Note: some of these are works-in-progress and will be tidied up one day when I get around to it. If I can be bothered.

The Flame

I am a flame at the end of your match I'm easy to see but impossible to catch You may use me in any way you wish Light up a fag or a candle on a dish

I dance and I burn and I throw my light around Listen closely and you may hear my sacred sound I cast my light equally to each and every one The very same light that radiates from the sun

I create shadows in the corners of your room at night I hope this doesn't cause too much alarm or fright My light can be absorbed or ignored or even deflected If you have a mirror, you can see it being reflected

You'll see that my life and light come at a cost I turn matter into energy and the candle is lost Where do I go when there's nothing left to burn That is simply something you may never learn

Unknown Genius (work in progress)

Nikola Tesla is a name you may not know In his head, amazing ideas did grow He was born in Serbia a long time ago A mental giant as these few words may show

(no credit) (years ahead of his time) (unfairly regarded as a whacko) (Edison - Karma) (Too trusting & idealistic) (exploited)

One day soon

One day soon I'll fly away One day soon I'll learn to pray One day soon I'll stop my screaming One day soon Or am I dreaming One day soon We'll stop our fighting One day soon

One day soon

The Asylum

There is a place where I can be free It is the local psychiatric facility Free to think my craziest thoughts And talk to lunatics of various sorts

Free from the straitjacket of normality Free from the absurd requirements of confromity Free from those sad and desperate rational folk Free to enjoy the ultimate joke

Twentieth Century Man

Every time I look around I don't even know if I'm mad I don't even scream And I don't even bleed I walk around all day With a totally shattered mind I live my life In more blindness than the blind I belong in an asylum I belong in a jungle I live in a madhouse I crawl through a daily nightmare I blend in with the crowd They're all crazy too We need a messiah Or possibly a few We delude ourselves daily We close our eyes to the pain Keep yourself busy Go for a walk in the rain My life has been diluted and polluted I have become psychotic and anti-biotic I drown in your rivers I swim in your pool I climb every ladder I laugh like a fool I am a cork in the ocean I wander round in slow motion I am the confused and the misused I talk in riddles and head for the middles I am an artificial lifeform in an experimental world My thoughts are like rocks through a window hurled I drift randomly through the chaos around me I'll take another pill as the demons surround me I sleep in the ugly shadows of the city I fly like a dragon through the night so pretty I stroll all around this barren desolation I watch people gathering to share their isolation I am a symptom of the twentieth century Make sure you pray for all those like me

To a Friend

Dianne buzzes around like a bee It is so plain for all to see With so many things on her plate We should forgive her if she's ever late

Dianne rushes here, there and everywhere Her kind words show she really does care I feel she must have a heart of gold But turn the heating on or she gets cold

Dianne talked with me today She always listens to what I say Two souls asking the same questions We ask each other for directions

Farewell Dianne till next we meet Just knowing you is such a treat I wish you well in every way A song to sing, a game to play

Our mate Dave

David talks with us for hours Through summer's heat and April's showers We feel his enthusiasm and energy I think he must run on electricity

Sometimes we become hypnotised Like moths around a flame mesmerised We know our opinions will be prized But sometimes can't get a word in edge-wise

That last line really isn't fair We all know he truly does care And asks if we have something to share He comes to us from who-knows-where So if you see him around this place Just smile when you see his beaming face You'll know that what I say is true He may want to have a chat with you too

David has been known to laugh a lot We should find him a nice secluded spot Where he can laugh his worries away I hear Acacia ward is open today

The Lady Vanishes

Dijana writes on the back of her hand This is something I can understand I also remind myself in this way Of all the things I'll do today

Dijana now works here at ERMHA Or anyway that's the current murmur Her special task is prevocation I wonder about her concentration

Sometimes she seems to drift away Is her mind at work or play This really isn't such a crime I daydream myself from time to time

Come back Dijana, where have you been What fabulous sights you must have seen Have you been away to visit the queen Or maybe flying over valleys of green

Did you climb some distant mountain peak You seem to have been gone for a week Next time you wander so far away Take us along to brighten our day

One Man's Heaven

I write this little poem as I sit I'm in Acacia ward until I split Surrounded by the maddest folk It is the sweetest, most ironic joke

I'm actually living in another world Where dreams and magic are unfurled The people in here have no greed or hate They all have learned the way to wait

Waiting for the coming of the sun Knowing they are truly all one We laugh along with all the staff My best mate thinks he's a giraffe

I gladly watch over these fragile souls Some think their minds are full of holes They cannot handle the jungle outside This is their refuge where they can hide

They hide not from themselves of course We are all connected to one pure source Our hearts and minds have merged with each other I call every one in here my soul-brother

If you want to join us, please feel free It really is the best place to be Surrounded by such understanding You'll find we are never ever demanding You'll never know who you might meet If you take a walk down our secret street Please visit us if you get the chance We may even teach your soul to dance

Mania

My brain is charged with electric force I feel as if I could walk though walls I'm not mad and I'm not insane I have lions and tigers in my brain

