The Small

Book of Poetry

This book is in tribute to those who have loved and lost anyone who

suffered from dementia.Lets make sure that their memories

still live on...

All Poems written by Jim Mannay

Am I getting older?

A blue sky!I should smile!So why am IDeep in Termoil?Leaves are falling!It’s appaling!Each falling leafLeaves me coldGood GriefI’m getting old

Who Am I?I am alone in a crowd,But I am never lonely, I am livingI am friendly but not friendlessI am lovely and giving I am rarely thoughtlessI am carefree, yet strictI am hopeful, yet afraidI am thoughtful, yet freeBut most of all I am me

A Poem About a “Hug”It’s wondrous what a hug can do

A hug can cheer youWhen you’re blue

A can say “I love you so”Or “How I hate to see you go”

A hug is “Welcome back again”“Great to see you, where’ve you been?”A hug can smooth a small child’s pain

Bring the rainbow back againA hug delights and warms

And charmsIt must be why God gave us arms

Fleeting VisionI see grey outlines

Of our mountain passesAcross the sea, the sun shines

On our field of corn and grasses

LindaSo you’ve met a girl

You’re brought to your kneesYour heads in a whirl

You’re happy because she’sLovely to look at

Interesting to knowNatural for all thatDelightful and kind

A witch, a spellbinderAll of this and more

It must be LindaThat’s for sure

“The Sun’s Children”

I am the sun.I circle in space.I have nine childrenWho I love to race.Millions of miles apart,Saturn, Pluto, Venus and Mars.Just for a start,Following like a little stars.Mecury, Uranus and the EarthAccompanied by old Neptune.They each give birth,To their own little moon.Some had more than one.Circling around at a low pace,Smiling at Mother Sun,Millions miles above, in space.

Star of SpaceStar of Space!

What wonderous World,Basks in your warmth today?

What banners are unfurled?What do they say?Do they cry peace,

Or the warriors way?Seeking the peace? or

That illusive prize,Which heralds sorrow

Closing their eyesTo that sad tomorrow

A pleasant face, a lovely smileWell groomed hair, and all the while

You’re made aware, of eyes gre green,As seas storm tossed, yet calm and sereneOne look you’re lost, she leads you a danceWhere will it end? There’s just a chance,

She’ll be your friend, oh it’s all gone,That care free life, “Careful! Yvonne

With the Putty Knife”

Putty in her hands

“Space” A poem in Prose

A little girl who lived on a hillside estate,Looked out across the Bristol Channel,

On a beautiful sunny morningThat night had been a stormy one.She looked at her mother and said,

“Look Mam, the whole world, is there!”Her mother, looked at her smiling daughter,

She said “It is certaining lovely part,But is is not the whole world.

There are other countries, and other worldsWhen you go to higher classes at School.

You will learn of other worlds called ‘Plan-ets’,

Other moons and stars, in outer space”“What is outer space Mam?” Said the girl“It is a very big place, outside our, worldFull of stars and other things, that we,

Do not know of. Only people called Astronomers

Who study these things, can tell you of it.But even they, do not know everything,

Only God knows everything!He has to look after those other worlds!The little girl, stayed silent, for a while.That night she dreamt of a million stars.

Strange worlds and people.At the school, about outer space.

Hello HappinessHello happiness,Wish you were here.I have to confess,That when you are near,You’re the sun, you’re the moon,Your eyes are the stars,You’re an evening in June.You’re the sound of guitars,Why else would I choose!To stay under your spell?Do I want to break loseDo I hell!

When she awoke the next morning.She promised herself.Her Mam and Dad,

That she would learn, all she could.

An Exercise of Free Writing

A million years and then some, flow,What is infinity? Where is the end?We are “The Children of the Stars”

Where do we go? What do we know?Maybe there are other words!

Perhaps this is only a beginning friendDays of hope, nights without end

What if this other dimension,Of which we can only guess,

Shares us one by one?No more us, none the less

It’s most exciting.This “Free Writing”

We should do more oftenThen it would softenOur approach to life.

But what is life?A dream without end!

Reach Out

When we were young,We went to school,

We laughed, we sung,We played it cool.

Now we have grown, It seems unfair

The joy we’ve known,Is no longer there.

Where is the love?The carefree laughter?

Is it above?Will it come after?

The day is through?Or must we shout.

Begin anewOr just reach out?

Hope will returnWithout a doubt

If we will learnTo just, reach out!

A Little Light Relief (A Parody on “If” by

Rudyard Kipling)If you can work, without a frown

If as you toil, you laugh in gleeIf you don’t worry, when things look

downIf you don’t stop for a cup of tea

If when the world is darkWith thundery clouds and rainYou can light that bright spark

That makes us smile againIf when all your dreams crumble

You can still admire the viewThen your heading for a tumble

Cos there’s something wrong with you

Hello TomorrowI was Mr Nice Guy,Forever falling, falling, fallingYou were, sleepy, apple pie,Forever, stalling, stalling, stallingYou want to change,But keep putting it off,Until it’s out of rangeNow I’m browned off,If you do I’ll be gladder‘cause I’m in a tizz,Getting madder and madderI’ll even try fizz,A bottle or two,If that’s what it takesTo get through, to you!

Cardiff to CornwallIt’s twenty to eight! Would you believe,This train is late! When will it leave?This waiting’s hard, it’s time he blew!There goes the flag, what’s that you say?Time for a fag! We’re on our way.Here’s Newport already, here comes the tunnel,There’s old Eddie, smoking like a funnel!Here’s Filton Airport, I’m for the buffet!Fancy a snort? It’s your turn to pay!Look at that Dame, she’s dressed to kill!More of the same, thanks Ed I will.Bristol, Weston, Highbridge; stops at Bridgewater.Better have a sandwich, do you think I ough’ter?Another wait at Taunton, cor she’s a smasher!D’you think she’s caughton? Let’s not gate crash eh!Must be her bloke, snooty looking fellaHe’s just a joke, but she’s “Bella Bella”!Exeter, Dawlish, Newton Abbot, he’s tak-ing snuff.A filthy habit, gosh I feel rough!Plymouth, change here! We’ll have to dash!

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind its faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.

- Albert Einstein

There’s a machine near, can’t find the cash!Just made the train. My head’s ach-ing!We’re off again, my thirst needs slak-ing.The scenery’s grand! Smell that air!Look at that snd! We’re nearly there!Truro, Bodmin, I say there’s tin mines, struth!A mountain of china clay. We’re here it’s Redruth!

Produced by Sarah Pearson2011

May your dreams come true and your memories live forever