Poems

Oh!!!!!! Not Poetry

Many people I’ve met ask “Why do you write” Say Poetry’s dull, lacks interest But as we all know that isn’t correct And to counter this I do my best To convince them to read with an open mind See what the text displays It is then quite likely that they will find...

Sundays

The dawn has come, the days beginning Quickly Night will disappear, Morning chorus of birds singing Welcoming the Day break. Will today bring something different, Are my thoughts of things anew The air is as clear as crystal Now I feel the Morning Dew. Is it April or...

Stress

Life goes on from day today We live our life the way we see But always in the background There but for him goes me We think of things that might have been But never came to much And sometimes we will get irate At even the smallest touch Of a word that’s said in anger...

A Mothers role

Today as I just sit and think Of days already past My thoughts go back To my childhood days Has my Life gone by too fast The more I try to concentrate Events that once seemed small Come racing back into my mind How much can I re-call Of days when just a little lad Of...

Ode to an Hernia

A year of waiting has come to an end At the Day Care Centre, my stomach to mend I'm met at Reception and announce my arrival Ever hopeful of this day's survival Midst hopes and fears that are running rife Will I survive the surgeon's knife? But fears are allayed as...

Old manor gardens- Bexhill

Within the walled garden, the manor house stands Square leaded windows, a testament to its past Ordered rose beds sit amidst the close cut lawn, Awaiting bloom, they appear severe and stark In neatly cropped borders of symmetrical design, The rich black earth casts a...

As I look at the death mounds

As I look at these death mounds I can hear no sound No birds can be heard For here lies so many dead The head stone says it all These poor souls who did fall Did they die in battle? Underneath a machine gun rattle No they were gassed to death Nazi propaganda took away...

The inhumanity of man

The inhumanity of man over the centuries Really got out of hand As they tried to wipe out Other men from the land We have only to look at history To see this story unfold Of countless cruelty So bad it has to be told For this is nothing new The cruelty for which men...

Your guardian Angel

Walks with you, but leaves no footprint in the sand And when you need it, will hold your hand Helps you not to do things when you are mad That would latter make you sad Helps you when you talk So at your comments others will not baulk Helps you when you're sad So...

An image in rhyme

She was sitting there upon the screen There was something in her eyes Was it a hint of sadness I’m trying hard to visualise The personality behind the smile How was she treated by the world In which she lived her lonely life Waiting for magic to be unfurled Like a...

Remember me

Remember me...now I am gone from here... Now my mortality has ebbed away. When I can no more weep, nor fret and fear... Nor yield to cruel despair...nor rue the day When evil had its spiteful visage shown... And inhumanity had cast its sin. When fair faith and...

Can it be real ?

Here it is the middle of the night I've awaken in such a fright I fill as though someone was shaking me But there's no one here, so that cannot be Then I hear a voice that was once dear to me But him it cannot be But then as my eyes adjust to the dim light It's him in...

Dawn at Dunkirk (a reflection)

‘Lives extinguished into darkness And yet, ethereally luminescent’ Beauty from out of carnage How can this possibly be When the words themselves Are the opposite ends of the scale Is their a force we do not know That exists in the air around us A force that we choose...

A comparable insignificance (FP)

A breath I have...of my one breath aware... It is just one among many breaths of air... Though these are not as many as every Blade of grass on our planet fair. A voice I have...of my one voice to please... It is just one among many voices on the breeze... Though...

63rd Anniversary of D.Day

All the ships are in the harbours With our armaments they are filled Ever at the ready to sail With a readiness that’s instilled In every British fighting man With his duty to rout the foe Now the waiting is over And it’s time for the armada to go Hundred upon hundred...

Bumble Bee

Sun shines in as he works away, It’s Wednesday at work, weekend miles away. Laughing, talking, just being me, He stops, he stares, at the bumble bee. To all around, just another insect, No need to stop, admire or inspect. To him it is more than a single thing, It is...

Lost hope

I've lost all hope I can no longer cope I'd just like to die But I'm afraid to try I can't stand it any more I have no one to care for I'm all alone Everyone I cared for is gone With no one needing me to depend on There is no reason to go on It gets more unbearable...