I live a thousand lifetimes every day I see the world in every possible way I feel connected to every living creature Surprisingly my mind does not fracture

I walk on clouds of vibrant mist My soul soars as if by an angel kissed I soak up knowledge like a sponge I catch an idea with an effortless lunge

Should I slow down or even stop Will my internal resources drop I don't know and I don't worry I have no need to rush or hurry

The Lady Vanishes (part2)

Dijana wonders about the spiritual connections Extending in outward and inward directions There really are no accidents or co-incidences In each one of our various circumstances

The souls around you can help light the way Learning from them is possible each day Listen to the voices both outward and inner You'll find your approach is already a winner

With heart and mind open you'll know who to trust In this way your soul will never develop a crust I wish you well on your spiritual quest If you get tired you know just how to rest

Send your mind off to that far-away land You may see my mates who will offer a hand Returning refreshed and sparkling new Each infinite moment will send you its clue

Hobbies

I like to paint onions with bright red faces I send them to people in various places They cut and they slice them into a bowl Or throw them downstairs to watch them roll

Anticipation

I waited for a moment But the moment never came I looked all around me But nothing was the same In the distance a bird is calling All around me trees start falling A giant feather in a golden cup Crawling sideways I still look up

The Valley of the Dead

I walked into the valley of the dead No evil did I fear I walked into the valley of the dead A million voices did I hear

I was deafened by the noise And quite blinded by the glow I watched in silent wonder And reflected myself into the shallow

My thoughts were stolen and converted Every idea became inverted I wandered toward a distant city Where all the people laughed so pretty

They greeted me with open eyes I felt that I had won first prize They kept no secrets and no lies Every day was a fresh surprise

I walked out of the valley of the dead Somehow I felt it was quite okay I remember all the people in that valley And send them a smile at least once a day

Decisions Decisions

My doctor told me I was mad I said mate they're all so sad Then he told me all about the cost How all the little people got lost

I listened to his tragic story What happened to the ancient glory Outsmarted by their own inventions Despite their very best intentions

Now it's too late to say goodbye Silent objects pierce the sky Haunted by their own illusions Strangers talk of old solutions

Perceptions

People tell me I'm insane Because of chemicals in my brain They don't know they cannot see That I am living in eternity

Blurred Vision

My eyes were cloudy I could not see All around me there was such a mist To find out what the trouble may be I went along to see the optimist He gave to me a riddle or two And three candles which were green and blue The candles he said were to light the way While the riddles were there to fill the day I was so happy I almost shouted Some new ideas had already sprouted I thanked him with a golden flower We laughed together for half an hour

Transcendental Medication

Fill me up with chemicals So that I won't be mad anymore Fill me up with chemicals I will sleep on your wooden floor

Fill me up with chemicals Make me placid and cooperative Fill me up with chemicals Is that really any way to live

Fill me up with chemicals So I'll stop shouting at people Fill me up with chemicals I'll climb down from the steeple Fill me up with chemicals Stop me from calling the angels Fill me up with chemicals Silence the magical distant bells Sedate me and cruxify me I want you to lie to me Strangle my mind Help me unwind

For The Lonely

Why do some folks seem to have it all While others are left to feel so small Why do some wounds never heal Making life itself seem unreal

Who watches over the lonely hearts Or are their spirits ripped apart Is this just the way things are The most beautiful and fragile souls Are always wishing upon a star

Do some people just turn to stone From spending too much time alone Not by choice but circumstance Are our lives ruled by blind chance

How fairly are the cards ever dealt Why do some hearts never melt Are we pawns in some big game Can we find someone to blame

These questions are not new at all Is anyone there to hear my call Or are we left to our own devices Left to dream of sweet surprises

Is this the way it must ever be Wandering alone for eternity Who decides which dreams come true Who looks after me and you

Tormented by these eternal questions I turn to you and ask directions Do you wonder what it all means Are you living the same old scenes

Are we united in our confusion Are we objects of amusement I wish, I dream, I hope, I pray Maybe we'll all be lucky one day

As you read this Stop and Think Do you really have it all Including the kitchen sink

Ask yourself if it is true Are you sometimes lonely too One kind word, one smile, one glance Can help another soul to dance

Foreign Nature (draft)

A walk around the zoo can spark a million thoughts Speculations and wonderings of some unusual sorts Especially if your companions have that happy knack Of allowing their minds to wander off the beaten track

First up, we saw some meerkats who were awfully cute Then a delightful red panda eating a bamboo shoot I felt very much like Dr Doolittle as strolled around Trying to imagine how each of their voices would sound

I worried about the karma of keeping animals in cages Their spirits have been beside us throughout the ages To solve such a conundrum we must consult with sages Or was I just going through one of those awkward stages

I remembered wishing I was a dog when just a young lad Of all the animals, we humans often seem the most sad We are also the only ones who need to work and toil Building rivers of concrete over the grass and the soil

The same river of life which flows through each of us Also animates this splendid diversity of living creatures Are we simply gorillas who have learned far too much? Has our cleverness given us the opposite of a Midas touch?

