Come to me oh Irish

1998

come to me oh Irish and do what you do well
i've hunger for your amber ways and with you i would dwell
i've many reasons good and bad with you to share some time
and you have never let me down but that's true of your kind

so come and make me what i'd be and let me pain forget
and we will up and down a spell - you'll be my best friend yet
i've never known the likes of you to fall below the mark
though emptiness between us both has drowned my vital spark

your heavy crystal friendship often finds me at my best
or worst maybe but that's just half and you provide the rest
i guess that's why i've loved your ways each time we've done our dance
there's nothing that looks quite as good as that which you enhance

so let us do our best to make an effort to forget
and drown our troubled souls with what with you i always get
and so it seems my life will be as well it might or stop
but you my friend will always be, upon my shealth, the top

Hope

1998

my flame i know burns pure and clean
and though i stand alone
i hope that i will find a dream
and not be left as stone

but where to look and why at all
is what i can not stand
for looking will defeat the goal
and love cannot be planned

it takes a while for me to trust
and open up my heart
for what i've had has turned to dust
and torn my heart apart

so love for me takes many years
and even then i quake
for always i've been left in tears
and all my life's at stake

and now again it seems i've lost
and lost far more than hope
for i had found my dream at last
so how then shall i cope?

The sad sad cries of children lost

1998

i heard our children calling
calling in my dream
beseeching me, emploring
demanding that they be

i heard their pain and anguish
i heard their strong demands
then i awoke drenched in their cries
and now i wring my hands

for they are of a future
but one that cannot be
a universe that almost was
made by you and me

and now i know the answer
the meaning of our pain
depression is like prophecy
we see our children slain

a brave new world was made by us
some time there in the past
with every detail it required
eternity to last

then we succumbed to other worlds
to other's lies and fears
and let our dream be shattered
but forgot our children's tears

so while we work to let it go
and lay our love to rest
the sad sad cries of children lost
will be our biggest test

Dinner Alone

1998

the gentle murmur of the voices
a sudden joyous laugh
and over here a rising enthusiasm swamps
for a time
before blending back
into the pleasant din of my kind
I close my eyes and listen for my own voice
amongst the sounds
but any could be mine or none
for i sit here alone

i gaze amidst the faces
the couples, young and old
close and distant
the occasional almost flirtatious contact with the eyes
of another
the smiles and the general gaiety lift me
and soon i'm drifting with the flow
for this is togetherness
as much as it might ever be
for i sit here alone

A lot to sing about

1998

my life has been an endless flow of problems poorly met
and people i have not allowed my heart to not forget
and here now as i see the end not far from where i sit
it comes to me i've let a lot go by and let life slip

So what i do from here on in as i work to the end
will have to be a better go and that's what i intend
i know that if i focus on the things that really count
my life will be a tapestry of actions all devout

for all must die and all we leave are signs that others see
that mark the way to where they might and where they might not be
and better markers left in place will light the path that's true
and i can not believe that there is better I could do

my gift with words i sought it not but so it seems to me
that i have now a purpose that is clear and right and free
of any failing that might make a focus for attack
and so i know that as i walk i needn't watch my back

i've turned the other cheek to those i've suffered from before
and now i find their love emerging even though they're poor
for riches in the heart are really what it's all about
and so my friends there is a path and i am but a scout

so brighten up and hold your head up high as you live on
for you are as a king or poet, filled with power and song
and once you have like me found out that life is really good
you too might seek to spread this news and so it is you should

so spread it wide and feel secure that love is all we need
to make the world a better place and conquer fear and greed
for fear and greed are just the signs that we are full of doubt
and once that doubt is gone there is a lot to sing about

Ho Hum

1998

today i pick myself up
and start again

a friend told me to look to the heavens and smile
and remember those other moments
for memories, unlike dreams, can not be shattered

so i gave up trying
to mend a shattered dream
and i let the broken pieces fall from my grasp

"it is better to have loved" said a poet
yes, i accept that it is

but dreams are the measure of us
and for some
dreams come but once or twice
in a lifetime

ho hum

Offering

1998

the sun in blazing fire torments the drying land
the mountains shrunk in glare seem far away
i wander without reason about a shadowy stand
for what is in my mind i can not say

a small and wispy shadow flits across my sight
but when i look i see there's nothing there
then all at once a vision that fills my eyes with light
has taken me and made me all aware

and in this vision splendid I see a little girl
her hair is dark and so too are her eyes
upon her hand a token - a shining silver pearl
that springs to life and rises to the sky

above me then it hovers and all about my feet
a soft and silver light begins to shine
the girl it seems has vanished into the noon-day heat
and i am all alone with light divine

then all at once a poem that springs into my mind
is there as if the words were cast in gold
and suddenly it's over the vision now behind
and all that's left is this the poem told


if you liked this you might also like "Soul Fire"

Jasmine

1998

"i wondered a while then i wandered away"
these are the words that Jasmine did say
and who is this girl whose words you are told?
well she's my friend and she's 2 years old

world of candles

1998


A long time ago there was a world of candles.

