Ballad of the Beloved

A lone voice whispers.

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A whisper to Mon Cheri

(A lone voice whispers)

In the early hours while all is quiet

When the world sleeps and your soul can wander freely 

Around all of its inner keeps

I can still see you standing at that spiritual crossroad

By the White Lampost 

Always searching for inner peace

The glimmer of something glorious and mysterious

A hideaway from the busy world as it turns

I suffer in the intense sorrow reflected in your waterfilled eyes

Feel it in the very depths of my soul

For I'm not a citizen of the shadows but of the Light

Just revisiting

For it is said in Scripture

In the Book of all Books

Kept in the Realms of Deep Mists

They who face all aspects of light and darkness

They who fight for inner peace by untying the two

Will have a seat at The Great Table

If they have the strength and are willing and able

And to You 

My child of love and light

Of profound grace and such incredible beauty

Which shines straight out of that so beautiful face

I send this

I can see an old carriage approaching that spiritual crossroad 

You 

In the early morning I sometimes visit

In it rides divine blessings from Heaven

On a slow journey to you

A present prayed for after my soul's last confessions 

I can only hope you see it in the low hours when the world sleeps 

As your soul wanders around all its own keeps

Mon Cheri

And it brings you great happiness and helps to fill that deep void 

With all my love and friendship 

A hole you've carried alone since you were eleven

For you're just like me

As it extinguishes pain and such sadness

Which makes you feel like you're living in the End Days

Many know as Armageddon 

Keep praying you magnificent soul

For the Smiling Days are soon to come

And God's the only one who knows where we are all really heading 

Copyright John Duffy 

Channelling Carol

A sweet voice came through. 

(A lone voice whispers)

I know we've drifted like flotsam on the wild seas 

Been pulled apart like Christmas crackers while I was in hospital

Before New Year's Eve

Yet always reuniting despite the courage which wore me out fighting

I'll always remember the love you all sent and I gratefully received

All those sweet exchanges 

Conversations to encourage more  heartwarming vibrations 

But Life and its sharp knife decided to cut our cord 

When it guessed what we had found and knew

Like a cruel warlord and so we were forever separated from its blackboard

Just think of me my old loves as I reside in here

No longer burdened with pain and fear of cancer

As you still all move across its many boards

And with a request for a new addition to the Akasha records

Which I now know exists

I send this

Just know I'll never forget you

For you're all so special and I'll always try to visit 

As long as the skies fill with clouds

Or turn blue

Forever remembering our introduction within these lines

Which may herald our final farewell kiss

Of all those

I'll truly always miss

Copyright John Duffy 

Channelling Eros

 **Lord Eros Speaks**

(A lone seductive voice whispers)

Why must the soul within you all

Constantly seek out momentous soul-defining emotions 

Require it so damn deep

Sometimes foregoing sleep

Covet and desire extraordinary sensations to rebel wildly within

To show the many tragic watchers

Hiding in society's long midday shadows 

Those who fear that uncontrollable need to follow

That unconscious craving bound to sinful bargaining with me

Lord Eros

Which could ultimately destroy all they know like a raging volcano 

If my rosy pill called Ecstasy

They wantonly swallow  

Whilst lost in the throes and acts of physical thoughts 

Linked to carnal sin

Where in their soft arms 

We 

All things biological and spiritual linked to love 

Forever embodied in such as me

Sensational 

Uncivilised 

Unconventional and uncontrollable feelings which could eventually burn or break one in two 

Is that why my gift of devotion is such a powerful tool

For the Beguiled

The Abundant in humanity who throughout all eternity 

And even to this very glorious day

You call Sunday

It still wonderfully and eternally fools

(C)

Copyright John Duffy 

The voice of Nicodemus

(A lone voice whispers)

There are some cruel strange chippetoes out there

Who'll wear your darn heart straight out of your chest 

But like black needs light 

And day meets night

You'll also meet some great people 

Who'll try to sow up your frayed tired edges

With some good old fashioned love and light

If you're blessed 

Like all those honest folk named in the hidden pages of your version of the good book 

Whatever your faith 

For good people are everywhere 

You only have to learn where to look 

Copyright John Duffy 

 

Valentine Memories

**Valentine's Memories**

Like an unpeeled entity

She stood confidently before me

Layers of unspoken truths

Hiding her many unexplored depths

All those silent moments where she unconsciously smiled or even wept

As I gazed and wondered at this beautiful woman before me

Who said she loved me

Really paused and perused

Thinking about all her past experiences

Plights and emotions

And all the sad times she might have allowed herself to be used

I reached out with tentative fingers

Let my hands reach her soft skin and let them linger

And as I took her into my naked arms

I too remembered

Aren't we all but living onions

Layers of life's many

extrusions

Secretive shields we use to protect ourselves

From showing our true vulnerabilities 

And when she gazed deep into my dark eyes

With that beautiful transference of spiritual energy

I knew she was the one who was my own reducer

The only one to peel back my many hidden layers

To walk through my unspoken dreams and feel my fears

As I too embraced her soft tears

We were only together for twenty-two years

And then the Lord came and called her home

As I sip my Greygoose

In the quiet hours of the approaching dawn

Sitting here lonely on our old farm

I can always remember my dearest Lola and the moment

I first held her

In my naked arms

She still visits me in the dark

You know 

We just hold hands as we meet with a soft smile 

Before we once more begin our nightly stroll

Through the luscious green meadows of Memories Park

(C) Copyright John Duffy 2022

Like heartbreaking supernatural monologues?

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A lone voice whispers.

