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View Article  Blog day 461: Anger

It's a shame when something bugs you so much you can't sleep for the angry feelings burning away inside.

Anger

A day can turn on a sixpence
By the simple act of one deed
The rug is whisked from beneath you
As others question your creed

Accusation is all it takes
To give root to this deadly seed
Injustice creates imbalance
Wild envy thrives on pure greed

Insecurity feeds anger
And that’s when the heart starts to bleed
The steady slope is all downhill
When fears are let loose to breed

Friction serves to stir fry our souls
Then we forget what was agreed
Can't anyone reset the clock 
To the harmony we need?

View Article  Blog day 460: The Sound of Silence

Can't explain where this one came from. The culprit may recognise him/herself.

The Sound of Silence

The hectoring tone drones on
And demands adherence to her rule
Silence is the required response
Bullying, her self-serving tool

When will the worm turn, I ask
When will the rebellion begin
Well, not before time, says the owl
As the pussy puts on her grin

But soon, the storm will appear
And our wanton ship will start to sink
Takes only one to rock this boat
Before the crew begin to think

The gang plank is the answer
We'll make her walk away from this group
Then we'll be rid of this monster
And can enjoy our pea-green soup

We'll sing to our hearts' content
Play wistful tunes of a yesteryear
Listen to waves that surround us
And wallow in this peace so dear 

View Article  Blog day 459: Beauty, skin deep

Some days are more productive than others. This is the third one I started last Thursday.

Beauty, skin deep

He's one lazy eye and a leg that limps
Past arthritic joints, a builder's bum glimpse
Simple distractions from what lies within
The joy of a life you might share with him 

Breathe his expelled air and feel his presence
Hear the weighted words that speak his essence 
His pock marked visage, may it shield from you 
That rare breed of man whose heart will stay true

Imagination, cast ugly aside
If you answer yes, you will be his bride
He'll pucker his lips, your promise to keep
Revealing your dream: a beauty, skin deep

View Article  Blog day 458: Listening skills

Another one prompted by observing an argument:

Listening skills

Close mouth
And breathe
Open ears
And please
Try to look
As if you care
Are interested in
What I have to share

I've already had
Am truly blessed 
With your thoughts
Firmly impressed
On my still resisting
Under strain
Screaming, dreaming
Addled brain

Imagine, I implore!
My ideas could
Be equally good
If only you would 
Start believing
I had anything
Worth leaving
At your so sure door

View Article  Blog day 457: The Put Down

This poem was written yesterday while observing group dynamics first hand.

The put down

When the right of reply
Is refused, now time's out 
Real debate disappears 
Or is struck dumb by doubt

Then, a bullying tone
Can kill inspiration
While just one sideways shrug
Can snub aspiration

So blunt and ascerbic
Is the perfect put down
Watch it poison goodwill 
Will it topple the crown? 

Let's not play this war game
We're wasting precious time
Stand up and be counted
While we still want to rhyme

View Article  Blog day 456: The demon

What's worse than knowing? Not knowing?

I started writing this poem a month ago and its half finished status blocked me from writing anything else. So, today I've finished it.

The demon

Fear eats into the heart
Chomping through beating tissue
Till eyes that are red raw 
Doubt that she can trust you

Watch the darkening cloud
Sadness settling on her brow
What was a steady path
A blind man's stumble now

Hear the pain of her cries
As your vows evaporate
As the demon strolls in
On time, but far too late

View Article  Blog day 455: That unconscious step

Morbid thoughts, I feel them approaching like a veil, a cloud across the sun.

That unconscious step

So, yes, unconscious 
I must surely be
As I slip away
Across the sea

Know the ferryman
He has no change
My leaving date
I must rearrange

A ticket to pass
A farewell kiss
Release the life
That I will not miss

And yet, my mentor 
Ever, it seems
I may return
To weep in your dreams

View Article  Blog day 454: Comedy Club

Members of MoreWriting are taking part in NaPoWriMo 2009 and here's what I wrote for today, promoted by a Flash Poetry title supplied by parisDramaqueen24.

