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Tuesday 29 May 2012

Walk With Me

Bright blue parts and white drifts away
Haze shimmers, rising in the heat of the day
Mountains climb, cold tips reach for the sky
Green rolling hills endure as time goes by

Treetops bustle gently as the swallows fly
Proud oaks stand strong in bough and thigh
Broken limbs lie scattered on the ground
Valley floor beckons, new shoots abound

Rutted track-way down to the battered shell
Dry stone walls surround a temporary hell
Weathered mortar crumbles like the past
Brickwork weeps worn dry by winds that pass

Hinges rusted, door creaks and beckons doom
Dim light struggles to penetrate the gloom
Faded patterns stripped bare from wooden walls
Forgotten fathers hung now in dusty halls

Down splintered steps each twist and turn
Lead deeper to the inner sanctum
Where torment and pain suckles on its feast
Soul and mind swallowed in the jaws of the beast

Retrace your route, reverse the way
Reach into the clear bright light of day
Step away from the terror that surrounds you
Climb, soar, embrace and cherish those around you

© Fergus Martin
2012

Thursday 24 May 2012

The Torch of Past and Present


The torch it burns
O’er land and sea
Burns so bright
For you and me
Warms the heart
Eases the soul
Lights the way
Makes us whole

I love you now
Forever more

The torch it burned
O’er land and sea
Burned so bright
For you and me
Warmed the heart
Eased the soul
Lit the way
Made us whole

I loved you once
But now, no more

© Fergus Martin
2012

Tuesday 22 May 2012

The Eagle Has Landed


On high
It soars
Wings glisten
Talons sharp
Eyes bright
Ears listen

Prey found
It swoops
And raids
Near miss
It climbs
Sun fades

A crack
A scream
It falls
Crashes to earth
Trophy mounted
In tribal halls

Carcass stripped
Plumage paraded
Secrets to reveal
Tribesmen rejoice
Families mourn
Wounds never to heal

© Fergus Martin
2012

Jessie


The lady in the picture is Jessie Young, my mother-in-law, who passed away in May after a long illness. I wrote this piece two days before she passed.

The smallest of frames
The largest of hearts
A soul full of giving
A life full of living
Life’s journey you guided
The fun you provided
Wide smile, cheeky grin
The sneaky wee gin
One red child, one dark
Given life by your spark
Seeing memories so clearly
Cling to them dearly
New life they gave you
Five hearts that adored you
Parks, playgrounds and swings
The small, little things
That smile, cheeky grin
And a sneaky wee gin
On the journey you take
Remember them well
Your soul will not perish
Your memories, we cherish

Effervescent in life
Motionless, becalmed
Remembered

© Fergus Martin
2012

Bored Now


Look outside your window
There's a world of wonder out there
Discover those you do not know
Break free from the chains that bind you
Bind you to the core of your existence
Variety will make the juices flow

© Fergus Martin
2012

Any Port In A Storm


I speak, but no one hears, I am irrelevant
I am disturbed, but no-one cares, I am nothing

The solitude and bitterness crash over me in waves
As emptiness calls to the fractured mind like a siren from the deep
I wallow in the mire, thoughts muddied by the never ending deluge
Deafened by the cacophony, I seek only safe harbour
Twisted, contorted, ravaged by the brutal stabs of the insidious tongue
Sheltering from the storm of acrimony, cowering from the chill of the icy tongues
The paper-thin walls of my mind provide no protection to the venom
I am unguarded.

Futile, misdirected, incomplete strands of incoherent thought weave their path
And are caught, strangled by the web woven by the armada of the uncaring
Floating against the tide, they flounder, sinking into the abyss, the depths
The comfort of the deep lures me to its welcome, draws me to its calm, to the dark
To the loneliness, to the safety net away from the never ending ripples of angst
Venting in the shallows of humanity, I seek solace, tranquillity, peace
Screaming in the silence, distant echoes repeat my words, there is nothing

Inconsequential, silent, the darkness engulfs me
Crawling on bended knee to the sanctuary of solitude, there are no caves of steel to protect me
Cowering in the darkness, fear is my only friend, solitude my companion of choice
Shattered and splintered, the deep haven provides the only shelter from the storm
The heartbeat in its womb the sound of comfort to a tortured soul
Silence broken only by the rhythm of the heartbeat,
I am alone

© Fergus Martin
2012

A Dream Fulfilled

Can’t write a song to say how I feel
Don’t know the words to express it
My desire for you can never be shown
So I bury and repress it

Screaming your name from a hillside
There’s no-one around to hear me
Standing alone in a crowded room
Silent, you don’t even see me

Dreaming alone in an empty bed
Craving the lingering smile
Tossing and turning a legion of thoughts
And lust for the victory mile

