A New Year
A New Year
The old year ebbs away,
taking with it many memories.
It is placed in the archive of life,
of our own personal journey.
The past is where it belongs,
inaccessible and unalterable.
It cannot be changed or revised,
only revisited and learned from.
A new year dawns which we await,
we wait patiently in the present.
The future is on the horizon,
shrou...
Sunday 31st December 2023 5:12 pm
A Juxtaposition
A Juxtaposition
He sits on a river bank alone,
with easel, a canvass and paints.
His is painting an old stone bridge,
which has several arches.
The stone has a sandy colour,
illuminated by the summer's sun.
It has spanned the river for centuries,
clearly reflected in the water beneath.
With deep concentration he paints,
a traditional artist paying attention to de...
Saturday 30th December 2023 6:06 pm
Social Media
Social Media
My father used to read a national daily paper,
he believed in most of what was written.
In those days there were few other media outlets,
apart from the wireless and until the TV arrived.
The official media is a bag of bones,
which I long to cover in flesh.
I am not content to accept or believe what it spouts,
I search for the truth wherever that might be,
...Friday 29th December 2023 4:08 pm
There is nothing left
There is nothing left
There is nothing left to go back to.
They have destroyed our homes.
They have killed our women and children.
They have dug up all the roads.
They have bombed churches and mosques.
They have murdered babies in incubators.
They have ripped out the entire infrastructure.
They have bulldozed all places of learning.
They have eradicated our cultural...
Sunday 24th December 2023 11:04 am
Going to Church
Going to Church
Two ladies, an elderly mother and her daughter,
both Palestinian Christians were going to church in Gaza.
As they approached the church door they were shot dead,
by an Israeli sniper.
The ladies were seeking solace,
by going to a sacred place to pray.
They are now with the Saviour they loved,
at rest in that kingdom prepared for those who love him.
T...
Sunday 17th December 2023 1:23 pm
Future Consequences
Future Consequences
From the bombed out buildings and slaughter of Gaza,
there will emerge a generation of people scarred by war.
Countless thousands of young people today,
have lost limbs, their sight and any hope of a personal future.
They lie in makeshift beds bandaged,
because they are disfigured and blind.
They have no future which we have enjoyed,
simply because ...
Friday 15th December 2023 7:55 pm
Abstain
Abstain
To abstain is to do nothing but sit on the fence,
a cowardly position to take in the face of adversity.
Massacre and the slaughter of the innocents takes place,
and we hear the words 'we abstain'.
This fuels the cry for justice to be done,
as the nations of the world demand such action.
The day of reckoning is not far from us,
as the dead speak to us from their...
Thursday 14th December 2023 12:28 am
An Assault on Culture
An Assault on Culture
Culture forms an integral part of a nation's identity.
It speaks of a people and who they are.
It encourages creativity, enthusiasm and joy.
A source of pride for all to enjoy.
It says more than the national flag.
As it springs forth from the soul of the people.
Through music, literature, art, dance and sculpture.
A pattern emerges of who a people...
Friday 8th December 2023 9:27 pm
Right or Wrong
Right or Wrong
This poem is about right and wrong,
or some melancholy and lamenatable song.
It is about life and death
engineered by power and stealth.
The chosen people and their promised land
conceals a nefarious and deceitful hand.
They have dispossessed a nation
by creating a deluded notion.
They have taken to themselves a property
by exerting their own auth...
Tuesday 5th December 2023 3:32 pm
Loss
Loss
I cannot bear to watch this war,
as either side keep their morbid score.
We see the dead wrapped in cloth,
treated as little more than mere dross.
One by one they are laid to eternal rest,
each side by side in a line abreast.
Those who grieve cry and look to the sky,
and beseech God to tell them why.
No sound or voice is manifest,
as more bodies are laid to ...
Friday 1st December 2023 6:17 pm
A Dense Fog
A Dense Fog
A dense fog pervades the atmosphere,
obscurring any sight of the nearby volcano.
