Thoughts of yesterday.

A grass strewn track with freckled sunlight,

Glistening through the tree's

Lights the shade where moss strewn roots

Grow strewn like wooden seas.

The rustle of the leafy hollows

Chatters from on high

Childhood memories always follow

Under pale blue sky.

Walking onward senses heightened

Memories returning

Climbing trees and never frightened

Just a part of learning.

Our childhood games now distant past

Seem gone before they start

We never thought it wouldn't last

So close to all our hearts.

Never Just a Mum.

At times when we were fallen,

Some times when we were wrong

Those times when we were lonely,

And all our hope seemed gone

When life had dealt the body blows

That seared our aching hearts,

And all around lay fears and tears

That rocked our worlds apart.

One constant stood beside us,

And went that extra mile,

Soothed our hearts and growing pains,

With just a warming smile.

They say a mother knows what's best,

When all around laments,

That love that burns inside their hearts,

Is something quite intense.

Only Mothers have no fear,

When faced their Children's woes,

The comfort from their loving arms,

Protection from all foes.

But, comes a time not so sublime

When farewells knock the door,

When angels breathe "its time to leave"

And we're alone once more.

But fear not where you tread in life,

Your children learn while growing,

As they will see your mothers eyes,

Without you even knowing.

A time to laugh, a time to cry,

A time to pass, and yes goodbye.

Our best is always yet to come

For that, I'd like to thank you Mum. X.

The Storm of War.

The sun is lost in clouds today

But not the clouds that shroud a day

Not the clouds of swirling storm

Not the clouds from natural form

In fact they are not clouds at all

They bring with them a different call

A call of sadness seen before

These are the hated clouds of war

From Men of sand to men of ice

These clouds bring only sacrifice

Of young and old it matters not

The wars of past now seem forgot.

The Smokey clouds so full of hate

A different kind of rain berates

This rain is made of iron and steel

No hiding place for one to yield

But once again the questions posed

The one true answer no-one knows

Why people sat in higher places

Can kill and maim all of the races

No bullet settled battle scores

No tanks and planes won any wars

No lessons learned from history

The needless deaths of you and me

So maybe now we have a choice

Before war drowns our only voice

To say enough and change our plight

And show that words stop any fight

Peace can only come with words

Guns and rockets so absurd

So lay down arms and talk things through

For all our kids and me and you.

Turn the tide.

 In my mind the world I knew had no more answers,

All the crossroads led the way to perfect hell

It was time to run or go down always fighting

The demons that no one inside could tell.

I ran so hard to stop my heart from breaking

The choice of looking back was never mine

No doubts about the risks that I was taking.

Just chasing all I had and that was time.

If you think walking out is really easy 

That time will heal the hurt that sits inside

That all the world will change when you start running

My friends I tell you it won’t turn the tide.

I sat alone so many different evenings

Just thoughts that ran each corner of my mind

No one could help the nightmare of my feelings

The people that I loved seemed so unkind 

But life must always judge you from two corners

Your version you must walk a lonely trail

Through Summer Spring and all the cold of winters

That ship of your decisions you must sail.

If you think walking out is really easy 

That time will heal the hurt that sits inside

That all the world will change when you start running

My friends I tell you it won’t turn the tide.

The grass well it may seem a little greener

Your life more tranquil than the hurt you felt

But I can tell you tides ain’t  keen on turning 

Despite the hand that you think you were dealt.

You can’t run and hide from all life’s asking

Your mind will tell that it’s fit to run

But that ain’t sun in which you think your basking

It’s just the calm before the storms begun.

If you think walking out is really easy 

That time will heal the hurt that sits inside

That all the world will change when you start running

My friends I tell you it won’t turn the tide.

No, It won’t turn the tide,

No, no It just won’t turn the tide,

It matters what’s inside 

It won’t turn… the tide.

The New Year.

 Happy New Year.

The table sits in darkened room

Its fare now spent its contents strewn

All use now ended, empty shell

A place where memories will dwell.

For this is last years empty table

Feasted on by all those able

Some who sat and sang their best

Now left this mortal life to rest.

