Pulse
Dawn breaks
to the idle chatter of birds
and in the distance
the hum of traffic
slowly builds
Life is on the move
once more
What challenges
will it bring today ?
What fleeting pleasures ?
I have slept through
the tired night
peaceful in my dust
Bone by bone
life lays us all to rest
Love is the only reprieve
the ruffled rose
the dimpled beauty
We are the flesh of moans
our bodies mindfully
twisted in schemes of passion
our defenceless dreams
raised to the heavens
Without love
life is shapeless
a journey without
destination
Our breath is
our greatest possession
no stone or metal
congealed can ever
measure up
to the warm chafe
of skin on skin –
we were born
for this
Dead leaves scurry across
the conservatory roof
driven by an artless wind
under an oyster-grey sky
In time we too will tumble
scattered flakes of gold
turned into the damp soil
on a drab winter’s day :
change is permanent
all beauty migrates
Until then dear reader
while we remain paused
on the threshold
let us celebrate
the unerring pulse
John Lyons