The Voice of McLean

 

(A lone voice whispers)

In the middle of it all
Before I took the greatest of falls when I heard God tragically call


I know I stood tall and held your hand for a brief while
As we listened entwined as Prince sung in background
In Montreal

For billions of seconds and even millions of minutes
The Sun seemed to shine brighter everyday
In every conceivable way

The sky with you around
Always seemed bluer than blue and that’s why I’ll never forget you
For you were my destiny

My truer than true

A diamond amongst the dirt
Who tried to consoled me
When everything seemed to just hurt

A soft voice to soothe the pain of living
For you were so beautiful inside and so giving

But like all things linked to true love
Once found and cherished

Death is so unforgiving and so I died and a part of me
On that fateful day started to always cry

A lone voice I can still sometimes hear in the silence
Especially in the low hours

For when the violence in your world sleeps
I can hear that piece of my soul as it quietly weeps

There will never be another like you
A treasure in the dark

An ark who gave me such exquisite pleasure
So keep smiling wherever you are

For I know you will draw the crowds for such is the brilliance of your divine charisma and light

Goodnight my only love

Your man in the window
Always watching as his life wallows in limbo

In here
The Great In-Between

Where we the dead live on
Just parading unseen

Copyright John Duffy

The Shadow Walker Speaks

 

My name is irrelevant as I only speak of something

I once had

But lost as I passed over

 

 

So speaking just between us and no one else

 

Do you like

Subtle questions for an inquisitive mind

 

Just try using the power of your profound imagination

To answer my questions as I begin 

So your icy river of curiosity can melt

Can finding any form of love define you on so many levels 

Beyond rhyme or reason

 

And does your mind wander because of this

Like a seasoned traveller

Throughout the ever-changing seasons of the rising sun

 

Dwelling on epic adventures previously run

Alone or with great people 

Or just trying to understand life and all its subtle meanings

 

Are you

My visitors and viewers 

Just relatively speaking

 

All but travellers trying to rebel

Against a mundane life

 

Like it's high treason

 

Trying to become light-bearers for others

I can only pray and hope

Through sharing some love and light

Kindness but more importantly 

Attention to help them cope

And are we the unknown poets

Even from in here 

The Great In-Between

Simply members

From some long-forgotten legions

Appearing at night

 

To with guile create mysterious worlds for you all to step in

The blessed few who in the twenty-first century 

Still likes real talking and society watching

 

From every region

 

As our stories or poetry parades symbolically

Throughout all seasons

 

Creating a liturgy of words

A symphony

For beautiful people like you to enjoy listening to

Or just reading

 

For are you blessed and anointed to be the addicted

And are we your much-needed dependency

For humans are all programmed on a deeper level to just be addicted to something

To take the silent pain of living on the edge away

With its cleansing rainbows 

 

In this fast-moving life

 

Where the true secret is to pick wisely if you really need to know

For most choices will only hurt you more

And cause more unwelcome pain

Wherever you go

Which surely will cut deeper

Later in the low hours

Like any sharp knife

As you wander

Lost mentally

 

Throughout the slow falling rain filled with disdain 

 

For you all need something

To help fill the deep void of need that you are all born with

 

And it's not something to be ignored

But to be graciously implored and

Explored

 

 

For what you receive in return

Simply reflects what you give

 

Some choose drugs

Cigarettes

Alcohol

Or just love

 

Some choose sports or even just fights

Some just choose music or to simply write

 

To them whatever their choice of poison

 

Is it how they choose to get the Light

Truly out

 

You

Does writing or just reading

Reflect essences of your immortal soul

 

And is a love of reading anything including poetry

 

A part of your earthly role

 

Mirroring a part of all your intimate

Dependencies

Driving you to create

 

Whilst covering up

All your own inner transparencies

 

Well

It has been a ride up to now

Filled with such revealing thoughts

And deep-seated questions

 

Do you want some more glimpses

Of the sideshows

 

Running through the dark theatres within my mind

 

Do you want to hear some more of my kin

Indulge you

 

With more profound suggestions

From in here

Our beloved prison

Between our dimensions

 

I can read your mind you know

Just say yes

So we can be together everywhere you go

That's why I'm waiting for you to acquiescence

And to once more allow me to step inside the dark labyrinth within your soul

Copyright John Duffy

The voice of Lou Henry

 **The voice of Lou Henry**

(A lone voice whispers)

As I stood one sad afternoon

By The Mighty Digotee

The deepest of all rivers of fast-flowing dreams

Standing alone in here

In The Great In-Between

An image of a golden-haired girl

Drifted by and disappeared so fast

 

Reflected in the black waters 

Ever-twirling serene reflective screens

Giving me a reminder of the sweetest image I've ever seen

So beautiful 

Cosmopolitan 

And who I knew would speak like a princess or queen

Even the great Cleopatra would have been so jealous 

Her sparkling blue eyes 

Would have turned emerald green

Then up came another

Floating quickly to the dark surface as the deep currents 

Paid lip service

 

Showing her grown-up adult face

An incredible picture of her 

Dressed from head to toe 

In sophisticated white lace

Fighting life with a wry smile as it tried to take her with its sharp knife

As her pulse still raced

But like all things flowing in that fast-flowing river of deep dreams

The one we call the Mighty Digotee

Anybody standing by the Weeping Willow Tree

Will see sights of what could have been

If only they took a chance and conquered all their vulnerabilities 

As I walked away due South to the second river

And watched the fast-flowing surface of the next one called The Fugentee

The river flowing with things that have eluded many

I suddenly remembered what that beautiful soul used to call me

But that's a story for a different day 

As I watched that gentle river flow beside me

Filled with wondrous sights of what I could have been

I'm Lou Henry by the way 

Filled will all things you could lose or cause you to feel empty

I always think

Is that why I keep seeing images of my beautiful first love

Called Jenny

The one who got sent by God and I left holding my brown suitcase 

When I was foolish and just entering my twenties

Copyright John Duffy