Poems

A number of people have sent us poems, either written by them or old favourites that lift the spirits. Some of these have already been included in the Tributes pages but here I have reproduced the others in no particular order.

Sometimes

 

Sometimes things don’t go, after all,
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don’t fail.

Sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.
A people sometimes will step back from war,
elect an honest man, decide they care
enough, that they can’t leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.

Sometimes our best intentions do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen; may it happen for you.

Sheenagh Pugh

* * * * *

on a clear day
unfasten the gate
and take the path
over the machair
through the daisies
down to the sea.

Thomas a Clark

* * * * *

Your girl is still beautiful,
still the one you love,
still there to talk to,
just on the other side of life.

Chris Appleby

* * * * *

from The Prophet

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Kahil Gibran

* * * * *

from The Little Prince

In one of the stars I shall be living
In one of them I shall be laughing
And so it will be as if
All the stars were laughing
When you look at the sky at night….

Antoine de Saint Exupery

* * * * *

For dancing Louise

There are crossroads in life
When it is necessary to leave something behind
In order to move forward.
The path ahead stretches promisingly,
…compelling, provocative,
An irresistible partner.
Even with the body in motion
with the muscular yearning to complete step
There occurs the crystal pirouette
When the heart turns backward, only for a moment,
bows slowly, slowly and murmurs ….
thank you for the dance

Poetry of the Taos Pueblo Indian Nation

* * * * *

It is the same as it ever was.
Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I, and you are still you.
Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.
Call me by my own familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way you always used.
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Let my name be ever the household name it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect,
Without the face of a shadow on it
Life means all that it always meant,
It is the same as it ever was.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval,
Somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
You see…All is well.

Henry Scott Holland (Canon of St Pauls, around 1900)

* * * * *

Poem from Janet

When you lose someone you love,
Your life becomes strange,
The ground beneath you becomes fragile,
Your thoughts make your eyes unsure;
And some dead echo drags your voice down
Where words have no confidence.

Your heart has grown heavy with loss;
And though this loss has wounded others too,
No one knows what has been taken from you
When the silence of absence deepens.

Flickers of guilt kindle regret
For all that was left unsaid or undone.

There are days when you wake happy;
Again inside the fullness of life,
Until the moment breaks
And you are thrown back
Onto the black tide of loss.

Days when you have your heart back,
You are able to function well
Until in the middle of work or encounter,
Suddenly with no warning,
You are ambushed by grief.

It becomes hard to trust yourself.
All that you can depend on now is that
Sorrow will remain faithful to itself.

More than you, it knows its way
And will find the right time
To pull and pull the rope of grief
Until the coiled hill of tears
Has reduced to its last drop.

Gradually you will learn acquaintance
With the invisible form of your departed;
And when the work of grief is done,
The wound of loss will heal
And you will have learned
To wean your eyes
From that gap in the air
And be able to enter the hearth
In your soul where your loved one
Has awaited your return
All the time.

by John O’Donohue

* * * * *

Darling Louise,
you already know I am no poet, otherwise I could have written something for you by now, but a couple of things written for my friend Phil who just died… could almost have been written for you so I thought I’d share them. You two would have got on well you had a shared a love of life, friends, things orange and happy dancing.

Both are written by the amazing Amelia who also I wish you’d met….

You know, I been thinking…
if a lifetime is like a piece of art – then maybe we all just finish our masterpieces at different speeds….
Now I wish you were still here still being the most big bright paintbrush of the lot….
But you made a wicked wonderful piece of art with your life baby, every dance, smile, fancy dress costume, genius idea, huge bear hug, red car….
Could fill a universe sized gallery with sunshine!

When I read this I couldn’t help smile and cry and then think of you as well as Phil because your life’s masterpiece is beautiful, crazy, inspiring and though I will never stop wishing you were still here to add to it every day I am amazed by just how full and fantastic a masterpiece you left for us to remember you by. And new ones keep on cropping up, I love listening to you sing your Little Old Lady song…, your garden in starting to blossom, we are keeping your hula hoops spinning and your fabulous clothes are making your wonderful friends that little bit better dressed. I may not be brave enough to die my hair orange, but I reckon that’s ok you always said you loved it natural but i think today is a day for tangerine nails and a bindi..

Amelia also wrote this poem and I thought you would have liked it too.

We are the shapers,
The makers and the culture creators
The midnight soul bakers,
The wild escapers

…The potential to be greatest.
We are the wisdom, the coordinators,
The beautiful wild creatures

We are the freest,
The last down the trees
The eyes of the underground
The colour that will always resound.

We are the dancing dawn greeters
The orange appreciators
The first up the mountain
And the fastest coming down.