This started me wondering about the people around me Was it really just by pure chance that they had found me? Or have we been together in many of our past lives As brothers and sisters or maybe husbands and wives

Dijana and I became separated from our companions Lost in another of our deep and meaningful conversations About fairies and angels and the great cosmic plan As if from nowhere, there appeared a statue of Peter Pan

Both of us laughed at this quite freaky coincidence I could swear the statue was about to show us a dance Soon we caught up with the rest of our motley crew Ross, Gary, Nicole and Robert to mention just a few

The butterfly house was a wonderful tropical surprise Instantly my glasses fogged up blinding my very eyes These colourful and fragile dancers just flutter past my nose They land on leaves and flowers and even on your clothes

I smiled as I recalled a Zen saying that comes from somewhere like Japan "Last night I dreamed I was a butterfly, today am I a butterfly dreaming I'm a man?" I wondered what it would be like to join their beautiful, carefree dance in the sun If I should come back as an insect, I'm sure I would choose this very one

I could see a theme developing as the day went gently by The sun blazed down upon us like a beacon in the sky Our western minds see nature as something to control We seem to have lost contact with something in our soul

We used to live our lives in a very different style Instead of driving cars, we would walk every mile We used to give daily thanks to our Mother Earth And celebrate each rising of the sun as a new birth

We try to all act so terribly sophisticated But part of us seems to have disintegrated Stumbling around like ghosts in the dark Are we all just travelers on some giant Ark?

We used to be able to breathe in crisp, clean air We survived without several pairs of Nikes to wear Have we really made progress or gone into reverse? When was the last time you read some sacred verse?

We used to celebrate with primitive, tribal rites Now we spend our days visiting internet sites We used to believe in magic and dreams Have we all come apart at the seams?

Our lives have become messy, hurried and frantic We rarely find time for inspiration or something tantric I doubt that we are supposed to continue on like this Many other voices scream out that something is amiss

Can we turn around or is it already too late? Are we already standing right at Hell's gate? Who has the answer - is it me or is it you? Are we all joined by some strange cosmic glue?

I hate to get so heavy all of a sudden These questions in my head just keep thudding They just bounce around for most of the day I try to ignore them but they've decided to stay

Am I just rambling in an incoherent way? Do I really have anything of value to say? I leave you these questions to consider at your leisure I hope this poem gives you something you cannot measure

Karma

In a very real sense this message is not new, Just one soul's tale of how it finally got through, A belief is an idea you hope is quite true, Allow it to become more real to you,

There are many laws which govern our lives From men in skyscrapers to bees in their hives One law is karma, you are free to ignore it If you want a picture, I will try to draw it

The law of karma is a complete mystery to most They would rather believe in UFO's or a ghost The law of gravity keeps our little planet spinning While karma keeps track of losing and winning

If you hate something you only destroy yourself So why not just leave those poisons on the shelf Love your enemies - I wouldn't suggest it's easy I promise it won't make you unbearably queasy

Send out kind thoughts to those who need it most You can do this as easily as putting jam on your toast Whatever you send out will return to you one day Try to bear this in mind whether at work or at play

Karma flows smoothly from one lifetime to the next This is why we humans are so often perplexed By events and calamities that defy any explanation You may find the answer in another incarnation

Like any other law, you are free to ignore it Every action is the result of another before it It closely resembles Einstein's theory of relativity It pervades each and every human activity

I wish you all the best on your karmic travels And as the mystery of your existence unravels Think about me as I am thinking about you You may find it quite an enjoyable thing to do

The Messiah Complex

If I could be your strength I would If I could fight your demons I would If I could heal your pain I would If I could dissolve your fears I would If I could put wings on your soul I would If I could fill your heart with unimagined joy I would If I could absorb the pain of the world I would If I could I surely would Maybe I can I can I can

Self-portrait in watercolours

Never before in the history of man Has anyone been as crazy as I am Never before since the dawn of time Has anyone had a mind as warped as mine

I'm always coming right out of left field My eyes are wide open and they never yield I lost all my marbles many years ago I walk around slowly as my thoughts glow

I always have my head up in the clouds This keeps me away from all of the crowds I happily play with madness and insanity I have very little time for everyday reality

I laugh at myself and all of my flaws My head echoes to the distant applause My thoughts wander all over the place They dart and they spark and usually race

Most of my life has been spent Living in a bag full of cement Most of my life has been just dream Travelling around on a magic light beam

There is no difference as I now see Between madness and ultimate reality There is no difference as you will find Between a closed and opened mind I am the man who forgot his own name I am the one who lives inside the flame I am a chalk drawing in your mind I am a guide for all of the blind

I was told by sailors and sold by the sea I was cold in summer and warmed internally I was changed by the light from the new moon I came into the world with a wooden spoon

I am lost and don't wish to be found The wheels keep spinning around and around Endlessly, silently, mystically onward Don't grieve for me. Just look skyward

You may see me strolling down the avenue I might even wave or smile toward you If you wave back I'll know who you are Another visitor from a twinkling star

