war

Hope Rage Sunflowers – A Poetry Anthology to Raise Funds for Ukraine

Hi everybody.

Something slightly different from me today. Anja, a poet friend of mine has put together an anthology to raise funds for victims of the Ukraine war.

Donations are on a pay-as-you-can basis and made to a charity based in Berlin providing aid to refugees. Once a donation has been made, email or DM Anja on Twitter with proof of donation and she will send you the anthology in PDF format.

Aside from poetry, the anthology also features stunning artwork and Anja has worked extremely hard and efficiently in getting the publication finalised.

The link to donate is https://www.ukraine-hilfe-berlin.de/spende/

Anja’s email is annickyerem@gmail.com

The link to Anja’s Twitter post detailing the information is https://twitter.com/missyerem/status/1502186977654980609

Thanks for Reading

Paul

Hope Can Be Heavy

Brothers and sister,
strangers and friends, 
like a sad smile on lips 
				- 	hope can be heavy.  


Let us sit and talk,
of better times gone by,
of better times to come.


If you are weary -
lay your head on my broad shoulders,
and let the hope that built them,
cushion your hearts and minds.


When darkness descends,
I’ll light a candle,
to burn it away -
even the slightest flicker of flame,
can illuminate the way ahead.


Before you leave,
please share this embrace,
feel strength through unity,
and let that carry you onwards.


Return any time you wish,
you will always have a place here,
in my heart and in my soul,
I know that hope can be heavy 
							- but you don’t carry it alone.

**********************************

Thanks for taking the time to read my poem today. I hope wherever you are, you are safe. Let our unity endure.

Thanks

Paul

From Your Brothers

There it is again
that distant gaze
powerful, it pierces faraway sandstorms
looking for the memory
of where that long lost piece of you
may be buried
and the Afghan sun can’t even burn your eyes
because you’ve stared so long, so often.

That subtle curl of lip
and your eyes wander softly
back in to the room
amongst the lads, lagers
and a few over-under dressed lasses.

There’s no sand here
and you know the rain
is always close-by
– like us –
we just hope we can help
to find you some hard-earned peace.

Thanks for taking the time to read this poem. It’s dedicated to my friends who’ve spent time fighting for the country on faraway shores.

Paul

War

we mourned all summer
when they decimated the woodland
murdered ash, oak, sycamore & beech
all in the pursuit of profit
the lives lost from the hedgerow
collateral damage to make capital gains
no concern for refugees
concrete foundations poisoned the rich earth
bracken & bleeding brambles scythed down
by strong yellow tanks
cheerful and bright grim reapers
sullying soil and sod
bricks, mortar, slate & glass
now occupying forces
and in final insult
they named the new avenues and boulevards
after the casualties they inflicted
not in memoriam
but as a warning
that in wars
between man and nature
man will win
because man’s nature is death.