the sadness in a child’s eyes can at any
moment become happiness – and does!

The Lord of Karma

The Lord of Karma is imposing and tall.
He speaks with an accent from his days

on Earth, when his family were councillors
to Ghengis Khan. Keeping decrees secret,

that power may always remain one step
ahead of consequence. His baritone is

rich and sonorous and used to great effect.
His oratory skills are renowned both wide

and far. Few dare challenge the Lord of
Karma, except when he’s called upon to

pass judgement on individuals or bodies
higher up than himself. As above, so below!

When considering judgement of another,
ask yourself, where does the buck stop?

It’s a hung jury. What will the Lord of
Karma decide? His choice. His skin.

The games we play,
And the price we pay…

I Find Myself

I find myself in moments when
I think of how I loved you then.
Of why we had to let it go,
And curse my bitter stars and woe.

We were so much younger then,
Yet to learn to count to ten.
It’s how it was when things went well,
And how it was when things were hell.

Looking into each other’s eyes,
Trying our bodies on for size.
The things we said and the things we meant,
The things we wanted and the way it went.

How I’d fawn and beg and seek,
And want your love when I was weak;
How you’d play and string me along
And scorn my love when you were strong.

Now we live different lives,
With different husbands and different wives.
In different seasons and hemispheres,
With different secrets for different ears…

I find myself in moments when
I think of how I loved you then.
Of why we had to let it go,
And curse my bitter stars and woe.

defeat and victory
in every silent footfall –
the looming summit

The Cup of Life

Come hither, wanderers, with hearts bereft,
And drink from the Cup of Life, again;
The crow has packed up its tent and left,
And the lion is in the lion’s den.

None are denied that fulsome draught,
Not fevered youth, not palsied age.
Restitutive tears, cried and laughed,
Must be replenished, and so assuaged.

Come raise that Cup and drink at length,
It matters not wherefore thou art;
Whether you wax or wane in strength,
Whether you caught or threw the dart.

Raise your fallen eyes, my friend,
And drink from the Cup extended to thee;
That God may have you in the end,
So all that comes to pass must be.

Drain thy Cup to the very last drop,
And give thanks for the gift of life each day.
And when you reach your mountaintop,
All pain and limitation will fade away!

Drink from the Cup and become wise men,
O, broken hearted wanderers, all;
Drink from the Cup again and again…
That you may hear God’s whisper and heed His call!

30 03 2024

revealing time’s hand;
for the patient man the trickle
becomes the flood

The Song of the Wayfarer

The valley is wide, the desert dry,
The ocean deep and mountain high.
It’s said there’s a land on the other side;
I’ve been given a horse and told to ride!

The days are hot, the nights are cold,
I’ve forsaken my friends and my home of old.
It’s said there’s a place where I’ll be consoled;
I’ve been given directions and a cloak of gold.

The journey is long, the journey is far,
The dangers are many and deep are the scars.
They say there’s a Lord who must be redressed,
But hides his face from the one who is blessed.

There’s a cry in the wilderness year after year,
That only the faithful may know and may hear.
And the heart that is steadfast, firm and true
Will no longer want and will always make do.

“The turning seasons have honed thy skill,
The way it has narrowed and is narrowing still.
I say there’s a secret that heals the rift,
All who would love must return the gift!”

The valley is wide and the deserts dry,
The oceans deep and the mountains high.
They say there’s a world beyond the sky…
I’ve been given wings and told to fly.

we can only achieve something outwardly,
if first we are able to dream it inwardly…

All good, AHH. I wasn’t trying to “set the record straight” in any way etc. just elaborating on my take. I’m unfamiliar with the story and have never read Clavell. I appreciate your responses and most importantly, the way you look for and find the diamonds in the rough. Otherwise, what can we say about human beings that hasn’t been said? Human motives will always be mixed, we make the wrong choices time and again, and yet we’re always given another chance to right things. To me, beauty, harmony, love and so on are more than poetic concepts, they are spiritual realities and so bear constant reiteration. After all, we can only advance if we’re inspired enough to overcome the inertia of the human state of consciousness. On a personal note, I have been distracted by an ongoing situation within my family that has affected my health and has consumed enormous amounts of not only coin, but reserves of patience etc. etc. I am on track to resolve the initial ‘instalment’ of imposed drama in a matter of months, and expect to be able to devote a little more time to pursuits such as poetry, although I have taken the step of picking up work on a number of visual art projects which have brought fresh life and energy and so have helped me walk these “last few miles”. As such, I look through the archive and with the benefit of hindsight, make the odd revisions on some of the earlier poetry. And so, in relation to the difficulties we face when confronted with the necessity of dropping dead weight in order to survive new conditions, I dug up the following…

I’ll Go No More A Roving O’

I’ll go no more a roving o’
A wandering over hills and lea.
I’ll rove no more with you fair maid,
Nor revel in your company.

I’ll go no more a roving o’,
From north to south and east to west.
I’ll weave no wreathes, no maiden’s crowns
Nor lay my head against thy breast.

I’ll go no more a roving o’
Through verdant lands and sylvan wood.
I’ll free the owl and silver deer,
And bury all your gifts for good!

I’ll go no more a roving o’,
A wayfaring with you my dear;
No more I’ll cage my breathing heart
Whatever time or day of year!

I’ll go no more a roving o’,
With you no more I’ll range;
I’ll bite my lip, I’ll clench my teeth,
And do everything I can to change!