Read Poetry from A Guiding Light
LIGHT AND DARK
Stand on our earth and look to the heavens
There are only the good and bad, we humans
Look at yourselves
You say how much you all study your faiths
But your actions are a thorough disgrace
The balance of knowledge that enters your brains
Seems to come out as action totally insane
Just one guiding light as the heavens above
One stable magnet, the earth, we all should love
It’s so obvious we humans are barely aged three
We need to grow up now
To stop the big fight
The earth from hitting the sun
Plunging us all out of sight
Jeanne V Liversidge Thompson
Dedicated to very dear family near and far, who share the vast light and dark of our beautiful fragile world.
Jeanne V Liversidge Thompson said: “I have written poetry for many years, taking relevant concise titbits to create a larger picture that people young and old alike recognise and enjoy. Expressing and sharing life and world events through poetry is a great release for me. Being a northern lass moving south in my mid-teens was a great insight. One ambition I have is to be a panel game participant either on radio or TV. I appeared on TV in the late 60’s with my unusual artwork. It was great fun and I hope to one day repeat the experience.”
ANGELS
What are angels, do they exist?
Laughing spirits, voices in the mist,
Winged creatures, soaring high,
Guiding and protecting, lighting the sky.
As white as snow, as pure as gold,
Serving God, is what we’re told,
Holy spirits, from the heaven above,
Helping our planet and sending us love.
Hundreds and thousands, in all different forms,
A guardian is summoned to each baby born,
Hugging and sharing, highlighting our paths,
Working miracles to warm up our hearts.
For the good, the bad, the poor and ill,
Sewing it together, pulling us through,
When hard times hit, angels are there,
To give us support and show that they care.
Holding your hand when the tears run,
Laying by your side until morning comes,
So, whoever you are, wherever you may be,
Remember this saying, “An angel’s with me.”
Catherine Turvey
Dedicated to my much loved Grampy Bill Davies, who died in March 2009. You are always in my thoughts. Love from Catherine.
Catherine Turvey said: “I am a 13-year-old pupil at Banbury School and have been writing poetry since the age of nine. I am inspired by personal circumstances and surroundings. My hobbies are netball, badminton, reading, beauty and fashion. I enjoy all styles of writing, and like to use words to get my opinion across and to express my
feelings to others. My ambition for the future is to become a professional writer and hopefully influence younger children to understand the wonders of creative writing.”
I WISH YOU WERE STILL HERE
On the first you presented me with three hundred and sixty five roses to represent our love.
By the fifth, you gave me two beautiful buds on my lap and on the twenty-fifth you took me on a mesmerising world cruise.
The special fiftieth you gifted me with a gorgeous golden necklace and on the sixtieth you sparkled my finger with a beautiful diamond ring.
But on the sixty first you weren't there and I was all alone.
Jasdeep Bains
FRIENDS
I meet my friends on New Year’s Day,
It started with just one friend and our mothers,
And when our mothers passed away,
We were joined by many others.
We laugh and talk about our ills,
And who has been prescribed the newest pills,
How we find it difficult to see or walk,
But nothing seems to dampen the talk.
We all do our best to look so smart,
Being young we have to look the part,
I see my friends and they see me,
Looking like we used to be.
We have our families and other friends,
Our hobbies we pursue,
We visit the theatre and pictures,
And explore places new.
We are fortunate that we can get around,
As others are not so healthy,
Long may our friendship abound,
Because in that we are most wealthy.
Sylvia Davidson
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LOVE, HATE
Love makes the world go round
It has been said,
Where there is no love
You will find hate,
And where there is hate
There will be wars.
Janice Darrington
MORNING SHAVE
Each morning I lavish great care on my face,
Let me tell you the steps that I take.
First, soap and water, a jolly good wash,
Then comes a gel that isn’t too posh.
Then using a blade of a popular brand,
I take it all off till my face feels bland,
Up, down and sideways I remove all my beard,
Just like a sheep, that’s been recently sheared.
The last little bit that I just have to have,
A soothing smooth balm that is called after shave,
A few drops of this and I rub it all in,
Lo and behold, a clean-shaven chin.
David Coote
Born in Portsmouth David Coote has interests including books, music and the RAOB. “I started writing poetry when I was working in the civil service, I did it to amuse my colleagues,” he explained. “My work is influenced by writers like Pam Ayres and I would describe my style as quirky, light humour. I’d like to be remembered as someone who never caused any hurt.” Aged 63 David is retired. “My biggest ambition is to die in bed at over 100 having just had sex with the current Miss World. The people I would like to meet most are the current Labour cabinet to kick their butts and tell them to get out,” he added.
