Who was he?" she enquired of me
A man I knew, a man of many parts
A soul who stirred both gender's hearts
"He owns an open and honest countenance" said she

Open? Yes but he could shut it tight
"That I find difficult to believe" she remarked
"That a face of such design be moved to dark"
Dark? Yes but his true self was reborn in the light

"How so?" She was now both perplexed and wise
I and others have seen him turn a page
Or speak a line upon a stage
"Ah now!" she laughed "I see it with my eyes"

Words written and quoted were the butter on his bread
He could comprehend and play
Darkness or light any day
About a man so open and honest as he, what better could be said?

Sometimes I just want to be normal
I want to stroll over to the pub
And chat to a guy I know
And when I want to leave
I shall go

I shall walk out into the sunlight
Stretch my back and get into my car
Put on my music loud
And drive as fast I can
As fast I’m allowed

It will take twenty minutes or so
To reach the station in time
I park and watch a disabled guy
Limp to the ticket machine
I thank my lucky stars
That it’s him
Instead of me

You see me as you leave the train
You smile in that familiar way
Demure and kind of formal
A smile that a wife
Would give to a husband    
If he was normal    

Yeah, normal is what I’d like to be
Nothing special, just as before
A man who could hold his head high
A man who could sing with The Beatles
Tell me why

She has a nest in her studio
She has a nest In her bag
She has a nest in her note book
A nest of memories of her mum and dad

She has a nest on several bookshelves
She has a nest of tools below the food
She has a nest of films on the TV
To watch if in the mood

She makes a nest for the tortoise
She looks for nests in a tree
She makes a nest of her bedroom
Even in her new lavatory

The car is a nest of tobacco bags
A bottle without a top,
A note if anyone wants the car moved
She’ll make nests until she drops

She has a nest of ideas
Her brain is a nest of plans and schemes
And when she goes to bed at night
She has a nestful of dreams

Softly now,
Wish as you whisper,
Wipe away the tears
That hesitate in my eyes,
You paint in lavender today
Tomorrow in blue,
The day after?
Who knows?
Why do I weep?
It is not the colour,
No! It is something else,
It is the pain,
Sudden, like a slap,
That then seeps into my heart,
Squeezing it with kisses.

I sit alone, watching the thin branches shudder
In the breeze,
I look again.
They are still.
No, they sway,
I think,
The blossom feeds on the fog,
As it puffs and sinks and settles.
All life and death is here -
A blur,
A smudge,
A shadow,
A lick,
A spit,
A kick,
I flick a switch and it has gone.
The pain remains,
That beautiful ache in my eyes,
Washed clean so that I can see
The reality of time
Expressed so eloquently
In a moment
That I love.

We Didn’t

I sensed that you would have if you could have but you didn’t.
I felt that I could have if you did but you didn’t.
I looked away as I spoke but you didn’t.
You brushed your hair from your face but I couldn’t.
You might have if I’d asked but I daren’t.
I liked how I ate as best I could have but you didn’t.
And, as you ate, I said what I said but shouldn’t.
You touched me twice as I did but I didn’t.
As you left I wanted you to stay but you didn’t.
I wanted to hug you but you kissed me twice so I couldn’t.
I felt that you might have if you’d stayed but you didn’t.
So – we could have and maybe we should have but we didn’t

Just a whisper of remembrance,
A brief touch on my shoulder,
And there you are!
Smiling, enquiring
Listening, reacting,
I shall let you go now
To be with them,
Your family,
Who love you so.
Your blood is their communion
What joy, what warmth,
You gave them and give them still.
How fortunate are they and we
To hear your whisper,
To feel your touch,
To love and be loved.

It was only a moment
No more
I mean, how long does a moment last?
She was standing in the kitchen
Near the sink
Next to me
Facing away
I took a step back
She turned on her heel
I happened to be holding my left hand about level with her waist
It was almost a dance step
We did not touch
And then it was over
I carried on past her
I don’t think she noticed
She had her back to me
It was only a moment