The rain in Spain They say Falls mostly on the plains
The pain inside spilled onto the page Not staying contained Like the rain, On the plains in Spain Word after word As if it had it’s own life The pain at times was quite rife Not joyful and great Like I’d like things to be But there was a gift I’m starting to see
I don’t know how I started this flood Giving in, not fighting back To the point of drawing blood
It’s not at all what I planned it to be But tell me what is I’m curious to know And so… and so In the spirit of sharing I’ll tell you that What if sometimes you just fall flat
Flat on your face Regardless of plans Regardless of space Regardless of people Praying to whatever steeple Regardless of plans
What if sometimes it just is Painful. Hard. All a bit poo And really nothing you can do. To fight, claw back or choose to be Sit there, being, under a tree Tears falling No way of knowing When it ends.
Allowing. Being. Living Fully feeling all ways of life Not clinging to the old Of how you think it should be, Of what you were told Allowing what is to be true Even if you feel so blue Allowing feelings to pass To observe, to endure And some to enjoy
Being curious with every element of this human race A race to where? The end of some place? No race, no test Just to be Allowing, deeply feeling, Using insight to see What is What is true Different for me Something else for you
So individual, this whole experience But sharing together changes things Makes you realise you’re not alone Different from some, same as others For me, I shared mostly with mothers
Because they’ve been there They don’t stare They talk and they chat And quite often don’t bat An eyelid at the confessions With all, all the transgressions
I’m feeling the need to bring to a close This latest poem, so all be told, If you’re out there and hurting Please talk, reach out and talk For if nothing else, alone we don’t walk And, as I’ve said before, the old is not working
The new, the together, the sense Of community, that’s what I meant That’s what we need Whether it be small or big Someone to sit, and be, and say Tomorrow, my friend, it’s a whole new day. But, importantly, it’s OK not to be OK.
It may not yet be different truth be told, But there’s tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow So, sit with me, and please be bold For as a wise man, way wiser than me, Said of a bear who lived in a tree: You’re braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem and smarter than you think” You never know until you try And whilst it’s hard not to shy Away from it all, it’s good to remember…
Being brave, when it is tough, It’s sometimes, so often, more than enough.
Upside down and inside out
It seems the world has gone mad Good, ugly and bad All mixed together in a bag Of upside down and inside out It’s hard to know which has the biggest clout
“You should, why aren’t you It’s for my granny, not for you Now your children, how dare you Be so selfish as to question The science?
The science is settled you know.” But how, how can it be so?
When has the science really ever Been done, finished, all tied up neatly I’ll tell you when, that’s never.
Never settled, always more To find, to discover, to explore
Go, do what you feel is right But no, not ever, not tonight Don’t tell me what to think, Not to question, not to dare Do not try to scare Me with your ‘news’ sponsored by Bill Seriously, so many are ill From taking this pill From a cure to fix all
All will not fix Not today, not tomorrow Not from a vial, sadly, to my sorrow
Perhaps if we look inwards whilst we are all bleeding Somehow we can know the feeling That we need to find That we need to source, Perhaps, simply, to play more sports
To move more, to sit less Enough with the chips Pass on the dip, crack on and eat cress I’m only joking, I needed a rhyme Just one last more, one more time
But seriously, health doesn’t come in a vial If we think it does perhaps we’re in denial? Take it if wanted, but don’t let that be For there is more, if we want to see How to be vibrant, loving and giving How to move forwards, with health and joyful living
Go find your guru It’s probably inside you Do what you need Connect to nature For she’ll show you things You’d never believe in a million years So, now, are you all ears?
So much to find So much to endure Health isn’t a waistline A walk, or a bore It’s an eternal quest To look after ourselves the best And really, I do believe You know the drill I think I can leave The lecture And instead it’ll be better To go out there - go get her Find for yourself
Health, it’s there, It’s yours for the taking Go get it, seize with both hands The best you can be Get into the sea Swim, dive, move, run Whatever you do, Let it be fun
Because that’s how to fix it That’s how to make it stick Then learn to endure The boredom a routine May just secure
But get through the boredom And honestly though Things change and incredibly so Perhaps the world doesn’t need to be mad If we focus, allow, it’s not all bad We can create change, Take back our power And, my friends, Now is the hour.
Chips … by the sea
Chips by the sea Feet in the sand Cursor blinking Brain thinking
Sandy sandpapered feet Tired and a bit weary Eyes, feeling it’s late and a little bleary But what a good time To be in the sun Eat chips by the sea Having a day of fun
Kids jumping waves Watching how Brits behave When by the sea All feeling free
Is there anything better Than to sit in the sand In the sun Eating chips by the sea Having a day of fun?
Holiday
Just because you’re on holiday Doesn’t make it all go away Sometimes you wake feeling all flat And it doesn’t mean that You must ignore what you feel What’s that kind of deal?
