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let us now praise the peace

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after Pablo Neruda

let us sit
without movement, without words

harmless
not trampling the ant
or butchering the steer

neither selling nor buying
no birthing, no dying

fisherfolk transfixed above the wave
carpenters silent by the bench

. . . . . poet

lay down your pen
let every hand be still ~
slow the racing heart,
the speed-demon mind

let us now praise the peace

” . . . we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.”  Pablo Neruda, “Keeping Quiet

© 2015, poem and photograph, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved

Not Afraid of the Light

FullSizeRender. . . . . .Resting. . .

in that place where endless sky meets ocean wave,
where plump blue berry meets thin green leaf,
where illumination gifts fifty shades of joy.

. . . . . Breathing and breathing and never minding

the house begging for repair, the tree wanting a trim.
Never minding the floors awaiting the broom,
the accounts begging for their balance . . .

. . . . . . Only joy …

from the quiet mind and the still hand,
Joy! dancing on sunbeams and resting
on the limb of a moonlighted tree . . .

. . . . . .Joy! Only joy …

. . . . . . . . . . .in Light!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .more Light

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”  Plato

© 2016, poem and photograph, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved

Okay, “Mofia Cats” … from Roger McGough, because we all need a laugh today …

said-and-done-sI am only just now familiarizing myself with Roger McGough’s work , having recently been introduced to it by a friend who sent Mofia Cats. The version she sent me is the one HERE (scroll down), which I couldn’t load into the post, but I think it’s the better one. I feel like somehow everyone else in the world knows about this poet but me. Maybe it’s because he lives across the pond. McGough’s got quite a broad range from humorous to serious and has about fifty published books.

“Yes, you can feel very alone as a poet and you sometimes think, is it worth it? Is it worth carrying on? But because there were other poets, you became part of a scene. Even though they were very different writers, it makes it easier because you’re together.” Roger McGough

The gentleman is from Liverpool. Of  a certain age, he takes his inspiration from the Beats. It seems he belongs to several poetry societies and has a bit of alphabet after his name indicative of honors of the British Empire: CBE – Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and FRSL – Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. I’m always happy to see poets honored in ths way. Delving into his background is a whole new education. Until I read much more about him and much more of his poetry, I’ll leave you the Mofia Cats, which will surely put a smile on your Sunday face.


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an empty house in my heartland

11218711_450934235096482_1578569887368474789_nthe wheat has ripened, the lavender is fading
white jasmine breaths into grey signs of rain

in your lively days, you were light and laughter
now i know you as a shadow across the face of the moon,
an empty house in my heartland

© 2015, poem and illustration, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved