There's sometimes a sunny corner

There's sometimes a sunny corner
    just nicely in the shade
where gloom can gather glimmer
    and no remarks are made
where daffodils or tulips
    spring-born delight to show
they love the clement weather
    and they are good to know
    where love has planted seed
a garden fit is raised
    and folk go arm-in-arm
through rows of life amazed
there's sometimes a sunny corner
    to watch proceedings from
a garden in a nutshell
    a place when no-one's home



mcmxcix

Two faithful wives

Two faithful wives
    or perhaps wise women
the art of theatre
    drawn as if from the life
japanese ladies choosing flowers
    for the elaboration of their simple bowers

an exemplary scene
    reminds me of our happy excursions
and the wayside companions we apprize
    with many a will-we or shall-we
as an excuse for dilly-dallying
    you and me, lass
no nonsense between us
    though much that is nonsensical, nevertheless

led up and down the garden path
    by the wonders under our noses
agreeable disposed to each other
    and what most distracts to take note of:
winged and leggèd creatures
rocks and rockbound
plants and trees in the season
and clouds chimerical
    as soon assembled as let go

just-so happiness
    is sustained thereby
for permanence exists in the ephemeral
    and our fondness – call it how you will
the disposition and the pursuit thereof
    being in the present tense persists
letting the clock go about its business unobserved
    hands that practice due diligence
till we decide the tense is perfect
    and call a stay for tea

i love our humble silly-sallying
    and a common delight in the commonplace
a regard most rare
    shared perhaps by these two wise women
     or faithful wives
which shall be my image
    that i bend to pick as a whimsical posy
a tribute in your honour
at this Winter Solstice
year two thousand and three

mmiii

at dusk when the sun goes down

At dusk when the sun goes down
leaving me free from chores
i like to watch those giddy cows
play tossing horns and
goodnaturedly lick their
stretched necks by turns
how i wish i could lie with them
out there in the meadow
all night
when the sun leaves us alone
to play    the cows and i


mcmlx

A precept

Inner peace is hard to find
    the peace between much harder
but peace, the peace i have in mind
    the faint of heart will never find
    though it justifies the ardour

through trials, whether hurt or loss
    when harm may hap
    or worse shall come
there's a fine-tuned nerve
    can constant serve
    to brace against fate's rigour
with one's own self
    stand eye to eye
    ne'er flinch from that
    though ever-so beleaguered

mm