The Golden Tree called Dementia

 My late post.

Salute.

Failing memory and old age. 

I once talked to a man who said he could remember what he did twenty-five years ago, but not what he did two minutes ago. 

Such a tragic thing but they still shine so bright. 

This is for you, William. 

Salute. 

The Old Man.

I once walked tripping through LSD Strawberry Fields forever 

As the Beetles sang

In good old 1967

Danced in the hot Summer of Love

Watching some my old musical heroes 

Some now in heaven

Janis Joplin

The Who

Joe Cocker and the legendary Phoenix

Jimi Hendrix played

Woodstock in Sixty-nine 

When free love didn't cost a penny or dime

I was young ready and I stayed alive 

Listening to the 

Bee Gees in the Seventies

I relaxed with Frankie and his Two Tribes in The Eighties 

While Princess Diana got married with all the pomp and regal festivities

Flew a kite on holiday with my first love 

With our holy Madonna 

Listening like a virgin on my new Walkman

As her wild music awakened rather strange urges

All those memories 

I still love 

But now they slowly fall like wind-swept golden leaves 

From my memory tree

And all I can do 

Is watch as they are slowly burnt as they are set free

It's a tragic thing being that solitary thing 

That not only I can see

As this dreadful disease consumes every single beautiful memory of me

But my Memory tree still has so many golden leaves 

That I still live 

And in a wilful celebration of inner strength

To  you dearest reader 

This is one of my last poems

 I chose to give

Remember me and be happy 

For one day

You might forget all the beautiful things

You once did

When you truly lived  

William Wildchurch

The Third

From Somewhere in Toronto

Canada

(C)

Copyright John Duffy

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The Voicemail left for Monica

(A lone voice whispers)  

Don't disguise your profound love for me

With such acts of disdain

But later tonight  

When it gets late

Let my mind

Reach out as I send it  

And touch you

Through my supernatural senses

To soothe any pain  

That may remain

To reach out

To gently touch  

And caress

Your inner core and silhouette

To unlock  

That secret lock

To the very doorway  

To your soul

So I can walk past all the strutting catwalks

Filled with figures

From years and years  

Of so many well-built defences

Until I see the real you

And you give me  

That look

That feverish look that whispers

In an unspoken language

Of a sensuous love

That will come  

Calling

One that can pull you up  

By your coattails

If you're falling

One look that  

No one

Who sees it

Could ever  

Forget

One that paints a fascinating tapestry

Of contrasting images and whispering emotions

Painted with such striking brush strokes

Capturing incredible longing and intensity

Pierre-Auguste Renoir  

Would surly

Dance in the Country

A tapestry vibrating with a symphony of well-orchestrated bodies

Two  

In slow motion

In late-night acts of fingertips and devotion

For true love only comes around

Once in your lifetime

Like when Adam first found Eve

At the Dawn of Time  

In The Garden of Eden

In Zero BC

So Monica  

Here's my number

077532103

Call me

(C)  

Copyright John Duffy

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If Covid was a Senryu

 

(A lone voice whispers)

Sudden Deaths worldwide 

(5)

How can those presenters sleep 

(7)

Hold them to account 

(5)

(C)

Copyright John Duffy 

A senryu must be exactly 3 lines.

Like a Haiku, a senryu must follow the 5-7-5 format:

The first line must have 5 syllables.

The second line must have 7 syllables.

The third line must have 5 syllables.

A senryu focuses on humans and usually contains irony.

It usually focuses on human nature.

It is not written about nature or the seasons.

A senryu does not have to rhyme.

Excess death figures recently released are truly tragic. 

How many were subtly manipulated by paid influencers?

