In this new world,

Where political choices matter

Created by division

And Anger

Where families disagree

Only because they cannot agree

Over bloodshed

Or peace

Where religions clash

Where cultures differ

They try to live in unity

But the difference is there

The never-ending reality

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7/7/26

ARMS RACE

 

There’s a lot of noise in the political sphere about the defence plans announced by the PM, with military leaders and defence ministers condemning it as too little. On the contrary, it seems to me that we spend too much on defence and cut spending in most other areas– including the cuts to the aid budget which not only cost lives but also reduce our soft power, make con...

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The virtues of democracy are as real as they are tangible. Within it, ideas sprout like rivers, flow freely in passionate debates, and become concrete in decisions made by consensus, not by imposition. Justice, in its ideal form, stands as an impartial beacon, applied without favoritisms or privileges. Sometimes it is entrusted to citizen juries—ordinary men and women chosen at random—who examine ...

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Four doodles using one colour-blue something or other.

Chopin wrote twenty-four preludes, which were not preludes to anything, and he got away with that!

I've called these doodles preludes, because that's what they are.

I painted the four pictures whilst on holiday a week or so ago, purely as part of a creative “doodling” exercise.

I have just written these Haikus as a reponse to ...

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Like broccoli to a small child,

scraped away I am.

At the dish’s edge, I am piled,

left upon the pan.

Slowly, my heart grows cold;

no forks poke my way

until I’m brought home to the trash,

no food on my tray.

 

No apples to keep

cold, gloved hands of doctors away,

no hearts to beat

or sear my ego into filets.

I’m starving, hungry

to find a food that I don'...

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There seems to be a lot going on in the world, much of it unpleasant. Not that unusual you might think, but the degree of unpleasantness is higher than usual as the USA launch death and destruction on hundreds of people in Iran – many of them ordinary citizens going about their business, including children. While few would pretend that the Iranian regime is a caring or civilised one, raining death...

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Stillness Knows

Stillness is not empty.
It is the space where my body exhales
before my mind explains.

Calm is not the absence of movement.
It is the moment I stop forcing
what was never meant to rush.

My nervous system speaks quietly.
Not in panic.
Not in urgency.
But in signals I used to ignore
because I was taught to push through.

Now I listen.
To the slowing of my breath.
...

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Years, like decades, may end up dishonest.

This year has been the most dishonest of years;

A year of old men who wallow in hate.

They get their stupid kicks from war and death,

And wield their pudgy pens like howitzers.

Not much to recommend it, you might think,

 

Yet, somewhere, a woman helps her neighbour,

A girl gives succour to a wounded boy,

And suddenly, we see can...

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Inspired by the nonet challenge I've played with form and come up with a combination of reverse word and forward word (is that the nomenclature?) nonets with a seasonal thoiught and CVhristmas, and Chanukah, wishes for everyone...

 

 

 

Peace

always

our desire

despite the world

all that is evil

the hatred and the greed

against which we lack power

things which we w...

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"Cling on, be strong" they said as the wind swirled them away

Now everyone's gone and left me, there's no defense my way

 

The wind hisses at me, "let go, be free"

There's not many of us left now clinging to this tree

 

The summer was bright, inviting and calm

Warm breezes filled with harmless hope

But now, I'm not sure if I can cope

 

These days are as dark as night

...

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Dip your phone in boiling oil
Set fire to the Internet
Walk to the edge of town
That boundary 
Of grey and green
Take no headphones
No books
No camera
Let the Autumn air fill your lungs
Go deep into the woods
Talk to the squirrels
Study branches
Search for hidden meaning
In a cloud-splattered sky
You need to be 
Bored awhile...

Turn off the news
Push the paper 
Back through the...

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The aftermath? Sounds promising, but wait -

It’s far too messy, a lot like hard work.

A non-stop, glamour-light slog:

There’s the rubble, the charred remains,

The peacekeeping, the building back.

Keep clear, if you know what’s good for you.

And the time – months, years. No one cares.

No more kudos here; the news moves on.

 

The aftermyth is a better bet:

A slick turn ...

