Transience

These are the everyday verses of a woman freethinker.

Written sporadically over a period of more than 40 years.

Untutored in the man made rules of poetry they are merely the minimal and mildly rhythmical  expressions of ideas - philosophical and personal - as they occurred and demanded to be written.

The subjects may be serious or fanciful, but not trivial.

I take any opportunity to read my poems because that is the way they come alive.

 

Promises Promises

They give us a problem
Then the give us an answer .
That only they can provide.

To a God shaped hole
They give us a God
Along with a book of instructions.

They say we want immortality
So promise us life everlasting
With the sureness of heaven to boot

They say we fear death
So they threaten with hell
And a judgment day just to make sure.
.
They say we want unconditional love
And come up with Jesus.
Oh yes?'

They say we are weak
Don't know how to behave
We're human, so what's that about?

They say we are poor weak and sinful

"Made in the image of God"

Is that just to confuse us - or what?

7/9/06

 

Pity the Poor Believer

Pity the poor believer,
He's having a really hard time.
Defending his god, and his churches obsessions.
It's weird superstitions, and doctrines divine.
All the sins of his church, he'd not noticed before.
He's doing his best against all the odds.
But it's really hard going and not very fair
without any reason or rhyme.

Pity the poor believer,
It comes as a bit of a shock.
Betrayed by his God, and called to explain
What 'everyone else' has done wrong.
The grief and deception, the conflict and war
All the cruelty man can inflict.
And all in the name of his peace loving God,
And his only son Jesus Christ.

Pity the poor believer,
He's not had to do this before.
No-one dared question his age old beliefs
God's word was the law, and the bible his proof.
With these and his priests, he need never question,
Contradictions he can't understand, not even thought of before.
Once it was simple and faith was enough,
It's just not like that any more.

2004

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAdFhUJCsQE

The Life and Times of Violet Elizabeth

My what a beautiful baby. Strong, healthy and bright as a button.

Never mind her not being a boy.

Take no notice. A girl is easier to raise than a boy. More pliant and sweet.

It used to be different of course.

“You will need a son to ‘provide’, take care of you when you get old.”

Where did that come from I wonder?

How many men do you know, who care for their elderly rellies?

 

As she grew, all that was forgotten. Delightful!  Enchanting! What a Darling.

So sweet in her frilly wee socks.

She does have her tantrums of course, and doesn’t she know her own mind?

But then, what is new about that!

As she grows she’s a bit of a tomboy, as she joins in the rough and the tumble.

But cries when she’s hurt by the boys.

Soon she will learn that to stay in the picture,  other ways will have to be found.

 

Poor Violet Elizabeth. She tries to join in. Why won’t they let her join in?

She can run, climb and hide.

She may be spunky, but they won’t let her play, she can’t be one of the gang.

She’s clever too. But is that a problem?

Should she compete or co-operate, defer to her elders and betters.

In order to join in the fun.

But the top boy won’t let her, she’s only a girl, and his gang is only for boys

 

Now she’s learning what everyone likes. Look pretty and help mum and gran.

Drama Queen  they can take in small doses.

Doing homework’s a bit of a bore, a drag and a chore

But she knows it’s the way to get on.

Now she is coming into her own, her brothers are spotty and gauche.

While Mum and Dad worry about him.

Her paths are perfectly clear. Wife and mother, career girl, leading lady, a star.

 

What a beauty, how clever, what promise. Sparks desire wherever she goes.

Every cygnet a beautiful swan 

Looking after her man, her mother and child. Good grades, brains and beauty!

What more could anyone want?

Now the past, the present the future, her station in life wife and mother .

While her man gets on with his job.

She struggles with, juggles with family life, if she wants to have all that is promised.

 

In the wide, wide world, other issues arise. She wants to join in, to enter the fray.

‘Bin there done that’ as they say.

She knows about kids, and ‘community life’. Knows about doctors and teachers and vets.

About aging and housing and rubbish.

She knows about health and living conditions, and finance and pensions and politics.

Though Violet Elizabeth’s a treasure.

These are serious issues that need first class brains to sort out.

   

She knows about wars, and fighting and killing. She knows about cruel and violent men.

And the power of church and of state.

But Violet Elizabeth’s a woman – what can she possibly say – that we do not already know?

Run along Violet Elizabeth.

Go do your womanly things, serious stuff is man’s business, and needs men to sort it all out!

Join in, speak, write if you must?

But please keep out of our way, don’t argue, confront us - and certainly don’t contradict.

 

May 2005