Shadow Dance

We should chase our shadows strongly
before another can find us fully
accept ourselves as the planet shapes us
before the angry winds howl again
follow St Vitus's dance
every kiss that is blown,
ignore loops of hatred
that try to cancel out laughter
hold onto love and all its residues
follow templates that know your heart,

like old petals of passion
a gleam in the sky
cascading overhead

glistening with continuance,
absorbing thought with compassion

releasing its dove tails across the land

as the world spins slowly on its axis

waltz on with ever cautious steps, 

allow thick, warm, healing air inside
listen to the sound of lulling waves outside.

A Different Drum

I march to the beat of a different drum
Through life keep dreaming on.
Carrying poetry deep in my soul
Following music that I must share,
Standing alone though I try to blend in
Keep on dancing while I listen,
Speaking about the abandoned
To those that are willing to listen,
Beyond political grief, apolitical despair
Finding enough reasons to continue to care,
Beyond man made borders
Discovering gifts of imagination,
Finding principles to guide
Pondering about ways we could all be free,
Falling in holes along the way
Sipping from bottles of mindfulness,
Journeying on with decimating attitude
Unpredictable thought, keeps on beating,
Glittering and glimmering under sunbeams
As rhythms of the heart.keep on beating.

Against Gun Violence

At time of writing, according to the http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/mass-shooting there have been,975 incidents, 1,922 deaths, 3,330 injuries, 71 children killed or injured, 377 teens killed or injured, 32 mass shooting, 41 officers shot or killed, 312 subject or suspect killed, 235 home invasions, 192 defensive use of guns, and 229 intentional shootings in the United States.
I wrote following poem in response.

Against Gun Violence

Sometimes it seems that hope runs out
There seems no end, to waves of violence.
No prayers or thoughts can break the cycle
This endless primal, destructive spiral,
Innocent lives getting lost everyday
Can we not simply destroy the ammunition,
Instead of trigger happiness, stop the madness
So that darkness no longer releases its deadly load,
Is it too late to halt the hate, lament all who've been lost
On blood stained streets, where flowers wither,
Tell the NRA no one has right to bare arms
The second amendment has no moral purpose,
Stop the bullets flying, shots from killing
With Gun control heal a wounded nation.

https://iamnotasilentpoet.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/against-gun-violence-by-dave-rendle/

moonshadow

In the distance, high above
her silvery light is shed,
through the shadows of trees
gaps of branches all outspread,
golden moon keeps shining
releasing brilliant light,
far away from our artificial borders
stops the earth from spinning faster,
caressing the land with her powers
beyond the darkness of this land, never cowers,
like an old lover listens to our thoughts
faithful to the end, consumes our desires
lets honour and adore her guiding energy
a shimmering beauty touching our souls.

Travelling light

I trust never knowing
But  Love keeps floating,
Besides dreams ever flowing
Tideless waves of time growing,
Sparks of reality,that rekindle fire
Releasing the thirst of desire,
Not empty figments of imagination
Mind staying free, still burning bright,
Finding courage not despair
No good will be found there;
Clinging on am  still afloat
Travelling light, gaze remains fixed,
Carried by powerful forces
Flowing onwards, gaining momentum,
While nature awakens, freedom echoes
Waiting only for a new tomorrow.

Beyond Doubt

Stubbornness can be linked with awkwardness
A refusal to play by rules of engagement,
Keep questioning if you doubt
But it's ok to accept assistance,
Investigate your fears and bias
Learn about new potential,
Mental processes will still define you
Past grinning gaze and teeth that gnash,
Allow tools to sharpen reason
With endeavour  purpose will become known,
Passing obstacles, retaining integrity

Defiiantly keep holding onto your ground,
Accept mistakes as learning opportunity

Fill the night with scents of  cognition,

Go easy in the chisseling chambers of time
Try not to spend those long hours, skulking in the dark.            
                                       

A Poem for Lammas

(Lammas or Lughnasadh is traditionally a feast of thanksgiving for the first  fruits of the corn.. The sun has shone upon the crops all season, which are now ready to harvest. The first grains are pulled and the first loaves of bread are made and shared with friends and loved ones. Rituals of Lammas are centred around seeing the fruits of our labours unfold as we wished. Our hard work has paid off and we can relax now before the preparations for next year begin. Time to chill out, break bread and share our spoils. Thoughts of transformation, death and rebirth are also part of Lugnnasadh ) 

