me, to understand why
I’m a leaf on the breeze, a whisper, a sigh

I am the envy of all that I see
I am the blossom that flies from the tree
Singing in summer, dancing in snow
I’m not what you wanted, but I want you to know
Tho’ I wear lots of rings, holey tights, gaudy things
If you hear my voice as you weave and you spin
I am you in your glory; let me come in
You are me and our story’s
About to begin

Come dark days, come dark days come
With grey louring skies the wind rushes by
Dark days, it’s time that we freed you
No more hiding in skies azure blue
Dark days are refreshing the plain
Though people get bored with the rain
Some folks never let go of the sun
Yet when all’s said and done
Dark days reveal a different show
As beauty revives with the snow
Those with the knowledge of old
Lay logs on the fire when it grows cold
Brew mulled wine with cranberries red
Bake mince pies and sweet gingerbread
Waiting for spring is a beautiful thing
Time is slowed down, frost on the ground
Come dark days, come dark days come
Stay ‘till your work here is done

Hope’s a pretty thing
Hope’s a dangling
Dangling on a string
Leads me blindly
Takes me kindly
Somewhere I belong
Helps me find my song
Nerves are jangling
Still she’s dangling
Like soap on a rope
Pretty yet neglected
A gift disrespected
To revive her power
Take her down
Give her a shake
Spread the love around

“Valerie, is it ready yet?”
Dark tea stains in a faded mug
Dusty brown teapot
A thousand cups have been poured
Strained, like me
It wasn’t always about the tea
The obligatory Kit-Kat
Or the toilet!
Too many trips
Too many times
“Valerie is it ready yet?”
When were you strong like this tea?
“How was your day?”
With that cheeky smile
And bedroom eyes
I miss that man so much
“Valerie is that you?”
Who do you think it is?
No conversation
The bleatings of a sad old man
“It’s got to brew,”
A discreet tap makes me jump
“He’s in the living room,”
“Valerie where’s me tea?”
“Yes it’s made,”
“He’s all packed,”
His favourite Chelsea mug
A multi- pack of Kit-Kats
Stuffed hastily in his pocket
In silver foil and blood red wrappers
A last supper
For the betrayed

Hey you
Don’t tell me what to do
Or try to change my point of view
Are you deranged?
When you say the sky is blue
The chocolate ration has increased
Nothing’s changed
There is no inflation
My frustration grows
Who knows how long it will be
Before this tidal wave pollutes the sea
Do you think my eyes are closed?
That I don’t realise; I don’t know?
Hey you
I was a symptom
That’s for sure
But now I want to be
Part of the cure

Oh what a jolly day when you let life go away
If you don’t choose to listen to all the things they say
It’s easy to ignore all the talk of war and strife
When you stopper up your ears you can live a happy life
You can smell the roses, fresh from the rain
Life is more than you supposes, be happy once again!
If only for a while when life seems to be insane
You can shut your door when unsure what life is for
Look down at your body, does it appear to be well fed
Look at your house; do you have a comfy bed?
Are you safe from the storm, is your fire nice and warm
If the answer is yes I suggest a cup of tea
Take a step back, contemplate on how to be
And one day you may find you say
That was a jolly day when I let life go away
Just for a little time, some hours of repose
Awakened to the power, the scent of the rose
It eased all my misery took away the pain
Life is more than I supposes, I’m happy once again!

There are saints and there are sinners
There are losers, there are winners
Then there’s me, then there’s you
When we envy, when we’re mean
There are stools we fall between
We fall straight through
That is me, that is you
Not really bad, we are trying
Not really good, until we’re dying
Saints and sinners from the start
Repeating lies by heart
That’s what we do
To get us through
Diving down into the depths
To bury sorrows and regrets
There’s always more
Left on the shore
For the saints and all the sinners
The losers and the winners
Don’t have a clue
Like me and you
We muddle through.....

That’s what we do

They come with their news, and their views
They swamp you with dire predictions
Say you can’t win but you’ll lose
If you listen to all their convictions
This world’s a bad place, well oh dear
We’ve fallen from grace so we hear
But I see the sky in the mornings
I hear birds singing their songs
Soon a new day is dawning
Won’t spend that day living in fear
They say if you try harder it’s good
They say work much longer; you should
There’ll be more industry
More for you,  more for me
But all I can see are the trees
The flowers the bees and the honey
I should know my place, well oh dear
But all they can think of is money
So why should I heed all their warnings
And spend my life living in fear

