FordeFables - Poems

'If Carrots Cuddled' by William Forde.

14/9/2018

Thought for today:
" Good relationships between man and woman, man and man, don't come about by mere chance; they have to be nourished, maintained and worked for. I often think that if partners wanted to increase the length and quality of their relationship together, they would do well to cuddle more often. I also think that such a philosophy would be good for all people throughout this world of fragile security of mind. Below is a poem of mine that advocates increased care and concern for what we do in this world, how and why we do it, and to whom?

'If Carrots Cuddled': Copyright William Forde: September. 2018.

'If consumers cared and carrots cuddled, then balance and health would easily be restored in an ever-growing non-green world of climate destruction.

If clowns laughed and cried with makeup off and make-up on, then all might know their present mood and be able to both laugh and cry with them in support of their true nature.

If no kiss ever lingered beyond love's natural life, but instead fended off the blow of vengeful Brutus, then poisoned lips would never pass the chalice of deceit and contempt betwixt wife and mistress of heart's desire.

For it is well known fact that no man or woman ever knew a love profound; a love so powerful that moved the very ground that shook the earth below; no sweetheart ever smelled a lover as sweet as honey on a spoon or saw a star above so bright it lit the moon of earthly temptation and eternal bliss, redemption and salvation, who couldn't cuddle like two carrots in lasting love.
William Forde : Copyright: September 14th, 2018.

September 12th, 2018.

12/9/2018

Thought for today:
"Today's poem describes a young boy searching for the sense in war, whom despite the bravery and patriotism of his beloved father serving and fighting in foreign lands, is determined never to don the uniform of a soldier and to remain a devout pacifist and peace lover until the day he dies.

'Pacifist of Perfect Peace' by William Forde
Copyright William Forde: September 12th, 2018.

'If visiting hours heaven had,
you'd see me every day.
handing out arms and legs to amputees
and hands and hearts to pray
for peace to spread across the world
and touch down in every land,
to see children laugh and play all day,
not have to understand
the senseless violence, the midnight screams
of hurt, shock, death and pain,
to look up at the night-time sky just to see it rain
down bombs and bullets as they lie frightened in their bed,
while homes are bombed and blown to bits
with a searching torch of infrared.

Please let my daddy home again, don't let him die on foreign ground,
all alone in pools of blood, surrounded by the cold and cruelty
of blind and indifferent humanity
I love you, daddy, you know I do,
there's almost nothing I wouldn't do for you,
except to kill for flag and country
and rob another child of a daddy too.'

William Forde: September 12th, 2018. Copyright, 2018.

'The Value of a Moment' by William Forde

22/8/2018

'The Value of a Moment' by William Forde: Copyright: William Forde: August 22nd, 2018.

'The value of a moment is never truly known until the time has passed and it becomes a memory of instant recall.

The heart of a gentle breeze cannot be sensed until it crosses one’s face in a whispered embrace of touching grace.

The cry of a silent tear is never shed without a suffering soul to stifle its outlet of despair.

The laugh of forced happiness will not deceive the truly content nor gather forth anew folk who are not superficial shells of fake friendship echoing false tones of praise designed to please.

The value of life can be seen within all pearls of wisdom that the fishermen throws back into the sea. It can be tasted in the sweetness of honey and felt within the breast of an expectant mother’s stomach longing to bring forth tomorrow’s crop from once fallow ground.

The value of a moment is soon gone the more precious it is. The longer it remains, the greater the sense of loss inflicted upon the sufferer when it eventually departs.

The full worth of any life is of no more value than the happiness of one's best moment.'

Copy right William Forde: August 22nd, 2018.

'Fall in Love Again' by William Forde

27/4/2018

I always remember a man called Colin who I worked with in Harrison Gardener's Dyeworks when I was in my late teens. Colin was a kind and generous person, a good father and a faithful husband who loved his wife dearly. I will never forget him once telling me, 'I have loved my wife every day without fail since the day we married.We don't need expensive meals out and fancy holidays to keep our love solid and us both happy. All we need is lots of country walks and every day we awake to make sure that we fall in love with each other all over again. Colin will be probably dead now as he was a good twenty years older than myself, but I never forgot his philosophy to keep love fresh and I decided to write this brief poetic memory:

'Fall in Love Again' by William Forde

'Let you and I go walking out together,
and renew our love over hills, verdant valleys, rugged moors and purple heather.

To see all of spring shine brightly in your eyes,
and to hear you speak words so simple, yet filled with meaning deep and wise.

To see your rainbow smile in dazzling sun and colourful rain,
is all I need to make me fall in love with you again.'

William Forde: Copyright: April 27th, 2018.

March 18th, 2018.

18/3/2018

Thought for today:
With all the recent changeable weather, I can't wait for spring to come to both the gardens and allotments instead of merely being a date on our kitchen calendars and teasing one with brief glimpses of what 'should be' instead of 'what is'. As the Sioux warrior chief, Sitting Bull is once said to have remarked,'Behold, my friends, the spring has come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love.'

