Hello again from London UK

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

Hello again  from London UK

I hope you are all keeping safe and well. I am coping ok, but have to confess I am concerned about the Ukranian refugee crisis as a result of Russia's invasion of their country. It is great news that Europe is opening its arms to welcome them, but politicians  are saying  little or nothing about the numbers of Covid-19 cases in Ukraine being high as recently as late February 2022.

Welcome and help the refugees, of course, but at a time when Covid precautions are being relaxed in parts of Europe, especially in the UK, it is my view that basic precautions against the coronavirus need to be maintained - e.g. wearing face masks in shops, crowded areas and on public transport.

It would place awful stress on everyone if there were to be a resurgence of the pandemic across Europe, but a tragic irony, especially, for any refugees who had survived the horrors of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, only to be struck down with the coronavirus just when they thought they had found a safe haven.

Hopefully, our politicians have allowed for a potential rise in Covid-19 cases even as some leaders- especially president Macron of France, have been openly critical of the UK Government for not doing enough help and house the refugees.  I suspect , though, this has more to do with the UK voting to leave the EU than concern for the refugees themselves. 

The EU continues to nurse the vision of a United States of Europe, which is precisely why many of us in the UK - including yours truly - have no regrets about voting for Brexit. Democracy involves a fair degree of responsible autonomy and  the latter was being slowly but surely coerced by the powers that be who govern the EU. This is, of course, only my personal point of view, but I also have friends in EU countries who share it; they, like myself, were all in favour of the EEC (European Economic Community); it made economic sense. However, it proceeded to expand into the EU with ordinary folks having neither vote nor say in the matter.

Divisions and rivalries between EU leaders are, of course, the least of the world's concerns as Russian forces close in on the Ukraine capital, Kyiv. At the same time, an attack on an artillery base close to its border with Poland, brings the war worryingly close to NATO's doorstep, a matter of deep concern for  many Poles.

As a gay man, I have to say that any LGBT folks among the refugees who have not been made as welcome under Zelenskyy's presidency - as some of his more supportive earlier comments had led them to hope for and expect - will not have an easier time in Poland; although support for LGBT rights continues to grow there, so, too does local opposition.  Poland, of course, has been a member of the European Union  since 2004; attitudes towards LGBG across the European Union , as a whole, remain widely diverse. 

As for those readers who email me from time to time to ask why a gay poet is writing up "not only a straight but secular blog...", I can but put it to them that no one's 'alternative' sexuality means they are any less of  a person in their own right, as free to express opinions on all matters, as anyone else. As regular readers well know, I have no problem with anyone disagreeing with me, respecting as I do., that basic human right of agreeing to differ.

Time to close now and get ready to meet up with my best friend for lunch. Many thanks for joining me, dear readers, and I'll be back with a poem later this week.

Take care, stay safe and keep well,

Hugs

Roger

[Note: If you email me (rogertab@aol.com) please be sure to put 'Poetry' in the subject field or it will not be read. Similarly, any 'spam' will be ignored. I read all emails and try to reply asap, but please remember I am in my late 70's and  having to contend with serious health issues, so there may well be long delays.] RT

Hi folks, from London UK

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

" It is our collective and individual responsibility to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live." - Dalai Lama XIV

 "I don't believe in collective guilt, but I do believe in collective responsibility.” - Audrey Hepburn

Hi Folks,

No poem today, but I am working on one. Mind you, inspiration is flagging at the moment as I am still having to deal with a bad cold. I have started to feel better over the last couple of days, but inspiration doesn't seem to have taken the hint...😉 However, I remain coronavirus-free, so am still able to keep looking on the bright(er) side of life... well, most of the time.😊

I have been able to get out and about locally just for basic shopping, but while the Omicron variant remains rampant, it is scary, so I try to go as early as I can to avoid crowds. 

 Now,  while wearing a mask won't necessarily stop anyone catching  Covid BUT it will stop a person spreading it. At 76 years old and living with prostate cancer, I am vulnerable, so hate it when people get too close to me in a queue, especially if they are not wearing a mask. Unfortunately, many stores no longer have the floor markings to show how people can remain at least two metres apart.

If someone has genuine medical reasons for not wearing a mask, fair enough, but it does not excuse that person getting too close to others in a queue. This happened to me only yesterday. I was queuing at a supermarket checkout.  I asked a Muslim woman queuing behind me with her grown-up daughter not to stand so close to me in the queue; neither were wearing face masks. The woman took no notice, just glared at me and I hear someone say "Racist." I was angry, but managed to keep my temper and moved away as soon as I had finished loading my shopping bag.

Now, I am not a racist and if someone chooses not to wear a mask for any reason, that is up to them BUT where their not wearing a mask potentially and directly affects me, I reserve the right to protest. It seems to be a fairly common problem everywhere. While Omicron continues to spread and fill hospitals, social distancing remains important for all of us, especially with regard to those people who are not wearing face masks. 

Given that data appears to show that the vast majority of people who are critically ill in hospitals are those who have not been been vaccinated, I can no more understand the reasoning behind not being vaccinated that not wearing a face mask in shops, on public transport and in crowded areas. Such is human nature, I suppose, sometimes wise and wonderful, sometimes plain stupid. 

Celebrities from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds have appeared on television to persuade others to get vaccinated against Covid-19; it beggars belief that a significant percentage of  populations in various parts of the UK  have chosen to remain unvaccinated against the coronavirus. Data suggests that the majority of the unvaccinated are from ethnic minority backgrounds. (No, I am not being racist it is a fact.) 

Collective responsibility is for the good of everyone and rejects discrimination of all kinds except on grounds of an individual's bad or criminal behaviour.. . well, doesn't it?

Hopefully, the coronavirus will pass sooner rather than later, but all the while certain people, from all walks of life, refuse to be vaccinated against it, the likelihood remains that is likely to be later rather than sooner. Don't the rest of us deserve better than that?

