Gathering
June 2017
#102
Gathering
outside on the benches,
under the roof,
and breathing fresh air.
Sky is already dark.
We can see few stars.
Lot of talk about pain and aches.
Conversation of an old age.
Some wheelchairs are smoking.
I don't know the answers.
You have to ask your doctor,
or a nurse.
He wasn't here.
he was playing bingo.
To find something to do.
Talking about childhoods,
old memories are coming up.
Then an ambulance comes.
Somebody has to go to the hospital.
She just fell
and wasn't able to get up.
Why you don't go for a walk?
I am too old,
and rather stay at home
watching television.
Marie Neumann
POW!
Gathering
I am so happy that my dad and I have a close father and daughter relationship. My dad brought me up for 15 years. I went to live with my dad when I was 28 years old and I am so close with my dad and my real mum don't want me.
Kirsty Jackman
GROW
Encuentro
Hoy encuentro escuchando la timba batá
Nuestro amor nace fuera de la pared
Con un pájaro y dos alas en la marcha por la 5a Avenida
Y el pueblo celebrando un amor sincere
Juntos con amigos
Y en frente con enemigos
Con tu nombre, es importante en la isla de Borinquen
En El Barrio, en el Sur del Bronx, Los Sures, Newark, Filadelfia, Camden, Chicago, Boston, Hartford, New Haven, Springfield, Berkeley y San Juan
Con la tierra que sube como una semilla
Se llama Oscar
Hablando del abuso de PROMESA
En rico por el dolor de la patria
Este es la historia de la vida
Y que todos mis poemas
Horizontes de justicia y el amor y en la isla de Manhattan
Bajo de un palo de mango
Saludan a Jeremy Corbyn
Con su presencia
Y que el pueblo se van a ver su victoria en el future
Hecho el Sol a la democracia pa’todos
Gathering
Today I find myself listening to the batá drum
Our love is born outside the wall
With a bird and two wings in the march on 5th Avenue
And the people celebrating a sincere love
Together with friends
And in front of enemies
With your name, it is important on the island of Borinquen
In El Barrio, in the South Bronx, Los Sures, Newark, Philadelphia, Camden, Chicago, Boston, Hartford, New Haven, Springfield, Berkeley and San Juan
With the earth rising like a seed
His name is Oscar
Speaking of the abuse of PROMESA
Enriched by the pain of the motherland
This is the story of life
And that all my poems
Horizons of justice and love and on the island of Manhattan
Under a mango tree
Greetings to Jeremy Corbyn
With his presence
And that the people will see their victory in the future
The Sun made democracy f'r’all
© Carlos Raúl Dufflar 11/6/17
The Bread is Rising Poetry Collective
A Nurse Abroad
The mirror showed a reflection
of a woman in her prime
thirty years behind her
knowledge in her eyes
She’d seen the world
travelled far and wide
had cried with joy
celebrated life
Mourned lost friends
cried with grief
known love and hate
been a rock
Sun bleached hair
framed her face
an image
of compassion
She’d found faith
when it was lost
had given hope
when there was none
Asked for nothing
in return
to have been there
was enough
Felt proud
was humbled
to be honoured
in this way
A touch of lipstick
a nervous smile
her thoughts collected
she was ready
‘We are gathered
here today
to reward
a dear friend,
for her loyalty
and humanity
through war
and in famine,
ladies and Gentlemen
I give you
a remarkable woman’
Jan Hedger
WOW
Gathering Thoughts 21/6/17
1977 is forty years past
When I got itchy feet
and left London for good
the dust and the dreams
cracked concrete and housing towers
anger, wealth and despair
in fairly unequal portions
Time has its endless ears
day and night perched on a see saw
and millions of voices
and too many powers
deep breaths are dangerous
got black snot in my nose
Now - far away it is richly green
butterflies and litchen paper my garden
I stand still and wonder
London remains doing what a city does
My map is there
Born,growing up, school, 1st job, family, friends ,football team
but its just in the memory now
No yearning to return
flakes and photos and a dull recurring ache.
Roger Drury
Soundwork Community Project
Gathering
(Grenfell Tower)
As the people gather
in grief and anger
Marching for truth and change
Demanding answers
and no more excuses
Acknowledgment of guilt,
not passing of blame.