Friends anew have stepped on board

As life continues rest assured

From growing light the room next door

The circle starts again once more.

A brand new table full and flowing

The contents never ours for knowing

Life will guide you now you’re here

So take your place for this New Year.

And dine on newly laid out feast

When hope and faith are all increased

Now welcome what the new year brings

As midnight bells chime 12 strong rings. 

Have a good COVID safe 2021 all. 👏🎉

From your good friends down under!🇦🇺

Time Will Tell.

I sat all alone this Xmas,

So rarely do I have the time,

But while contemplating,

I read so much hating,

From people chatting online.

You see I was born so polite,

That swearing well, just wasn't hip,

If you shouted out loud

And you weren't in a crowd,

Your ear ended up with a clip.

But now it's a normal reaction,

It scarcely raises a titter,

On Facebook they swear,

With scarcely a care

And dont start me off on that Twitter.

The voices are straight from the gutter,

The words are simply just bile,

No care of offence,

Free speech the defence,

And often a sarcastic smile.

The bully has found their own heaven,

Like the playground you have no rights,

They can give you a poke,

Just claim its a joke,

And hide behind hundreds of "likes".

Of course this won't last forever,

We've seen it all time and again,

When only a fool,

Will think Twitter is cool,

As it floats like a turd down the drain.

So there I was sitting and thinking,

I surely just wasted my day,

There are nice people too,

Just like me and you,

They scarcely are given a say.

So next time you read something nasty,

Just remember this poem again,

They want a reaction,

There's no need for action,

They'll slide like that turd down the drain.

 

There seems to be a problem.

There seems to be a problem,

Everyone's involved,

The world has stopped revolving

A disease has taken hold.

There seems to be a problem,

The new out is now in

We sit indoors and stare at walls

And struggle to stay thin.

There seems to be a problem,

Many now are dead,

Just wear a mask and dont dare ask,

The Politicians said.

There seems to be a problem,

The planes are parked in rows

No checking in, we're checking out,

To where, nobody knows.

There seems to be a problem,

People cannot breathe,

If you are in a hot spot

You're not allowed to leave.

There seems to be a problem,

But Houston cant reply

No-ones there to guide them in,

We're leaving them to die.

There seems to be a problem

No short cut can be taken

Its not the flu its something new

We need a vaccination.

There seems to be a problem

The flu is here to stay,

Just one more vaccination

Is what you'll hear them say.

There seems to be a problem,

A body bag for you?

The world has stopped revolving

My goodness...we have too.

A New Normal?

Strange times indeed. The world is a very different place to the one we knew just a few months ago. The almost intangible emergence of a semi-apocalyptic virus shutting the globe down is surely the stuff of the latest Stephen King thriller. People have been locked down (the new in-word) for weeks, deaths of seven to eight hundred a day in countries throughout mainland Europe are common place and we struggle to even comprehend the scale of just what confronts us.
The source of such horror has reportedly been traced to the so-called "wet markets" in China. For the uninitiated these markets sell anything that breathes, then kills it, cooks it, (sometimes not) and then feeds it to an omnipresent customer base while they wait. Whilst consuming such delicacies as rats, bats and dogs, (there are also the "normal" options of chicken and fish), wet markets play a very important part of the rural Chinese economy and cries to close them, (as has been suggested of late) would simply drive such business underground and as such, probably cause greater damage to not only the eager consumers but possibly the entire world in one fell swoop.

China has (rightly so) been chastised internationally for its lack of transparency in regard to this current Corona Virus outbreak. Previous outbreaks in the form of SARS have largely been restricted to the Asia peninsula but unfortunately, maybe due to the relative easy access to air travel at an affordable price, we have seen a much quicker development of the COVID19 variant across the Globe, in no small way, lets not forget, also attributable to the contagious qualities of the virus, far more-so than any previous mutations.
The consumption of raw meats and in particular, so science would lead us to believe, bats and snakes, has helped the virus to jump the species barrier to humans, this most unnatural way of life which (to most Westerners is abhorrent) is the norm in these markets. This being the case though perhaps the best way forward would seem to be education and better regulation of such arenas. I know that America is calling for the banning of such markets, (I believe the WHO have been clumsy at best to this point) and its understandable that this is the case. On the contrary, though, I believe now we should be pressing China to bring in stricter regulations, endorse what can and cant be done and stick to it. Only then can we start to tackle these cesspits of infection and Zoonotic diseases.