Yet it's presence could be felt,
as the earth trembled with sulphur and cordite
in the fetid air.
I could hear the sound of the nearby ocean,
a valve through which escape was possible.
The land was dark and foreboding,
no canopy of stars could be seen.
I stood alone fear...
Tuesday 28th November 2023 10:28 pm
The Golden Thread
The Golden Thread
Throughout one's life there is a golden thread of hope,
in a world of personal difficulties and times of strife
this thread holds fast within our daily life.
When downcast and despondent it appears from nowhere,
to sustain us and uplift us to drive away any fear or scare.
When jubilant and glowing with joy it remains unseen,
but through those dark days i...
Monday 27th November 2023 12:00 am
Poetry at War
Poetry at War
During times of war and adversity,
there is a need for compassion in poetry.
As buildings crumble and distant guns rumble,
the poet wakes and in his melancholy does stumble.
The world has turned upside down in his sight,
which motivates him with pen and paper to write.
His mind and voice are harmonised to compose,
the horrors to which his eyes are exposed...
Thursday 9th November 2023 10:09 pm
The Little People
The Little People
We the little people are now better educated,
better informed and less vulnerable to deceit.
Once upon a time we gave authority to our 'betters',
now we know that we are as good as them.
No longer are the little people going to be misled,
we can read, write and think for ourselves.
We read between the lines unlike before,
and understand what corruptio...
Monday 6th November 2023 9:44 pm
Fear Stalks the Streets
Fear Stalks the Streets
Fear Seldom confines itself to one particular place,
it becomes a malignant force for all to face.
No matter on which side of the wall you live on,
it permeates the mind and soul of everyone.
Those who instigate fear come from an ignorant breed,
they derive their hatred and vitriol from the same seed.
Their motives are riddled with prejudice a...
Sunday 5th November 2023 1:23 pm
The Abuser
The Abuser
The abused has become the abuser,
both have become each other as a loser.
It is wrong to take another's land,
and expect to stay there and make a stand.
The evils of the past have been renewed,
as we see daily on our TV news.
Two wrongs do not make a right,
and so both sides continue to fight.
Brutal atrocities now abound
in what was once a holy land.
...Thursday 2nd November 2023 9:53 am
A Commandment
A Commandment
In these times of conflict
people are killed by the day.
Bullets and explosions
claim the lives of many.
Revenge is high on the agenda
for the reason to kill.
Mercy takes a back seat
as terror reigns.
I was once a soldier
many years ago.
I am now mature in years
and am a pacifist.
One of the ten commandments
says
"Thou shalt not kill...
Saturday 21st October 2023 10:34 pm
The Disadvantaged
The Disadvantaged
The elite and wealthy can higher education afford,
as they approach, well dressed, their university to board.
This perpetuates the influence of the few,
when in reality there exists another human queue.
Those who cannot afford such astronomic fees,
are left in the shadows, broken and on their knees.
Thousands of miles away and close to home young men and...
Wednesday 18th October 2023 7:11 pm
The Invisible
The Invisible
I believe in what is unseen,
as a gentle summer's breeze
does rustle the leaves of sundry trees.
When a ship is leaving port,
it is soon out of sight
over the horizon or into the night.
Emotions are not readily visible,
a kiss, a caress are symbols only
of a feeling so often unsaid and lonely.
Our thoughts, desires and ideas
are manifest in deeds...
Saturday 23rd September 2023 5:59 pm
Youth
Youth
Youthful Days were the coming of age,
they were our salad days of outrage.
A time when lust took over us,
when we enjoyed each others touch or kiss.
Times when ambitions had not been realised,
dreams consumed our future mesmerised.
We ate, drank, and danced by day and night,
beauty was to be found in each and every sight.
Otimism reigned as depression had no n...
Thursday 21st September 2023 1:25 pm
Autumn
Autumn
Autumn has its foot inside the door,
in accordance with nature's law.