Comedy Club

Ho ho ho! Ho ho ho!
Panted red-faced Santa Claus
But in the Comedy Club
There was no applause

Tell us a funny one
Some wag shouted from the back
And hand clapped poor Santa
As he emptied his sack

No presents for you lad
Santa boomed across the hall
In fact, the joke is
I’ve no presence at all

View Article  Blog day 453: Time times three

Today is our second full day back home. Yesterday, feeding the washing machine took priority. This morning, we had a Tesco delivery so lunch was our first 'real' meal in a fortnight. I went line dancing this afternoon while my better-half waited in for Debenhams to bulk delivery our wedding gifts. We now have a lot of Denby pottery and even more bubble wrap.

Time times three

Watch as time disappears
You cannot pin it down
When it is whistling through
On its way out of town

The clock was put forward
Only one week ago
So what is the great rush
Why not live this life slow

Capture precious moments
Crystallize for all time
Remember forever
One ring, your hand, on mine

View Article  Blog day 452: Light

Just returned from honeymooning in Madeira. The roads there are amazing: weaving in and out of mountains, one tunnel after another.

We went on one of their famous Levada walks - to Rabacal and the 25 fountains - and this involved walking through a tunnel. It was a great relief to see daylight ahead of us after some 800 metres of darkness.

Light

It is not until you see
The bright light
That you realise
It was ever night

It is not until you hear
The birds sing
That you realise
What joy love can bring

It not until you taste
Perfection
That you realise
Your true direction

View Article  Blog day 451: Lopsided

Been a funny old day. Some ups and some downs. The world is ...

Lopsided

We don't care, not enough
About what's going wrong
We feign indifference
When we need to be strong

Eyes averted, we walk 
Glued to the other side
When we should roll up sleeves
We just crocodile cried

And now the time has come
To be counted as one
To pull out our fingers
And to get the job done

So more more excuses
And hey! No more faint praise
Let's do what we know's right
And mend our wayward ways

View Article  Blog day 450: Discord

Time is measured by minutes, hours and days. The sun comes up and it goes down. We go to bed; we rise. There is a routine.

It doesn't work for me.

Discord

This chord called time
Starts me off, thinking
Traps my sad thoughts
And leaves me blinking

And yet three notes
In any which scale
First, third and fifth
Make musical ale 

It soothes my brow
Dispels my despair
Recharges love
And recreates care

Will I forgive?
Forget what went wrong?
Find harmony
And sing you my song?

All that I know
Is the breath I take
Keeping strict time  
To melt my heartache

View Article  Blog day 449: Emotional distance

A single phrase can sear through muddled thinking, leaving a scar which will remain visible for all to see. Emotional distance did it for me today.

Emotional distance

One step back
Hackles rising
Time to leave?
Not surprising

View Article  Blog day 448: One year on

When someone dies, for those that are left behind to grieve, the days that follow are a blur. We stumble through funeral arrangements, donning black clothes and meeting members of the family that we haven't seen for years.

A year later, as the anniversary approaches, the process is reversed. The numbness creeps over those that grieve, a few days ahead of what was a shocking event.

One year on

I couldn’t let today go by
Without a word or two
To say how very sad I am
And that we’re missing you

A year ago, the lights went out
After your life begun
So there’s no candle on a cake
To celebrate you’re one

But one shines from within your heart
A flame for all to see
And today being your birthday
We’ll sing, but silently

Because we’ll never forget you
Precious bundle of joy
Our whisper of lost happiness
Breathtaking baby boy

View Article  Blog day 447: The pen

Guided writing can reveal interesting messages. Where do they come from? Answers on a postcard to ...

The pen

Sinister thoughts traverse a page
At an optimistic slant
Descenders betray a passion
And the tendency to rant

The middle zone has lost its edge
Yet the pen reveals the word
As they say, those who remain dumb
It’s mightier than the sword

View Article  Blog day 446: Words

We weren't snowed in as such today, but we decided to stay at home anyway. Lots to do. Deadlines looming.

Been thinking about what people say ... and the power of speech.

Words

Words are weapons
When you spit them out
When you raise your voice
Above a shout

Words can caress 
And mind control
When whispered wisdom
Makes love to a soul

Words are chosen
For good or for ill
Before you speak them
Think on God’s will?

