the bookshelf
Contents
- ‘A bookshelf upon the wall’
- ‘The book that leans’
- ‘Each hill is a book’
- ‘my heart fell out with my mind’
- ‘Written to you about you’
- ‘reading a forgotten thought’
- ‘the house on the hill’
- ‘never taken illegal pills’
- ‘knock’
- ‘she looks across the land’
- ‘Light of the fire’
- ‘Verse’
- ‘Green fields’
- ‘a step away’
- ‘strings from my heart’
- ‘Stacking thoughts and memories’
- ‘Water’
- ‘as you left the room’
- ‘I still see your footsteps’
- ‘Simple words’
1. ‘A bookshelf upon the wall’
A bookshelf upon the wall
with very few books on it
Each one that there is
is a story of feelings, thoughts
& most often true love
Each story read & believed
sometimes that’s what they will just be
a story they’ll always be
A book of feelings
place upon the shelf
never to be opened again
A small shelf
with few books
and a heart
wanting to read more
of each chapter
each page
once more
to relive that moment
But what was
is confined to the shelf
to be part of history
Created in time passed
lived as part of the future
not knowing what the future held
and must be reflected on
with no regrets
or desperate wishes
A bookshelf upon the wall
is a place for memories to be stored
and adore them as our past
as we go forward with life.
2. ‘The book that leans’
One book stands
the other leans
Standing strong
or others
will fall
Be the book
that stands up
holding ones close to you
supporting them
as you’d wish
to be supported
The book that leans
is forever close to you
needing you by their side
otherwise they will fall
To stand strong
is to help others
Lean as they may
but you cannot fall.
3. ‘Each hill is a book’
Each hill I walk
is a book in itself
with ups and downs
physical and mentally
putting the heart
through its paces
Each word is another step
each chapter is a new lane
we turn the page like a corner
intrigued to find what happens next
Each step I take
the words flow from the mind
onto a page
creating a book of thoughts
Each hill
like a book
placed in the mind
to always remember
what it was that made the story.
4. ‘my heart fell out with my mind’
my heart fell out with my mind
for a while they did not speak
my heart wanted something
the mind said it could not have
a battle commenced
with words frightful and fraught
the heart battled the mind
and the mind battled the heart
unimaginable pain was felt
as one tried to outfight the other
the battle took it’s toll
as the heart was scarred
while the mind was fatigued
once they had given everything they could
in a moments peace
they began to speak
each one explaining why they fought
with moments when battle
nearly commencing again
with some peace reached
the mind and the heart
will always believe what they do
yet what is right in life
can be open to discussion
my heart fell out with my mind
never really knowing
what they could do
to forget you.
5. ‘Written to you about you’
I’ve written
about you
to you
never anything
from you
Heart spoken
words written
no one listening
A pause
for thought
the moment
moves on
For you
live on
as I
think why
you never
wrote back
My heart
spoke freely
never easy
Had I
stayed quiet
maybe I
could have
written more
to you
with you
never knowing.
6. ‘reading a forgotten thought’
heart racing
blood pumping
the imagination running wild
this must be me
running in my own mind
reading a forgotten thought
from the shelf
i picked a book
not knowing what i’d find
how the memories
came flooding back
when the heart could take no more
it slammed the book closed
out of breath and panicked
hurriedly and clumsy
the book was back on the shelf
the heart still racing
it opened the door
looked back at the book
with wide open eyes
the door closed
as the heart raced out
with memories remembered
a trip down memory lane
got the heart pumping
like it first did
when i met you all that time ago.
7. ‘the house on the hill’
the house on the hill
a small but perfect house
with a little red wooden door
with trees in the background
a location to be loved
through the red door
the wood fire roared
with the smell of baked cakes
hitting you as you walked in
as i walked through the lounge
the kitchen door was ajar
a dark wooden door
with a steel handle to push the door open
i peered around the door
seeing you outside in the garden
the kitchen was warm
a homely kitchen with a character
walking further in
i saw your smile as you spoke on the telephone
putting up my hand to wave
you looked around and you saw me
the telephone conversation ending abruptly
you came through the door to the kitchen
without a word being spoken
you ran over to me
wrapping your arms around me
hugging me so tightly all i could do
wanted to do was reciprocate with equal warmth
it felt like years waiting for this moment
and yet it was years i had waited
but finding the house on the hill
walking through the red door again
i found you and you welcomed me
in the most sensational of settings
it was a place and the right time
to relax, reminisce and recapture
the years that have passed.
8. ‘never taken illegal pills’
i like
to walk
tall hills
never taken
illegal pills
i get
my high
from walking
pushing myself
as far
as i
am able
to go
until i
can go
no further.
9. ‘knock’
deep breath
door knock
i wait
no answer
i sigh
knock again
someone approaches
heart beat
beyond control
you answer
the door
eyes wide
dry mouth
first word
stutter hello
i’m here
to talk
about us
as i
miss you
need you
if you
would listen
to what
i have
to say.