This morning there was a shower,
another sign of nature's power.
A chilly wind rustles the leaves,
in which the trees sway in the breeze.
The nights have drawn in to banish the light,
and its gloom soon affects our sight.
Clouds gather with grim determination,
to wash away summer's conta...
Sunday 17th September 2023 8:39 pm
Holding Fast to Life
Holding Fast to Life
Do we hold fast to life for fear of the unkown?
Some want to remain in this mortal world for ever,
as they cannot see behind the veil which hides the future.
For many there is only what we see, feel and experience of life,
so we cling to this life as would those who are adrift in a life boat.
We do all in our power to stay alive and are afraid of death,
...Friday 15th September 2023 11:11 pm
Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The merchantman cautiiously moved through the waters of the Dardanelles.
Fierce fighting on land and the beaches had reached a crescendo.
The crew was alert to artillery fire.
Bill Dawson a Mercantile Marine Officer stood on deck.
The scene before him was one of unremitting battle.
British soldiers were in retreat.
In the sea they held their rifles aloft with bo...
Sunday 20th August 2023 1:50 pm
Climate Change
Climate Change
We are living in a house which is on fire.
The fire has spread wildly and cannot be extinguished.
It has not yet reached our room.
We hear sirens, smell smoke and hear cries.
Death and doom are knocking on our door.
There is no fire escape, we are unprepared.
The fire extiguishers are old and do not work.
We have never read the fire escape drill.
Prac...
Saturday 12th August 2023 7:18 pm
The Global Elite
The Global Elite
(in praise of localization)
Monsters in high places,
with echoes of indifference.
Skilled in nepotism and ubridled greed.
A crucible of liquid gold.
The poor are collateral damage.
Cradled in luxury.
Consumed by vast wealth.
Authors of deprivation.
Reaping the harvest of others.
A global menace.
Suborners of governments.
The enemy of dem...
Friday 11th August 2023 1:36 pm
The Media
The Media
We are depressed and oppressed by a relentless media.
Endless conflicting reports which are attempts at disinformation.
It is easy to become seduced by their messages.
Few if any report good news to gladden our hearts.
They are the harbingers of woe.
They rejoice in misery, calamity and are the voices of doom.
In their work I see a daily intake of grammatical an...
Sunday 23rd July 2023 12:05 pm
A Guiding Light
A Guiding Light
Where are the leaders to take us forward?
Where are the men and women with a vision for the future?
Where are the orators to inspire us with enthusiasm?
Where are the statesmen to represent us on the world stage?
Where are those with original ideas to create anew?
Where are the men and women of Faith to give us hope?
Where are the adventurers to take us to...
Saturday 15th July 2023 10:10 am
Martha
Martha
She would often stand close to the door with a furtive look on her face,
with her woven shopping bag in her gloved hands.
She wore the same clothes everyday as her wardrobe was sparse,
no matter what the season or the weather she was well wrapped up.
Her most prominent item of dress was her jumper,
knitted out of some chunky wool with a red heart on the chest.
At f...
Monday 10th July 2023 5:56 pm
Contradictions
Contradictions
Life is full of swings and roundabouts..
Our earthly pilgrimage is a kaleidoscopic adventure.
In and out of love we are foiled by temptation.
War and peace are juxtaposed.
The young and the good do die young.
The evil simply soldier on.
What is constant continually eludes us.
The ignorant and the learned play together.
Sadness and joy exist side by si...
Wednesday 5th July 2023 4:00 pm
A Library
A Library
A Victorian gothic structure of little renown.
It stands in isolation as a chapel does for prayer.
Yet within its walls and behind its doors.
There is an inner sanctum, a seat of learning.
A treasure trove of knowledge, a place of study.
Where those with a thirst for an intellect do inhabit.
Men and women, even the very young.
All join in this citadel of lear...
Thursday 22nd June 2023 10:48 pm
Solitude & Silence
Solitude & Silence
Those times of solitude and silence become an oasis.
