They Don't Represent Us
They Don't Represent Us.
(Written on the eve of ' More of the Same'.
They don't represent me or us
their loyalty is to the unjust.
We are impotent and they know it
and it is beyond our power to overthrow it.
They don't represent me or us
because they seek personal wealth and lust.
They don't care a hoot if we should go bust
that leaves us to rot and rust.
...
Thursday 27th June 2024 5:51 pm
An English Hamlet
An English Hamlet
Two weeks every summer as a boy I was taken there,
to a corner of England under a summer's sky.
A row of cottages on one side of a lane,
tucked away for few to see.
A nearby hump backed bridge and a pub.
beside a canal with locks and barges,
as they passed along with their trade.
A countryside which only England can boast of,
with farms, dells, cop...
Sunday 23rd June 2024 4:10 pm
Grief Stricken
Grief Stricken
The church bell solemnly tolled,
as the body of Manuel was carried inside.
In that darkened chamber,
amidst flickering candles.
His coffin was opened for one last glimpse,
his peaceful face wrapped in white satin.
Family and friends dressed in black,
the priest in a black stole of mourning.
Maria supported by her mother,
looked sorrowfully on thei...
Tuesday 18th June 2024 2:36 pm
Trestle Tables
Trestle Tables
Far from the misty shores of the sceptered isle,
where greenhouses dot the landscape.
In sunnier climes the English gentleman,
laments the absence of his potting shed.
That haven where he once sowed his tomato seeds,
with cucumbers and radishes to boot.
Slightly above the Tropic of Cancer,
this gentleman has to improvise.
Greenhouses are scarce and ba...
Friday 14th June 2024 9:19 pm
In the Land of Nod
In the Land of Nod
As sleep arrives I enter into the Land of Nod,
where dreams unfold in random ways.
A disjointed scenario plays itself out,
flitting from one place to another,
as a butterfly flutters and setttles on a new leaf.
Nothing is planned as the stage is unprepared,
th plot not yet discerned or thought about.
It can be a time of vivid colours,
or black an...
Tuesday 4th June 2024 8:36 pm
An Arid land
An Arid Land
I bought a plot of land to grow vegetables,
it was flat and without any weeds .
I drew a plan of what I would grow,
dividing it into seperate rows.
I bought four types of seeds to sow,
Justice, Compassion, Equality and Love,
all I knew to be popular and much sought after,
and a profitable return for my efforts.
I spent hours sowing the seeds,
and res...
Thursday 30th May 2024 2:00 pm
An Obscure World
An Obscure World
I was born into an obscure world bereft of colour,
places which were indistinct lacking any brilliance.
Everywhere I looked I saw a fusion of shades,
blacks, greys, browns were all that existed.
It was a time immediately after the Second World War,
a time of economic restraint and severe austerity.
People moved about in drab garb which suited their surrou...
Monday 27th May 2024 12:07 pm
A Tropical Downpour
A Tropical Downpour
A tropical downpour must not be confused with the drizzle of home,
it is something quite different in its character.
It often begins with a clap of thunder or an unsuspecting lightning strike,
as dark clouds muster in the heavens above as a mighty prelude.
Almost like an eclipse of the sun the land is shrouded in darkness,
as the sky becomes erratic and c...
Saturday 25th May 2024 12:02 am
The Fountain Pen or Quill
The Fountain Pen or Quill
When creation took place the world was without frontiers,
no borders existed except those which were natural.
Mountain ranges, rivers and the oceans separated the peoples,
each developed its own language and culture and traditions.
Then came man determined to carve out his lot,
on crude maps he delineated borders with his pen.
Territories became ...
Friday 24th May 2024 12:20 pm
In a Blaze of Glory
In a Blaze of Glory
At eventide in the far western sky the sun begins its descent,
a slow gradual sinking of its perfect shape into the ocean below.
Nature waits in anticipation as it slowly embraces the horizon,
as both the sky and ocean are caught in its fading light.
Orange tints and and shades of yellow submerge into a darkened abyss,
signalling the end of another day, a...
Wednesday 22nd May 2024 10:33 am
Pater Noster
Pater Noster
The words of the Lord's Prayer are generally known by most people,
certainly those of my own generation and today's church goers.
