THE OLD RUSTIC STILE

 

The old rustic stile

At the end of the lane

Still stands like a memorial

Marking that special place

Where the fates conspired

That our souls should meet

Though on that day

We purposely trod opposing paths

But met at that rustic spot

And to help you cross

I took hold of your hand,

Small and silken soft

Guiding you safely to my side

Where you stood on terra firma

And despite the presence

Of our companions

We were to all intents

Quite alone as we stood

Hand in hand and in the moment

When hand touched hand

We at once beheld

Our lives from that point on

Would be forever altered

Our future journeys

Would be as fellow travellers

And we were content

With a shared destiny

The old rustic stile

At the end of the lane

Stands like a monument

Marking the place of alteration

A significant place

A spiritual place

A place often revisited

And on such sojourns

We find romantic renewal

As the energizing memory

Of that special moment

Of love at first sight

Assails our senses

Essentially invigorating

Like imbibing the waters

From the fountain of youth

And our hearts once again

Resound with joyousness

Sweet moments of romance

Those excited tingles

Of loves first passion

When hearts beat faster

And desire courses

Through every fibre

The thrill of blossoming love

Adding to the strata

Of our love, laid down

Through all our years together

So by returning to the place

Of loves wondrous inception

We keep our love alive

And in equal measure

Love returns the favour

OH TO FEEL LOVES EXQUISITE ACHE

 

 

Oh to feel loves exquisite ache
To feel that desperate longing
Experiencing that naked want
Of being with them again, and

Feeling so alive in the torment
While craving the next fix
Of that heady foaming brew
Which will satisfy the longing

And quench the thirst of desire.
And when that significant soul
Who holds my captive heart,
Is but a kiss and caress away
I am dragged from sorrows
Unfathomable despairing depths
And bitter anguish evaporates
Like dew under the morning sun
Until euphoria fills every pore
And in that perfect ecstasy
That blissful state of love
I remain until I am once again

Alone with my desperate longing

FORGOTTEN?

 

 

I had forgotten her
I had forgotten
The way she looked
With her bright elfin face
And brown soulful eyes
I had forgotten
The sound of her voice
With its sweet honeyed tones
And her infectious laughter
It had been hard
But I had forgotten her

I had forgotten
The smell of her hair
The taste of her lips
The touch of her skin
I had forgotten her completely
She was off my radar
My senses were free of her
Free of her intoxication
Free of her narcotic
It had taken months
Going cold turkey
To cleanse myself, to detox
To shake her from my consciousness
And exorcise her from my soul
But I had forgotten her

I had forgotten her
By changing jobs
Decorating the house
And ridding myself of everything

That reminded me of her
And I was free
My life was once more on an even keel
The stormy seas had been quelled
All was calm and safe
And there was such comfort

In feeling safe
The wounds had healed
Though the scars remained
I had peace of mind
When I could say

I had forgotten her

And I had forgotten her
Until that fateful day
When I found it
Down the side of the sofa
A small pearl button
Such an innocuous item
Evoking such potent memories
Of a violet lamb’s wool sweater
That accentuated her breasts so well
The button was a casualty

Of an intimate encounter
Discarded in our passionate haste
And in that instance of recognition
She was all at once back with me
My senses reawakened
Her scent was in my nostrils
I could feel her lips on mine
Her caress on my cheek
I could hear her infectious laughter
And I saw her sitting beside me
Close enough to touch
And as the wounds reopened
I realised to my dismay that

I had not forgotten her

I had not forgotten her
I had just shut down
Disabled my interface with the world
I hid away in my castle

And pulled up the draw bridge
And created my own world within
I held the button in my fingers
As the drawbridge lowered

And my castle walls fell
And the world flooded in
That little pearl button
Spoke to me in volumes
And I knew I loved her still

BUTTERFLY SUMMER

 

I remember well, when we were young

And all those long halcyon days

We spent so many joyful hours

Just idling our time away

Down on her dad’s farm.