Now, whoever and wherever you may be in the world, I can but wish you all safe, well, and finding the inner strength of mind-body-spirit to nurture a positive-thinking mindset, whatever your personal  circumstances; never easy, I know only too well just as I know, too, that it's always well worth the effort.

Take care, everyone, and do drop by again soon. Meanwhile, you may enjoy browsing the blog archives?

Hugs,

Roger

Looking to the Future

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

Here’s wishing everyone as Happy (and Healthy) a New Year as mind-body-spirit can magic up for us... in the spirit of Togetherness...with more than a little help from loved ones and friends.

Hugs,

Roger

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

So, we begin another year
as well as another day, looking ahead
with mixed feelings
of happiness and hope, yet dread too
for wondering whether or not
the coming months well see the end
of Covid-19, who may get
to re-enter the Arts and Politics of Life
and who will not...?

New Year celebrations muted
for many of us, both Delta and Omicron
variants of coronavirus
raging all around the world, striking fear
here, there, everywhere, in all
walks of life, opinions varying as to just
when and how science-led data
will help restore return us a greater security,
now... or never?

There is a sickness in the world
other than Covid-19, not least a beast
that is jealousy-prejudice-hate;
if we cannot ever be rid of the species
for all time, we can at least
try to educate and inform, let them know
who should know better
that, as a common humanity, we all need to get
our acts together

We can but trust mind--body-spirit
to make sense of the world, encourage us
in playing our part
to make the worst (far) better, to darkness
bring the lights of hope and love,
not play ourselves false or wish others ill,
nor let our differences divide us,
but listen to Reason and Conscience, let them
help us find Peace

 Copyright R. N. Taber, 2022

Mist, Mountains and Motivation

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

"Our life is what our thoughts make it." - Marcus Aurelius

I wrote the poem below during my recovery from a nervous breakdown back in the late 1970's and have only slightly revised it.. Until now, reading it has always left me depressed as it recalls a period in my life I would much rather forget. Yesterday evening, though, I found myself in something of a perfect storm; computer crashing, TV failing to respond, a rising panic leaving me unable to quite get my thought processes - already in a mess due to years of hormone therapy for my prostate cancer - into any kind of order.

After a kind friend had helped me send foe, Panic, into retreat over the telephone, I found myself needing to read the poem again. I recalled someone telling me it was "a load of hackneyed crap" at the time, and maybe they were right, but it had done nothing for my fragile morale. Reading it again now, after nearly two years of the world having to live with Covid-19 and now, another rapidly spreading variant, Omicron, it did not leave me feeling depressed at all. On the contrary, it reassured me that, like everyone else, I have the potential to try and rise above the stress that Covid-19 has imposed. 

Along with all of you, I  can but try, succeed or fail, do or die, and may mind-body-spirit see us through this stress, just as it did your truly 40+ years ago. My choice, and I decided to GO for it; already, I could feel my panic retreating, no victory in sight, but the potential for it was there and my depleted energy levels all but restored. I feel the same now, a positive-thinking mindset well and truly kicking in...

I rarely sleep well, but last night I slept better than I had for a long time..

MIST, MOUNTANS AND MOTIVATION

I creep up on you unawares
over periods of time as the going
shifts from gentle slope
to steep hill, until it starts to feel
like there’s a mountain
to climb, its peak shrouded in mist
as if acknowledging
a nagging fear that an enemy is near
if not already here...

At the peak, the scary mist
emanating half-forgotten faces
I can barely place,
whose names long since forgotten
in mists of time, no less
scary for reminding me who I am,
even yet could be,
left wondering why mind-body-spirit
gone eerily quiet...

Tempted, to leap into space
rather than risk descending, ending
all pretence at living,
better to die now – and prove what?
That it has counted for nothing,
this endless searching for something
and getting nowhere fast?
Suddenly, mind-body-spirit finds its voice,
“Do or die, your choice...”

A global challenge, Choice. Do we, nurture
or give up on our past-present-future...?

 Copyright R. N. Taber, 2021

.

Trinity OR Three into Two won't Go

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

It is (temporarily) mandatory again here in England to wear face masks in shops and on public transport while scientists try to find out more concerning the new Omicron variant. Even so, a significant number of people continue to ignore the basic safety precautions (other than for medical reasons) which are, after all, for the good of everyone. Yes, the booster jab program is being stepped up, since boosters are thought to provide the most protection against Covid-19, but, yet again, a significant minority are refusing to take part. Not just on their heads be it, but on all our heads...

I often need to travel on the London Underground network for hospital appointments etc. The other day, a young woman pulled her mask down so she could eat sandwiches and drink coffee! It may well have been her lunch, but there is a time and a place... especially at the moment. A significant number of people  still think it is ok to lower their masks so they can read a newspaper or chat on their mobile phone on public transport; it was much the same scenario even in previous (full) lockdowns, and I have yet to see anyone challenged by an official for not wearing a mask or not wearing one properly so both nose and mouth are covered. Since not everyone with Covid-19 has symptoms...well, who knows...?

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main... “No man is an island entirely of itself. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.”

TRINITY or THREE INTO TWO WON’T GO

My-body-my-choice;
the path I take, for better or worse,
to it, I will stay true;
no matter what others say or do,
there’s principle at stake
that needs must make a stand against a society
that would disrespect individuality...”

My-body-my-choice;
can’t you see how it has to be or all
we stand for becomes a lie
if only for its throwing you and I
to social media wolves
that would sooner feast on fake news and ideas
put forward as conspiracy theories...

My-body-my-choice;
what on earth is there to argue about?
Am I right or am I right...?
Why pick and argument with me,
no stauncher ally
against the slings and arrows of such modernity
as would disrespect our individuality?”

My-body-my-choice,
so what’s this about a common humanity
deserving more from us
than such intimate points of view
that haven’t the measure
of consequences beyond limits of personal space
likely put us firmly in our place...?