A Poem for Lammas

We harvest the seed and the grain from the soil.
And transformation now surrounds us,
There is joy among the chaos, roses as well as bread
Lets share our rewards and bless the earth,
Release sparkles of thankfulness
With our smiles spread a glint of hope,
Let our spirits belong to the world
Move forward  together light and bold,
As summer recedes and winter draws near
Hold on to any chance that breaks,
Bless the departed the newly arrived
Let black clouds of hate drift on by,
In the noisy confusion of life
Keep gratitude within our souls.

Blessed are the Poets : Dedicated to the memory of Anthony ' Trance ' Jones; Bardd/Poet, R I P

Consciously committed
Communicators of  life
Weavers of magic

Holding up their light.

Devoted practitioners

Understanding the power of words

Trying not to be silent or aloof
Releasing words of significance.
Torrents of imagination

In doorways of navigation

Conveying thoughts of joy and sorrow 

From transient passing shadows borrow,

Daring to question, feeling every emotion

Unbound by retraint or hesitation,

Spoken from the heart

Spreading their messages  true,
Random sparks touching others
Before their work is done,

That remain in memory
Words lasting forever,
In the embers of time

A rustling grain of truth.

Not ready yet

In losing I knew what  I'd lost
Still recognising the joy and pain,
By the rivers edge, death called
Beckoning me to come closer,
No, I gently replied I'll bide my time
My spirit for now seeks existence,
Even when shadows darken
And my heart has been broken,
Still finding solace on this earth
Got lots of things to get done,
Guess the end will have open door policy
This is life's promise, it's simple honesty,
I'm simply not ready yet.

River poem

( no apologies, another poem for Jane , 9/5/ 60 - 8/1/17)

We sat together by the river teifi
My dear friend and I,
As life floated on by
Onwards  into eternity,
We held hands, consumed by love,
As waters moved  so feely
We had so much in common,
Our laughter rippled
As tidal currents flowed on and on,
We smiled and consoled one another
Trusting the forces of nature,
Gliding and glistening
Our love was real,
Reflections of the past
All belong to this earth,
As time rumbles on
Waters deep hold a common treasury
The future will always, belongs to us all.

Magic

(was not sure whether to share this, but arrived a moment ago, as mood descended,  as it made me feel better I thought id share it.)

I have not forgotten, that out of the darkness
An individual arrived, put a spell on this earth,
A faraway voice nearly seven months gone,
(in my head,  still  keeps an eye on us)
Releases rainbow lakes  into which I dive,
In slow motion her hands outstretched move devotion
Allow my fears to disappear from this troubled world,
In the storms calm descends, her eyes appear illuminating 
Casting  captivating rays in every town and city,
Walking beside us, a little flower of heaven
With compassion on her lips, an inspiration of magic,
Though faraway, still releases  beauty
Putting smiles back on  faces, allowing flowers to bloom  
As stars shine down feel the magic.

Summer Solstice ( Acrostic Poem)

( Dedicated to sweet Jane, who I was fortunate to encountert down the cellar bar Cardigan/Aberteifi June 21 2009 )

Summer has arrived, the Sun's ray's blaze down
Under influence, releases nostalgic feeling,
Memories of dear departed soul now in afterlife
Marvellous star  releasing  beautiful  light,
Essence of warmth, full of grace and power
Releasing thoughts in the here and now.

Sunrise passing, entering new cycle,
Onwards crossing over new threshold,
Love reigns supreme over the earth
Sharing celebration of renewal, fertility and life,
The wheel turning  and time moving on
In changing seasons  rainbowas colors weaving
Clinging on to hope, everlasting and clear
End of day listening to music, I still feel  magic.

For Grenfell Tower: a poem

It is nearly summertime, but it's increasingly getting very bitter.
Theresa May not capable of shaping society for the better
Getting daily free food and accommodation and so much more,
Just adds insult to injury to  those already feeling  sour
Victims of Grenfell Tower fire, without food,  no roof over head
Feeling abandoned a community mourns for their dead. .

