Velvet Fingersa

collection of poetryby

John [Jack] Byrne

Velvet Fingers

Oh joy to you sweet daffodilwith whom sunshine always lingersswaying and dancing on the breezeon stems of velvet fingers

A sign that winters left behindbright colours are all aglowfilling hearts with happinessacross the valleys far below

How great to see your comradessnowdrop and crocus tooheralding spring and all her giftswhite clouds and skies of blue

A sweet taste of love fills the airand for sure it always lingers with trumpet sounds of daffodilon stems of velvet fingers

A Tear For Me

Ive gone now from where I stood surrounded by those of my kindfelled by man for his own goodmy beginnings now left behind

Once a tall and handsome treemy branches held the skyand sheltering creatures of the airI watched them learn to fly

Ive felt the rain upon my leaveswhere sunshine made them glowand welcomed the soft summer breezethat rocked them to and fro

Alas no more I shall see the skya goal for all like meand few among the humankindwill shed a tear for me

Sweetheart {Acrostic}

Safe is the heart

Where true love shines

Encouraged and coxed by beauty

Encased with lips so kind

Tender arms to hold me

Have so much love to give

Every time you caress me

All faults Ill easy forgive

Raise up all your glasses

To love thats safe in the heart

Lady Autumn

That capricious lady Autumn who is not one to refrainshe comes to us in cloud burstsour rivers cant contain

Gusting our seas in angerwhich rush upon our shoreswirling the leaves up in the treesand jiggles them to their core

She even brings us morning dewand long starry nightshazel nuts and apple cropsand end of harvest delights

Painting the woodland prettywith reds and yellows and golda lady we will forever lovea story well always be told

Sandman Flight

I have once been a father to small children growing and blessed them sleepingwithout them knowing

I tucked them in tightlywith a kiss goodnightthen watched them take offon the sandman flight

With a suitcase full of wonderand warm smiling facestheyre carried through the nightby a mind full of places

Straight on till morningaround the milky waycherished be their dreamstil they reach the light of day

Canvas

You are more beautiful than the night where I look upon starry skies wrapped in dark and moonlit brighta vision as lovely as your eyes

I gaze far out into this spacewhere time goes on forevera creators work which shaped your facebeyond all human endeavour

Of all the stars that sparkle brightnone shine as bright as youall gathered in the milky wayyour beauty still heads the queue

Come the dawn this canvas wipedhas such beauty faded away ?but I can sleep and rest assuredyoure beside me night and day

Childhood

Once upon a child in mein the days of long agoi gazed in awe at starry nightsand the moon all aglow

Inquisitive mind and childhood eyesall the wonders came to megreat monsters in the shadowsand the dragons in the sea

I heard the banshee call at nightwith a cry to chill the bonesand the wee folk on the mountainstalked the children home alone

If the lilt was heard outside the doorwith the moon behind the cloudinto the darkness youd be enticedas the wee folk cheered aloud

Heed me now and what I sayif you crave your manhood yearsbe humble as you go through lifeand the dark will bear no tears

Edelweiss

Here in the land of the Edelweissthat pretty white flower of lovegrowing amid the ice and snowon the mountains high above.

Gazing across those majestic peaksI clasp my lovers hand,before me I see the creators workin the form of this beautiful land

Snow capped mountains fill my eyeswith descending deep green pines.nestling between handsome log cabinsa blue sky, and summer sunshine

I stroll with my love in this romantic place,by a lake we stand and embrace,I tell her how much she means to mewhile soft kisses I brush on her face

We confirm our love by a waterfallthat tumbles down from above,here in the land of Edelweissthat pretty white flower of love.

Flanders Fields

The fields are all green nowand birds of the air fly where once it rained deathfrom out of the sky

Theres still holes in the groundwhere the soldiers laywho dreaded the thought at the dawning of day

Perhaps it would be this daywhen many would diewith none of their loved onesto say a last goodbye

At the sound of the whistletherell be a mighty roaracross no mans landmost will see the sky no more

The fields are all green nowbut all the world should knowthey sleep in Flanders fieldsunder crosses row on row

Lions

Those who took part in the war to end warswe should honour their names foreverremember their sacrifice for the freedom we shareand for the lives they had to sever

Think of the hardships that they enduredand their struggle to stay aliveimagine the carnage day by dayand their effort it took to survive

Awake in a nightmare full of despairhoping to make it throughwith friends all falling one by onefearful that the next would be you

It is said they were lions led by donkeysthat their Generals just hadnt a clueas we ponder on those white crosseswere assured that this statement was true

They couldnt have known it was all in vainfor hell would come visit againtwenty one years after the last gun firedthe devil would rally his men

Around Us

Its said when it rains on EarthIt is our ancestors tearstears of joy and sorrowshed in bygone years

Some were shed for loveor troubles no one could sharebut all were shed for someoneperhaps a loved one in despair

They say the suns their laughterand the stars at night their joythe summer breeze their smileson every girl and boy

The daffodil in springtimea larks song from abovea whale chant in the oceanall reminders of their love

So be happy in our thoughts of loved ones gone beforethey really havent left usjust around us evemore

Greystones by the Sea

I Walk along your rugged shore and gaze far out to sea,

hear the seagulls shriek and cry but theres calm in me.

