The Shallowman
The Shallowman has friends
he counts as assets,
for favors he might need
from time to time.
He lists their skills and
contacts in his busy greedy mind.
He’ll call them when he needs them
when next he’s in a bind.
The Shallowman is jovial and great fun.
With tales, and yarns
he’ll entertain the crowd
Backslapping, and backstabbing
he’ll amuse and castigate all round
They’ll laugh,
but not laugh with him.
The Shallowman can’t read their hollow sound.
The Shallowman is lonely at the end
for all the hale and hearty cheer is false.
The friends when stripped of favours
don’t deserve a second thought
the Shallowman can’t see their worth
when they’ve nothing more to offer only
friendship, and friendship by itself
can’t satisfy his lonely shallow want.
MARTIN SWORDS, JUNE 1999
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Bob Dylan,and me.
Bob Dylan, and me.
I know Bob Dylan well.
Grew up with him,
We all did.
He was the voice
We didn’t have.
Said the words
We didn’t know to say.
Such words.
He saw and sang
Of things we saw
Yet wouldn’t speak about.
Where we were awkward,
He was talkin’ out.
For forty years
I’ve looked up,
Listened up, to him.
Now changed, aged, yet
Both forever young,
I’m glad we grew together
In interesting changing times.
We never met,
But it’s alright.
We spoke.
We played our parts.
He needed me to listen all along.
The singer sings
So others hear the song.
Martin Swords, June 2003
I know Bob Dylan well.
Grew up with him,
We all did.
He was the voice
We didn’t have.
Said the words
We didn’t know to say.
Such words.
He saw and sang
Of things we saw
Yet wouldn’t speak about.
Where we were awkward,
He was talkin’ out.
For forty years
I’ve looked up,
Listened up, to him.
Now changed, aged, yet
Both forever young,
I’m glad we grew together
In interesting changing times.
We never met,
But it’s alright.
We spoke.
We played our parts.
He needed me to listen all along.
The singer sings
So others hear the song.
Martin Swords, June 2003
Some Times
Some Times
Sometimes
Time is measured
In Christmas decorations
Minute baubles and second
Sets of lights. A treefull.
Hours in attics reaching the
Back wall where the good stuff is.
Silver Birds in black tissue paper
not to be used. They were Nana’s.
The Crib in the cardboard held by
Five years’ sticky tape
The old figures with the three legged
Donkey and the chewed-up
Baby Jesus in the manger.
Meg, had left her mark.
This yearly task,
The Getting Down,
The Putting Up,
The Taking Down,
The Putting Away Again
Flimsy boxes, treasured memories.
Sometimes
At The Putting Away,
Thoughts come unbidden
Of the next Getting Down.
Martin Swords 15 January 2008
Written at 263c Vale de Pinta Lagoa Portugal
Sometimes
Time is measured
In Christmas decorations
Minute baubles and second
Sets of lights. A treefull.
Hours in attics reaching the
Back wall where the good stuff is.
Silver Birds in black tissue paper
not to be used. They were Nana’s.
The Crib in the cardboard held by
Five years’ sticky tape
The old figures with the three legged
Donkey and the chewed-up
Baby Jesus in the manger.
Meg, had left her mark.
This yearly task,
The Getting Down,
The Putting Up,
The Taking Down,
The Putting Away Again
Flimsy boxes, treasured memories.
Sometimes
At The Putting Away,
Thoughts come unbidden
Of the next Getting Down.
Martin Swords 15 January 2008
Written at 263c Vale de Pinta Lagoa Portugal
A View at Rheinfall
A View at Rheinfall
Be happy. Don’t be
Concerned with correct.
Be happy. Be easy.
Give happy. And receive.
Look at the water rushing.
Vibrant, pounding passion.
Is it moving faster?
Is this the river youth?
Life is Rheinfalling away,
Soon there will be little time.
Soon we will be far downstream,
Drifting on the quiet waters
Like two Autumn leafs
Far beyond the falls.
Happy, remembering
The Rheinfalls of our life
Martin and Jacinta
Rheinfall
Flueringen
Schaffhausen
3 Sept. 2007
Be happy. Don’t be
Concerned with correct.
