by Steve Tanham
Rings of Oak Along my walk there is an oak Grown sturdy on the edge of winds Life’s hardships fought and won Whose sole and noble bearing Engenders shared sojourn △ Its ridge it strides alone And I, in passing, catch its thought Like a point on a seen, sawn, levelled trunk Though yearly … Read More Rings of Oak
by Steve Tanham
Pass slowly over me Blue and pearl of July sky Lift from this day A living crown of summer’s leaves And place it on my hidden head As lasting ghost of sky that shone ▵ This done, let me pass this way When days are dark and short And ground is mud and slush … Read More Pass slowly over me
by Steve Tanham
We see as if we were above Though loosely rooted on the soil And layered logic takes away The glory of the pearl-light stream Rising, rich in shining joy From darker line of summer’s trees ©Copyright Stephen Tanham
by Steve Tanham
In tiny Hynish’s western shore Where gentle waves now kiss the sand The resting seas recall the names Of they who built the Skerryvore ➰ Forgotten in the passing nights Unknown to most, of even few Who chance on Hebridean soil And stumble on the wreck of lights ➰ For ears a story here in stone Which value engineers of night Of iron and … Read More The Skerryvore Light
by Steve Tanham
Seen differently A dark snake winds up the hill To penetrate our lives ➰ Seen differently Silver birds flee, screeching From its venomous intent ➰ Seen differently, again The hedgerow filled with life Laughs with the hungry birds At the harvest of sustenance ➰ See again See beyond the image of our fear To where the world is… ➰ ©Stephen Tanham
by Steve Tanham
How long it took to make him My secret self and I To stabilise and raise him That he might touch his sky Then watching as he made the world In image of his days gone by ➰ The jewelled world was wonderful For secret self and me So far removed from vulnerable Was where we went to be But jewel is as dual … Read More My Secret Self
by Steve Tanham
How uniform, so uniform Our daily tread extrudes Upon a stuff compliant To deeper wishes viewed — How uniform, so uniform But do I ever see Fragility of matter’s grip Beneath the ground that walks on me? — ©Stephen Tanham
by Steve Tanham
Summer struggles into Life So many leaves to feed Through soil still cold and branches bare She fructifies their need ⦿ Her power is fullness, often missed Rotation is her pride But neither spring nor golden fade Describe her yearly tide ⦿ A human barefoot on a beach The water briefly kisses He smiles – high water marks his mind The greater truth he misses … Read More Summer Gold
by Steve Tanham
When the war is over will we go down to the water, again? Was it like this, for Rene and Georgette Magritte Did they walk in the park by the lake and smile And hold hands while their world went to hell Should we put scratchy records on the dusty machine And dance in our underthings, or maybe something more While the hissing … Read More Scratchy Records…
by Steve Tanham
I have a notion That eons’ light and dark Have left their mark Upon our inner ocean ➰ I have a shadow Whose lengthening crease Is cast on mood and body’s peace When walking muddy meadow ➰ We have duration The dog and I endure the grime Of Cumbria’s winter prime Intent on silence in privation ➰ But then… ➰ Like surgical precision Spring’s … Read More I have a notion…
by Steve Tanham
“Intelligence on dark waters” ⦿ Beyond opinion ‘i’ alone must bear the scales Of others’ justice ⦿ Rightness begins here My heart knows truth betrayed Falsehood – avoid my own! ⦿ Let rage’s fire return Seeking hidden self-deceit Proud flame be ashes’ ghost ⦿ ©️Copyright Stephen Tanham 2017
by Steve Tanham
Beyond the boats of reason beached We walked – the lady, the dog and I And darker day came after darker night As air of truth died on the breeze And chaos of nightmare dawned. ⦿ Beyond the boats of reason beached We walked – the lady, the dog and I And breathing stopped because We were not breathing And chaos of fear dawned … Read More Beyond the boats of reason beached
Sun in Gemini 
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