poem | Wayne Visser

May 28, 2021May 28, 2021

Walk the Line

I walk the line
Between the river and the road
The river whispers to slow down
To breathe in the beauty
And see myself reflected
The road is too busy to notice
Too focused on the destination
And how to get there sooner

I walk the line
Between the head and the heart
The head is quick with answers
With boxes to put things in
And labels to explain
The heart is full of questions
With doors of doubt to unlock
And windows of love to open

I walk the line
Between the mountain and the sea
The mountain beckons to climb
To reach for the distant summit
And enjoy the view from the top
The sea urges to cast adrift
To go with the invisible flow
And be content in the moment

I walk the line
Between the body and the soul
The body craves for attention
For pandering to appetites
And obeying the senses
The soul yearns for meaning
For something to believe in
And a destiny to follow

I walk the line
Between the day and the night
The day is a call to action
To building stone by stone
And making my mark
The night is for seeding
For germinating in the dark
And nurturing my dreams

I walk the line
Between living and dying
Living is finding new connections
New ways of seeing the world
And adding something new
Dying is learning to let go
To appreciate more with less
And finding a place to rest

Book

String, Donuts, Bubbles and Me: Favourite Philosophical Poems

This creative collection, now in its 3rd edition, brings together philosophical poems by Wayne Visser. In this anthology, he muses on subjects ranging from space, angels and destiny to time, science and meaning in life. According to scientists / The world’s made of string / That buzzes and fuzzes / Or some such strange thing / It’s also a donut / That curls round a hole / With middles and riddles / Just like a fish bowl / And there’s no mistaking / It’s more than 3-D / With twenty or plenty / Dimensions unseen / Still others insist / It’s really a bubble / That’s popping and bopping / Through the lenses of Hubble. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

May 14, 2021May 14, 2021

Connected

In life we form a complex web
Of patterns always shifting
We’re tied to every other thing
No matter that we’re drifting
We see ourselves in spangled skies
Of silver light reflected
We’re twirling in a cosmic dance
Forever we’re connected

Each day we add another thread
Of faith and hope entwining
A tapestry of weaves and knots
And love that’s redefining
We see ourselves in healing cards
And totem poles erected
We’re joining in an ancient song
That chants: we’re all connected

The river flows, the seasons sway
To moods of inner weather
With secret codes and hidden rhymes
In traces of a feather
We see ourselves in nature’s glass
With energies affected
We’re syncing global consciousness
We’ll always be connected

Book

String, Donuts, Bubbles and Me: Favourite Philosophical Poems

March 16, 2021March 16, 2021

A Swirling Story

Don’t ever underestimate
The power of stories small and great
For tales of fairies, kings and queens
Are echoes of our human dreams

We’d sooner dance than tick and tock
We’d rather sing than punch a clock
For we’re not made of cog and wheel
But minds that flash and hearts that feel

We’d sooner hear a myth or rhyme
We’d rather watch a film sublime
For we’re not digits writ in code
But lilting lines within an ode

The way we live, the brands we choose
Are mirrors of our inner muse
They tell us who we’d like to be
Behind our masked identity

The way we work, the things we buy
Are answers to the question why
They draw a map to hidden gold
To buried fears and wishes bold

Each battling hero on a quest
Beseeches us to do our best
Each star-crossed lover’s tender kiss
Evokes the call to find our bliss

Your life’s a yarn that you must spin
With woven plots, you lose and win
Each tale’s a spark that fuels the fire
A swirling story to inspire.

Book

String, Donuts, Bubbles and Me: Favourite Philosophical Poems

January 24, 2021January 24, 2021

In the Margins

When the story of my life is writ
All the chapters set, the headings bold
You may miss the most important bit
For it’s in the margins life is told

You may spot the notes in spidery hand
Crammed in next to work and daily grind
All the treasures of events unplanned
And creative doodles of the mind

They may not connect to life’s main plot
Or the tidy order on display
They may be the things that time forgot
Or the flash of colour in the grey

The main narrative may well be true
But it misses chaos, love and flair
It may chart the course on which I flew
Yet say nothing of my soul’s great dare

All the times I detoured and got lost
Or indulged in poetry and art
When I gave and did not count the cost
Or glimpsed the whole beyond the parts

When the story of my life is told
When the scribbling pen has come to rest
Just remember, as the tale unfolds
It’s in the margins that I lived the best.

Book

String, Donuts, Bubbles and Me: Favourite Philosophical Poems

January 16, 2021January 16, 2021

Regeneration

The news is good (have you not heard?)
For every insect, beast and bird
The Great Extinction’s turning ’round
The seeds of change found fertile ground

The barren fields are set to bloom
The rivers sparkling crystal clear
New forests rise up from the gloom
The wild calls out for all to hear

The colour’s back in coral reefs
We heed the words of tribal chiefs
The farms are making healthy soil
The sun and wind’s replacing oil

The news is good (don’t you agree?)
Nature’s back, it’s not too late
Across the land, the air and sea
We let the Earth regenerate.