So, from here what do we see? More lock down is surely on the cards, borders will be closed across States and Countries for the foreseeable future. We will all learn much from this, not only about social manners but also the art of self-distancing that will include more hand washing and better hygiene, in itself, not a bad outcome!  As far as the Global markets are concerned they are taking a bashing, but as we have seen many times before, they survive, mostly with some new millionaires and some new bankruptcies, but they survive. It will also be interesting indeed to see if Sweden's herd immunity works in the long run, as we know they have only asked the vulnerable to self-isolate and given everyone else cart-blanche, except for the two meter rule. Although at present per-capita their death rate is higher than America, it remains to be seen how much quicker they turn the corner.

 As for myself? Well I am at home entering my fifth week of isolation, any of you who know me well will know that cutting my arms off would have been a less severe punishment! But we all have to make major adjustments and motivate ourselves to carry on.
 My adopted Country Australia has so far dodged the worst of the virus by locking down early and keeping those lock downs in place, though of course it is well paragraphed that cruise ships have caused almost half of the current death toll, which raises an even larger eyebrow when we are told the industry has seen forward cruise bookings increase by over 40%. Maybe some natural selection is at work there, but I am sure the cruise lines will be doing everything to keep their customers safe.
All in all however, as stated Australia has been very fortunate, unlike our European friends Spain, UK and most notably Italy.
So, in such times that we find ourselves, lets all be thankful for what we have, not what we haven't got, lets talk to our older neighbours and offer support where its needed, lets take this time to make life adjustments, spend time with the kids if possible and take it as a "time out".
 Motivation (or lack of it) is just our heads adjusting to what is no longer "normal". This can also be a time of self revelation so don't waste it and hopefully we will have learned enough from this to avoid such an issue in the future and even better we find a new 'normal' that helps us appreciate the simpler things we now have no access to.

 Stay safe and well all.

This Virus #COViD19

This virus is hectic
population eclectic,
Hurtful, painful seen it so hateful,
Spreading its claws
Through windows and doors,
Use your hand wash,
It ain't tosh
Do as I'm preaching,
Save your life I'm teaching
Insightful advice you'll know it's damn spiteful
No pill gonna save ya
Chase you to the grave yeah,
No conversations,
This bug will sink nations.
Keep yo ass indoors,
Help yo mum with da chores
Use your head, don't be dead, take it as read.
Keep your own distance,
Wash yo hands, be consistent,
You need to exist,
Don't end up on a list,
This disease ain't sick
Its gonna kill you quick.
Come into your home, dying all alone, no one on the phone,
When you sneezes,
It gonna spread diseases,
Cough into yo elbow
Stop the germs in the airflow,
Remember what I said,
Or you gonna end up dead.

Amongst The Breeze.

A breeze can muster thoughts that dwell,
From years that served our souls so well,
Of spirits high in warming sun,
So etched upon our minds so young.

The grass that waved upon our meeting,
As pure by chance a moments fleeting,
Would share our dreams from therein after,
Forever mixed with tears and laughter.

And how our parents spawned these feelings,
Protected us with walls and ceilings,
They fed our hunger, quenched our thirst,
Bathed our sickness, placed us first.

Our days gone by so real and pure,

Our thoughts not clouded that’s for sure,

No phones or photos clicked to send 

No Social Network, cardboard friends.

As I grow older now I see,

Just what those days had meant to me,

Mistakes we’ve made or so it seems,

Have robbed our children of such dreams.

One day the sands of time will call,

Our earthly bodies fade, then fall.
Return to dust from whence we came,
Our thoughts amongst the breeze again.



 

Kids No More..

