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, 17 August 2020

A Timely Reminder

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

As the Covid-19 coronavirus continues to take its toll on the mental well-being of many if not most of us, worldwide ...regardless of ethnicity, religion, sexuality or place in society; there is nothing like a common danger to dispense with the separatism these so often impose on the less free-thinking among us.

Now, some people are having to deal with the loss of loved-ones as well as losing their jobs and having to worry about diminishing savings, how to pay the rent or mortgage besides feed themselves and their families … also cope with the relative few, albeit significant and selfish, who persist in defying instructions to self-isolate and/or wear a face mask.

While certain people are exempt from wearing masks for health reasons, it is rare to see anyone challenged here in the UK, in shops or on public transport, wherever … Only the other day, I overheard a conversation on a train between two people, one wearing a mask, one not; the latter was saying he hated wearing a mask (who doesn’t) so “Why should I, and who’s going to make me, anyway?”

Is it surprising that the coronavirus is far from finished with any of us yet? The sheer selfishness of some people will literally be the death of others. 

So far, so good here, not least because I am almost sure I had the virus in early January … but, am in my 70’s now, and living alone so counting no chickens.

We can but take care, stay positive, and perhaps take our cue from the first light of dawn and let our hearts be filled with the first birdsong, if only to replace any fears and/or frustrations and/or despair left by events of previous days and months.

Did I say it would be easy?

A TIMELY REMINDER

Uneasy sleep, bad dreams,
a sense of isolation getting the better
of any kinder reality
likely to call on the darker side life
to take on its bad and ugly;
unchallenged fears come to haunt
mind-body-spirit,
set the Ghosts of Nightmare on human hearts,
 no prisoners

An uneasy calm, persisting
in its endeavour to reassert itself
over waves of despair
threatening to crush positive thoughts,
abandon mind-body-spirit
to its own devices, pitting its host
against its worst imaginings,
challenging Earth Mother to a bitter showdown,
daggers drawn

Come the first hint of dawn,
shadows on curtains war-dancing,
heaping scorn on any hint
of positive thinking rallying human hearts
to wake and take them on;
eyes opening and heart sinking
at the first rush of shadows
bent on making a kill, though life-force songbirds
have other ideas

Dawn chorus, come to re-engage mind-body-spirit
with such things in life as worth every heartbeat


Copyright R. N. Taber 2020











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