Kneeling by the Camp Fire

It was late last night
and you were all sleeping
The camp site was silent
and alone I was keeping
a watch by the moon
and the stars that came creeping
past all my defences
and started me weeping

I wept for my children
and for all those I knew
I wept for the strangers
and the ones passing through
I wept for the living
and for the dead too
Then I wept for me
and I wept for you

I was very surprised
to find myself kneeling
A private obeisance
to this unknown feeling
And while overhead
the old stars were wheeling
down here by the camp fire
my spirit was healing

I'm not what you'd call a spiritual person
To religious practice I have an aversion
But Faith is a completely different thing
and I think you should go with what makes your heart sing.

(even if that is physics)

Sad

How sad when an old friend dies
How red are my tear filled eyes
How grey are the winter skies

A promise to my children

I promise I will hold you when you cry
Turn around and scold you when you lie
Be around to praise you when you fly
and love you
till all the seas run dry

Apologies to Adelle

Today
I saw
it's been a calendar year
Since the last time
when I said
while influenced by beer

That this year I would try harder
to keep away from the larder
and be generally
better
to all the ones that I love
To be a setter
of limits
I'll not go above

But

Two thousand and sixteen is here
a better me didn't appear

So I'm sorry for failing
every promise I made
For not achieving my target
or making the grade.

but that busted promise is gone now
time to make another vow

and for this year
I'll make
an easier wish
just to make the
most of
all I find in my dish

Hello,
it's me
It's the first of January in the year twenty sixteen