Downshire Diary – (01) Meeting Dorcas

(Part 01)

He had always been a contented person and altogether happy with his lot, though not a wealthy person by any measurement he had everything he wanted and all was well in his world.
He had a job that he enjoyed, and a family that he loved and got along well with and he lived in his own modest cottage in the pleasant Downshire village of Bushy Down.
He thought he had everything a man could possibly want and he was content, that was, until a few weeks after his twenty ninth birthday when he met Dorcas Fox-Martin.

It was a glorious Sunday morning in June and the Village of Bushy Down was looking particularly picturesque.
He was on his way to St Lucy’s Church in the village, not somewhere he was completely unfamiliar with but somewhere he hadn’t been as often as he should have.
Though on that particular morning he had a more pressing need to be there other than the neglect of his spiritual wellbeing.
Because on that morning Ben Overton, was to be Godfather to his nephew Connor.
His sister Helen was three years younger than he was and was the baby of the family and now had a baby of her own who was about to be christened.

It was as he walked to the Church, preoccupied by thoughts of pride at his impending Godfatherhood that his life was changed forever.
Having caught sight of Helen on the Church steps he quickly crossed Church Lane and was brought rudely to his senses by the blast of a car horn.
Ben jumped out of the way and reached the safety of the footpath and braced himself to launch a tirade at the impatient shit on the other end of the car horn.
But when he turned to face the driver he was greeted by a beautiful smiling brunette.
Who mouthed the word “sorry” and smiled which completely disarmed him.

Helen and her husband Mark, watching from the Church steps thought it was highly amusing that he had nearly been turned into road kill.
He turned around to give them a withering look and when he returned his attention back to the pretty vehicular assassin she had gone and that was the end of that, or so he thought.

It was at the end of the main service when the Reverend Hunter began the Baptism of his nephew Connor Innes into the faith that he saw again.
It turned out that “Penelope Pitstop”, the beautiful, if dangerous brunette, was a close friend of his sister Helen and was also to be a Godparent to his nephew.

Ben had to confess that as proud as he was to be Godfather to Connor, he didn’t really follow proceedings as closely as he should have as his eyes were constantly drawn to the beautiful girl on the other side of the font.
But at the end he lost sight of her in the melee as everyone decanted from the Church and such was the affect that the beautiful stranger had on him that he drove to his mum’s house in Kiddingstone full of trepidation that she was gone forever.

(Part 02)

Ben Overton parked his car in the street outside his Parents house and went inside.
“Hey Ben” Helen said as he entered the kitchen “you got here safely then?”
“Very funny” he countered
“You’re obviously safer as a driver than you are as a pedestrian” She said and roared with laughter.
“Shut up and give me a beer lippy” he replied
She went to the fridge and took out a bottle, opened it and handed it to me.
“Thanks sis,” he said “have you got a glass?”
Ben didn’t like drinking from the bottle, he couldn’t stand it, and it was a bit of a joke within the family because he thought drinking from the bottle was common.
“You are so old” Helen said laughing
“I just have standards” he retorted pompously “Where’s Mark?”
“He’s in the lounge showing Gran the video” She replied.
Their Gran was 91 and quite frail and wasn’t well enough to attend the Christening so the ceremony was videoed by their brother Danny and it was being played back for her so she would feel included in proceeding.
“You should go and watch it yourself” she added “as you missed most of it as you were ogling Dorcas”
“Dorcas?” he asked playing dumb
“Yes the pretty brunette you couldn’t take your eyes off” she said
“I think you’re imagining it” he answered as he left the kitchen
“I think you’re smitten” she shouted after me and he was about to unleash a witty retort in response but he was suddenly knocked sideways into the wall causing him to slop his drink down his trousers.
“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going” a female voice said and he turned around to face his assailant
“That’s…” and that was all he could say as he gazed upon the smiling face of the beautiful girl he knew to be, though they had not been introduced, Dorcas.
He didn’t know how long he stood there staring at her or how long he would have continued to stare had she not broken the silence.
“This is becoming a bit of a habit” She said “my name is Dor…”
“Dorcas” he continued
“Yes” she answered “and you’re Ben”

And so the introductions were complete and from the first moment they met she bought something into his world that he hadn’t even noticed he didn’t have, love.
He was besotted with the diminutive young woman with the immense personality and a heart as big as the moon.