Lament # 57

What kind of people are we Are we as kind as we can be What kind of world is this What kind of things do we miss What kind of place have we made What kind of games have we played What kind of souls are we Are we souls that can live free What kind of times are these What kind of people do we please What kind of lives do we seek What do we leave for the meek What kind of poem am I writing What kind of battles am I fighting What kind of words can I use Am I here just to amuse What kind of ending is coming up Will it be gentle or quite abrupt

Further Education

Show me some of the orbiting satellites Show me some of the orbits of the moon Show me some of the modern world Show me how your dreams have unfurled Show me people in their offices at night Show me how to set their minds right Show me a rainbow with a pot of gold coins Show me a man who mends all the joins Show me a diamond from every angle Show me a way to make problems untangle Show me a place where people live in peace Show me a quiet valley for my soul's release Show me a time and a method and a way Show me eternity in every single day

The Modern Mystic

I spend my days in quiet contemplation My soul belongs to no single nation My heart radiates love and kindness to all around I fill my mind with a single, magic, silent sound

I have no need for noisy entertainment I seek to free people from their containment I sometimes laugh at nothing at all I watch the autumn leaves as they fall

I sometimes seem a million miles away I try to visit but I cannot stay My spirit wanders through time and space A smile is never very far from my face

I sing and chant in the middle of the day I can always find games for myself to play My mind drifts through space and time I am a character in a nursery rhyme

You may see my in your street one day I might not have very much to say You may regard me as somewhat odd Do not worry, I'm just talking to God

Hope?

Cradle me and hide me I know you never denied me Cover me and deliver me I still find you a mystery

Warm me and envelop me I feel my trust developing Guard me and protect me So that no evil can infect me more .....

Tell Me

Tell me if your thoughts are swirling Tell me why the world keeps whirling Tell me if your name is strange Tell me why the words never change

Tell me fast or tell me slow Tell me all I need to know Tell me why this planet is hurting Tell me all that we are skirting

Tell me this and tell me that Tell me that I am a cat Tell me things to make me shout Tell me what my life is about

Tell me if your world is buried Tell me what the ghosts have ferried Tell me if this poem should rhyme Tell me about the nature of time

Tell me, tell me, tell me now Tell me how to milk a cow Tell me why the world keeps spinning Tell me if the good guys are winning

Tell me about angels in the sky Tell me why some people cry Tell me how you sleep at night Tell me if the time is right

Tell me some dreams just die Tell me about the biggest lie Tell me how to keep my wits Tell me if this jumper fits

Tell me you will be my friend Tell me it will never end Tell me even if you're not sure Tell me what eternity is for

Tell me stories to make me scream Tell me that this is all a dream Tell me all your darkest fears Tell me why the walls have ears

Tell me a joke that isn't funny Tell me how you spend your money Tell me why I fall apart Tell me if you have a heart

Tell me a million things at once Tell me how to be a dunce Tell me if this poem's too long Tell me if it could be a song

Tell me if I'm rambling on Tell me about the once upon Tell me if I am insane Tell me why you ate my brain

Tell me crazy things to say Tell me why I die each day Tell me slowly. Tell me quick Tell me I'm a lunatic

Tell me where my marbles are Tell me what's inside the jar Tell me tales that are bizarre Tell me about a distant star

Tell me if I'm round the bend Tell me when the world will mend Tell me how to fly a kite Tell me where to find the light

Tell me what will make you laugh Tell me about finding the path Tell me when the music stops Tell me why my energy drops

Tell me how to make them smile Tell me Tell me Tell me

The Onion

There are infinite layers to reality You could ponder them for all eternity Depending on your own personality You might regard this as just insanity

Look closely at all things around you Can you see what does surround you You breathe the air that now has found you Cosmic rays will always pound you

We stand in the middle of several infinities This can disturb our delicate sensibilities

atoms energy galaxies subatomic realm planetary scale a little similar in theme to the othe poem about life as a subatomic particle .....

Some think me mad

Some think of time as a linear thing I think of the colours on an insect's wing Some think me mad, some think me weird I think they look for things to be feared

etc

Group Therapy

I want everyone here at this table To sing out loud if they are able I want everyone here with me To sit and contemplate eternity

I want everyone here in this room To picture themselves as a new broom I want everyone who is currently here To sweep aside all doubt and all fear

It's okay to be crazy

(more ideas out of fold a banana - Phil)

It's okay to be crazy

It's okay to be crazy Deep down everyone is a clown It's okay to be crazy Craziness can make a smile out of a frown

It's okay to be crazy It can be fun to act a bit weird It's okay to be crazy It really is nothing to be feared

It's okay to be crazy You may find it quite liberating It's okay to be crazy Just do it and stop deliberating

It's okay to be crazy It can definitely be lots of fun It's okay to be crazy Don't worry if you're the only one

Don't worry if others think you terribly odd Crazy people are actually a lot closer to God

Untitled?

