General Chat

My niece sent me this a couple of days after the death of my brother :

Perhaps they are not stars in the sky
but rather openings
where are loved ones
shine down
to let us know
they are happy.

Nigglynellie

Thank you for those kind words which have been accepted by us all. I cannot imagine how his father will cope, he was absolutely distraught and simply could not think logically. But then who would in such circumstances. Twenty six years ago my elder sisters' son died at the age of 25 from a severe Asthma attack whilst at home....my sister and her husband have never really recovered, and I think of him everyday as I tried so hard to resuscitate him. The coroner was very kind and said that no one could have helped him because his lungs were completely destroyed and yet one always thinks if only...
I shall look for more positive poems or sayings later today

Bye for now.

Spanish Eyes, I AM sorry to read your post. What a terrible thing to have happened, please accept my sincerest sympathy both to you and your friends. One can only imagine what must have been going through that poor young man's mind for him to believe that suicide was the only way out of whatever was troubling him so much. I think your 'piece' is very moving and totally applicable. My prayers and thoughts are with you all.

yesterday morning was dark for us. we learned that a 30 year old son of one of our friends had committed suicide.

I hope that yo do not mind this very simple piece is recorded here. If anyone does object please simply let me know and I will remove it.

Bless, O God of eternal life,
all who have died
by their own hand.
Grant them peace
from their inner turmoil
and the compassion of your love.
Comfort those who mourn
their loved ones.
Strengthen them to face the questions of pain,
the guilt and anger,
the irreparable loss.
Help us to reach out in love
to others who prefer death
to the choices of life
and to their families who grieve.
Amen.

Georgina, I love your prayer, I shall write it down and put it onto my fridge!!! My stepfather used to call my mother 'Niggly Nellie' after the character (his wife!) on Captain Pugwash!' It was a family joke as my mother didn't niggle, well, not that much!!! that is why I now use it as a pseudonymn (spelling?!) The other two poems are both moving and beautiful, and really great to read. It's a horrid morning here so I shall be getting out my books to seek some more poetry, prose or sayings!

And another Aussie poem -

The Australian Sunrise by James L Cuthbertson

The Morning Star paled slowly, the Cross hung low to the sea
And down the shadowy reaches the tide came swirling free.
The lustrous purple blackness of the soft Australian night
Waned in the grey awakening that heralded the light;

Still in the dying darkness, still in the forest dim
The pearly dew of the dawning clung to each giant limb,
Till the sun came up from ocean, red with the cold sea mist,
And smote on the limestone ridges, and the shining tree-tops kissed;

Then the fiery scorpion vanished, the magpie's note was heard,
And the wind in the sheoak wavered and the honeysuckles stirred;
The airy golden vapour rose from the river breast,
The kingfisher came darting out of his crannied nest,

And the bullrushes and reed-beds, put off their sallow grey
And burnt with cloudy crimson at the dawning of the day

It is so beautifully descriptive that you can close your eyes and imagine the glorious sunrise.

This one always makes me think of my great grandmother waiting for my great grandfather to return from France. He never did.


The Wind on the Downs

I like to think of you as brown and tall,
As strong and living as you used to be,
In khaki tunic, Sam Brown belt and all,
And standing there and laughing down at me.
Because they tell me, dear, that you are dead,
Because I can no longer see your face,
You have not died, it is not true, instead
You seek adventure in some other place.
That you are round about me, I believe;
I hear you laughing as you used to do,
Yet loving all the things I think of you;
And knowing you are happy, should I grieve?
You follow and are watchful where I go;
How should you leave me, having loved me so?

We walked along the tow-path, you and I,
Beside the sluggish-moving, still canal;
It seemed impossible that you should die;
I think of you the same and always shall.
We thought of many things and spoke of few,
And life lay all uncertainly before,
And now I walk alone and think of you,
And wonder what new kingdoms you explore.
Over the railway line, across the grass,
While up above the golden wings are spread,
Flying, ever flying overhead,
Here still I see your khaki figure pass,
And when I leave the meadow, almost wait
That you should open first the wooden gate.

