A Poet's Blog: Roger N.Taber shares his thoughts & poems...

Thoughts and observations by English poet Roger N. Taber, a retired librarian and poet-novelist.- "Ethnicity, Religion, Gender, Sexuality ... these are but parts of a whole. It is the whole that counts." RNT [NB While I have no wish to create a social network, I will always reply to critical emails about my poetry. Contact: rogertab@aol.com].

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Location: London, United Kingdom

Sadly, a bad fall in 2012 has left me with a mobility problem, and being diagnosed with prostate cancer the same year hasn't helped, but I get out and about with my trusty walking stick as much as I can, take each day as it comes and try to keep looking on the bright(er) side of life. Many of my poems reflect the need to nurture a positive-thinking mindset whatever life throws at us.

Monday, 21 July 2014

Testing Times OR A World of Differences

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

Losing a loved one is hard enough, but losing someone in an accident or with such suddenness that we have no time even to say goodbye has to be about as hard as it gets…

This poem was written some time ago, but in the light of the recent air tragedy in Ukraine our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims on board flight MH17, apparently shot down by a surface-to-air missile while crossing a war zone. Our hearts go out, too, to those killed during the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I am left wondering just what kind of sick world we are living in, and is there really the socio-cultural-religious-political will among its leaders to nurse it back to health?  I guess we can but play our part in our own little corner, and trust the ripples spread...

Different people from different cultures, religions and social backgrounds will always have their differences; we should always remember that our differences do not make us different, only human and, as such, part of a common humanity.

When, oh, when, will humankind discover that peace lies in accepting that our differences do not make us so different, only human?

TESTING TIMES or A WORLD OF DIFFERENCES

You left this world
without a word, no time
to say goodbye

You left my world
cold and dark, its comforts
bitter-sweet

You left this world
before your time, its tears
making headlines

You left my world
your body, mind and spirit
to keep it sane

You left this world
its anger and grief, playing
blame games

You left my world
on the wings of a heartbeat
forever ours

We gave this world
the benefit of our worst doubts
in return for…this?

Testing times, indeed
for lovers in a world subject
to the vagaries of time


Copyright R. N. Taber 2014

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