Book

Wishing Leaves: Favourite Nature Poems

This creative collection, now in its 3rd edition, brings together nature poems by Wayne Visser, celebrating the diversity, beauty and ever-changing moods of our planet. The anthology includes many old favourites like “I Think I Was a Tree Once” and “A Bug’s Life”, as well as brand new poems like “Monet’s Dream” and “The Environmentalist”. Then as we turned our faces to the moon / Our hands entwined, our hearts in sync, in tune / We felt the fingers of the silken breeze / And made our wishes on the falling leaves / A gust of wind set off a whispered sigh / Among the trees that leaned against the sky. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

January 16, 2021January 16, 2021

All the Colours

The very moment that we met
I knew we would be best of friends
It started back in Tott’nham days
But that’s not how the story ends

As both our lives began to change
New partners and new purpose too
We seemed to move in swaying sync
With worlds unfolding bright and new

Now when I think of you, I smile
Recalling cider wisdom shared
And all the colours of your life
A sign of one who dreamed and dared

Today your sun’s on painted sky
With fresh adventures to begin
A flower shows your essence true
Of beauty blooming from within.

Book

Life in Transit: Favourite Travel & Tribute Poems

This creative collection, now in its 2nd edition, brings together travel and tribute poems by Wayne Visser. The anthology pays tribute to the likes of Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou, Barack Obama, Antoni Gaudí & Leonardo da Vinci, and reflects on travels ranging from China and South Africa to Ecuador and Russia. Life is lived in the in-between / In transit / Between coming and going / Between staying and moving on / Between here and there / And what we call home / What we call settled or contented / Is merely a resting place / A station for refuelling / A nexus for reconnecting / A junction for changing direction. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

January 16, 2021January 16, 2021

In the Mind

When this great race of life is run
When all is said and all is done
When we look back, we’ll surely find
So much of life was in the mind

The hardest trials, the stress and strain
The darkest nights, the clouds and rain
The loss that left us bruised and blind
These were the battles of the mind

The proudest wins, the joy and fun
The brightest days, the skies and sun
The love that made us good and kind
These were the triumphs of the mind

When this great wheel of life is turned
When seasons pass and tides have churned
When we reflect on what’s behind
We’ll know it’s true: life’s in the mind.

Wayne Visser © 2020

Book

String, Donuts, Bubbles and Me: Favourite Philosophical Poems

January 16, 2021January 16, 2021

A Better Place

We may not sail the Seven Seas
Or board a rocket ship to Mars
Yet still we know to catch the breeze
And set our sights upon the stars

We may not run an enterprise
Or lead a nation and its realm
Yet still we have the wings to rise
And many ways to take the helm

We may not walk the halls of fame
Or take the prize in fortune’s race
Yet still we stand behind our name
And make the world a better place.

Book

Seize the Day: Favourite Inspirational Poems

This creative collection, now in its 3rd edition, brings together favourite inspirational poems by Wayne Visser. The anthology takes us on a journey through the peaks and troughs of life, celebrating the indomitable human spirit.. It includes many old favourites like “Poets Must Be” and “Chasing the Blue”, as well as brand new poems like “The Writer” and “Making Ripples”. Sages through the ages wisely say: / Carpe Diem – seize the dawning day / Oh, would that I could assuage that thirst / But the day conspires to seize me first! / With the hurry and scurry / Of home’s frantic flurry / And the hustle and bustle / Of work’s tangled tussle. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

January 16, 2021January 16, 2021

A Poem

A poem’s the sound we hear when words go out to play
As they romp and rhyme, laugh and cry, or go astray
Some play nice, while others scratch and swear in fights
Some get down and dirty, some climb to heady heights

A poem’s the show we see when words are on display
As they flit and flirt bright colours, or shades of grey
Some paint true, while others splash and scatter in shapes
Some tell epic stories, some clown around with japes

A poem’s the churn we feel when words are in the fray
As they lilt and love, muse and mourn, or quietly pray
Some are thieves, while others shine and selflessly give
Some spark the fire of hope, some teach us how to live

Book

String, Donuts, Bubbles and Me: Favourite Philosophical Poems

October 31, 2020October 31, 2020

African Flame

You are the first spark that kindles the fire
That nurtures our daring and restless desire
On journeys across the wilderness plain
You light up the way: our African flame

You are the red bloom that graces the tree
That rises from ash, a wonder to see
In nature resplendent, we honour your name
You burn with great beauty: our African flame

You are the fierce blaze that forges the soul
That touches the sky and makes the earth whole
Through hardship and toil, in fortune and fame
You burn with great faith: our African flame

You are the hot coal that glows in the night
That gives us the strength to stand up and fight
Deep passion’s a fire nobody can tame
You burn with great hope: our African flame

You are the warm light that keeps off the cold
That cradles our dreams and stories of old
Together in strength, diverse and the same
You burn with great love: our African flame

You are the enigma that flickers with heat
That dances with drums in sync to the beat
With colours that shine, with stars in your aim
You brighten the world: our African flame

Book

I Am An African: Favourite Africa Poems

This creative collection, now in its 5th edition, brings together Africa poems by Wayne Visser, including the ever popular “I Am An African”, as well as old favourites like “Women of Africa”, “I Know A Place in Africa”, “Prayer for Africa” and “African Dream”. The anthology celebrates the luminous continent and its rainbow people. The updated 5th Edition includes new poems like “Africa Untamed” and “Land of the Sun”. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.