Poems

2006

Horses in the Mist
Through tendrils of morning mist,
galloping wild and free,
mud spattering at their hooves,
flaring nostrils snorting steam,
they pass between the swirling clouds
of a volcanic peak
and the wave swept shores
of a green lagoon,
then cantor down to a gentle trot
to nibble on the dew soaked grass
and frolic in the soft, shrouded light
of the rising sun

The Idea
Fresh and pure,
glistening wet from the birth canal
of the creative mind,
it stands unabashed
in the stillness of unevaluated bliss,
neither proud nor ashamed,
just an expression of newness.
Pure creativity. Unrestrained.

Footprints
Through the loving ways that people connect;
laughter between friends, a couple holding hands,
the generosity of a stranger, the smile of a child
Through the gift of knowing I am enough, no matter what
Through my highest thoughts, my truest words, my kindests deeds
Through the wonders of sunsets and mountains, ocean waves, dolphins and daffodils
Through the uplifting beauty of music, art and poetry
Through the infiniteness of time and space and the intricacies of atoms and less
Through the mighty power of silence and the peace that stillness brings
Through these things,
I see the footprints of a benevolent Mystery unfolding
and I look out into the vast night sky
and I smile at the stars and the moon
content in the knowledge
that the universe smiles back

2005

Let it Smash
Collect it and structure it
Put it in a box
Synthesized, organised,
Compartmentalised and classified
Then drop it from the highest cliff
where the wind gusts wild and the spirit is free
Watch it fall, fall, fall, fall
To shatter against the rocky ground
in a million fragments
For the wind to whip it up
And send it off
Twirling and swirling
in chaotic abandon
happy in the knowlege
that chaos breeds life
where order creates habit.


2004

The Blue Hole
From the hot and stifling desert air
and hungry currents that ebb and whirl
From the blinding pierce of sunlit glare
and tiring kicks through stubborn swirls
I release my air in a gentle stream
and sink slowly down through the emerald blue.
Through shoals of irradescent, twirling fish
I float effortless in a weightless world
and at my side, a sheer cliff of coral stands, suffused
in firy tendrils of orange and gold.
Below, the ocean falls away to fathomless depths
as calm and still as eternity itself
and above, the soft rays of the filtered sun
carress the velvet surface of the ocean in a golden glow.
Floating free like a carefree child,
my spirit soars, my senses enthralled
by this underwater garden, abundantly rich,
of colourful hues and mysterious shapes
and as the soft tingle of living water caresses my skin,
my mind grows still; expands to meet the depths below
and I cease to exist; becoming one with all

How to capture a moment?
How to capture a moment in a word?
A feeling in a verse?
This moment has snuck upon me:
The emerald green from my window; fresh and crisp
The memory of dear ones now departed
And love expressed in days gone by
A feathered friend on the balcony outside
The sprinked creations of my beloved at my feet
And unencumbered time to be, just be
Oh to capture this moment
In a word or verse or image
To add to a treasure chove
Of golden moments gone by
But the moment creeps away
As elusive as she came
Just a faint impression remains
But enough to make me smile
Warm in the glow and fortified
Till the next golden moment creeps along

Little boy
Little stick arms pumped to the sky
Little thin legs lifting high
Little eyes fixed in a hungry stare
Little pink feet dangling bare
Little teeth clenched through flaring lips
Little frame rising on contorted hips
Little boy launched in a furious leap
Little boy lands in a sandy heap
Little boy striving non stop since birth
Little boy desperate to prove his worth


2003

The Yawn
i yawn,
surrender to a languid peace
strive not, hurry not
need not, worry not
judge not, grasp not
i yawn
and in my letting go
my spirit smiles like a care free child
and i float free
within the heart of god

Let It
let it out, let it flow, let it be, let it go


1998

I see you
I see you wherever I look
I feel you in whatever I touch
I hear you whenever I listen
I think of you in everything I do
In fact, my love - whatever I see, feel, hear or do;
You are part of me and I am part of you.


1997

Dot the i’s
Dot those i's and cross those t's
gloss that image till it shines
and if your rubbing breaks the skin
rub that spot with frantic care
to restore its perfect look.
Rub. Rub. Round and round.
Harder still.
It hurts!
Then rub to make it go away.
Rub. Rub. Stop all else!
This is where the problem lies -
That robs perfection of its spoils.
Rub. Rub. All day long.
Until the gloss returns.
And I can stare in perfect bliss.
And rub the image raw.

Little Dartmouth
The river estuary disappears behind the hills towards a hidden castle,
past hills clothed in bushes of orange
and tenacious trees that cling to the sea coast below.
Grassy fields slope up and away,
as a solitary yacht heads out to sea
between islands of rock.
A buzzard swoops and soars and sea gulls pass on open wings.
Little birds chatter from the hedges and trees.
The sun warms the nip in the breeze.
I sit.
Content.

The Sleepy Village
Soaking up the morning sun on a bus-stop bench, my eyes follow the River Dart
past yachts and ferries and fishing boats.
Behind me, Dartmouth yawns and stretches
savouring her peace
before the steam train arrives
to pour forth her torrent of tourists.
Next to me, an elderly couple passes gentle comments to and fro,
while men lazily man their boat cruise kiosks along the bank.

South Sands
The river embraces her estuary
before spreading into a vast, open sea.
Fluffy clouds float as calm in the quiet sky
as the boats on the blue waters below.
At my feet, the tropical garden explodes
into green hues of every shade.
Birds celebrate the close of day
with their chirps and twitters as
the subtle scent of sweet flowers
wisps through the air.