Be happy. Be easy.
Give happy. And receive.
Look at the water rushing.
Vibrant, pounding passion.
Is it moving faster?
Is this the river youth?
Life is Rheinfalling away,
Soon there will be little time.
Soon we will be far downstream,
Drifting on the quiet waters
Like two Autumn leafs
Far beyond the falls.
Happy, remembering
The Rheinfalls of our life
Martin and Jacinta
Rheinfall
Flueringen
Schaffhausen
3 Sept. 2007
Sarah's Saturday
Sarah’s Saturday
Like an egg, she felt complete, enclosed,
Protected, full of promise,
And yet, Sarah wondered, and yet.
Alive, alert, attractive, alone,
She had personality, sex appeal.
Her sparkly lovely eyes, her Snow
White red wet lips attracted.
There was a man at the office once,
Told her so, but he was married.
She was full of figure and full of life,
Two days short of thirty seven
On yet another Saturday night
She curled up comfy watching telly
In her cosy little room
“Her cosy little womb” she called it,
Wondering if any man would enter,
If anything would develop.
Martin Swords
Prompt Poems
“Egg”
Feb 2008
Like an egg, she felt complete, enclosed,
Protected, full of promise,
And yet, Sarah wondered, and yet.
Alive, alert, attractive, alone,
She had personality, sex appeal.
Her sparkly lovely eyes, her Snow
White red wet lips attracted.
There was a man at the office once,
Told her so, but he was married.
She was full of figure and full of life,
Two days short of thirty seven
On yet another Saturday night
She curled up comfy watching telly
In her cosy little room
“Her cosy little womb” she called it,
Wondering if any man would enter,
If anything would develop.
Martin Swords
Prompt Poems
“Egg”
Feb 2008
The Land of Longing
The Land of Longing
Welcome to the land
of the Frothy Frappuccino
Filet Mignon, Lobster Burgers
and Coffee that comes every
which way but coffee
The best in America seemed
to come from somewhere else
Paris France, London England,
Belgium Belgium, carrying its
Continental Chic to this Big
Brash confident yet
uncertain country
Only the polished clock in
the local rail station, the
red bonneted shiny chromed
sixteen wheeler on the
interstate, and Grand Central
spoke to me in American.
They said “Howdy”.
Martin Swords June 2008
Random and possibly unfair impressions
from a visit to Connecticut and New York,
in the head for years and only now prompted
onto paper in Starbucks, Dundrum Shopping
Centre, triggered by noticing the spelling of
Frappuccino.
Strange.
Welcome to the land
of the Frothy Frappuccino
Filet Mignon, Lobster Burgers
and Coffee that comes every
which way but coffee
The best in America seemed
to come from somewhere else
Paris France, London England,
Belgium Belgium, carrying its
Continental Chic to this Big
Brash confident yet
uncertain country
Only the polished clock in
the local rail station, the
red bonneted shiny chromed
sixteen wheeler on the
interstate, and Grand Central
spoke to me in American.
They said “Howdy”.
Martin Swords June 2008
Random and possibly unfair impressions
from a visit to Connecticut and New York,
in the head for years and only now prompted
onto paper in Starbucks, Dundrum Shopping
Centre, triggered by noticing the spelling of
Frappuccino.
Strange.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
This Place
.
This is the place
Where words and wisdom
Grow on trees
Rich ripe ready words
Falling on paper
Rhythms too are there
On branches, waving
In the wind
And thought bunches,
Blossoming, scent
The air in this place
There are hills to climb
And wonder what’s behind,
In this place
Water too is there,
Dripping, dripping
Slow, worrying a word
Into a rock
Martin Swords Oct. 2007
This is the place
Where words and wisdom
Grow on trees
Rich ripe ready words
Falling on paper
Rhythms too are there
On branches, waving
In the wind
And thought bunches,
Blossoming, scent
The air in this place
There are hills to climb
And wonder what’s behind,
In this place
Water too is there,
Dripping, dripping
Slow, worrying a word
Into a rock
Martin Swords Oct. 2007
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