There’s a little boy sitting on a stone
All alone
There’s a little girl hiding in a tree
Far from home
There’s an old lady telling
Stories of her past
There is no-one to hear her
Nobody near her
Each word may be her last
Her tears they fall like rain
Her body racked with pain
Still that little boy sits
On a stone
That little girl hides in a tree
I am here writing poems
On my own, safe at home
Thoughts take wings and grow
If thoughts are spoken
Can the spell be broken?
Will someone reap
Loving thoughts we sow
In our waking hours
Or in our sleep
These precious souls
To keep

You are a whisper, a shudder of delight
You are a hint of better times
Sweet as the grape fresh off the vine
Always in the shadows, a sunlight ray
If only you were with me every day
Then I could breathe again, you are my essence
All I was meant to be
If only I was free, but I’m lonely, need your presence
Shine on me in everything I say and do
I know you can’t be pressurised
Though I try to disguise the sadness in my eyes
My tears reveal the truth, compound the lies
I’m trying not to worry, not to hurry, to get it right
Happiness please be with me, stay with me tonight

You can tell when it’s a North Easter
You’re bones jangle, your ears ping
You know what’s coming
Nothing you can do about it
They call it spring
Evening skies divine
Purple blue and white
Promises to be fine
The inconstant veil parts
The fun starts
Rocks hurled by angry Gods
They call it hail
Running along the street
Your collar high, umbrella closed
Suppose this must be thunder
Still, what are the odds?
The garden’s shining bright
Eerily blanketed in white
In this topsy turvy world
All the colours unfurled
It makes the heart to sing
No wonder
They call it spring

Jenny flies
She’s a bird
Watch her eyes
Watch her smile
Hold the hand of the child
Be good

Jenny soars
She’s a bird
Watch her swoop
Watch her glide
Hold the hand of the child
Be good

Jenny floats
She’s a bird
He will watch
Watch and wait
Hold the hand of the child
Be good

Jenny dives
She’s a bird
Feel her fears
Dry her tears
Hold the hand of the child
Be good

Jenny falls
She’s a bird
No words spoken
Wings all broken
Hold the hand of the child
Be good

Strong Man
By Sheila Haskins

You stand strong, your back to the wall
When you stand strong, I can recall
The days of your youth, now so far away
Sometimes returning when you have a good day
You lead the way a proud resolute man
I catch my breath; you do all that you can
A teardrop glistens, takes me by surprise
Your strength is not missing; it’s there in your eyes
Some things that you do are not temperate or clever
I ask myself when were you these things, were you ever?
You do what you do right or wrong
You do what you do to be strong
................
Stay Strong

There are colours in my hair that I never knew were there
Patterns of the rainbow in the sky
Celestial shades of green and mellow yellow gleam
Memories of the dreams that passed me by?
There’s lightning in my eyes, the flash of fireflies
On wings of azure green and peacock blue
Beauty in my face; intelligence and grace
A song that soars above the rest
Hope surging in my breast?
A celebration, a renaissance
Am I clever am I cool,
A clown; an April fool
Why is my heart  so full of bliss?
Am I an empty shell, a hollow clanging bell?
Is this heaven, is this hell, can anybody tell
Or am I just imaginating this?

It’s a mere inconvenience
That we shouldn’t meet
Can’t meet in the flesh
But our memories stay fresh
I can see you any day
You don’t live far away
And we wave, we smile
Sharing joy in one another
We talk on the ‘phone
Talk all day ‘till the cows come home
We exchange pictures and films
All that stuff to keep connected
Like a new young lover
You leave flowers at my door
Bouquets; treated like a bride
I wish you could come inside
Somehow it’s not the same
Why do I feel neglected?
Ah.......the flesh is weak
I’m missing you each time we speak

Write me a song, make me sweet music
Wrapped round my heart so I never lose it
May the words resonate like old friends of mine
The music remind me of sweet summer wine
The song celebrate all the things that we do
Re-create loving memories of you
Will the chords harmonise, strike the right note
Will I want to sing, will it burst from my throat
Like a waterfall tumbling over the ground
Lilting and splashing the music around
A song you gave me when we were together
And when it is written, will you and me be
Singing our love song forever and ever

Autumn Story
By Sheila Haskins


The story’s in the breeze drifting through the trees
In yellow and red leaves falling on my head
Feeling mellow; it’s like a drug, like a bug, a disease
Can’t get enough of mornings such as these
I yearn to be outside to wish the trees well
Soon they’ll have a different story for me to tell
Comatosed as days fly by; I pray that Autumn lingers
I cry as the swallows fly; I miss the birds the most
Bees humming no more, golden leaves dying on the floor
There is good in every season, always a reason to be glad
Even though my heart is feeling pain as Autumn bleeds
As she recedes I want to welcome winters’ thrill
Be the first to know the touch of her icy fingers
Winter with all her vagaries as yet a mystery
As Autumn slowly fades into history
Winter may compensate with her frosted glory
She can excite us, and invite us
And that my friend is

Yet

...........