It is quite reasonable to state categorically that Ben Overton was quite content with his lot in life and he had not felt his life suffered for the want of love, he had not craved it nor coveted it, he just thought it was something that was inflicted on other people and he was immune to it but once he had tasted it he was hooked.

Had it not been for the fact that she had almost run him down and had fate not also decreed they both be Godparents to the same child he didn’t think he would ever have dared to speak to her, let alone ask her out but ask her out he did and furthermore she said yes.

(Part 03)

Having plucked up the courage, at his Godsons Christening, to ask the stunningly beautiful Dorcas Fox-Martin out on a date and as he was bolstered by her positive response to such an extent he very foolishly neglected to cement the arrangement there and then and furthermore left the Christening party without securing either a firm date for their erm….. Date, or for that matter any contact details for her and it wasn’t until he got home that the full extent of his stupidity dawned on him.
In his defense of course he would argue that he was so taken aback by Dorcas’s positive reply and such was his elation that she had agreed to go out with him on a date that he was not thinking clearly, which is why he not only failed to arrange anything but had also left without any means of contacting her.
Ben had just reached the point where he was well and truly feeling sorry himself when the phone rang.
“Hello” he said forlornly
“Oh dear” Helen said unsympathetically “cheer up”
“Don’t joke” he said “I’ve done something really stupid”
“I know” she replied “you’re a plank”
“Oh don’t” he responded feebly
“Fortunately your wonderful sister has come to the rescue” Helen said “and I gave your number to Dorcas so she can call you”
“You’re the best sis in the world” he said
“I know” she said immodestly “now don’t cock it up”

He had been so diverted by his foolishness that he hadn’t even given any due consideration as to where he would take her.
Given that prior to that morning she had been a complete stranger to him so therefore he had no idea what to suggest.
His normal first date experience, limited though that might have been, consisted of either a drink, a meal, the cinema or bowling.
Well a drink didn’t sound substantial enough for his liking and as he was somewhat nervous he imagined that he may end up drinking too much and make a complete dogs breakfast of it, so he ruled that out.
A meal on the other hand was fraught with dangers of its own, food preferences, allergies and intolerance’s and it went without saying that it was an absolute given, to rule out any food that required the wearing of a bib.
The cinema he had always found to be a difficult area date wise,
Sitting in the dark with a girl and spending most of the film weighing up the options of when it would be appropriate to move in for a cuddle or a kiss.
Not that that would be of concern with Dorcas, after all they were both past the age of the back row groping scenario.
The problem inherent in the cinema was knowing her taste in film that was the issue there so he ruled out the cinema as well.
He also crossed off tenpin bowling but for no other reason than that he was really crap at it.

(Part 04)

After a couple of fruitless hours of deliberation he still had no idea where to suggest that he and Dorcas should go on their first ate and then the phone rang.
Ben took a deep breath and reluctantly picked up the receiver.
“Hello” he said timidly
“Ben?” a voice asked
“Speaking” he replied
“It’s Dorcas” she said
“Hi” Ben said weakly
“We didn’t make a date” Dorcas said hesitantly “At the Christening, for the date”
“No I…” he faltered
“Did you still… erm want to?” she asked
“Of course” he said firmly almost shouting
“Good” Dorcas said with a giggle
“I thought you might have changed your mind”
“No not at all” he stated “But...”
“But?” she said falteringly
“I don’t know where to suggest” he said
“Is that all?” she asked and laughed
She had had a similar struggle as he had to find a suitable venue/activity, they had however reached totally different conclusions which he found out when she announced she had the perfect date in mind.
“A Tree Top Trail”
“What’s that?” he asked genuinely oblivious
“It’s a trail through the tree tops with Tarzan swings, rope bridges and Zip Wires” she said excitedly
“It sounds like great fun and I’ve always fancied having a go”
Well he had no great expectation when he first asked Dorcas out and he thought she would soon tire of him, after all he was one of life’s spectators while she was the type of person who was up there on center stage.
But how wrong he was, she knew that they were cut from different cloth but she didn’t care that they were so different.
Ben had always been content to look on from the sidelines whereas Dorcas was in there participating with all her might, she was a “joiner in” while Ben was an applauder of other people’s efforts, a holder of coats.
But no more, and despite the fact that the thought of walking through the tree tops 30 feet above the ground scared him to death he said.
“Me too”