A night on the town

A Night on the piss Every jocks wish To spend his beer tokens With his mates laughing and joking Power nap after scoff Shower and shave Pull on your new jeans and top Check in the mirror Looking good as you knew you would Into the NAAFI Few scoops before we go Chat up...

A flower of the mountain

I would grow beside the cool crystal water To bear witness to the birth of its being With its orchestration of musical sound Pure and sweet in its joy of living Tumbling and twisting and rushing to be A winding river that leads to the sea I would unfurl mine eye to...

Kids Needs

What kids often need is not that much Just someone with a gentle touch They often think everything they do is wrong For often we lecture way too long They think nothing ever goes right Because we never tell them when they do right We as parents and adults should help...

To a Wife

A Queen a Goddess A Life a Wife Through out time all time Man has worshipped them They are the givers of life The ones we call wife When you hold your child A life created by two This is her gift given to you Cherish the moments And times that you share For one of you...

P.T.S.D. A living Hell

Living with P.T.S.D. Is done by thousands even me They say there is no cure And after all these years of this I am sure Most days I am oh so sad I can not even function on some days, because it's so bad The things I have seen and done I cannot discuss As there is...

A War Zone

Over there we had to kill Out of this we got no thrill We had the need to survive On this we did thrive We developed a common bond As of each other we grew rather fond We would risk our lives without a hesitation to save another As as we considered each, as our...

I remember

I remember a war oh so far away As if it was just yesterday I remember the times and places But not the names or the faces I remember when you ate a meal How it made you feel I remember working at night To avoid the fright I remember the EVAC hospital being as active...

Lost youth

Most of us were still kids when we went over there On our chest we didn't even have a hair We grew into men over night After all we had to kill and fight Over there our anger did thrive After all we wanted to survive The ways of these people were not the same as ours...

Vietnam war

For those that said it was not a war Let them try to convince those who's friends or family member lives no more The cowards said I will not go, others went because they were told to go Then others like me said I'll go First we were taught to kill And this leaves many...

Why a wall

All gave some, some gave all But the names of all that gave it all, are not on the wall There were many who were killed in Vietnam, but there they didnot die Sent home to live, they must try For some it was short, for others it was long And now for many more of us it...

Remembrance day

November the 11th, we honour the fallen and remember on that day On parade or going to church everyone has their own way Some will march with pride, medals worn proudly on their chest But what about the others, the ones we don’t see, what about the rest? George sold...

It will always haunt me

In my bed at night Sometimes I take fright Sometimes I want to fight I wake my wife from her slumber As I shout out my army number I awake with a start Always with a racing heart The adrenalin rush As my wife says hush My brow is wet with sweat I try not to fret But...

Boy to Man

The soldier a boy young and brave cares naught but to protect us trained to fight, yet fearful nonetheless wanting to safely come home Caught 'tween peace and war now a man.

Bottle alley

They hide from the sun They hide from themselves They hide in a bottle In denial Who stole their lives? In Bottle Alley With shattered glass Of shattered lives They sit.

The fog of war

I am in my warrior vehicle Encased in this metal coffin No air to be had Things now are getting bad I can’t breathe I gasp for breath Is this the cold hands of death? I try to see but the haze is thick I think I want to be sick My chest it rises and falls Breathing is...

Old flames

Have you ever looked back in your Memory In the hope that you might recall Those Halcyon days of the past When stories of love would enthrall Even without true intention The thought of a very first kiss Or a sign of recognition Would not be considered amiss Did you...

The stewardess

Every morning at nine fifty eight She's there to open up the gate Cos that's the job she has to do I'll bet you're gonna ask me who It's R E B E C C A. She walks in through the double doors To start her many daily chores The shelves with beer she has to fill And then...

Law in retrospect

Thro' the eyes of a man of today Violence seems to abound Compared with times when as a lad It was seldom to be found You could walk the streets in safety Never turn the key in the door And children could play in freedom But they can't do that any more Though World...