The fire crews are gathered
In sorrow and shock
They've seen all the horrors
And did what they could
But it wasn't enough
It's never enough
When lives are lost
And it haunts them
The reporters are gathered
To feed on the ashes
Asking the questions
That no-one can answer
And tell us the details
We don't want to imagine
Human interest they call it
Because that is what sells
The community gathers
to mourn for those who died
and with those who survived
To give what they can
A pile of donations is
becoming a mountain
For people with nothing
And nowhere to go
There is nowhere to send it...
The faithful are gathering to pray
In mosques, temples, halls and churches
Religions united in petitions to God
For peace, help, understanding, strength
Demanding an explanation that makes sense
How could You let this happen?
Searching for a light in the darkness,
for some hope in the despair
Praying that all may receive comfort
The Angels are gathered
Welcoming souls who return home
Reassuring and loving to wholeness
Healing the wounds, the shock and the terror
In heaven, all are counted, none are missing
None are lost and nothing is wasted.
For those of us left behind
They wish that we all will remember
This life is our journey that we each chose to take
Our intention, our mission, our original aim
To experience everything and add to our learning
To raise our vibration and reach an alignment
With spirit and kindness, in truth, hope and faith
To give and to trust, to share and to love
Embody God's will here on Earth
Ashley Jordan
GROW
Gathering
We came together in a room in London
We numbered Forty-two
- the meaning of life
Was this coincidence
or was it a carefully contrived conspiracy
hatched by God and the Devil
who were bored
because the football season had ended?
Surely not,
they had the cricket season to look forward to
In which case, why did they do it?
Why did they inflict upon us
the articles of faith
of quantitative hallucinatory idiocy?
Reading these words
it becomes obvious
that God and the Devil
were involved
though only as the architects of life
as its own most ridiculous truism
As Douglas Adams laughingly told us
the meaning of life is 42
What he didn't tell us
was that it is also 35
Mussolini
the Great wall of China
and Breakfast at Tiffany's
What he further omitted to tell us
was that the meaning of life is you and I
and everything else
including our gathering at Faraday House
at which
with a healthy disregard for the proprieties
we sowed the seeds
of a future sanity
and dared to speak of love
without blushing or lowering our voices
42
the ultimate measure
of its own inviolable self
42
Blessed are the Bead Counters
for they are keepers
of the sacred echo
I love you
I love you
I love you
Roy Birch
Stevenage Survivors
Gathering (Full Moon)
I can feel the moon gathering me up
Gently caressing the edges of reason
Floating feathers and forgotten feelings
She tugs at stray threads to smooth the weave
Creating perspective to enhance the view
Rotating old pictures, old soundtracks, hidden voices
A crazy mandala of memories emerging
Roots and rainbows
Dark tunnels, deep waters
Fears and frustrations, embarrassing moments
Silence and chaos opening flowing
Rushing in like the sea
Like the waters in me
Being gathered to the full by the moon
Wild and free.
Lucia Birch 9.6.17
Stevenage Survivors
Gathering
My body loosens all the fears that hold me down. I find new ways to express the thoughts that spiral from purple to red, chakras that pulse in radiance and rhythm. The sun brightens my soul, as I breathe in the sacred and breathe out the doubts.
All is well. It shall be so.
The music ebbs and flows and carries me along.
I let go, and as I do the answers come, slowly, gently, guiding my mind back home, to my peaceful and tranquil body.
It welcomes back my soul, which slips gently into place with that vast, uncharted space, that field of potentiality, loosely held within.
Expanded, gentle, free and wise.
The teacher, patient as the skies that move and change from dark to light, but never lose their place.
