Beryl's life was full of broken dreams
Things never turned out as others' seemed
Yet her face was wreathed in smiles
None knew of her other wiles
Round the op shops she wandered each day
Bargaining for small treasures her way
A Dresden cup all forlorn
Her dresser would now adorn
The sweet sound of an old cuckoo clock
Had her cat Rufus running amok
While Beryl at a yard sale
Found a small porcelain whale
When she died, young niece Sue tidied up
Stunned at each trinket, saucer and cup
"Throw it all out" her mother said
Hid best ones under her bed
Image found at http://www.wisebread.com/tips-for-shopping-at-estate-sales
Now I have a morbid illness
Still I dream of so many things
Knowing I'll never leave this room
Laid here without friends is my doom
Each morning, daylight, she teases me
"Hello" the care staff cheerily say
"And how are you today" I frown
Danger, I joke "I'm off to town!"
They laugh, not seeing my sarcasm
Giving me my cartload of pills
Eight months now in this living hell
I'm in a trance, all is not well
Sleep has led me to happy days
Kissing my love on her sweet lips
Wife and kids playing on the beach
They're there but I just can't reach
Image found at http://akashbariholidays.net/family-having-fun-on-tropical-beach/
Early morning's sun saturates the plain
As the new day's birth is welcomed by all
Silky clouds not far away promise rain
I hear music of bird song in the air
And watch my sweet wife brush her golden hair
The scene hides the truth of the days intent
'Ere long peace is broken by thunder's clap
Clouds shadows fall, Sun's smile hides away
Birds quieten their song a rumble veils all
My wife clinks dishes and "Breakfast" she calls
I ponder the truth of creations strange plan
As a sharp flash of lightning fills the sky
She sits down at table, pours my coffee
Whilst out there in the rain are our two cars
Women are from Venus and men from Mars
Image found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyLkfC6R77c
You colour my life
Eyes green like grass in Spring
Lips red as roses in bloom
You are a treasure my wife
You sing songs of love
Your warm hand placed in mine
I love to feel your soft skin
In your glance how your eyes shine
Oh what joy was ours
When living together
As our pink babies arrived
Our hearts light as a feather
I'm dreaming of course
You died all those years past
Awake from my reverie
I now feel grey and downcast
Image found at https://www.tinystep.in
Damn you Keiran for getting me sloshed
Tho' I was nowhere as drunk as you
And got cursed when I got home so late
'Cos I had to take you to your wife
Totally plastered, that you were, mate
I say draft Guinness is no man's friend
At two pubs we were thrown out last night
First time I had fought with my bare fists
Glad I stuck to drinking my Pale Ale
My were you soused, away in the mists
Why do you Paddy's sing such songs
And want to punch everyone in sight?
What made it worse you craved pie and chips
Then got tomato sauce down your front
Laid on the pavement you saw an eclipse
What's sad was that when I got you home
Your wife Siobhan thought that you'd been stabbed
Screamed at me for getting you in this fix
So forget next time, my wife got quite mad
Says next week I take her to the flicks
Image found at http://www.thedrinkingclasses.com/guinness-draught-for-st-patricks-day/
Sweet girl that sugars all my needs
Appears now with bottle in hand
"Wine?" She asks. pouring me a glass
Burning a fond kiss on my heart
Whilst I'm writing in my man cave
Flowers have no hope when she's here
They nod their heads in humility
Petals droop jealous of her flair
Whilst my heart flares with ardent love
Hoping one day she will say "Yes"
Sadly I had not read the signs
For her look, her speech, passed me by
She whispered with a voice that burns
Severing bonds permanently
Then I wept showing my frailty
Image found at www.pinterest.com
I cringe in a heap
Like wild wolf in pain
Cornered and wounded
Snarling at shadows
I feel small and weak
You've blighted my life
Cajoled and hurt me
Since you left me alone
Called me unkind names
Hurt by any means
Such was your practice
Of one close...now far
Oh how I loved you
You've gone forever
Except in my mind
O how I loved you
But not any more
Image found at http://www.newbestflowers.com/2016/10/breakup-wallpaper.html
I knew it was over
My sad scream told me so
As I listened at night
The train took her away
It's not that we argued
We parted, it made sense
She hated the country
It was her that was fenced
The sweet silence of night
With kiss of the bright moon
And with thousands of stars
Paled in her mind too soon
She missed the mad night life
The bars, clothes shops and shows
T'was beauty and the beast
What strange romance was ours
"It's just a break she said
An owl hooted goodbye
I hoped it was not true
There were tears in my eyes
I lay abed dreaming
But was screaming with pain
I was counting my loss
Hoping, hoping in vain
Image found at http://urbanlegendsonline.com
I drew the curtains
Weather was miserable
A sombre grey day
Sad clouds rushed above
Obedient to the wind
Raspy thunder coughed
Then the lightning struck
The clouds wet themselves with fear
And I laughed out loud
So I went outside
Standing there unprotected
Kissed now by the rain
At first on my face
Then my hair and down my neck
Whay joy the feeling
Image found at http://belmonthouse.org
The stars wink out as night's silence is broken
Early birds start welcoming dawns gift of day
My brain charges me to get up like a child
Whose only options are to eat, sleep or play
So I do, out of the blue, jump out of bed
Skip shower, don jeans and sneakers "Hello Day"
It's a bit drafty out here, don't care, I'm wired
I'm off, I'm happy, don't care what you all say!
