THAT FIRST TIME

That first time
Long ago
When your hand
Slipped into mine
I felt instantly at peace
And when I looked down
At our interlocking hands
I was unable to detect a join
They were as one
When first we kissed
And we held each other tightly
We never wanted to part
When first we embraced
In that burning passionate embrace
Our hearts and souls joined
They are joined still

I NEVER EVER TOLD YOU

I fell in love with you
When you were eight, I was eight too
You had no front teeth
And you were freckled and chubby too
I loved you
But I never ever told you

I didn’t love you
Because of how you looked you see
I loved you because
Of what I could see inside, deeply
I loved you
But I never ever told you

I couldn’t help loving you
I loved you irresistibly
I hid my feelings
Loving you in secret and invisibly
I loved you
But I never ever told you

When you were thirteen
You changed overnight from pupae
And transformed
Magically into a beautiful butterfly
I loved you
But I never ever told you

Had the ugly duckling
Still been here today
I would have swept you up
And carried you away
I love you
But I will never ever tell you
I will keep my love locked away
But I will love you
Until my dying day

HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO

A hero, a myth a legend
An idea? A tale or fable
With a grain of truth
And come the time
He will be there
At the right time
To rescue us all
What hero?
A name gently whispered on the breeze
Or shouted on the wind
Arthur? Robin? Horatio?
Heroes all
Our real hero, neither myth or legend
Not an idea or tale or fable
But is the truth
And come the time
He will be there
At the right time
To rescue us from ourselves
A name gently whispered in reverence
And shouted in rejoicing
A name embedded in our souls
Our lord god

THE FIRST TIME

The first time I took her hand
It trembled faintly
Yet noticeably
Like a wild birds fluttering heart
In the hand of its captor
The first time I kissed her
Her heart raced
And when I touched her skin
I felt her pounding heart
Through my fingers
The first time we made love
Was the first time
For us both
And in our passionate embraces
Our senses were over loaded
The first time
Became many times
Though we are older now
The passion is stronger
Our senses fine-tuned
We are one, soul mates
We share the same shadow

I WANT, I NEED

I want, I need, a woman to look at me
Just a glance
The way Sha’uri looked at Jackson
In “Stargate”
A look of passion
Of want and desire
Telling me all
In that one look

I want, I need, a woman to smile at me
Her face to light up
The way Donna Reed smiled at Jimmy Stewart
In “it’s a wonderful life”
A smile of passion
Of want and desire
Telling me all
In that one smile

I want, I need, a woman to love me
Come what may
The way Greer Garson loved Coleman
In “Random Harvest”
A deep enduring love
Wanting and desiring
Answering all my doubts
In that all consuming love

I want, I need, to be in love with a woman
But no ordinary love
Special like Bogey and Bacall
Tracy and Hepburn in life and on screen
I want to see my love
Reflected back in her face
Reflecting want and desire
Telling all
In that requited love

H-HOUR

H hour approached
And we waited
Some men hummed
Tunelessly, nervously
Others muttered a prayer
A few were sick with nerves
Some shuffled from foot to foot
Some men were eager
Some reluctant
There was fear
And anticipation
Also a kind of excitement
Some knew this was their time
Yet no one faltered
They didn’t want to kill
Or be killed
But still no one faltered
The tension mounted
As the hour long barrage ceased
The guns fell silent
The sky cleared
And there was even birdsong
The shrill sound of whistles
Echoed through the trenches
And it was time
With the whistles still ringing in our ears
Up we went
Over the top
We covered half the distance
In silence un-resisted
Then still in silence
Men began to fall
At first only the zipping overhead
Of passing bullets was audible
Then crying and screaming
Then no one was standing
The generals, four miles behind the lines
Pointed at maps and read dispatches
As we lay in the mud dieing

DEAR LORD PROTECT

Dear lord protect
The soldiers on the line
And grapes upon the vine
The policemen on the beat
The homeless on the street
The elderly and the frail
The Transgressors in the jail
The young and the vulnerable
The well off and comfortable
Fire fighters at their station
Carers with their dedication
The judiciary and the medics
The believers and the sceptics
Those in planes and boats and cars
The planets and the stars
Crops growing in the soil
Those hard about their toil
The river, the lake and the dam
The lion the wolf and the lamb
The animals on the farm
Protect them Lord from harm