Time and space

It’s childish
            to think of time and space
as empty abstracts
            all things in the universe
have their coordinates
            and around a rose
a bee revolves
            and a lover
around his love
            and the seasons
through the year
            circles and cycles
the life and death
            of life

The sowed seeds of creation
            the endless song
wood strung and plucked
            and strings of words
that rattle the vocal chords
            and two lives led
in harmony
            two souls dancing
to the same tune
            the patterns built
into our day to day
            the circumference drawn
around the home
            the perimeters we pace
the bricks and mortar
            of our love
safe as houses
            sound asleep

John Lyons

Heart and mind

The mind turns
            to the body
says to the heart
            move on
forgive and forget
            the pettiness
of perfidy
            is not worth a penny

The mind turns
            to the body
says remembrance
            is only of things past
love if it exists
            needs no remembering
and if it doesn’t
            ’s not worth the trouble

The mind has a soul
            of its own
it is the heart
            of our other half
the heart and the mind
            have separate eyes
but a bird cannot hear
            its own song

Love shapes sound
            it flowers in the air
we are all instruments
            are played and resonate
Death steals away
            the voice unless love
restores it
            Bury the past
with no tears
            close the circle
once and for all
            and good riddance

John Lyons

Dream fresh dreams

Dream fresh dreams
            of a love that will go
to infinite pains
            to requite
and be requited
            a love not
of the imagination
            a love free
of madness
            full of harmony
and delight
            a pure joy

All things
            may pass away
but not love
            not if it’s true
It is what fills
            time and space
with meaning
            hence
my significant
            other
Take nothing
            for granted
take no one
            ever

John Lyons

Taking stock

What is different
           what remains the same
the pattern of days
           of habits broken
when another enters
           your life
turns it all upside down
           not that you protest
you always felt
           that you could do
with a change
           novelty to replace
recurrence
           rewarding activity
instead of a dreary
           restlessness

That’s life
           a mixture of pleasures
and of pains
           and of the trouble taken
to love one another
           for better or for worse

History is over our heads
           decisions decisions
devoid of intimacy
           we are lucky
to have each other
           Long may it last
I think to myself
           in the silence
of my mind
           my heart at peace

John Lyons

A time of reckoning

A poet is never idle
           never tires of being
of shaping words
           in search of an order
of understanding
           the beauty of all mystery

To read the world
           is a welcome task
to add to the sum of song
           to notice and to commend
the shy snowdrops
           soon to appear
where the green grass
           is sheltered and where
squirrels and crows
           roam freely
and crocuses and fresh
           winter blossom

Now I say
           at valentine’s approach
the worst is behind us
           the days are longer
and spring will soon
           have its revenge
In the heavens
           the stars are aligned
not long now
           until love has its way

John Lyons