Credo

Do you believe in laughter held in truth,

In knowing that words spoken find their mark,

That a look, a touch, the gentlest hand may form

A smile that grows within, ignites a spark?

 

Do you believe that gladness grows inside,

Overflows to others open to

Receiving joy as recompense for living

When its trials and labours overwhelm and threaten you?

 

Do you believe that hurting ends in time,

That inner worlds are balanced by all love,

That questions yet unanswered cause a thrill,

Their discoveries a golden treasure trove?

 

Do you believe that somewhere inside light

The heart of matter hides a great reveal,

That nothing happens without cause effect

And perceptions make our own world feel what’s real?

 

Do you believe that logos is the word

Or that words alone confuse a greater thought,

That lips that speak the lies betray the way

And sometimes guidance dwells in what’s not sought?

 

Do you believe in fairies and in trolls,

In monster lochs where hidden depths conceal,

Do you believe in equine wings and angels,

In many wondrous stories though unreal?

 

Do you believe in suspending disbelief

To enter into fantasies that pleasure

While still inside you know factual from dream

But recognise you owe some childlike measure?

 

Do you believe that living is worth living,

That each breath you take admits a purpose here,

That nothing’s yet decided or completed

And that only you can change your greatest fears?

 

Do you believe in worlds you find in books,

In scenes unfolding on the movie screen,

In comic superheroes who astound,

Unveiling attributes too rarely seen?

 

Do you believe the essence of all stories

Conveys some truth distilled to purest form,

That much of what we honour most in tales

Are aspirations we would wish as norm?

 

Do you believe that children hold the key,

That complications thwart our best intentions,

That simplicity and innocence are essential to all meaning

To underwrite and clarify the best of lessons?

 

I do.

 

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May Music, Day 8, Perm Any One From 100

I haven’t thought about this boy in years. And years and years. Why would I? It was 1976 when I went out with him. For all of about 5 weeks.

But, he who shall be obeyed, Twindaddy, wants to know for his 8th question which song we associate with our first love. So, I dredged my memory. Actually, not much dredging needed. As stated yesterday, ask me about thirty or forty years ago and I’ll give you chapter and verse. Just don’t ask me if I remembered to buy milk when I was out today.

I had been working in a local café for about two years on an afterschool basis. Sounds a bit like child slavery now, I know. But I desperately wanted a wee part-time job and to earn some money of my own.

At that point I was getting 50 pence a week ( 85 American cents ) pocket money which was fine if you just wanted to buy sweets. But I had reached the age where I wanted to buy make-up and cotton wool. Don’t ask, guys. It’s a female thing. Or maybe it was just a me thing. You need the cotton wool to remove the make-up. No big secret.

By working, I earned 50 pence an hour. Riches! All I had to do was wait tables, do a bit of cooking now and again, wash dishes now and again, wash down tables and walls now and again. Better yet, my sister ended up working with me and we had some great laughs while working. Doesn’t get much better. Earning and having a laugh. Oh, it does. Earning, having a laugh and boys coming in to chat you up. No wonder everyone wanted to work in Freddie’s Café.

Three boys in particular came in on a regular basis. And I could always tell when they were about to enter because I could hear their motorbikes arriving. Well, to be honest, they were mopeds. Or ‘poof chariots’ as my eldest brother so unkindly called them back then. Subtle, he wasn’t. Compared to his 150cc worth of Honda I suppose 50cc was a bit on the nerdy side.

But in they would come, I would take their order and, over a period of time, it became apparent that one in particular had his eye on me. And likewise. Steph, he was called by his friends. And they teased him unmercifully for taking ‘ a beamer’ every time I approached their table.

This went on for ages. Months. A year maybe.

This tall, lanky boy with his long, dark curly hair and black leather jacket could melt me more than a little.

Then he phoned me one day and asked me out. He had started working beside said oldest brother and had wangled our home phone number from him. Brother asked, ‘Was that the disease on the phone?’ Steph’s last name was Greek. ( No wonder I have such a thing about Greece. 🙂 ) To be fair, his name was a bit of a mouthful. But still. Bit mean. That’s brothers for you.