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Slumber remains in restlessness, come east or west

Come rising, falling chest, come worst or best

 

Mindlessness parallels the weight of the world

That never ceases to spin when Armageddon unfurls

 

A mothers heart shatters by the blowing of candles

She’s 5, he’s 8 by ruinous shambles

 

Ribcages protrude at the foot of the table

Not a scrap to be offered come frail, c...

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Until sweet sleep washes over you

And you allow it to carry you away

Peacefully surrendering to the tide

Abandoning your body...

You drift from the bay

Falling under the lapping waves

Deeper and deeper into calming darkness

Letting go and forgetting

At the very same time

Until eyes open like the shore

Crashing onto the rocks

And sun expands across you

Placing yo...

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She doesn’t cry—her throat forgot the sound. No food. No water. Just a mother’s stare. Her child’s bones knock like glass beneath her skin. They wait for death. No doctor’s hands, no light. A school is shelled. The chalkboard bursts in blood. The maths is simple: one bomb kills a class. The lies are printed fresh on every screen— "We target threats." But infants make no war. A surgeo...

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If you would lead, then lead not for your glory, Not for the flags that flutter with your face. But hold your silence when the crowd roars warlike, And speak for peace – though it may bring disgrace. If you can hear your critics without fury, And learn from truth, though whispered in dissent; If you can hold your power with no trembling, Yet know it’s not your gift, but something lent. ...

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You almost bleed your smiles these days,

Like acting out a tiny death;

Though your pinched faces still resist,

You have to measure every breath.

 

I notice, each time that you cry,

Your tears no longer flow, they spill.

Do those inflicting this foul mess

Consider what they really kill?

 

I see you trying to join in fun,

Whenever someone makes a joke,

But laughte...

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Branches curl their gnarled fingers
Sprouting leaves as thick as hair
I’m older, but drifting alone again
Through the botanic gardens
Roaming the hot houses
I taste that chewable air
Holy loneliness
I hold you dear to me…

The roughness of weathered bark
contrasts the delicacy of fresh stems
Poking from fractured seeds
I feel the world breathe
I’m taking part, I made my peace
I don’t...

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At the recent meeting with the German chancellor, dumb Donny Trump didn't know what D-Day was and is. Perhaps someone will inform him about history outside the USA, especially if the USA once played a decisive role in the victory over Nazi Germany.

One day past eighty years, the beaches breathe The grit of those who stormed the world awake. Steel met the tide; beneath the cliff and heat...

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The ongoing conflicts in Palestine and the Gaza Strip reflect a tragic cycle of violence fuelled by deep-rooted injustices and external political interference. Faith, often exploited and weaponised, becomes a source of division rather than unity, amplifying wounds rather than healing them. Powerful nations backing one side or the other frequently escalate tensions, prolonging suffering and...

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Bury me in the sand

Of my favorite beach

Let the ocean breeze

Carry me to a place

Where I feel at peace

 

I don't know

The exact point

Where things went South

But it was not my intention

To hurt you

I love you

I wish you could see that

 

One day

We will meet again

And we will be happy

And there will be no end

 

My dad asked me

To come hom...

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N.B. I suppose I should make allowances for the Tommy Ten Names of this world, and admit that in the white heat of fascistic fervour, it is possible to confuse hamas with hummus…and gooodness knows what horrors might be inflicted by a beardy, muesli- eating sandal-wearing, Guardian-reading pacifist waving a bread stick around!

The Arabic يُكافِح means to struggle, and حُمُّص means hummus - not ...

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Floating on my back
weightless in the turquoise water
off the shores of Koh Phi Phi
Been living hard, too long
All these years without a break
Now, I watch the crust of duty
gently peeled from damp eyelashes
Invisible hands, unburdening me
O, never let me go…

The water’s warm against my wrists
joyous tears kissing the brine
caught upon the tide of living
gratefully tangled in this un...

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talking is protecting
talking is defining,talking is to protect
the protector is a defining moment
talking is a defining moment
talk a talk is a tooth for a tooth
walk a walk is a nail for a nail
a battle for a tooth is a battle for a nail

talk is talking a tooth
battle is battling a nail
the enemy is a battle of the enemy
the enemy is a battle of a tooth
the protector is the battle o...

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Sandstorm churning in my mind tonight,

driven by the wind of change.

