true knowledge

the sun shining on bare branches does not lie
the day will warm for winter is not yet
few clouds scud across the vast blue sky

they do not worry that the light will die
who risk their own lives lightly on a bet
the sun shining on bare branches does not lie

what breaks the silence nothing now will buy
the last birds fly together in a set
few clouds scud across the vast blue sky

enlightenment will not come from on high
it's our own product and it brings regret
the sun shining on bare branches does not lie

the call to duty will come by and by
till then we have no call to sigh or fret
few clouds scud across the vast blue sky

the death announced gives us no cause to cry
the obligations of honour will be met
the sun shining on bare branches does not lie
few clouds scud across the vast blue sky

(no subject)

the music reaches over many miles
disturbing thought and leading me astray
it has its subtle most serpentlike wiles
do blur the boundaries of work and play
what weight of sentiment cannot undo
may be the work of a minute's conception
what takes us on our longest journey through
the paths of hope may be a new direction
the choice of words is a matter now of law
but not of wit nor strength nor even power
the monster will not let us out of claw
yet we are certain this will be our hour
trapped by the moment captured by the sound
reason herself has fled and gone to ground

Godly labour relations

We've had some new developments of late,
Parnassus and Helicon are in a tizzy
almost as if the Pierian spring were fizzy
or someone had goosed Moira the Fate.
The Muses, now let me set you straight,
have never been either light or dizzy
but now their attitude's become quite quizzy
and bright Apollo has been shown the gate.
The ladies, in their mystical communion,
have made decisions that frighten even Zeus
who's not one normally to show alarm;
their decision to form their own trade union
has warned Olympus not to be obtuse
lest the more earthbound spirits come to harm.

(no subject)

language trips up not just the unwary
the power in words is not one to defy
the truth can injure far more than a lie
significance itself is more than scary
each of us moves onward although weary
our goal is not so far we can't descry
its looming presence no one could deny
our eyes can focus on it however bleary
the distance becomes smaller with each pace
emotion angers reason with its force
the words we utter make the hearer gape
yet at the same time appreciate their grace
applaud as each comes through the course
and beauty finally takes its full shape

against all forgetting

the generations look down and say naught
all ancestors at a distance blend into each other
when alive nonetheless they would have fought
and found no reason to use the word brother
explorers victims lords and serfs and slaves
black white and other all united here
in my live body while theirs lie in graves
their voices cannot now reach to my ear
i cannot choose among them without grief
so make no choice but think of the long years
when victim felt the lash of the proud thief
but could not comprehend the master's fears
what of them in my life i ask myself survives
that would have lit a fire in their own lives

night thoughts

fragments of darkness
minds do not cope with such things
waiting for sunrise

at night the neighbour
does her laundry just when we
need most to slumber