Jeff

Jeff worked for some time on shift with me Now and then we’d drink some tea A Coal Plant driver now asleep No more to drive upon the heap No more reclaim or Coal stock out Are you there foreman, he’d give a shout He worked with me, in times gone bye I remember now,...

Forever?

Do you want to live forever? The cynical statement of one about to die, Or the practical thoughts of a forebearer, Or ‘Dulce Decorum Est’ that little lie. In my mind’s eye, I see life Everlasting, a population bursting And all the great crimes are rife; While once...

Who are you, with sad eyes?

Do I know who you are? Do I see more than the torn T-shirt? Or the sad smile you give to those passing you by? I'd stop but I'm much too busy with my own daily life of meeting friends for lunch, or rushing to the mall to see what's on sale. I'd stop but I'm not sure...

My Dog ‘’Chief’’

A very sad day, with loads of grief I lost my Pal, his name was ‘’ Chief’’ His throat was x rayed while asleep Not normally stuff to make you weep The time had come to end his fight A time to do what I knew was right Our best efforts failed for that old pup A tumour...

My soul is on fire

My soul is on fire I am full of desire I cannot get any higher For my soul has been set on fire As I look through the fire My pulse it raises higher and higher You are the one that I desire Ice could not put out this fire I want you so much Why does it hurt? To want...

Footsteps in time

Have you ever stopped to think? About the footsteps in time A person’s journey Through out their time I often do I look at those old stone steps Worn away in the middle Trudged upon by a soldier A comrade in time If you look to yourself Your time will come and go And...

She

She - is fifteen and terrified. Moist eyes, deep chocolate brown, show graphically the intense agony. Used as a shield by the Iraqi militia. A high velocity bullet ripped through her thigh. Not a bone is broken – praise be to Allah. Her leg cannot be repaired. There...

A field of peace

I never contemplated God, as such. No thought, no use, no need of crutch To help me through a day. At night, I thought of our mere transient mortality. My love, my kids, my grandsons too, The centre of my life, my needs. Have I truly helped them? I often think Now,...

Anyway

It’s pretty boring here. The sand coloured equipment and tents, everywhere. We’re all dressed the same, blending in, anyway. But not everyone, everywhere. Some of us don’t have M, on our forehead. Some of us don’t have wounds, everywhere. The food is boring here. The...

But I am not a hero

I joined the TA for adventure and money – not the prospect of war. The nearest to real harm was nine kilometers – a Scud ‘’nearly’’ hit. At the time none left off the respirators – we would rather sweat. Six hours in shelter under cover or trenches. Never saw...

At Alamarah Redcaps & Paras 2003

South West of Basra in the heat of the desert. An old RAF base, on a runway, at Shaibah. We bake on concrete in Green Eighteen by Twenty fours. The war in Iraq to depose a dictator is over. The fight to influence people to peace is not - yet. We found on June 24th...

Tainted Rocks

My mind caught in muted shades unable to describe many recurring thoughts. They are like arroyos that toss and tumble about red, tainted rocks. Muted shades of moss green, tan. Before I left for the war May was put into an Interment Camp. she was Japanese you see. She...

Remember me

Remember me for I will soon be gone. It won’t be long until we are down to one. For I was once like you, young and carefree. But then the call came to fight for my Country. I took up this challenge along with so many others. It did not take us long to become like...

Companion

Some days are spent right by your side Some days there’s nothing, away to hide Memories jump right in at any point, With the sight of a scar, with the ache of a joint. Called lots of things, but reluctantly so Normally by “professionals” who simply don’t know Expert...

East Anglian L N E R

We’re sitting in a railway compartment At a London Mainline Station Waiting for our journey to start Full of anticipation And as through the windows We glance now & again We see folks passing with luggage And boarding the train There’s hustle and bustle With barrows...

Where is the Love

Where is the love that once you knew As it blossomed in your youth The moon shone clear And the Sun beams were bright But did this disguise the truth About how life can really be As on life’s road you travel Tho’ it make take so many years The answers to unravel For...

Just Typical Days!