I said yes, of course. And it was a lovely relationship while it lasted. For those few weeks previously mentioned. We didn’t fall out. I bricked it, is all. I couldn’t hack it. I was 15. And I suddenly felt too young. I liked him a lot. But I just was not ready to be going out with anyone I realised. He was two years older than me, he could go to the pub (illegally!) while I still was going to the café and the youth club.

So I made up some feeble excuse about having exams in about six months. And dumped him. Face to face I might add. No texts back then. No Facebook. I wouldn’t have done that anyway. I went to meet him to go to the pictures and then didn’t.

I can’t recollect a single song that has anything to do with him. But I looked up songs from 1976 and here’s what came up.

01 Brotherhood Of Man Save Your Kisses For Me
02 Pussycat Mississippi
03 Elton John & Kiki Dee Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
04 Abba Fernando
05 Abba Dancing Queen
06 Chicago If You Leave Me Now
07 Dr Hook A Little Bit More
08 Showaddywaddy Under The Moon Of Love
09 Tina Charles I Love To Love
10 The Real Thing You To Me Are Everything
11 Queen Bohemian Rhapsody
12 The Wurzels Combine Harvester
13 Abba Mamma Mia
14 The Four Seasons December ’63
15 Demis Roussos The Roussos Phenomenon
16 Slik Forever And Ever
17 JJ Barrie No Charge
18 Hank Mizell Jungle Rock
19 Candi Staton Young Hearts Run Free
20 Rod Stewart Sailing
21 Wings Let ‘Em In
22 The Real Thing Can’t Get By Without You
23 Wings Silly Love Songs
24 Demis Roussos When Forever Has Gone
25 Leo Sayer You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
26 Barry White You See The Trouble With Me
27 Billy Ocean Love Really Hurts Without You
28 Johnny Mathis When A Child Is Born
29 CW McCall Convoy
30 Our Kid You Just Might See Me Cry
31 Queen Somebody To Love
32 Sailor Glass Of Champagne
33 The Manhattans Kiss And Say Goodbye
34 David Dundas Jeans On
35 The Manhattans Hurt
36 John Miles Music
37 Manuel & The Music Of The Mountains Rodrigo’s Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez
38 The Miracles Love Machine
39 Tavares Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel
40 Dorothy Moore Misty Blue
41 Abba Money Money Money
42 Rod Stewart The Killing Of Georgie
43 Sherbet Howzat
44 Tavares Don’t Take Away The Music
45 The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver Arms Of Mary
46 Tina Charles Dance Little Lady Dance
47 Fox S-S-S-Single Bed
48 The Chi-Lites You Don’t Have To Go
49 Bryan Ferry Let’s Stick Together
50 Electric Light Orchestra Livin’ Thing
51 Donna Summer Love To Love You Baby
52 Yvonne Elliman Love Me
53 The Wurzels I Am A Cider Drinker
54 Johnny Wakelin In Zaire
55 Robin Sarstedt My Resistance Is Low
56 Billie Jo Spears What I’ve Got In Mind
57 The Bellamy Brothers Let Your Love Flow
58 Yvonne Fair It Should Have Been Me
59 R & J Stone We Do lt
60 Rod Stewart Tonight’s The Night
61 Bay City Rollers I Only Wanna Be With You
62 Mr Acker Bilk Aria
63 Wild Cherry Play That Funky Music
64 The Rolling Stones Fool To Cry
65 Dr Hook If Not You
66 Andrea True Connection More More More
67 Silver Convention Get Up And Boogie
68 10cc I’m Mandy Fly Me
69 The Bee Gees You Should Be Dancing
70 Elvis Presley Girl Of My Best Friend
71 Gallagher & Lyle Heart On My Sleeve
72 The Glitter Band People Like You People Like Me
73 Diana Ross Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)
74 The Four Seasons Silver Star
75 Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots Disco Duck
76 Gallagher & Lyle I Wanna Stay With You
77 Manfred Mann’s Earth Band Blinded By The Light
78 Mike Oldfield In Dulce Jubilo / On Horseback
79 Jimmy James & The Vagabonds Now Is The Time
80 The Shangri-Las Leader Of The Pack
81 Georghe Zamfir (Light Of Experience) Doina De Jale
82 The Stylistics 16 Bars
83 Marmalade Falling Apart At The Seams
84 Billy Howard King Of The Cops
85 Bay City Rollers Love Me Like I Love You
86 Simon May The Summer Of My Life
87 5000 Volts Dr Kiss Kiss
88 Guys ‘N’ Dolls You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me
89 Bonnie Tyler Lost In France
90 Peter Frampton Show Me The Way
91 Dolly Parton Jolene
92 Diana Ross Love Hangover
93 The Walker Brothers No Regrets
94 Sailor Girls Girls Girls
95 Bryan Ferry Extended Play
96 Pluto Shervington DAT
97 Queen You’re My Best Friend
98 Thin Lizzy The Boys Are Back In Town
99 Paul Nicholas Dancing With The Captain
100 Lou Rawls You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine

But, for today, because Phil Lynott is wearing a black leather jacket, has dark curly hair and makes reference to the boys being in town. And because I still really like this one. Here’s my choice.Now I could pick any number from above that I either danced to at the local discos and the youth club or sang along with while watching Top Of The Pops on a Thursday night. And I love quite a few of them, partly from nostalgia but also because they were excellent pieces of music that have stood the test of time.

And, no. I never once had a hair do like that! Nor danced like that for that matter. 🙂

 

 

 

Unicorn

Ubiquitous in heraldry,

Twice blessed upon Scots’ Arms,

Mythical and magical,

Succumbs to virgin charms.

Innocence and purity,

Horned to bless and heal,

Nurtured joy, virility,

Unto only one would kneel.

270px-Royal_Coat_of_Arms_of_the_Kingdom_of_Scotland.svg

Without Visage

reflections on an inner world

silvered glass without visage

slithers cut to piercing

dipped in crimson’d life

oceans of the stuff

congealing around our feet

sticky red tar

leaving a fading trail

as we walk away

in many directions

Mothers’ Eyes

Reposes she

With cheeks and brow so fair

Image framed

By skeins of flaxen hair

Puckered lips

Forming glowing pout

Recumbent God

Seen without one doubt

 

Lashes flutter

In dreams of golden flight

Tucked into bed

Safe love secures her night

No demons here

No haunted childhood psyche

A child at rest

All should have her like

 

Portraits of injured innocence

Suffuse my working hours

Souls may keen

At battles without power

A helping hand

From those who know the just

Love them all

As adults we most surely must

 

 

A little one

Though worldly without wise

Compassion demands

We see all through mothers’ eyes.

Innocence Injured

No callous thoughts

Nor cold intent

Should dwell where love’s

Been freely spent.

 

Unequalled pleasure

Can’t decry

Where love was known

Though, by and by,

 

Treasured moments

One time enthralled,

Glimpsed afar,

Now unrecalled.

 

Bitter hearts

Disclaim, with voice,

Past memories

As if no choice

 

Had taken part

In ending all,

Hostile relations

After the fall

 

From grace and trust

Where love was living,

Recollections

Unforgiving.

 

They passed this way,

Once hand in hand,

A surer love,

No wedding band

 

Could so unite

The two apart,

Where love once dwelt

Lives broken heart

 

And cordial calmness

Claims surrender,

Harsh words, contempt

Sever, dismember,

 

Leaving nought

But recollections,

Remembrances,

Bittersweet perfection.

 

Imperfect memory

Chills to the core

All treasured moments,

Never more.

 

Coupled collapsing

Feels dismay,

Abysmal distrust,

Love cannot stay.

 

They grieve their loss

In strangest manner,

Vindictive, cruel,

A jealous rancour.

 

These people are

Still known to me,

I watch

And listen carefully

 

And ponder how

A love once sown,

Grew then withered,

Split to the bone.

 

Words, then endearing,

Draw blood, now bitten,

Fragmented love

From two once smitten.

 

Divided, riven,

Torn apart,

Indifference chills

But where to start

 

When coldness turns

To malevolence

And hurts and robs

All innocence?

Different Pairs of Eyes

Innocence and worldly-wise,

Two different pairs of seeing eyes,

Alerted to survey the land

With fortitude and willing hand.

One runs swiftly, seizes day,

Other, ponders some and stops to pray.

Innocence bears a heavy load,

Struggles, lonely, on broken road,

Worldly,too, stumbles in this mode.

Not seeing innocent and subtle code,

But, cynicism and lies.