Ra
He is Sun God of Annu, in worship we bow
He is our creator, to him we avow
He is King of the Gods, patron of Pharaoh,
It is quiet tonight, for he is preparing
To travel the darkness, the world of the dead
He is swallowed by Nut as she lowers her head
That is why the horizon is drinking the sun
When morning approaches, he will be reborn.
Through the night he must travel, aboard Mesektet
Into the Duat, where his hawk silhouette
Takes the form of a ram, and he’s helped on his way
He is guided by Gods heading back to the day;
He must battle Apophis, the chaotic one
The serpent who wants to devour the sun
On his sun boat he carries the souls of the dead
And the prayers of the living for good times ahead.
He has the sun and the moon in his wondrous eyes
He will become Khepri, as sun he will rise
He appears at the daybreak, he’s newborn again
Dressing the world with a bright golden chain
He is father to Tefnut, the goddess of rain
And Shu was sent forth from his solace again
Now Nut is his daughter, and Geb is his son
The sky and the earth Gods have joined as one.
For he is our protector, he gives life and light
He always appears at the end of the night
With his warmth, well he covers us all with his fire
He makes the plants and the people grow higher
He’s a mystery, a wonder, a comforting glow
He is more important than even we know
In these magical times he is worshipped afar
And in future we’ll speak of the good times of Ra.
Rain
I call for rain
Again and again
I search for darker skies
I want to feel water on my face and in my eyes
I pray for mist
Yes, I do this
I cry for bleaker times
I need to feel coldness in my lies
I shout for snow
Could you ever know
I scratch for emptiness
I love the fall of true grayness
I call for rain…
it as if you were there beside me
Hand on my face
Rainy Bus-Stop Afternoon
Rainy bus-stop afternoon
Pattering on the old tin roof
Like a slow round of applause
A drop of water starts its journey
Down the gritty glass pane
Then merges with another.
Rainy bus-stop afternoon
Cracked bottle-green paint reveals
A dull metal shape below
Looks like an old man on a bicycle
But it’s just a chipping
On a worn-out shelter.
Rainy bus-stop afternoon
Oil dances in a dimpled puddle
Psychedelic rainbow swirls
Rudely interrupted by a car
Whose careless tyres spray
A girl with an umbrella.
Rainy bus-stop afternoon
Swishing, swooshing bus arrives
The air smells like damp pavement
I wipe a lonely raindrop from my cheek
Climb aboard, pay my fare
The rain won’t stay forever.
Random
Listen to the fuss and accusation
Carries me to an unknown destination
Unspecified
Yet this thick skin never lied
Capitalist, you say, so proud
You just confirmed their thoughts aloud
But in that moment I tried
To divorce myself from your crowd
With forgiveness in my eyes
Recently My People
I sometimes wonder what I will do without you.
You have all been an inspiration and a guiding strength to me
And I have seen compassion and love within these walls
As well as frustration and despair
Recently I have been contemplating these things
You are all unique and fantastic and I feel close to you all
Yes I have witnessed kindess and willing, all from you
As well as loving and complete giving
You should all be so proud, because your strengths are good
You will be undoubtedly be the best at what you do, absolutely
Because I have heard your reassuring voices
And you really care for what you will do
I wish you the best of luck and strength
But I know that you won’t need it
Carry on regardless, give all you can
And always remember how wonderful you are
Despite the difficulties you face
You are all wonderful
And I will miss you always
Reality
Riding through yellow grimy suburbs, anyone would wonder
What I have been discussing, and would ponder
Over hungry donkeys and flea-ridden cats, and exclaim:
The water in my bathtub is jerking; can you explain that?
And I would say:
Yes, I can answer all your questions, although you may not understand
Liquid is like the people here, no rhyme or reason, just a love
Of everone and everything
If you don’t comprehend, then leave for home
You are so blind and will never wish or want to roam
Reality
Standing in heated cloudy places, you may find yourself in
What I have been mentioning, and will question
About forward faces and and real concern
The candle of the night releases me; tell me does it burn?
And he would say:
Yes, I can answer all your questions, although you will not breathe the fire
Love is like the longing here, no stop or silence, just a sigh
Of anyone and anything
You don’t appreciate, now leave her here
She sees the truth and will never desire to leave this place
Reality
For me… for her
Sting me not anymore
For us… reality
Red, The Squirrel
The squirrel awoke from his peaceful sleep
Safe and sound in the hole of a willow;
A conifer leaf he’d brought for a sheet
And some soft moss he used for a pillow.
He yawned and got up from his cosy bed
Now his stomach was hungry and hollow;
It groaned and grumbled and asked to be fed
And his throat wanted acorns to swallow.
He scurried outside, his fur shining red
For it blushed in the sun’s warm embrace;
He crept along branches and checked overhead
Because hawks like the way squirrels taste.