My body-my-choice;
what do you mean it’s not just you and I
whose life in our hands,
that I am but a part of Mind-Body-Spirit
and three is greater than one,
exclude human spirit and see common humanity’s
battles all but lost before begun...?”

My-body-my-choice
may well assert a person’s individuality
from time to time,
the Self, free to take responsibility
for its own well-being,
yet no Self is an island, of its surrounds entirely free,
but bound at birth to a Human Trinity

Copyright R. N. Taber 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puzzles. Puzzlers and Half-way Houses

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

It is a Bank Holiday weekend and half-term for schools here in the UK and many readers will be making the most of weather forecasts predicting high pressure in charge, so here’s a poem to (hopefully) help clear our heads of any its everyday puzzlers if only long enough to relax and ENJOY it. Indeed, I suspect there are many of us who are having to start learning all over again how to enjoy life altogether now the worst of the coronavirus crisis seems to be at least receding around the world in terms of hospital admissions and deaths.

Now, as regular readers well know, I may have a hearing problem but still manage to earwig conversations while out and about, whether shopping, on a train, in a queue… wherever; many of these provide the genesis for my poems.

The other day, I overheard a couple who were clearly in two minds about the gradual relaxation of pandemic restrictions here in the UK and across the world. “Obviously it’s good news, but who are we to believe and just how safe are we?” one was asking.

The other person was more philosophical. “It’s a bit of a muddle, that’s for sure, but when isn’t life a muddle? We just have to muddle along, make what sense we can of it, enjoy the good bits and try not to let the bad bits grind us down…”

They moved away and I was still deciding whether or not to buy a pizza or make a salad for lunch, but both points of view played on my mind all day; I could relate to either. The latter philosophical argument won the day for me, but the same reservations expressed by the first speaker continue to haunt mind-body-spirit. I suspect there are many worldwide who feel much the same way…

The entire Covid-19 experience has been both a physical and mental strain on all of us, one way or another, and we should not under-estimate the latter. Sadly, mental stress is perceived as a weakness by some people, although it is but part and parcel of human nature. Bottling up our worries, concerns, fears etc. can only do us harm, as I found out the hard way, resulting in a nervous breakdown some 40 years ago; if counselling is not an option for any reason, we can at least confide in someone close, family or friend, who is unlikely to be judgemental.

Simply putting our feelings into words can help us make sense of them and put the brakes on any potential mental decline.

PUZZLES, PUZZLERS & HALFWAY HOUSES 

I struggle daily to make sense
of a world around me that’s relying
more on New Technology
to provide home comforts, answer
questions the human brain
is left struggling to provide, for flaws
the mind-body-sprit combo
would prefer to keep hid from powers-that-be
hell bent on making history 

I do my best to offer reassurance,
bring any home comforts and joys I can
given pecuniary advantages
and disadvantages taking their toll
here, there, everywhere
I care to look, making of me but a book
left half-open, half read,
barely half-understood anxious for knowledge
to keep moving, limit carnage 

I’d have given up on all humanity
long, long ago, but for its innate capacity
for love, inclined to fall short
of its mark now and then, having to start
over again (and again)
but sufficient alternatives in shapes, sizes
and forms to try departing
from conventional ‘norms’ though half the world
likely to blame it on hormones 

Call me Earth Mother, left puzzling over such lives
as configure humanity, split on all sides 

Copyright R. N. Taber 2021

 

 

Getting the Better of Covid-19

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

It is looking increasingly unlikely that the world will be rid of Covid-19 and its variants any time soon, in spite of vaccines becoming available; no one seems to know just how effective certain vaccines will prove to be against this strain or that.

Be sure that mind-body-spirit will do its best to see us through whatever lies ahead. 

In the meantime, we can but give ourselves and each other the best chances of survival by following whatever restrictions intended to make us safe(er) rather than follow our more natural instinct to do our own thing… 

The world is more unsafe than it has been for centuries; subsequently humanity has a collective responsibility to show that it can work together and rise above its various socio-cultural-religious differences instead of using them as tools and/ or excuses, to make a bad situation worse. 

Fat chance of that, do I hear you say? Well, maybe… but where there’s life, there’s always hope; it has  always been hope, as well as love and kindness that not only keeps the happier heart beating, but also comprises the better part of who we are, the part that saves us from going into freefall. 

Take care, be safe and keep well, 

Hugs, 

Roger 

GETTING THE BETTER OF COVID-19

I love the sunny side
of the street, nodding and chatting
to people I meet,
if only simply passing the time
of day, give or take
little else to say likely to raise a smile
while a coronavirus
chases up our every move, left or right,
anywhere, by day or night 

Covid-19 also prefers
to haunt the sunny side of the street,
but I’ll not be fooled
into thinking there’s any safety
in the shade
beyond making sure I wear my mask
correctly, nose and mouth
covered completely, no fashion accessory,
but a social responsibility 

Safer to stay indoors
if we can, but there are key workers
on whom we rely
continue to take risks (do or die)
for all our sakes,
a selflessness putting any to shame
whose conspiracy theories
appeal to the (universally) significant few
left anxiously begging a clue 

Though all the world 
in pain and grieving, a Beacon of Hope
that is love will see us
through to whatever end in store,
whoever, wherever
we are, its truth making itself known
and felt in such ways
as sure to inspire us all our days, the nearer
for our sharing, and the dearer 

Copyright R. N. Taber 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cold Hands, Warm Heart

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

A reader asks how I can write about the power of love when I am growing old and living alone. Love, the same reader suggests, is  "... a fool's game, a fantasy, here today and gone tomorrow".  I disagree, of course, although I understand where the reader is coming from, especially as he, too, lives alone.

As I have said on the blog many times. love comes in all shapes and sizes; once we let it in to mind-body-spirit, it is there forever. We may love a person, and that person my leave us or die, but the love we once had for that person does not die with them. We may love a place, and developers may move in and destroy any  natural beauty that once so captivated us; in our mind's eye though, it will remain the same albeit out love for it touched by sadness. Well, that has been my experience of certain very special people and places anyway... and they are always on hand to distract and inspire me whenever my mind-body-spirit feels inclined to dwell on the darker side of life.