In a far distant land Brave soldiers awake And rise from their beds Before the dawn break Bed spaces are tidied Ablutions are done All before breakfast Their day’s just begun With body armour on And helmets at hand They go off for breakfast In a tent in the sand...

Military mother

My child nearly two to hospital I went So sick was she. Little did I know what to expect Nor the way you would treat me. You knew who I was, but did not know me. You treated me differently from the other mothers In the ward that night you see. Do you remember what you...

A Good Night’s Sleep

Brave soldiers they sleep On make-shift beds With their weapons close by As they rest their heads When they’re on stag Sleep seems like a gift A two whole hours Before their next shift Then there are the sirens Waking them from slumber They lay face down upon the...

Childhood years

As I sit on Sunday evening With little on my mind I tried to recollect Some of the Memories left behind To take that long walk back in time When I was only three And bought a bag of chocolate buttons For just one half-penny There were no thoughts of War then And...

A shopping spree

I went out shopping Saturday To see what I could find ‘cos I’ve got a more than ample chest And an oversize behind I went in Marks & Spencer’s In Littlewoods as well It wasn’t going to be my lucky day As I could quickly tell I looked at Bra’s & Lingerie At jumpers and...

Lost love

As you sit in your chair and close your eyes Your mind wanders to things that have passed But Memories and Love are there forever Throughout your life they will last No one can know what is there in your heart For you and one other alone Your union was eternal Which...

Mother

Who was there to hear my first cry When into this world I was born To bring to my Mother the gift of love On a Winters day ‘fore dawn She cherished me like a Mother should And fed me and mad sure I was warm Then washed me and suitably clothed me Taking care that I...

Don’t Judge Me

Don’t judge me for who I am Without knowing the real person inside Yes you who sit in your ivory tower I am a mother so don’t judge me for the Job I had to do nor why I had to spend The time away from my child Yes you who sit in your ivory tower I strive to carry on...

Contentment

If the simple life is the one you choose You've lots to gain and little to lose For monetary gain doesn't measure wealth It's sometime's measured in happiness and health And with these two assets ,you'll little need Ill gotten gains of those with greed Who by devious...

Melodious Intent

So listen to the rhythm of the falling rain And see if therein a message lies For the gentle tip tap on the window pane Which you can readily melodise And add the words you want to hear Come forth to you once again And you have now created a Ballad The Rhythm of the...

Four Thousand Dead, and Rising.

On Easter Sunday, two thousand and eight, They issued the latest fatality rate. Four thousand American soldiers killed, In bloody Iraq. Imagine those ghostly legions parading, With shuffling feet, and heartbeats fading. A two mile column of dead men marching, Through...

Giving up

I’m giving up beer and I’m giving up Scotch, Yes, I’m giving up drinking entirely. For my liver complains. My old kidney’s got pains, And my doctor is warning me direly. I’m giving up cake and I’m giving up chips. Not that I’ve been over-indulging. But, I’ve noticed...

Keep me in your thoughts

Keep me in your thoughts As I do what I am trained to do I am to go to this land To fight my fellow man Somewhere in there is a political plan I do as my political masters say It has always been that way Doesn’t mean that I don’t get a say But it is the military way I...

Crossed the bar

We heard the news, its bad today Another good friend, has passed away No longer with us, gone quite far In Naval Terms, he’s crossed the bar He’s passed away, just like the breeze With following wind, across calm seas No storms blowing now in a rage May he find safe...

Don’t think because we don’t see you

Don’t think because we don’t see you, it means that we don’t care We have old pictures of you, of years gone by that we share This world and what happens within it, effect what we do in our lives Our Children, if they marry don’t always stay with their Husbands and...

If Only

Life is a dream Which soon fades away It passes like lightening Sometimes leaving a mark Mostly it seems we never say Exactly what we meant to say The four saddest words In the whole wide world Are "I wish I had" Before life drifted away. Make your life count Live...

Death Knows not Colour

Death knows not colour Age or sex It comes in the day or night When least expected Or well prepared for No special spell keeps it at bay When your name it calls For you are its It comes under the guise of friendship Evil or courage Its faces are many Its execution...