While my health has been as stable as it possibly could have been over the past six months, I have only been spared further pneumonia, death threatening bugs and emergency hospital admissions and treatment because I have mostly stayed at home inside, keeping warm for most of this period and greatly restricted my contact with human viruses (that essentially means avoiding human contact for the most part). Our allotment offers me release from this house prison that contains my old body nine months of each good year, and spring just won't allow me to stay in the house any longer than needs must. I can't wait to get out and breathe the air deeply again and sing with the birds and the plants in our allotment.

I usually write two books a year, health permitting, and they are written and published during the cold winter months. When spring arrives, I put down my pen and do not take it up again until autumn has come and gone.

Spring brings perpetual astonishment to me and with its promised coming. I am calm again. Nature paints spring a colourful glow and make me forget that anything as cold and harsh as winter ever existed. It carries the hope of rebirth and new life in its ground, the love of life sleeps in its cool breeze and hope abounds when the sweet music of the birds fills the air and blades of moorland grass beneath lovers lying are crushed in an amorous embrace.

The Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist, Rainer Maria Rilke who wrote in the late 19th and early 20th century was recognised as one of the most lyrically intense German poets. He wrote the words, 'The spring has returned. The earth is like a child that knows poems'. I include below one of the spring poems that I wrote to celebrate my wish to see spring return:

'If only one wish was granted to me': Copyright: William Forde

"If only one wish was granted to me,
to save spring meadows for all to see
would be my wish, my heart's desire
to see spectacular poppy fields fire
icy hearts, stagnant thoughts and sorry souls
back into life, where only Nature holds
within its ground, eternity.'

William Forde: March 18th, 2018.

'Love isn't Love until It's Shared.'

12/3/2018

"We may curse those we hate (including self) a thousand times, yet only need to forgive once; for when we believe it can happen, it will happen, and when we find it satisfactorily done, we will have spent our goodness doing it. Our love, our compassion, our forgiveness is but mere ornament until it is given life and is shared with another. Only when we set sail from the 'Land of Selfishness' can we ever hope to discover a more wonderful world, a 'Land of Hope'.

'Love isn't Love until It's Shared' by William Forde

Love isn't love until it's shared.
Fear becomes boldness when it's dared.
Time has no meaning until spent.
Forgiveness is stuck 'til you relent.

Use your compassion to undo wrong.
Use your talents to sing your song.
Hold tight each moment of your dreams.
Nothing is ever what it seems.

Love brings with it infinite joy,
when every searching heart finds home
and every girl discovers boy.
Matching love waiting to be found,
in empty throne, your heart is crowned.

William Forde: Copyright: March 12th, 2018.

'Bluebell Wood' by William Forde

7/3/2018

"Soon, spring will be upon us once more, enabling so many memories, dreams and aspirations to be reborn. This poem was inspired by a single line I once read that was written by the American author and naturalist, Hal Borland, who died in 1978, when he said, 'No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn.'

'Bluebell Wood' by William Forde.

'Enchanted woodland of the spring
bring magic carpet on thy wing.
Crown grass and trees in ground of blue,
smell sweet aroma of morning dew.
Grow wild the flowers amid the trees,
and let birds sing within cool breeze.

Make this new spring my first new spring,
show astonishment in everything.
Where buds do not forget to bloom
and bluebells carpet Nature's room.
Where butterflies flit and flutter
and dandelions turn chins to butter.

Know this as being Nature's balm,
restore new life to winter's calm.
Oh, let no winter last forever,
and let no springtime miss its turn.
Let the spring of lovers blossom,
oh,let the flame of sweet love burn.'

Life is precious and life's so good
enjoy it more in Bluebell Wood.'

William Forde: Copyright March 7th, 2018.

'If we must part' by William Forde

7/1/2018

'If we must part' by William Forde

"In the pain of separation I lose myself and all my thoughts turn back to you.
If we must part, then let it be for the briefest of moments and the best of reasons.
Let it be with dignified authority and not in angry silence, unkind thought or bitter haste.
Instead, let all our parting be but a mere prelude to your sweet return when I feel you brush my hands once more."

William Forde: Copyright: January 7th, 2018.

'Black is Beautiful'

14/11/2017

'Black is Beautiful' by William Forde

'Think of me as you will, but let me tell you that there is a beauty in all things black that no white person will ever know.
Our history has taken us to places far and wide, that no white man will ever go.
We couldn't drink, wash or eat out in 'All white' places, and never did feel free,
The only place that we found peace, was hanging from a tree.

Now look at you, then look at me, and tell me who you'd choose to be
had you not been born on the other side of false sincerity?'

Copyright William Forde: November14th, 2017.

'Let Me' by William Forde

29/10/2017

Let Me' by William Forde : Copyright October 29th, 2017.

'Let me whisper in your ear and hear the echo of your soul.
To merge my pulse within your heart, so you forever hear the beat of mine.
Let me move your senses to distraction; your desires to the edge of reason.
To steer full force of passion towards temptation when you lie in my presence.
Let my want possess a madness of mind which alone can satisfy unquenchable thirst.
To drink from body's hollow and eat the apple from your unharvested tree of love.
Let me love you with all my heart, and if in return, your love expressed can never be as much as mine for you, let the more loving one be me.
Let me.'
William Forde: October 29th, 2017