Darkness arrives early As we tumble into Autumn Into a landscape of change. Things mount like falling leaves Beneath the trees. Time to sweep clean. Held by a soft chair The comfort of a warm fire Sparks thoughts. Longer nights allow time To examine and reflect. Dig deep as the need Listen - A pressing invite to stay a while Perhaps a fleeting visit Or a time to say goodbye. As we gently move what has gathered
WildFlowers
In the deep darkness You began to wake, Silently stirring. You journeyed long Through Spring, Moving towards the light. From weaver to young shoot, Then tall as meadow grass you grew, Graced with pastel flowers, Wild and wonderful, A blaze of colour In the Summer sun. Well beyond your sell-by-date, Planted in hope. Against the odds you survived, Encoded to become, To blossom and surprise. The seeds from which you came Will soon again be scattered On the ground. The beauty that is life Forever charged with change.
An Invitation to Joy
Doing is brought to a halt With an unexpected glimpse of blue - A Kingfisher on the wing Passing swift along the riverbank. The first Cuckoo announcing her arrival Invites me to go from my work And follow her call to a distant hill. Watching kits play in the warm sun Takes worry away and brings a smile As the air is flooded white with seeds of adventure. A Grey Wagtail under a bridge gathers food And makes me slow as I drive, For the first time I notice her yellow feathers And see how she risks her life attending to her brood. Feeders hanging in the garden Invite a stream of feathered friends to be named And dread descends seeing a fledgling wage his first flight. As I sit, sweet Summer scents drift into my mind And I know in this moment all is well.
Covid -19
When deadly virus Invades humanity, Ripples of fear Enter all beings. Invisible foe, Moving without bounds To where people dwell. Must battle the unseen As it breaches our cells. Needs on the frontline Helping those who fall. Now is the time, No cost too high. No time for murmurings. Follow the rules, Allow space; to slow, To stop the spread, To save lives. Chance to explore and dissect, Knowledge when shared, Will win. What lessons for change to be learnt? What matters most, to consider? Finding unity of spirit, Blessing planetary life, Shaping the future, together.
For a Poor Man
Scraping a living at the door, Sitting alone With damp seeping into your bones Like ink on paper. I too blot you out. I glance But I fail to see inside. Into the loneliness of no one to share with, Into the fear of troubles ahead, Into the grief-stricken heart. I fail to see beyond my assumptions And into a piece of your story. Forgive me as I search my pocket For coins I had forgotten. The least I could have done Was to bend down And ask your preference – tea or coffee?
Little One
Your coming is pure joy, Like unexpected snowfall Opening eyes of delight And hearts full of fun. Or green shoots in winter, Filling empty spaces with hope. Or rays of morning sunshine Opening on silver threads. Your coming is blessing. Your eyes will open To a world full of wonder. Welcome little one, Welcome love.
Dubai
From desert sand, Like a mirage, Steel and stone emerge. Shimmering in the sun. Crystal studded, Gold embedded towers That entertain and intertwine. They reach for the stars, Portals to another life, Imbued by ancient past, Like Ubar lost. Breaking new ground, Opening vistas to the sea Towards Atlantis and Palm. Remaking the Oasis, Fulfilling desire, Feast for the senses. Future vision imagined, Fashioned and flavoured rich. Pearl of Arabia
Visit to Skellig Michael
We ride the waves Giddy with excitement. Eyes on the horizon, Seeking craggy rocks. They rise from the deep, Weeping in their isolation, Giving respite to travellers And nomads of the sea. White feathered sanctuary, Calls carried on the wind. Out of the blue they appear As from another realm - Gannets sleek and strong, Skimming the waves in full flight, Noble masters of the sea. Dolphins bring delight. Monks once followed in their wake Guided by an inner light, Seeking solace in Christ’s name On rock as black and dark as night. Place of grace Guarded by the Archangel. The climb is steep. With steps mindful and slow We reach the top of the outcrop. Relics of the past, Rocks shaped by mystic hands. Sacred site hiding mysteries. Sunshine floods our day, Lighting the beauty of this place, Lifting our hearts. Grateful for friendship As from these shores we sail.
The Secret
A spark of light Entered the fusion of my being And there was I, perfectly clothed In a mantle designed for matter. A source from beyond With a mission To regain my fullness through perception. Filled with light and love With wisdom and potential. But in my struggle to survive The elements of earth and time, My heart and mind and limbs Concealed the truth within. Concerned with the inessentials, Proud of the inconsequential Leaps and bounds, Disguised in my achievement. My paradise became a fool’s. Laughter turned to tears. Joy became a sorrow Until I found Through the wisdom of the ages That spark of hope The sacred secret deep inside.
Memory Of My Father
You were always there no matter what – standing by me. Feet planted firmly on the ground. Strong, ever present, tender and kind. Full of the joy of being and doing. Your gift of giving was total, And your totality touched me And the hearts and lives of many. Nothing was too much, No one was let down Or ever left short by you – no half measures. Secure within your arms My life unfolded. You painted my past, Pictured my future, And through all the years, In laughter and love Joy and pain, We shared the gift of a lifetime.