Lately I've been going mad Walking around. Looking sad. Telling stories of aliens in my brain They will lock me up because I'm insane

(sung)

My Life as a subatomic particle

Poems written in July

Depression

Black mood Black day Black life Black world Black thoughts Black dreams Black Black Black I cannot hide from the blackness It is inside me I cannot run from the blackness It will divide me Down Down Down In the black hole I drown Drowning in my own blackness No hope No future No light No fight No life I drown

A plea for understanding

Don't think me unfriendly Don't think me unkind It's hard to be warm and smiling While battling the demons in my mind

My Life as a subatomic particle (unfinished)

I am a proton inside your brain Part of the network that keeps you sane Electrons fly around me in a crazy whirl I am part of the glue that makes up your world

You cannot see me because of my current size There are limits to what you can spot with human eyes I am not quite invisible, just unimaginably small A billion times smaller than your average golf ball

I'm not actually a particle in the usual sense The forces around me generally keep me tense I am governed by the principle of uncertainty So I'm sure you can relate very easily to me

Like you, I am really a manifestation of energy Inside my atomic world time passes very slowly The rules of my world were uncovered by Einstein and others Quarks, leptons and muons are just some of my brothers

A long time ago, in a galaxy very far away I lived inside a star, that's where I thought I'd stay In an instant my comfortable existence seemed over As my home simply exploded into a super nova

As a proton I have surely travelled around I used to be part of the vibrations of sound I have lived inside dozens of creatures Versatility is just one of my many features

The real world is everything you never see An invisible realm is your true reality You never see the air that sustains you A thought is born and dies beyond view

So here I am now living inside your head I will reside here until after you are dead Then as your flesh dissolves and decays I will become part of the earth for countless days

Then I will continue my great cosmic journey If you are ever reborn, I will still be turning I may even be in some of the food that you eat Being back in your brain would be such a treat

Idle Thoughts

I spin my name I spin my number I spell them out In silent slumber I learn to speak I start to scream I want to fall Into the icy stream I count the stars I lose my way I wake in cold Inside all day I fall from grace I start to wonder I call your name It starts to thunder I drift through walls I dance on clouds I spin the wheel I calm the crowds I grab your hand It seems so small In such a world I have it all

Stream of Consciousness # 47

You were there in a chair With no home or a care Cars in cases on Chinese lakes Total discipline is what it takes Formless, nameless, cold and wet I forget and that's where I met In the field the rabbits learn Burning burning they fall asleep Folks in cars drop their cigars Jackets and hats and golden smiles Tigers in pyjamas talking to crocodiles Early in the day the monkeys decide to play Indifferent and stolen from the next tree Bananas and oranges and the old cotton field Handled with care in a jar of cement The demons in my mind are playing their games Indecent armies parading their angry flames Allowing and empowering as they fold a candle This episode ends with a book on the table

Our little trip

On a grey Melbourne day we set off for the sanctuary Built by William Ricketts earlier this century Gilbert, Owen and Dijana to name just a few Yvonne, Rebecca and Geoff came along too

We packed all the food into tight little bags Stopping from time to time to light up some fags Soon we were climbing up Mount Dandenong The air was so fresh. The birds were in song

Our lunch was eaten in the carpark at noon Someone it seems had forgotten the spoon This oversight did not cause an unruly scene Which would have spoiled a place so serene

We paid our money and went in through a gate Rebecca rushed around like a white rabbit who's late The rest of us strolled slowly along every path Looking in wonder at brother William's art

The statues all grow out of the very rock At first this comes as a bit of a shock Soon you relax and feel quite at ease This place has an aura that surely does please

A poem about Owen started to brew in my head Based on a few of the things that he said I never knew he was as warped as us too Suddenly I saw him as one of our crew

Most of the figures have a calm, relaxed pose Untroubled about wearing very few clothes Hands, feet and bodies all remarkably real I suspect our presence is something they can feel

Some of the grottos have archways I'll mention That appear to be portals to another dimension This idea may sound a bit strange to you At the time we felt it could surely be true

As a group we continued but stopped now and then To inspect some more figures of possums and men The eyes in their heads have that far-away gaze Dijana knows just what I mean by that phrase

They seem to be more than mere stone and wood You'd swear they can hear you and tell if you're good We took a few photos to prove we were there But I'll never forget those eyes that just stare

They stare into a distant time and another place When everyone had that serene look on their face A look that speaks of such pure, inner peace William seems to have captured it with ease

They look not at you or through you but past you Back to a time when the world was quite new With none of our modern stress and commotion When walking around was the commonest motion

I felt my mind wandering back to that dreamtime Where everything had its own reason and rhyme William Ricketts must have been so connected To all of the creatures that he so respected

This really is a place you should see You may not view it quite the same as me In time we all walked back to the car We drove to the lookout which was not too far

We parked for a while without having to pay Grateful to Dijana for her own special way She has a delightful talent for being vague Which she quite often turns to good advantage

In the mist, the city seemed a distant mirage A ghostly illusion with nobody in charge It started to rain but I didn't mind one bit We found a nice spot to chat and to sit

The conversation took its usual course As if we were part of some great unseen force We laughed and we quite lost track of time I felt we were part of a nursery rhyme

On the drive back the lively discussion went on We talked about the nature of time and reincarnation Aliens, Easter Island, Jules Verne, and personality I felt everyone was on the same wavelength as me