It was a bright Sunday morning in June, just one week after they had first met, when Dorcas picked him up in her Mini outside the Railway Station in Bushy Down, the very same Mini she had nearly run him over a week earlier. .
It was probably a little unconventional for the first date but after some discussion it was decided that she would pick him up as he lived in Bushy Down which was between her home in Finchbottom and our destination in the Dancingdean Forest.

Despite his apprehension he was still very much looking forward to his first date with Dorcas and was praying it would go well.
Ben’s trepidation was far removed from the normal first date nerves, which were bad enough, his main fears stemmed from the fact he had to contend with the death defying heights of the Tree Top Trail, with all its incumbent hazards such as Tarzan swings, rope bridges and Zip Wires, all at a height of 30ft.
He wasn’t good with heights at the best of times, he never had been, not because he suffered from vertigo or had an irrational fear of being up high.
In fact he liked high places, Airplanes, the London Eye, Canary Wharf or the Empire States Building, as long as there was something between him and oblivion.
What scared him to death was gravity and the belief that it would at any moment pull him screaming to the ground.
But I couldn’t show it, not to Dorcas, he had to put on a brave face for her benefit as he didn’t want her to think he was a wimp.

(Part 05)

It was about an hour’s drive to the Dancingdean Forest, but the time seemed to pass by very quickly as they chatted about something and nothing, always a good sign when there are no embarrassed silences.
Once they arrived his trepidation deepened as he looked up and realized exactly how high 30 feet was.
As if sensing his reservations Dorcas took hold of his arm.
“Come on then” she said steering him in the direction of a large timber shack.

There were 12 of them in their group, 11 first timers and one jovial leader called Gaz who was determined they all had a “great experience”
And on the whole they all did, although there were moments when Ben was almost scared to death.
Though they were never in any real danger, they all had harnesses and protective gear but he was still scared up in the tree tops.
But at the end of it, thanks to Gaz, the whole group had a great experience, but it was still nice to get back to terra firma.
After divesting themselves of their safety gear they all made their way to the café for a well-earned coffee.
As he and Dorcas sat either side of a picnic table discussing how much they had enjoyed the experience she announced
“I wouldn’t want to do it again”
“What?” he said with alarm
“The tree top stuff” she assured him, but she continued with more than a little smugness, knowing that she had him hook line and sinker
“I’m up for another date though” she continued
Then after a minute or two she suddenly said
“I have a confession to make”
“Oh” he responded fearing the worst, she was married or engaged or something.
“I would have enjoyed it much more if I wasn’t scared of heights” she confessed
“I only finished the course because I didn’t want you to think I was wet”
After hearing her confession Ben laughed
“It’s not funny” she said crossly
“I’m laughing because I was scared to death myself” he said “I just gritted my teeth and got on with it because I didn’t want you to think I was a wimp”
On hearing his confession she laughed as well.
When the laughter had subsided they both concurred that it had been a good first date.

It was early evening when they finished their coffee and said fair well to their fellow adventurers and the weather was still lovely.
They were both getting peckish and as neither of them were ready for the date to end and as were only an hour or so away from the coast they headed off to Sharpington where they ended the momentous day eating fish and chips out of the paper on the sea front and talked enthusiastically about the day.
Their first kiss came in true romantic style as the sun slowly sank beyond the horizon and afterwards on the journey home they planned their second date.

