Waiting For The Second Wave

Apparently the virus is in retreat

Gathering its forces for another attack

Re-arming its battalions

For another go.

Now, I'm not an epidemiologist

A virologist or even a ventriloquist

I cannot put words into another's mouth

But even I can see

There is something wrong

With the logic this employs.

The virus is not human

It has no power of thought

So if there is a second wave

Will it be the virus that has grown stronger

Or our defences that are weaker

Will the desperation for a beer

A foreign holiday

A cuddle, a hug, a kiss

Be our undoing in the end

As we sit here waiting for the second wave.

©DJD 2020

Lockdown

I think I will miss this Lockdown

Not needing an excuse to stay at home

"I'm doing my civic duty,

"I'm not allowed to go shopping

"The garden centre is closed

"I'm protecting you

"I'm protecting myself

"I'm protecting everyone."

What could be better?

"I can meet people without ever going out.

"I've met new people

"More than I ever would

"If life was normal.

"More shopping?

"But I've already been out once this week!"

I know I'm lucky

I'm not on my own

I know that would be tough

Not everyone will have enjoyed

The isolation

The loneliness

The insecurity

The fear

The unknown

Not knowing how long.

But I can't help feeling

That there is much that suits me

And I will miss the Lockdown.

©DJD 2020

NO MORE STATUES

Elevated higher than you and I

On a pedestal

A plinth

A marble base

Statues

Glorifying one above another.

Whatever the cause

Whatever the reason

How is equality achieved

When such venerated persons tower above

Those they have served

Those they have led

Those they have exploited.

Do away with such icons

If we are equal, we are all equal

Let no one look down on another

Make no one look up to another.

Celebrate and commemorate

Events and actions

Turning points

In our history

But let us not elevate

Men and women to a higher status

Than they deserve.

Donald James Dolby ©2020

Imprisoned by your Prejudice

When you see a tree, is it not just a tree

If you see me, do you not just see me?

What is it that frightens you?

What is it that scares you so?

Can you not see the life inside?

Why is your mind so tight?

Closed to any other thought

Than the colour of the skin

Why, with all the things you miss

Are you so blinded by your prejudice?

What is that darkness in your heart

The evil in your soul

Do you not realise

How narrow is your view

Open up your fettered mind

And let your heart fly free

If nothing else consider this

Don't be imprisoned by your prejudice.

Break free

Will you break free

When you see a tree, will you just see a tree

If you see me, will you just see me?

DJD ©2020

SOME WORDS

Some words I did not know before

Agathism

the long dark tunnel, the light

at the end

let's keep it in sight.

Bummel

slowly meandering through life

or just

your daily walk.

Dolorifuge

whatever gets you through the dark

we all need our dolorifuge

taking away our sadness.

Heterocentric

our heterocentric 

frontline

heroes one and all.

Interfulgent

when the fog of life is thick

the interfulgent brightness

penetrates its cloak.

Laetificate

in these hours of darkness

in moments of despair

oh how we need a laetificating word.

Meliorism

optimism is hard

pessimism is dark

a little meliorism is what I need.

Queem

you are my queem

no, not my queen

we fit snug, calm and serene.

Xenodochy

lockdown may be tough

isolation hard

but xenodochy shines through.

some words I know now.

DJD ©2020

(with thanks to The Observer)

CHAINS

These chains, these infernal, invisible chains

Binding round our heart

Binding us together

Binding us apart.

These chains, these fragile chains of love

Of hope and trust

Fragile chains indeed

Trust in them we must.

This infinite useless fury surging deep inside

This helpless longing

This dead end road

Of futures now denied.

This hope, this delicate wind-torn hope

Gives us fortitude to dare

Distant vanishing horizon

Hope for us to share.

These chains, some day we'll shake these chains

Cast them all aside

Love will break free

From hearts imprisoned deep inside.

Donald James Dolby

 ©2020

It's Hard To Write Poetry When You Are Angry! (or maybe its not)

The words, the words, the words, tumbling from my brain
Flowing in a stream of frustrated invective
Fighting their way to my red-stained page
Can't stop the words.

So here they are:
Charlatan
Confused
Dangerous
Misleading
Fake
False
Empty
Sinister

Add your own
and put them in any order you like.

DJD ©2020

On VE Day (or Liberation for all of Europe Day)

ON VE DAY

On VE Day

My dad was there

And my mother too

They survived the war

And the celebrations too!

For dad not quite the end

Off to Palestine he went

Two more years

Before they married

This poet is grateful for that!

Your mum too, enjoyed the day

Dad still in Burma, far away

Victory delayed

Perhaps sweeter for that

A few months longer but he came back.

