The sailing club billows forth
Tacking across the harbour
Circling the islands
Visiting each bay
A pleasant view to watch
On a May afternoon
Dotting the water
Gliding the waves
Soundless but for the wind
And crash of waves
The shouting of instructions
Watch the boom
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Dusk at another airport
One can see the heat hanging
A yellow orb is low in the sky
Slowly turning to egg yolk
And then mango
Sinking slowly as a goodbye
Turning the color of oranges
Finally some red markings
As that sun drops away
Minutes pass, the clouds celebrate
With pink, pale red, apricot, and aqua
Published in The Lark
Let’s go back to Allihies
Where the trees do not grow
No more than bent over shrubs
In the harsh winter winds
Where the sheep outnumber folk
And the grass is lushest green
Flowers bloom by the wayside
And lambs walk the road
A scattering of farmyards
Along narrow twisting lanes
Two pubs, a church and village store
One gas pump serves all the needs
The sea rolls in crashes on the sand
Air is fresh, kissed by the toss of a wave
Mornings are soaked with dew
Evaporated by sun, day-long and sunset
The sun disappears over the Atlantic
Slow in its descent, colors gather
Then merge with no seam, filling skies
Huge the orb as it glitters the sea
Take me back to Allihies
Let’s be hungry from fresh air
See those stump trees, stand in the sea
Count the sheep till we deeply sleep
When I’m walking with my dog
I need to get in his groove
The 40 yards where I use the lead
I just get pulled and pulled
When he reaches a certain spot
I find I’m yanked to a stop
Cos that’s where he’s got do
What a dog’s got to do
Lead’s off so should he run on the beach
Or run to the launching trailer
To do what he does
Seconds of indecision and then
He does both
As he gallops on ahead i hope
There will be no shopping bags
For him to stick his nose in or worse
If they’re beside a bench
He’ll do what he does
Now I see him again and he’s nose down
In the tufts of plants sniffing his newspaper
Which takes him quite away along
until the open green grass
And he’s off with joy bounding
Then stops to look back
OK, I am right there
Then it’s along the sea wall
Maybe jump down on the sea side
Oops maybe not let’s leave it for now
He spies a puppy good for a chase
And get chased back what a game
When we reach the slipway he watches
Does he want to windsurf does he wish
For a boat I know I do
Then the football pitch
In for a dribble makes the kids laugh
Yes i got to get in his groove
Makes it such fun
Unless he finds something that’s dead
But even when he stinks
He makes me laugh
Oh how he made me laugh
Published in The Lark
A poem
Sinking in our winter sky, sunshine floods my windows
giving my home warmth and light
Sunshine helps me protect the planet Earth
with natural warmth and light
Darkness shrouds our days and yet the sun shines still
the tilt of Earth turning from her rays
Soon now will come the shortest day
then, gratefully, we count more light
Published in Promptly Written
A poem
How can my heart not sing its gratitude,
and not show kindness where I go
our lives are governed by our attitude
Being positive does not spare us difficulties
but it sure helps us to endure them
surrounded by color in flowers, birds, and trees
So a thankful heart is mine for all reminders
of the beauty in the world, in most people,
the trials I face are eased by my thank yous
Published in Promptly Written
A poem
Photo by filmplusdigital on Unsplash
On the nineteenth night of this ninth month
Moon will be full and bright, but dulled in daylight
Lunar eclipse is the price Sun pays for jealousy
Moon shares the dark scrim with starry lights
extinguished a millenia past, planets, comets
he welcomes them, and they flatter him
When Sun comes all must flee her vanity
Though Moon appears then and when,
in summer Venus shines as Sun sets down
Moon is departing Earth inch by slow inch
lunar tides lessen, will we bid farewell
safely Moon has ruled with magnetic tides
I know Moon has lakes, they’re my tears
Moon was my solace when no one could
death makes his visits mostly in darkness
I have danced with death too many times
yet basked in Sunlight as I love her warmth
but the Moon is mine, soulmates are we
Published in Under The Moon
A poem
Your hands went anywhere without consent
they traveled, guided by your mind
Sleeping, I could say no yes
half-waking, I felt your kiss
That kiss was my undoing, intoxicated as I was
by wine, but the quality of our mouths
doing what you began in reciprocity
spoke to forgotten yearning
I was celibate by choice; you knew but trespassed
how you dared I don’t know-the future days
no thought, but seducing
I could not move
I wanted, yet not, to stop you, we were friends
how to go on after this? So I kissed too
the way I used to kiss my lover
I still pay for your trespass
Published in The Lark
Poem
Looking for a piece of paper, there it was
I wanted to write my number for a friend
and there in plain sight after three years,
I saw the third thing you wrote to me
A birthday card was first, well-chosen, heartfelt
“books” on a bag with the book you bought me
and then this note, after all the stress I bore
thrown into my drawer, unseen, your abdication
of responsibility, authentic liar you that you are
Published in The Lark
Poem
Your hands went anywhere without consent
they traveled, guided by your mind
Sleeping, I could say no yes
half-waking, I felt your kiss
That kiss was my undoing, intoxicated as I was
by wine, but the quality of our mouths
doing what you began in reciprocity
spoke to forgotten yearning
I was celibate by choice; you knew but trespassed
how you dared I don’t know-the future days
no thought, but seducing
I could not move
I wanted, yet not, to stop you, we were friends
how to go on after this? So I kissed too
the way I used to kiss my lover
I still pay for your trespass
missing you still so much
my friend, my playmate, confidante
the gap cannot be filled, irreplaceable you
so bitterly cold so early that year
I am older now than the age you reached
my arms gladly held you until last breath
so much laughter me sitting on your lap
music you shared with me
the album I gave you so I could listen
did you realize I did that? and taking turns
at piano lesson first to watch Top of the Pops
you ate your sweets quickly, mine all week
in the tent I bit your back impulsively
you told tales, I never did, so mother bit my leg
sisters love and squabble, I loved you so
death stole from me, but you have rest
my tears come when they please
missing you is hard to bear, sleep well
Published in The Lark
For my daughter
If hugs were leaves, I’d give you a forest!
If love was a planet, I’d give you the universe.
If friendship was life, I’d give you mine.
Whatever you need, if I have it, it’s yours
When you speak to me, it remains in my vault
Published in The Lark
Writer and psychologist. My health, a journey with two life shortening diseases 
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