The Queen,  managed to walk the streets, for some this was noble
Had at least made the effort to leave her palace of gold,
After many poorer people had died in  raging inferno
Maybe she found time to witness the cracks of division,
The feelings of despair and rage as the Prime Minister hid
Streams of rage currently growing stronger until she is rid.

There are almost 20,000  Ghost homes sitting empty in London.

Many left on the streets feeling the heavy weight of burden,
And the Crown Jewels value means nothing at all to those lost
Nor the CEO's receiving  millions  as a reward  for cutting costs
While fire resistant cladding is 24 pounds per square metre
Money still keeps getting wasted on those that don't deserve it.

As a  people's need for justice grows bigger and bigger
And the scent  of anger keeps blowing through our streets,
We are connected by faultlines of separation and inequality
Certain lives are still considered more important than others,
As smoke drifts, lets not forget the crimes of greed and selfishness
remember the victims, harmed by the crime of recklessness.

The future will look back in anger and deep everlasting shame
Until there is justice and those responsible are apportioned blame,
This tragedy will not be forgotten and nothing  will ever be enough
For those that are daily caught up by the effects and anxiety of poverty,
Revealing the wealth disparity that crawls through our days
Let the healing begin, time now to abandon division.

RIP Adam West otherwise known as Batman/ Bruce Wayne ( 19/9/29 - 9/6/17)

Sad news today, as I hear the news that the actor Adam West, best known for his portrayal of Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 1960's Batman series has died peacefully. a personal hero of mine from childhood.West’s career suffered after he was typecast in Batman-like roles after the show ended its 120 episode run in 1968, but he rebounded in later years with voiceover work, most notably playing the mayor of Quahog in Family Guy. West had been battling leukemia for years, although he ultimately lost the battle. He was 88 years old. R.IP.

A Poem for Adam West/Batman

Na na na na na na na na
the man I knew as Batman has gone,
ever so camp but cool
inspiring and iconic,
dashing and charismatic
superhero of Gotham city,
with his sidekick Robin
fought for truth and justice
a caped crusader of peace,
underneath his mask
a human spirit called Adam West,
the joker has  released his last calling card
but this dark knight put up a good fight
went out with a big mighty POW.

     

For the many not the few

In desperate times  people demand another way
Beyond the stealth  that devours our lives,
The cruel division of  current leaders creeds
Tory polices creating much worry and dismay,
Spreading poverty and indignity
Wanting us to beg and get down on our knees,
There are too many scars and cracks
Hidden away by a right wing media,
Time to abandon this transparent vision
Spare us all from fatuous condescension,
We can shed our tears, walk again with honour
Garlanded around us red roses of hope,
Build a future of kindness and fairness
After May has gone, sing celebratory song,
Living and defending  one another
For the many not the few.

https://iamnotasilentpoet.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/for-the-many-not-the-few-by-dave-rendle/

Me and Mary and sweet Jane

Me and my dearest companion
would often visit Shropshire
to  pay our deepest respect,
we'd find some stone circles
get lost in love and stuff,
in nature we would walk
follow the steps of Mary Webb
the sunlight of all reason
the quiet awakenings of the day,
feeling strong in landscapes
                             of beauty,
on pilgrimages, we touched magic
still resonating to this day,
celebrate humanity
and love unconditionally,
as echoes return ,waving endlessly
I try to keep discovering.

Light rises up

When  blinded by our differences
Life often makes no sense at all,
It's enough to darken the soul
The world  falling  apart at the seams,
Nothing left but blood and bodies
Images that haunt our compassion,
Some people will shout for vengeance
Others  will sing songs of peace and love,
Finding time to ease the pain
Light  candles among the darkness.
.
Mourning the loss of innocents
That fall on this twisted earth;
United in grief and solidarity
We stand together and cry,
Carrying the weight of heartache
The need for blind retribution must die,
Step by step we can run from  fear
try to reconcile ourselves with one another.

Clinging on to healing overtones
Find the strength and courage to move on;
To a place where hate refuses to grow
Too much pain keeps us suffocating
Not sure we can withstand much more,.
Lets spread  tender inclinations
Build bridges out of  destruction,
In moments of despair cling on.