To retreat from noise and strife renews my life.
They refresh the soul and cleanse the mind.
Space is found in which to contemplate and be at peace.
I banish noise by unplugging all electrical appliances.
No telephone, no computer or radio can interrupt.
This is my sacred space.
These periods of so...
Wednesday 21st June 2023 1:40 pm
Not my Home anymore
Not my Home anymore
The land of my birth is not my home anymore,
I have chosen exile to what was once so familiar.
on occasions I have returned to find a different place,
I am a stranger amongst a people I no longer recognise.
An alien in the much loved landscape of my birth,
I see my old home through a sepia lens from afar.
with memories now faded and replaced, as I am o...
Tuesday 20th June 2023 3:42 pm
Glued
Glued
They can be found in any number of places,
from buses, trains, planes and even at the races.
Most find it more convenient to find a seat,
but as with most people they can be on their feet.
They all have one thing in common to play,
a screen, a mobile or a tablet to pass the day.
Engrossed if not transfixed they do earnestly stare,
almost as if into the vacuous th...
Monday 19th June 2023 4:33 pm
The Art of Poetry
The Art of Poetry
Throughout history and many cultures the poets have plied their trade,
an art form stretching back across the years to the present day.
It is a talent which comes from an inexhaustable source,
as ideas and thoughts become words on an empty page.
The artist sits with easel, canvas and a pallet to paint,
his brrush strokes bring images onto the canvas be...
Sunday 18th June 2023 1:09 pm
An Open Heart
An Open Heart
I am recovering from open heart surgery,
not the man I used to be but age wears me on.
I was told I could live happily for several years more,
this optimism reverberates through my mortal frame.
It gives me hope and spurs me on,
but a voice whispers that caution is prescribed.
This advice haunts my every day,
as I adjust to each day being my last.
I ea...
Saturday 17th June 2023 5:39 pm
Luggage for the Onward Journey
Luggage for the Onward Journey
My destination seems somehow vague but assured,
as I stare at my suitcases in the hall.
When I arrive my needs shall be catered for,
but now I must draw together my belongings from life's store.
I rummage through drawers and wardrobes to no earthly avail,
as there are more possessions that no longer hold sway.
I cannot go into the night...
Thursday 15th June 2023 2:42 pm
The Authentic Individual
The Authentic Individual
Sacrifice not one iota of your identity,
defend with valour your individuality.
Forge your own way within the bounds of creation,
and yield not to another's alien notion.
Be the bearer of your inner self,
not some character of deception or stealth.
Look both inside and outside your outer frame,
and create for yourself another new name.
Do no...
Wednesday 14th June 2023 3:58 pm
The House Boat
The House Boat
In a faded sepia photograph stored in an old album,
I discovered my father, sporting a beard and smoking a pipe.
He wore a khaki shirt and in one hand a fishing rod,
he looked directly at the camera concious of his bearing and demeanour.
In the background was the wooden structure of a House Boat,
sitting on a placid lake with mountains in the distant backgroun...
Tuesday 13th June 2023 8:35 pm
Cafe al fresco
Cafe al fresco
Everyday they gather for their morning coffee,
a microcosm of the community in which I live.
Ladies in large framed sunglasses and elegantly dressed,
all gathered together under an array of parasols.
Old and young with coffees, cognac, wine and fruit juices,
as two waiters dart about from table to table.
The occasional vehicle passes by often unnoticed,
...
Monday 12th June 2023 11:59 pm
Civis sum Mundi
Civis sum Mundi
In the Kingdom of Woke we are required to answer many questions,
to fill in forms confessing who we are and where we come from.
This is designed to give us labels to wear revealing our identity,
as did the Nazis with coloured stars and triangles.
What you see is what you get.
Name given at birth.
Nationality (where we arrived)
Colour (several options)
...Sunday 11th June 2023 1:06 pm
The Empty Quarter
The Empty Quarter
Nomadic arabs call the desert the Empty Quarter,
a place of eerie silence where only the wind is heard.