Now, winter will be with us here in the UK for awhile yet, as will the threat of Covid-19. People are feeling scared as well as cold. In some parts of the North, families have been evacuated from their homes due to flooding after persistent heavy rainfall and/or snow; our thoughts are with them during these hardest of times. 

All we can do is get my as best we can, try not to worry (easier said than done, I know!) and keep to the Covid-19 safety regulations by staying at home as much as possible and, when exercising outdoors, taking care to avoid crowds and maintain social distancing. I wear a face mask all the time too. When  shopping, or using public transport, it is obligatory to wear a face mask (unless exempt for medical reasons) not only for our own protection, but for everyone else’s.

 It all sounds simple enough, yet there are still those who seem not to give a damn about themselves or anyone else. I, for one, am sick and tired of hearing various (baseless) conspiracy theories regarding Covid-19; invariably, it is sheer arrogance,  an excuse for being self-centred and selfish rather than a genuine belief. 

Meanwhile, yours truly struggles to make the best of things. Hopefully my later poems are not as bad as I often feel these days.. 😉 

COLD HANDS, WARM HEART 

Hearts in winter,
inevitably mulling far kinder times;
spring sunshine,
awaking nature to its potential,
reminding seedlings
they are contracted by Earth Mother
to grow, if only to bring
splashes of colour to such everyday gardens
as per everyday lives 

Cold, the hands,
reaching out for such reassurances
as only memories
in 3-D and full colour can revisit,
human consciousness
flying as wild and free as songbirds,
mind-body-spirit
searching time and space for what once it had,
called happiness 

Such warmth,
at disengaging with the Spirit of Winter
long enough
for everyday life forms to revert
to customising
such forces of nature and human nature
as embrace potential
rather than see either fail miserably or (worse still)
come to nothing 

Let love inspire
the dimmest fire to create home movies
in 3-D,
invite mind-body s
irit to cease railing
against faux fate,
but celebrate its glow, even as it fades away
for giving way
to human hearts resolving not to be left out in the cold,
but regenerate… 

There are few things love would have us savour longer
than surviving its winters much the stronger

 Copyright R. N. Taber 2021

Frontliners

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

All those in the front line of our war on Covid-19 deserve our thanks, respect and admiration. How they cope, day after day, defies belief. I have been retired for 10 years now, but like to think I would have played my part, although I suspect few of us know how we would react to certain circumstances until they are upon us and we are tested.

My father and I did not get along. From childhood, he never believed I had a hearing problem. More   than once would send me to my room for ‘ignoring’ him when I genuinely hadn’t known he was talking to me. Needless to say, this did nothing to improve our relationship. “He’s weak!” I heard him shout at my mother once, “He’s weak, that’s his trouble. Always got his head stuck in a book, it’s high time he started acting like a boy instead of a bloody pansy.”

Later, I asked my mother, “Am I weak?” Her reply was typical of her grasp of human nature. “None of us really know our true strengths and weaknesses,” she said, “… until they and we are tested. Even then,” she sighed, “… it’s invariably left to others to judge and we alone ourselves to know. It’s called life,” she added with a rueful smile. “But just you go to sleep and put it out of your mind…” She turned off the lamp I had been reading by, and I could have sworn I heard her say, “…while you still can.”

I suspect we are tested at all stages in our lives although we may not realise it at the time. As we grow up and grow older, though, we do get to know ourselves, although how much is fact and how much is wishful thinking … that’s for us to take on board, reject or work through for ourselves, hopefully with more than a little help from loved-ones and friends.

Whatever our battles, we are the front line, win some, lose some…

FRONTLINERS 

War or peace,
whatever the cause in us demanding
we fight,
at the end of the day, it needs to be
for the better,
if only to keep us safe , drive any enemy
to rout 

Early years,
learning to talk, walks, laugh and play,
choose friends
come to recognize certain aspects
of behaviour…
as in where our empathising with it begins
and ends 

Schooldays,
inviting us to see how competition
demands
targets our strengths and weaknesses, requires
we stand up
for its rights and wrongs or go to ground, head
in hands 

Come, youth
to have its day, before such times ahead
as we know
will test us, even cut us down before any gain
or losses
can take us where we may (or not) have chosen
to go 

Middle years,
basking in sunny climes or sheltering
from storms
beyond anticipation for our underestimating
how maturity
may yet see us bested by any variety of tempting
life forms 

Old age,
a final reckoning of sorts, for the better
or worse
as we harvest all mind-body-spirit has incited us
to be, urging us
do whatever may yet see all or some of our parts rest
in peace

 “Advance, friend or foe,” finding out wherever we go,
ourselves to know 

Copyright R. N. Taber, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winterworld OR In Anticipation of Spring

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

I have often commented on the blogs how love takes on all shapes and appearances; love of family, friends, places, whatever aspects of nature and human nature that can be relied on to bring out the best in us, distance us from anything less. 

A reader writes that “Such positive thinking is all very well, but “… it’s only a theory, so typical of a poet. How, in practice, can it see we ordinary human beings through the likes of a pandemic or such intense personal crises as any of us are likely to experience at any time in our lives?” 

Well, the short answer is that there isn’t one, only as many to choose from as there are aspects of human nature. 

Regular readers will know that, some 40+ years ago, I attempted suicide, so great was the crisis I needed to confront that I felt I couldn’t even make a start, and what was the point?

The point was, of course, that we all need to confront our fears; running away (as regular readers will know I have often done) solves nothing. Somehow, that same ‘theory, so typical of a poet’ found a way through my unconscious self, and I awoke long enough to seek medical help. 