I Will Hold Your Hand

While you go through this dark time I will hold your hand I cannot take away this burden But at least I can let you know You are not alone I am here Waiting Watching Always listening For you must learn from this Become the butterfly For interference makes you weak...

A Poet and His Apple Wood Staff.

The apple tree had served him well. With many springs of sweet scented blossom. And autumn harvests of tender fruit, Now victim of a winter’s storm, Stacked in logs to keep him warm. Yet once piece of that old tree. Would serve him many years more, Carefully selected,...

Death of a section member

We sweated and swore, digging his grave, In hard frosted ground mostly of stone, The pick bounced back when it struck the rocks, The shovel sparked as it scraped another. Breath in clouds of steam, gave way to a gentle puff, As we buried him that day behind a rock...

The return

Alone, some nights, he still feels that dread, The ongoing conflict, within his head, Friends’ faces he sees, he views with fear, Because for him it’s obvious, they are no longer here. Another flag draped coffin, returns to base, Images flashed of our...

My ‘Jake’ of 16 Summers

It doesn’t seem that long ago When we both first saw Jake A little Jack Russell puppy Which to our home we’d take He did the things that puppies do Even wee’d upon the floor And after a couple of warnings He didn’t do that no more He’d play out in the Garden Or even...

A wintry day

At the window I stand and stare The clouds go drifting by As I look to the far horizon In an ever darkening sky Where the sun has left just a tinge of gold From a day that has come to it’s end Without the sight of a rainbow Though rain it did descend But sunshine...

Hand of friendship

The open hand of friendship Is something widely known An open invitation That’s universally shown To indicate to anyone Of your inborn intent Coupled with assurance Of what is truly meant You show offence to no-one Without reason, without malice For argument can soon...

Night patrol

My turn on stag it's cold and dark rain falls soft and chills the bone mates asleep in bed so warm distant guns no longer bark Muddy trench and broken tree all signs of strife and misery leaking boots and chilled to 'bone chaffing uniform rough and hairy Rifle...

Daybreak

On the horizon the dawn is breaking The air is wet with morning dew Birds their morning chorus making In the sky a hint of blue Suddenly the Sun appears Clouds are tinged with gold Now the world is slowly waking A glorious daybreak to behold Is it April or September...

Offshore

Dawn is breaking once again Fishermen walking down the lane Harbour wall is just in sight As rising Sun replaces night The tide is rising, buoys are bobbing Fishing boat's old diesels are throbbing Crew's aboard, they leave the shore Out to search the shoals once more...

All Clear

Two words, That mean so much, To all who live trusting, To hear the consultant say them. ALL CLEAR.

A rose called Jessie.

Beautiful, beaming smile, But behind it lies what guile ? Twinkling, sparkling eyes, Hiding an imp cloaked in disguise. Dimpled cheeks to melt your heart, Even though mischief is her art. A giggle so endearing and bewitching, Though it’s for monkey-business she’s...

What is Love to me ?

What is love to me, for I am a man and have no need of it ? When I was a small child, love was looking at my parents, Knowing that they were always there and would loved me back As I grew, the teenage years saw me childishly question that love, as they imposed...

A cry for help

Some years ago a cry was heard A cry for help from far away So we shoulderd arms and packed our bags Ne'er a questioning word did we say. To airport,dockside,by bus and train loved ones wept and waved goodbye Eyes front!dont look back Least we see yon watered eye....

Blue

A mid-winter morning; The sky a uniform grey: Everything sodden; Puddles aplenty; Me, up to my eyes in debt and struggling; My youngest daughter in hospital, Recovering from an overdose; But it’s cool, not cold, And the rain has stopped. One or two birds are singing....

A Scene from Tuscany

New Year in Tuscany Moody and magnificent Full of contradictions Hints of spring Yet awhile away A taste of sunshine Exuding gentle warmth A stark reminder The cold air bites ‘Hey! Its winter And I’m still here!’ Cloaked in mist And low lying cloud The hills rest In...