In this world there were big candles, little candles, candles with blue flames, candles with red flames and every sort of candle you could imagine.

And this world was full of happy candles for each candle knew itself and was fullfilled. If you had been there you would have heard them happily flickering their songs

"i'm blue, yippee, i'm blue"

or

"i'm red, yippee, i'm red"

and

"i'm big, yippee, i'm big"

there were even candles in love

"we're purple, yippee, we're purple"

and all of the candles were aware of their power for they knew that each and every one had the power to set the world aflame - if any candle ever spluttered out, any candle could happily and easily rekindle that candle. For that is the nature of fire - it does not limit itself to any one type of candle.

One day a darkness that was not night came to the world of candles and spoke to a happy yellow candle saying

"why are you not green - green candles are better - don't you wish that you were green too?"

and the happy little candle was suddenly sad and wanted to be a green candle

"i want to be green, i want to be green"

and soon the darkness had moved to many candles spreading its nastyness so that before long the world was filled with unhappy candles all wanting to be like other candles.

The unhappy candles even created Laws that stated that no candle was allowed to express itself differently to any other candle and that all candles were allowed to be equal to every other candle. So that it was legal for a green candle to be a yellow candle if that's what it wanted to be.

And the darkness now spoke to each of the unhappy candles telling each that to be a different candle it would have to give up being itself - for how could a candle be green if it was yellow?

so slowly, one by one the candles started to go out

now, amongst the candles who were still happy was one who burned with a bright white light and this candle was a wise candle for it had burned for many years and had seen many candles.

The darkness came to this candle and whispered

"are you not unhappy that you are not a big new candle?"

but the bright white candle was not going to listen to this for it knew that it was happy as it was and nothing was ever going to change that and that if it let itself be swayed by the darkness then one by one all the other candles would splutter out and then true darkness would decend upon the world

So it called upon itself to make an enourmous effort and gave a great flare that exposed the darkeness for what it was - and the darkness was gone. But so too was the candle for it had burnt up all that remained of itself to save the world.

and all the other candles that were still alight saw the sudden brilliant flare of the candle passing away and they saw too the darkness banished and they all cried with one voice

"you're white, you're white"

and one by one they realised that they were themselves again

"i'm blue, yippee"

"i'm red, yippee"

"i'm big, yippee"

and then the candles that were spluttered out were re-kindled and all the candles were happy for they knew that as long as there was one wise candle amongst them who was happy to give everything for the others that no darkness could ever conquer the world of candles

and they lived happily ever afterwards

Stupid

1998

stupid is as stupid does
and i'm the stupidist there was

when i go wish upon a star
i don't know where the dambed things are

i thought that i could count and add
but 1+1 means i'm a dad

i doubt i'll ever find a job
because i dress like such a slob

and though i think that i'm a hunk
the girls all run like i'm a skunk

playing poker is my game
win lose or draw it's all the same

money i can always get
just where i put it i forget

it's faith i lack - that's why i'm dumb
i guess i'll always be a bum

i make mistakes that cost the world
so in the end i'll lose the girl

True Freedom

1998

life is short and life is hard
and seldom is there hope
and rarely do we find in it
an easy way to cope

but life is good and life is long
if what you feel is love
for that is where the strength is found
that lets us climb above

so climb those stairs and free yourself
to life that's long and good
and when you're free you'll laugh and sing
to see the place you stood

and from your stronger vantage point
when you are looking back
you'll have the strength to offer aid
to those still on the track

and such is life for those who love
and love with all their heart
for love is what true freedom is
you've known that from the start

Cast in Wood

1998

i'm just your aid-de-camp my love
your shield and spear of wood
your famous poet visionary
cast by one who could

you've used the lowest basest things
to make your weapon strong
against the foes of tyranny
you've fought for oh so long

and why my soul you chose to use
seems obvious to me
for i am one who knows the truth
that you would need to see

and why it is that i can speak
as with the mouth of God
i guess that's between you and Him
but so - i am your rod

your rod of truth your words of power
your brightness and your fame
and all you had to cast me with
was your eternal flame