Holding your hand is all in my mind
The gentle embrace of your touch
That look on your face melts me inside
I want, I need you, so much

You don’t see me there when I knock on your door
Don’t take my calls when I ring
Nothing I say reaches your ears
You don’t see the gifts that I bring

Alone in my room, I see only you
All that I wanted and more
Alive in my head, vibrant and real
Mind twisted, thoughts tumble and pour

Seeking you out, we finally meet
The touch, the wanted embrace
Holding you close, your body goes limp
Reaching the end of the chase

Alone in my room, my heads swims with you
The end of a beautiful night
One fleeting moment, dreams fulfilled
This jacket, so buckled, and tight

© Fergus Martin
2012

Noise


Chitter, chatter
Click, click, click
Chitter, chatter
Nip, nip, nip
Chitter, chatter
Bitch, bitch, bitch
Unceasing chatter
Never-ending natter
Noisily clicking
Needlessly picking
Merciless chatter
Ears for nipping
Souls for stripping
Gutless chatter
Endless clatter
Tongues bitching
Nerves twitching

© Fergus Martin
2012

Who Needs Enemies


Forked tongues, twisted words, the blade turns
One lung for allegiance, the other reeks betrayal
Coursing through your body, the venom burns
Festering beneath your self-righteous indignation
Hearts callous, soulless and selfish
Absorbed and obsessed with puerile self admiration

The minions weep and fawn at your troubles
Smothering you in warmth, soothing words for your ills
Hand-feeding you the seed, your craven heart bubbles
Jack-booting through the lives of misguided fools
Weak-willed they comply, bow and scrape
Trampled under cloven foot, their words, your manipulating tools

Professing solidarity, family, you wait, you pounce
Wordsmith’s daggers plunge deep into unprotected flesh
Ripping away humanity and dignity, ounce by poisoned ounce
Intoxicated in the heady stench of your own whine
No-one shall challenge the imperfection of your realm
“All minions are as one, all your words must be as mine”

The mesmerised throng muster to the vindictive clarion call
You’ll quench the bitter taste of bile, and gorge upon the victim,
The one that dared cry out against the keepers of the hall
The one who dared question the fealty of your acolytes?
The Chamber of Perfection? The Ministry of Adoration?
That venomous pit of vipers, your thoughts The Shining Light

Cry out against the multitudes preaching from their world of delusion
Ride out with the banners of honesty raised high
Challenge the misconception; blow away the mists of confusion
Prepare your defences for the storm that approaches
The verbal diarrhoea that undoubtedly will fall
Stand strong. The faithful servants swarm like roaches

© Fergus Martin
2012

Sons Of The Glen - The Forty Twa


The Sun rises over the snow-capped ranges
Its glittering rays stabbing at the upturned soil
The shoots of dawn rising up, like warriors in the field
The Sons of The Glen face another day’s toil
Mist creeps through the shadows and slides aimlessly through the forests
Twinkling sunlight reflects off the loch, calm, still, serene
The Red Stag stands, watching, waiting, majestic as he patrols the moor
The warm glow of the Northern sun covers all in a shimmering sheen

As the hatchlings wait to begin their journey into life
The Osprey swoops on its unsuspecting prey
The salmon leaps and dances far from the clutch of the talons
And the Mothers of The Glen face the long struggle of another day
The Haar burns silently away in the early morning light
And the valley sweeps long and wide till the Crags meet the head of the Glen
The booming call of the Stag echoing in the crisp morning air
Untroubled, as yet, by the footsteps and marauding of men

His slumbers now ended, his dreams drift away softly, broken
He rises as the dawn light filters through the shaded screen
His fast now broken, his armour adorned in the dust and the heat
The Fathers of The Glen will wait silent, unseen
The harvested fields await the renewal of life, the rebirth, to renew
Winter is over, summers instruments readied and prepared to play
As the Piper calls out the tune, The Red Hackles muster, and think of their kin
The Ladies From Hell will dance The Heilan Laddie today.

© Fergus Martin
2012

My Strength is Yours


A peach
A diamond
A vision
My heart
My soul
My Mission
To love
To Care
Caress
You hope
And pray
Confess

When the waters are calm, you support me
As troubles strike, I bolster you
I tip toe round the fringes of your life
And dance in the shadows of your daydreams
Existing only to release the pressures of the demons you face
Before sliding back to the periphery of your consciousness
Warmed that the smile has returned, the shoulders unslumped
Waiting patiently, silently watching as the storms recede

A peach
A diamond
A vision
My heart
My soul
My Mission

© Fergus Martin
2012

Life-Cycle


The World spins
Life begins
Maps are drawn
Journey's taken
Worlds collide
Wanderers rest
Travels reviewed
The journey is over
The World spins

© Fergus Martin
2012

The First Words


There was light, but there was no vision
There were sounds, but there were no words
Sitting becalmed in a wilderness of wonder
Suffering in silence, amid the roar of contemplation.
An empty vista on a canvass of white
A mind swamped beneath a flood of information
Thoughts rain down upon, and drown a blank imagination
And are lost

What words describe the litany of suffering?
What incident or accident reveals the greatest torture?
What song can be written to rip away the fallacy of grandeur?
What soothing tones will heal the world’s increasing fractures?

