Tag: poems

Making changes, swift and small
That seem to matter not at all
Yet send us forth on tangled ways
Into the heart of life’s great maze

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

I. Paradise

My life was full
Crammed and spammed and jammed
Full of stuff and puff
Beyond enough
There were people to meet
Faces to greet
Hands to shake
Deals to make
No time to take a break
From the busyness of it all
The deadlines and budgets
The headlines and fudge-its
And that’s not even counting
The mounting expectations
And ladder climbing
To great destinations
Until the day
It all gave way

II. Disquiet

My life was full
A trumpeting horn of plenty
But gently
The cracks appeared
And what I feared
Came creeping
Seeping
Through the floors, the doors
And every gap in my crowded days
A shrouded haze of discontent
Malevolent
In silent ways
Sowing seeds of destruction
Growing weeds of corruption
Like the gnawing rust of years
And the clawing dust in gears
Like trickling sand
That’s how it began

III. Descent

My life was full
Then in a flash it crashed
And I was dashed
On rocks of shame
My ego smashed
By waves of blame
Nothing would ever be the same
I clutched at straws
And heard them snap
I ran through doors
Into a trap
A maze of dead-end rescue plans
A band of thieves and rival clans
I fled
I bled
And every thread I grabbed
Unravelled only more
Of what my life had been before

IV. Disintegration

My life was in pieces
Shattered and splattered
And scattered to the winds
Of indifference
Amazed, I gazed around and saw
Shards of love
Unspoken
Now broken
Stunned and numbed, I kicked
A fragment of work
Once polished
Now demolished
I did not have the heart
To start
To pick them up
Those pieces of me
Torn apart
So I just let them be

V. Despair

My life was empty
Weary
Dreary
Eerie
With shadows shifting, demons drifting
Yelling in my head:
I should be dead!
What’s the point? Just look around
Not a sound
Not a soul
None to console
No goal
No get-up-and-go
No flow
On life’s stage, this page
Is stained and torn
Time to get out of town
Time to bring my curtain down

VI. Desperation

My life was empty
My hand and the gun were one
My finger, the trigger
The barrel seemed bigger
From close up
Everything else was far away
All the things I’d done
The battles won
The hollow acclaim
The pride in my name
My faraway life with my faraway wife
These were things from a distant land
And a living past
Now fading fast
Now, close to hand
A squeeze on the gun
Then the sun
Broke through

VII. Redemption

My life was empty
It needed to be, for me to see
What life is worth
What can give birth through me
If I open up to a greater force
That invisible source
That fires the heart and inspires the mind
That quickens the spirit
And whispers ‘just do it!’
I’ve started again
Rebuilding my bridges
With paintbrush and pen
With family and friends
It’s more about people, less about reasons
Less about busy, more about seasons
Less about doing, more about knowing
My life is full
But not overflowing

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

Let them rip and tear our pages
They cannot mute our story
Let them smash and break our pictures
They cannot kill our smiles

For our words have power
And our joy is like a rock
Our tale is star enchanted
And our happiness is an ocean

Let them swear and curse our fates
They cannot change our destiny
Let them pierce and pry our safety
They cannot intimidate our dreams

For our bond is of the moon
And our weapons made of light
Our art inspires creation
And all that’s good is on our side

Let them taunt and mock our morals
They cannot shake our conscience
Let them deny and decry our love
They are but passing strangers

For our inner voice is clear
And our actions speak more true
Our roots of love are strong
And our wings of trust are sure

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

When I’m feeling sad and small
I curl up in a little ball
And wish the watching world away
I close my eyes and quietly say:
No one knows and no one cares
And I am no one after all

When I’m feeling just so-so
I cast adrift and let it flow
And watch the tide within the bay
I look across the waves and say:
Someone sees and someone shares
And I am someone in the know

When I’m feeling top and tall
I spread my arms to welcome all
And greet each brand new dawning day
I lift my eyes and boldly say:
One who soars is one who dares
And I am one and I am all