Facebook makes promises kids cant deliver
Their souls overwhelmed by the networking river

Make-up and make-outs are shared with a selfie
Diva's on You-tube get fabulously wealthy

Feeding on children that just don't know better
Hoping to be the new fashion trendsetter

The kids are all fucked up before they're eleven
Presents discarded no sooner than given

All pleading for iphones and ipads and make-up
Pouting and posing before the next break up,

A million likes for those schoolgirl poses
Pushing their top lip right up to their noses

Now bullying sits in the heart of the home,
There is no escape for your kids from a phone

What happened to kids being kids just a while?
Ask Instagram Snap-Chat and that bloody mobile.

Our lives are now lived in a bowl like goldfishes
Dictated by Apps that betray all our wishes

By promising so much, but handing us nowt
And kids with illusions they are living without

So now we have bullying, suicides then follow,
Doesn't it make so called progress seem hollow?

Remember?

The night cloaked the day like a slow curtain closing
The lights all came on like the Milky Way posing
The children all headed for bed with dad's stories
While mum gazed the city from a full twenty storeys

Up from the streets came the sounds and the smells
The heartbeat of street feet and distant church bells,
While beggars held signs explaining their toil
And drains spewed a mist like a kettle thats boiled

 

Post English.

Theres a breeze that blows that misses my face
Grass that grows at an unseen pace
Pathways that wind to a hillside view
That witness the form of the morning dew

Dogs that still bark though yet unheard
Songs from the heart of the morning bird
Lambs bleating loud but still unspoken
Silent fields as if now all broken

Chatter of children heading for the playground
The whistle of the Postie as he goes about his round
Rain and wind that makes the trees rustle
All sing their songs but I raise not a muscle

For I sing a tune that should carry on the breeze,
But as loud as I can sing it is only just a tease
I sit a world away from the land that i knew
And the silence that I hear is so deafening too.


 

Those Days when..

Those days when just waking is struggle enough
The kids up for school have lost all their stuff
Time seems to race like it needs a vacation
Arrive at the platform but wrong blooming station
A sip of your latte you find out its tea
Your boss is like Gru from Despicable Me

The clock is just crawling you know that old feeling
Paperwork climbs all the way to the ceiling,
The lady from marketing calls just on One
And two thirty beckons when she is all done
The train arrives early but you arrive late
Empty mouth's waiting for you to create

You get them all fed but the noise levels lift
The X-Box has died and they're all feeling miffed
The old man is home and asleep the poor chap
While half of his dinner is spread on his lap
The dog has run off with the meat that's remaining
And leaps through the cat flap no care if its raining

A bottle of wine but you needed a flagon
Tonight you were trying to stay on the wagon
But you are defeated the wine is essential
Then cork breaks in half and its driving you mental
As night closes in and the bed surely calls
You wonder how men landed up with the balls....

From the South side.

Well here we are with over 12 months under the belt in sunny and wet Australia. The Eastern coastal area around Sydney and Newcastle in New South Wales has been my home now for some 14 months.

Australia is always depicted as the lucky country. This indeed may be true but only to a point. There is a long way to go in her development and she is quite the adolescent child that has much to learn yet demands an uncommon respect from her piers. There is much work in progress and I think the country is in good hands,  but the lack of understanding when it comes to immigration is a worry. To build a strong dynamic economy every country requires intervention from not just the locals but also those who have sailed or flown in and are worldly wise. They offer Australia experience and a trade-off for a safe home is a bargain.

Having said all this when you see the rate of Chinese house buying in and around Sydney over the past few months immigration is actually alive, well and definitely on the increase. I dont think Australia has any issues with the lower paid sector jobs its more the middle ground where plumbers, electricians and mechanics sit. They are in short supply and I see many instances where there is a growing list of jop vacancies for such people.
 So despite the clamoring of the few to keep Australia for Australians the facts are the country needs outside help. I smile a wry smile when I am confronted with people who are staunchly against immigration yet they forget I am one such immigrant and indeed I have paid many thousands of dollars in tax over the last year or so and without drain on any of the homeland resources.

