Sweet breezes

The air was still, warm was the sun                     

And sweat in our eyes was no fun                                  

This work now started was quite hard

Picking apples in the orchard

We were gathering the harvest                

But we needed a spot of rest                                

Soon a lunchtime break was called

So our toil was finally stalled                                

We all scattered to find some shade                   

Down to the grove of trees we made                   

A cool stream trickled in that spot                        

Sat down, the days work we forgot                      

We gazed out on the sylvan scene                     

Able to rest from that routine                                 

We ate our fill then cuddled in                             

I bent over and kissed her skin                

What splendor was my view that day                  

Sweet breezes blew her hair astray            

Our joy was sadly brought to nought                  

A rattling bell our labor sought                             

This secular peal was not the tune                     

A real church bell would wed us soon               

But money first we had to gain                          

Before our marriage that was plain                     

Image from www.funny-pictures.picphotos.net

She is my delight

She is my delight

When I see her sleeping there

The moonbeams kiss her

My girl of nature

Soft thunder of her beating heart

As the sun rises

Her scent drifts my way

The soft touch of her sweet breath

Inflaming my soul

I embrace her love

The rolling hills of her breasts

Always beckon me

Our stormy passion

A walk in the wild weather

Lightning in her hair

My eyes open wide

The rain falling on her cheeks

Telling a story

She murmurs some words

Wakes and wraps me in her arms

She is my delight

Image from www.thankfulday.com

Just more of the same

Young Ann was hopeful

She was shy but she still grinned

So her mom was pleased

Tanya just shrugged

Tolerant of him for now

She couldn’t care less

Donna shook her head

Mom had brought home a boyfriend

Nothing but distrust

For she remembered

All the rows and the screaming 

Just more of the same

Image from www.gettyimages.com

My girl Jill

They shook their heads as oft they did                  

My parents knew of my desire                                

To travel far from my place of birth             

To live my life for all I was worth                              

We were country folk of southern hills                     

Where hard farming was our sole graft      

But all my mates did laugh and scoff                     

As I was one who sought a life far off                        

Despite this as soon as I was able

I said good bye to my parents sad

And stole a kiss from my girl Jill

This need for adventure for to fill

So off I went one fine morning

Left my home of many a year

I trekked over the hills to the sea    

Where my life could be lived so free          

I was but a stranger on that shore

And found life hard to fill my needs

I toiled on a job to pay my way 

But so empty was my night and day

I drank too much, that’s for sure

My workmates speech was hard to read

And they laughed at my country ways

Taunting me ‘til I was ablaze

Waking in the gutter one morn

Of this life I knew I’d see enough

Adventure now had lost its thrill 

I must go back to my girlfriend Jill

So I packed my bags and off I went
To make that uphill journey back
My heart now knew my love was home
No more from my cute Jill would roam

Image from www.slodive.com

The sad song

I hear a sad song

“Where is the one that I love?”

The lonely bird calls

The trees whisper back

“Do come again in springtime”

Speak they to me too?

I see her soft eyes

And her limbs so lithe and brown

And sweet lips to kiss

“Will she dance for me?”

The trees only shook their heads

And dropped some sad leaves

The wind she moaned too

And blew cold on my poor heart

The message was clear

Just how many lives

Do we each expect to live?

Tears are my answer

Image from www.shutterstock.com

I can live again

I look at her dance                                                  

Pirouettes of such longing                                    

Memorable moments                                              

Children’s loving hands                                        

Lonely tear spills from my eyes                            

Pride and loneliness                                              

Such stain on my heart                                         

Heart’s sad flutter of regret                        

Cloudy with sorrow                                                 

Fateful decision                                                      

My miserable loneliness                                        

Sad neglected life                                                     

Firm and resolute                                                    

Loving times not forgotten 

I can live again 

Image from: www.dance-for-kids.com

I am not Harry Potter

I find life is hard

Being only a muggle

Can’t conjure shortcuts

I have found that age

Makes everything a struggle

Magic wand would help

Autumn of my life

I have to battle ailments

Not mythical beasts

Yes, I dream a lot

Looking for that magic cure

To keep me going

Image from www.stephana-tserk.deviantart.com

Is it tonight?