HEAR THEIR VOICE
All they want is to find a home,
A country they can call their own;
To live in safety free from fear
But when they cry no-one wants to hear.
Often they’ve risked life and limb
To reach a country that might let them in;
Escaping cruelty, torture, death,
They sought asylum, a place of rest.
After years trying to prove their case
They’re told for them there is no place;
Now they fear being snatched at dawn
From the only home their children know.
All those alone who fear return
To the oppressive countries of their birth,
Now destitute and without rights
They live in limbo they have no life.
Hear their voice!
Lift them up; give them a choice.
Give them hope and dignity;
Make them welcome;
Set them free.
Margot Ducat
I'm Margot Ducat. I studied drama in my teens and also staged a prank demonstration against men and marriage in suburban Surbiton making national news. I started writing verse while traveling in Australia in the 70s. Roy Peters recorded three songs I co-wrote for his album Sunday Morning Singer in 1981. I learnt shoemaking at Cordwainers college and formed a duo playing local gigs. I performed in drama and a comedy sketch show at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1991. More recently I appeared in Cash In The Attic to raise funds for a flying lesson for my Persian partner Pirouz.
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AN ALLITERATION OF NATURE
Outside of the window
What might I see?
Frisky lambs frolicking in fresh, fertile fields
Funny, friendly and free
Outside of the window
What might I hear?
Skylarks singing sweetly in sapphire blue sky
Swooping, swiftly and sheer
Outside of the window
What might I feel?
Cocoa coloured conkers on copper coloured clay
Crackling, crumbly and real
Outside of the window
What might I smell?
Small, shiny snowdrops in soft, soggy soil
Snow white, splendid and swell
Maureen Wilson
MOTHER
She is the star that burns bright in your universe
There is only one of her, the giver of life and the nurturer
She is the special one, the love she has is unconditional
So why do you hurt her?
She would walk to hell and back
Before she walks away from you
Her heart is infected, swollen like a red balloon
Ready to burst with the pain, tears and disappointment
Mother be brave, stand up and be counted
For you have done nothing wrong
Hold your head up high, stay strong
These days shall pass, there is hope
The bond, fragile yet unbreakable, is strong
Holding on by the skin of its teeth
Sabiha Mertdogdu
INTO THE LIGHT
Into the light, bright glorious light
Come out of the darkness into the light
Don’t walk in the shadows or be active in the night
Not a child of the darkness, but a child of the light
Arise and shine, for your light has come
A new day, a new way, has finally now begun
The choice is yours, the road is quite narrow
Wide is the path that will lead only to sorrow
For every right there is a also a wrong
For every tear will come the rising of a song
The smallest light will brighten the darkest room
Just as the sun shines on the flowers and they open and bloom
Come into the light, won’t you come into the light
Come into his presence, come walk in the light
Into the light, His beauty so bright
God has called you out of darkness into the light
Pauline Turner
IF YOU CARE
If you care for someone
And they care for you,
Then you have something extra special
That’s very honest and true.
You are forever in my thoughts
And I will forget you not,
For like that lovely little flower
I think of you a lot.
Even though you are so far away
I’ll think of you each and every day,
Those teardrops that were shed for me
Not one did I ever deserve from thee.
But thinking of you I am certain to find
So much more happiness, and such peace of mind.
Gerry Stubbs
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H-BOMB
Desolate, such desolation,
Ultimate, this ultimatum,
True, yet unbelievable,
Horror inconceivable.
What deadly power within our grasp
To let loose hell in one foul blast,
Tales of plague and pestilence
Pale to insignificance.
Inhuman this revenge we plan
To sear and burn the flesh of man,
Such devastation to wreak here
Poisoning our atmosphere.
What intelligence is this
That brings us to this dark abyss,
Difficult to reconcile
When used to save an ailing child.
We devised this toy of hell
To protect us from ourselves
Banishing our peace of mind
Forever, never more to find.
Sylvia McKee
SIMPLICITY
The buzzing of a bumble-bee
The dampness of the moor
The droplets of the cool rain
On the soft sandy shore
The melody of the blackbird
The greenness of the trees
The echo of the wishing well
And the gentle summer breeze
The colours of the rainbow
The aroma of the rose
Many are the wonders
Will they last, who knows?
David Jackson
SAND, SEA AND ME
I walked along the beach,
smelling the crisp sea air.
Listening to the waves
crash upon the shore and feeling
the sun beat down on my head. I
lay upon the sand picking it up
and letting it run through my fingers
like salt through a sieve. The
shells getting swept away by the
sea. The sound of seagulls just
above me. This is the place to be.