The Cove
Nestled between rocky shores
lies a beach of soft sand and speckled pebbles
with a tangled border of sea weed along the water's edge.
The sea is a sparkling, emarald green with a stab of red
where a little boat bobs on rhythmic waves.
The entrance to the beach is steep and rugged
over weather eroded rocks and earth.
Scantily clothed in grass and flowers, the earth pokes through, here and there,
like scalp on a balding head.

Salty Pebbles
Pebbles at the water's edge - a multitude of sizes and rounded shapes.
Some speckled, some unblemished and glistening wet in the sun.
The sea slides over the pebbles on its little surges up the beach, surging forwards, then sighing back in retreat.
I put a tiny round pebble in my mouth and taste its salty smoothess.
My senses are enthralled by the beauty of this place, far from the world's gaze.

Effortless
I am water gurgling over rocks,
tumbling along.
I am an eagle floating on the wind,
letting go,
as the spirit takes me with her
free and spontaneous
on the ride of my life.

Reflections From A Deck Chair
I gaze into the sky below
stuck to the ceiling of the world
by an invisible force
that makes leaves fall in autumn,
breasts sag with age,
daredevils hurtle from planes,
water cascade into ravines,
chairs collapse under the fat,
snow avalanche from cliffs,
rain patter onto roofs,
and ostriches stay earthbound
as much as they might want to fly.

The Child
Blonde kid on a beach
Holding Mummy's sandel in my little hand
Mouth in an unrestrained smile of glee
Hat on head, feet in sand
Smiling at the camera
At Daddy
Who's been there
Since life began
Held me tentatively in his arms
And listened to my first garbled words
Dada! Dada!
And learning to crawl
Watch me crawl, dada!
Rising onto wobbly legs
His eyes watch me. What's behind them?
Unrestrained hugs of love? Whoops of joy at my achievements?
Does he hold me close to his heart and say special things
To his little son?
And do I want to impress him, make him proud, live to hear his praises?
Do I feel his pain? Do I feel his Wall?
Lonely, so lonely in the dark.
Do I try to climb it? Crawl under it?
Vulnerable. So vulnerable.
A little blonde son, with innocent eyes.
Green eyes. The same shade as his.
Trying so hard.
Do I feel his eyes on me - critical eyes?
Picking at my weakness.
Got to be perfect!
Caught in a circle of the past.
And future?
Do I feel his lighter sides too, his laughs and sparkles?
Every day, his presence moulds me.
Seeps into my soul.
The circle turns.
Or does it?

The Valley
The sun shines on a meadow
of smiling flowers and babbling brooks;
I dance through yellow daisies
And sing out loud
under a soft blue sky.

Suddenly…
the meadow plunges into valleys dark
Thunder
Shadows
Chills on my skin
The black sky swallows the sun;
cold walls of rock at my sides
squeezing me in.

Was I ever light of step?
Did I ever dance?
Fear sqeezes my heart, and
Grit clogs my soul
as the valley's path twists ahead
like a thrashing snake
steep and bare
then fades into night.

An echo in my head:
the trace of a gentle voice,
"Behold the meadow in your dreams."
it whispers.
"No valley stretches for ever
but opens onto fertile plains
where birds greet the dawn
and butterflies dance in the air."

Warm colours splash through my mind
cheerful yellows and tranquil greens
and I sing again.
For now I delight in the valley
its chills will brighten the meadow's natural glows.
its lifeless greys will deepen the warm hues;
its thunder clouds will enrich the blue skies;
its ominous silences will sweeten the singing of the birds.

I walk through the valley of shadow
and my heart rejoices.
I release. Let go. Flow.
I do not rush headlong
striving in panic to grab at the light.
But follow the steep path, steadfast and true,
feeling the exquisite ice on my skin
that will melt in the sun.

The Great Mystery
will guide me through the valley
and I will return to the light
stronger and more confident
with greater room to laugh, explore, love and feel
in the knowledge that I can weather the storms
as I relish the calm.


1996

If I was a bird…
If I was a bird and so were you…
I’d kiss you with the gentle pecks of a parrot
I’d dive down for you with the lightning speed of a falcon
I’d shout out my adoration for you with the piercing calls of a cuckoo
I’d run towards you with the powerful strides of an ostrich
I’d sing for you from the highest tree with the sweet melody of a nightingale
I’d dance for you with the up and down bobs of a love-struck albatross
I’d cry out for you with the plaintive lament of a lonely fish eagle
I’d swim for you with the splashy kicks of a grebe
I’d soar to reach you with the majestic glides of a Martial Eagle on a rising thermal
I’d hover above you like a kingfisher before its plunge
I’d look at you with the unblinking gaze of a forest owl
I’d woo you with the gentle coos of a turtle dove
I’d prepare a home for you with the meticulous care of a weaver
I’d stroke your feathers with the soft caresses of a love bird
I’d fly south – across ocean and land – with the single minded purpose of a swallow seeking out the summer…
To sweep you up in my wings and hold you close.

Dolphins
If you ever get lonely, my love,
close your eyes and imagine that you are a dolphin and so will I
Living in a warm sea with a lush tropical island close by
We spend our days surfing the waves and exploring the coast
While at night, we float in the gentle currents and watch the stars above
Mates for life, our love is as deep as the ocean floor
While our being together is as inevitable as the ebb and flow of the tide
And our spirits fligh as free as our abandoned leaps into the sky.
So when you’re lonely my love, imagine that you are a dolphin and so will I
Because then our minds will meet in a warm sea under a blue sky.

1995

You are…
You are the the twinkle in my eye
The smile on my lips
The happiness I feel
And the song I sing
You’re the warmth that wells up inside
The word I cannot express
The joy that makes me laugh
And the beauty that makes me gaze
You’re the idea that makes me dream
The thought that makes me swoon
The feeling that makes me breathless
And the love that spins me around and around and around