View Article  Blog day 445: Don’t drink and drive

I've only tried to play the piano having had a glass or two, twice. I failed both times.

Don’t drink and drive

Ma’am! You must not drink and drive!
That’s what all the posters say
If you do, you’re sure to crash
And put paid to someone’s day

Playing piano’s tricky
When I’ve supped more than a few
Can’t focus on those crotchets
And the pedal’s wobbly too

I guess the blur can be blamed
On how much liquor I’ve sunk
Best I stroke the ivory
And not drive home while I’m drunk

View Article  Blog day 444: The word is ...

I went to Plymouth this evening to see Cabaret. Excellent.

The word is ...

The word is
No one escapes the stain
Of guilt, of man's inhumanity

We are all witnesses
And will perish
In the gas chambers of the sky
Gold fillings will melt
Our paper money burn

In the morning
The dream of freedom
Will be but ashes
Evidence that history
Foretells the future

So why do we not learn tolerance
And live as one, in accord?
Why are we deaf to the word?

View Article  Blog day 443: A goldfingered fake

Guess what I did today!

A goldfingered fake

Exfoliated, buffed on a towelled couch
Wearing only paper knickers and a smile
Soon-to-be tanned skin, silky soft to the touch
Lies a goldfingered fake, in St Tropez style

View Article  Blog day 442: Persistence pays

This one is for Phots-Moll ... 

Persistence pays

The man with the open cheque book
Yes, the one who never says no
Brags that, for him, persistence pays
Which, I guess, only goes to show …

You should try, try and try again
Hit your head against that brick wall
Shrug off every defeatist blow
And believe you will get the call

Dream that it can happen to you
Imagine your way to the top
Meanwhile, keep on writing because
Success is no reason to stop

View Article  Blog day 441: Never mind

Some say, with me, what you see is what you get. It's not true actually.

Sometimes - no, often, almost always - I bend over backwards to take into account the sensitivities of others before I take action or react to a situation. I opt for the win-win outcome whenever I can.

Unfortunately, this desire to please - or perhaps not to displease - has to be counterbalanced by the notion that it's wrong to lie, wrong to pretend something is brilliant when in fact it's not ...

Then truth will out - or I say nothing?

Never mind

Truth is hard to take
So why be so blunt?
Diplomacy wins the day
Keeps you out in front

Praise the very best
Overlook the weak
Choose your words with extra care
Sometimes do not speak

Let him down lightly
Scoop up from behind
Massage that dented ego
Never mind the mind

View Article  Blog day 440: Reminded

It's been a hectic working day followed by a fun evening, supporting the local RNLI in their 'sausage and chips' supper at the Victoria and then retiring to the yacht club with the usual Friday night crew. Lots of laughs.

I've had a few and I'm reminded that, once upon a time, I wrote poetry - mostly - when three sheets to the wind.

Reminded

Sheets to the wind?
Minimum of three
Would easily unleash
The poet in me

With a head that thuds
And a heart that bleeds
A goblet free hand 
Is all my mind needs

I'm reminded now
Of so long ago
Having had a few
Enjoying the flow

Pouring out venom
And letting go grief
Confessions of love
Words were my relief

View Article  Blog day 439: White light, bright light

Life is hard enough, making ends meet when the world is in financial meltdown. So, why do some people make it even harder? Why are some hell bent on destruction of others, and of themselves? Beats me.

White light, bright light

Together, we are strong
Convinced we will win the day
But where are the children?
Are we sure they know the way?

Do they understand how
Our star twinkles in the sky?
Do they question our faith
And never cease asking ‘Why?’?

Not till rivers run dry
Or men can resist the call
Will the battle subside
For the meaning of it all

See the white light, bright light
It’s blindingly obvious
The truth is here and now
In the very midst of us

So lay down your weapons
Give up military might
Shake hands with your neighbour
Let’s be friends again tonight

View Article  Blog day 438: Life is but parchment

Long day, full of meetings with people and dancing and a massage and driving here and there.