Driving on past galleries, tea houses and little shops This is usually the stage where our energy drops But as a group we stayed wide awake As Owen decided which road to take

Reading William's poems from the book that we bought We realised he was a man apart from the usual sort The foundation of his life was a very old recipe Love every creature was his simple philosophy

We could all learn something from this eccentric Who made his home out of wood rather than brick He shared his days with the animals and trees He never married which explains his pure peace

William Ricketts died in Nineteen Ninety Three I'm sure his spirit still dwells in this vicinity Try to come along to visit his fine works Like most artists he sure had a few quirks

His video is available at the park's front office It may be well worth your while to purchase To see what he looked like when he was around You'll find his voice has a transcendent sound

Too soon we were back in civilisation All were left with the same realisation We'd all been time travelers just for one day All of us need a sanctuary for our spirits to play

16th April 1999 Words by Geoff Allen Inspiration provided by Gilbert, Owen, Dijana, Rebecca, Yvonne, and William Ricketts

Wide awake at 3 AM

I was glorified and petrified in the forest I was normalised and testified in your eyes I fell boldly and coldly from the moon I walked backwards while holding a spoon

I sang silently and politely in the cave I found sixteen ways to fill the day I drowned in beauty and fresh showers I grew as a weed among the flowers

I played in the secret hallways of your mind I rose skyward in a shaft of golden light I saw all the peoples of the world Gathering on hilltops during the cold night

I whispered to angels and saw them smile I wished for harmony and the echoes of laughter I felt sweet agonies deep in my soul I quietly dreamed the bliss of the ever after

What is Time

Hours, seconds, minutes and years The passage of time is one of our fears They say time passes but is this true? Is time something we all move through?

Does time flow or does it wander? These strange questions I will ponder You say your time is running out There's no need to scream or shout

Time is built on twelve paradoxes It flows downhill and into boxes If you feel you're running late Think of time as curved not straight

Time bends your mind into its own shape Its many layers are like a window drape Open the curtains and you may find Time is a product of your rational mind

Withdrawal

I used to complain about my mutilated life Until I looked out at the trouble and strife Going on all over this wide, troubled world In the foetal position I'll stay tightly curled

This will protect me from all the pain Or maybe I'd be better off totally insane Of this cruel world I'd be not aware I could roam free without a care

Mystery Woman

I remember her eyes Eyes that hypnotise Eyes that looked deep Deep into my soul I couldn't help myself From looking back Looking back Deep into her soul We were locked Locked in an eternal stare I was mesmerised I was hypnotised It lasted a moment It lasted forever Our spirits merged Merged and combined What paradise would I find It was a moment A moment so sublime Was it a dream Too good to be true Was she an angel Sent to give me a clue I don't know and I don't care I'm still locked Locked in that eternal stare

Schizophrenia (earlier version)

Walking around in a plastic dream I look into the mirror and scream Tormented by demons and unseen forces My mind is wild like stampeding horses

Why is it so Does anyone know Who is to blame Is everyone the same

I used to walk down the street And scream at everyone I meet So they locked me away From the world ev'ry day

I crawled through the walls So they showed me some normals They strangled my mind To help me unwind

I am a human experimental life-form My blood flows backwards to keep me warm My eyes have seen the truth inside In truth there is no place to hide

I used to think I was a robot from outer space With wires in my head and a little plastic face I used to believe that I had such magic powers Which I would gladly practice for many hours

I used to think ants were crawling on my brain I stared at the world and only saw the pain I used to see monsters and ghosts everywhere I stayed inside and I continued the stare

The world drags me underground I feel like I'm already drowned I suffocate in the open air I fall down and don't even care

I watch all the people silently screaming In a world of delusions the tears are streaming While fools and lunatics lead them astray Into endless cycles of work and of play

People ask me if I can save the world I tell them to leave all the flags unfurled People ask me about my frozen lifetime I tell them not to believe in the crime

People ask me about the human mysteries I tell them to jump up into the trees People ask me about the human struggle I tell them they should blow more bubbles

People ask me about the stars in the sky Which vanish in the twinkling of an eye My choice is the choice of lifetimes Your choice is the choice of new crimes

In my mind I build a green forest Where monkeys frolic and birds nest The forest is real in every sense No need for alarms or even a fence

Identity Crisis (also been rewritten substantially)

I am a magnetic point of light I am an insect in a field of snow I fight to set things right My thoughts begin to glow

I call myself the ancient warrior I am a knight in borrowed armour I crawl upon this icy land Sparks fly out from my hand

I am shattered and reconstructed Every pathway seems disconnected Reality dissolves as I grab it Like some careless alien bandit

I am a horse with no rider I am a wizard without a spell I am a rock without a spider I am a bucket in the wishing well

Ideas and possibilities flower In a staggering electric shower Endless words and nameless ways Fill the air with ghostly haze

I am not worried by this sight It arrives on its nightly flight I wait in quiet expectation I welcome it with hesitation

I am a rope twisted and cut I am priest alone in a tiny hut I am sun without a planet I am a freely spinning magnet