We were just first wed

Moved in our very own home

Free as little birds

Some friends lived not far

In a small rented cottage

with dunny outside

Their rooms were damp and

Outhouse had a toxic smell

Much like fiery hell

Often we played cards

But when at their house it was

Best to shun that loo

For night soil men came

Notorious in those days

For their sloppy work

And “is it tonight?”

Always our plaintive plea when

Nature made her call

Dunny - Australian term for outhouse toilet

Image found at www.missourifolkloressociety.truman.edu

The beauty of life

The beauty of life

Of a hidden observer

That is what I am

It started when young

For I watched rather than did

Rather than join in

Shy to the extreme

How could I talk to the girls

Who just laughed at me?

It did me no harm

So I was the quiet one

Man of mystery

Must have a secret

So I must be interesting

That is what they thought

So I saw the stars

And the wind sway the tall trees

With chicks in the nest

I saw hidden tears

Both angry and loving eyes

And soft graceful hands

My life was so full

I tried to paint what I saw

But no, words were best

I’m now old and grey

Sitting, sipping my coffee

Writing about you

Image from www.flickrchivemind.net

Ma Petite Joelle

How I loved ma petite Joelle 

She so mesmerized my soul

Our affair was more than love

So much more than that toasty 

Warm, safe feeling of belonging

Of such utmost togetherness

Oh, how easy to yield to her

Like skipping through a fresh field 

Of those bright Gallic buttercups

Happy for us to mix with them

I savored her like a taster

Tending to subtly sip champagne

Those gentle secret kisses

Aware of a divine promise

Hints of a sexual encounter

How we lingered over each touch

Our palates urged us on for more

But keep it a secret? Mais non!


Image from www.dailymail.co.uk

This gypsy girl of mine

I noticed her in the market place                                      

Sat at the curb, stick in hand                                           

She saw me stare her in the face                                    

Was she from a foreign land?                                          

This gypsy girl of mine                                                       

Green eyes, dark hair, an impish grin                                

Scarce a word she spoke to this boy                               

We lived apart for it was a sin                                           

To talk and play with diddicoy                  

This gypsy girl of mine                                                       

Foolish as I have always been                                         

I went over and sat by her side                                         

To watch the cattle weighed and penned                    

To be sold at auction by and by                                       

This gypsy girl of mine                                                       

When bored with this she took my hand                                    

To the nearby park walked unseen                             

Sat on the swings and how she laughed                      

As I looked into her eyes of green          

This gypsy girl of mine                                                       

Then when she glanced up at the sun                          

I knew my time with her was done                      

I touched her fingers, oh so brown                                               

She put them on my cheek, then was gone                   

This gypsy girl of mine                                                       

I'm such a foolish old man now                                        

But still I think of days gone by

A yearning remains, it will not go

For that sweet childish love I pine

That gypsy girl of mine      

Image from www.cezarina.blogspot.com                                  

Diddicoy - from the Romani - didikai for gypsy    

Except that candle

When I was a child

Oh, so very small

The nights were very dark indeed

We were urban poor

In the midst of war

There was no other life known to me

So food was short

and so was I

And blackout rules made night a misery

When bedtime came

Those stairs I climbed

To sleep safe with my little teddy

To allay my fears

A light was left

So goblins would not frighten me

My closing eyes

Saw little then

Except that candle flickering away

Image from www.countrysidegoods .com

Lost Love

It looked stormy out

but no worse than the thunder

so deep in my heart

“It’s over” she said

The words not unexpected

were still malignant

I thought we had trust

A crucial part of our affair

Clearly I was wrong

Could I recover

from the gnawing yearning pain

of this long lost love?

Image from www.izismile.com

Swimming against the tide

I have always been

One who swims against the tide

Who listens to the other side

Just who these days

Thinks they know all there is to know?

For there’s much more room to grow

In these dark days of ours

I may not be all that bright

But I am searching for the light

So you will not see me

Idly drifting down the stream

My way is to follow every dream 

Image from. www.channelswimwithsarahd.com

The Foolishness of War

I walked in this park

Nay, t’was a cemetery

And I was alone

But for the others

Who lay there so peacefully

That is what I thought

So then I sat down

My mind wandered, drifted off

In contemplation

I heard someone say

“Just why are you here young man?”