At night the sky is a black camoopy of starlit wonder,
beneath lies endless undulating sand dunes which do meander.
A vast expanse of wildreness which moves as the winds blow,
shapes and forms grow from grains of minute sand.
There are times when my mi...
Saturday 10th June 2023 6:00 pm
There are no Frontiers
There are no Frontiers
For the poet, the writer, artist and composer,
there are no frontiers, no limits of expression or will.
As the natural world in its beauty is a gift,
so the artist, writer and composer are free.
Their gift is inspiration which dwells in their soul,
an inner vision or voice which yearns for release.
The brush stroke, the pen and the musician,
are ...
Monday 29th May 2023 5:34 pm
Taras Shevchenko
Taras Shevchenko
A Ukranian poet, patriot and father of Ukranian Literature.
A serf who won his freedom.
The soul of the Ukraine.
Whose statue was recently vandalised by Russian troops.
A freedom fighter who exhorted his people.
With these words.
" And glory to you, dark blue mountains.
Frost and snow protect you.
And to you, great hearted heroes.
God does n...
Saturday 27th May 2023 9:48 pm
The City of Shadows
The City of Shadows
The city of shadows and concealed memories.
Our aircraft flew towards Berlin.
That same flight path of so many bombers before us.
It was a winter's morning above a frozen landscape.
A train took us into a city of contrasts.
Through disfigured suburbs old and new.
Into the the hauptbahnhof, the citadel of all.
Then on to our hotel in the eastern sect...
Friday 26th May 2023 12:24 pm
Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather
They come in all shapes and sizes,
from different parts of the globe.
Yet they possess distinct attributes,
qualities which make them stand out.
Let' peer into the looking glass,
and what do we see?
The Great Il Duce Mussolini,
who was an army deserter.
A pompous brat if ever there was one.
Then the failed artist,
the lance corporal in the R...
Monday 22nd May 2023 4:08 pm
La Ermita
La Ermita
I sit in the plaza outside the hermitage.
In the clear light of the midday sun.
A few benches are placed for relaxation.
From one of these I ponder on the building I see.
A not insignificant structure with few windows.
Great thick stone walls encrusted in white paint.
A large wooden door which remains closed.
But opened on Sunday mornings for the Mass.
To...
Wednesday 17th May 2023 3:33 pm
Black to Britain
Black to Britain
They came by ship on a voyage some years ago,
to a city which was paved with Gold, to the Mother Country of old.
Unskilled and often with trepidation they took their chance,
from the warm sunny balm of a tropical home where they did dance.
To a cold and blustery land of which they had dreamed,
and had read aloud from history books in school and learned.
A...
Thursday 11th May 2023 6:35 pm
The Subversive Artist
The Subversive Artist
From underground galleries artists paint and sketch.
Hidden in the corners of libraries poets and writers compose subversive prose and verse.
Articles and essays are written to challenge the way we think.
The canvas is awash to shout out loud.
The strokes of the brush and pen work assidiously with determination.
Ideas are formed, creative skills are bor...
Wednesday 10th May 2023 11:09 pm
Autocrats
Autocrats
Canvases slashed
throats slit
Nolde's duplicity trashed
books burnt
The Torah desecrated
flames and torches of hatred
rampaging troops
Wagner restored
innocent souls in lurid flames
loved ones asphixiated
innocent souls in flames of torment
Hell Rules ok
Vile screams resound
The eagle's claws clutch
innocent flesh
Again, now, today
...Tuesday 9th May 2023 12:30 am
A New King
A New King
Many of us still live in the after glow of the Coronation,
we do so breathless with wonder and fascination.
Once again we are swept off our feet in awe,
as our King and Queen do us all enthral.
I prefer to live in a Kingdom with a monarch,
than some money driven self seeking oligarch.
A noble man to serve his people and nation,
is worthy of every saluta...
Monday 8th May 2023 2:41 pm
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