A Poetic Look at New Year

New Year

By Paul Howlett

New Year dawns, *sigh*

We feeling a little older

Another year gone bye

We attend another party

Just to drink the rye

Bleary eyed, hung over

We face the new year’s day

Always feeling groggy

About the march of life

Making lots of resolutions

Most of them to break

Try to find a solution

For so much at stake

Need to change direction

Make my life more real

Lose weight, exercise

Find that hidden agenda

New job, old job, travel in the wind

Calm the mind, stop listening to the din

Find the voice inside you

Is it the voice of God?

You’ll never know

Lest you take the time

To calm the mind and soul

Let’s all take stock

And get a shock

On this new year’s day

Christmas Lights - a poem

Christmas Lights

By Paul Howlett

Christmas Lights, Christmas Lights

Putting up Christmas Lights

Lots of climbing up and down ladders

Gutter hooks, nails and staples

Anything to attach a lot of cables

Power on, test all the lights

Finding out the black spots

That appear in old lights

Chucking them out in the bin

Feeling that it is such a sin

To throw out such costly products

And chuck it or place it in the bin

Any electrical light or fuzzy gadget

Needs to be in full working order

Feeling the effects of 240 volts is not an option

Lest you appear on St Peters list for devotion

To God, on high, some many years to soon

Back to the Christmas lights, tis a boon

To bring the lights, colour and life

To the Story of Christmas, the story of Christ

Gives joy to the children, parents and all

Forget the shopping, presents and Mall

Christmas is the story, the birth of the Lord

Jesus Christ came to save us all.

Home Renovations

Home Renovations

By Paul Howlett

Early in the morning, just as day was dawning
For me, for me, the tradies were calling
... Banging on the door at 7 am
The start of the working day for them
Oh how I think that I could condemn
That starting time for men of labour
Sleeping in is what I savour
My wife and I are known to tarry late at night
For movies, chat and “together time”, as couple should
Tender times, loving times, times that would
Produce that love that is always needed
For every marriage everywhere
To grow and blossom for all time
To get over the bumps, dirt and grime
To smile, to grin, to have some humour
Laugh at the foul, make light of the night
Have lots of fun, live in the sun
Thank God to be alive, and always strive
To be happy and helpful to one another,
To help your fellow woman, man and mother
And above all, to love each other

Back Home (After the Flood)

Back Home

By Paul Howlett

Back home after the flood

Back home after the flood

Now a new start, if we have the heart

To commence the rebuild

To find a new way, to start a new day

Of living our life, to make things right

We have lots of things to put into place

Our house full of boxes

Making up for our losses

We need to put in place

All that we have...

Taking too much time to let us unwind

Need lot more help to rebuild all the flatpacks

Flatpacks were invented to make one demented

As the instructions a vague making assembly a pain

Lots of angst in the brain, driving me insane.