Tales of Love # 11

YOUR EMBRACE IS LIKE A VELVET CLOAK

Your embrace is like a velvet cloak
Enveloping me in love
As you speak to my soul
And burn into my heart a perfect love

YOUR SERPENT HIPS

Your serpent hips
And slender limbs
The glow and lustre
On your skin
In the half light
Of the afterglow
Beyond the bliss
And read the smile
On each other’s lips

SNOWFLAKES FALL STEADILY

Snowflakes fall steadily
As the wind blows
Laying deeper and deeper
As her progress slows
Knee deep she trudged
Through the deep snows
So I go and rescue her
From out of the snows
To get her safe indoors
Out of the snows
Though not for kindness
Heaven only knows
It was to get her out
Of her ho ho hose

SHE’S TICKING ALL THE BOXES

“She’s ticking all the boxes”
I thought to myself
When I first laid eyes on her
But of course she wasn’t perfect
That would have been a claim too far
Then when we spoke, at length
More boxes were checked
But again she fell short of the summit
But then who wants perfection
Which is in reality subjective
I have met girls in my life
Slightly more than ordinary
But thought themselves perfect
And others nearly perfect
And thought themselves ordinary
This girl was as close to it
As I had ever come
Or wanted to come
For if she was to be flawless
That would be unnatural
As well as undesirable
For it’s in the imperfections
Where character lies

LIKE DRIFTWOOD YOU FLOATED INTO MY LIFE

Like driftwood you floated into my life
As I cruised upon a calm blue sea
Your presence stirred the peaceful waters
And turned my outlook squally
But though we blow from storm to storm
I still believe you rescued me

IF YOU WERE AN ISLAND

If you were an island
Set in a clear blue sea
Dressed with palm trees
Stirred by the scented breeze
With sun soaked beaches
Of coral white
I would be the gentle waves
Washing over them

TWO CASTAWAYS

Two castaways
Washed up together
Like flotsam and jetsam
The floating wreckage
Of their failed loves
And from the driftwood
Of their own detritus
And broken remnants
Of previous vessels
They manage to build
A new ship of love

I WAS READY, WITHOUT A DOUBT

I was ready, without a doubt
Ready for the one
I was set on the start line
Heart beating at the run
Then bang!
Went loves starting gun

Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (04) The Reverend Edwards Daughter

(Part 01)

Katie Edwards was the daughter of the Vicar of St Hilda’s in Forestdean and Mark Holt was the village “Jack the Lad” and apart from them both being 28 years old, they had nothing in common whatsoever.
Katie was a good Christian girl, whose life revolved around her widowed fathers Church and the associated parochial duties, Mark on the other hand was an agnostic, albeit a church going agnostic, but above all he was an unashamed hedonist.
Katie was steady, diligent, and chaste and was an innocent but Mark had no morals whatsoever but to his mind that was more than compensated for by a belt full of female scalps.

However all of that however seemed set to change when Mark was walking through the village one rainy morning.
“Hi Katie” he said
Katie Edwards was a very attractive young woman by any measure, with a warm open manner, a willowy figure, and shoulder length brunette hair, intelligent green laughing eyes and a broad toothy smile and altogether a very pleasant demeanour.
“Hello Mark” she replied “What’s brought you out into the rain”
Mark was tall, dark and muscular with wild gypsy eyes.
“I’m avoiding mum,” he said trying to keep a straight face, Katie gave an understanding nod
“And you?”
“The Miss Devonshire’s” she replied “it’s their turn to do the flowers” and she bowed her head with shame.
“I think we need to be fortified,” he said
“The Royal Oak?” she suggested
“I thought you were barred for calling the landlord a godless heathen,” he queried
“A simple misunderstanding” she assured him “I’ve forgiven him”