These four walls cannot hide me With a million words to guide me Madness never comes too soon I hold on tight to the internal tune

Fellow Traveler

Gilbert walks upon this earth He has done so since his birth His mind is full of wondrous stories All about the lost and ancient glories

Gilbert looks after his young daughter Right from wrong he has surely taught her I met her one day with her heart of gold In what magic ways will her future unfold

Gilbert wanders through uncharted lands He seems to have an artist's hands And wonders about all things divine Is his quest much the same as mine

Tell me Gilbert, have you seen God In his footsteps have you trod I wish you well and bon voyage I hope your spirit continues its charge

The minutes tick by

ERMHA has two consumer meetings per week A path to a brighter future is what we seek Seven or more souls all gathered in one room Fighting our way through impenetrable gloom

Led by King David, his voice so commanding He helps us along with our understanding Will we find answers or will we not Well at least the tea is usually hot

It's not always serious, sometimes we tell jokes Believe me. It's true. I wouldn't lie to you folks I am now in a position to confirm the rumour That some of the staff have a warped sense of humour

Come along to our meetings and give us a hand You will hear more details of what is planned Your opinions and desires are important to us But if you come along be sure not to cuss

What is a poem

What is a poem Just words on a page What is a poem Sentences in a cage

What is a poem I'm sure I don't know What is a poem A seed that may grow

It may grow in ways the poet never intended If every phrase remains open ended It may lay dormant for a thousand years Then spring into life to dissolve all fears

Just between you and me There are many things a poem can be It can be a pile of meaningless words Or send your soul flying among the birds

Life itself is a poem Written by us all The young and the old The short and the tall

Life is a poem Written each day With all that you do And all that you say

Life is a poem Let's write it well We can make a Heaven Out of any Hell

Life is a poem Let's join yours and mine Combine all our verses Who cares if it rhymes

Life is a poem Come write it with me Some of the words Are in you but not me

Life is a poem This one must end Before too long Write yours with a friend

Fate

People wonder about the spiritual connections Extending in outward and inward directions There really are no accidents or co-incidences In each one of our various circumstances

The souls around you can help light the way Learning from them is possible each day Listen to the voices both outward and inner You'll find your approach is already a winner

With heart and mind open you'll know who to trust In this way your soul will never develop a crust I wish you well on your spiritual quest If you get tired you know just how to rest

Send your mind off to that far-away land You may see my mates who will offer a hand Returning refreshed and sparkling new Each infinite moment will send you its clue

Listen to Deepak as he talks of Merlin and Arthur You'll feel as if your soul is making a departure He advises us all to seek the wizard within Just hearing his voice can make your head spin

Like William Ricketts his voice is transcendental The message he gives is pure and fundamental Universal love is the path we should all seek Not just an idea for one day of the week

Is he the teacher we have all been awaiting Or just one of many I seem to be anticipating Maybe the true teacher is always with us If we can seek the silence away from the fuss

The Living Nightmare

What is schizophrenia? I hear you all ask. To capture it in words is an impossible task Imagine a nightmare that just never ends Nobody can wake you, not even your friends

A hundred conversations going on in your mind You can't tell what's real. They're all intertwined You feel some external force controls every thought You're in some great cosmic battle that has to be fought

At its worst it is just indescribable torture For what sins have I been cruelly brought here As if your soul itself is being stretched on a rack You can't tell who is making this monstrous attack

Alone and confused with nowhere to turn An unknown assailant causes your spirit to burn Burning as if you are walking through Hell You wonder if anyone will even hear you yell

Sometimes the chaos subsides in your head You feel like a ghost already dead As if your heart has just stopped beating Even this calm is relatively fleeting

You pray for the bliss of annihilation Such is the depth of relentless desperation Drowning in misery, you surface for air Only to be dragged back down in despair

This is what schizophrenia is. Be quite sure It is all I describe and a whole lot more Some kill themselves when they can no longer endure The medicines do help but they are no real cure

Yet those of us who emerge through to the other side Bring you a message that we just cannot hide As a race, we humans have simply lost touch The stress of our journey has become far too much

As a race, we humans have gone off the track I wonder if there is any way back As a race, we humans have quite lost the plot Adrift at sea without even a yacht

Our focus on all we can touch and can see Has distracted us all from our true destiny Materialism is truly humanity's madness The real cause of the world's current sadness

We are all of one spirit. It lies deep within It's very simple. All of us lose or all of us win. We've proved to ourselves that God doesn't exist But does anyone truly want to live as an atheist

So that when you die you just disappear That certainly would be something to fear To see all this wonder as just pure chance And every thought results from a chemical dance

As I now see it, society as a whole Is slowly dying from cancer of the soul I wonder if there is a simple remedy "Love one another" seems a good one to me

This may sound simplistic or just a dream You might say my head is full of whipped cream Dreams can come true if you dream long enough Maybe our problems aren't impossibly tough

A promise

Maree, Maree what can I say I have no poem for you today I tried my best, I really did Maybe you should offer me a few quid

Sometimes the words just fall onto the page But nothing is coming, not at this stage Maybe I should just give it a rest Until I'm back to my very best

