"That's All"

Friendships ought to last -

not just be here today,

and then duly shelved -

filed away under "Things past".

Am I really over-sensitive?

Am I?

I believe

that friendships ought to last -

that's all.

"Tender"

fingertips

tenderly trace

descending tears

on the beautiful, baby-soft face

of a goddess

"It's Not Help"

why can't you help

without judging

and making me

feel stupid

but you can't

it seems

so I cope - or not -

without your "help"

"The Edge, Tea and Poetry"

I, like another poet, exist

on the jagged edge

of life - yes -

but I will appreciate

what and whom

I can

while I can.

Birdsong and tea fill my morning.

The transient nature of this life

has been too much

for me.

Yet, still

I write poems -

drink my morning tea -

experience gratitude

for many blessings -

for everyone who has cared for me.

"My Support"

there for me

until breaking point

and beyond


they say

don't do so much for her

they say

that there are lots of

people

around her

should I laugh or scream


they say to

bother less about me

which approach works well for them

it would appear

"Crows"

the delicate shades of sunrise

dissolve into daylight

and the crows are there again

to greet me

"Expectations"

expectations

what's the point

I've learnt my lesson

well

the long and hard way

"Where Are They Now?"

how are they "friends"

or "family"

when most of them

don't know or care

whether I am alive or dead today

"In Sixty or Ninety Minutes"

some of

these tapes

compiled by a younger me

were my emotional diaries

I feel my pain and passion

then and now

what's the odd twenty years

or so

the occasional jumpy

distorted song

"So Much Importance"

if they are not real friends

after all

however much I might

wish that they were

why should I give them

so much importance

in my life

yet

how do I stop

when I can't simply switch off

and stop caring

"Woodland Breathes"

the woodland breathes

her secret

green dance

"No Return"

'bye 'bye passive me

'bye 'bye victim

'bye 'bye "friends" who don't really like me

same goes for "family"

stores that don't want

my custom

I'll find one that does

say goodbye to the me

you all laughed at

she became too tired and jaded

you killed her

with your cruelty

the innocent and trusting me

she's gone

and she won't be coming back

this

is the point

of no return

"Silence and Lies"

a silent symphony

to understand

or not

and this

is not quite how we planned

to be

this silent symphony

of tears uncried

and why has

everybody

lied

why why

divide divide

they have all lied

all lied

my peace of mind denied

because

they never even

tried

the silent screams

inside my mind

"Nothing Really Matters"

I suddenly remember

that nothing matters any more

anyway

it's strangely comforting

"Clouds"

brief taste of

tranquillity

watching clouds drift

across topaz skies

"Magpie Dance"

clear blue sky

large white clouds with a few

smaller cousins

watching the black, blue, white

dance of magpies

in the now-closed

building site

"Once I Had a Walkman with 'Play', 'Stop', 'Fast Forward' - But No 'Rewind'"

how quickly they forget me

how easily their hearts neglect me

play stop fast forward stop eject

there's no rewind

and sometimes you learn

who your friends aren't

"Out of Control"

Despair

Is there

My world spinning

Out of my control

Where

Has the hope gone

How

Do I carry on

Another day

In this way

How

"This Morning"

It's a damp, worn-out feeling.

The morning is monochrome,

laced with psychedelic screams.

"Magpie"

with pristine feathers of

black, white and blue silk:

welcome visitor - landing here, on my balcony

"Summer Evening"

summer evening

clouds of grey-blue, lilac, peach

drifting

like dreams

across a still-blue sky

"Construction Site"

after the workmen have left

before they arrive again

then

the construction site

is full of activity

small birds

the occasional crow

a few local cats

"A Moment Captured"

I wrap myself in velvet solitude

poetry

and brief peace