Follow us and remember to play
We are the lovers and the never ending laughter
Shine on bright friends

Be bold and brilliant
Because now is our time

Louise you were always bold and brilliant, every day was your time, the picture you painted with your life is beautiful and we are so lucky to have it to look at now…. you will always shine on with me in a stream of never ending laughter. Words will never do justice to how much I love you x

* * * * *

This is what i wanted to read out at louise’s beautiful memorial afternoon/evening – but i was too overwhelmed by the huge amount of people who gathered ….I wanted to read it out because i would have send it to louise, she would have appreciated it as much as i do.

Center of all centers, core of cores,
almond self-enclosed, and growing sweet–

all this universe, to the furthest stars
all beyond them, is your flesh, your fruit.

Now you feel how nothing clings to you;
your vast shell reaches into endless space,
and there the rich, thick fluids rise and flow.

Illuminated in your infinite peace,

a billion stars go spinning through the night,
blazing high above your head.
But in you is the presence that
will be, when all the stars are dead.

Once the realization is accepted that even
between the closest human beings infinite
distances continue,
a wonderful living side by side can grow,
if they succeed in loving the distance
between them which makes it possible

for each to see the other whole against the sky.

And you wait, keep waiting for that one thing

which would infinitely enrich your life:
the powerful, uniquely uncommon,
the awakening of dormant stones,
depths that would reveal you to yourself.

In the dusk you notice the book shelves
with their volumes in gold and in brown;

and you think of far lands you journeyed,
of pictures and of shimmering gowns
worn by women you conquered and lost.

And it comes to you all of a sudden:
That was it! And you arise, for you are
aware of a year in your distant past

with its fears and events and prayers.

Yes Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other.
I hold this to be the highest task for a bond between people:

that each protects the solitude of the other.

Rainer Maria Rilke

* * * * *

I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow,
than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.

Jack London

* * * * *

5 thoughts on “Poems”

  1. Miss you miss you my Louise.

    Where have you gone? Have you gone out on your bike again, with lights so bright.

    Your colourful shirt and shiny lipstick and huge smile on your face.

    Off to the local park to see some friends, don’t let the good times end.

    oh Louise, come home, pom pom is waiting for you. It’s Summer again Louise, your favourite time.

    Want you to come and see me at my new flat and cook for you.Don’t understand why you had to go.

    Poor little love, so tiny and so vulnerable but so strong.

    Miss you Louise, please come back again, want to see your pretty face again.

    Z.Xxxxx.Xxxxxx

  2. I watch a seemingly directionless little fly in the air.
    Bouncing off invisible angles,
    jagged
    yet gliding.
    The air is pure.
    As I inhale and exhale,
    soft, feathered life.
    The clear skies penetrate my eyes, beyond the depths of blue
    nourishing every inch of my being.
    Tangible

    Intangible
    The sun warms my skin;
    I sense I am being held.
    Infiltrating through layer upon layer of epidermis, muscle, tissue and bone,
    my blood alive, pulsing, giving.
    My hands waiting, ready
    open
    The water rolls in, embracing the shore
    United
    Harmony
    And just as I am here,
    constructed and defined by my flesh and blood,
    You, are here too.

    The other day I had this moment and this is how I tried to capture it. I felt you were here in everything around me and it was beautiful.
    love, daisy xxx

  3. This poem – which you have asked me to upload onto the website – is the one in the nice illustrated edition I dropped by yesterday. I think Louise would have loved it, because the illustrations are so full of life and humour. The snow also makes me think of Champery and the wonderful time we had there with you. I hope Robert Frost’s wise words give some comfort. With lots of love, as ever, to all of you:

    Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

    Whose woods these are I think I know.
    His house is in the village though;
    He will not see me stopping here
    To watch his woods fill up with snow.
    My little horse must think it queer
    To stop without a farmhouse near
    Between the woods and frozen lake
    The darkest evening of the year.
    He gives his harness bells a shake
    To ask if there is some mistake.
    The only other sound’s the sweep
    Of easy wind and downy flake.
    The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep.

    Robert Frost 1922

  4. Couldn’t read this very well Lou but this is for you.

    Auroral star,
    Sweetest flower
    Child of the magic hour,
    Your eyes of azure warm and sow,
    The purest love in all you know.
    Your cheeky smile graced your sweet face,
    Forever lights and fills this space,
    And ’til we meet again my friend,
    your love and light shall never end.

    Love you xxxx

  5. For today, I promise I will laugh for you
    For today, I have already smiled for you
    I danced this morning in honour of you
    My outfit today is dedicated to you

    …Every morning your poster is clear to see
    Everyday your energy empowers me
    Every moment your life inspires me
    Not a moment goes by when you’re not with me

    What a beautiful day it is today – thank you for the sunshine

    Love Badger (Sam)

    xxxx

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