To praise you in sun, cloud or storm
Yet there is this battle. A battle I find so hard to win.
Why when your Spirit abides within me
Am I still buffeted by circumstances without?
Why when even death is no enemy I fear,
Do I let life’s conflicts suppress the beauty within?
A roly-poly baby toy, weighted at the bottom
To ensure it’s upright before the next knock should fall.
Strange but true this vision I see;
It is a comfort, an answer indeed. God is so good to me.
I shall now accept being buffeted around
For I know God will stand me back up,
He’ll not let me stay down.
He is my Rock, my foundation,
My life’s solid ground.
What price a smile
A penny a dozen I saw them come and go;
Some even touched me and for a moment they’d glow.
To return one was something I’d never known,
So there on the surface they stayed
To fade like untended coals.
In all of this my face grew sadder
As the price of a smile went higher and higher.
A treasure I was given, for it I did not pay.
A smile warm and tender pierced me like a golden ray.
It set my long-dead heart on fire, I could not hide its flame.
Its glow was mine to keep,
Revealed, returned in a smile like that one he gave.
With each day since, my heart’s grown gladder
As God’s gift of a smile shines brighter and brighter.
5Flutters of the heart
Wretched
A sea bird -
Alone on land;
A silent dirge
Dripping oil on sand.
A letter -
Thoughts poured in ink.
A storm filled gutter
And repudiation’s succinct.
Blood red rose -
The lover’s flame;
On thorns beneath the glow,
Impaled are those it’s maimed.
No song to sing
Despite dedicated effort
And all we can offer as protection,
We’ve all endured it - the record somehow broken.
Usually the prize specimen in a growing collection;
It plays beautifully then...
How could this tragedy have happened?
You dust it and hope it does the trick...
No. It’s scratched.
You clean it and hope it’s not too deep...
But no, it gets stuck every revolution.
You adjust the weights... try all manner of things…
No. The rut is too deep. This song will sing no more.
You slump back. It meant so much.
Joy. Delight. It’s now out on compact disc.
Alas, the story rings the same:
Modern becomes defunct.
All things man-made end in similar fate.
I turn the ring that sits loose on my finger;
Circular, its shape has no song I can sing.
When God wrote that first duet
His song was a harmony,
Where trust was every note.
I thought I heard it sung once.
Now there is only silence.
How brightly she sparkles
A fairy in a bottle
She is to those who keep her in.
Within the glass through which they goggle
There is no room to spread her wings.
How brightly she sparkles -
From her tears. Can’t you hear the song she sings?
Of the moonlight. Of her garden.
Of her prayer to spread her wings.
Childlike still
A stage
And a man with skill;
An audience
So childlike still.
The trick
It brought them such joy;
Mystically
Their hope was his toy.
Spellbound
I too fall for a man;
Likewise
I don’t understand.
This time
There’s no cloak, no wand;
This time
The power is his own.
On air
Spiralling, spiralling;
Autumn dancers take to the sky.
Silently, silently
They’re whisked, turned, catching the light;
Blindly a last pirouette lifts them from sight.
Finally we lower our eyes;
The performance goes on but not for our eyes.
Spiralling
Hope soars as he takes my hand.
Silently
He leads me to the beat of the band;
Blindly I forsake all to follow the man.
Finally a kiss closes our eyes -
The encore is continued with each step of our life.
Heart’s desire
A house. What images spring to mind?
Should I be asked to name my style,
What kind of building would I choose?
I love the cottage, with garden and thatched roof;
That unique blend of stone and straw,
Where herbs and flowers are together strewn.
So cosy. Inviting. It’s just the place for two.
But I’d love a Tudor manor too,
With rolling lawns,
Complete with a labyrinth to stroll through.
Where soft and stark unite in tune
To stand defiantly to all
A timeless view.
A marriage brings similar thoughts to mind.
Should I hope it to last for life
What hopes, feelings should I make known to you?
I love romantic things like ambling in full moon.
Intimate moments of touch and thought
Where all hurts fade because of you.
So naturally, I’d want only to be with you.
But I’d love a man who could flaunt me too
With never a thought
That one could tilt his roost;
Where smiles and pride combine like glue
To boast triumphantly this call:
A couple true.
An ideal some would say I’ve described;
Indeed, is this not what each heart desires?
To share with another a life of “I love you.”
The sculpture in the garden
The ultimate in sheer perfection,
It rightfully holds centre stage.
A masterpiece of creation…
I am held in transfixed gaze
By the beauty of this form displayed.
As the sunlight filters softly down,
It highlights each curve and line
Leaving them shadowed on the ground;
I behold a second time
The symmetry that first caught my eye.
This exquisite piece in fine design was crafted
By the Master’s hands.
I can’t believe the honour that is mine,
As I behold the splendour of my man.
Waves
Fleeting moments of harmless emotions
Rush in, then away like waves as we play.
Ripples and tingles as sun, sand and surf mingle.
We’re partnered then dragged away;
Thus ebbed we wave to meet another day.
Whispers of your name
My Love, do you feel the sunshine
All soft, warm and light?
It’s my thoughts of you so tender
Wishing you were here.
Do you feel that gentle breeze
Playing idly with your hair?
It’s my prayer for you my lover,
Calling you again.
Each time you f
eel an inkling
To turn, to glance around;
It’s my heart in its longing,
Whispering your name.
Waiting on the moon
A sailor I knew you to be
And yes, I wondered if there was truth in the thought
That you,
That you could have a girl in every port.
But I felt the ocean come with you
When you swept me off my feet;
And I felt my heart run dry when you sailed the next tide.
I’ve scanned the horizon and prayed each ship be you.
I’ve manned the lighthouse when storms have brewed.
I’ve even believed mermaids have lured you,
And succumbed to fears that
This time,
This time you’ll not surface again.
