Tag: poems

A Tribute to Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, UK

One day, I expect, we’ll look back and smile
At these blossoming Cherry Hinton days
With walks, traced in chalks, to the crumbling cliffs
Of the limestone quarry’s white blaze

Some day, may it be, we’ll pause for a while
And remember our bright mosaic ways
With strolls, in the knolls of the Gogmagog hills
And spoils from the Burylane’s maze

One day, I can tell, we’ll turn back the dial
To these sun-splintered Cambridge lit days
Getting trim, at the gym, and Saturday tennis
And The Orchard, for scones and a laze

One day, mark my words, we’ll look back and smile
At these swan-sailing Cam river days
Bikes flashing, oars splashing, to the syncing of strokes
And the cows on the common at graze

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

Another cosy Christmas spent
Another year, how quick it went
And now, a short, well-earned respite
Before the clock is rewound tight

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

I. Beauty

I see the world in your face –
The echoes of your homeland
The whispers of your past
The long song of your people
The memories made to last

I see a face of beauty –
Cheerful and chubby
Tearful and grubby
Tender and twinkly
Crumpled and crinkly

I see you in the morning
I see you late at night
I see you when I’m dreaming
I see you bathed in light

II. Despair

I see the journey in your face –
The first steps of wonder
The twists from the start
The turns of discovery
The path of your heart

I see a face of despair –
Worn out and weary
Beaten and bleary
Rough shod and ragged
Haunted and haggard

I see you in the ghetto
I see you on the street
I see you on the TV
I see you when we meet

III. Hope

I see the story in your face –
The quest for the answers
The courage to fight
The battle of forces
The dark and the light

I see a face of hope –
Wide-eyed and wondrous
Inspired and ponderous
Grateful and giving
Faithful and living

I see you in the city
I see you in the class
I see in the village
I see you when we pass

IV. Freedom

I see nature in your face –
The soil in your skin
The wild in your guise
The rain in your laughter
The sun in your eyes

I see a face of freedom –
Bewildered and bemused
Engaged and enthused
Innovating and learning
Forever sojourning

I see you in the cradle
I see you through the mist
I see you on the wifi
I’m glad that you exist

V. Love

I see the world in your face –
The colours of your palette
The brush marks of your sorrow
The radiance of your vision
The portrait of your tomorrow

I see a face of love –
Compassionate and caring
Shouldering and sharing
Nurturing and feeding
Giving without needing

I see you in the maelstrom
I see you with your smile
I see you in each face I see
You make this life worthwhile

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

Babies bounce
Their laughter is lighter than air
Their dreams as high as the sky
And so they fly
Just as surely as they cry
With worry-free wings
And lives unencumbered

Growing up
Is learning the law of staying down
Giving up on the lullabies of skies
And believing the lies
That the spirit can’t rise
On imaginary smoke
And dreams unrequited

Getting wise
Is learning the art of not knowing
Giving up on the clutter of stuff
And saying enough
Of the bluster and bluff
That anchors you down
With things unimportant

Elders float
Their knowing is buoyant as balsa
Their memories like corks on the seas
And so with all ease
They free-ride the breeze
With discarded ballast
And flight rediscovered

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

It was just a glimpse at first
But enough to look twice
Enough to spark intrigue
To prick my senses
Burst my bubble
An intruder
Alert

She floated in the distance
A figure out of focus
Blurred at the edges
Defying definition
A form in flow
A chimera
Alive

It’s not that she was perfect
And I never saw her face
But she fit the moment
Echoed my longing
Spinning in sync
A coincidence
Aware

She passed without knowing
That I wanted to reach out
From fantasy into reality
To touch her knee
Kiss her neck
A butterfly
Alight

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

Jump and dance and roll your eyes
Chase the garden flutterbys
Play with bunches of balloons
Sing aloud your favourite tunes
Wish yourself the best of luck
‘Cos nothing stops the birthday truck!

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

Throw your hands up in the air
Run around without a care
Ask for wishes to come true
In everything you say and do
Enjoy the sunshine and the rain
‘Cos nothing stops the birthday train

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

A Tribute to the 2005 Live 8 Campaign

It’s not too late
To join Live 8
To change the fate
Of billions of poor
To do more
To settle the score
On the raw
Deal of the past
At last

We won’t take the bait
Of the G8
Stalemate
For too long they’ve lied
Telling us their hands are tied
But they can’t hide
From the rising tide
They know the cure
For sure

Let’s speak our voice
We have the choice
To cast off the net
Of crippling debt
To increase aid
And make the trade
Fair and square
If we dare
To care

This is our chance
To dance
To a different tune
To turn up the heat
And feel the beat
Of Africa’s drum
The silent hum
Of those who refuse
To succumb

This is the time
To rhyme
For a better life
To end the strife
That’s rife
To make our mark
And take our part
In walking the path
With a heart

Let this be
Our plea
For the rebirth
Of earth
To make poverty history
To shape a new destiny
This is the space
To take our place
In the human race

This is the tipping point
To heal the disjoint
Of separation
To make reparation
For exploitation
And close the gap
On the map
To open our souls to the tap
Of the Live 8 rap

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

The turn of the seasons, the loop of the sun
Another year over, another begun
A decade ago, I felt barely alive
Now, healthy and happy, I turn forty-five

I’ve searched for new answers to questions of old
I’ve dared to be different and dreamed to be bold
I’ve tickled life’s wonder and kindled love’s spark
I’ve travelled to places that each left their mark

The mountain cathedrals of Peja’s great charm
The hills of Sri Lanka with Buddha-blessed calm
The joining together with Amazon friends
The fresh new beginnings and reconceived ends

The nocturnal sparkle of Moscow’s Red Square
The spices and colours of New Delhi’s flare
The rejuvenation in the fairest of Capes
The call of adventure and shifting of shapes

I’ve weaved webs of words to teach and inspire
I’ve called on our leaders to change or retire
I’ve spoken with students of making a dent
I’ve gone to great cities and learned as I went

The Singapore gardens with green walls of flowers
The Caspian welcome with Baku’s flame towers
The Da Vinci artworks Milano unveils
The Stockholm ice bar with its blue winter’s tales

The waffles of Antwerp and Amsterdam’s eye
Ann Arbor’s giant cookies and trails in the sky
The Tesla electric with still Scarlett pace
The Force reawakens from frontiers of space

I’ve listened to whispers of fate on the breeze
I’ve taken a step on the long walk for trees
I’ve dreamed of a future where waste is no more
I’ve reached for the circle with life as its core

The terrors of Paris; its climate accord
The march of brave migrants across Europe’s ford
The struggles of many show will to survive
I’m counting my blessings; I’ve turned forty-five

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

A Tribute to Jeanette Hilda Visser (Mom)

Love the landscape of your life – it is shaped for you alone
Trust the terrain on which you tread – its pathways will lead you home

As you pause for breath upon your trail on this Earth,
There is much reason to linger and savour:
The vistas and views, the companions you keep,
The blessings you hold in your favour

And the cairn tall beside you built stone upon stone,
Is the beacon to your adventures and travels:
‘Cross mountain and bushveld, through desert and forest …
And within … as the journey unravels

But tarry not long for the track lies before you,
And the expedition is far from its end:
The mountains they beckon, the trees whisper welcome,
In new lands which await ’round the bend

Love the landscape of your life – it is shaped for you alone
Trust the terrain on which you tread – its pathways will lead you home

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.