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The Red Rose

 

(A lone voice whispers)  

What in more sensuous exquisite pleasure

Can ever be summoned with such a small act

An incantation spell  

Of eight spoken letters

Called

I Love You

To create such life-changing endeavours  

What's beyond all earthy countermeasures or oppressors

What stands valiantly  

Perpetually bare and naked

Before all lost souls

Whose essences pleads and  

Cries for its devotion

Its

Affection  

Appreciation  

Fondness  

Friendship  

Infatuation  

Lust  

Passion  

Respect  

Tenderness

And its other pheromone-linked spiritual yearnings

Have you too been before its alabaster ancient altar

Said all you wanted your version of love to be

When you felt some unfamiliar virginal stirrings

Then prayed to disappear within its congregation's sway

To hold onto its secret handshake

Through its gift of a single free spiritual Red Rose

That it always gives away

Or did you oppose

And return all its regal advice

And dismiss all those soul-changing stirrings

And cut up its freely offered Red Rose

Its invitation and gateway

Its secret handshake

With your sharp judgemental knife

To put out any fires which may have started burning  

Did new lies or old emotions

Lingering like limpets  

From old relationships afar

Cause you to then  

Fall

Like a wounded soldier  

  

In one of the world's many civil wars

Did a new chance   

A Greek Goddess's

Exotic taste of sweet  

Redemption

Bring no  

Much needed salvation

Did that new prize within reach

Cause  

Old tears of guilt or hidden suppressed pain

To rise like a typhoon  

Without resistance  

And fall like rain  

Or did you embrace that beautiful new gift

That unexpected surprise at sunrise

A priceless Red Rose and caught all those old tears

In motion  

And bade them froze

Before they became an ocean

Does the sentence

Love appears when it's needed

To supersede all emotions

Even if it's once been cheated on

And will try to stay forever  

If welcomed and greeted

Create something in you

A stirring that you will never oppose

As you accept the chance of new love and eventually

Embrace

Its secret handshake and free gift

Of a Red Rose

(C)  

Copyright  

John Duffy

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The Enlightened Man

(A lone voice whispers)

Who am I 

To try to tame her 

That wild beautiful angel 

Who came 

Like a luminous ball of thunderous explosive emotions 

Into my life 

An angel

An incredible design of the deep divine 

Who claimed she 

Was all mine

Who am I

A circus ringmaster

Like so many others I know

A woman 

Is a gift from God

If she's the one

To be forever

treasured

Wherever you go

Her smiles 

Miseries or plights

Are to be embraced or soothed with empathy and compassion 

Throughout all those long nights

There might be 

Circus ringmasters

Out there

Dominant and truly 

Unfair 

But I'm just a man

Punching above 

My weight

Cherishing her

Like my holy

Morning prayer

Through emotional 

Thunderstorms 

Engaged

Within this beloved

Love affair 

Our joining 

A symbolic union 

Bestowed 

By fate

This majestic love who

Came to me of

Late

Requires more than

Harsh words

And phrases 

Used by other fools

Who stand proudly by their Garden of Eden 

Gates 

She should be serenaded instead

Like the seraphim 

She embodies 

Whilst she ages

Away from segregation 

Or persecutions

For foolish 

Ringmasters 

Always lose their prize 

Me

I hold mine 

Close

In every way 

Beyond 

Masculine definitions

But within circles of 

Understanding 

Without permission 

For the only ringmaster 

I'm in control 

Of 

Is my life

And all 

As it slowly 

Unfolds

Tasked to walk 

Together with 

Her 

To whatever 

Future of beholds

Equality perpetually 

Singing

Its soft sonnets

As we step over 

Its invisible thresholds 

As lonely

Ringmaster's

Cling onto their empty chests

Of Fools Gold

As their love 

Grows cold

(C)

Copyright John Duffy 

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The Sailors Story

 

(A lone voice whispers)

Eighteen

With no Plan B

I met Annalise

Marylou Brown

In downtown

Los Angeles 

When I ran headfirst into love

In O'Raffertys

Who I thought would be 

The first and only love of my life

After joining the Navy

And serving at sea

While on leave

And then she owned me

Sent and spent all my money

On her

Bought a big old farm in Texas

Big car

Then she left me

After 7 years 

Taking the house

The car 

Even took Betty Boo

Our famous cow

But like my brother

Straus says

Those that play away

Those that do as the Devil says

Those that love a taste of the Devils cake

Will never be happy

Buy another house and a new cow

Announce to your old spouse 

You're happy for them

And watch them

Ask to return

Again 

Then tell them it's too late

For you've too

Met someone else

So maybe 

All this was fate

(C)