The cities under siege as great powers roam the planet?
Or the towering pillars that came tumbling down?
The desert plains ravaged by the never ending sun?
Waves ripping through the villages of far off shores?
Dancers in the night vilified by earthy demons?
Rampant corruption seeping through the vestibules of power?
Innocence devoured as faith is lost in the protectors of belief?

Morning light brightens the darkened recesses of the mind
Quickening thought speeds the hand no longer stymied by time
His muse was found, gathered in from the maelstrom of reality
The path had been revealed in all it’s simplicity
The parables themselves would tell the tale
And as the ink dried upon the parchment
The first words were written
“In the Beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth”

© Fergus Martin
2012

Ericht's Tale


The lifeblood flowing seaward, reflects on what has been
The life it gave, still gives, along the valley floor
Coursing through the valley, fields and pastures green
Slips slowly past the remnants of those that stand no more

The wheels it turned so proudly now silent as the deep
The lades it filled now flood with moss and vine
The sights it saw, the hemp it wove, the Covenanter’s leap
Consigned to rushing memory, the passages of time

People came in thousands to ply an honest trade
The largest in the country, the first one of its kind
A leader in the field, it shipped its yards of plaid
An industry once vibrant would soon be in decline

Fields moistened by the rivers touch, shoot and burst anew
Vines glistening in colour, fruits ripening and sweet
The pickers came in droves, met up with those they knew
No longer now fields thunder with the sound of foreign feet

The yellow on the bloom brings travellers from afar
To pluck the blossom from the vine in shades of crimson red
And in the morn they awake to a valley sheathed in haar
Whilst the salmon skips it’s merry way along the river bed

Through rolling hills and valleys floors, it weaves its daily thread
Past Standing stones and Pictish thrones, fortresses of Rome
Old mills now dust, silent, one heartbeat now is dead
One stands strong, hope renewed, and the lifeblood carries on.

© Fergus Martin
2012.

Twist




Words say so much
Words mean so little
Words that have feeling
Words that are bitter
Verbose Vale dictum
Saying so little

A change in inflection
Complete misdirection
From full understanding
To thoughts too demanding
Words within nations
Lost in translation

Honest, trusting, faithful
Twisted, bitter, vengeful
Harmonise, unify, peaceful
Divisive, disruptive, wrathful
Cherished, cared, thoughtful
Desired, craved, lustful

Spoken out loud, the meaning is clear
Scratched out on the pad, changing the gist
Verbal outpourings, straight from the heart
Misunderstood, are met by a fist
Deep thoughts from the heart, worded so sure
Spun on their heads and are lost in red mist

© Fergus Martin
2012

Awakenings Crushed



Sweet words they were, so beautifully spoken
Reaching out over distance and time
Calming the thoughts of a war weary soul
Easing the pain of life’s cruel pantomime
Dark roads forgotten, now an adventure with hope
Now soul searching wisdom provides inspiration
For a life without heartache, fear or confusion
New horizons wait in anticipation

Breathing new life and rekindling hope
Small shoots that are sown in a heart so pure
Drawing you closer, they offer safe harbour
Solace and comfort, shelter secure
Heart skipping a beat, life’s blossom renewed
Break into the light from the forest so dark
Night becomes day, the way becomes clear
A path has been found, there’s no looking back

Beguiled by the charm, wit and persuasion
The heart opens wide and the bud blossoms full
To be crushed by the words of betrayal
“Sorry, didn’t mean it”, so bitter, so cruel
A love that were formed, so easily broken
Caught tight in the spiders web of deceit
Spun by a tongue of delightful innocence
Life sucked from you in their victory complete

Secrets revealed,
Confidences shared,
Longings muttered,
Betrayals revealed,
Plans broken,
Dreams shattered

© Fergus Martin
2012

Snake



Your life is a sham you poisonous fool
Words twisted and bent like a misshapen tool
Feigning love and affection with blistering charm
Forged from hatred and angst, designed to becalm
Play the role of the fool, why don’t you
Plunge the blade that is cruel, why don’t you

Unending trickle of feigned joy and emotion
Your vitriol hides behind cloaks of devotion
Misguided direction you offer the soul
Led down the stairway to an empty black hole
Play the role of the fool, why don’t you
Plunge the blade that is cruel, why don’t you