I struggled from sleep

Before I answered

Others began to cry out

Yes, I heard them all

Talk about bedlam

For each grave had opened up

They clamored to speak

Then the question came

“What measure of man are you

To kill your own kind?”

One by one they spoke

“But their skins were not as mine”

“So the pit for you”

What is your excuse?

“They prayed to other gods”

“Fool, I still heard them”

So then the next

“They spoke a foreign language”

“To hell you must go”

And there were more

“Our leaders told us we must”

“And did you not cheer?”

“I was soldier

It was my duty to fight”

“But you killed children”

On and on they spoke

And for each was an answer

I had to protest

“Stop” I then called out

“These men have all been punished

their families too”

“Silly little man

I was not speaking to them

No, I spoke to you”

Image from www.straartkaart.nl

This girl I know

This girl I know

she has no past

now just how long can that last?     

I love her hair

I love her eyes

and I weep too when she cries                   

We touch fingers

and we touch toes

I like to kiss her turned up nose      

And just for her

I want to be

just that one special memory                      

This girl I know

is very strong

so she'd just laugh at this song           

Image from www.madamenoire.com

Sleepless Night

Just where am I at?

My mind is in a fervour

Sleep’s abandoned me

The hoot of the owl

Reluctant crocus in spring

The unending night

So I look for signs

Ten suicidal lemmings 

Sanity's crossroads

Thorns in my poor heart

Late roses shy in autumn

Threading the needle

Brain mushy as mud

Birds are all of a twitter

Oh no! not sunshine

I get out of bed

Or did it just eject me

To start a new day

Image from www.de.best-wallpaper.net

Dating a soprano

What a magic world

“Tripping hither and thither”

She had eyes for me

I was enchanted

The girl I had dated sang

In Iolanthe 

I adored her so

Sadly there was a problem

Yes, another beau

But as they do say

“Faint heart ne’er won fair lady”

I had work to do

We walked in the park

“On a tree by a river “

A blue tit sang

How could I not hum

“Take a pair of sparkling eyes”

When I was with her

She whispered to me

"I have a song to sing, O"

For we were in love

Gilbert and Sullivan operettas referred to:

"Tripping hither, Tripping thither" is from "Iolanthe"
"Faint heart never won fair lady" is from "Iolanthe"
"On a tree by a river" is from "The Mikado"
"Take a pair of sparkling eyes" is from "The Gondoliers"
"I have a song to sing, O" is from "Yeoman of the guard"

Image found at www.gardensafari.net

The girl with the gossamer wings

What a gift you were

When I met you last Christmas

What magic it was

We both flew so high

Girl with the gossamer wings                                                                              

Such heavenly bliss

Such love does not last

Now I’ve plummeted to earth

Taking the big fall

Your words not unkind

Did not point to the future

Devastated me

What was my fault?

My feet always on the ground

Now love lies buried

Image from www.vasi-design.deviantart.com

Bonfires of sadness

                                                 Image from www.weddingphotos.video.co.uk

Such childhood allure

They were a part of our lives

When I was so young

My dad raking leaves

Us boys playing in the heaps

Mum at the window

That sweet smell of fire

The scent as it clung to us

Staring at embers

We thought that we helped

As eyes smarting in the smoke

Laughing ran away

Later we poked the ashes

Why did I feel such sadness

That game was over

Was a lesson learned

That all of life is consumed

Then gone forever?

Whisper who dares

Just whisper who dares

no one shall steal you from me

you are so precious

Take hold of my hand

come enter this magic land

close your eyes and breathe

Just what do you feel?

tread on the carpet of soft

scented pine needles

Listen to the call

serenading our coming

by love’s nightingale

I’m made bold by the

babble of encouragement

of the woodland stream

When all’s said and done

there’s no better place than this

to dance with my love

You are in my arms

you have hypnotized me

my woodland goddess

Image from www.motherhendiaries.com