Marian Allen

I hope this will touch some poor hassled mother.

Lord, let me find some peace of mind
so I can again be calm and kind,
let me not niggle and nag and whine
and upset this dear family of mine.
Let me give love to all I see but -
let them give some back to me.
Then let me find peace and hope through You
and joy in everything I do.

I found this poem when I was trawling through WW1 poets and found it very moving:
'Fellow me Lad' by Robert Service.

'Where are you going young fellow me lad
On this glittering morn of May?'
I'm going to join the colours Dad
They're looking for men they say,
But you're only a boy young fellow me lad
You aren't obliged to go,
I'm 17 1/4 Dad, and ever so strong you know.

So, you're off to France young fellow me lad
You're looking so fit and bright,
I'm terribly sorry to leave you Dad
But I feel that I'm doing right.
God bless you and keep you young fellow me lad,
You're all of my life you know.
Don't worry, I'll soon be back dear Dad
And I'm awfully proud to go.

Why don't you write young fellow me lad,
I watch for the post each day,
And I miss you so and I'm awfully sad
And it's months since you went away,
And I've kept the fire in the parlour lit
And I'm keeping it burning bright
Till my boy comes home; and here I sit
Into the quiet night.

What is the matter young fellow me lad?
No letter again today,
Why did the Postman look so sad
And sigh as he turned away?
I hear them tell that we've gained new ground,
But a terrible price we've paid,
God grant my boy, you're safe and sound,
But oh I'm afraid, afraid.

They've told me the truth young fellow me lad
You'll never come back again,
Oh God the dreams, the dreams I've had
And the hopes I've nursed in vain
For you passed in the night young fellow me lad
And you proved in the cruel test
Of the screaming shell and the battle hell
That my boy was one of the best.

So you'll live you'll live young fellow me lad
In the gleam of the evening star
In the wood note wild and the laugh of a child.
In all things sweet that are.
And you'll never die my wonderful boy,
While life is noble and true,
For all our beauty and hope and joy
We will owe to our lads like you.

The cat can have kittens in the oven but it doesn't make them bisciuits:- Irene Handl

From the moment I met you
by Jenny Sys.

From the moment I met you,
I knew it was true,
Because I couldn’t stop smiling,
Nor thinking of you.

I couldn't believe it,
Something so wrong I knew,
Because I wouldn't stop smiling,
Nor thinking of you.

Now that I know your feelings,
That you feel the same way too,
Now I can’t stop smiling,
Nor thinking of you.

This feeling’s so wonderful,
Like a dream come true,
I refuse to stop smiling,
Nor thinking of you.

I had been separated from my husband for just over two years when my now OH came to see me and asked quite bluntly "are you and ..... staying like this, getting back together or divorcing."
I told him that only the evening before and by telephone we had agreed to a divorce. The rest is history as we have now been married for 18 years in July.

Recently when I had been home for a week he left a message for me whilst he went to watch football with some friends this is the piece that he left!

How could it not be special to me for this is the man that really is my soul mate even though we are very different characters.

I,m sure last night my spirit went from this mortal coil-but where it spent this time from earth I do not know,I like to think that it did go to meet you on the Astral Plain and that we were entwined again. I felt such peace at break of day-I think you were not far away.Your presence-gentle but strong giving me the strength to carry on with this life and its problems hard which must be faced-less we retard our evolution-spirit learning necessary ere returning to the realms of spirit where you dwell,where one day I,ll be there as well. Come to me my love at the break of day,would that you did not go away,where-ere I go, What ere I do, my love and Heart belong to you,and always will,we are as one,and shall be till this life is done,When your soul will again greet mine,For we are soulmates for all time. ANON. **M**.

Merlin I have just read you're poem, it brought tears to my eyes...beautiful.

Spanisheyes I will have a look for some more very soon.

Oh Nigglynellie that is wonderful, I love it one of my favourites. Your'e right this is a wonderful thread, and so friendly.