The Aldi revolution is gathering pace over here as the food and general items are so much dearer. The fact the Prime Minister is looking at raising GST to 15% will send alarm bells ringing throughout the country and most certainly spark a downturn in business. This will undoubtedly be the death-knell to many small to medium enterprises but since when did governments listen to the people?

So there we have it, the lucky country in the making for sure. Not perfect but where is perfect exactly? I watch with an anxious eye the goings on in my homeland the UK and wonder just what the future will look like as the country gets the chance to vote on European membership. I for one hope they kick the over-bloated over-financed corporately corrupt EU as far over the white cliffs of Dover as they can, let's hope the rest of Blighty feels the same.
Have a great weekend and I promise not to be away for so long again !

My own Climate Change.

The cold weather descends upon us here in Newcastle NSW for the first time in 2015. For a Northern hemisphere tough skinned Brit I am amazed how I now shudder at 18 degrees and I am sure my late father would be calling me a (bloody big girl) for grabbing a blanket this evening as I sit and watch TV. I think it's called getting acclimatised, but nonetheless I am now sat here with the doors and windows closed!
These last few days has seen the UK bathed in political mire as the election looms larger and larger. It is almost surreal watching the going-on from afar, listening to the different opinions from each leader whose words stretch across the world sometimes more than they would seem to be aware of.
In some respects I am glad that I am not there to witness or suffer the never ending party political broadcasts and spin that surrounds such events, I fear no matter who gets in the average person in the UK will not be any better off, this may explain the apathy at the ballot box. On that note over here in OZ you have to vote or you get fined, the fact that after recent local elections some 2.1 million dollars in fines was issued would tend to suggest it doesn't work either.

I am sat here typing away with Antiques Roadshow broadcasting in the background, its a little bit of England here in the middle of a massive country thousands of miles away, it is odd to watch the program in such circumstances but still of great interest. I have had little time of late to write, its been frustrating and I have found it hard to get motivated, it has taken its toll out of me adjusting to a new life down under which is hardly a surprise, but I now feel like I am starting the long road of adjusting and finding my feet here, God help the Australians!

I have made the effort to sit down this last few days and start to edit the second book I am currently writing, my first book is all but finished but I have delayed the publication even after re-editing it simply because I am still not sure it covers the subjects I have written about well enough, so I intend to re-read it this long Easter weekend and give it my final decision with regard to printing. The second book has pleased me very much with its extra detail and heartfelt story lines so I hope it will make the decision easier when it comes to the final edit. I guess I must sit back and take the rest of the evening in my stride, I am currently here in Newcastle on my own as there is a great family gathering in New Zealand this weekend and my attendance was superfluous to the event so I elected to "keep house" the fact I have had time to sit and be quiet for a few hours has not been lost on me and this will always lead to a return to the Blog, I think I have missed it, I hope my readers feel the same!!

Dumbestic Politics with Al Murray

Politics is the closest the rest of us mere mortals will ever come to making or changing the lives of those rather more fortunate who live amongst us. It is therefore no surprise that when given the opportunity our tribal instincts will kick in and we will sense a weakened "special one" and go for the kill.  Welcome to the world of Tony Abbott, or rather welcome to the witnessing of the demise of yet another politician who was doomed to fail before he started.
If I were a betting man, I would have a fat wager on an OZ leadership coup that entails all those who have given the well known line to the press this last few weeks "I have full confidence in the Premier"
The reality is politics is just a game, Labour spends and looks after the workers, Liberal and Conservative look after businesses and earn back what Labour spends, then it all changes hands again when the workforce get tired of saving and want a blow out so out go the Tories and Liberals.

While on the subject of politics I have been intrigued by a certain comedian in the UK called Al Murray, he is affectionately known as the "Pub Landlord" and indeed his entire stage show involves said comedian pouring himself a drink behind a makeshift stage bar and generally insulting the audience (customers) with sarcasm and general banter, not dissimilar to your average cockney Landlord you might think but Al has made a career out of it and a very good one too. The reason he and politics have become so entwined is because apparently he is standing for the seat of Thanet, not exactly the metropolis or heart and soul of London City but remarkable in the fact that it is being contested by Nigel Farrage who is the leader of the right wing party UKIP (UK independence party).