They were such happy lazy days

Swinging on that old rustic gate

Fishing in the mill pond,

Pooh sticks on the stream

And roaming the countryside

With nothing particular to do

And a world of time to do it in.

They were truly wonderful days

Pleasure filled days, innocent days,

Before the end of childhood

But that was before those amazing weeks

Of that one very special summer,

So many summers ago now,

When she transformed before my eyes,

A little more each day, into something new

Like a butterfly, emerging from its cocoon

Spreading its glorious wings in the sun

Displaying a previously unseen beauty.

A wonderful transformation

When she magically changed

From the cutely naive country girl,

An awkward and ungainly tomboy,

Into an altogether more graceful being

A beautiful young woman,

Though I was fond of the grubby faced girl

With the unruly hair, wispy and uncombed

But fondness paled and I very soon fell in love

With the beautiful butterfly that had replace her

And with the emergence of the butterfly girl

Possessed of all the wondrous beauty

Of the first flower of spring

We trod an unfamiliar path

And left our childish games behind

Taking our first tentative steps towards love,

A love that was a stranger to us, an alien thing

Yet we stepped eagerly into its turbulent sea

And immersed ourselves in its waters

We knew at once that excitement of first love

When joy was all we could see

And all of our thoughts were only for each other

Sweet moments spent in blissful adoration

Until love was burnt deeply on our souls.

Now when we walk the familiar places

Of our distant youth, as we so often do

We can stand in that very spot

Where first I beheld the butterfly

Resplendent in the sunlight

And say to her with heartfelt sincerity

That I love her still

THOSE JOYFUL DAYS

Gone now is that joyful day
When we stood before God
Humble in his blessed presence
And we were joined as one
When everything lay ahead of us

 

Gone are those joyful days
Full of love and laughter
Days of tender moments
And heady nights of passion
When everything lay ahead of us

 

Gone are those joyful days
When we walked along the shore line
Happy, carefree and in love,

As we walked hand in hand
And everything lay ahead of us

 

Gone are those joyful days
When God blessed our union
And delivered perfect joy into our lives
As our little family grew
And we had everything we desired

 

Gone are those joyful days
When your smile lit up my life
And my heart overflowed with love for you
Before it was broken in two
And everything was taken from me

 

Gone are the joyful days
Since you have gone ahead of me
Now God has you by his side
And I will miss you until that day
When God has reunited us

 

I look forward to that joyful day
When we stand once more together
But though my heart is broken
I must delay our reunion
Our sweet children need me
And I must love them double now

BEFORE LOVE DIED

 

We walked together in the spring
When our love was a fresh new thing
The cherry trees were in blossom
And we thought life was awesome
Our hearts were so full we sighed
But that was before love died

 

In the summer we walked together
In the fine and sunny weather
Through fields of golden corn
When we parted we were forlorn
And felt a burning passion deep inside
But that was before love died

 

In the autumn we walked abroad
And our hearts were of one accord
We wandered thought the golden gown
And nothing could ever get us down
We felt as one when side by side
But that was before love died

 

When winters chill fell upon the land
We still walked together hand in hand
We played in the snow like children
Making snow angels again and again
I even asked her to be my bride
But that was before love died

 

We had walked hand in hand
As a life together we planned
We sat beneath a leafy oak
As of everlasting love we spoke
And we loved, laughed and cried
But that was before love died

 

Now I walk alone in the familiar places
Where we enjoyed our fond embraces
Where we kissed and spoke of tomorrow
Places that now bring me only sorrow
Her love made me feel alive inside
But that was before love died

LEFT ALONE

 

Tears stung her eyes
And her voice cracked
As she remembered
Her loss hung heavy
Since he, what?
Even now she can't say it
Could not utter the word
Euphemisms fill her head
Crossed over, left the world,
Gone to a better place
He's in the next room
Passed away
Other people can say dead
But she cannot
Seven years have passed
Since it happened, her loss
And she lost so much
A husband, lover, friend
Partner, confident
And Soul mate
And even now it hurt
Though the wound
Is an old one
It is still unhealed
Still vivid red, and angry
Time is a great healer
They said to help her
To comfort her
But she thinks they lied

