The Day Begins - written 2nd Jan 1983

The day begins now with the sun
Giving light and warmth to everyone
But my heart is dark inside
The sun can't reach it, but it's tried

The day begins now with a prayer
Peace and love to people everywhere
But peace and love escape me now
I've tried to capture them, but how?

The day begins now with a song
Of hope and purpose - a need to belong
But my songs are out of key
It's as if they don't belong to me

The day begins now with a dream
Of being part of life's mainstream
And adding more and more each day
But it very rarely works that way

The day begins now without you
I wonder how I'll struggle through
Another day of heartache and pain
And wishing for our time again

And wishing for our time again.

Perhaps Love - John Denver

Perhaps love is like a resting place, a shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort, it is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble when you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home

Perhaps love is like a window, perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer, it wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself and don't know what to do
The memory of love will see you through

Love to some is like a cloud, to some as strong as steel
For some a way of living, for some a way to feel
And some say love is holding on and some say letting go
And some say love is everything, and some say they don't know

Perhaps love is like the ocean, full of conflict, full of pain
Like a fire when it's cold outside, thunder when it rains
If I should live forever, and all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you

40 Years On - 27th Feb 1983

You've travelled down life's road together
For forty years and all kinds of weather
Good times, bad times, sad times, glad times
And sometimes, just times, but still together

No partnership is perfect or so the sages say
But you've battled through and here you are today
Surrounded by your family - all close to you at heart
Remembering together, the day you made your start

And hopeful for your future, in the autumn of your years
That it will contain much laughter and very rarely tears
That happiness will fill your lives and may contentment be your friend
In the knowing that the 'partnership' has worked, right to the very end

The poem above was inspired by my Mum's poem to my Dad which is as follows:

It was a lovely sunny day, that day we made our vows
Do you recall those bright blue skies? I can even now
No church bell rang for us (that's one thing I regret)
They rang only for "Invasion" - that War we can't forget
Our firstborn came the following year to warm our youthful hearts
But within the year you left us, to go to foreign parts

Soon the War was over, we were together once again
Searching for a little home, but we did not complain
For we were young and full of hope, the future looked quite bright
Then another babe was born - a boy - that made it right
Now a family of four and we had found a little home
It made an anchor in our lives, we did not want to roam

So here we are, in ripe old age, still partners that's for sure
We've watched our children have their babes, we could not ask for more
Each one has brought us pleasure and in return we give our love
And for those joys we have received, I thank the Lord above
Forty years of memories, we can still recall my dear
Forty years of partnership - it seems like yesteryear
There's a passage in The Bible, which makes a perfect end
"This is my Beloved and this is my Friend".


Mum and Dad Ruby Wedding 1983. Mum died 1993 - Dad died 2003

As the mist leaves no scar - Leonard Cohen

As the mist leaves no scar
On the dark green hill
So my body leaves no scar
On you nor ever will

When wind and hawk encounter
What remains to keep?
So you and I encounter
Then turn, then fall to sleep

As many nights endure
Without a moon or star
So will we endure
When one is gone and far

Click on title for biography of Leonard Cohen

Life - Boxing Day 1982

Life is for living
For taking and giving
For caring and sharing
For crying and dying
For failing and trying
Again and again
To make each day brighter...
Each others' load lighter
Than it was before

A Night at the Royal Court - Liverpool 3rd Dec 1981

See the pretty painted faces, moving
See the girlies, laces, frilly, waving
Watch the bright eyes, shallow, glistening
Hear the silence in the theatre, listening

Crunch the paper cups beneath your feet
See the dust and feel the heat
Rivers flowing, people gathering
Buzzing, bustling, cursing, laughing

Rolling up to see the show
Will it go or will it go?
Moving swiftly now the doors are open,
Empty faces filling seats,
Now in the House become possessed
Anticipating a night's success

The lights dim low, the scene is set
Then like the manic demons screeching
Comes the catastrophic wail beseeching
Lights are flashing - voices raising higher
And now the night is under way!