Due to the inclement weather the pub was almost deserted so they sat and unloaded their burdens on each other.
Mark detailed the haranguing his mother gave him for getting home at 3 am in a state of inebriation and she talked about how the Miss Devonshire’s were making her life a misery.
To make her feel better Mark revealed some rather unsavoury gossip about her protagonists which made Katie feel much better as did the Guinness.
The alcohol also aided Katie to reveal more and more about herself and the more she drank the more she rambled.
The Guinness helped her speak a lot about time and sand running through her fingers and choices and not knowing.
He couldn’t really follow her train of thought all the time, the drink wasn’t helping and as neither of them had eaten since breakfast the beer took its toll very quickly and two hours later they were fortified as newts and he had to steer her through the pouring rain to the vicarage, and thankfully the rain was falling so hard that no one noticed their drunken progression.
Once he reached the front door he had to wedge her against the wall while he opened the door, unfortunately as the door swung open she fell into the hall.
Mark instinctively reached out and grabbed her in an effort to prevent her from hurting herself.
Unfortunately in trying to avoid grabbing anything intimate he only succeeded in falling to the floor before she did.
As a result Mark landed on his back and she landed on top of him.
“You know Mark if I wasn’t the Vicar’s daughter I’d shag you” she slurred before planting an almost Labrador like kiss on his mouth.
“And if I wasn’t a gentleman” he said after extricating himself from her embrace “I’d let you”
And then he struggled to his feet and helped Katie to do the same but as soon as she was vertical she said
“But you’re not a gentleman so there’s nothing stopping you”
And launched another assault on him and even put his hand on her breast before Mark regained control and steered her through the hall and into the sitting room and plopped her into an armchair and she immediately grabbed him by the lapels and planted another kiss on his mouth, a much more controlled and unhurried kiss than before.
He wondered as he was starting to reciprocate if she thought that having sex with a philanderer like him was sin free, making him like a vegetable in a slimmer’s diet plan, and then he broke away from her embrace again.
“But you are the Vicar’s daughter” he replied and kissed her on the forehead
“And you’re drunk” he added
“What’s that got to do with it?” she slurred
“Everything, because you wouldn’t want to shag me if you were sober”
“Oh yes I would” she said after he left.

(Part 02)

On the short walk home Mark had mixed feelings, he felt rather proud of himself, after all Katie had offered it to him on a plate and he had turned it down, and not because he didn’t fancy her, on the contrary, and he also reflected on the wonderful kiss and how much he enjoyed it.
Katie ticked a lot of boxes for him and he was not possessed of any high moral principles, so why didn’t he take advantage of her was a mystery.
He didn’t have the foggiest idea why he didn’t accept her invitation to canoodle, it certainly wasn’t a lack of attraction on his part or even being put what she was wearing, he liked uniforms and outfits, and vestments certainly didn’t put him off.
Nor did he think it was because she was the Vicars daughter after all he had made many immoral choices in the pursuit of sexual gratification, so he was left with only one possible conclusion.
However having come to that conclusion he immediately dismissed it, it was the obvious conclusion but it had never happened before, so he wasn’t sure how to proceed in the new territory.
It was a strange feeling that he was experiencing which had hit him right out of the blue.
But strange though it was it was impossible to ignore because the genie was very much out of the bottle and there was no putting it back.
Mark never imagined in his wildest dreams when he escaped his mother’s scathing tongue that morning that bumping into Katie Edwards would turn his entire world upside down.
“Thank you the Miss Devonshire’s” he said aloud “Thank you for taking your turn to do the flowers”
But after his revelation he didn’t know where to go from that point.
And more importantly he didn’t know if she would still be receptive to him without the aid of several pints of Guinness.
It was an interesting position for him to find himself in, caring whether or not a girl would come to her senses in the cold and sober light of day.