10. ‘She looks across the land’
Looking across the land
her eyes see what I do
Knowing that her eyes
are deep and beautiful
a view like this
must inspire any mind
As she looks across the land
she reminds me of my duty
to love and care for her
protect her with every heartbeat I have
Across the land
we admire the place we live
walking to be adventurous
and enjoy the time we have
As she looks across the land
I hope she sees the hope that I do
to find the journey of life ahead
beautiful and challenging
as much as it can be.
11. ‘Light of the fire’
We sat around the fire
a gentle wind blew across the shore
our faces lit by the light of the flames
I looked across and saw you
once the flames died down
the glow of the fire
somehow complementing your beauty
Between you and I
stood a fire
and for me
it was a barrier to stop me
getting close to you
But as we sat
the light caught my eye again
and the view of you
wouldn’t stop me from trying
I knew if the flames died down
the light would go to
therefore I found more branches
to stoke the fire
as it created more light
to see you
and more time to admire you
Given time I will find the encouragement
to walk round the fire
sit next to you
and find out more about you
And even when the flames have gone
and the fire has died down
maybe we’ll talk all night
if everything feels right.
12. ‘Verse’
In the first verse
I tell you I like you
In the second verse
I hold your hand
The third verse
I walk you home so you are safe
The fourth verse
I hold you close
The fifth verse
I admire your beauty as I lay next to you
The sixth verse
I tell you I love you
The seventh verse
I propose
The eighth verse
We watch as the sun sets
Knowing you are the one I live my life for
The ninth verse
We grow as a family and live together as one
The tenth verse
We live our lives until the final breath
With a breath never wasted.
13. ‘Green fields’
Green fields
Turned
Churned
Into down
Brownfields
Dull grey
Monster
Structures
Created
Covering
Once pleasant
Land
A green field
I will
Always be
Want to be
As I am
Not for
Turning
Or churning
Into something
I do
Not want
To be
Forever
Learning
From land
As green
As can be
To where
My heart
Belongs.
14. ‘a step away’
a step away
from finding you
- a single step away
ever so close
my decision made
i turned back
never have i been closer
nor will i ever be again
a step away
that’s all it was
- a step
whatever it was that day
that made me turn away
i may never really know
or even why i did so
an extra step now
won’t change anything that was
however now each step i take now
i take just one more
just incase i find you
or whatever it is i look for.
15. ‘strings from my heart’
You play a tune
with the strings from my heart
knowing which chords to play
The tune I hear
is everything I need
all I need
to feel just like me
Please don’t stop playing
as the tune gets me through
everything that comes my way
and I feel at ease with myself
Whenever I feel down
you play a tune with my heart
as you know what chords to play
I forever will hope
that the strings of my heart
are always in tune with you
And if ever they’re not
come and play a tune
with the strings of my heart
as the tune we can make
is music to my ears.
16. ‘Stacking thoughts and memories’
We don’t always place what we want to upon the shelf
sometimes the space is just filled with thoughts
Like our books and music
we have to put what the mind thinks somewhere
The mind is a somewhat complicated place
stacking thoughts and memories
next to one another
and sometimes they don’t always fit or sit comfortably
But they must be placed somewhere
Unlike the bookshelf
the mind never seems to become full
it feels overwhelmed but somehow
the mind managed to stack and store
every memory that we have
With some things deemed forgotten
they come back with great detail
almost every detail remembered of that moment
is just baffling how the mind remembers is a wonder
The mind is the greatest and most complex shelf we have
some days it surprises us
other days it overwhelms
yet it never seems to make us wonder
how all the thoughts and memories are stored
ready for us to use when the mind is triggered
with more detail than we care to remember.
17. ‘Water’
Rain falling
from the sky
to the ground
I fall like the rain
with time to think
as the air rushes past
and nearer the ground becomes
How I may change
during the journey
through the sky
as I travel closer
to the ground
From the environment I am in
to what’s felt inside
is not all in my control
Sky high to ground level
falling hard as hail
or rushing as rain
I may even sink softly as snow
Once fallen
I will always be water
in whatever form
to take on the world
I fall from the sky
with the unknown
below me,
only knowing
that it’s getting closer.
18. ‘as you left the room’
as you left the room
you kissed me goodbye
so unexpectedly
i was caught by surprise
it was only when you’d gone
i realised i was dreaming
i didn’t even get the chance
to wish you a nice weekend
a moment's lapse in my mind
cost me from saying goodbye
as you left the room
i wish that i was with you.
19. ‘i still see your footsteps’
i still see
your footsteps here
as if
they were placed here
yesterday
as the wind blows
the trees rustle
i look around
expecting to see you
the footsteps i see
freshly pressed
with my own
next to yours
the ground here
has changed
throughout time
however i still see
your footsteps
as if it was
yesterday
we walked
side by side
and forever
we will be
in my mind
i still see your footsteps
as they walk into the distance
leaving mine behind
as mine follow a different path
your footsteps walk on
finding new steps to follow.
20. ‘Simple words’
Simple words
seem the best
to say the most
So to say
I like you
may not mean much
to you as you hear me
say those words
it’s just that
I adore you
I
I adore you
Never expecting
A word to come back
Yet I stand afar
admiring a heart
so close
to mine
yet so far.