Another Story

He’s a familiar stranger in an unfamiliar town
Silent as a sunbeam as he spreads his light around
Sometimes he’s reflected in a puddle on the street
His image a projection of the people he will meet
Sometimes when he smiles it’s like the sun is coming out
Sometimes when he winks at you, your troubles and your doubt
Vapourise like steam upon wet washing as you sing
As you dance away your worries, finding joy in everything
Unsullied by that hammer that lies deep inside your head
That wakes you much too early, yet makes you stay in bed
He’s like the horse you’d like to ride if you had a free rein
To be the one you thought you were, and can be once again
Thought or feelings start to bring the message loud and clear
As he dissipates your cares and woe, eradicates your fear
Bringing freedom with the laughter there can really be no doubt
As he covers you with giggling spray the magic gushes out
This familiar stranger in an unfamiliar town
Has been here for a thousand years, sometimes lost, sometimes found
In the glimmer of a street lamp when the moonlight chases day
In the whistle of a morning train speeding on its way
Silent as a sunbeam as he spreads his light around
This familiar stranger in this unfamiliar town
Is as precious as a sparkling jewel, glimpsed darkly through a prism
Familiar stranger giving birth to optimism
Me and thee would be so glad, we go so well together
Familiar stranger; will you stay with me.... forever?

The rain is falling from the skies
It’s not that you were heaven sent; you weren’t, me neither
We have faults enough it’s true but when I’m feeling blue
I believe in the value of we two although I see sadness in your eyes
Is it wise to disguise the memories of the pain?
Or is it good to talk together, override the stormy weather
Walk headlong through the thunder, hand in hand
Until the wonder of our lives dispels the falling rain
And we say what the hell, making sunshine out of showers,
Reviving happy hours that we shared, because we cared,
Still you are here where you remain
My rainbow shining through the sun,
The storm was fierce, and now it’s done
If you weren’t heaven sent then I think that you were lent
And our lives together
..................................
Must be meant

He never thought he was old, unless reminded
He thought age was a number, he never counted
He was alive; some people are a long time dead
He had all his wits that he never doubted
He took what he needed from the past
Some things were good, made to last
Others best not mentioned,
It was never his intention to make people sad,
He’d talk about the better days he’d had
Days of hope and optimism when he was a lad
A man about town, with a happy weathered face
Sitting on a bench in his usual place
Most days he’d speak to passers by
Giving his opinions, lending a listening ear, a watchful eye
A welcome presence everywhere he went
Discussing politics and philosophy intelligently
Though his back was bent he went his merry way,
A powerful force, yet always finding something kind to say
Until fate steered him on a different course
His roller coaster life morphed into a slide
Gone his independence, he had to stay inside
He never thought he was old until someone said
He thought age was a number, he never counted
He was so alive; some people are a long time dead

(Thoughts during the Covid Pandemic Lockdown 2020)

By Sheila Haskins

Moon and stars shining lights in the sky
Bold heavens of blue, feels so strange
Life’s a fathomless ocean, no clouds passing by
Something, something has changed

Rain  coming down,  making no sound
Refreshing the tears in my eyes
Pure air so rare, a soft breeze in my hair
Something, something has changed

It’s quiet in the garden, small creatures appear
Friends I have not seen for years
Time passes by in the blink of any eye,
Something, something has changed

The earth tastes so sweet, nothing to fear
All that I see and I hear
Fuels positivity, a charged electricity
Something, something has changed

Outside of this home there is pain
Enemies  no man can ignore
Pandemics and war on the increase again
Yet, something, something has changed

High in the sky is a rainbow
Sunshine intermingles with rain
When storms are  gone, life carries on
New winds are  beginning to blow
Fresh seedlings to plant, green grass to mow
Some things are lost, some things are gained
...........

Something, something has changed

I’m a ghost at my own party
Blown away by the machine
I’m a ghost at my own party
Rarely heard and never seen
The clock upon the mantelpiece
Keeps tick tocking away
The hands are stuck at half past nine
Every single day

I don’t remember growing old, I simply don’t believe
I don’t remember when it was time to end my dream
When I forget my glasses, I’m young, I’m just the same
With lipstick, powder face creams, I’m still in the game
There’s a cold wind in the garden, chills the soul right through
The weeds are steadily growing, so much for me to do
I call you from the window, why don’t you respond?
The fish still in the water
It’s time to clear the pond