We missed the war by a few short years

But they knew what it took

To win the freedom we enjoy

To overcome the threat

The debt we owe, we haven't paid back yet.

Let's remember what they did

Let's remember what they saw

Let's celebrate their lives

Enjoy the day today

And never forget what they were fighting for.

Donald James Dolby ©2020

8th May 2020

CHAINS

These chains, these infernal, invisible chains

Binding round our heart

Binding us together

Binding us apart.

These chains, these fragile chains of love

Of hope and trust

Fragile chains indeed

Trust in them we must.

This infinite useless fury surging deep inside

This helpless longing

This dead end road

Of futures now denied.

This hope, this delicate wind-torn hope

Gives us fortitude to dare

Distant vanishing horizon

Hope for us to share.

These chains, some day we'll shake these chains

Cast them all aside

Love will break free

From hearts imprisoned deep inside.

Donald James Dolby

 ©2020

Haikus

These haikus were produced for the 
Green Man Gallery Creative Space 
Miniatures theme

Heroes
Working on the line
Caring, sharing and wearing
Exhaustion overcome.

Villains
Two metres is not much
To ask of each and every
one, two - some can't count.

Enemy
Virus knows no bounds
Attacks where e'er it can
Destroy, eliminate.

Beauty
Green Man Gallery
Provides an antidote and
Nourishes the soul.

Future
Will not last forever
We will again be free to
Paint and write and sing.


DJD ©2020

This May Day (2020)

THIS MAY DAY

There will be no workers marching in the streets
there will be no banners
there will be no flags
This May Day
there will only be the silence in our hearts.

The voices of the workers are for the moment quiet
there will be no singing
there will be no shouting
This May Day
and for the moment there will be no riot.

The courage of the workers, there for all to see
there will be hoping
there will be praying
This May Day
on the front line fighting to be free.

There is no leadership coming from above
no planning or direction
no future action plan
This May Day
will be a struggle fighting for those we love.

The voices of the workers will surely soon be heard
they cannot be at fault
they will not take the blame
This May Day
we must support the workers, make their voices heard.

When we find this over and the battle has been won
we must support our nurses
doctors and care workers too
This May Day
for our public service workers as they gamely struggle on.

Let us pledge to make a World Turned Upside Down
our priorities Levelled out
our workers raised up high
Next May Day
Let's march and sing through every village and every town.

DJD ©2020

Ten Years

Of austerity
Of paycuts
Of council cuts
Of understaffing
Of worn out nurses
Of exhausted doctors
Of waiting to see GPs
Of poor mental health care
Of care home closures
Of cuts to schools
Of overworked teachers
Of benefit cuts
Of universal credit
Of too few houses
Of too many homeless
Of increasing rents
Of not enough police
Of police station closures
Of fire station closures
Of this cruel and unnecessary austerity

but also Ten Years

Of increases for MPs
Of bankers' bonuses
Of multinational exploitation
Of tax cuts for the rich
Of the rich getting richer

but still
we voted
like turkeys

and now we have
Five Years
of the most inept
Government we will ever see.

PLEASE DO NOT LET THINGS RETURN TO NORMAL!


Donald James Dolby ©2020

What Is This Virus For?

A question I've not heard,
What is this virus for?
Everthing in nature has a purpose
So what is this virus for?

Is it nature redressing a balance?
Is it nature levelling the score
Reducing our pollution
What is this virus for?

Are there too many of us now?
Too many here on earth
Have we reached our saturation
What is this virus for?

Some say it is an Act of God
Some say that cannot be
But if there is a god
What is this virus for?

If made by man
As some theorists say
For what purpose, to what end
What is this virus for?

Is this the armageddon
That we have waited for
Is this how it ends
What is this virus for?

Donald James Dolby ©2020

Quiet Man in Ashwood Park

As I walked out alone this morning
The sun was shining
The birds were singing
I could almost believe that all was well
With this world.

Ashwood Park shared with few others
The man was standing
All alone
I asked him how we was
Keeping our distance of course.

He did not reply so I moved a little closer
Cautious as we must
I asked again
No reply
No words came from his lips.

Closer still I moved to him
Keen to hear his view
Close enough now
To see he would answer if he could
But this quiet man was made of wood.

He could not speak
Express his view
State his opinion
Then I realised to my surprise
That if he could not talk, he could tell me no lies.

©2020 Donald James Dolby (Le Griffonnier)

Silent Stranger

There was no warning
There was no sound
When first this silent stranger came to town.
There are no barriers
There are no walls
Against which this silent stranger stalls.
There is fear and
There is fright
When facing this silent stranger's might.
There are heroes now
And heroines too
The silent stranger knows not what to do.
We will be patient
We will be strong
And beat the silent stranger before too long.

Donald James Dolby ©2020