The yelling, loudest at the last
Like a climax, soon is past....
And out they spit into the streets
Leaving rows of empty seats

Take it down and get them out
Get them in tomorrow night
Tomorrow there's another show
Will it go or will it go?

Human League - 3rd Dec '81, when I was working at the Royal Court

Seasons Of The Heart by John Denver

Of course we have our differences
You shouldn't be surprised
It's as natural as changes
In the seasons and the skies
Sometimes we grow together
Sometimes we drift apart
A wiser man than I might know
The seasons of the heart

And I'm walking here beside you
In the early evening chill
A thing we've always loved to do
And I know we always will
We have so much in common
So many things we share
That I can't believe my heart
When it implies that you're not there

Love is why I came here in the first place
Love is now the reason I must go
Love is all I ever hoped to find here
Love is still the only dream I know

So I don't know how to tell you
It's difficult to say
I never in my wildest dreams
Imagined it this way
But sometimes
I just don't know you
There's a stranger in our home
When I'm lying right beside you
Is when I'm most alone

And I think my heart is broken
There's an emptiness inside
So many things I've longed for
Have so often been denied
Still I wouldn't try to change you
There's no one that's to blame
It's just some things that mean so much
And we just don't feel the same

Love is why I came here in the first place
Love is now the reason I must go
Love is all I ever hoped to find here
Love is still the only dream I know
True love is still the only dream I know

To His Mother C.L.M. by John Masefield (1878 - 1967)

In the dark womb where I began
My Mother's life made me a man
Through all the months of human birth
Her beauty fed my common earth
I cannot see, nor breathe, nor stir
But through the death of some of her

Down in the darkness of the grave
She cannot see the life she gave
For all her love she cannot tell
Whether I use it ill or well,
Nor knock at dusty doors to find
Her beauty dusty in the mind

If the grave's gates could be undone
She would not know her little son
I am so grown. If we should meet
She would pass by me in the street
Unless my soul's face let her see
My sense of what she did for me

What have I done to keep in mind
My debt to her and womankind?
What woman's happier life repays
Her for those months of wretched days?
For all my mouthless body leeched
E're birth's releasing Hell was reached?

What have I done, or tried, or said
In thanks to that dear woman dead?
Men triumph over Woman still
Men trample Women's rights at will
And Man's lust roves the World untamed
O grave, keep shut lest I be shamed.

A Walk In Sefton Park And Other Places - 1968

Before I was born
The grass grew without objection
and a few swans swam there
The hothouse remained hot and the flowers grew strong
Before I was born
that's where they belong
Now, idly trampling on the unplastic grass
Where flowers need light and water and don't
melt if placed in the sun,
leaving only a price ticket behind.

Sometimes I forget it's Liverpool
until a foghorn gently reminds me
Today I passsed many lives in the street
with the maddening pace of bunioned feet
All trying to make their ends meet
My ends have never met yet my sweet

Dressed in the grey clothes of a November dawn
I find myself thinking how good it all is
The sludge, the mud and the snow..
I wonder...
how many tigers roam in Calderstones?

Then slowly, but smoothly
The Mersey bursts her banks
and the Wirral disappears
saluting into the night and..
Once more fighting breaks out between the Irish and the Welsh

Tall and grey and pregnant with people
The Liver Building frowns upon its children
Tomorrow waits in the wings until
The Royal Court re-opens for the seventh and again...
final time - The Beatles promise to buy the Cavern
and play there every night

Gone are the days of Freddie Star and Roger Hunt,
Lennon's lazy, McCartney's a _______broad somewhere
in isolated unhappiness and is
still wondering what happened
Cill takes her pill at the Phil with her gin
and they've taken "Police" off the doors of the cars
"The plain clothes look"

Yet still at 4 a.m. after a heavy night
and an unsuccessful relationship
with a 20 year old one eyed bird
from Barbados
I find myself
Loving the leaves/andthetrees/that I've grown to know/
along with the dogs/in Sefton Park/my heart sings out/Iwannashout/
"LIVERPOOL! I LOVE YOU SO!"