But sit and share Without shame, without blame Doesn’t have to be Happy, happy, happy Everyday And ignoring it doesn’t make it right So listen in, it’ll be alright ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’ So the saying goes The feeling somehow erodes A little more with sharing Having someone else caring
A compassionate ear A good shoulder On which to cry To talk it over And when you’re all spent, ranting done, tears out Somehow it makes more sense
Sharing is caring some say And whilst it doesn’t make it go away It’s good to talk So many have said My Pookybuttonhead
Ah that was just to make a rhyme But I like the word Even though it seems absurd Sometimes that’s what we need It’s easy to get sucked into the gloom It’s tough out there And not everyone cares But there are many, many Who want to help make it better
And I hear you, sometimes it’s best just to feel And I agree You can’t sweep it up, under the carpet As if never there, just to discard it But too, if we look to the joys They will abound, we’ll see more And enjoy The love and the promise Of brighter times So yes, it doesn’t go away But changes perspective Gives a different kind of day.
Everyone was young. Once
When you don’t know what you’re going to get It’s good to smile, judge kindly and not forget That everyone was young. Once. Even the buildings With the paint peeling Imagine how they might be feeling Cracked, weary, worn, Posters and artwork torn Perhaps a tuck here, a touch up there Could save them from feeling quite so bare
But that said, the ageing grandeur There’s nothing quite like it… There’s nothing quite like The delight of a seaside hike To a forgotten town Famous in the 18th century But abandoned in favour Of somewhere shiny to savour In Greece, Spain or Turkey
These towns have forgotten charms Like so many of us They could completely disarm But we don’t allow it We rush right through Not seeing beyond, Taking time here is long overdue.
Feeling the sand between your toes Is there another better pleasure? Another way to measure That being here, being present Is sometimes the greatest way To walk this path with joy
Let’s down tools and take to the beach To simple things, let’s look and be Watch the boats Bury the toes Go see The 28 ice cream flavours in the counter So many choices, which flavour To choose today?
The charm of a run down seaside town May evade others but not me I fall completely in love and want to see Sights of days from long ago Women with swimsuits up to their ears And down to their knees Bathing and laughing And joyfully capering Up and down the beach
Look up and see the detail There’s beauty everywhere And if it’s like Blackpool It’s bold and brash and they don’t care A certain joy in knowing who they are And being it, no hiding It’s there for all to see Kiss me quick hats, sticks of rocks Some shaped like a willy The liberation of being silly Not taking it all so seriously
For we’re here for a short time A blink of an eye in the big scheme What can we do to feel joy, dream For one day we too shall look like these towns Faded glory, less shiny, a bit tumble down So laugh loud. Fall in love deep Don’t let it pass by as if asleep
And when you don’t know what you’re going to get It’s good to smile, judge kindly and not forget That everyone was young. Once.
We were always going to die
It currently feels to me I don’t know about yous That there’s a juggernaut Running free on the loose.
It’s enormous, it’s huge It’s a giant machine We’re tiny compared Like insects on a screen
There’s less insects now too Brings to mind Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring Published way back in ’62 Still so relevant here with our world view
“Have we fallen into a mesmerized state that makes us accept as inevitable that which is inferior or detrimental, as though having lost the will or the vision to demand that which is good?”
Take a moment to muse What we can do, for I feel there’s a danger When we feel disempowered, When we make the other the stranger
“Life is a miracle beyond our comprehension, and we should reverence it even where we have to struggle against it. . . .”
Carson again, here with great wisdom For do we reverence it now? Or do we demand exploitation For the latest iPhone, the latest Playstation?
The greed The need The wanting more, more, more And yet, we were always going to die How much more do we need to buy?
The beauty creams to defy ageing The new clothes for the latest occasion Another wise one once said “All the worlds a stage” Which part do we choose Where are we on the page?
The question is, how do we live? What do we give To others To ourselves How well do we know Do we take the time Or rush onwards denying the danger Still ignoring the stranger?
I’ve thought for a time We’re custodians here To look after the land Do I hear a cheer? Surely gently living With less taking than giving Or at least more balance With joy and with laughter Not always working until exhaustion And then collapsing after
Is it possible we’re so easily insulted We’re not attached to the ground Almost insulated From being with nature Rubber shoes not connected To this amazing earth How can we now get it Back for us For generations of beings A reverence of nature Do we listen to the warnings?
For we can keep poisoning away Or stop and think Perhaps another day For, if we were always going to die How about we live well Reverence ourselves Honour our part in this all Not rush to exploit Gain more and more mothballs
Keeping insects at bay With things sat in storage How about we explore locally And all learn to forage To live with the land Instead of against her And do the same with ourselves For what do we need?