Copyright John Duffy

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From Gaslighting to Freedom

 

(A lone voice sings) 

Did you believe

I was going to really truly 

Leave

Just one of life's seemingly 

Many lost souls

Always on patrol 

Full of indecisions and strange decisions

But when constantly pushed

Full of new wisdom and newer transitions

Oh how I bet you wished 

You hadn't pushed all those buttons

Told me strange stories and convincing lies

Said it's your imagination 

You're seeing things that aren't there

To help me make those 

Seemingly unconquerable revisions

To finally find the real strength 

To see through the mists

Maybe now that I'm free 

I can grow and bloom

 

For those old chains are now truly broken 

Lying in our old bedroom

And I'm no longer living in your own Medieval Inquisition 

I'm now free from your Gaslighting

No longer unhappy or constantly fighting

No longer delusional

But walking with happiness and peace

Reunited

My future's bright 

For I've seen the light

You're now never welcome

For with this song

I finally cast you out

Now go

Walk out of this room

Take all your suitcases

And gaslighting

And watch this red rose

Bloom

(C)

Copyright John Duffy

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A lone voice whispers

  

Now my life's great party's over and this Black Hole  

I now live within 

Ruled over by Father Sin  

Which just loves to breathe me out and in

Like the silver flutes once did 

When I used to walk by 

And watch the Marching Majorettes

One of the bands in Manhattan play 

As they twirled their shiny batons 

Oh, what I wouldn't give in this loud sound of silence

  

To quieten this pain that still hurts the most  

Even though I'm now just another lonely ghost

To revisit those moments and my cherished memories of you 

For they will always be my immortal home 

As I wait 

Sat here 

To atone

 

I used to pray that I'd wake up free from this asylum 

In the warm arms of my beloved 

But now lost Angel 

But no matter how hard the memories 

Or even how painful 

I'll keep it as a happy place

Filled with all her love and photographs 

So, I'll just wait here 

In a hidden place 

Found on no handwritten or drawn road maps 

 

Somewhere 

As I flutter my white flag of defeat  

In the cold and hot heat 

Of The Great In-Between 

 

Lingering by these bright lights 

Like I was walking on the Moon 

Kicking up broken white stones 

 

Singing sad songs for the hordes 

Standing in the creepy shadows 

Watching me crying like a wounded King 

 

Come Back   

Don't fear you won't fall 

They all chant as their Golden Bell rings 

 

The Crying Game needs feeding 

The eleven-inch nails need pulling out to stop the bleeding 

 

Stay with us 

The Nameless Things   

We who whisper and sing in the Dark 

All around you 

 

But all by myself 

I'll try to stay alive 

Somehow 

 

They can keep their Poison and Red Wine 

Their Civil Wars 

Where even gravity falls 

 

Either way 

Here is my lone call 

 

You'll always be my reason  

My every time  

No matter the seasons 

For all my rivers of memories and worn-out roads 

My heavy head and weary heart 

 Always lead me 

Riding in paper boats

Back to you

 In this mad mad world 

Even though now everything has fallen apart 

Just like us two

A pair of Father Times many heartbroken sweethearts

Trying to find our way out of the dirt

To somewhere

Special 

Where time stops and nothing ever hurts 

 

(C)

Copyright John Duffy

The Virgin of Lucca Speaks

 

(A lone voice whispers) 