The Magic Dreams - 1971

You lied to me so often
I thought of all you said
And felt the words you'd spoken
no - not the ones I'd read
For your voice called out from the pages
and ages went sailing by
In the arms of the night I was taken
Into the magic of your eyes
Words that enchanted me
and held me and led me
away on a dream
I lived for what I now don't remember
And no one will come in between

The adventures you led me on and the joys that you gave me
when I was so very, very young

Now - looking back on the horror
of those days, of the games/and the war/are two one?
And the innocent young men who laugh loudly at death till its grip chokes the laugh/from their breath/I wish/
Oh I wish I was back in the warmth
of your glowing words
and your wonderful mind

The day may come
The day has gone

Now my nights are lost in my mind in The Far Away Tree and The Famous Five/Oh Enid/are you still alive?/And my life will go on/and I don't mind/because of the pleasure you gave me / / / Rupert.

1971

Message for Ella - born 3rd March 2001

Message for Ella - My first grand-daughter

Welcome child, of child of mine, to us on Earth from the Divine. You carry God within your Soul. His presence in you makes you Whole.

And so from one who's been on Earth for more than fifty years before your birth, some words to guide you on your way, which I hope you'll read and understand one day.

“Be proactive in all you do, this is your Life-it's up to you.” You have the choice to choose your life and make it what you will. Choose it well my little one and you shall have your fill.

Begin with the end in mind from the very start, picture your life and what you wish from deep within your heart. Then live it to the full and give it one hundred per cent and fulfil your Plan and the reason why you've been sent..

Put first things first and second thing never, in your heart you make the weather. So make the sun shine every day, be positive in every way. Think win/win with those you meet, from your Mum and Dad to the Man in the street. We have all got the right to share the World with you, so be considerate and kind in all that you do.

Try to understand the other person first, even though you're fit to burst and want to tell them about your day-it really is a better way. Walk briskly with purpose and your head held high, with a smile for people as you pass them by.

Always seek the right way even when it's not there and you will always find it if you take care. May your Life have much laughter and your Heart filled with Love and may our Father in Heaven Bless You from above.

Much Love from Grandad Hugh 31.03.01
xxxxxxxxxxx

Alexander's First Birthday - 26th August 1999

For my first grandchild on his first birthday

What can I say to you Little One?
With mischievous eyes so full of fun
How can I express the joy that you give
My hopes for you and the life that you'll live?

Let me lay down my wishes and say
As you celebrate your first Birthday
I wish you a life that is filled with Light
That your values be Just and you do what is Right

I wish for you a life of good deeds
To harvest fruit where others reap weeds
That you love your parents as they both love you
Without any conditions and whatever you do

For your Mother, my daughter who is dear to my heart
Was the vessel that held you till you made your start
And your Father has ensured you a comfortable life
One that will be free of material strife

So be thankful dear Alex for such a fortunate birth
Make a positive difference with your time on this Earth
I hope you will gain Wisdom as you grow in years
That your life's filled with laughter and very few tears

So, today is a milestone, you are on your way
And we all take great pleasure in your Special Day
We look forward to sharing so much with you
Wherever you are and whatever you do

It was with Love that I started, it's with Love I will end
For Love is a foundation on which families depend
And I pray for you to the good Lord above
That your life is blessed with Joy and much Love

God Bless

Grandad

Little Man - by me 1981

This was written about my son in 1981, who is now in his thirties! And I love him as much now as I did then.

Listen to the little man, playing games without any fears
Smiling, laughing
Up and down the stairs he runs
His life before him planned out - the good times and the bad
Expecting everything from each moment, never doubting, always trusting
That all will be well within his world

The innocence that was, now ceases as he learns the facts of life
That Santa doesn't bring his presents and Superman can't really fly
That guns he plays with are imitations, the real ones are abominations
And that he'll have examinations, always being tested to the full
To line the profits of fat corporations
Who want their profits now and again and again and again

Then maybe cynical he'll be - resenting his youthful years of freedom
Of innocence and wild imagination, living almost casually among the debris
Of the lies and deceit around him - having sought the good in everything
Disappointed, hurt and pained - when he's been let down again
Then out of his chrysallis he'll emerge, a powerful potential force within this world
Moulded by the lives around him, to either ease or cause the pain

So please don't disappoint him now...
Just let him live and play his games

Hugh's 60th Photo Archive

I have now created a label for my 60th photos, so if you click on the label on the left hand side of this page you will be taken directly to the photos.