Nigel has seen his popularity go through the roof just for uttering the words immigration and Europe, something mainstream UK MP's have long been taught as taboo subjects and the British people actually like what he is saying, the fact he is a bit of a fuckwit, (sorry it's an OZ term for someone you get tired of as soon as they enter a room) seems to be forgotten amongst all the hype. Well its forgotten by all but one guy it seems and that is Al Murray as he has decided to stand against Nigel for the seat of Thanet under the party heading FUKP.... I really am not going there!
Anyway this move has stirred many an emotion, some latching on to the real reason Al is pressing forward and others missing the point entirely. My guess is that Al, by standing at this election against Nigel is demonstrating the stupidity of current day politics and that people will more or less vote for anyone other than the mainstream parties, quite simply because they have been lied to once too often.

Although I agree with Al Murray's sentiment he is actually playing a rather more dangerous game than even he imagines, the very fact that he will get votes highlights a dangerous downward spiral of disinterest and mistrust of the entire political stage as it stands and that is dangerous for any democracy. Tread very carefully Al Murray as we may not always like what we wish for.

A Word to the Wise.

A weary eye that see's its future
Takes the fall that breaks the mould
Stares in wonder stark reminder
Seldom patience for the old
Time will tell such weighty matters
Turn to face the bitter sweet
Deceive to fail can hardly flatter
Those with youth lay at their feet

A wiser head can tell your fortune
Well advised yet often spurned
Overlooked as oft a buffoon
School of life so taught and learned
Beg to differ state your reasons
Though such thoughts hit rocky ground
When their youth has lived the seasons
Then that wanting will be found.

The Sunday Roast: No news is good news.

Seems there is very little to smile about just now worldwide. The quality of our TV news footage ensures we get an armchair seat at the biggest terror events anywhere in the world, the sort of advertising McDonalds could only dream of.  So, given that we now have 24hour access anywhere we like are we better off for it? Or are we gifting those fanatics who would do us harm the chance of fifteen minutes of fame?
If you are wondering where this is going cast your mind back a couple of weeks ago and the sight of a black flag with white Islamic rantings on it held up to a cafe window while terrified people were held hostage inside a simple coffee shop. It's an image as much sealed in our psych as the lone shopper in Tienanmen square who stopped a row of Chinese tanks with an Aldi bag and a straw hat.
We in the West are hungry to see such atrocities played out on the world stage, in fact we demand to see what is going on or we lose interest.

Just think a little about what I just said and you may start wondering if the press itself and indeed our own thirst for gossip and information fuels such sieges. Without such huge TV coverage the minority so called radical terrorists would be denied the world stage to get their ridiculous point over. I question the wisdom of allowing cameras so close to these real events.

Meanwhile here in Australia and especially Newcastle it has started to rain after a long dry period. As a thoroughbred POM I have to admit it is the sweetest rain I have ever tasted, it has been in the forties here a couple of times of late and I am savouring the low end of the twenties temperature wise this Sunday morning, you can take the POM out of London....

While reading the broad sheets on line and switching around to Sky News for a few updates on the depressing current atrocities in France, the state of the economy in an ever expanding over bloated Europe, the battles in America ongoing to defeat terrorism and the current instability in world order, something actually made me chuckle and brought me back to earth when I read the big news in Melbourne overnight was a brawl at a darts match. God bless Australia I say. That's the sort of headline the news was meant for!
Right, for me its a quick walk in the summer rain before it all evaporates, I can feel the pitter patter on my head and think back to chilly days dodging downpours while eating fish and chips from rain sodden newspaper while trying to convince the kids how nice the view of the sea is once I have demisted the car screen ..... aaaaahhh now that's a proper seaside holiday!

Have a great and safe Sunday everyone wherever you are right now, remember to enjoy what you have and not to worry about what you don't have, because there is always someone with less.