No Matter the Years

A part of time and our hearts stopped at that moment that no matter how many years pass will feel like yesterday. The memory of the knock on the door, seeing two class A uniforms in the glow of the porch light, the turn of our color to paste from the message sent by...

Windows

When people think of windows, people think about the view When we look out our windows, we will always think of you A Senior Estimator Figure, number crunching at his screen Having travelled the whole world over, what sights you must have seen Portsmouth, the Baltic...

A lassie’s dream

Is there ever a time when you sit and think Of how your life could have been Would you really have altered many things For many you couldn’t have foreseen Think to the times when a Lass at school Many a laugh you had with your mates Or perhaps there was a special...

All safe and secure

When all the world is fast asleep My world comes to waking Thinking what the night may bring What chances will I be taking When on Patrol I make my rounds To check that all is well The Locks, The Gates The Fences My instincts warn me well As I walk the lonely midnight...

Our journey

Our Journey It starts when you breathe your first And ends on your last The bit in between Should be a story that must be seen It is your life’s tapestry So should be rich and full And never poor or dull You do not need to be rich in wealth Just happy and in good...

In memory of the fallen

Look to the skies On a crystal clear night For there spread before you Is a wondrous sight You may be wondering What’s all the glory? Just hold on a minute And hear my story On September 11 2001 America’s world tore apart Evil was unleashed that day It struck right at...

Words of kindness

I knew I loved you from the start You bring these words out from my heart Kind words you speak, I know so true Its many years gone, since I met you Your twinkling eyes, that lovely smile They’ve been in my mind, for all this while Your kind words help, when were...

I wouldn’t be a soldier

I wouldn’t be a soldier I wouldn’t be a soldier, fighting in a hole I wouldn’t be a soldier, acting like a mole I wouldn’t be a soldier, standing on parade I wouldn’t be a soldier, hearing that tirade I wouldn’t be a soldier, crawling in the sand I wouldn’t be a...

Black and White

Through the dust and smoke he rises, to rid him of his foe, Running on full auto, no need for go, go, go, Following his orders, right down to the last letter, From recruit, right through to Cpl, always a real go getter. Back at home on leave again, back to the peace...

Observation post

Look out post, way out in front, To observe, note enemy movement, Report back, do not fight, just remain hidden. Such a simple task by day, In darkness a veritable nightmare. The village occupied by enemy troops, Camouflaged tanks, machine gun posts. Little movement...

The hospice

I wait inside this hospice For death to come inside My wife she comes to visit Her tears she tries to hide Silent words they come From deep within her eyes Each day of my survival Delighted, but surprised How much longer must I put My loved ones through this grief How...

I want to be a soldier

One Minute your in a classroom, Thumb up bum and mind in neutral. I want to be a Soldier! Fight for my country like my Father. Morning, the Giant spoke to me! Interested in becoming one of the finest? That’s right being a GUARDSMAN. What’s one of them then? Sign here...

First Days

You will be the Smartest! You will be the toughest! You will be the fittest! You will be the best by far!! Shining Parades! Spit and Polish! Bedding Blocks! Regimental History! Trained Soldiers! L/SGT Squad Instructor! GOLD SGT Platoon Boss! R.S.M. GOD!!!!!!!!!! Write...

The dyslexic poet

It’s a long poem since I wrote a time The words they spell out funny They leave my brain just perfect On page as thick as honey I know just what I want to say I face you ‘back to back’ I think of words in glowing white They then come out in black My tongue it works in...

Flowers

January, Frost is clinging From trees and boughs on high Like a shroud of white it lays Set against a clear blue sky. Drifting into February Rising bulbs are seen Snowdrops and Daffodils show their heads Spreading colour to a carpet of green. March winds blow their...

Is the World your oyster ?

If you were given the choice To live where you wish In this great big World where we live Would it be a hard decision to take What considerations would you give Maybe the Culture or Climate Comes uppermost in your mind Is it a sun-kissed solitary Island you seek Where...

%

of people exposed to mass violence have been shown to develop PTSD

Million Adults are diagnosed with PTSD during a given year

Women are 2x more likely to suffer from PTSD than men