The next four years were a waking nightmare, but such support as I hadn’t expected from certain work colleagues, friends and various professionals saw me through it all. Finally, I found myself taking up the threads of everyday life again, starting a new job, and waking up each morning without mind-body-spirit feeling all but overwhelmed. 

I had a garden in those days. Birdsong, through such summers as were almost as bad any winter, helped me in ways I had no way of understanding until, some years later, I began writing poetry again, something that had seen me through such childhood crises as haunt me still, not least for my never having understood those either. 

While I suspect few if any of us ever (quite) understand ourselves, I like to think I have at least learned (better late than never) that we human beings can do a lot worse in life than take our cue from all the natural world has to offer, not least by way of making the best of and surviving even the worst of its wintry elements.

Many thanks for dropping by the blog, folks, always much appreciated,

Hugs,

Roger 

WINTERWORLD or IN ANTICIPATION OF SPRING 

I spied a starling
flying low, seemingly heading
for a tearful tree,,
the name of which species
escaping me,
the archives of my memory
all but running
on empty, so intense the toll on me
of everyday anxiety 

Barely skimming
the tree’s uppermost branches,
starling appeared
to have a last-minute change
of mind, taking off
in another direction altogether,
as if sensing
little (if any) welcome to be had there,
no rising above despair 

I spied a redbreast,
wings a-flutter in the bitter wind
like a flag of hope
among snow clouds spreading
mixed emotions
among various generations below
for anticipating
multifarious joys as snowfalls may bring,
or yet more suffering 

Alighting on a branch
of so woebegone a tree as appears
struggling so
to stay alive in the total absence
of any pointers
to spring, robin raises a weary head
and starts to sing,
its sweet voice drying Earth Mother’s tears
as it has for centuries 

Imagination or celebration,
tree taking its cue for a new lease
of life, as well might
its listeners all, we creatures great
and small,
for cock robin’s messaging wintry worlds
that the nature
of love demands no words or romantic setting
for the joy of its giving

 Copyright R. N. Taber 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In-Betweeners OR Mind-Body-Spirit in Crisis

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

Before publishing today’s post-poem, I was hearing on the News about people having to wait for transplant and other urgent to operations dues to so many hospitals being full to capacity with Covis-19 cases. Yet again, this puts my own health issues into perspective. 

Yesterday, my bad foot was playing up along with prostate cancer problems and an ear infection. I was feeling very sorry for myself, nor did a grim day weather-wise help. Such minor worries compared to what many others are facing, people of all ages, not only here in London UK  but around the world. 

On the whole, I am a fairly fit 75 years-old who can get out and about locally with my walking stick and years of hormone therapy for the prostate cancer remains reasonably manageable. Not for the first time, I feel ashamed for letting myself get so low yesterday, and close to panicking about everything. 

Although living alone can be tough at the moment, families with young children and key workers are having so much worse a time that I can only salute their endurance levels and bravery. While I can understand only too well why people lose their tempers and become aggressive, given the kind of stress we are all under, it falls to each and every one of us to keep a sense of proportion and rein in our greater anxieties. Not always easy, but the very least we can do for others in much the same boat as ourselves is not only play safe, but play fair. 

Take care and here’s wishing all readers safe and well. May you feel loved by family and/or friends, and may that help you rise above any sense of crisis.

Many thanks again for dropping by the blog, always much appreciated. I only hope you enjoy some of the poems, especially as I dare say I'm not at my bardic best right now.😉

Hugs,

Roger

IN-BETWEENERS or MIND-BODY=SPIRIT IN CRISIS 

Heavens, alive
with pinkish hues, just long enough
for human senses
to be reassured by the presence
of natural beauty,
postscript to another day of living
in fear of a coronavirus
forcing its way among us like impatience
in a milling crowd 

Landscape, losing
its harsher edges, just long enough
to offer respite
from the harsher concerns of a day
seemingly preoccupied
with giving fear, despair, loneliness,
an edge over any happiness
forcing humanity into corners as analogous
with mortality as any 

Sun, going down,
little respite in a darkness where even
moon and stars
left struggling to find a way past clouds
hell bent on
letting night persist in pursuing demands
of a cruel day,
though up against the kinder mind-body-spirit
of human nature 

Heavens, doggedly
driving a passage between all such shades
of light and dark
comprising the human race, we in-between
travellers across
our own time and space, making of its history
what we see,
just long enough to be reassured by the presence
of a natural beauty 

In between its now embracing, now inspiring us,
a fallacious global consciousness

 Copyright R. N. Taber 2021

Hello, World

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

Hello World, from London UK,

Yes, I am working on a new poem, but so stressed out at the moment that I am not sure if I will complete it by tomorrow, so… fingers crossed.

Readers ask how I am coping with the rapid spread of the coronavirus variant, especially here in London where hospitals and Care Homes are under increasing pressure; Covid-19 cases are rising faster than ever before, and, sadly too, the death rate. The death of a loved one is a tragic loss at any time, so our thoughts are with all those affected at what is probably one of the toughest periods in all our lives anyway; we can but urge them to think back to better, happier times, and remember those we have lost as they were then and how they made us happy... and always will.

To be honest, I am not coping very well, but keep reminding myself that there are many people a LOT worse off than yours truly;  all brave those key workers in the front line of any Covid-19 attack, those who have lost their jobs, parents with children whoa are now expected to act as teachers where schools are closed, anyone whose hip or knee operations have had to be postponed due to the lack of hospital beds…to name but a few.  

I see living alone as  something of an advantage at the moment for much the same reason as I hate it, having relatively little everyday contact with others at the best of times. Yes, I miss travelling to visit friends and their coming to see me, but at least I can do my bit, stay at home as much as possible and wear a face mask whenever and wherever I am out and about. Even so, this doesn't stop me feeling lonely and isolated at times, feeling physically sick upon waking up each morning at the thought of another lo-o-o-ng day ahead.

Last night, I slept reasonably well for not having to get up for a pee umpteen times due to the prostate cancer. Consequently, I am feeling better able to cope with whatever life throws at me today than I did yesterday. So… a good start. Although the weather, right now, is overcast and grim, it does not fill me with anywhere near as much doom and gloom as various media reports do; the media may well have a responsibility to tell us what is going on in the world, but most of us could well use some cheering up; the latter being one of the hardest of essential tasks, especially when you live alone and have too much time on your hands to mull over life’s negatives rather than being able to take comfort and inspiration from fast diminishing positives. thate's where creative therapy comes in, of course, anything to 

Oh, well, c’est la vie, coronavirus or no coronavirus. At least humankind is blessed with the greatest if most precarious of mindsets; one whose capacity for hope and positive thinking provides its inner eye with every opportunity to look forward, move forward, anything better than staying still, especially when the Here-and-Now is as wintry as it gets for a mind-body-spirit that finds itself struggling to rise above its worst afflictions.

Yes, indeed, it will take more than any coronavirus for the life-giving, hope-giving, milk of human kindness to run dry and leave us feeling completely stranded and alone.

True, there will always be greedy, selfish, criminal elements in any society, but -on the whole – people do care and will help as and whenever they can. Even the Good Samaritans of this world and mot mind readers, though, so some of us may well have to swallow our pride as ask for help sometimes rather than bemoan the fact that no one appears to be offering any. All of us have to take the rough with the smooth in this life, but it has been my experience that there are a LOT of people out there only too willing to help, but are reluctant to appear as if they are interfering.

Take care, everyone, stay safe, be kind, and keep well. Oh, and be sure to keep looking on the bright(er) side of life... (never easy, but always worth the effort...)

Back with another poem (hopefully) tomorrow,

Hugs,

Roger

PS.A reader complains that I am "too repetitive." Sorry about that. I guess it goes with the territory in hard times, especially as we grow old. I like to think of myself as being 75 years young... but who am I kidding? 😉

Shadows OR Points of View, Shades of Meaning

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

Hi, World, 

Well, here we go again, 

Another day of waking up to the Covid-19 variant and safety regulations we are all meant to follow, but some don’t so many of us are fearful of going out and about locally even for such essential everyday items as food. 

Overcoming fear, in any context, is never easy. I feel physically sick sometimes once I close the front door behind me and step out into the street. At 75, I have been fortunate enough to have my first vaccination, but only a few days ago so it will take a little while yet to kick in. Whatever, no room for complacency I will need to follow lockdown safety regulations, probably for months. Oh, well, needs must… and we can all but do our bit to help ease the awful stress faced by every key worker, especially those in hospitals and care homes, but unsung heroes too like those who collect our waste and clean our streets. 

Meanwhile, there is an ignorant, selfish minority who persist in protesting about their human rights being undermined and/or that Covid-19 is some kind of conspiracy. We can only ignore them, and get on with our own lives as best (and safely) as we can. 

Me, I feel a greater empathy with Humpty Dumpty every day, falling apart, and surrounded by pieces I haven’t a clue how to start putting together again. Time will tell, I guess. 

In the meantime, there is another day to get through on my own here, so I had better get on and make breakfast … having been awake long enough now to get a tighter grip on things, start re-energising myself by looking on the bright(er) side of life, and anticipating a kinder springtime of mind-body-spirit… 

Readers continue to ask how I can talk about spirituality yet separate it from any religious faith. 

As I have said more than once on the blog, and will probably say again, there is more to any human being than meets the eye, including his or her sexuality; the human spirit is as much a part of us if not more so, frim birth to death and in remembrance; one reason why I find the refusal of world religions recognise this and welcome LGBT people, instead of condemning us, as nothing short of hypocritical. Sexuality is, after all, a human condition, not a lifestyle choice, and even if it were, whatever happened to freedom of choice? 

As for a sense of spirituality, I suspect it embraces each and every one of us in various ways, religion or no religion; how we choose to use it, well, that is only human.

SHADOWS or POINTS OF VIEW, SHADES OF MEANING 

Birds of the air,
engaging with a friendly tree,
no less so for its want
of welcome shelter from wintry
elements 

Human beings,
engaging with creative therapy
by way of sheltering
from a coronavirus making what
it will of u 

Grey squirrels,
chasing shadows where grass
awaits its season
and the earth makes what it will
of winter 

All humanity,
made to chase its own shadow
for home truths
surfacing where common need
prevailing 

Yet, still it turns,
this multicultural world of ours,
no less so for its want
of welcome shelter from wintry
elements 

Neither sun by day,
nor moon by night (quite) shining
light enough
on such rights and wrongs as prefer
shadows 

Shadows, playing
much the same parts across history
in bringing
such common elements of humanity
together 

Even so, no shadow
hanging over us can resist such shades
of life and love
as comprise the (far) better, kinder part
of mind-body-spirit 

Copyright R. N. Taber, 2021

[Note; This post-poem also appears on my gay-interest poetry blog today.] RT

Hello again, Everyone

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

Hello again Everyone,

No poem again today, sorry about that, but I am working on one. I live alone and get very tired, especially after a BAD night with my prostate cancer; it isn’t advanced or particularly aggressive, but I often need to urinate during the night. I have tablets now, that help some nights, but not always.

Poetry demands a degree of thought and imagination, both of which fail me utterly sometimes. Even so, they are necessary tools for my personal survival, pandemic or no pandemic, so I am always well-motivated to recover any losses. Fingers crossed…

There are moves towards enforcing greater safety precautions here in the UK in an attempt to control the rapid spread of the Covid-19 variant. One of these is closing down all places of worship. A reader asks how I feel about this. As it happens, I agree, and not because I do not subscribe to any religion. Places of worship offer the sense of being part of a community, and this is important, but not essential to feeling close to God; praying alone can do that. 

Those attending places of worship, whatever their religion, tend to congregate before and after services, an open invitation to the spread of any coronavirus.

Another reader asks how I cope with broken sleep and mobility problems during the pandemic. I have not been told to ‘shield’ so I make sure I get out and about as much as I need to, for essential everyday shopping, exercising my bad leg etc. I always wear a mask as it helps my self-confidence.

Living in London as I do, I am very nervous about going out at all these days, but mental health is every bit as important as physical health; I need to get out of my flat sometimes, even for just 20 minutes or so, or go mad. (I don’t have access to a garden.) It’s a case of mind over matter, I guess, between my inner self and a handful of mentoring ghosts from my past; we invariably manage to persuade a wary, nervous, even downright scared yours truly, to get on with life as far as possible.

Yes, I try to practise what I preach when it comes to adopting a positive-thinking mindset. Never easy, but it’s Hobson’s Choice in so far as the alternative does not bear thinking about. (Well, does it…?)

I look out of my window, watch trees swaying, birds flying and squirrels chasing each other… and feel close to nature. For a pantheist God is nature. So, on this Sunday morning, nor less so than any other morning or times of day, I find more than inspiration enough to see me through all life throws at me as I grow old, pandemic or no pandemic, and, yes, maybe even a poem…

Back tomorrow, folks, and many thanks for dropping by; your company means a lot to me.

Take care, be safe, and keep well,

Hugs,

Roger

 

 

 

The Challenge

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

The UK, not unlike other parts of the world, is in crisis. Here in London, the mayor has declared a State of Emergency with coronavirus - to all intents and purposes – seemingly out of control and hospitals barely able to cope with rapidly rising cases. Sadly, the more cases, the more deaths, and the devastating effects of both on families and friends. 

Once, at the height of despair on a very personal level, I confided in a complete stranger I got chatting to on a bus while we were stuck in a traffic jam. He could see I was upset and agitated and asked if I was okay. The question unleashed floodgates. 

It transpired that my confidante was a member of the clergy, and I felt obliged to admit that I subscribe to no religion; not even pantheism in those days. I was half-expecting a kindly rebuke or at least a mini-sermon of sorts, but was pleasantly surprised. Instead, he squeezed my arm and told me to ally myself with Hope and – win or lose – I will have found the strength to deal with either. I was sceptical, to say the least. What can be more likely to send us into free fall than to have hope, only for it to come to nothing? “Nothing comes of nothing,” he assured me, “and never underestimate the empowering nature of hope.” 

As is the case with so many of the challenges we face as we go through life, we win some and we lose some. The trick is not to see losing as missing out, rather drawing on that same inner strength that gave us hope in the first place as we move from challenge to challenge. The law of averages alone suggests that the chances are we’ll win more than we lose. Small comfort perhaps, as we face up to losing, but the very act of facing up to it calls on much the same inner strengths as we’ve had to find to be where we were. 

“I take my strength from my Faith, “the stranger told me, “…but I’m only human and have to deal with life’s negatives as well as its positives. Never easy, but I choose go from positive to positive rather than dwell on the negatives.” 

I am probably paraphrasing as it was years ago, but an old aboriginal man would tell me much the same thing as I faced another personal crisis some years later. On both (and other) occasions, they were proved to be right. So, here I am, 75 years old and having to deal with various health issues BUT… so far, so good as far as the coronavirus us concerned. 

Take care, folks, keep well and be sure to nurture a positive mindset that will see us through our darkest hours, and keep the mind-body-spirit engaging with light, albeit dim at times...

Hugs, 

Roger 

THE CHALLENGE 

Landscape, bleak;
skyscape, as if colluding
with a dual sense
of doom and gloom spreading
with the speed
and purpose of such prophecies
as instil as much denial
in us as fear that there just might be
some truth in it all

Outlook, bleak;
inner eye, defying reason
to get to grips
with a personal space posing
more questions
than suggesting solutions to a crisis
of consciousness,
empathy with fate or faith, whatever
brings us here 

Here, where we are,
unable to quite see for bleak
passages of time
beckoning first this way, then that:
nothing for it,
but to grasp much the same lifeline
as has made history
for centuries, though it be thrown down
as a challenge 

No finer challenge can humanity choose
than to ally with hope, win or lose 

Copyright R.N. Taber, 2021

 

Hi folks!

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

Hi folks,

Well, I had the Pfizer Covid vaccination yesterday and have experienced no ill-effects. I have to admit, I was hoping for the Oxford vaccine, but I think it would have been very foolish of me (and others) to reject the offer of protection against the coronavirus, especially given a soaring rise in cases due to the spread of the new variant. I can honestly say that I barely felt the prick and it has given me a new sense of self-confidence in going out and about locally.

Regular readers will know that I also have to attend hospital appointments for a stubborn ear infection which involves taking the London Underground into central London; I dread the journey each time as there are still Covidiots out there who do not wear their masks properly and/or let them slip so nose and mouth are not covered while they are on the train.

While I do not agree with the British Government’s decision to extend the gap between vaccinations from three weeks to three months, feel reasonably protected even after just one jab. I am also convinced that I experienced Covid-19 symptoms in early January; rightly or wrongly, that has left me feeling that I have an added immunity. So… fingers crossed.

It has been a busy week and I haven’t been sleeping too well, but continue to take each day as it comes, hoping for the best rather than swelling on any worst scenarios, and keep looking on the bright(er) side of life. I recommend it as a GOOD way to start any day at the moment. I am hoping to complete a new poem within the next few days, so… watch this space.

Take care, stay safe, keep well and let’s all continue to keep nurturing a positive mind-set rather than let the Naysayers of our time send us into free fall,

Back soon,

Hugs,

Roger

PS I'm glad to see that US President Trump has modified the tone of his rhetoric from explosive to reconciliatory, almost apologetic... even if  it is if only because he hopes to escape the lasting stigma of impeachment on his term in office.

 

 

Past-Present-Future (+), Voyage of Discovery

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

Many thanks to those readers who have sent emails expressing the hope that I will be feeling better soon. 

Like so many people around the world - of all socio-political-religious persuasions - I can but do my best to rise the daily battles imposed by the scarily fast moving Covid-19 variant, and suspect it is much the same for most, if not all of us, in the sense that it remains a case of our winning one here, losing another there… 

Yesterday, I had to use public transport (London Underground) for further treatment for an obstinate ear infection. I then had to go to the building next door for a PSA test prior to a telephone appointment with my prostate cancer consultant next week. Today, I will venture out again (locally this time) for my first Covid-19 vaccination. (I checked with Oncology staff first that it was ok to have the two within 24 hours of each other.) 

So, hopefully, I will soon start to feel at least more positive about everyday life than during the same period than I am right now; public transport can be so scary at the moment all the while a significant number of people still do not wear their masks properly. 

I will let you know tomorrow how I get on with having the vaccination this afternoon, although I am not worried about having it, only a little concerned that Government here has chosen to ignore WHO advice regarding the spacing out of both jabs. 

Take care, be safe, and let's all keep looking on the bright(er) side of life...whatever.

Hugs, 

Roger 

PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE (+), VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 

Yesterday I thought
I caught a scent of spring in the air,
a sense of new beginnings
and starting over, no more running
for cover
from a coronavirus wreaking chaos
and pain to households
across the world left struggling to survive
against uncertain odds 

Today, I looked out
upon on a bleak, wintry landscape.
and all but cursed
an imagination promising kinder days,
as if mind-body-spirit
ever stood a chance of beating any odds
till a posthumous consciousness awoke in me
a native stubbornness 

Memories, flooding back
images of loved ones, past and present,
fighting odds,
(winning, losing, passing on the poetry
of love evergreen)
in such shades of hope and Peace on Earth
as humanity dreams,
even as it seems to be drifting beyond the reach
of everyday timelines 

Ah, but an eternal springtime
of the heart is one whose wintry seasons
are but uninvited guests
passing through, no welcome extended
nor invitation
to linger longer than nature intends, humanity
assuming centre-stage
for its Here-and-Now, a place long since reserved
in living Memory 

Wherever the human heart passes on its humanity,
discover the in-depth meaning of eternity 

Copyright R. N. Taber, 2021

 

 

High Hopes OR Personal Space (All Rights Reserved)

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

A new year dawns, and the world gives a huge sigh of relief just to see an end in sight after what has been a 2020 that will never be forgotten by any of us fortunate enough to count ourselves among its survivors. Yet, at what cost?  The physical, mental and economic strain experienced by everyone, in whatever shape or form is likely to make itself felt for years to come. Nor are we out of harm’s way yet, of course, regarding the coronavirus itself. Even so, there is a light enough at the end of the tunnel; we can but follow it, and trust we will survive long enough to see it set us free to move on… the awful events of 2020 notwithstanding. 

“The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.” - Omar Khayyam 

Here’s wishing everyone a Happier New Year, not least for Covid-19 being all but consigned to history and vaccinations on the way… 

Hugs, 

Roger 

HIGH HOPES or PERSONAL SPACE (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

 New year, new start
for those of us who have survived
a coronavirus
attacking the world on all sides
with a vengeance
throughout 2020, and continuing
to cause pain and grief,
only emergency shots in the arm helping
to keep higher hopes alive 

We can but struggle on
in a seemingly alien environment
with access to family
and friends, even neighbours,
limited as never before,
while many among the elderly
and those living alone
waiting on phone calls to help compensate
for a lack of computer skills 

Humanity, likely to escape
annihilation by the skin of its teeth
although, for how long
any lessons learned yet to be seen,
as human nature
resumes a sense of normality;
daggers (still) drawn
without or within this society, that community,
injurious fingers moving on 

Though humanity tell and retell its history as it may,
it’s (each) human heart will have the final say…

Copyright R. N. Taber
[January 1^st 2021]

 [Note: This post-poem also appears on my gay-interest poetry blog today.] RT

 

 

 

Crisis at Christmas OR Love is the Key

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

For many readers, it will not be a very happy Christmas Day this year, and for most of us it will be a Christmas break like no other for all the wrong reasons. Even so, there are vaccines on the way so still reason to think positive and look forward to better times in 2021.

Here's my favourite ghosts (from happier times) and I  wishing you all love and peace always, and many thanks for dropping by the blog.

Hugs,

Roger

CRISIS AT CHRISTMAS or LOVE IS THE KEY

Christmas, in a year
with many a tear in many an eye
for a year that’s seen
so much grief, anger and pain,
yet, also a sense
of being a common humanity
in a world inclined
to view certain differences as weaknesses,
due to its own short sightedness

In a year that has seen
the devastating effects of Covid-19
on world economies
and personal lives, a sense of unity
attempts to rise
above that grief, anger and pain
all but dominating
everyday life, whoever and wherever we are,
any differences notwithstanding 

In times of crisis, people
will often pull together, bridging chasms
between old enemies,
suggesting bigots have second thoughts
asking of religions
that they practise what they preach
in so far as matching
deeds to fine words, embracing peace and love
without either caveat or favour 

For many, Christmas,
among other celebrations, but reinforce
an overwhelming
sense of loss, regret, loneliness, and losing out
in such everyday move
as humanity makes, potentially this way,
potentially that…
now, raising hopes, now (invariably) taking credit
for (inevitably) losing out to ‘Fate’

So, what can we do,
who are left to pick ourselves up, start over?
For a start, never forget
there are such people in the world who care
about others,
will lend a helping hand and see us through
to a kinder end,
while it’s a positive mindset (no weakness) that asks
for help, more likely to find happiness 

There will always be
the good-bad in this world, the happy-sad too;
we can but try
to rise above it all (down to me, down to you)
even compensate
for such evils as humankind may yet do,
let love be the key
to  mind-body-spirit left free to live, let live and let die
if (still) begging the question, "why…?"

 Copyright R. N. Taber 2020

[Note: this post-poem also appears on my gay-interest poetry blog today.] RT