Timesickness
loss of gravity
we are all adrift
in space
Forget the puns
it truly is a human race
against the clock
and against the loss
of direction and of
a solidarity with the earth
the land and sea and all
the flora and fauna and
whatever warms the heart
yet does not overheat
the globe but ushers in
a lasting climate of love
John Lyons
To be older is not
to be aged or antique
or ancient or passé
or frail or forsaken
or to be dyed
in the wool
or to be mutton
dressed as lamb
To be older is neither
to be forgotten
nor remembered
nor to have lines drawn
across the forehead
or circles under the eyes
or to be a big noise
or to suffer in silence
or to be seated
in the corner
with curtains closed
nor to eat bread
without crust
nor to be butter
without jam
To be older is neither
to deny nor to affirm
nor to chatter without teeth
nor to put duty before love
nor to sleep with all the angels
nor to rearrange the stars
nor to believe in the past
to be older is not a vocation
nor a vacation nor an excuse
for a reason
nor a missed opportunity
nor an opportunity
not to be missed
to be older is to be younger
as time goes by
John Lyons
Corrected version
Love thicker than blood
deeper than any sea
freer than any air
an incandescent fire
sky cannot shelter it
nor the moon illuminate
its furthest actions or
its deeper recesses
love longer than time
more encompassing
than any space
more succinct
than any word
No battle can ever
defeat it no betrayal
ever taint it
Love thicker than blood
more compelling
than any kiss
love is what it is
John Lyons
Christmas lights
on the linden trees
and an icy wind blowing
in from Siberia
flakes of snow
curling in the light
of the streetlamps
dusting the pavement
I remember Berlin
how dark it was
how cold and dark it was
when we left the Hotel Adlon
and sauntered up
to the Brandenburg Gate
All those years ago
all that time
all that dust
all that love ago
John Lyons
Cascade, John Lyons (oil on canvas)
A poetry of familiar things
a sparrow or a rose
or flowering mimosa
a simple summer cotton dress
decorated with flowers
which she wears with pride
The families that traipse
up and down
the Promenade des Anglais
in Nice : the blue sea
and the blue sky
the heat of the day
in August
Chagall and Matisse
and Italian sorbets
and the insatiable thirst
for love and life
John Lyons
Une poésie des choses familières
un moineau ou une rose
ou mimosa en fleurs
une simple robe d’été en coton
décorée de fleurs
qu’elle porte avec fierté
Les familles qui traînent
haut et bas
la Promenade des Anglais
à Nice : la mer bleue
et le ciel bleu
la chaleur du jour
en août
Chagall et Matisse
et des sorbets italiens
et la soif insatiable
d’amour et de vie
johnjosephlyons 