As it draws to a close, these words come through:

Life is but parchment

Trust the pen
From which words flow
And in the darkness
While thought lies low
Courage, with clarity
Tells us what we know 
 
Life is but parchment
To be written on

View Article  Blog day 437: All right now

Today - well, the excitement of completing my tax return yesterday was a bit too much. Had to spend today calming down and doing chores.

There were moments though. Like, I watched an Internet video on my PC about how to bone a duck. Googled 'bone a duck' and was pleasantly surprised to find I had a choice of instructors. A few minutes observation, press pause, rush to kitchen, follow suit, back to PC, press resume ... That was midday. For tea/dinner/supper/6ish (depending on where in the world you are), we had slow-cooked duck leg. Tomorrow, it's stir fried duck breast.

Today's poem came from a MR FP prompt. And again - it's not about me. It's not even about someone who 'accidently' took the car keys to the yacht club, when I was due to drive the girls - the Perfumed Ladies even - to see a chick-lit film. More on that tomorrow!

All right now

I thought I had lost my mind
Misplaced it, just like my keys
Probably in the bread bin
A sure sign of Al’s disease

Ah, that’s where I put my teeth!
They’re hiding beside my plate
Dinner’s more fun when it’s chewed
Shame I can’t name what I ate

I do try to concentrate
I hang on to every word
Hearing’s going bit by bit
Everything’s sounding so blurred

The Nurse has tucked me up tight
She is one miserable cow
Time for me to sleep, she says
Left alone, I’m all right now

View Article  Blog day 436: Nothing

It's that time of the year! I have spent my day completing my tax return and, before long, will have to part with a large sum of money - I dare not think what the government will waste it on.

Today's poem is nothing - I repeat, nothing - to do with me. It was inspired by a conversation I overheard and is my take on life through the eyes of a depressive.

Nothing

Yesterday came and went
Today is fading fast
Who knows what tomorrow will bring
Or if it will be my last

There seems to be no reason
To struggle out of bed
I’m strangled by indecision
A nightmare spinning round my head

The doctor says it’s nothing
And nothing is what I feel
If only my life were a dream
And not so disappointingly real

View Article  Blog day 435: Senses overloaded

A tricky prompt if ever there was one?

Senses Overloaded

Senses overloaded
Reason imploded …

Listen to the silence
It’s my recompense

Touched with fingertip ease
Tracing my disease

Love licked wounds reappear
Tongues tied, tasting fear

With hope, replace despair
Breathe deep; displace air

View Article  Blog day 434: Right place, wrong time

Playing with words again ... inspired by a MR prompt.

Right place, wrong time

Hey! My clock just stopped!
The two hands, they froze
Now, how that could happen?
The Lord alone knows

So where is this place?
And why the locked gate?
Well, am I on time?
Or perhaps, too late?

The pearls, they’re sparkling
In the bright sunshine
But leave no shadows
On this life of mine

So what should I do?
Can’t wait around here!
Back to the grindstone
And come back next year?

View Article  Blog day 433: A long way

The water was off nearly all day today and I failed to shower before the deadline, so spent most of the day in my dressing gown. When the water did come back on it exploded out of the taps, showering me with muddy water. Not a happy bunny today.

But spent time on Messenger tonight with a friend - we've come a long way. (There was probably a short cut, but we missed it!)

A long way

Friends come and go
But some stick around
With you from the start
They never let you down

No need to meet up
Hardly speak at all
Just Christmas cards
And the odd phone call

But when the chips are down
When you need to wail
These friends are on hand
And will put up your bail

You've come a long way
Side by staggered side
Counting on each other
When your paths coincide

So thank the day you met
The hours you've put in
Creating that special bond
Of trust that lies within

View Article  Blog day 432: Just dreaming

I belong to a Flash Poetry group on MoreWriting. We have 15 minutes to write a poem based on a given prompt.

I chose the prompt 'Just dreaming' and this took three minutes to write. Maybe I should spend longer on it. What d'you think?

Just dreaming

I close my eyes
And think of you
Just dreaming
As I often do

I hold my breath
Then let it go
Just dreaming
That you can’t say no

I purse my lips
To form a kiss
Just dreaming
It could be like this

I wake at last
And you’re not there
Just dreaming
Of a love affair