Fathomless is my ocean, a sea of regret.
Overwhelming are the rips - memories that drag me out deep.
Too well I recall my answer of “No.”
To your invitation: “Lady, come sail away.”
Sailor on the ocean, have you forgiven me yet?
Have you tired of exotic ports?
Let the tide heal our regret;
This time I’ll not turn you away.
Missing you
Where, Beloved, is your head tonight?
Is your body restless?
Does it roam its lonely home?
Do you dream of sweet embraces?
Are you grieved when morning comes?
How long, Beloved, will life hold tight the reins?
How long till I see you once again?
Such a duet
Such a duet
There has not been seen
Since love was immortalised
As Romeo and Juliet.
Tell me my lover,
Whisper again
That song of eternity you sing
And I’ll not ask ought of you
But the love that you bring.
Come my lover,
The wind in my sails
Through a thousand dreams;
May freedom be the carriage
That brings you ever to me.
Stay my lover,
My love, my life,
My hero, my steed, my lover indeed,
Such a duet there has not been seen;
Such a duet is our secret yet.
Encore for my heart
When I feel the sun on a winter’s day
Gently cloaked around me,
I don’t applaud - I soak in it.
When I watch you my Love, every day is a stage.
Each move, each word you speak
Is an encore for my heart.
The lady and her knight
You can be my hero anytime; I’ll receive you with delight.
You can paint my name across the sky with banners,
Jets or laser lights. I promise I won’t run and hide,
Or say: “O my God! I think I’ll die.” You can be
My hero anytime; I’ll be the lady you’ve hoped to find.
You can be my hero anytime; I’ll not mind what mount
You ride. You can come on a silver motorbike with helmet,
Gloves and boots my size. I promise I won’t decline in fright
Or say: “No I can’t. It’s not lady like.” You can be
My hero anytime. I’ll be the lady kept by your side.
You can be my hero anytime; I’ll be faithful all my life.
You can ask me out anytime you like with tickets, flowers
Or plain desire. I promise I won’t hurt your pride,
Or say: “I’ve made other plans tonight.” You can be
My hero anytime; I am your lady and your love I prize.
.
6Love’s touch
The depth of heart
Our heartfelt pleas are both bound and read
In the words of whispered prayer,
While each precious tear in silence shed
Weighs full on the scales of care.
The anguished grasp of an empty hand
Cries loud that its pain be shared;
And begs for light in life’s shadowed plans
To comfort this soul lain bare.
With our inner screams cast heavenward
We do fall on bended knees,
Then in pain we lie where once we stood,
Alone with our tortured pleas.
In tears I fall on a shoulder strong
And my grief is buried here.
I’m healed in a glow that alone belongs
To the strength of a heart that cares.
Thin ice
What is sugar but something we all crave?
Why want sugar when it simply melts away?
What is this substance we all measure by the grain?
What is love then but something we desire?
Why want love, when we end up in its fire?
What is this notion that has us dancing on thin ice?
Just the perfect remedy for the agonies of life.
Pilgrimage of promise
Love beheld
Can captivate the longing soul,
Filling it with untold expectation.
A glow that warms from within
Melting even the heart once frozen;
Exposing it to boundaries unknown
While guarding it with sweet protection.
Love expressed
Is essentially both perfect and pure
While being undeniably passionate.
The effect of which is so tender
Yet is a force unmatched.
So beautiful it should be displayed;
So precious it must be protected.
Love fulfilled
Is the journey from hope to joy -
A pilgrimage of promise.
Anticipation begins the story;
Trust unites word and deed.
Nothing can touch it or see it destroyed.
It is the ultimate - perfect unity.
Unspeakable joy
Some folk think I’m crazy -
I’m always drifting off somewhere.
A heavenly touch embraces me
And I have to close my eyes;
Other times I cannot help but smile.
Perhaps they think I’m daydreaming;
It could be they don’t even care.
I don’t mind where I am or worry who might see -
Unspeakable joy is what I’m feeling;
Unspeakable joy is welling up in me.
Magic moments
To feel your eyes rest on me
Is a sign you’d have me read.
To feel your touch upon me
Is a key that sets me free.
To know that you want me
Is a wound that’s finally healed.
To have you just a moment with me
Seals what’s been and what will be.
A jonquil and five pennies
At his request I close my eyes
And hold out my hands like many times before.
Puzzled, I examine my gift
Wondering what it can possibly mean.
Not roses, jewels or some trinket sentimental
But a jonquil and five pennies wrapped only in his thoughts.
Convicted, I understand the reason
For this flower he’s bravely given me.
In the jonquil, in his eyes, I see all the moments lost,
Forgotten or long destroyed.
But five pennies?
“One more makes a sixpence,” he says, “That’s a silver coin.”
“The addition of a little to make something special.” I think out loud.
“But I don’t have any pennies.” I conclude.
With a touch sincere he softly whispers:
“I’ll accept a kiss in lieu.”
With aching hearts and tear filled eyes, we embrace,
And kiss through trembling lips.
Of all the times we’ve had or yet hope there will be,
This moment is one to treasure.
Seared then sealed, our love will burn forever.
Something lasting is this which binds us together.
Something special is this bond we share.
For love
Why does giving hurt so much?
Sometimes I believe things were better
In those days when I gave nothing,
Felt nothing and never gave thought to
Why nothing came my way.
Since Cupid’s arrow struck me down
I haven’t been the same.
Now, there’s no holding back;
The gift once given is given for life -
A gift only given when hearts unite.
To make you happy
‘Chosen to make you happy.’
Not words found on a charm engraved,
Not words entrusted to the strength of a chain,
No, not words you’ll hear me lightly say.
No not merely words,
But love expressed in so many ways: