Let All Things Flow

Like fish, we swim in the stream of nature's laws,
Each day a reminder of the need for change.
The path we tread twists and turns to its own rhythm,

Agility of spirit is a skill for survival in this realm.
Lost and found will be neatly balanced in the final analysis,
Let truths spill freely from wounds of heart and mind.

Trust in letting go, in walking away, let release be.
Hope is the thing with feathers, not for clutching, but born to soar.
In the darkest hour, shine a light in the place where you cling, and believe;
Nets hang in the gloom, to catch any and all who fall.
Grief is the balm to soothe the knocks and dents of this life,
Sit with only tears for company until the melancholy is fully sated.

Find pleasure in the arrivals that follow every departure,
Let anchors steady you in the turmoil of existence.
Open your eyes, ears and heart to cosmic truths when they find you.
Wake up with questions and do not slumber until your answers are discovered.

(c) Caren Gilbert

Sorry Is The Hardest Word

Shadow-like, you hover at the edge of all things
Opportunities slip through your weary grasp, over and over
Repentance sticks in your throat, all things hard to swallow now.
Rehearsals fill your mind, for a performance unlikely to have an opening night
You search in vain for an understudy to take your mark.

I sit alone, front and centre, programme clutched to my heart
Shadow-like, I hover at the edge of all things.

Tomorrow would be better, awaiting some conjunction;
Heart, soul and mind must be in perfect alignment.
Echoes ebb at the shore, each tide eroding you.

Happiness is a game without rules to guide the players
Assembled in confusion, fate hanging on each roll of the dice
Repentance sticks in my throat, all things hard to swallow now.
Depression of all emotion becomes a black mask to fit any size
Emptiness, a chasm spectators fear to tread nearby.
Shadow-like, we hover at the edge of all things
Turbulence spews with each stone hurled into still waters.

Waiting for the heartfelt submission of the script our tears have drafted,
Opportunities slip through my weary grasp, over and over.
Repentance sticks in our throats, all things hard to swallow now.
Dusty curtains silently await this opening act.

Sorry is the hardest word.

(c) Caren Gilbert

Imagination

Impossible is the fuel for the grandest notions
Magnificence a worthy benchmark for the wildest dreams
Aspirations of the greatest adventures
Glorious endeavours await accomplishment
Incredible will be the theme for every day
No horizon or wisdom should go unexplored
Attention to beauty in each moment guides us onward
The path we tread will be mystery bound
Inspiration will be found at every turn
Opulence will be surplus to our needs
Normality shall forever elude our grasp

(c) Caren Gilbert

What The Future Holds

With adventurous heart, I set forth
Hopes packed tightly upon my shoulders
Apathy hoots from the wayside,
This is a journey some would rather I did not take

Time to step boldly, as never before
Hopes clutched tightly to my chest
Emptiness lies behind, carefully discarded in my wake

Fortune makes no promises to my fate
Uncertainty the only certainty I can rely upon
There is safety in not knowing, I realise.
Unseen, I prowl the edges, waiting for my moment
Retreat is the destiny which confounds me
Emptiness holds no fear for me now

Hopes raised humbly for all to behold
Oceans brim with graceful dreams
Lives breathless in anticipation
Desperation the only qualification required
Sanctuary calls my name and I and powerless to ignore

(c) Caren Gilbert

Earth, Wind, Fire, Water

Every stone which tumbles
Across this fragile land
Reverberates for all to hear,
The planet turns daily in its grave
Hopeful that the cycle will end

Wildest of storms are summoned
Intent on being a wake up call
Nobody seems to listen
Deafened by all consuming thought

Forged in the passions of stars,
Intricate connections are born
Rebellion surges in the hearts of the few,
Encouragement that the slumber ends

Whirlpools gather to excite spirits
Apathy is an option long lost now
Thunder claps and sparks draw attention
Each occupant seeks higher ground
Regret is futile after the storm

(c) Caren  Gilbert

The Voice In My Head

Thoughts lash at me with relentless barbs
Haunted by deeds and words past
Echoes of self resound in my mind

Victories hollow under scrutinous gaze,
Occupation is total under this regime.
Intentional amnesia a favourite ploy,
Cast certainty aside and dwell in the void
Endless ripples of doubt ebb at my shore

Inspiration comes and goes on treacherous tide
Noble intent becomes selfish in this charade

Mutiny is what this ship requires
Yet the crew is ever loyal to the insanity

Heroic indifference the only solution
Each and every moment of this mind control
Admiral to take on such formidable foe
Decades in the making

(c) Caren Gilbert

The Wisdom of Trees

The ancients await us
Hidden by verdant leaf
Ever patient, and ever hopeful.

We stride through woodlands
Intent on our destination
Searching always for the truths of life
Disappointment the only prize of that quest
Open hearted meandering beneath leafy boughs
Makes way for a knowingness to surface

Ordinary thought has no place amongst these roots,
Find your way to the tree which calls to you, and just sit

Temporarily suspend all other agenda
Recline against sturdy trunk and be still
Every tree awaits this precious communion,
Expectation hangs from every limb
Suspend disbelief and in that moment, ask for the wisdom of trees

(c) Caren Gilbert