And Water! YES!
Complimentary;
"On The House!"
"Relectuntly,"
Muttered Under
Her Breath...
You Know?
We Have A LOT
Of Water,
Sooooo... Much...
Some Planets,
A LOT Of Places...
Nearly Everywhere!
Have Practically
NO Water
AT ALL.
You Should
Count Your Blessings...
Very Rare...
You Need To Know
How Extraordinary It Is
You EVEN EXIST!
What A Blessing To
Be Alive, To Be You!
Now, Here's Your Water!
(Slam!)
-Gray Squirrel
09-07-2025
Stirred.
Blurred.
Deferred.
A haze of thoughts.
In the raw.
Unprocessed unpolished.
Ethereal feral.
Impulses really.
I might drown.
A sea of ambiguity.
Random content
in my private universe.
At times, I want to scream and be heard.
But all in time that can’t be rushed ~
Excerpt from Collaboration with Kirk Tierney, based on my poem 'Writing Is How I Connect'/ Painting by Suzanne Van Bebber
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
my shoulders are broad
my back is strong
maybe I was born to carry all of this
maybe I was never meant to put it down
Sitting upside down in the car
On its roof and well concealed
By the hedge it just leapt to
Land upside down in this field
The lesson being learned,
When going round a bend
Trying to pick up a ciggie
Can cause unfortunate end.
It seemed all quite peaceful
In an ending somehow right
To what had been a memorable
And very worthy long Stag Night.
Deciding to respond to
The penetrating shout
Of are you all alright
We decided to climb out.
Good Lord but I’m chuffed
This beery voice said
I saw you jump the hedge
And I though you were dead.
We stood around a while
For a laugh and a joke
Each one of us enjoying
A much needed smoke.
Can I give you a lift he said
It’s the least I can do
I can’t wait for the police
‘Cos I’ve been drinking too.
A country road mid 1960’s
A cold and bitter night
Isolated and deserted and
Not a person or house in sight.
No such things as mobile phones,
No real need for the police to know
So by mutual consent we decided
It was a good time as any for us to go,
So he drove us back to Bert’s place
Which wasn’t really very far
And Bert had to wake and tell his dad
That he’d gone and crashed his car.
“Place this cloak around you and blink six times
You will then hear three chimes
When your body begins to shudder
You’ll be invisible to your own mother!”
The slying light inks up the paper
For the angle is just right
For shadows to enter my language
The landscape I'll dream of tonight
Torn date
From the unpriced son to his father:
So a child. Now a man.
"You never knew with
what fanatical veneration
I listened to your every word".
For you were for me the measure of all things.
(the rest of the letter burnt).
excerpt from my new poem Mistletoe
Who’s she expecting ‘neath the mistletoe?
The poor gal looked dejected,
So lonesome and rejected.
For pity’s sake, someone kiss the gal!
The song of the lark returns
To the edge of the woodland
She greets me cheerfully trilling
As I stroll across the flowering lea
October 31, 2021
Four lines excerpted from "Song of the Lark"
especially for "Liberum Divisa 8 Poetry Contest"
sponsored by Gregory Richard Barden
Excerpts from the compilation: “Prayer” 9,
Serenity
I wish that we can practice and experience Serenity
And be aware
Of our unresolved hurts, fears, anger
And triggers.
And see how they create separation and walls
And cause deep pain and sorrow
To ourselves and to those who we would actually,
really, love to be close to.
And also that we are aware
That we are human
and have a heart
And to know
When it is good to be courageous
And stand up,
Open our mouths and speak.
And when it is respectful and dignified
To listen and give space.
Or:
That we remain silent,
Yet stay present,
And when it feels right, to let go or walk away.
Or:
To not be afraid to ask uncomfortable questions
And embrace confrontation and
Ferociously risk and do everything we can
To end a sense-less conflict
And bring peace and harmony.
