UP IN THE SKY( for W. W. )

Daddy was a pilotman
went to work in the sky
where bombs came from

he went  to bash the bad men
who mashed all the houses up
made big holes in the road

he told me not to be
frightened but I was and
so was teddy

I didn't like the war
it was too noisy and
kept on too long

the world shook
like an invisible giant
stomping on the ground

Mummy always said
never mind
it will be over soon

but it never was
I prayed it was
God wasn't listening

the black out
ate all the light]
teddy kept his eyes shut tight

next door went away
one morning it was
just not there

a milk bottle
stood on a doorstep
that has no house

Daddy went to work
high above the clouds
one day he never came back

Daddy had to stay
up in the sky
Mummy said he lost his way

I still think of him
living up in the sky dead
not able to come home

being dead means
you can't see someone
and they can't see you

the sky was too high
the ground was too low
so he is always up in the air

I was five
when the bombs fell
breaking the world

now I am 65
but the war still lives
on inside my head

I am older than
my daddy
could ever be

I still don't cry because
Daddy said I mustn't
I tell myself I mustn't

teddy doesn't cry because
he lost both his eyes
so he couldn't

that world now
only lives in photographs
Daddy always smiling

It’s my memory
so I guess no one would understand
what that gesture
meant
to me.

All those years ago.
1975?
The prairies.
Grandpa and Grandma’s house
We congregated
Kids left to their own devices but sometimes
Grandpa would walk us to the park and sit with us in the knee-high grass.
We’d talk and play and he would say-go pick  those yellow flowers
I will pick them too
and bring them back to  me.

I did. I was so intrigued. The rest ran off to play

I dutifully brought my bounty back to him.
He took those dandelions
And braided them into a crown
and put them gently on my head and said, you are a princess now.

He said I could be a princess
For just a moment
With a smile and a lot of love he made me a princess for just a
Moment
In time.

And for that, Grandpa,
I’ll always be grateful.

I miss you

Have you ever seen the rain?
Amidst the mossy caverns light,
No pain among the insane’s plight,
Imprinting silvery vervain,
Have you ever seen the rain?

Falling softly, washing pain,
Through whispers of the trees decay,
Under the gentle stars anew,
With pleas serene, a lasting hue.
Have you ever felt the rain?

Kissing cheeks with no disdain,
A soothing touch, a cool embrace,
In its realm no harm, no pain,
Have you ever felt the rain?

It cleanses wounds that lie within,
Bewitching souls, a gentle kin,
And as it falls, a symphony unfolds,
Of nature's orchestra, with stories untold.

Have you ever heard the rain?
Its melodic chorus, a sweet refrain?
A lullaby for restless souls,
Guiding them with peaceful notes.
Have you ever heard the rain?

It murmurs secrets to the earth,
Of rebirth, life, and unknown mirth,
And in its cadence, a sacred art,
The rhythm of life, a beating heart.

So, have you ever seen the rain?
Gracefully mundane in its reign,
For in its tears, there's wisdom deep,
That even storms lay you to sleep.

© fey (17/04/24)

Oh, love, don't you drift on a lonely tide,
My heart's tethered anchor, by your gentle side.
Don't sail these vast oceans, without me as crew,
Together we'll weather, whatever comes true.

The wind whispers warnings, of tempests unseen,
But hand held in hand, we'll face every scene.
Don't leave me adrift, on a lonely shore,
My compass is broken, I need you the more.

Oh, love, don't go wandering, lost in the night,
My guiding star's dimmed, without your warm light.
Stay close by my vessel, let love be our sail,
Together we'll conquer, where destinies prevail.
Oh love, don't go without me

We don't like the way we look
How we think the way we should
Curly's wish their hair was straight
While the Straight wish the other way

Our smiles do not shine enough
Thinning lips could be more plush
And let's not even mention weight
Or how we're all so out of shape

We have noses that work fine
But I like yours and you like mine
And when it comes to hair color
No telling when we'll choose another

We support the creme industry
To make our faces wrinkle free
We hide our lives behind these lies
Of whom we think we should look like

With so many changes made
Who we are is hard to say
Always looking for a change
We dare not try and stay the same

We should learn to love ourselves
If not us, then who else
Will love us for who we are
Before we take this all too far

If I had to guess
Your T.D.S.
Has gotten the best of you

The orange and gold
Has twisted your soul
And knocked a few screws loose

It seems that good reason
Is now out of season
And sanity laid to rest

That little blind spot
Is now all that you've got
Filling your empty head

Where you can't see the lies
Coming from every side
Pulling desperation in its wake

Not knowing you are
In this game with no cards
And the powers that be hold the ace

With all of this said
If I had to guess
T.D.S. is barreling through

There won't be anything left
When all is done and said
And that my friend is the truth

May you find a true friend when walking alone
May you find someone there to embrace
May you find deeper joy than you've tasted before
May you offer more love than you've faced

May you dampen your haste to self criticise
May you find the off-switch to self-doubt
May you recognise when you're just talking *****
and tell all your demons to get out

May you give more time for self celebration
May you find more inside to love
May you recognise more of your God-given beauty
and see gifts to be truly proud of

When you don't echo lies you're hearing from others
When you speak more of truth instead
That's when you begin to live life again
and you're ready to enjoy what's ahead.

You fan the small spark, a flickering flame,
Belief in my wings, whispers my name.
Doubt's heavy cloak begins to unwind,
With each word of faith, a strength I can find.

Your trust, a gentle breeze, lifts me with grace,
Soaring above fear, to an open space.
Now dreams take on colors, vibrant and bold,
A symphony plays, a story untold.

With wings that you strengthen, I rise to the sun,
My flight takes me onward, a journey has begun.
Forever I'll carry, the gift that you give,
These wings allow me, to truly live.
Baby, you give me these wings to fly

Cracks in our walls, bathed in light,
Fractures we feared, healed just right.
Weathered by storms, hand in hand,
Bloomed in a love we unplanned.

Brokenness woven, a tapestry bright,
Scars whispering tales in the night.
Together we rose, strong and true,
A flawed masterpiece, me and you.
When we have turned into something beautiful

A vibrancy fades, a hush descends,
Laughter once bright, now barely lends
A spark to the eyes, once alight.
Conversations, dimmed by the night.

Warmth cools to a whisper, a sigh,
A touch that once sent shivers by
Now lingers, a ghost in its wake.
Hearts beat a rhythm, a silent ache.

Is this love's twilight, a fading hue?
Can dawn chase the shadows anew?
Only when love is turning blue

I found the moon
on a bed of flowers
With his beams
cast in white
In a moonlit garden
that gleamed in silver
On a clear and cloudless
starry night

No reds stood proud
no tangerines
No purples
in royal sheen
Quiet greys
and blooms of whites
tossed back
his ivory light

I found comfort
peace and calm
In darkness
that lent her charm
The greens warmed
by a streaming stole
And beauty
that heals the soul

Each day is lit
by the flaming sun
Yet such loveliness
when the night returns
And what mysticism
and mysteries
In darkness, these eyes can see