Category: 2023

How Do You Do, Bartholomew? – 3rd June 2023

~ tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

In the battle between one god
And this supreme being’s two sets of believers
Each arguing that they were doing good
And that the others were purely deceivers
These good deeds involved massacring
Those that believed the same thing
Killing more of each other than those
That hated what some good deeds might bring
More than the Romans ever threw to the lions
Over the space of three hundred years
In just one day thousands lay dead
And the Pope rejoiced with glorious tears
The irony seems to be lost on some
When their books said to live and let live
Only humans could twist the words of their god
And make it part of their dogma to forgive

inspired by a section of Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari dealing with religion.

The Safest Space – 2nd June 2023

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In my orbit, looking down
Twenty-six thousand kilometres per hour
Is the earth spinning?
Am I moving?
It’s safe up here
In the most dangerous place
Nearly on earth
Nearby goes Elon’s debris
Who was he when he was alive?
I have so many questions
Like why won’t they let me return?
Unable to experience the thrill of danger
With feet back on the ground
I remember the old pictures
From encyclopedias tattered and worn
The lights of humanity
Turning on in darkness…

Upside – 31st May 2023

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It’s so precious to see you smile again
Stepping down from the chair
Panic may still grip the heart at times
But I know you’ll still be there

The promises the liars gave you
Cheated your belief into ease
But reality hits like a punch to the gut
And your dreams just become a tease

Let’s go forward together into the dark
There’s nothing that can kill us
We’ll turn apathy upside its head
And only love will ever fill us

Inspired by a student I helped get to the psychiatrist, take some meds and get counselling. Still suffering anxiety and a tough life it definitely made an impact to see a face that hadn’t smiled for a long time.

Are We Here Yet? – 30th May 2023

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If this isn’t enough, then what is?
We have a reasonably long life of occasional bliss
The canvas is blank and beautiful, waiting
To be painted with all your colours, creating
Those times that can never be killed
An overflowing cup that can never be filled
Smell the roses, and don’t forget to smell the sweat
Sit in the back of the bus shouting ‘Are we there yet?’

Temptation – 27th May 2023

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Winds a-whispering such alluring tunes
Over the sashaying hips of the golden dunes
A devil tempts to caress sweet flesh
To find soft lips to taste afresh
The valleys first open to be explored
The enchantment too strong to be ignored
A hopeless daydream, a critical situation
Must be forgotten, not lost to temptation
There within lays the road to destruction
The unthinking mind, the unfeeling instruction
Look beyond this beauty, stunning, unreal
Around each corner lays further appeal
The holy grail is beyond where the fishes swim
The welcoming waves beckon to dive within
Surrounding forest and earth both lightly scented
This story oft-repeated that has been invented

Communion – 26th May 2023

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A spark flies on wandering wings
Darting forth on invisible strings
Before coming to rest on the orange soil
Growing here a cluster of limes
By the river flowing since ancient times
And the field the poorest farmers toil

The leaves all fall and flow downstream
Watched by those that wish to dream
Of lands and opportunities far away
What is here and there is just the same
The seas and cities all was and wane
Only the princes are happy to stay

Keeping butterflies within their cages
Whispered words on parchment pages
Tell legends of a joyful union
Setting fires ablaze, the whole world sings
Another spark flies on wandering wings
Ignites the story of our own communion

Writing For Myself – 25th May 2023

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The words I write, they are for me
Sure to be making assumptions
We are brothers and sisters in arms
(and anyone that cares to fall between)

Sometimes listening to the wind
Eases my burden, settles my heart

The hard code of my heart
Has been passed along for generations
back to the dawn of time

Now at this time of life, whenever it is
Let’s hope the engine keeps running

I only stop learning to rest my eyes
Things long gone are encoded and not forgotten
Whatever is coming towards me
Is all a part of nature’s play

A paraphrasing of section 1 of Walt Whitman’s Song For Myself