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Sunday 30 July 2023

Reflections

Framing herself, innocent amusement

An unassembled puzzle, hopeful dreams

Authentic dancer in a floral meadow

Silly faces reflect in her bathroom mirror


Domination and pain, relinquished control

Love consumed, her field charred by fear

Murdered kitty, she tumbles from the nest

Twisted youth reflects in her kitchen toaster


Gnawing at chains, she wiggles free

With a broken wing, purchased freedom

Reaching for the door, Michael is lost

The child-woman reflects in her hospital window


Another chance for escape, more determined

Richard, the paper prince, fades into dust

Destitute, broken, lost, she surrenders

Ghosts reflect in her crimson puddle


Miraculous survival, tempered by loss

Distant shores, begging in old shoes

The wheel weaves another snake

Love reflects in her daughter's eyes


Mining barren deserts, searching for wisdom

Renaissance of spirit, breaking old chains

Glory be, the White Knight, her saviour

Trust reflects in her lover's heart


Courage while facing adversity

Poise to accept the inevitable

Knowing that nothing matters

My mother reflects her divinity



Monday 19 June 2023

Wheels of Time




November frost glaciates the old diamond willow

Deep within the thicket, a House Finch shivers

Emaciated, the songbird weakly heralds a sunrise

Notes ringing off a snowbank are echoes of love 


Surrendering to this moment

Gratitude for this day  


Hobbled, arthritic kitty cuddles a warm fireplace

Saddened eyes, adoration for a loving companion

Peaceful moments birthing blackened skies

Dream-filled wishes cannot reverse the clock


Surrendering to this moment

Gratitude for this day


Child tortured by the butchery of starvation

Distended belly, fractured emaciated spirit  

Hollow lifeless eyes, supplications to death

Final breath, her ultimate heartbeat rendered


Surrendering to this moment

Gratitude for this day


Crystal vase cradles a bouquet of withered roses

Morosely sullen, pink blooms wilt dull brown  

Garden to glass, refuse bag to the mulch pile

A vibrant beauty we loved, admired, appreciated


Surrendering to this moment

Gratitude for this day


Bedridden, a wolf consuming my helpless beloved  

Bloodied teeth bespoiling her weakened flesh

Within a winter garden, pain governs the spirit

Blanket this bedevilled woman with quietude


Surrendering to this moment

Gratitude for this day


Deeds, carriage, messengers of her graceful living

Distant, I admire Mother's resplendent courage

Profound lessons embroidered by her resilience 

Standing tall, her legacy is a beacon I will follow


Surrendering to death

Gratitude for life 


Written as a tribute to my dying mother, this poem bends a knee to her resilience, gracefulness and loving nature. Reckoning with her imminent death, I reach for loving gratitude as I surrender to the inevitable. 

Within the first stanza, the simile of a House Finch honours our mutual love of songbirds. November represents the winter of my mother's life, whilst the bird's frailty mirrors her struggle with cancer. The songbird's herald speaks of my mother's uncanny ability to reach for love as her vitality diminishes.    

Mother and I both love cats, therefore the use of a cat metaphor appropriately invokes images of my mother's weakened state. The cat's adoration reflects the abundant love my mother has for her partner. Gracefully, even during the wildest of storms, my mother and her partner move toward her death with calm surrender. Mother's unflappable spirit has taught me there is no need to cry for more time. 

The African child in stanza three I met in the Sahara. For one hapless week, I embarked upon a futile effort to stave off his death. His emaciated corpse tortured my spirit for many years. To represent a metaphor to my mother, within this poem, the boy is referenced as a girl. As with the child, I must surrender to the weakened state of my mother as well as my utter helplessness to spare my mother from the eventuality of painful final years. Reaching for the African experience, I seek to gracefully accept my mother's physical decline. 

The wolf consuming my mother's flesh is a metaphor referencing the rigours of lung cancer. Battling cancer, my mother once told me, "This cancer has a right to live within me; it too is battling for life." My mother wanted rid of cancer, but somehow she found a way to surrender to its presence. Incredible was this lesson.  