Familiar words recited in school assemblies and on other occasions,
with the emphasis being on the words Our Father, a prayer said by all.
It is often said without much thought being given to its words,
as it has become all too f...
Tuesday 21st May 2024 10:50 am
A Temporary Tenure
A Temporary Tenure
In my youth I viewed the future with confidence,
it would last forever into a distant horizon.
Adulthood, old age and death were remote,
and not worthy of any real consideration.
The world was my oyster as I had freedom and youth,
to play and plan, to dream and ponder.
My needs were provided for by my parents,
I hankered for some things but was gene...
Wednesday 15th May 2024 11:26 pm
A Ruined House
A Ruined House
Attendance does not seem obligatory
as there are often so few to see.
Away at second or third jobs, I suppose
which are kept from the limelight.
They epitomise mediocrity,
astonishing when they come from a huge population
of talented people.
Their appreance is unkempt
scruffy with no sense of personal pride.
They amble in and out
perhaps for a ...
Wednesday 15th May 2024 12:27 am
A Moral Hub
A Moral Hub
A grievance beckons attention.
On Campus it ferments.
Voices of incipient protest.
A cry for action Now!
A wrong has been committed.
An injustice perpetrated.
Meetings called, the stage is set.
Committes formed.
Faculties informed.
A tented encampment built.
Slogans shouted and daubed on canvas.
Loudspeakers echo discontent
Calls for action p...
Friday 3rd May 2024 9:08 am
A Special People
A Special People
We fought a war against a nation
who thought they were the Master Race,
and we the untermensch, the sub human race.
Now the world has the chosen people
God's elect and highly favoured,
with land carved out for them.
We are now the gentiles
the Goyim or the pagans.
It would seem that the majority
of us cannot win as members of he
Human Race.
...Sunday 21st April 2024 12:00 pm
A Seagull
A Seagull
With lightning speed she flew from her nest high on the escarpment
downward swooping toward the beach and sea below.
Above a sandy beach drawn clean by a receeding sea
as the ocean's tide pulled back to reveal a pristine coastline.
With wings outstretched the seagull hovered momentarily
with eyes surveying all that lay beneath her.
A yellow curled beak and her ...
Saturday 20th April 2024 4:04 pm
Waking moments
Waking Moments
We linger and luxuriate in those first moments before rising,
a time to allow thoughts free rein and to meander.
Dawn seeps through those crevices betwixt curtain and wall,
silhouettes take on the clarity of shapes.
The veil of night is gradually banished before our sight,
a new day beckons our attention and activity.
Yet we remain a while longer holding fast to...
Wednesday 17th April 2024 11:32 am
I sat and listened.....
I sat and listened.....
I sat on the floor of the sitting room
as my parents and grandparents occupied the chairs.
I listened to their adult onversation
as they expressed themselves and their feelings.
A family gathering, sacrosanct and in
the confines of a secluded and safe environment.
I was at an impressionable age
trusting and eager to please.
I listened at...
Tuesday 16th April 2024 4:05 pm
Those Sultry Summers
Those Sultry Summers
Those sultry summers are here again
with afternoons of siestas and teas.
The only sound is that of rustling palm fronds
in a gentle sea breeze.
Curtains are drawn and blinds pulled
to eliminate the glare of the sun.
A distant radio can be heard
playing the rythm of a tango from yesteryear.
Memories of one's youth begin to emerge
in the fashi...
Sunday 14th April 2024 3:54 pm
A Cockpit
A Cockpit
Not far the town's railway station
there was a council tip.
To be expected it was full
of a myriad of rubbish.
My cousin and I walked there
on one of our adventures.
We were forever exploring
finding new places of interest.
As we clambered about
we came across a cockpit
of a fighter plane.
The fuselage and wings
had been removed.
It was no...
Friday 12th April 2024 7:15 pm
An Open Mind
An Open Mind
As our bodies gather the wrinkles of time
and supple skin becomes as parchment,
our mind ferments like a cask of wine
open to the elements of time.