Written during 'The Wave - a taste of the Five Rythms' Festival Workshop led by Roy & Lucia Birch at TheFED 2017 Writing Festival
Ashley Jordan
GROW
The Gathering
It was 12 o' clock sharp,
Not everyone was there, some got the nark
looking for fairies and leprechaun imps
They were there today for a special glimpse,
Or even those who were very unlucky
Got much closer as they were plucky
To get a smattering of fairy dust
And running to the end of the rainbow a must
But tonight the toadstools shone luminous blue,
Under the full moon and it's beautiful hue,
Watching at edge all round in a circle,
The fairy wild nectar filled dance, I looked at myrtle,
With rainbow wings so fast when they flutter
And a song so sweet it would melt hardened butter
Little feet hopping to and fro, dew moistened grass
I felt so happy I caught her hand and danced with me lass
Under the moonlight until horizons morn,
We danced with the fairies, but felt forlorn
For as the sun rose higher than my knee
The fairies disappeared flickering out with glee
Not until till the five years has past
Will we see the fairies again at last
Until then the toadstools faded
But I wouldn't let my memory be jaded
We shall watch out for that fated night
Where feelings soar, and we all dance in delight.
Sarah Frodsham
Stevenage survivors
The Gathering
On the playground children gathered in group's
Spinning, turning, fast on the outside
A lonely alone in a corner
Waiting to be accepted or ignored
He gathers to himself avoiding the others
In the field gathering sheep
The dog speeds around the circling flock
At heels he snaps
Turning, spinning, fast on the outside
Waiting for the whistle
The command
Gathering for the master
In a quiet room
The poet gathers the chocolate fingers,
Spinning, turning, the melting chocolate in his hand
Gathered on the twirling fingers
The slick of cocoa & milk helps
As the chocolate goes down
The words spill out
On the page
For consideration
Gathering clouds
Storms across our country
People gather in polling stations
Where pirate map crosses
Show no one is happy
Everybody loses
So the richest women in the country is asked
Can we form a government mistress?
So where is the treasure?
Stolen for five more years
Children, sheepdog & sheep, poets & biscuits & voters
Gather in places of meaning to them
The world turns, spins, fastest on the outside,
Our eye on the sun &
Sister moon
Gathering together in a milky way
Hoping for another day
The sun on our faces for
Just another chance to play
Andrew Henry Smith
Stevenage survivors
The Sky, The Stars, The Planet
Calm emotion
Blue truth
Debate gathers
Wonder
Arrests -
TV, Radio, News
Tabloids - fear
Britain will gather
Gathers in silence
Will not be defeated
At the point of unexplained attack
So many lives lost
to the wilderness
of quietness to the
world they knew
Professionals take action
keeping or trying to save
those they need
Under the sky
What will come nigh?
But life...
In response to 3/06/2017 London Bridge terrorist attack, plus the Manchester arena attack along with the Westminster attack
and all Global attacks that really shouldn't take place...
Let PEACE Reign...
(C) Josie Lawson 7/06/2017 All Rights Reserved
GROW
Elvis Has Left The Building
Silence descended like a stage curtain,
What had caused it? No one was certain.
A shroud of stillness; mind paralysing,
People stood stock still without realising.
A light slowly brightened from above,
Filling the building with a feeling of love!
Still no one moved but they began to smile.
Transfixed in that stillness for a while,
Then the light dimmed; it was over.
All of the people began to recover.
With no recollection of what had occurred.
They simply left the building without a word.
By Jim White
Individual Member
Root Core Gatherings
Trial of life - fear
Happiness of Peace a must
Gatherings take place
in all shapes and sizes
Sudden attacks -
Panic to run -
for safety
from the terrorists
The Global world -
The gathering of life
The Professional people
Gathering to keep us safe
The attacks - why?
Why do people want to
hurt people?
Footnote:In response to 3/06/2017 London Bridge terrorist attack, plus the Manchester arena attack along with the Westminster attack and all Global attacks that really shouldn't take place...
Let PEACE Reign
(c) Josie Lawson 4/06/2017 All Rights Reserved
GROW
Wind Gathering Far Out At Sea
Travelling inland gathering speed
Wind howling whistling as it gathers
Gathering up poems bags of poems
Making poems gathering words
Sheep and lambs herding together
Black berry picking gathering filling
Gathering apples art making a poem
Lyrics collecting rainwater harvested
Clouds gathering darkness black
Derby races tic tac thunder horse hoofs
Dance hall dancing fox trotting heel
Bagging potatoes stacking bricks
Star's gathering over head fair markets
Wind blowing gatherings in the corner
John Joseph Sheehy