The final stanza speaks to the awe I feel when witnessing my mother's remarkable nature. Her ability to gracefully surrender to the chaos of life has provided me with many valuable lessons. Against all odds, my mother beat her lung cancer. She survives to this day, but I do see an unassailable frost on the old Willow.  

Walking through our lives, we will endure many challenges. When faced with trials and tribulations, fear and love will both reach for our spirit. Our path forward can reflect grace or chaos. Holding gratitude in my heart, I try to replace fear with love. Reconciling my mother's imminent death is so very difficult. Standing at the cliff's edge, I embrace my mother's lessons of gratitude and surrender.  


Monday 13 February 2023

Not This Night



Falling into a tunnel, the Reaper is at the door.
Breathing is steady as confusion trumps panic.
Clammy skin profusely beads with sweat.
Should I surrender, or do I fight for life?

The Ego fills my mind with restless chatter.
Who will clean the mess I leave behind?
Images of paramedics loading me in a bag.
Should I surrender, or do I fight for life?

Mother, Hermann, Valerie, I am sorry to go.
Mister Spot, who will care for my little man?
How suddenly this moment has arrived.
Should I surrender, or do I fight for life? 

My heart is not pounding. There is no fear.
With loving ease, the event is embraced.
Why am I not resisting? Can I rise from my bed?
Should I surrender, or do I fight for life?

Hot flashes are contrasted by hopeful reprieves.
If I fall asleep, maybe a tomorrow will come.
Is sleeping giving up? Must I remain wakeful?
Should I surrender, or do I fight for life?

Concerned, she lays by my side. Are you all right?
Again I spare her with a lie. I'm okay, don't worry.
Her soft breathing is an anchor keeping me alive.
Death is inevitable. I am sorry to be your corpse.

There is no way back. I am too far down the tunnel. 
Relax, let go. Surrender with dignified gratitude.
Nothing is left behind. I am the eternal moment.
Cuddle the dying process. The ultimate self beckons.

Freedom awaits my presence. My death is beautiful.
Her touch is like a mother guiding her child to safety.
Death releases his steely grip. The desire for life lingers.
Tears of joy warm my cheek. Not this night, Grim.
 

Wednesday 11 January 2023

Dove’s Freedom

 


 Warm and cosy, the dove's nest

Sheltered from endless storms

Chains loosely hanging aside

Shadows cast from rusted irons

 

Beyond the aerie, new worlds

Fear, the ultimate tether, binds

Dove shivers in the cold wind

Distant is the uncertain beacon

 

Raven parked on a wintery branch

Bobbing head spies lonely dove

Stirring dove spreads idle wings

Caw trumpets through dense fog

 

Hearkening, our little angel coos

Crying, she trembles a soft note

Restless, the raven stirs a response

Anxious, she beats a downy breast

 

Raven takes flight, soaring on high

Black and white share the nest

Ebony neb nudges wanting neck

Love is the gift of timeless hope

 

Raven alights, flutters and returns

Beak buried in milky plumage

Coal eyes, a plea for courage

Dove nips at her shackle of angst

 

Alas, her tattered fetter holds fast

A scarlet sun caresses the horizon

Black lover tends his snowy lass

They rest beneath Northern stars

 

Morning snow, a twilight blanket

Raven dusts clean his plumage

Dove murmurs at the rising orb

Preening avian invite the morn

 

Raven lifts toward a yonder barn

Cackling, he brokers her courage

Invisible hobble is wrestled free

Pearly wings brush the heavens

Saturday 16 July 2022

Light Shines Upon Me




Standing tall, boulder-like shoulders 

Dynamic energy, a genuine smile

The love I find in his eyes

Light, for me to see


Oaken arms lift me in the air

Feet dangling, his exuberant joy

The love I find in his embrace

Light, for me to hold


Gentle spirit. warm as bathwater

A soft voice caresses my heart

The love I find in his words

Light, for me to hear


Cherishing my beloved mother

Entwined, their essence dancing

The love I find in his gifts

Light, for me to appreciate 


Capricious cracks in a flawless mirror

Joy to experience his imperfection

The love I find in his blemish

Light, for me to revere


How wonderful, this beautiful man

Admiration, jubilance, limitless thanks

The love I find in his impeccability

Light, for me to follow