Excerpts from the compilation: “Prayer” 8
Sensitivity, Curiousity, Intelligence
I wish that we can all practice nurturing
and nourishing
our Sensitivity,
Never stop being Curious
and asking uncomfortable questions,
Have the courage to wake up
and use our Intelligence
And take great care
that we are not “Numbed” or “Overwhelmed”.
Especially:
By the huge amount of companies, apps and services
That “apparently” cost us nothing,
But whose (not so secret) objectives are
To hypnotise, control, manipulate and sell –
Especially to our children.
Or by the endless amount of mostly,
sensation seeking media
Controlled by the spectres,
some of whom we call leaders,
That work best in the shadows
And only trust the light of day
When they hide behind their grand titles
and practiced, smiling masks,
Feeding their hungry egos and lust for power
By creating separation,
Panic, drama
and questionable regulations and laws.
Who together
Are slowly, secretly removing our hard fought
Foundations and monuments of freedom:
Brick by brick...
© Sangeet Portals 2020
Excerpts from the compilation: “Prayer” 7
Inner Strength, Resilience.
I wish that each of us rediscovers their Inner Strength
And we understand that is a wild,
serene and pure treasure
That is simply forgotten - not lost.
Especially in the moments
when we need to say “no” or “enough!”
And get up, walk and attempt to set ourselves free
From all the internal and external voices
That keep us small
And try to make us believe
That we are irrelevant, inadequate and insignificant!
And also Resilience:
for the inevitable shocks and setbacks
And each time that we doubt, stumble and fall.
And that we allow ourselves to see mistakes not as failures,
But as perfect moments of great learning and understanding.
And let us practice taking time
to tend to and heal our wounds and hurts
Before we automatically turn off,
rush off to the next appointment
And mechanically, mindlessly, heartlessly
do all the things that we are told
That we are supposed to do.
© Sangeet Portals 2020
Excerpts from the compilation: “Prayer” 6:
Time for our Elders
I wish that we take Time for our Elders,
Even before some of them slowly slip away.
And that we can forgive and let go
Of some of the ineffective, inappropriate and unsuitable
Beliefs and lessons that they received
And passed on to us.
And that we can understand
That they need our loving
patient care and appreciation.
And that a World without Grace,
Gratitude, Respect and Dignity,
Is barren, un-bearable and life-less.
And that we can learn
About the beauty of aging
And not be afraid
(Like we don’t fear the passing of the seasons),
So that we are able to fiercely
Treasure and live each moment,
Regardless of the weather,
To the full.
© Sangeet Portals 2020
Excerpt from the compilation: “Prayer” – 5:
Compassion, Empathy
I wish for us to take time and Compassion
For the underprivileged, sick and dying.
And that we may breathe into our hearts
And practice wholehearted and unconditional
Empathy.
And not to just walk by and coolly look away,
But to stop and maybe under the dirty rags
We can find a human being
And story that we connect with,
That moves us in some small or big way.
And maybe we get inspired
To try something new,
Even if only:
To stop poisoning our days
with repetitive dramas,
And small minded conflicts.
And maybe, we are reminded
Of our own fragile mortality
And: instead of choosing to see life
Full of problems that irritate and shrink us.
We can start to feel grateful for the challenges
That expand and cause us to grow
In ways that we could never ever imagine.
© Sangeet Portals 2020
Excerpt from the compilation: “Prayer” – 3:
Friendliness, Kindness
I wish that we can know Friendliness
And gentle Kindness for ourselves,
Especially in the moments
when no one seems to care,
And the hordes of look-down, or look-away eyes
Incomprehensible actions and reactions,
Piercing comments and numbing judgements,
Seem more painful than sticks and stones.
Exactly in these difficult and challenging times
We can slow down, or better: stop
And practice listening to
and taking care of our daily needs,
And be a loving, patient Mother or a good Friend
to ourselves
for - we have nothing to lose.
© Sangeet Portals 2020
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