Joints which creak with age
as muscular pain arrives,
we see more clearly the passage of time
and ponder on such changes.
An open mind must remain
the receptacle of hope,
to ward off stagnation and pre...
Thursday 11th April 2024 11:29 pm
Rooms of Gloom
Rooms of Gloom
Rooms of gloom where many see out their lives,
where the windows are painted black.
Emptiness and solitude await the final day,
when the room is taken away and the light shines in.
Those last days of gloom in that final room,
rooms of loneliness of being alone.
Friends and family are scattered abroad,
with them the pre deceased.
In these rooms of gloo...
Monday 8th April 2024 10:14 pm
Prove it.......
Prove It ........
We must seek in order to find,
with a perceptive mind.
I am often assailed by others,
when I talk about the Other.
People are often filled with doubt,
then they shout.
Prove to me there is a God,
not knowing that the answer lies in Faith.
Not many are born with a sense of the numinous,
few are taught by teachers with wisdom.
Most are daunted ...
Saturday 6th April 2024 3:45 pm
Return to Oman
Return to Oman
From the opening movement of
Rimsky Korsakov's' Scheherazade,
I could see the departure of the dhows,
as they set sail for distant shores,
to India, Africa and beyond.
I climbed the jagged slopes
of Jebel Akhdar to survey
the empty quarter.
Amongst the date palm gardens,
I watched the falaj systems as
they meandered they way
irrigating the par...
Thursday 4th April 2024 9:59 pm
Andalucia
Andalucia
If I can take with me
the sounds of flamenco,
the strains of the classical guitar,
a trickle of water
from the Alhambra,
a sultry summer's heat,
a memory of the mesquita
in Cordoba,
one of Lorca's poems,
the wines of Jerez,
a fresh catch of prawns
from Huelva,
the image of the gitano,
miles of olive groves,
a sea of sunflowers,
a gli...
Tuesday 2nd April 2024 10:20 pm
The Evil Empire
The Evil Empire
The United States of America is a frustrated power,
it arrived late on the imperial scene.
Instead of conquest or exploration,
it uses its wealth to buy its needs.
This Empire has no morality in its arsenal,
Guantanamo, Bagram and rendition are its methods.
Along with its lackeys it has spawned nations,
supported dictatorships and fermented unrest.
O...
Thursday 28th March 2024 4:09 pm
Civilised?
Civilised
We are judged by how we live, not who we are,
yet thousands sleep on the street every night.
Memebers of Parliament earn thousands,
and do not represent us.
How can they when they do not live like us?
Ex Servicemen to gave their lives,
immigrants flee persecution.
All washed up as the flotsam of humanity,
on our shores.
The victims of avarice and contem...
Thursday 7th March 2024 9:21 am
Dinner or Destruction
Dinner or Destruction
Dinner to stave off hunger or destruction and you die,
there is no choice but both come from the same sky.
Parachutes glide down from above with a ready made dinner,
but be so very careful as you could be a gonner.
This is American Foreign Policy at its best,
but if you are the recipient it can be quite a test.
Do they know what they are about?
or...
Tuesday 5th March 2024 3:17 pm
The Bomb Aimer
The Bomb Aimer
In his sights there are buildings,
his order is to destroy them,
he presses a button,
the bombs are released,
he flies back to his base.
Below are those who were his target,
many lie dead by crushed masonry,
others wounded and unconcious,
furniture and shards of glass cover the floor,
a baby cries in a cot.
Back at base the bomb aimer
...Thursday 22nd February 2024 2:35 pm
Under Canvas
Under Canvas
One week of living under canvas,
two soldiers on a military exercise,
was enough to dampen my appetite,
for rough and ready living.
It rained consistently on our canvas,
droplets of water splashed onto us,
our kit was soaked through,
we were cold and permanently damp.
Our rations were sodden,
our sleeping bags and clothes soaked,
we beca...
Wednesday 21st February 2024 11:11 am
Hell's cul de sac
Hell's cul de sac
In hell's cul de sac there is no turning back,
as we become pawns on a chess board of white and black.
The thunderous sky sheds no rain,
with relentless attacks to drive us insane.
We live in a concrete cemetry with the unburied,
as we are clad in rags which are sullied.
