Eurpa Poets' Gazette No. 70, February 2010

A new year and a merry Easter to you!
Well, you can still buy handsome Christmas hams, plum puddings and the like.
And, of course, the icing on the cake, so to speak - hot cross buns! Hop in for an Easter egg real soon, too!
Never mind getting the children back to school (uniforms, fashion shoes, books, fees!) or that wildly romantic (and commercial) moment we call Valentine’s Day on February 14 (what was it way back when, the Valentine’s Day Massacre?).
No, we are in a constant state of celebration. We’ve had Australia Day and what a proud day that was - flags flying, snags sizzling on barbecues and copious amounts of alcohol flowing to keep the long weekend lingering longer, naturally. And new Australian citizens, of course, swearing their allegiance.
As I said, merry Easter to you! Oh, and by the way, have you paid off the credit cards from 2009?


Doesn’t Know Why
He walks the walk,
But doesn’t know it,
Breeze bathes eyes,
He doesn’t know
what seeing means,
Sweet air hones his scent,
Doesn’t know why,
Feels the rain,
Doesn’t know how
cold is wet,
Basks in sun’s warmth,
Glow means nothing,
Just there,A
As with food and need,
But what is need
and nourishment?
All in an instant,
Like every breath,
What is breath?
We know,
He lives and dies,
And doesn’t know why.
© Michael Garrad January 2010
Requiem
Go gentle into the good ground,
Not a whisper, not a sound,
Hush!
As waters rush
above,
And angel dove sighs
in distant azure skies,
Leaves in shaft shadow
tease
this cool and sweet air -
And there
the safe place,
And the still face
in the dark,
Peace upon the green park,
Quiet now, on a long day,
Not a word to say;
Go gentle into the good ground,
Not a whisper, not a sound,
as angel dove sighs
high in distant azure skies,
Grief, as our tears fall,
And dance on beloved trees, tall;
Please hear us in the quiet
as frail emotions rage in riot.
© Michael Garrad December 2009