The Sunday Posts 2014/ Expect Nothing.

Expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.
become a stranger
To need of pity
Or, if compassion be freely
Given out
Take only enough
Stop short of urge to plead
Then purge away the need.

Wish for nothing larger
Than your own small heart
Or greater than a star;
Tame wild disappointment
With caress unmoved and cold
Make of it a parka
For your soul.

Discover the reason why
So tiny human midget
Exists at all
So scared unwise
But expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.       

Alice Walker
Photo By Alistair.

The Sunday Posts 2014/ Prows O Reekie

O wad this braw hie-heapit toun
Sail aff like an enchanted ship,
Drift owre the warld's seas up and doun,
And kiss wi' Venice lip to lip,
Or anchor into Naples' Bay
A misty island far astray
Or set her rock to Athens' wa',
Pillar to pillar, stane to stane,
The cruikit spell o' her backbane,
Yon shadow-mile o' spire and vane,
Wad ding them a', wad ding them a'!
Cadiz wad tine the admiralty
O' yonder emerod fair sea,
Gibraltar frown for frown exchange
Wi' Nigel's crags at elbuck-range,
The rose-red banks o' Lisbon make
Mair room in Tagus for her sake.
A hoose is but a puppet-box
To keep life's images frae knocks,
But mannikins scrieve oot their sauls
Upon its craw-steps and its walls;
Whaur hae they writ them mair sublime
Than on yon gable-ends o' time?

Lewis Spence
Photo by Alistair.

The Sunday Posts2014.OCD

This week something a little different. The poem is therefore a video. I hope you like it as much as I did.

The Sunday Posts 2014/Forever Young

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

Bob Dylan
Photo by Alistair

The Sunday Posts2014/Always marry an April girl.

 27/4/1991

Praise the spells and bless the charms,
I found April in my arms.
April golden, April cloudy,
Gracious, cruel, tender, rowdy;
April soft in flowered languor,
April cold with sudden anger,
Ever changing, ever true --
I love April, I love you.

Ogden Nash
Photo by Alistair.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart.

the Sunday Posts 2014/The Orange

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange —
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled and shared it with Robert and Dave —
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

Wendy Cope.
Photo By Alistair.

The Sunday Posts 2014/ The Phoenix

Just because the leaves are falling, doesn't mean the tree is dying,
It only means it's time to cast tired things to the earth,
The sun may have got weaker but there will be another summer,
We have to die a little to get ready for rebirth.

The moon wanes before it waxes,
The stars don't fall from heaven,
The sea recedes so far and then returns to shore,
Don't mock the weary soldier for behind him is an army,
Who may have lost the battle but intend to win the war.

The flame's reduced to smoulder and smoke obscures the mirror,
Very darkly, through it I can see some fearful things,
But regeneration is coming and out of dust is growing,
Like the phoenix rising from the ash beneath its wings.

Cher Cassini.
Photo by Alistair.
{Thanks to local poet Cher for permission to use this poem}