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

One stray spark of wild imagining
Of “alive with possibility” and “what if”
One cheeky taunt of self-daring
Of “what the hell” and “why not”
One decisive click of mental resolve
Of “you only live once” and “just do it”

One endless day of expectation
Of pep-talks and reassurance
One pulsing hour of preparation
Of feet-binding and stomach-knotting
One insane shuffle to the edge
With clinging toes and jelly legs

One crazy countdown to nothingness
Five, four, three, two, one, BUNGI!
One mad moment of wingless flight
Of swan-dive perfection and aerial elegance
One scream-choked spike of frozen panic
Of free-fall plummeting and certain death

One crashing wave of frothing relief
Of elastic grace and bouncing back
One fiery explosion of exhilaration
Of head-spinning blood-pumping ecstasy
One virgin sacrifice who lived to tell the tale
Of escaping the jaws of the wild Zambezi

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

What if the home that you’ve been making
And the smile that you’ve been faking
Have left you lost in space
Feeling anything but free?

Will you let go of the past
To reveal your fate at last
And will you rise to meet the tide
To restore your inner pride?

What if the bread that you’ve been breaking
And the hands that you’ve been shaking
Have brought you face to face
With your own worst enemy?

Will you open up your mind
To accept the worlds you find?
And will you let yourself forgive
To restore your zest to live?

What if the dream that you’ve been shaping
And the path that you’ve been taking
Have brought you to a place
That is neither land nor sea?

Will you find it in your heart
To make a fresh new start?
And will you stretch your very soul
To reach that higher goal?

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

Upon these pages
Dreams take flight
The words of sages
Shine their light

Seasons turn
Feelings churn
Passions burn
Spirits learn

Between these covers
Seeds take hold
The fields of lovers
Turn to gold

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

Fragrant flower blooms
In the cracks of grey pavement crowds –
A passing intoxication

Luminous flare bursts
In the swell of black cinema skies –
An accidental touch

Mesmeric song ripples
In the glass of reflective train ponds –
A siren glance

Exotic spice floats
On the lips of swirling cocktail seas –
An innocent kiss

Butterfly caress flits
Across the page of white daydream script –
A love fantasy

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

I wonder who lives there
In the flat over the common
With the window with the flowers
And the lamp and the sparkling butterfly?
What do they think when they look out
And see the world traipsing by
And watch the dogs running
And the leaves falling?

I wonder what they dream
As they gaze across to the river
With the longboats with the chimneys
And the swans and the enigmatic names?
Who do they pine for as they look out
And marvel at the ever changing sky
And sense the moods shifting
And the light fading?

I wonder if they see me
Walking past along the path
With my jacket with the colours
And my hat and my crazy imaginings?
Do they ever notice when I look up
And reach inside their cosy world
And touch them with curiosity
And a strange longing?

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.

I waited
I was there
Searching the faces
There in the bookshop
But she did not come today
I know because I looked for her
Expecting to recognise her
Any moment to find her
But it was not to be
Maybe next time
But not today
Not today

I wonder
Could it be
She was waylaid –
Missed the train or bus
Bumped into an old friend
Went back to check on the stove
Was she running a little late
Did she arrive after I left
I guess it could happen
So maybe next week
Just not today
Not today

I wonder
If she waited too
If she looked for me
And thought I didn’t come
That I somehow got the date wrong
Did she sigh over her latte and books
And search among mystery faces
Wishing Neruda’s poetry to life
Until the realisation dawned
That time is out of sync
And it’s not today
It’s not today

We met
Just the once
And now I wonder
If she even remembers the time
The night she visited in my dream
The way we saw each other and knew
Knew that we had come home
And I woke with an aching
With a deep sad longing
To find her once again
So why not today?
Why not today?

Of course
I will return
And I will wait
And I will keep looking
Among the pages and words
Searching for her beautiful face
In the bookshop of our destiny
Calling out her silent name
Imagining our meeting
Even if not today
Then very soon
If not today

Wayne Visser © 2017

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.