In your very pleasant harbour delightful sights I see,

the far distant mountains and Howth island scenery.

The laughter of the children, as they play along the beach

and all are safely watched within the lifeguards reach.

I see lots of fishing men tending to their lines

and witness that in Greystones the sun always shines.

All pleasures of life are here, in this haven by the sea,

theres not a more precious place to bring a family.

In the bosom of the east coast this jewel is to me

the nearest thing to paradise that I will ever see.

I praise your towns ambitions in what you strive to be,

sitting on your shoreline seats enjoying my cup of tea,

a dedicated people your success a guarantee

that the world has no finer place, than Greystones by the sea.

Holocaust

We had laughter once the old man saidsnow white hair upon his headbut that was before the soldiers camefor the young the old the sick and the lame

They marched us all to board the trainunder skies all grey without the rainwith guns and dogs they taunted loudbroken men who once were proud

Inside the carriage side by sideyoung ones played while old ones diedclickity! clack! the train rolled onanother town passed another town gone

Night now falling we come to a stopdoors flung open from the carriage we hopsoldiers with dogs bark fierce in the nightsending each one to the left or right

You!, you look good the officer roaredIm shoved to the right into the hoardwhile those to the left shuffled on paston to the showers and into the gas

We were a family once the old man saidsnow white hair upon his headbut that was before the Nazis cameand murdered each one in Hitlers name

Morning

Out of the night comes my soulto seek a new day dawning,for I am loved with living to doat the edge of the woods is morning.

Confined to the darkness in my life,your love has been adorning,and now this love guides me hometo the edge of the woods and morning.

I shall not falter, stumble or fall,for I hear your sweet voice calling,one step at a time into the light,that soft white light and morning.

My Lady Fair

Deep in the caverns of my hearttrue love lies waiting therewaiting until my search is doneto seek my lady fair

My path may be a difficult onewith disappointment at every turnIll need to guard my affectionsleast they fall by the wayside and burn

I have always known my loved onein my dreams she comes to mebut just as the dawn is breakingthe birdsong sets her free

I believe she seeks me onlymy true love for to shareI know she wont reject mesomething I could not bear

So for now my search goes ontrue loves still waiting thereinside a heart thats yearningto find that lady fair

New Beginnings

As I look back at old Dublin citythe tears well up in my eyesIm leaving my native homeland,its green fields and misty grey skies.

She can provide me with no employmentor a shelter to cover my head,I can no longer earn my own livingor cover my own table with bread.

So I travel far away from her shoresas my father once done before,I must search for new beginningsand doubt if Ill see her once more.

My heart is all heavy with sorrowas my Mother, she fades out of viewI sense that her poor heart is breakingas she calls to me I love you.

Ive a job in Christchurch, New Zealandwhere I can earn for myself some pay,hoping I can belong and live againis all I want at the end of the day.

Though Ill be far away from old Irelandand beginning a new life from her shore,I will never forget that shes waitingin the hope Ill return once more.

Loves Words

Feel blessed as you walk

through your lovers heart

thread careful while within

hold her tightly in your arms

in this place where dreams begin

savour the moment you are together

whisper loves words in her ear

all these days when you walk in love

you both will never know fear

Lovers

Im told you lovers from Erins green Isle

a new passion you feel every hour

and soon in the light of a lovelier smile

youll forget the dear maid of the flower.

Remember the time in Los Angeles shades

when our moments blissfully flew

you called me the flower of Hollywood maids

and I blushed to be called so, by you.

I taught you to sing and dance until

you swayed to the light castanet

Id never allow you to roam at will

or delights of those moments forget.

although youre a lover I fight hard to keep

and you hail from that magical Isle

Ill hold you tight and with you sleep

in your spell Im forever beguiled

Peace

Open your heart and welcome peacegive it a home withinfeel the love throughout your beingwitness the healing begin

Share your peace with all living thingscomfort those in needextend to creatures great and smallno matter what their creed

Peace for the captains and the kingsand for those they seek to oppresspeace for the freedom theyll one day findwhen evil deeds find redress

Peace to the wanderers who walk the roadsfor they may be troubled withinshare with them the peace you possessand witness the healing begin

Characters

Thousands of characters in my head

I need to get down on paper

to create into words and sentences

far better now than later

Lots of As and Bs there too

all mixed in confusion and haze

Cs and Ds and plenty of Es

at the end I may have a phrase

Rise my poor head from the pillow I must

theres no sleep to be had tonight

pencil and paper have got to be fetched

or my brains will burst or ignite

From all these characters a poem may form

it will be I who will give it life

but my gravest fear in all of this

will happen if I wake the wife

These poems were brought to you by an Irish writerJohn[jack]Byrne who hails from NewtownmountkennedyCounty Wicklow in southern Ireland a country rich in folklore and tradition renowned for its storytelling The Poems are the sole property of this writer and he asks that none are reproduced from withinwithout the express permission of John[Jack] Byrne 2015