Those we loved and cherished now have no tomorrow,
hungry and weary I no longer b...
Monday 19th February 2024 3:04 pm
A Personal Odyssey
A Personal Odyssey
The meanderings through a northern industrial landscape,
amidst the drudgery of a bygone revolutions.
My horizons embraced new worlds,
cultures and peoples unlike my own.
I took risks and accepted challenges,
to travel afar leaving behind much unhappiness.
With God's good grace and personal initiatives,
I encountered the ancient suqs of Arabia,
st...
Sunday 18th February 2024 12:17 pm
An Era of Freedom
An Era of Freedom
An era of freedom is about to dawn,
it awakens us as a morning yawn.
In the slumber of night it has laid dormant,
but now it has appeared at this very moment.
Historical precedents are about to be trashed,
as a new world order is being hatched.
The days of colonialisation are past,
so also the alliances of old are smashed.
Democracy in name only, i...
Thursday 15th February 2024 4:52 pm
Juxtaposed
Juxtaposed
A pilot drops his pay load of bombs.
An artist surveys a landscape and paints it.
Civilians are summarily executed.
A fledgling pianist gives a recital to family and friends.
Hositals are shelled killing sick people.
The writer sits with pen in hand and thinks.
People's homes are bombed to rubble.
A composer puts the final touches to a symphony.
An artill...
Monday 12th February 2024 1:16 pm
The Armchair
The Armchair
We languish in an easy chair,
with a mind which really does not care.
The world is before us on a box which is given a tepid gaze,
and depending on its content our eyebrows might offer a raise.
From this comfortable chair was my overall view,
a vista of tragedy which was forever new.
My opinions could be conveniently formed by another,
so there was l...
Sunday 4th February 2024 11:23 pm
Have you ever........
Have you ever.......
Have you ever been strip searched in public?
Have you ever been beaten by a rifle butt?
Have you ever been spat on as you pray?
Have you ever been dragged out of your own home?
Have you ever seen your home burned?
Have you ever seen members of your family shot in the back?
Have you ever been forbidden from going to church?
Have you ever felt ill an...
Sunday 21st January 2024 2:13 pm
Emptiness
Emptiness
The earth was without form and void,
a place of emptiness.
It has returned to its original form,
as lost souls we hurtle through space.
Out of darkness into light,
we have lapsed back into darkness.
Creation remains alive in the light,
but humanity dwells in darkness.
Our souls are empty vessels,
we are adrft in a tempestuous sea.
We have lost our wa...
Saturday 20th January 2024 11:26 am
Donor or Voter
Donor or Voter
MP's prefer donors to voters
because they want to be property owners.
Our representatives are bought
before we are caught.
They are there for the money
irrespective of our penury.
A two party state
I do not rate.
If a one party state is a dictatorship
what is a two party state?
When they have their donation
they foresake the nation.
Don't...
Tuesday 9th January 2024 1:29 pm
To Rise Again
To Rise Again
Events in the Holy Land have been repeated,
as the innocents have yet again been cheated.
Instead of a Roman occupation,
there has been an Israeli occupation.
The Holy Innocents have been slaughtered,
and their parents massacred and their homes routed.
Once again Christ suffers with his people's plight,
as he too was abused and wounded in their sight.
...
Friday 5th January 2024 9:02 pm
Gaza
Gaza
O Gaza you have been raped
plundered and ravaged
whilst a dormant world looks on in impotence.
Your mothers hugged their children
as they fell beneath piles of rubble
to decompose then disappear.
Babies in their final bid for life
lie in incubators amid the strife
only to die when the power is out.
Menfolk dig with their bare hands
amidst c...
Tuesday 2nd January 2024 7:10 pm
Smiles
Smiles
Look at peoples faces
in a variety of different places.
Seldom is a smile seen,
as if they are in a dream.
People rushing about
as if stifling a shout.
Then a sudden smile emerges
as if from joy or some urges.
A smile is a welcoming sight,
in a darkened room on goes a light.
Smiles transform our very mood
and prevents us from any brood.
When I see...
Monday 1st January 2024 9:08 pm
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