What brilliant thread this is, all these wonderful poems and sayings, I really am enjoying it so much. Another one from A Shropshire Lad has just caught my eye.

'Is my team ploughing,
That I used to drive
And hear the harness jingle
When I was man alive?'

Aye, the horses trample,
The harness jingles now;
No change though you lie under
The land you used to plough.

'Is football playing
Along the river shore,
With lads to chase the leather,
Now I stand up no more?'

Ay, the ball is flying,
The lads play heart and soul;
The goal stands up, the keeper
Stands up to keep the goal.

'Is my girl happy,
That I thought hard to leave,
And has she tired of weeping
As she lies down at eve?'

Ay,she lies down lightly,
She lies not down to weep;
Your girl is well contented.
Be still my lad, and sleep.

'Is my friend hearty,
Now I am thin and pine,
And has he found to sleep in
A better bed than mine?'

Yes lad, I lie easy,
I lie as lads would choose;
I cheer a dead man's sweetheart,
Never ask me whose.

Merlin, this is beautiful, I felt my tears well up as I read it. do you have any other such poems or messages

welsh bird i shall read these over and over again
Thank you

What was she like this Girl of yours? They say, These people I meet along the way.This girl you write of all the time putting so many words in rhyme. That she holds your heart there is no doubt,there seems so much to write about. What words describe this girl of mine? I could say she was quite divine.With a ready smile and twinkling eyes,loving,gentle kind and wise,uncriticle yet a source of strength, a girl who would go to any length to help those she loved and others too,she was my anchor through and through.A wonderful lover and also my friend upon whom I could always depend. She had great charm and a gentle voice,the sound of which made me rejoice,her" Hello Darling" on the phone would thrill me each time I rang Home.I felt safe with her in every way never believing there,d come a day when she would leave and I would stay.But I know thats the price we have to pay for such happiness as we did share,which I do believe is very rare.Though without her now I suffer pain I do know we will meet again.Love is eternal and that I know,because we love each other so. There must be more that I could tell of this girl of whom in love I fell.I give thanks for her each time I pray,and in closing its suffice to say that I,m grateful for the time we had my loving wonderous lovely girl. ANON. **M**.

not last night...but the night before

Not last night but the night before
Two tom cats came knocking at my door.

I went downstairs to let them in
They knocked me down with a rolling pin.

The rolling pin was made of brass
The turned me up and smacke my ****

----------------------------

I went to the pictures next Thursday

I went to the pictures next Thursday
I took a front seat at the back
I said to the lady behind me
'I cannot see over your hat.'

She gave me sone well-broken biscuits
I ate them and handed them back
I fell through a hole in the ceiling
And broke my breast bone in my back.

------------------------------
Down in the valley

Down in the valley
Where the green grass grows
Mary Gray
Looking like a rose.

Mary Gray
Tall and sweet
Calls her lover
At the end of the street.

'Sweetheart, sweetheart
Will you marry me?'
'Yes dear Mary
at half-past three.'

Ic cake and currant cake
All for tea -
We will have a wedding
At half-past three.

-----------------------
Mary had a little lamb
Her father shot it dead
And so it went to school with her
Between two bits of bread.

Hi Spanisheyes, yes I do, I will get on to it, there are some pretty good ones. I will be back later.

Margot

I have just had a thought have you seen Bridget's Daily Diary? Why not have a look and join us i am sure that you would find it interesting, fun, a good place to seek/give support, recipes, discussions from across the world have what i used to call pen pals and now I call My Cyber Friends

I shall watch-out for a message from you tell us which part of australia you are in what sort of weather you have, are you in a town, city, countryside. describe to us what goes on in your part of the world etc..

I shall be watching out for you!!

best wishes and kind regards

Bridget

PS I have had family in Australia, in fact they are on my tree and also my OH has cousins in Sydney. I also have on my direct family line people who emigrated in the mid 1800s, what stories they had to tell.