Sometimes

You all can lose your faith in life

Through whatever hardships you endure

While you're alive

Standing 

Seemingly lost 

Hopefully despondent 

But one thing always remains

Even if you're seen to be rich or poor 

You all pray for salvation 

If you're really honest

In the ensuing silence 

Whenever you feel totally lost and abandoned

For God so loved the world

Depending on your faith

He gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish 

But have eternal life

So says John 3: 16 and will you listen as I speak 

For like an ancient guardian of loves

Hidden Libraries 

In the sometimes unreachable Red Church

Like a libertine

Faith

Once came to me

With indulgence sensations whenever I felt weak

Appearing like an apparition 

Mysteriously rising right out of the blue

We opened up together such new to me

Beguiling well-read winter green bibles 

And old well-thumbed books

Beyond the reach of all the jealous eyes 

Who desired to look and all the unruly Zodiac signs

It may be all lost now

In these ever-swirling winds of time

But those resounding

memories still always remain

Of bygone days 

In the creeping shadows of my past

When you were just mine

And I prayed upon your altar nightly

All those empowering memories still linger

And will forever last

So just pray for me still

Send strength and belief to me and my guardian angels

As my red pill

For I'll always return on time

To reopen old books and new bibles 

In your Red Church

No matter how broken I feel

For we are all born sinners 

No matter what we chose in life 

For so many things or people can appear to be soft

But are just a gateway to something so treasonous

We just have to conquer all those demons that can suddenly appear 

On the sometimes lonely road to self-recovery and eventually salvation 

No matter how hard we fight or avoid facing our fears

To hopefully arrive somewhere 

So sacred 

That the healing hands of the Almighty

Can reach down and forgive us 

As we once again 

Walk with Our Lady of Sorrows

So we can find the strength to find hope

To cope with whatever comes 

In all our tomorrows

So

Let us adore and give thanks 

To our God

Of choice 

In my case 

My Father, and to hail 

Mother Mary

When her 

I'll finally see and glory be

 

Until then

Be safe and well

My beloved reading friend

And let's depart until the next time 

With an auspicious

Amen

(C)

Copyright John Duffy

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Channelling Ames

 

Press play before reading.

Salute.

(A lone voice whispers)   

Remember me

For I've been trapped in a dark place  

Beyond painful thoughts 

And loves many war crimes  

But still, 

I'll rise and begin to climb  

I'll climb higher to a new place 

Through this burning fire and melting ice

Past my old pain 

Whatever comes  

Whatever happens

Right past all the friendly liars

Whatever transpires

I'll say my faithful goodbyes 

To all my worldly deniers  

For I've heard so many sad things

And sung drunk 

And danced alone 

To some famous love songs  

Filled with my heart with sorrow and gin 

Until it nearly broke 

And relived so many wrongs  

Which echo and sing 

Deep inside as I wander 

And think 

Throughout this grey swirling smoke  

My old friend  

Mother Depression 

Shows me those painful signs 

Still lingering within my mind 

All the time  

Signs of my once-lived life's 

True reflections  

But I'll survive 

And I'll rise 

Even though 

I may feel down  

For I've acted out my life 

On so many big stages  

Throughout its crazy 

Life-changing ages  

But I'll grow back 

To how I used to be  

To be brave enough 

To face the New World 

And whoever 

I'll see  

I might still feel trapped 

In that dark place  

Beyond anyone's thoughts 

And crimes  

But still, 

I'll rise 

And begin to climb  

For when this grey mist 

Finally lifts  

I know I'll still be remembered 

As one of life's 

Twenty-seven

Priceless Gifts  

Just this time around 

I'll be climbing higher

Climbing higher 

To reach new places 

Hidden in time  

Where I can unashamedly 

Stand proud and recall 

A previous lifetime 

That was once all mine  

Before I go on to an 

Original place

Where I'll be free  

Wherever I look 

As far 

As the eye can see  

Just remember me 

For I'll soon be better  

No longer hiding 

But just singing 

A new melody  

This is my heart's love song 

And glory  

As I'm now free 

To tell one of my life's 

Many stories  

One where I'll sing 

Endlessly 

When I enter that new day 

Spent 

No longer crying  

You wait 

It's my life's only decree

For I'm now rising 

Higher  

I might have been 

Once trapped 

In crazy drug-fueled 

Places  

But still, 

I'll rise above all crimes  

Just you wait and see  

For there's a new life 

That's waiting 

Just for me  

In here  

Now I've accepted 

I'm just another soul  

Living in the hidden realms 

And grey swirling smoke 

Of The Great In-Between  

(C)

Copyright John Duffy

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Where do these words appear from, you may silently 

Ask

My beloved mother was psychic, so now I'm just another channeller

Hearing and writing about strange and familiar voices

Wearing my ancestor's mask