I LIE IN THE FIRST LIGHT OF DAWN

 

 

I lie in the first light of dawn
Alone, thinking of her,
Wishing her next to me
Feeling her breath
Against my skin
Her breasts
Pressed against my flesh
In the quiet of the new day
Hearing her breathing
I ache for her touch
I long for her soft body
Against mine
In the dawns pale light
And in the darkness
I want her

I want her so much,
But she is gone
She is mine no more
Never again will my hands
Caress her form
Never again will I hear
Her murmur and sigh in pleasure
She is mine no more
My angel of the night
Has left my side
And dwells now
With others of her kind

I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS

 

 

Do not grieve for me
Do not mourn my passing
Just remember me with a smile.
Don’t think of me as gone
Remember what we had
Think of our life as a favourite book
Do not close it and put it on the shelf
Never to be read again
Just because you hate the ending
Start to write the next chapter
Enjoy it like all the others
And don’t be sad
I will be with you always

 

I will be there when the wild flowers
Dance in the spring meadow
When the summer breeze moves through
A field of ripening wheat
When the morning mist of autumn
Softens the landscape
And when the winter sun
Sparkles and glints on the snow
And I will be by your side
Through your loneliest hours

I will be with you always

 

I will be there in the dawn
Rising with the sun
You will see me again
When the sun sets at the days end
And in the twilight hours
I will be that gentle breeze
That caress’s your cheek
On a warm summer evening
And I will be that tingle on your skin
As you lie in the quiet hours

I will be with you always

 

I will be there when you retrace our steps
And when you stand on the lake shore
My reflection will not be on the water
By I am still with you
When you walk in the autumn
Through the golden carpet
I will be in the dancing leaves
And when the snow lays,
Though I will leave no foot prints
I am there for these moments that were ours

I will be with you always

 

I will be there in the quietness of winter
Among the falling snowflakes
I will be in the dew drops
On the grassy meadow
I will be there in the warm sunlight
Of a summer’s day
I will be with you when the storm
Quickens your heartbeat
And you will feel me on your skin
In the April showers

I will be with you always

THE NIGHT OF FIRSTS

 

 

I dreamt last night
About our night of firsts
And I saw everything with such clarity
Though it was many years ago
All the sights, sounds, tastes, smells,

And of course, touch
It was such a special night
Our night of firsts
Principally it was our first date
And the first time we held hands
It was as I walked you home
Along the orchard lane
And then of course
Beneath the cherry tree
We shared our first kiss
On that late spring evening
When the air was full of perfume
And we heard the birdsong
As we gazed into each other’s eyes
Then our lips touched
And our fate was sealed
For at that moment
On our night of firsts
We fell in love
From that moment on
And all the days of our lives
Our love has lasted
And though I am alone now
And I can only kiss you in my dreams
When my time comes
We will meet again
And we will walk hand in hand

Along the orchard lane
And kiss once more
Beneath the cherry tree

LIFE’S SOJOURN

 

 

I held your hand
Though you did not know it
And I remembered
The first time I held it
That august day so long ago
When the magic passed between us
And I knew I had found my mate

It was such an innocuous action,
We were on the train
Two travelling strangers
As it rattled its way through Surrey
You were just getting to your feet
When the train lurched
And you fell back with a bump
I offered you my hand
Which you took and the die was cast
Our journey together began
Now your journey is nearly at its end
And I sit in vigil at your side
Where I will remain
Until life leaves your body

On that quiet final breath
And you make the next journey alone

I said to you when we were young
“I would love you all of your life"
And when you were still you,
Before the morphine took hold of you
You reminded me of it and said to me
“Will you still love me all of my life?”
With a crack in my voice I replied
“No I’ll love you for all of mine”

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY

 

Harry's mind wandered
As he wended his way
Through crowded streets

To a special someone
Anna was his new love
And he would see her that night
As he hurried along

