Poetry - March 2022

No War

We can't all agree on everything
And can discuss and settle a score
But no matter what the disagreement
We'd always want to say - no war
Everyone is a different person
Their opinion may not be the same as yours
But we'd all know when to draw a line
And to say in unison - no war
We live a life of peaceful respect
Where everyone is who they are
And if it happens to be polite discussion
Then it is always better - and no war
Sometimes you may want to speak up
And you may even want to say more
But no matter what your viewpoint
You can draw the line and say - no war
We despair seeing what's happening now
As innocent people are no more
Killing those is a crime in itself
And those of us continue to say - no war.

(As a peace loving person, I find the current news events heartbreaking. Haven't we learned from the two World Wars that it actually doesn't solve anything?)

I've Never Forgiven Eric Clapton

Growing up in the 1980s
I knew my father liked Eric Clapton
I don't know what he'd make of Eric now
With all his anti-lockdown denier ranting on
But I can remember one song I heard
And I immediately thought "oh no"
Because I remembered the original song
Composed by the mighty YMO
With added lyrics from Chris Mosdell
All through a vocoder electronically
It sounded such a synthesized future
That it just sounded so rhythmically
It swirled around majestically
With so much of a vision of the future
So when extra words were added in lanes
Modified by Quincy Jones for Jackson
Then played out by Greg Phillinganes
I knew it had morphed into something
And Greg brought it to Clapton
When I heard it for the first time
The intro keyboard was a turn on
Because I knew what it was originally
And so played YMO back to my father
He was surprised but at the same time
Could see why I was in a lather
Clapton had huge chart success
Which I never quite forgave him for
Because behind the mask of the 80s
Was electronic we'd all be wanting for.

(May sound easy on reflection now, but I can remember hearing the Eric Clapton version of Behind the Mask, thinking "that's so far removed from the YMO version I love" and also wondering just how AOR boring friendly it had become. A real shame. At least the Greg Phillinganes version has that lovely electronic backing at the start too)

Traumatised

So we were all requested to do a course
And one that I never wish I'd done
Because of the fact that I now think
That all my years of coping has gone
It took me to places I didn't want to go
And the content wasn't screened properly
So instead of coming with a warning
The content I saw had exposed me
To being upset about myself
Thoughts I had left long behind
But now I have to try and work at myself
Which isn't really somehow so kind
When a course claims to be positive
But in fact you feel so negative
Surely that's wrong in the extreme
And that isn't just someone's right to give
So now I'm thinking about my future
With a different outlook on myself
Because doing a so-called course like this
Has damaged my mental health
I don't know what my future may hold
But it's certainly made me think not where I am
Because if my well being is so little thought of
Then why should I give a damn?

(A moment of reflection on a course I wish I'd never have had to do. To say I'm not happy about it is an understatement.)

Somewhere On Sea

Take me to the coast
Somewhere I feel at one with nature
And where I can be free
With not a care in the world for sure
I want to be at Chinnyvision Rocks
As I know that's in the Kernow
I can feel somewhat at ease
Knowing that there's just me here now
Me, the sea crashing and the sky
Just all longing for that contentment
Knowing that it's here all year round
It doesn't have to be a Summer moment
Just take me to somewhere on sea
Where the coastline just feels at one
Knowing that I can have some alone time
Where all my thoughts can be gone
I don't want to face the world today
I just feel the need to be transported
And if that means going somewhere on sea
I know that I'll feel more sorted.

(Chinnyvision Rocks for those that wondered is a set of rocks in one part of Cornwall where the owner of the Chinnyvision Youtube channel tends to film from sometimes - and a place I've been past on holiday over time. It always seems to be at one with the sea there and other places along the coast that makes me feel so much more happier in life.)

Cuddle Cat Haiku

Brian wants cuddles
But only from his Mummy
And a tickle too!

(Brian the cat loves tickles and cuddles from his Mummy - he's a bit more cagey about if I give him a cuddle unless Mummy is there for him!)