I"m on the walking trail, not many about
Just a twitter and hoot, but look there's a Jay
Tinkle of water means a stream is nearby
I stray from the path, take care, don't lose your way
The water's so clear and the bottom is sand
I sit on the bank, fish fry darting in play
And all manner of things, and weeds wave to me
Squeak behind as grey squrrel says "Go away"
But the clouds have come up; pity, just my luck
It looks stormy up there and now it's quite gray
That has marred my wonderful adventure out
Feeling guilty; as what will the nursing home say?
Image found at https://www.videoblocks.com/video/old-man-sitting-on-a-bench-180224_41wga
It did no good of course
Drawing the black curtain
To exclude the night
Was some comfort in war
As under the table
We crept all wrapped up tight
For kids it was fun
Parents were anxious, scared
So the bombs they still fell
But drawing the curtain
Flashes were not seen
We heard not Mum's scared keen
The planes rumbled above
As wrapped up in her love
We slept peacefully
Innocent, unaware
We woke up in our beds
T'was like every day
I went off to school
Through smoke, rubble and fire
A few missing from class
But lessons are the same
Gas mask by our sides
Was some comfort in war
Image found at http://www.oldpolicecellsmuseum.org.uk
Keen -Wailing sound or cry of sadness or fear
Note: I lived a few miles from London during WW2. It was an exciting time for a boys, not so good for parents.
Cash came in our hands
When I was seven years old
A few pence in wartime
My brother and I
Went to Saturday movies
And sat near the front
We'd holler and scream
At the Cowboys and Indians
And all the cartoons
What little we had left
Spent of lemonade powder
Licked out of our hands
Looking back today
Very little pleased a lot
I didn't feel poor
We'd go to the park
With river running through it
Wading in water
We would climb trees
Pretend we were who we weren't
All life was a game
We'd play in the woods
Pretend we were Robin Hood
And fish for tadpoles
Dad was paid Friday
In time for Saturday flicks
Didn't know we were poor
Image found at https://www.sunlife.co.uk/blogs-and-features/a-look-back-at-the-saturday-morning-pictures
I am so fed up
Wish the rest of the world's population was
...with food in their bellies
My heart's filled with grief
Much like the oceans are filled with rubbish
...killing the wildlife there
I smoke with anger
Seeing the atmosphere polluted with filth
...I huff and puff in vain
I watch the children
Accepting that all this is normal
...recalling wars I survived
No-one realizes
That we are fighting a war again now
...for our kids survival
Image found at https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics
There's a scar upon my heart
A small ache that never leaves
Since you and I are now apart
You're no longer in my arms
There's pain in my sorry soul
My life is not filled with your charms
I feel like a snarling beast
Frustrated you're not close by
And search for you both west and east
I need you sat by our hearth
Then I will feel warm again
And hear you singing in the bath
I haul the logs, saw them up
Sharp is my axe as is my mind
Yet I weep in our loving cup
My mind does see you each day
You're there in clouds and the stars
Just who will take this pain away?
I loved you bar none my love
And touch your clothes in the trunk
I'm sure we'll meet again above
Image found at https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/honest-woodsman-pullover
I should have known that with her eyes
She'd have blue buttons on her clothes
And a pretty turned up nose
And with that flick of her hair
She was the one that I chose
Was surprised her father looked stern
Glaring eye, with shirt and tie
Appraising me with his eye
With my knowledge of few years
Trying to squash his fears
I noticed not his twinkling eye
For then he grinned 'twas all a joke
In my ribs gave me a poke
Fun always his little tease
Girl to wed, he was pleased
Even winked at me in church
As her soft hand I took in mine
And joked in a wedding speech
All about the day I asked
My face a fearful mask
Then finding on our honeymoon
Her clothes in closet touching mine
My head in bed, on her breast
Sure we'd both made the right choice
Side by side, we rejoiced
Image found at https://www.thespruce.com
Crepuscule
Heinrich Kuhn (1897)
I remember Tommy White
Tussled hair and not too bright
Stayed out late one autumn night
Lost his way the little shite
Fell into a ditch the fool
Landed face down in the pool
Typical of him the tool
Won't see him again at school
Used to sit right next to me
Now I've got a girl named Bea
Whose eyes are a joy to see
Tommy's just a memory
She lives near the aerodrome
We hold hands as we walk home
Prefer it there and don't roam
While inside her hair I comb
Tommy White I do not miss
I don't even reminisce
For now I have Bea to kiss
And you could say life is bliss
Image found at http://parpools.typepad.com/notes/2013/06/love-one-another-hand-in-hand.html
