Wait and See

I know it's February because the radio told me so
But today the air was clear and the sun was high.
There was no wind to notice nor flecks of rain
and the birds sang loud as they wheeled about in the sky.

It must be global warming messing with the seasons
As spring comes in early and the buds begin to show.
I feel my soul getting easy and I relax
But mindful that even yet there could come snow.

It has happened before and new shoots died
As the cold weather snapped back at we fools
Who had dug out the garden benches and brollies
And had made plans for mowers and tools.

Far better to wait and let more days go by
To see if the moods of the weather gods settle.
Enjoy the changing vista of fields and gardens
From behind window glass waiting for the kettle.

Moroccan Pain

He died alone at the bottom of a well
and he was only 5
many folk dug day and night
to bring him up alive.

But he was dead at the bottom
injured as he fell
what fears he knew in his little mind
no-one alive can tell.

Imagine the feelings of those rescuers then
angry, frustrated and sad
who fought so hard to get him out
and return him to his mum and dad.

Farewell sweet lad your terrors and fright
are now all gone and past
I hope you are now in a better place
and know your happiness at last.


Rayan Oram, aged 5 died 8/2/22 RIP

Saturday Dad

The first Christmas in this new house
and, grieving for the times now gone
he starts to make a new life here
because now, he really should move on.

He got a potted fir tree and put it on a shelf
and added balls and tinsel and a star,
but it needed something else he thought
so searched the shops both near and far.

He came upon some small wax apples
coloured red with a gleaming skin
his little girl would want to save them
so he bought a box to keep them in.

Still, decades on, this time each year
you can search the branches and see
among the decorations and presents are
red wax apples on my Christmas tree.

Happy 40th

Alas, alas, you are 40 now
your 30s are truly behind,
you fight to retain your figure
and brain cells flee from your mind.

You could take lots of vitamins
to try and keep your youth,
or start wearing false things
and cap each dying tooth.

But, worry not about the above
- treat it all as trivia,
no matter how you decompose
old friends will always forgivya.

They will always see you as you were
so your youth you'll never lose,
maybe it's time to abandon sex
and cut down on the booze?

Free Solace

I love the peace of my river
As it flows in and out to the sea
Moving slowly but determined
It soothes the stress from me.

The gulls that cry in the morning
Or the Curlew chortle at night
Seems to calm my inner soul
And makes everything seem right.

So no need for pills or alcohol
Happiness is within easy reach
When the salt waters of my river
Lap softly at the beach.

Don’t leave me Grandpa

A very young girl so bereft
now with none of her family left
her world torn up and over turned
with rules of humanity now all spurned.

They came with the new day dawning
the family shelter just a canvas awning
the thugs with guns and machetes then 
slashed and shot and shot again.

Unbelievable torture vented first
on women, old folk and then worse
children and babies killed out of hand
their graves just scratched in shallow sand.

Old Grandpa had bid the family flee
surely the thugs would leave him be?
But no they murdered this man too
and what could this young girl do?

Crying and powerless she clearly saw
her gentle Grandpa sink to the floor.
Across the world we heard her plea
please, please Grandpa don't leave me ....

BBC report of December 8th 2021 Massacre of Villagers in Myanmar (formerly Burma) by the State Army.

SO
Yet another killing of innocent folk
no salvation - what a joke!
Mankind hides till the threat has gone
and again impotent Gods look on.

Morning

It's morning, morning, morning
And dawning, dawning, dawning
I'm yawning, yawning, yawning
I have to go.

To work, work, work
Can't shirk, shirk, shirk
What a berk, berk, berk
I can't escape.

Rather play, play, play
All day, day, day
No way, way, way
I need money.

For life, life, life
Kids and wife, wife, wife
Such strife, strife, strife
I'm redundant.

Old Lady in a Hospital Ward

Suddenly the smile left her smooth face
and fear turned the hospital pink skin grey.
She knew what was to come soon 
and perhaps it would be today.

She had a strong faith in the next life
and hoped she had earned her right
to sit at her god's table and
have her meagre sins take flight.

She had lived a life full of service
and done it all on her own.
Always there for needy relatives
and rarely heard to moan.

She never married, but came close
but a torpedo sank the Africa plan
she carried on with shattered dreams
and never picked another man.

As a child he had never dared kiss
this lady, now with grey tinged brow
but in these last quiet moments
he bent and kissed her now.

Soon, too soon, her old body failed
and her spirit flew away
but the smile was once more on her face
as she went on her way.


1993

Blackwater Men

Where muddy waters flow
Where only grasses grow
Still roam the souls you know
Of Blackwater Men.

Blackwater Men will never fade away
They still return on two tides every day
They come and walk again
To view their past domain
It's where their bones are lain
These Blackwater Men.

Long, long these souls will haunt the salty shore
Until the time when there's a world no more
Then these past men will ride
On one last foaming tide
To heaven and there reside as Blackwater Men.

We who live are richer by far
Because they went before
And trod the paths of time
They ploughed, they fought, they prayed
And gave the place some meaning.

So now as we follow 
Let us bless these people
Who made the river work and 
Sowed the seeds of life
Which we take with us each day
And so we join and say
Amen.

October 2000

The above may not seem to flow well but it was written to be set to music.  This has been done by Clive Smith of South Woodham Ferrers and is a choral work within a suite.