Poetry and Creative Writing for All

Mark Roope

Winner of our Top 5 Poets of December 2005 Online Competition

Words have always held magical qualities for me from as far back as I can remember.

They are like artists paints which we put down in some kind of order upon a blank canvass to hang on the wall. People may stand back and look at what is there, all seeing something different, but if I stir some kind of emotion then I am happy.

My poetry is a real mixture but usually comes from real life circumstances that I or others have found themselves in. As a Police Officer we often get accused of not understanding or having little emotion. This is often as far from the truth as you can get and the words I write are meant to capture situations to show others they are not alone.

The soldier knew that his time had come and he would die this very morn,
He had even been given an allotted time to go of one minute past the dawn.
An inner calm descended upon this man in the final moments of his life,
As he recounted the unfulfilled dreams he had promised to his dear wife.

The last letter he would ever write was still moist with the tears that he cried,
The words that he wrote would always be there long after this day that he died.
He made her pledge to remind their boys of his love and to kiss them each day,
He vowed to watch them as they grew from the place he would eventually lay.

All around him in these forsaken trenches men and boys alike were crying,
They knew as well as he that their moment had come to start their dying.
The ladders were set and at the sign of the flare they would go up over the edge,
Prayers were muttered to keep them safe and to religion unbelievers did pledge.

The light of fear filled the sky as over they went with men dropping all around,
The battle did rage as they marched on and on to the guns deathly rattle sound.
Through the mud he went till the bullet did hit and he knew his time had come,
Then he heard a voice plead “Daddy don’t die” and knew it was that of his son.

Again he went through the field filled with poppies watching as those around fell,
Knowing that soon a small piece of lead would bring release from this living hell.
The frightened screams were all around as deaths metal brought him to his knees,
When yet again he heard his sons appeal “Don’t go daddy come to me please”

With an inner strength he rose again to see mustard gas explode where he stood,
Finally he fell prostrate once more and his crippled body lie still in the mud.
The pungent smell dug down deep in his lungs and brought a tear to his eye,
And for one last time he heard his wife’s sweet voice “Darling it’s time to die”

As I glanced to the tree with its branches knarred and bear,
I noticed two leaves dancing in the cold winter’s air,
The wind that hollowed tried to play tricks with the two,
First stopping, then blowing, confused as to what it would do,
They did not complain but instead relished the chance,
To use the wind as the music in a mid winters dance.

It drove them apart as they strived to be together once more,
Until in the moonlight they drifted gently down to the floor.
The cruel wind blew its one last breath to force them apart,
But the leaves clung together landing in the shape of a heart,
Now each time I find the wind blowing hard at my face,
I think of that day, and the leaves, in their one last embrace.

Do you feel trapped, unable to leave?
Stuck in a world you no longer believe.

Do you feel, there should be more than this?
When all that’s left is the habitual kiss.

Do you feel, that life has passed you bye?
For no good reason you break down and cry.

Do you feel, so alone and abused?
When all you are is something to use.

Do you feel, there should be so much more?
Captive in a cage behind a wooden door.

Do you feel, dreams are your only release?
The one time you can truly have peace.

Do you feel?

Why daddy, why daddy did you hit mommy and cause her pain,
Why son, why son, she is a woman that brought about distain,
Why daddy, why daddy what did mommy do wrong this day,
Why son, why son she is a woman who did not listen to what I had to say.

Why daddy, why daddy, do you kick mommy so often and so hard,
Why son, why son, she is a woman, a useless lump of lard.
Why daddy, why daddy, does mommy scream so much,
Why son, why son, this is a woman who needs a mans firm touch.

Why daddy, why daddy, when I grow up I want to be strong like you,
Why son, why son, I will be proud and happy if one day you do.
Why daddy, why daddy, I have stopped my baby sister crying,
Why son, why son, what have you done, that kick has left her dying.

Cry my Child

Cry my child and let the tears fall down from your face.
Cry my child for all humanity and what they have done as a race.
Cry my child for the lives wiped out of the creatures in the wood.
Cry my child for the damage you do in the name of all that is good.

Cry my child and let the tears fall down to the floor.
Cry my child for all of nature and let your sadness flood to the shore.
Cry my child for all of the fields that are now covered in concrete.
Cry my child for all of the resources that mankind wants to deplete.

Cry my child and let your tears mingle with all the great seas.
Cry my child for all of the world and what remains of the trees.
Cry my child for all of the pollution that is carried around on the wind.
Cry my child for Mother Nature and all the times you have sinned.

Cry my child and let the oceans taste all of your tears.
Cry my child for all you have done and let them soak up all of your fears.
Cry my child for this entire planet and know that man is truly at fault.
Cry my child for the seas cry with you and that’s why they taste of salt.

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