Strength, by Arthur Debenham

Strength

Remember when I was small,

You raised me up on shoulders,

You always lent me your strength,

A hundred times over.

Remember when I came of age,

It was still your care that I sought,

Took me in when I needed you,

Your life lessons I was taught.

Remember when I had my darkest times,

I could not see any light,

Through it all you were my greatest allies,

To see the sun after every night.

Remember when I made my way

To pastures far and new,

Every hurdle, every barrier,

You always pushed me through.

Now I am the strongest one,

Your burdens I can always shoulder,

Let me be the one to break barriers for you

And lend my strength over and over.

A poem for my grandparents

A little life, Perceived anon, Reflected upon, Through jubilance and strife. Where do you go

A flicker, a glimpse, A pierce in the void, A beacon in a bleak sea. The grip loosens, The fog clears,

Those incoherent whispers Words from inside or out They have no logic or reason They create the maze of doubt. Echoes from the past

The sun on your face, The wind at your back, A life well lived, A Journey on track. I’m not running in this race,

My favourite nightcap, Doesn’t matter where we are, My cure for insomnia, Don’t ever stray too far. Strong and full bodied,

Embers to spark Spark to flame Flame to light Never the same Please don’t drink from that grape…