And I know… it’s not that easy.

Drove a million miles and it is all the same,

spinning through the circles of my mind.

And it’s cold… it’s not that easy.

 

But there’s a feeling unlike any other thing I know -

on the deserts of New Mexico,

I see forever but it’s not… not as far as I can see.

Yeah, th...

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There’s a corner of eternity

where I’ve built a simple home.

A place that I can go to

when I want to be alone.

 

A place where winds of

time and space glide gently

through the air.

 

A place each time I leave,

I’m longing,

wishing I were there.

 

We deal with many things in life,

so much that brings us down.

We swim through burdens, paddling,

hop...

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A time will come when we forgive,

Though that time is not yet;

But even when forgiveness comes,

None of us will forget.

 

We won’t forget the agony,

The sadness and the waste;

We won’t forget the insults hurled

With puerile lack of taste.

 

We won’t forget our cities wrecked,

Our soldiers blown to bits;

We won’t forget the fearful nights,

The lethal missile h...

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Seek truth and justice.

Absence of war’s mere pretence!

True peace, not pieces.

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If you sell your soul

Can you ever get it back?

Have you ever felt something

Slipping slowly from your grasp?

When that something lost is so vast

Can you just go on?

When you're in the fight of your life

And loose, can you forgive yourself?

When life's parade passes you by

Do you bother to wave?

Can you keep asking the questions

With answers too hard to face?

Ca...

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Still, as sounds flow through me like ripples,

Her metronome voice glows as she talks, leaving a euphoric feeling.

Melancholy breathing hones focus to my heart beating,

Dissipating my worldly ruminations.

Lucid is how I felt after her rhythmic voice receded,

The ripples still imbued in me lingered.

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I want the days of peace and silence,

The days of kind and good looks.

The days of supportive reliance,

The Days Without War hooks.

 

 

I don't want to see the people's fears,

I don't want to speak about money.

In the world of bloody ideas

You won't hear the word "honey".

 

 

I just want to keep silent.

I don't expect the answer,

I want to live on a ...

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Quick behind a keyboard a screen to protect him

Without a thought my reply did affect him

 

Why are you offended by my opinion he asked 

He knew that I knew his words just a mask

 

Scars from llifetimes of many a broken promise 

Plated served. . in the same breath taken from us 

 

I feel you invisible brother faceless friend Pattern changes now resolving healing on the m...

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At every corner of the world I turn,

I come across the stink and shape of death

And dodge the battered buildings to keep safe.

Yet still I hear the noisy men of war

Talk euphemistically of grades and gain,

Assuring us that all they want is peace.

Sad to relate, that treasured bird has flown;

From this time on, our God is on his own.

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The cooing of the dove grows fierce
Upon hearing that its land is no longer safe
Many have died without a trace
Many hearts have turned to ashes

The wind speaks to the dove,
"Do you not know, there is something that can wound without a cut?"
"Do you not know, there is something that can set hearts ablaze?"
"It has no form, yet it feels sharp.”
"It has no form, yet hearts struck by it fee...

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…and did those boots in World War time,

Stamp around England’s pleasant land:

And were those Blackshirt fascist sods,

From Cable Street off-seen!

 

Never did we countenance a time,

When journalists would see th’ Old Bill!

At dawn, a-knocking on their doors,

For telling truth, with fear instilled!

 

We must not cease Evil to Fight,,

Nor must my pen sleep in my hand...

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This just in
The faulty firing pin — from a fire arm
had become dislodged
effectively,
causing it to misfire

very briefly …
in acceptance of all responsibility
the city-state committee
has sent a representative
that will be answering questions

now… back to you

in other news
we have a sunny forecast

there’s a color shader
right there, on
this heat map
that has an infrared si...

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‘Look at the big picture,’

Cried the man in the suit.

So I took his advice

And ignored the sniper,

The stiff, the nightly raid,

The trivia of grief.

I turned to the summit,

Its polished chandeliers,

Its underarm hygiene,

Its on-tap refreshment,

(‘Still or sparkling, Madam?),

While, in the dregs of war,

The uninvited crouch

And hope the shells will miss.

