Tag Archive | Poetry

Ashen faces

Mar7

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Death and destruction

Ashen faces

Bombed out buildings

Fear and consternation

Tanks and ammunition

Civilians and soldiers

Fighting, resisting

Dying and getting injured

And why?

To conquer a free country

To show one’s power

To extend one’s territory

The world has arisen against this atrocity

Countries have imposed sanctions

Are sending armaments

Condemn the violence

Watch in horror 

As their fellow men suffer and die

The near future is dark

The sky is darkened by billowing smoke

The land is scorched

People are victims of aggression

But the world is united 

Countries are doing what they can

To end this war

To let people live freely in their own country

To punish the aggressor

The distant future is bright

Those who want to start a war

Will know the world will be united against them

Wars won’t start so easily 

We will be one step closer to peace

But in the meantime

Death and destruction

Ashen faces

Bombed out buildings

What we see 

And people suffer

March 3rd, 2022

Still standing tall

Feb28
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Something terrible and painful must have happened

Something to shake her to her core

She must have been blindsided

It happened so suddenly, when least expected

After all, it was spring and the birds were singing

There was nothing menacing in the air

Life went on as usual

–

And then tragedy struck like a slap in the face 

Like a hit from behind

Where was this calamity coming from?

Why now?

–

But it was too late

The damage was done

She aged thirty years in one

She lost her verdant robe

She dried up

–

But even in this state

After that fateful day

After experiencing pain and suffering

And so much loss

She is still beautiful 

She is still standing tall

–

February 28th, 2022

Women

Jan28
beach during sunset


Women are powerful and self assured
Problems don’t faze them
They are willing to go where no one has gone before
Adversity, from their purpose does not detract them 
Where others see a seed, they see a tree
Where others see challenges, they see opportunities
Their spirit is indomitable 
Their intuition strong
Don’t discount women 
They are the future 

January 27th, 2022

My tea cup

Jan10

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My tea cup is white

And the word tea is written on it

Just in case I forget what it’s for

It has a rounded bottom which is pleasant to hold

Especially to warm my fingers on days that are cold

Many times when I pick up this tea cup

I’m transported to my youth in Vancouver

I taught English and this cup was the one

That sat on my desk during those years

I taught immigrants

I taught international students

And all the while my tea cup kept me company

Ready for when it was needed

This tea cup is around thirty years old

It has been with me in the various countries and cities

I have lived in

It has witnessed many things

It is one of the constants in all the changes in my life

Let’s have some tea!

January 10th, 2022

Freedom to choose

Jan3

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Why does mandatory head covering bother me so?

It’s because it’s something that is dictated by men to women

Why should men be able to control what women do and what they wear?

Why can they set the rules?

Optional head covering when it’s a woman’s choice I have no issues with

It’s when it’s being forced that it bothers me

Even if this were a religious mandate 

There should be freedom of choice to follow it

And what about those from other religions?

Hair is the adornment of women and men’s heads

Beauty is something to be celebrated

This idea of being aroused by women’s hair their body shape

No longer flies today

We live in a world that has changed

Ideas have changed

And trying to enforce old ways will not be easily tolerated

Women will fight against it

Women will prevail

It would be great if men did their share

To ensure the freedom of choice for women as well

Continue reading →

We can always go back

Jan2

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So, here we are in the middle of another lockdown

2022 is here and so is Covid still

Any hopes of it being over are a thing of the past

Thousands of flights are being canceled because

The personnel are sick and need to quarantine for days

Hospitals are trying to cope

Kids are back to studying online for a while

This virus is more stubborn that we thought

But we are stubborn too

We are not acknowledging our inherent oneness 

And dependence on each other

There are people who won’t get vaccinated

They will probably suffer most if they get sick

Countries are still looking out for themselves first

All kinds of false information is being passed around

Some governments are putting the lives of their people

In danger for political reasons

And in the middle of all this

Natalie helped me make my hair curly today

It’s its more natural state

I’m not super fond of it though

But it was worth a try

As to the world

Maybe we can give international cooperation a try

Try to follow scientific advice 

Think of others as well as ourselves

And if we don’t like it we can always go back

It is worth a try

January 2nd, 2022

As I get older

Dec28

 

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When you look for your glasses

And find them on your nose

When you put the salad topping 

Next to your dog’s food in the cupboard

When names escape your mind

Like sand through your fingers

When your knees hurt from time to time

You know you are no longer 25

But that’s when you need to have compassion for yourself

Your body and memory may not be in their prime

But your heart is most likely more tender

Your rough edges have been smoothed in the rapids of life

You have more perspective and patience

Yes, the wrinkles have appeared and are there to stay

But wrinkles speak of challenges and lessons learned

Of laughter and joy

So be gentle with yourself 

And think of what you have rather than

What you may have lost

December 28th, 2021

The touch

Dec27

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The warmth of a touch

The love it communicates

The care it shows

The gentleness it conveys

The attachment it demonstrates

The warmth of a touch

Consoling

Energizing

Life giving

Irreplaceable

The warmth of a touch

So much tenderness

So much ardour

So healing

So blissful

The warmth of a touch

Magical

Otherworldly

December 27th, 2021

Back again

Nov3

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I’m at one of my favourite places, the coffee shop

Where I read and write and have time to myself

The place where I recharge my batteries

Things are not the same as before

We still wear masks

We still sanitize 

And now we show our covid passports

But we can have coffee with friends now

The conversation is lively at the tables next to me

Whereas a few months ago I may be one of the two people staying for coffee

Everyone seemed to take coffee to go

I don’t come to the coffee shop as often as before though

Albert has been working from home, and we have our morning coffee together

I try to write at home

But there are always distractions

The coffee shop allows me to focus 

And stay in my own world as long as I need

No one interrupts me

The door bell does not ring

No one asks me questions and derail the train of my thought

I need this solitude to write

I’m grateful for another visit to the coffee shop 

November 3rd, 2021

Continue reading →

Fall is here

Sep30

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Fall is here

the carefree days of wearing sandals and dresses are gone

The scarves can come out

The verdure of the trees a waining

The magical colors of fall arrive

We will be indoors more

But we should not close our hearts

To kindness

To gentleness

To generosity

To love

Each season has its own beauty and prepares us for the one to come

Seasons change

Life goes on

And life is beautiful

If we try to bring some sunshine into someone else’s life

September 30th, 2021