Lugere

From the last wind through autumn lungs;
Across the endless ache of winter bones
Through the dark shadow on a spring mind;
Into the constant drought raping a summer heart

Ever changing seasons bring nought new life;
The passing years unease tormented souls
Tears no longer flowing; dry faucet, an empty well
Time steps solemnly to the beat of a silent drum

Every surface gathers dust, thick shrouds of mourning
Heavy drapes, closed against rotting boarded windows
Cobwebs fill the dark, dank, lifeless spaces,
They speak like tombstones in a soulless graveyard

Haunted by the memories of pride and glory left behind
Old dreams, broken promises, forgotten lives
Collected, hoarded, possessed and now unwanted
An obsessive compulsion of nostalgic sentiment

No breath nor life, no mind nor soul
A broken home, heart broken; forgotten and unforgiven
Take heed, a living corpse; have pity, the walking dead
Abandoned empty vessels, derelict zombie love

Taupin says it better

I regard Bernie Taupin as a great lyricist, and combined with Elton John's musical talent, I believe they make the best songwriting duo of modern times.

I'm no match, but I do like to put things down on paper .. .here's a reflection of one of their greatest hits (copied at the end of the posting).

Sometimes,

when the words won't come out right,

try as one might,

When you know what you want to express,

but the tongue can't stress

And your mind can no longer handle the chore,

pleading and screaming "Enough! No more!"

Sometimes,

in that moment of stark revelation,

under numbing sedation,

When there is no pardon or excuse,

just a simple word to choose

you finally realise the need for humility

in a sublime, teary-eyed, soliloquy

Sometimes,

at least how it is commonly referred,

sorry seems to be the hardest word.

[CM 2004]

Bernie Taupin says it better ...

What have I got to do to make you love me

What have I got to do to make you care

What do I do when lightning strikes me

And I wake to find that you're not there



What do I do to make you want me

What have I got to do to be heard

What do I say when it's all over

And sorry seems to be the hardest word



It's sad, so sad

It's a sad, sad situation

And it's getting more and more absurd

It's sad, so sad

Why can't we talk it over

Oh it seems to me

That sorry seems to be the hardest word



What do I do to make you love me

What have I got to do to be heard

What do I do when lightning strikes me

What have I got to do

What have I got to do

When sorry seems to be the hardest word



[Music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin.

© 1976 Big Pig Music Limited]

Let Peace Prevail

Background


I wrote the following around the same time as Two Of A Kind in the wake of September 11. I ended up submitting it to several newspapers in the hope of getting it published as a letter. Unfortunately it didn't succeed. More background here and here.

Empathise with the unspeakable pain and loss,

    but refrain from words and acts of bigoted anger

Acknowledge the need for swift and certain justice,

    but quell the voice of revenge and retribution

Honour the victims and provide solace to their beloved,

    but protect all from wrongful blame or judgement

And above all, no matter what the future holds,

    gain strength from hope (or faith) and let peace prevail.

Friendship

A short speech I gave at a Junior Chamber function in Fremantle in 1998.

Around the corner I have a friend

    In this great city that has no end,

Yet the days go by and the weeks rush on,

    And before I know it, a year is gone

And I never see my old friend's face,

    For life is a swift and terrible race.



Yet, he knows I like him just as well,

    As in the days when I rang his bell,

And he rang mine. We were younger then,

    And now we are busy, tired men

Tired of playing a foolish game

    Tired of trying to make a name



"Tomorrow", I say, "I’ll call on Jim

    Just to show that I'm thinking of him."

But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,

    And distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner! … yet miles away,

    Here's a telegram sir - "Jim died today."



And that's what we get,

    and deserve in the end.

Around the corner,

    a vanished friend.



[Src: Around The Corner by Henson Towne]

"I received this poem in December last year just two days after a close friend suddenly died.

His death and this poem opened my eyes to how we take our friendships for granted. How we replace life’s important tasks with life’s urgent chores, and then regret those lost moments of pleasure.

Society conditions us to anticipate a busy life in which we run out of time for the things that are important and that our friends will wait, patiently, last in line behind the rest of our life.

Perhaps a true friend will wait, but would you? Or would you continue in your busy lifestyle, placing them at the back of your line?"

A friend is one who believes in you

    when you have ceased to believe in yourself.



A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart

    and can sing it to you when you have forgotten the words.



A real friend is one who walks in when

    the rest of the world walks out.



[Author(s) unknown]

"I wasn’t close to my friend, not as close as I could have been. I certainly took more than I gave, always thinking I would make it up later ... when I had some time. But I ran out of time.

The funeral service overflowed, I did not realise the extent to which he had shared his friendship, and yet he always had time for me."

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.

    Some people move our souls to dance.

They awaken us to new understanding

    with the passing whisper of their wisdom

Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.

    They stay in our lives for a while,

leave footprints on our hearts

    and we are never, ever, the same.



[by Flavia Weedn]

"Set aside some friendship building time and place it in your diary just as you would any other important task your busy life requests. Make time to stay in contact and be available 24 hours a day to those who need your ear.

And at the end of the day, when you get that telegram saying Jim is dead, you will look back and be glad that you shared that small moment just yesterday."