No birds could be seen, he skipped to the ground
Where grass tickled pine-cones on the floor;
He munched and chomped on this treat he had found
‘Till it looked like a chewed apple core.
What should our furry friend have for desert?
Maybe hazelnuts, berries or flowers;
But naughty Grey squirrel had eaten them first
So his next meal might not be for hours.
But Red was clever, he’d hidden some nuts
In a top-secret place in the wood;
He clawed at the soil, began to dig up
Some delicious and wonderful food.
Then he ran home, (full – that is certain!)
With his bright bushy tail in the air;
Drew the white web he used as a curtain
And relaxed in his orange-peel chair.
Red
Red keeps my feet firmly on the ground
Yet fills me with vitality and passion
The colour of my true survival
Life force behind my tired eyes.
And yes, I may get angry
And frustration summons red
But powerful emotion is better
Than dead.
It flushes in the cheeks of the strong willed;
Glares under the skin of pain
Colour of the impatient, yes,
I want to see it again
For it’s the colour of excitement
For approaching Christmas time
The colour of a beating heart
Truly in love, St Valentine.
Draped in physicality
And scarlet red my blood may be
But at the base my heart is free
Red fills my soul with drops of courage.
Every day I step into
A crimson circle of confidence
Yes I’m entranced
By Red.
Release
What can I tell you?
I was not myself. Was I someone else
Well that is a question forever unanswered
A riddle of time that lays in unfathomable depths
The puzzle of a lifetime – it’s anyone’s guess.
The words of the sonnets return to me
Through hazy clouds of doubt and uncertainty
And I try in vain to release the truth
But I do not know, and I cannot prove.
Do you understand?
I was not of sound mind, but rather I
Was under a spell of enchantment and magic
A crazy disillusion – it could have been tragic.
The vision of the night comes back to me
In light and in darkness, it’s so hard to see
And I strive relentlessly to end it all
But I don’t want that, and I never will.
What can I do?
My thoughts are like a speeding train
I stop occasionally and gather my senses
And realise that all of this longing is pointless
The song of the angel starts again in my heart
I press fast forward but it rewinds to the start
And I cry silent tears of one who’s to blame
But I still want it, just the same.
Remember
So easy to forget – because of denial
Time goes by and the wall gets higher
Occasionally I’ll be reminded
Of a mannerism or a smile
Simple to push away – because of fear
Life goes on and we shed one of those tears
We don’t think about it until
It doesn’t matter anymore
Two of my friends gone before they’re twenty three
Two of my friends taken from me
The question is ‘why?’ and answer me this
I’m not the one who suffers most – I dismiss
I don’t know real pain or suffering – just surface
The deeper love of family is the tragedy
I know this
And these lessons should teach me of life
How to live it to the full, how to survive
I hope to learn one day of what has gone before
Come to appreciate, understand much more
I am sorry, dearest friend, I don’t know what to say
I will always remember you just the way
You are
Response From The Moon
I’ve watched you, your complicated life
Running like sand through your restless fingers
I want to pull you to me
Like the water and as gravity
To tune you in to me
Show you the simple way
With nothing but me to guide you
Surely you would rise to
Meet the light that steals your heart
Would you still depart?
Or let me lead you to deeper thought
But your smile is fading
Your head is caught
Somewhere in your tangled hair
I want to reach you, take you where
You’ll bask in silver shine
If you could sit with me for just a while
I’d show you where you’re going wrong
Breathe into your soul a lunar song
No need to stumble in the dark
Although I never speak, I am
Always here to listen, give answers
When I can
Just look to the night sky
When you’ve had enough
Of your complicated life
Revolution 1952
For Gamal Abdel-Nasser
He said:
“I have been a conspirator for so long
That I mistrust all around me”.
Events never took a chance
Inside his thoughts, he found me.
A sign – a kind of wisdom.
Anti-British? Who can blame him?
Secret societies to comfort
Deposing those who ruled with fiction
He dipped his palm in Suez tears
By touch, made it Egyptian.
Crowned the dam in Aswan’s court
Lit golden flecks from Arab pride.
He rose from a bed of poverty, said
The third world should be unified.
(Though we attacked
We are the ones who paid the price.
Imperialism always was our style
We were never very nice.)
Romeo And Juliet
She’s here, suddenly alone
Swims, it seems, along a dusty road
Liberated within limitation
The sense:
Urgency
Like a battering ram to break
Her heart
Madman looks beyond his cage
Worship in looks and manners
She wants to run with
Burning
Thoughts, be there this
Instant
But slows with the weight:
Her feelings
Sweet amber castle
Ruled by
The King of Hearts
But different when she arrives
She searches, sometimes finds
Disappointment
So her greatest fear is
Loss of love
In the mind of a conscious dreamer
She swallows up the sun
Bleeds moonlight drops into the hands
Of brightest star
Who drinks her radiance
Will they meet, I wonder
Where clocks stand still
And everything is understood
With just one look
With just one look