Remembering Amy – on this her 3rd anniversary (23/7/2011)

In your bedroom of dreams, are miracles made

A mix-tape of favourites, 25 in all, played

A track list of a life well-lived starts in your youth

The future’s before you.  Amy, you’re the proof

 

A suitcase full of family stills, tells your history

“Please don’t shut me up, my life is no mystery”

“Let me be heard, in nations far and wide”

But no-one can ever know what’s going on, inside

 

A childhood wish on a star, comes more than true

Remembering Amy, for being just “you”

A legacy of memories of an incredible voice

But your life was to end, by chance, not by choice

 

A world weeps, a legacy lingers, a talent lost

The music we won’t enjoy, you paid the ultimate cost

We only said goodbye with words, and left our hearts behind

You’ll be remembered for all eternity, in a funky digital cloud

 

The tears in our eyes, won’t dry on their own

They need a reminder from the seeds you have sown

And the passion inside stirs emotions within

So your music plays on, with our hearts in a spin

 

All you ever wanted was for your voice to be heard

But your life was lived in public and you unfurled.

Gone much too soon than you really should’ve oughta

An Icon.  A Diva.  A Legend.  A Daughter.

“Try” – a poem

You might be an excellent swordsman
Or a Salsa King with wiggly hips
You might have a way with the animals
Or be an amazing horticulturist

Perhaps you’re a champion skier
As you glide down the slopes, pure and white
Have you ever turned your hand to wood carving
Or jumping out of a plane, mid flight?

Maybe you’re a graceful performer
Who excels every night on the stage
Or then again your skill lies in painting
Or deep diving the oceans, so blue

Perhaps you’re destined as a poet
With couplets that rhyme as they melt
Or a writer of novels is your calling
With stories to tell, so heartfelt

Whatever you skill or your talent
Or wherever your heart’s desire lie
There one thing I know that’s for certain
You won’t know your blessing til you try

Storm – a poem

“Storm”

Clouds are heavy in flesh toned hues
Animals ears pricked in knowing ways
Storm is travelling from distant lands
Birds of flight have stowed away
Then rain and thunder all around
Carving up the days remains
Lightning flash in strobe-like calm
Night like day, before the dawn
Crows form a group with murderous intent
Squawking their sycophantic symphony
On telegraph lines of analogue
Humidity hangs with crackling intent
Electrified oxygen, heavy on the bass
Forks of anger, electrified
Then comes the rain, of discontent

“Alice’s Last Stand” – a poem

Climbing to the summit of self appointed gloom
My featherlike touch will topple your mountain 
There will be no salvation in the truth
And rocks will fall like tears spilling from my jar
You pierce my red heart with your words of stone
Emotionless and hard and jagged
My eagle will swoop and circle
Protecting my soul from your vulturesque words
Raining down like lava
Melting and destroying all in it's path
You fall down the rabbit hole of solitude 
And I remain strong at the cave's mouth of discontent
Fighting off all who threaten my brood
With all the strength and patience of the Jabberwokky

“Summer Solstice” – a poem

Summer solstice on anniversary's eve
Awash the daylight of my youth 
Penetrate the skies with warmth and colour
Pervading starry night's slumber
The dawn marked in time by a twittering chorus
And long shadows darken the solstice morn 
Dew glistens in the dappled light
Sun rises high and June proudly shines
Gemini's motion so deftly remaindered
Til the cusp of Cancer's twilight

“English Summer” – a poem

Scorpio’s precipitation 
taints July’s gemini skies,
No nightingale song at dawn’s early light.
The patter of the rain 
is the anthem of the morning,
Singing it’s scorn for the summer of today.
Tomorrow’s blooms will fail 
My summer’s currency will outweigh the winter
And the day will end as it began.

My new book “Observations” – a poetry collection available on Amazon

For those of you who may have missed it, I brought out a collection of poetry called “Observations”.  Its available in Kindle and Paperback versions via Amazon, worldwide.  If you’ve enjoyed my poetry on here, its “more of the same”.

Here’s the link for the UK Site

 

Thanks

 

Frances – a poem

Silk Cut fags and lavender soap
Max Factor face powder, thickly applied
Stories of wartime rationing,
peppered liberally with a side of lies

Trinkets stuffed in a drawers,
forgotten gifts of love
Untangled, just for play
My childhood self, easily pleased

Two bathrooms, there’s posh
Izal loo paper; makeshift kazoo’s
A proper pantry and industrial packets
Tom & Jerry stickers on the twin tub

Me, 8 years old, and buying fags by the carton
from the offy to keep her supplies in check
Sneaky sweets bought with the change
A payment in kind for chores delivered

Open heart surgery; more attacks than Hiroshima
Bungalow living, and ghosts in the hallway.
Library room stuffed with books never read
Strange noises heard as I lie on the Z-bed

Swirly patterned carpets, in brown and orange
Fake Rococo wardrobes, gold paint detail by my Mum
Cigarettes on the go in every room
Smog hanging, worse than LA at dawn

Field opposite full of horses, fed peelings and waste,
A childhood duty, I was terrified.
Pothole road unadopted, just like kids
Bypass views of cars whizzing by

Red Mini clubman that went like the clappers
Moving to Scotland just for kicks
Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be….
Blackpool care home, depressing as sin

Three weddings, but only one real marriage
Brandy and pills cocktail,
and false phone conversations from afar
Emergency dashes and lifts from the station

Smart red suit with red velvet collar
Promises made, and duly unkept.
Green glass ornaments with white painted snowdrops
Arabesque Denby, Puffin duvets, Staying over for weeks

Regrets of the Dying – a poem

 

It’s the end of my life, and what have I learned?
Did I toil too much, and leave my family spurned?
Did I say “I Love You” to those that I do?
Did I say it enough?
Did I say it to you?

Did I make enough time for fun spent with friends?
Were dreams and aspirations chased to the end?
Did I do what I love, instead of what’s safe?
Was I true to myself?  
Was I bold, was I brave?

Did I always speak my mind instead of resenting?
Was I the “bigger person” when conflict’s presenting?
Did I do right by my kids, and raise them just so,
Did they have the childhood, that we all should know?

I wish I’d saved money for retirement
But regretting it now isn’t time well spent
Did I live with an honour and courage and truth
Did I become a role model for the generation of youth?

I wish I’d not been so angry and proud
I wish I’d not locked myself in a shroud
Happiness is an option; I now know that’s true
I wish the younger me, was telling that to you

So what have I learned through my lifetime of years
Life’s what you make it, and there’s nothing to fear
Live the life you desire, here and now, and today
Make the changes, don’t regret.
Live life another day.

 

“I’m Every Woman” – a poem

I'm Keira Knightly pretty
I'm Angelina slim
I'm Lindsay Logan shitty
I'm Alexis on a whim 

I'm Debbie Harry savvy
A New York talkin' dame
I'm Mama Cass heavy
When I'm not playin' the game 

I'm Joan Rivers funny
I'm Collins greatest fan
I'm Sandra Bullock sunny
And I'm every woman

I'm Julia Roberts happy
I'm Marilyn's biggest threat
I'm often Streisand sappy
I'm Bassey for a bet

I'm Siouxsie in my soul
Some things will never change
I'm all of the above
But most of all, I'm Ange

I'm Pavlova's greatest dance
I'm Ella Fitzgerald's soul
I'm Audrey Hepburn elegance
I'm many parts of the whole

I'm Jane Russell sexy
I'm Betty Davis bold
I'm Mae West flippin' foxy
I'm a pleasure to behold