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On the train this morning
I sat alone, by the window
Where normally there’d be coffee, warm
and all the world’s news in my ear

Instead, I chose dry silence
I chose the undulating wildness
strobing past my view way
I chose high green hills
and glinting mirrored rivers 
I chose lone trees, centuries old
strong against the elements
I chose lambs and sheep
moving in pairs or herds
I cho...

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People are cheaper, things are more expensive,

With a lack of spirituality, men are more offensive.

Ducky lips and selfie, a bare ass,

They forgot the beautiful word “lass”.

 

Passing by the poor people, watching mangy cats

Their faces remind me of dangerous rats.

His dad is a deputy, he studied in the States,

Now he is responsible for others' fates.

 

Someone is fi...

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Don’t shoot!

Stop the violence,

Stop the killing.

Don’t waste your time with gods,

Or clerics on the greasy pole,

Or warped ideology

Which tells you what to think,

Or the cult of the madmen,

The travelling circus,

The usual suspects,

The old men in suits,

The gap –

Between the theory and the practice.

Be yourself;

Lay down your arms,

Reach out your hand...

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There's a phone at my work

And you might think me a berk

But it calls me from a mindful zone

A place I like to visit alone

 

Ear to the top

As sounds fizzle and hop

It is a direct line

To feeling fine

 

I hear wind, birds, hussle and bustle

A universe unexplored in the rustle

Even in short bursts, it quenches my thirst

Distorting my mind toward what's first

...

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Granite grandeur draped in snow,

soft whisper falls, clear water flows.

 

No hand extends to measure time,

no cares ascend, no worries find.

 

For purpose fades into the still,

a tranquil peace here in the chill

 

What part of time and space am I?

So small beneath the endless sky,

 

a spec of dust, a grain of sand…

yet cradled in the Master’s hand.

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A viper slides its way beneath the grass;

The animals of prey are on the prowl.

The innocent and helpless stand no chance

Against the savage tastes of hawk and owl.

 

Upstairs, forbidden lovers take the plunge;

Their beads of sticky sweat adorn the bed.

She’s fast asleep while he boosts up his pack;

Outside waits a procession of the dead.

 

The hunters beat the heavin...

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Each time that I observe the world,

I should spy beauty, peace and love.

Each time I listen, I should hear

The soft song of birds, or at most

The low hum of conversation.

But when I crane my neck,

Look up, down or sideways,

In front or behind me,

Or at some frantic screen,

Or catch imagined exploits,

Mouthed off on a train, or neighbours,

Hyped up in angry gatepos...

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Gaza: a father beats the floor in grief

As he feels his son’s last desperate breath.

It seems indecent to say any more,

As when, that evil Saturday morning,

A Holocaust survivor was cut down

During a crimson-coloured bout of rage.

I tell myself: this cannot be the best

That humankind has to offer. One day,

The innocent will inherit the Earth,

The puffball types in unifor...

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Dawn the rising glint of light

The background whoosh of an electric float 

The cheery clink of bottles 

Returning from where darkness rules

Empty of energy but full of joy

Stop now and find that view

View from a hill I know so well

Then nature’s volume slowly turned up

My breath easing into peace

Many such dawns to open my days

Find the spot, find the view, find the p...

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They weep in Israel;

They weep in Palestine.

They weep in Ukraine.

The whole world should weep.

 

Time drifts by, faster than we think;

Death queues for its daily spoils.

Someone always cleans up afterwards.

The stubbornly alive cling on to love.

Condolences rain down;

Groups huddle, trying to empathise

And multiply excuses,

While a few, buoyed up by the circus ...

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If only we could get along

As neighbours, lovers and as friends;

To learn to sing each other’s songs,

And join hands as the world intends.

 

Some obstacle stands in the way

Of life in harmony and peace;

The children of all nations play,

But come adulthood this will cease.

 

For once toy guns and catapults

Are swapped for a more strong-armed state,

There seems to...

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In the darkest hours,
Of your longest nights,
Someone will come,
In some form,
Definitely,
To push you towards Light,
You will know,
They are here for you,
And eveything,
Will feel Right,
So, when this does happen,
Learn from them,
To be Strong,
And,
Promise yourself,
To Never Let Them Go!

-N

 

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