He could smell her hair
Feel the softness of her skin
He could even taste her
And he longed for her
As he remembered
Her smile, her kiss
Her writhing body
Then Harry stepped off the curb
Oblivious to the danger
And was struck
By a car unseen
Tossing him like a rag doll
Depositing him unceremoniously
Between car and gutter

His body lay broken
And bleeding
Where it came to rest
On the unforgiving street
And the last image in his mind
Was not the killer car
But Anna his new love
As his life ebbed away
His heart beat its last
The paramedic's best efforts
Were to no avail

A moment's carelessness
Had cost a young life
And his heart beat no more
In his broken body
But would beat once more
In another's chest
And reanimate
To bring new hope
To rekindle another's existence
Bringing a new beginning for Sally
Who, like a phoenix
Rises from the ashes

Of her frailty at the price
Of another families grief

THE BAD NEWS CAME

 

 

The news came,
As bad news does,
Out of the blue
At break neck speed
And hit me like a train
With deaths hateful sting
Numbing me to the core
Leaving me speechless
And too arid even to cry
Until the pain burst through
Bringing forth the bitter tears

As despair washed over me
Until I was drowning in sadness.
I sank in its frigid waters
To the depths of my soul
So bitter was the news
The loss so acute
I was broken in two
Lying beaten on the ground
I could feel no worse
I could sink no lower

Then like kicking an injured dog
I was struck by remorse
Like a tidal wave

A tsunami of regret
Knocking me off my feet
Why didn’t I tell her?
Why didn’t I say?
“I love you too”

EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (6)

 

I have stood by the Anatolian salt springs

I have stood upon Lake Victoria’s shore

I have stood in the Himalayan Mountains

I have looked upon St Helens eruption in awe

I have seen many things in my long life

It is my plan to live to see many more

But I know I will never see more beauty

Now I stand beside you of that I’m sure

RELISHING THE MOMENT

 

If opportunity exposed

A glimpse of stocking top

Before my licentious eyes.

Should my perusal stop?

 

Should I avert my gaze?

From a most pleasing sight

Or consider it serendipidous

And drink in the delight

LITTLE MARY

 

Little Mary

Neat and petite

A little angel

Short and sweet

 

Little Mary

Hold my hand

As we walk

Along the Strand

 

Little Mary

Give me a kiss

On your sweet lips

My little miss

 

Little Mary

Here’s my heart

Its not much

But it’s a start

 

Little Mary

Take my hand

Then you can wear

My wedding band

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

 

She had blocked the corridor

And I had blocked her passage

And an enpasse had been reached

Which was not so easy to assuage

Eventually compromise reigned

And ground was conceided equally

And accomodations were reached

A curt embrace followed, continentaly

This led surpisingly to kissing

Then there was cuddling and huggage

And passions burned brighty

And we made love amongst the luggage

SALLY

 

Sally was a lovely girl,

The daughter of family friends

Our parents thought to interfere

To join us for the own ends

 

And being in Sally’s company

Was enjoyable and pleasing

We had always been close

Sharing jokes and teasing

 

But anything else than that

I would just have to resist her

For to have a sexual relationship

Would have been like bedding my sister

 

But I was relieved to find out

That Sally had told her mother

That it was simply immoral

To be expected to marry her brother

A WASTED LOVE

 

Do you know why,

Even after all these years,

When I close my eyes

Its your face I see

Even after all these years

My thoughts are of you

My dreams are of you

Its because I still love you

And I am stuck

In this mind set

Of not being able to love another

While I’m still in love with you

It’s a wasted love

Because you moved on

When I could not

Your heart is cold to me

While mine still burns for you

I've known that for years

But I cannot break free

And when my eyelids close

You are there behind them

STEPHANIE

 

She was certainly a sight

To wet any appetite

Elegant and graceful

Understatedly sexual

Outshining the sex kittens

The vamps and the vixens

Mouth-wateringly tantalising

Deliciously appetising

All the time she was there

All eyes consumed her

She would grace any menu

At any type of venue

But her appearance was brief

She was but an aperitif

But she was surely a sight

To wet any appetite