How did the light
that you and I once were
at the origins
of the universe
become the energies
and the colours
of who we are
today ?
Shapes and textures
within a cosmos
yet to take shape
the thermodynamics
of our love
spelt out in equations
the riddles of energy
and mass subsumed
in a kiss exchanged
at the speed of light
John Lyons
Universe, John Lyons (30 x 25 cm, oil on canvas)
On the night shift
my mind is slower
more in tune
with the stars
Look how long it took
for the universe
to shape our world
for the sea to separate
from the land
for human life
to evolve
for you and I to meet
to walk hand in hand
across Tower Bridge
On the night shift
my breathing is slower
I have been known
to doze the hours away
to dream that you
are still there
by my side and that
time will in time
repair every injury
to my soul
John Lyons
Love sleeps cosy
in my heart
a bright star
in a warm firmament
I wake to the chirrup
of thrush and sparrow
magpies in their Bourbon
regalia have yet to appear
In my dream
I was flying back to you
to a nest we had built
together lovingly
Though rain has fallen
it did not dampen my spirit
whatever life throws my way
I am ready and willing to play
John Lyons
Cold dry oils
pigments stripped
from the earth
daubed on canvas
to record all memory
of time – here
where great sheets of ice
once polished and denuded the land
here where barren trees
now stand in their bleak midwinter
Generations have walked these paths
have journeyed from star to star
from seed to seed
an endless stream of life
If you close your eyes
you can hear the whispers
of those who went before you
those who fell in bloody wars
and those who lost their lives
to love or to other distempers
of the heart – last night a moon
full and intense enough
to burn a hole in the dark sky
as if to confirm
that the worst is over
that spring in all its beauty
will come soon and with it hope
and with it love
John Lyons
Moon surface, photo by John Lyons
Magpies – the smartest birds
on the block
feed on beetles and flies
and caterpillars
and spiders and worms
and leatherjackets
In winter
they turn vegetarian
feast on plant material
such as wild fruits
berries and grains
Magpies are never crossed
in love – far too smart
for that
John Lyons
Poorly equipped
defenceless
the poet enters
the world
rides a wooden
rocking-horse
an all-weather
walker he explores
ancient woodlands
and hikes across
endless fields
the stars render
time meaningless
just the beat
of his heart
and the pace
of his footfall
his ancestors
are words
words and music
and his home
is the sapphire
of silence
in which his soul
savours love
life is light
and colour
and all the world
feeds on life
patience is
a natural virtue
which the poet
cultivates
along with sparrows
along with magpies
he admires
their point of view
the purity
of their speech
spiders play
on strings
melodies rich
to the poet’s ear
crude vowels
and consonants
struggle to express
the beauty around us
John Lyons
The deep green
of woodland ivy
embodiment
of life and death
and the holly
rich with red
winter berries
and mistletoe
with its plump
unctuous fruit
such significance
within a universe
so alive with death
as though each
were interchangeable
in the glass
Her lips now pale
with age
her song now silent
now a thing
of the past
We are voice
and we are memory
but our voices
grow silent over time
and our memories
fade beyond the sunset
Love for today
for tomorrow
it may be gone
John Lyons
An octet of magpies
sitting high up
in a neighbour’s tree
I say sitting
but in fact they keep
jostling for position
perhaps to determine
who plays first violin
At the rear of the garden
the foxes are making their moves
overnight there was a light frost
but it didn’t last
The foxes are lounging
on the shed roof perhaps
recalling those long gone
summer days
and their friendly skirmishes
with the magpies
High winds are forecast
but on this Christmas morning
there is a stillness
a contemplative silence
and love in my heart
love and peace
John Lyons
Corrected text!
This is a picture of health
the green door of fresh pastures
the field of possibilities
where sparrows and crows feed
where daisies and dandelions
flourish in summer months
meadows bisected by clear streams
sunlight devoured by every leaf
and blade of grass and life busy
about its task of refreshing life
lovers and families come here
to stroll and to remember
their purpose indeed their obligation
to disperse shadows and sadness
to raise every crestfallen heart
to apply the warm human touch
to every aspect of their life
not to ask whether it is nobler
but to bear testimony
to the truth in all its beauty
John Lyons
Our frailties
humble flowers
in the meadows
and happiness
an art a skill
that enables us
to live for
another day
To be is better
than not to be
words words words
to fill a theatrical
space in time
to know all
that defies entropy
peace and love
John Lyons