Is it to be mesmerised by ‘news’ Of disaster everywhere For it seems to me, watch it too much And you can no longer care And sometimes that seems Like it destroys my dreams Paralysed by fear Disabled by panic Then why wouldn’t you Need more, buy more
It’s like a numbing A dumbing us down Overloaded with information And it’s gone on forever Whatever the weather
The Cold War Missiles in Cuba The World Wars We’ll all die of Ebola Y2K bugs All the thugs And whilst we were always going to die Should we live in fear Always cry Ourselves to sleep Or should we look to the stars And think Yes, yes, we’re going to die But not today, Then sigh A long out breath As now we all know And our vagal nerve Will thank us now And on relaxing our system We can see sense And feel our freedom Which only ever comes from within
Really truly so Then perhaps the fear machine Which has gone on forever And perhaps always will Can start to affect us less As we remember to dance more To look at the stars To marvel To do what you can With where you are here Because yes, we were always going to die I wonder if we’ve detached from that idea And we try to remain As long as we can Instead of living in harmony with man- Kind. Mankind. Can we be kinder? In harmony with others Respecting the mothers And the greatest mother of all Our mother Earth Who ultimately gave birth To all of this And so we thank her And knowing we were always going to die We can live in greater peace With passion for ourselves And our planet With love and with joy It’s great to be here Feeling all that life brings The sadness the pain The feelings the shame The rounded experiences We can all have They make us whole Not more stuff to grab So diving in now to more loving and sharing Less ‘news’ and more forgiving Of each other And this ultimate mother For we were always going to die It’s how we live that’s the greatest question Let’s make it our best one.
Swimming
Swimming Desperately clinging To a sense of reality That sometimes evades me
Merging, blending With the river in all her moods With all her views Bleak, windy, rainy, Sun infused, varying daily
Seeing the changes Nothing takes hold Nothing is new, nothing is old Coming and going, Changing and being
Like emotions in life No need for the strife The struggle we, I cause Seeking for a source
Of things to have reason That’s not always the point Live and live lightly Not taking the slights Not taking it personally
Letting it flow Letting things go And that is why you’ll find me Swimming Learning from the river Much wiser than me Learning to let go Learning to be
Finding a lost sense of harmony And of course also the sea Feeling the free Sense of liberty Of being with one Much greater than me
Witnessing the changes Without need to hold Onto anything Letting them simply unfold Letting it all be
It takes me back To my A level day With songs on repeat Can you guess them today?
“Here Comes The Sun” And “Let It Be” Remembering The Beatles Remembering Me
Love is the answer
It’s the only one really We can search and search For something out there But always come back overtime To something in here
Sometimes it gets lost Gives up the ghost But if you’re quiet I bet you can hear A whisper, a small voice Reminding you dear That love is out there And, importantly, Love is in here
All the songs All the hymns We’ve sung in school Recorded from Top of the Pops On a Friday night… Aren’t just drawn from a pool Of songs there for no reason Just there for a season
The greats And less than greats All knew as they performed Not all world weary worn But vibrant and somewhere Feeling the love
Sometimes it’s harder to hear Something sets in and I think There are just two main emotions here Love and not love, some call it fear A lack Which feels to smack Of shortage Bring us outrage When love is not here I think it’s fear
We call it all names under the sun Anger, disappointment, not having fun But usually boils down to not feeling love How about we remember the “dove from above”? You might be too young for that cultural reference Have a google if so, it might make you smile Laugh and be amused for a while
When it feels like it’s absent what to do? Well, I reckon we may need to join the queue There’s much to learn, for us all to discover One thing I think, we can think of a mother With a young baby nestled in her arms The world matters not, there’s only one thing here The love of a mother and a baby just there
Or a dog and her puppies, so needing of her time Snuggled in to her now - it’s feeding time! Or a sheep in the field shouting “baa baa baa baaaaaa I’ve lost you my mama you’ve gone so faaaaar” However you summon your thoughts of love I think practicing gently can be the way To help us to focus, it helps me find mine
Fierce, protective not just pictures on cards Defending their own like bodyguards Fighting for much more than glory Because love is a whole different story It’s within us all if you just let it be Flowing so beautifully free.
Perhaps with all the noise Sometimes it’s hardest to hear The love for ourselves Or at least that’s my take, It could be I’m making a big mistake Maybe some quiet Some slowing down Could help us find our own reasons now
To love the all wrinkles The silvery scars All the bumps and the blemishes That tell their own stories That make up our lives
Because then, when we truly see The beauty we all have I think it opens the love Floodgates so to speak Allowing us to feel fully Instead of hiding away Our crows feet And start smiling Our love light shining For all to see
For all to share And you know what’s great When you open your love-gate That others too Realise their beauty See their scars as signposts Lessons And stories Not to be hidden, Shut away But to honour A whole new day.
With love x
Thanks so much for taking the time to be here and read :)