Sunday, May 31, 2009

Beginnings

If you're rich and famous

you could be excused for

having tickets on yourself

you get accustomed to a certain lifestyle

and eventually you forget

that you started as a seed.

Empires rise and fall and

at their height where kings rule

and riches are stored to collect the dust

from the ground bones of slaves and servants

it is easy to forget that

from the dust you were created.

To be honest it matters not

how high you rise

nor what riches you accumulate

be they material or intellectual

what matters is that you be

humble from the beginning.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

0733 Saturday

The rest of my world
twitches and dreams
whilst I think through the day
and the approaching fog bank
heralds a wet morning
Today? Finish some quotes
assemble the gear
to cut some firewood
to keep us all warm
there's something soothing
about the sound of a chainsaw
or is that just knowing
that this work will
let you enjoy
the fruits of your labour
everyone loves to stare
into the fire
through the glass door
of the fireplace
as if that were safe
what is it that attracts us
to stare like that
some ancient survival instinct
or the sheer art
in the dancing of the flame
or the beauty of your lover
in the firelight
I walk outside
the thick fog
is quite wet on
my face
as I pick up the axe
the steel wedges
and log splitter
the fuel, chain and bar oil
spare chains and
two stihl chainsaws
I go back in to finish
my coffee and this poem
when it begins to rain
and the wind howls
oh well, maybe later
it will all become clear.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Temptation

Comes to us all
more than we care to admit
it's how we respond to it that matters
can you recall us as young parents
we were at some evening function at school
and afterwards at supper
were talking about our children's needs
their personality traits
how they got them
strengths and weaknesses
dominant genes from whose side
and how we were leaning
against each other
on that yellow post
outside the library
shoulders and hips touching
eye contact for far too long
just think of the consequence
if we just followed our instinct
we are both still married
with good honest partners
and beautifully grown up
and well adjusted children
thank God we've been saved
thank God for self control