Then click on the photo and the image will be enlarged.

Then press your browser back button to take you back to the page to view another picture.

Enjoy!

Death In The Suburbs - by Adrian Henri (1932-2000)

Click on Title to take you to the poem where you can also listen to Adrian reciting it if you wish.

Without You by Adrian Henri

Without you every morning would feel like going back to work after a holiday,
Without you I couldn't stand the smell of the East Lancs Road,
Without you ghost ferries would cross the Mersey manned by skeleton crews,
Without you I'd probably feel happy and have more money and time and nothing to do with it,
Without you I'd have to leave my stillborn poems on other people's doorsteps, wrapped in brown paper,
Without you there'd never be sauce to put on sausage butties,
Without you plastic flowers in shop windows would just be plastic flowers in shop windows, Without you I'd spend my summers picking morosley over the remains of train crashes,
Without you white birds would wrench themselves free from my paintings and fly off dripping blood into the night,
Without you green apples wouldn't taste greener,
Without you Mothers wouldn't let their children play out after tea,
Without you every musician in the world would forget how to play the blues,
Without you Public Houses would be public again,
Without you the Sunday Times colour supplement would come out in black-and-white,
Without you indifferent colonels would shrug their shoulders and press the button,
Without you they's stop changing the flowers in Piccadilly Gardens,
Without you Clark Kent would forget how to become Superman,
Without you Sunshine Breakfast would only consist of Cornflakes,
Without you there'd be no colour in Magic colouring books,
Without you Mahler's 8th would only be performed by street musicians in derelict houses, Without you they'd forget to put the salt in every packet of crisps,
Without you it would be an offence punishable by a fine of up to £200 or two months' imprisonment to be found in possession of curry powder,
Without you riot police are massing in quiet sidestreets,
Without you all streets would be one-way the other way,
Without you there'd be no one to kiss goodnight when we quarrel,
Without you the first martian to land would turn round and go away again,
Without you they'd forget to change the weather,
Without you blind men would sell unlucky heather,
Without you there would be
no landscapes/no stations/no houses
no chipshops/no quiet villages/no seagulls on beaches/
no hopscotch on pavements/no night/no morning/
there'd be no city no country
Without you.

Adrian Henri

A Man Of Means - 1969

I’m a man of means, a peculiar guy
My home is the hedgerow, my roof is the sky
My carpet’s the grass, a log for my chair
I don’t have money, and I really don’t care

My pockets are empty, but my cup is filled
And my love for life has never been chilled
I sleep when I want and wake when I like
And I walk everywhere for I don’t own a bike

I haven’t a clock to stare at the hours
I’d much rather look at the beautiful flowers
I don’t like the cities, they’re all full of smoke
I am what you would call a natural bloke

My habits are simple, like the bird in the tree
I’m happy, I’m healthy and also I’m free
I’m not on the dole, yet I don’t do with nowt
When hungry I eat, and I always eat out

For nature is there to care for us all
For the rich and the poor, for big and small
The Earth is my Mother, to me she’s the best
She feeds me and cleans me and gives me my rest

I ramble and wander, I happily roam
Up hills and down dales in my wonderful home
I do what I can for less fortunate folk
For I’m rich with no money, how could I be broke?

Death Of A Bee - 1967

The end of an age, the end of a life
The start of some good things, the death of strife
The beginning to ending what’s evaded us all
Is it there? Can we find it? Are we too small?