Beguiling the innocent with unfettered wit
Charming the delicate with a word and a quip
Feed on the tendrils of a slow beating heart
Festering bitterness you’ll rip it apart
Play the role of the fool, why don’t you
Plunge the blade that is cruel, why don’t you

Soul stripped to the core and exposed
Your triumph in shame unopposed
Your sham of existence moves on
New hearts to be found come the dawn
Play the role of the fool, why don’t you
Plunge the blade that is cruel, why don’t you

© Fergus Martin
2012

Prey



At The Light Of Dawn

Patrolling in the shadows of the forests
Senses sharpened, ears cocked, eyes bright
Padding softly upon broken root and branch
Evening sounds echo deep into the night
Slipping silently through the cover of the wood
Inhaling sharp aromas in the evening light
The treeline approaches, pace slows, then stops
The prey that they seek, in the clearing, grouped tight

Distant rumbles of thunder shatter the silence
Float through the night air and falls to the ground
With hard heavy pounding, they strike out on their trail
Covered from view, and muffling their sound
Stalk into the night, sinews tightened, prepared
The path clears ahead, the bones they will pound
No rival will match them, this feast will be theirs
The prey in the clearing will be smashed to the ground

A squawk high above announces its presence
On silent wing, it circles, awaiting the dawn
Under cover of darkness, unseen it approaches
Keen eye from afar, it waits, talons drawn
The sun slowly rises, the way ahead clear
Begins the descent, quick glimpse and it’s gone
Gathering speed, swooping in low
The prey in the clearing so clear in the morn

The prey swiftly wakens to the stunning attack
As the strike from the sky is the first to arrive
The path rumbles louder with a sickening sound
Quickening pace in the fight to survive
Out of the trees burst the strong and the swift
One thought in their mind, the now, stay alive

The prey they are scattered, bloodied and torn


Aftermath

Shattered corpses
Broken bones
Buildings flattened
Broken homes
Sons lost to mothers
Fathers to sons
Townships are broken
Whilst victories won

Rounded like cattle
Penned, tagged, alone
Crouched in small groups
Souls stripped to the bone
Children cling to their mothers
Dazed and confused
Humanity stripped
Hearts bloodied and bruised

Victors dance their merry jig
At their feet souls mourn
The screams of dying innocents
Wail fruitlessly, forlorn
Craven kings of far of lands
Rejoice in hallowed halls
Dawn rises on this fateful morn
And deaths hammer swiftly falls

© Fergus Martin
2012

The Dreaming One



In forest green, air whispers in the morning calm
A leaf in the wind is captured and cradled in its charm
The Dreaming One floats gently past, drifts with gentle ease
Her locks so long and nurtured float gently in the breeze

She dreams of hope and harmony,
Of suffering and pain
Of children lying riddled
And lions with no mane

What little she did have, what little could she give
To ease the pain and suffering and let the children live
Wandering, mind focussed, bright eyes light up the sky
Slim fingers slip through her hair, and know the reason why

The Locks of Love be braided
Bare heads on which to thrive
And shaven head for little ones
And pray that they survive

© Fergus Martin
2012

Monologue of a Duo



I lived, for you
I cared, for you
I walked, with you
I talked, with you
I laughed, with you
I cried, with you


We lived, together
We cared, together
We walked, together
We talked, together
We laughed, together
We died, together

Together, apart
Together but alone

© Fergus Martin
2012

Storm Clouds



Storms are brewing
Dark clouds above
The light has faded
In the darkness we cower
The blue skies recede
Life’s cool breeze of calm
A distant memory
Succumbs to its power

Once light shone above
Now dark and forbidding
Rough winds blow and howl
Blind every new dawn
The summer long over
Its shoots withered and dead
The dark night of winter
Acceptance, the norm

© Fergus Martin
2012

Never Forgotten, Always Remembered



Youthful men in polished boots
Parade before their fathers
Swollen chests and heavy hearts
With others son’s they gather
Childhood gone, life’s journey begins
Young boys, soon to be men
Bonding now that will endure
Separating you from them

From the jungles to the desert
They roamed the world with ease
In mud filled boots and sun baked skin
They donned their battle grease
Those hardened souls and softest hearts
With families that sit and wait
Their brother’s strength protects them now
And shields them from their fate

And as they grow they fall
Carried home in cedar tombs
Their bodies added to the count
Fading pictures adorning rooms
Once praised but now forgotten
Once blooded, they lie now bloodied
Past deeds remembered by but few
Whose memories remain unsullied.

Hiding behind the comedic veil
Sharp eyes hide the pain
Of brothers fallen in foreign fields
And the love for those that remain
Sights once seen, never forgotten
The cloak an armoured vest
The hidden world of the warrior
Shuttered to the rest

© Fergus Martin
2012