People come and people go, I don’t remember them
Some are kindly ladies, some are gentlemen
They are all familiar, sometimes they stay awhile
I study all the people, yet never find your smile
Some days I wake from sleep refreshed, feeling like a child
A flower in the garden, a rambler running wild
Now you are sitting on the old oak bench in your shirt of blue
Waiting oh so patiently....
Yes, I remember you


I’m a ghost at my own party
Blown away by the machine
I’m a ghost at my own party
Rarely heard and never seen
The clock upon the mantelpiece
Keeps tick tocking away
The hands are stuck at half past nine
Every single day


I

We all see life through different eyes
Everybody has their own beliefs
Their share of grief and good times too
We are not so dissimilar me and you
We all feel pain that much is true
The things we discuss are familiar
I am realising now that polarisation
Is becoming more and more an obligation
We don’t mix and match our data
We choose to be a lover or a hater
We don’t deal with emotions with tact
We see the same sun over the horizon
If only we could keep our eyes on that
Before our personal truths become fact
Privileged is he that accepts how different we all are
Who listens when he hears multitudinous voices
Respects their right to be heard

..................

And rejoices

It’s a song that bursts through the walls
Of discontent, a song that enthrals
A song to move mountains of years
A song that is sweet in your ears
Never underestimate, never decry
The power of your song as time passes by
Over the years the melody lingers
Let the music run through your fingers
Kings have been moved by its power
Your song she is growing hour by hour
It’s a personal treasure, special to you
There in your heart whatever you do
Never underestimate, never decry
The power of your song, don’t let it die

Friends are all around me
Near, yet far away
Friends are all around me
The same as yesterday
As pale moons in the distance
Golden sun beams in the sky
They are here come rain or shine
And here’s the reason why
The world changed in an instant
Yet we are still the same
Although my friends are distant
They’re players in this game
Memories of those other times
Of lazy days; of sharing wine
I think of all the hours we had
Happy times outweigh the sad
Now I know that friends will grow
From the seeds of antecedence
The weeds fade in the afterglow
No more I’ll grant them credence
Choked by love with wings they fly
While  far away in  summer sky
Friends are all around me
.............

Until the day I die

I want to dance she said
Now’s my chance she said
Today I’ll close the blinds
No-one here to mind
There is no need she said
To answer the front door
No-body dropping by
Perhaps I’ll sew she said
Fancy things that have no uses
No apologies, no excuses
The day is mine to drink wine
To write a poem or to compose
Sit in a chair and lightly doze
Lots of lounging to be done
Lots of laughter, lots of fun
Fool around, or I could caper
Drown in chocolate, read the paper
Perhaps I’ll go to bed
Lie under the covers, watch TV
This day is mine, only for me
When all is said and done
This could be my chance
To grow my wings
That is why
I want to dance
And do lots and lots of
Other lovely things
But really I just want to dance
She said, I’m going to do it

................

Now’s my chance!

It seems I have no aptitude for gratitude
I am grateful in an abstract kind of way
For all the things I have today
I am grateful when it’s cold outdoors
Feeling warmth as the fire roars
Grateful for the days and nights
Grateful for the warm sunlight
I am grateful for the food I eat
The clothes I wear, shoes on my feet
I am grateful when the music’s loud
For all the things of which I’m proud
If I am grateful why do I moan
Why does my spirit wander
Far from this well loved place, my home
Is it a disease of man
That though he has all that he can
It never seems to be enough
Sometimes it takes times to get tough
To turn the abstract into real
To appreciate, to feel release
To truly regain that inner peace

Tired of the screaming, the negative thoughts
Tired of the shoulds the musts and the ought’s
I want to be allowed to live in my dream
No ego, no pride, want to swim in the stream
I want to break free to be loving and kind
But the trolls and detractors mess with my mind
My sleep it is haunted by things I have done
No dreams bright and breezy of the days I had fun
No joy and laughter, the nightmares have begun
There’s so little that uplifts that is all that I’m saying
We need to unite, we need to start praying
I hope someone somewhere is having a ball
If you are and you know where I’m coming from
Help a poor human kind grow into a swan
Let love’s flame burn brighter, stand in the light
May love and peace be with you tonight

My love the wind blows long
The wind blows, my love is strong
You are the young man of my dreams
You are the young man I’ve often seen
Walking through moonlight, a jolly young tar
You are the young man the braggart I know
You are the young man with girls near and far
When you call they come to your arms
When you call they fall for your charms
Before day is over, I’ll lie with my rover
My sailor boy, my lover my joy
For the wind blows, the ship knows
The sea is straining for a beautiful lad
The sea will take the best lover I’ve ever had
So blow foul winds do your worst
Though I stand on the quay and curse
I will not go down like the ship you are on
I will not go down I will be strong
One last triumph to hold on to my heart
To let go of my sorrow though we must part