There is much in life worth saving
But we have to keep working together;
Otherwise the same old divisions take hold
And the second we close our eyes;
Every advance we've ever made
Drowns in  pools of  impossibility;
Hold hands now with your neighbour
Share what you have in common
Beyond our different sadness, light rises up.


* The above poem can also be found here :-

https://iamnotasilentpoet.wordpress.com/2017/05/24/light-rises-up-by-dave-rendle/

Are You Experienced?

Experience, people say
Is the one and only way,
To learn the hardest facts of life
To hold joy and share the strife,
To fall down and get up again
To face the darkest days, not to surrender,
In the company of friends, sincere and dear
Beckoning us on to a future  near,
Over boulders, rocks and pebbles there
The sounds of the past still in the air,
The taste of tears, in the mists of time
Shades of answers that expand the mind,
Deep reflections from the dawns of yesterday
Out of cages leaping, flying free,
Solving problems, always looking
On trips that keeps us seeking,
Walking forwards into another space
Growing stronger in narcotic blissful kiss,

Fearless hallucinations of love released

Stumulating senses, sights and sounds, '

Lessons learned, feelings to augment
In world's expanse, memories not forgotten,

Following rippling tides and awakening  dawn

Every mistake you made keep get broken down,
Are we not all experienced in one way or the other
Allowing us to baptise now, in the name of tomorrow.

For a lover ( Poem for Jane Elizabeth Husband, 9/5/60 - 8/1/17 )

When there’s someone, one someone, who makes your days brighter, makes your joys greater, makes your heart lighter…Someone, one someone, you want to share with, do everything with, go everywhere. Someone, one someone you want to live for…You have something called love.”

- Kahlil Gibran

Today would have been my beloved's birthday, she would have turned 57 years young, nevertheless her spirit and magic I still feel on every sunrise,  in the early morn, after the moon has set , arriving every dawn, neither west, east, south or north, her petals following no borders,her footsteps still following rhythmic beats of the world, dancing freely, I still see her holding out her hands, in these days of confusion her words still clear, I tell myself she is free, where skies gleam and trees sway ,a drifting peaceful beauty.I offer to sweet Jane this poem.

For a Lover

Born in May like an exquisite flower
The joy she bought never surrendered,
Now in vast eternity, I am still caught
In my garden this light still shines,
Not forgotten, well attended
A passion that still has time to call,
Whispering through the trees
Releasing the memory of breath,
This great mystery who delivered kindness
In this world her love I  crave,
Because there was wisdom in her eyes
And so much laughter too,
She was faithful  true, lended strength
To let sadness flee and escape,
Though she  has gone far away
And her words are silent now,
I often wake from dreaming of  this angel form
Even while unceasing winds have blown,
With the knowledge that she bought me peace
And the greatest of all lifes' gifts- companionship,
Strong memories will always survive
The bonds of love cannot be measured,
Reaching out from  beyond final resting place
Ever so distant, yet so near and dear in heart,
I will wait  until its time to meet  again once more
For us to hold, share and love together,
On each birthday I will continue to celebrate
My special friend and lover who in poetry forever lives,
Whose passion and fire will never  fade
Still guiding and so close to me,
No matter how far  and out of reach
In galaxies of time, presence still, reverberates.
                                             
                                    

Waiting to go go ( some reflections on Death)

(I am currently grieving deeply for a loved  one, but in the meantime thought it would be cathartic to release the following poem that has recently arrived.)

Waiting to go go ( some reflections on Death)

What is it about Death
That makes us hold our breath,
We are all waves of consciousness
Passing through the corridors of time,
From the moment of birth you and me
All of us waiting to go go,
It can't be hidden, sadly there's no escape
Try not to pretend not to see, or be afraid,
It might be tonight or some time tomorrow
So while we can, best laugh and smile,
Until it's time for our very last dance
When the music and lights start to fade,
In the meantime lets talk about the weather
Cling on to Love and peace and all things nice,
Seize the day and carry on resisting
Show some allegiance to noble causes here on earth,
Until that fateful day Mr Reaper man comes
And releases our grip makes us take that final bow.