So when Katie knocked on his front door he knew it was a game changer.
“Hi” he said
“Hey Mark, I’m sober”
“So I can see, come in” he said “But I’m still not going to shag you”
“Really?” she said as she followed him inside
“Really” he confirmed
“But why?” she asked “it’s what you do isn’t it?”
“And that’s why I’m not doing it to you” he said
“I don’t understand” she said and sat down heavily on the sofa
“You’re better than that” he said “you deserve better than that and I’m not going to let you settle for less than you deserve”
“What does that mean?” she asked
“It means we are going on a date”
“A date?” Katie asked
“Yes, a date” he replied “and after we have dated for a while we can talk about the other stuff”
“Oh” she responded and then he kissed her

Tales of Love # 21

LOVE ARRIVED LIKE A TEMPEST

Love arrived like a tempest
Sweeping him off his feet
Leaving him breathless
And trembling in its wake
But although the storm
Was a wind of change
Which altered him forever
It was not a breath of fresh air
Her love was toxic
She controlled like a terror
And even loves betrayal
Could not break the spell

YOUR HEART IS AN OASIS

Your heart is an oasis,
A place of love,
Where Venus resides,
But she resides alone
As you will not let me in

I REMEMBER FALLING IN LOVE

I remember falling in love
When there was beauty in the world
A love shared by me and you
Which we thought would last
As long as the world kept turning
But we were in error
Because the love has gone
And in our hearts
There is an empty hollow
Pining for what was lost
While in the shadows
Lay our discarded dreams
Lost and lingering
In the gloom
Where the sun light’s ray
Cannot penetrate
And our love cannot be revived

THE HONEY BEE AND THE ROSE

The honey Bee
Loves the flower
In particular the Rose
But the flower is indifferent
As it views the Bee
Through sweet petal veil
But the Bee is content and
Doesn’t need his love returned
For Rose is his passion
And will always be

Tales of Love # 4

I’VE LOST MY HEART TO ANOTHER

I’ve lost my heart to another
She is fairer than a rose
The gentlest girl I’ve known
Who is purer than the snow’s
And all the time I’m with her
My love for her just grows

THE THREAD OF LOVE

The thread of love
Our hearts entwine
I have all her love
And she has mine

Bound together by
Loves eternal vine
I have all her love
And she has mine

SHE BLESSED MY LIFE

She blessed my life
When she came to stay
And I love her more
Each and every day
It would break my heart
If she went away

OVER THE SPAN OF YEARS

Over the span of years,
Along the way
My heart has been broken
Time after time
But how can it not break,
When you lose someone
Or when a loved one passes,
Or your child is in pain
Or is unhappy
We don’t live in a bubble
Life is not lived in isolation
And broken hearts do mend
And each repair gives us strength
For the next time
Because a heart never broken,
Is cold and sterile,
And has never known the joy
Of loving another human being

RED SAILS IN THE SUNSET

The Platters were crooning
“Red Sails in the sunset”
So I asked her to dance
And the moment our eyes met
My heart sailed away
And it hasn’t returned yet

RED EYE

In all the photos of her
She was terribly Red Eyed
I thought it was the camera
But no matter how I tried
I couldn’t get a good shot
But it wasn’t a lack of skill
Or any technical fault
It turned out she was evil

PRESSED BLOOMS

Pressed blooms
Long since dried
Lovingly preserved
Betwixt printed pages
Mementos of love
From a time long ago
Flowers picked fresh
In the meadow
Where love bloomed
And a kiss was stolen

DRINK TO THE GLORY OF LOVE

Drink to the glory of love
From the loving cup
Before it spills
And evaporates away

AS WE LAY UNDER THE STARS

As we lay under the stars
I had the perfect trinity
Music in my soul
Love in my heart
And you in my arms

Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (03) In an Overstuffed Armchair

