A Kindness of Ghosts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

Many people say they find  religious festivals very depressing; everyone comes together in the spirit of their religion for only a short while, and then we all start fighting amongst ourselves again, nations as well as families; nations wherever there are meddling politicians and fundamentalist clerics trying to put one over on each other and everyone else and families divided for various reasons, not least what they see as some members creating a cultural divide between old and new ways of life.

Whatever, we can only do our best to make sure that socio-cultural-religious differences do not undermine us; there will always be peace and love somewhere and in someone that we can turn to whenever it looks like they might succeed. Alive or dead, near or far, they will always be people and/or events inspiring us to overcome even the worst this world may throw at us for as long as we leave the door of our hearts open to them and never let anyone or anything provoke us into slamming it shut for the sake of any socio-cultural-religious persuasion.

We are a common humanity whose differences (as I have said so often and will say again) do not make any one of us different, only human, regardless of colour, creed, sex or sexuality.

Here’s wishing you all Happy Days, not just at festive times, but always.

A KINDNESS OF GHOSTS

Seabirds, making

graceful flight;

missiles, closing in

on us

Homeowners striving

for a good tan;

refugees having to settle

for staying alive

Jagged rocks along

the seashore;

spent shells among

daisies on a lawn

Children crying over

lost sandcastles;

sorry world, weeping

at mass graves

Climate change across

land, sea and air;

nature, despairing at

our despair

Love, hope and peace

but as ghosts…

kept busy haunting our

better selves

Copyright R. N. Taber 2005; 2013

  

[Note: The poem has been (very) slightly revised from a version that first appeared in CC&D, Scars Publications (US) September 2005 and subsequently in Accomplices to Illusion by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2007.]