I'll write you something, honest I will Sometimes I feel like such a dill Until I do, keep your spirits up I may soon drink from inspiration's cup

So cheer up Maree, things could be worse I haven't yet captured your spirit in verse Whenever I do, you'll hear of it first Make me a cuppa, I'm dying of thirst

Words

Words can hypnotise Words can criticise Words can send your spirit soaring Words can be so dull and boring

Words can make you laugh or cry Words can mean hello or goodbye Words can set your pulse to racing Or solve the problems you are facing

Words can tear your soul apart Words can mend a broken heart Words can wound as well as heal Depending on the way you feel

Words can make your head just spin Words can let the sunshine in Words can confuse the sharpest mind Words can bring light to the blind

Words can label things yours and mine Words can illuminate the divine Words can send you off to sleep Or give you a precious memory to keep

Words have their own energy and magic Words describe the wondrous and the tragic Words can never do these things Unless your heart and soul have wings

The River of Lost Souls

Here I am. Back again. In the river of lost souls Who can you turn to when nobody has a clue Drowning in the river of lost souls

I look around me at the scared and lonely faces Some try to pretend they are not really lost Others find themselves in such ghastly places In the end we all pay the full cost

I was on an island so peaceful and calm I forgot about the river filled with lost souls Now I have once more been grabbed by the arm To be dragged down into the blackest of holes

This cannot be happening. No, not again. I walked among angels, now I have fallen Is there a way out of this cold, dark den No longer can I hear Tibetan bells calling

I swim against the current but it is too much So I collapse and drift lifeless downstream It seems I have lost that simple magic touch I have no energy left even to manage a scream

Waiting For Dianne

"I'll just be thirty seconds", Dianne said I've been waiting long enough to bake some bread Dianne has her own unique concept of time I think she must live in a nursery rhyme

No, wait. I have it. Suddenly I can see This really isn't an unsolved mystery Dianne's situation is something I fully understand Like Alice before her, she lives in her own Wonderland

Where time runs slower or faster according to whim You may see a fellow whose hat has a wide brim I wonder if that is where Dianne is currently Sitting and chatting at the Mad Hatter's tea party

To keep up with Dianne you'll need to be keen You may even need to invest in a time machine Or find a collapsed star with a very special role I hear time distorts when you're near a black hole

Using Dianne's concept of time, you should know Those dinosaurs all perished about five minutes ago The big bang happened in the middle of last week And tomorrow the earth will be handed over to the meek

So wave to Dianne as she passes you by You'll wonder if time really does fly It's not her fault as we all can see She lives in a different time zone from you and me

If you find yourself waiting for Dianne Just take note of this simple plan Don't count the seconds or wait by the door If you are patient, you'll find that she's worth waiting for

Another sanctuary

Three weeks after William Ricketts We went to Helesville and heard some crickets With Dijana and Owen I felt a sense of d�j� vu I wondered if this little trip would be magical too

We crowded into the bus. I sat facing the wrong way This is nothing new for me - I do it every day Desmond and Mark chatted with me as we sat Mark's jokes made us grin like that Cheshire cat

Sasha drove us on past dams, autumn trees and grapevines The conversation followed its customary lines We trusted our driver and our navigator I was sure we would arrive sooner or later

Before we knew it we were parking the bus Some ibis were there in the carpark to greet us Mark remembered that famous scene from Psycho He picked up a large knife and joked with us so

Dianne had kindly arranged free entry for us all She could not make the trip which made our hearts fall We must remember to give thanks to Dianne I'm sure I speak for every woman and man

Bernie and Barbara were our guides for the day First we saw koalas who sleep 18 hours a day Bernie said we could learn much form these creatures Stress and confusion form no part of their features

Our next destination was the birds of prey Not something that you see every day First up was a kite with its effortless flight Then came an owl who hunts in the night

The wedge tailed eagle was the biggest we saw With razor sharp talons and wide wings that soar I'd hate to be a mouse in a field at play These eagles can spot them from a mile away I wondered how it feels to have that gift of flight Sometimes I manage it in my dreams at night Perhaps I'll come back as an eagle or a dove Taking to the air is something I'd love

We then wandered along to see some reptiles One lizard was exercising in the strangest of styles Unlike us humans they rarely dash about Someone said they can teach us to chill out

Brolgas seem to know something of romance The males woo their partners with a ritual dance They mate for life and go to live in a marsh With none of our crazy desire to rush

Dijana thought the echidnas were quite cute But don't hug one or the pain will be acute Strolling around we saw dingoes and wombats Some platypus and parrots but absolutely no cats

We stopped for our lunch at a picnic table Fresh food was prepared as soon as we were able It was so pleasant to share this meal together While enjoying another day of sunny autumn weather

After lunch we decided we had wandered enough Some went to the shop to purchase some stuff Gary's shirt had an eagle's image upon it That seemed to convey the bird's spirit

Reflecting on the day, I came to one conclusion Mankind seems to be the only one lost in confusion These birds and other creatures could teach us a lot They may even be able to help us retrieve the plot

Geoff Allen

12-5-99

Back to main page