It was late when Alan Nelson travelled the short distance from Finchbottom to his home in Lower Gracewood.
It was the final leg of a journey that had begun 11 hours earlier with a taxi ride to Tegel airport from the Berlin Hilton.
Thus followed a 2 hour delay at the airport, a 2 hour flight, two trains and another taxi from Finchbottom Station.
So when his house came into view through the windscreen of the cab, it was greeted with a feeling of relief, he had been away for 5 days and he was so pleased to be back home.
Alan paid the cab driver and carried his case to the house, there was a light on in the hall but it was late and the rest of the house was in darkness, so he let himself in.
He dropped his bag quietly in the hall, and opened the lounge door and when he walked into the room he saw her, and his heart soared.
She was wearing her favourite fleecy pink dressing gown and was curled up in his favourite arm chair with her little feet tucked beneath her.
Celia was hugging a cushion, almost as big as she was and her tiny delicate frame was almost lost in the overstuffed chair and instantly an unabated wave of love washed over him and he immediately wanted her.
He had missed her so much while he was away, but there she was, a scrawny little thing barely a hundred pounds soaking wet but in his opinion worth her weight in gold.
Alan had seen her that way many times, sleeping cuddled up in his chair but he loved her totally, with every fibre of his being, even after ten wonderful years of marriage.
And furthermore she still excited him and making love to her was electric, from the first time to the last it was like being plugged into the national grid.
The first time he saw her he thought she was the sexiest girl he’d ever seen and he thought so still.
He stood over Celia and stared affectionately down at her for the longest time, as she slept so soundly.
He didn’t really want to wake her, he should have let her sleep, but if he had she would not have thanked him, in fact she would have been very miffed.
So he knelt beside her and roused her gently and as she stirred from her slumber her eyes slowly opened and then widened
“Hello Baby” he said and when she saw him she smiled him her come to bed smile.
“I waited up for you”
“You didn’t have to” he said
“I did”
“Why?”
“Because I’m feeling fruity” she replied
“Are you?” he asked and kissed her
“Hmmm” she responded “I’ve missed you”
“I missed you too” he replied and with his sexy girl roused and aroused he took her in his arms and carried her to bed.

Tales of Love # 5

LOVES FIRST STING

In my autumn days
I fondly remember
Loves first sting
And how my heart sang
Loves perfect melody
In loves sweet spring

SILENCE IN THE MEADOW

Silence in the meadow
As we lay amidst the flowers
Young lovers entwined
In the moonlit hours
When love is keenly felt
We succumb to cupids powers
But as night gives way to day
The love we feel is ours

I THINK TO MYSELF NOW THAT IT IS OVER

I think to myself now that it is over
As I pick myself up off the floor,
How could I have been so blind?
To lose my heart and so adore
The creature who can barely disguise
The blackness at her heartless core

PLEASE BRING ME A LOVE

Please bring me a love
Of almost any hue
Let it change forever
My monochrome view
Let it be any colour
As long as it’s not blue

YOU CAN WEATHER ANY STORM

You can weather any storm
When you know without exception
That love is the answer
To each and every question

MY LONELY HEART

My Lonely heart
My silent companion
You empathize
And feel compassion
Even in an age when
It’s out of fashion
Yet still I am alone
With my unspent passion

MIRROR IMAGE

I thought that you
Really loved me
But I was wrong
And in reality
It was just my love
Reflecting back on me

A WEDDING SONG (PROTHALAMIUM)

I stand alone
Yet among friends
I stand alone
In the sight of family

Hear the music?
Come ahead
Make me turn my head
Come join me

Stand beside me
Stand to my left
Become me
Let me become you

Hear the words?
Go ahead
Make me turn my head
Come join me

We stand together
Before our friends
We stand together
In the sight of family

Hear the music?
Hear the song?
Let’s sing along
Come join me
We stand together
Alone no more
Joined as one
Before our God

PRESSED FLOWERS

Flowers picked fresh
In the meadow
Where love bloomed
And a kiss was stolen

The delicate blooms
Were lovingly preserved
Betwixt printed pages
Of a weighty tome

Now they are desiccated
Between the leaves
Blooms long since dried
Still evoke memories

Pressed blooms from
When love was young
Mementos of love
From a time long ago

Soon I was once again
In the meadow
Where love bloomed
And a kiss was stolen