Are blossoms still blooming in this world that we’ve known?
I hope they don’t die before they’re full-grown
Or sadder than sad will the apple tree be
For no nectar collector for poor bumble bee

He’ll buzz all around from flower to flower
Soon he will tire; he’ll die in an hour
And fall on the ground, his wings have worn out
“More honey! More honey!” The worker bees shout

But sounds have grown dim for our tired little friend
He knows that he’s finally reached the end
He sighs with a silence so deep and profound
On a warm sunny day – he dies on the ground

After watching a bumble bee die of exhaustion - summer 67

The Indispensable Person - Anon

Sometime when you’re feeling important,
Sometime when your ego’s in bloom,
Sometime when you’re feeling quite certain,
You’re the best qualified one in the room.

Sometime when you feel that your going,
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow this simple instruction
And see how it humbles your soul.

Take a bucket and fill it with water,
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Take it out and the hole that’s remaining
Is the measure of how much you’ll be missed

Anon

Life Is Full by Denis S Simons

Life is full
Of undertakings incompleted;
Golden chances lost;
Destinations never reached and
Bridges never crossed;
Worthy causes unsupported;
Kind words left unspoken;
Ideas not put into practice;
Compacts idly broken;
Projects that remain unactioned
Trains and buses missed
Love affairs unconsummated
Willing lips unkissed;
Tasks that never quite get finished
Desires no more than dreams;
Ambitions largely unfulfilled, and
Schemes that lay just schemes
But,
In the hoping
And the trying
In the fighting
And the crying
In the travelling
And arriving;
In the reaching
And the striving
In the planning
And the scheming
In the wishing
And the dreaming
Life is full

Something In The Air Tonight?

It's been on telly recently, but it is such a great advert have another look!

Click Here

Sensation - by Me 1968

Sensation

Thudding like a drill
Running like a water mill
Whistling like an express train
Humming like the golden rain
Sensation
Sensation you come over me
How sweet it is
Sensation drowning me
How sweet!
Driving like a bullet
From a mercenary’s gun
I’ve won
Sensation

Lost like the chord that they never found
Waning like the devalued pound
Sensation you’ve almost gone
Now the cold without you

The walls close in
Without
Sensation


1968

Where Am I Tonight - Me from 1968

Where Am I Tonight?


Tonight when the moon rose
And slippers were placed
In front of the fire to warm
Ready for the telly
Tonight when the freshly pressed white shirts
Were buttoned up and decorated
With obscene ties
Tonight when it was discovered at 9.30
That there was no milk for coffee
Tonight when all the bars were full
With loud happy faces
And fat wallets
Tonight when Freda and Jim
Started a family on the sofa
In the parlour
While Mam and Dad were out
Tonight when the shilling ran out
In the middle of Danger Man
And there weren’t anymoreinthehouse
Or the pub
Tonight when the baby wouldn’t stop
Crying
Tonight when I wanted you
You weren’t there


1968

Love Is.... by Adrian Henri (rest his soul)

Love is...

Love is feeling cold in the back of vans

Love is a fan club with only two fans

Love is walking holding paintstained hands

Love is.

Love is fish and chips on winter nights

Love is blankets full of strange delights

Love is when you don't put out the light

Love is

Love is the presents in Christmas shops

Love is when you're feeling Top of the Pops

Love is what happens when the music stops

Love is

Love is white panties lying all forlorn

Love is pink nightdresses still slightly warm

Love is when you have to leave at dawn

Love is

Love is you and love is me

Love is prison and love is free

Love's what's there when you are away from me

Love is...

Adrian Henri

Today's 3 wishes

1. That Everton win tonight.

2. That Everton win tonight.

3. That Everton win tonight.

They drew 1-1 and had a good penalty ordered to be retaken, which was then saved. They then had another penalty which went high over the bar! Which was nice! Not!

My Blackberry's blown a Raspberry

When my contract for my mobile phone recently came up for renewal, on the advice of a friend, I upgraded to a Blackberry. I am delighted with it as I can send and receive e-mails and surf the web whilst out and about.

Babs, my wife, who is not into things of a technical nature was telling some of her colleagues at work the other day that...

"My husband has bought one of those new Raspberry phones and can't stop playing with it."

Bless.