THE PHOENIX WRITES

Winds breath blows,
Whistles through the coastal leaves.
Minute footprints in the sand
Of the scuttling creatures, near the seas.

Crashing surf swarms,
Remnants of the oceans life.
Grainy sand and salty weed
Mix with broken shells of strife

Listen
The birds screech,
As overhead they fly.
Sails flapping,
Their staccato goodbye.
Alone, the sailor sits and breathes,
The salty air of open seas.

Yet within
There’s more to hear.
The noise of life,
Of lessons near.
Intuition,
Instinct and more.
Atmospheric condition
soul voice,
destiny’s shore.

Listen
In silence,
We can hear sounds of seas,
But better yet,
Internal sounds that please.
Sounds of wisdom deep below,
Of advice given,
And things we know.
Personal growth,
Of destiny’s plan.
Goals and dreams,
Of a better man.
Gardens grown,
And children’s dreams.
Love and life,
Pleasures seen.

Listen
Do not dear sailor,
Blot out the noise.
Of sea and wind,
Or soul and void.

But Listen
To all that’s heard within.
That your journey may
Show which port to win

The sailor sat beside the sea
And pondered all that made him free
His past had gone as rapid storms
The calm, the waves, the lightning forms.

​

The ocean swell surrounds his boat,
Palms rise from nearby land
Surf crashes on the rugged rocks
Creatures scuttle through the sands

​

He listens to the sounds of sea
And to a still small voice
The soul voice of his journeys end
That warns of imminent choice.

​

Lessons learned along the way
Have taught our sailor friend
Of dreams and passions he must tend
Pathways to a wondrous end

​

Should we ignore that inner voice
instinctive tho it be
alone we journey in the rough
destinies glory never to see.

​

Listen, dear friend, listen
Listen to nature’s choice.
Our destiny unfolds before us
Listen to your inner voice.

The surface rippled
Winds breath blow in mesmerizing waves
Alive with a mind of its own

Each fluid crest
Curves, arches, froths
Into a Kaleidoscope of movement

Its white frothy plumes lapping the surface
Tenderly caressing the golden sand
Stroking with love
Changing with its touch

The moist spray wafts over the rocks
Moistening with its presence
Spurting upwards against each resistance

Woman-like it moves with a mind of its own
Unpredictable, beautiful, miraculous
Its aqua marine depths reflecting light and color
Each different shade accented
By the white tip of its wind blown surface

Untold stories of its endless travels lie
Buried within the sand tossed particles of the ocean floor
This living, breathing, creature
Who can understand its ways?

Reality is drowned beneath the waves.
The bubbling crescendo
Sounding forth its mockery
At my resistance.

Anguished cries are muted
By the vast liquid’s gossamer grasp.
Each arching crest curves around my soul
Cocoon like it entraps me.

Explosive waves roar their obsession.
Each powerful white tipped crest
Rolls with the joy of loves persistent tattoo.

White water propels me heedless
Towards destiny’s ocean
Its power rushes through my veins.
Tossing me over the edge of reason
The Tsunami consumes me in its passion.

Heart pounding within my rapturous journey
The water falls away into distant oblivion.
Suddenly I am thrust free of its tenuous hold
Its vehemence crashing me against the scarred shore.
There the marks of our passing remain a constant reminder
Cherished scars to be carried on love’s momentous tide

Like a Tsunami come to claim the soul,
Love seeks my full surrender.
​

Oh summer where have you gone?
Blistery cold is un-banished
By your amorous flirtations
Rain and cold permeate my being
Causing me to ponder your fickle nature

Your face hidden in feminine fancy
Oh summer I am your true love
Withhold not your charms from me
With one smile
You can banish the gloom forever.

A rainbow is a beauteous thing,
Its wonder we behold!
And ponder if we’d ever find,
The elusive pot of gold.

If it were not for the sunshine,
And the clouds upon the sky.
There would not be such colours,
Such beauty by and by.

There would not be the promise,
That is in every stroke.
There would not be the wonder,
Of the mercy God bespoke.

And how often do we miss it?
The elusive rainbow not see?
And just keep travelling onwards,
That through the pot of gold we would be free.

But freedom comes from the beauty,
Of the sunshine and the clouds.
The journey that we travel,
The joy and troubles found.

They each compliment the other,
Would bring out our true colours see?
And create a beauty more wondrous,
Than any other you would see!

So friend as we would travel,
This journey of our life.
Lets remember the beauteous rainbow,
The promise of eternal life.

Lets know that through our troubles,
We would just require the rain.
And soon will come the sunshine,
To bring out our beauty again.

And through this wondrous beauty,
Others too perhaps may see
The gold is in the rainbow,
The end is where we be.

*Tribute to the Wheatsheaf Hotel North Shields Black Tuesday*

It’s nestled in the hollow
That building made of stone
Twas worn around the edges
Many patrons has it known

It has withstood the ages
The times of war and peace
The battles of the neighbors
Mans endeavors for a piece.

It’s seen marriage and divorces.
Affairs of heart, and all
Drunken sailors, well dressed tailors
The harlot, and the fool.

It’s been home for the unlucky
A refuge for the saint
Sporn of Satan for the missus
A place of God they’re sure it aint.

Its been full of warmth, and cheer
Full of smoke filled eyes and beer.
Full of communities fair bidding
Let’s fight the foe, that’s why we’re here.

It’s known of life’s past dramas
It’s known the past so dear.
It holds secrets best forgotten
Many a skeleton’s held here.

It’s known love of all fair patrons
They’re the friends it holds so dear.
It’s the reason for its existence.
The country pub that holds our beer.

Kerplop
Tasty morsel sinks beneath the depths
Lures with its sparkling promise of tender fruits,
No hint of its hidden ensnarement.

Large eyes ogle the morsel,
Owner biding his time to ensure the promised catch
Tasty sport to be found here today!

CHOMP
Got You!
No quick escape for you my tasty morsel!
The thoughts are echoed from above
As the eyes bulge in surprise.

Pain tears through the scaly flesh
Forgotten in a split second
when unrelenting pressure jerks upwards,
Pulling towards heavens waterless ocean of air.

Oh what snares have trapped me
in my endeavours for a free meal and entertainment?
What costly price paid for careless satisfaction?
​
With every powerful swish of my tail I resist,
But soon I am face to face with my captor.
His hungry eyes and fat tummy belie his need to feed.

Take heed the captor who would become captive
Take heed lest you become someone else’ sport.