Georgia Barrett
ANNE
As my life flashes before me
The end will be so gory
What did I do so wrong
Will my life be set to song
It started in the royal bed
Now to literally lose my head
I know he needs a baby son
Someone to settle the crown upon
Now a different courtier turns his head
She receives his lust instead
A new religion away from Rome
To salve his conscience here at home
Now it’s legal to lose a wife
To start afresh without religious strife
He said in rage that heads would roll
The executioner exacts his toll
I hope that history sees the truth
A lifetime stolen from a pretty youth
A young girl who a king had wed
To end up dying without a head
Derek Stoton
MY FAITHFUL FRIEND
My most faithful friend looking down from above
Has showered me with so much love
Always there, trust always shown
With a friend like Bennie I was never alone
Never argues or answers back
A true companion I never lack
He asked for little in return
I guess we humans have a lot to learn
When it is time for a walk
He does not need to talk
With a tail that wags with so much zest
Our four legged friends are amongst the best
My best friend was Bennie, my German shepherd dog
He would be my eyes if I were lost in the fog
A true companion for life was he
Even in death he is still with me
Janice Tarjanyi
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THE PUB QUIZ
It’s quiz night at The Fly and Maggot, things are getting tense
The teams struggle for answers because they’re all super dense
The landlord’s looking nervous, he knows this lot love a fight
If anything kicks off he will be cleaning up all night
Someone lobs a battered sausage at the other team
So they stand up and start to call them names which are obscene
The landlord cries ‘Calm down lads, there’s no need to get upset
There’s still some questions left to go, the quiz ain’t over yet.’
The quiz was called a draw, in an attempt to calm the mood
But fighting quickly started as the wives and girlfriends booed
No one ever found out who set fire to the coat,
But everyone ran screaming as the pub filled up with smoke
The punters stood around it and nobody made a sound
As the flames rose ever higher and the pub burned to the ground.
Andrew Fletcher
MIDNIGHT
When I look out from my window
I feel the midnight air
I soon get carried away
And then begin to stare
I see the glowing stars above me
Shining in the night
And what can really spoil it is
When the werewolves howl and fight
Then I hear loud footsteps coming up the stairs
But in the end it’s just my mum saying
Goodnight dear
Sofia Mark-Asafo-Agyei
THE TOWN WHERE I LIVE - WANTAGE
Welcome to our town
It’s big and brown
Watch as the race horses gallop by to win the race
The fields are yellow and ripe
The market is in town and so is the fair
A twirling we go
Villages come from near and far to join the fuss by bus
We have morris men, morris men, who come and dance a jig or two
It’s growing, it’s changing, the layout is not the same
Caroline Emanuel
A MESSAGE TO MY BABY
A message to my baby,
You were taken away from me,
When you were still deep inside of me,
My heart broke in the pain of losing you,
I miss you, your turns, your kicks,
Your special little ways and,
I miss your tiny heartbeat,
I will always love you and think
Of you each day,
We are apart now but I know,
In the future we will meet again,
And I will cradle you in my arms,
With all my love,
In a spiritual way.
Sharon Kemp
MY TRIBUTE TO MY BABY ANGEL
Angel, I love you
And I’m trying to be brave
I should be holding you in my arms
But instead I visit your tiny grave
You slipped away on mother’s day in 1993
I felt so sad on the day you left me
You now live with the angels
In a place that’s full of grace
As I’m typing this
The tears are streaming down my face
Sixteen years have passed
Every day, I love you more
You live in my heart
My baby angel for evermore
Pamela Green
Dedicated to my baby Angel who was miscarried on 22nd March, 1993.
Pamela Green said: “I am married to Freddy and we have four children - James, Sarah, Jason and Victoria, and a miscarried baby called Angel to whom I dedicate this poem. The poem was influenced by my loss. I have written several poems during my childhood, which were published in my school magazine and I have written several since but this is the first to be published in a book.”
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A RISK TO BE TAKEN
The sun started to shine for me
The day I saw you from afar.
But my heart knew you could not be mine
I was not beautiful, so I did not try
Although you tried to be near me
I did not think I was good enough
So I took another path away from you
But my heart has been with you all these years
And I see your face all the time in my mind
I wish we could have been together
I should have had more faith in human nature
But my inner self believed in fate
And thought it was not to be for us to be together
So when I took that other path
It was to be so very far from you
Now I knew I should have taken a risk
And changed fate so I could have fulfiled my dream
Of you being part of my life
And hopefully one day became your wife.
Christine Sait
Dedicated to the electrician at Wood Street telephone exchange that I liked, but was too shy to speak to him.
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