All My Sins

All My Sins

For all of my sins

I cannot judge myself

I have done so much wrong

In a life that is too short

But I have been judged

I have been condemned

And I will be killed at noon

When I feel the rope on my neck

And as it tightens around my throat

My life will never be clearer

I will see the paradise I will be denied

I can blame no one else for its loss

And with my last breath I know

I took my own paradise from me

Nature's Art

Nature’s Art

Wind and rain

Sun, waves and, sand

The tools of an artist

Given to nature by God

With unlimited talent

And a canvas as large as the world

Nature’s art can be found

Hiding in plain sight

All you have to do is look around

You will see the works of nature’s brush

Through that you will see art beyond man

Waiting For The Train

Waiting For The Train

I have been waiting so long

Alone at the darkened station

Complete blackness

With the light of two small torches

The train only passes by once

And I cannot watch it go by

It comes for me

Fire and smoke follow close behind

And the Banshee screams as it arrives

Her cries travel so very far

Telling me that she is close

I know that when the train stops

My time on this world is over

And once I board the train

I know that Hell will be the next stop

But I will not be afraid

After all, I feel that I am going home

Just The Right Pumpkin

Just The Right Pumpkin

Halloween is coming

The perfect children’s holiday

To make the most of it

You drive every weekend

Hundreds of kilometers

Checking out stores

Roadside stalls

And every pumpkin patch in site

Looking for the perfect pumpkin

The perfect color

The perfect size

And the perfect shape

But none are just right

Then take a child with you

Your daughter will do fine

Turn her loose for just a moment

Let her run through the aisles

In a few minutes she will be smiling

A beautiful pumpkin in her hand

It may not be the right shape

It may not be the right size

Or the right color

But for her it is just perfect

And that is what’s important

What Are You

What Are You

By R.e. Taylor

What are you

Are you an angel from Heaven

Sent to bless my life

And make me happy forever

Are you a demon from Hell

Sent to curse me

Make my life painful forever

I may never know

And I may never care

Angel or demon

It doesn’t matter

I only know that I love you

© Poem – 2017 Shadowlight Publishing

ANZAC Girls

ANZAC Girls

Nobody asked her to go

No one told her to go

She saw the suffering

Of thousands of young men

Australian and Kiwi

They fought together in the trenches

And she was there waiting to care for them

Most lived once they came to her

But some died before her eyes

Even with that she never wavered

She never begged to go home

Her job was to save every boy she saw

And she did her job beyond all expectations

She was a heroine of World War 1

She was an ANZAC nurse

And she will always be remembered

Cabin In The Forest

Cabin In The Forest

There have been stories

Told and retold forever

They say that there is a cabin

A magical home in the forest

Hidden beneath a thick canopy

Surrounded by the sweetest flowers

It is a place for the innocence of children

Where wishes and dreams come true

Their troubles and fears are taken away

And for a time, the children can be happy

Nighttime Fears

Nighttime Fears

You feel so safe don’t you

Cowering in the light

But watching when the day is through

And the darkness spreads it is fight or flight

You do not know where to hide

Danger will follow your every step

They will be watching at your bedside

There is nowhere you can sidestep

The monsters are tracking your scent

Looking for you in the street

They want to lead you into descent

And it doesn’t matter if they cheat

So pray before you go to sleep

Talk directly to your god

Ask them for your soul to keep

Now, this may all sound flawed

So check your closet and under the bed

Then rest and sleep in peace

Do not worry sleepyhead

Just close your eyes and your fears release

Good night my little one

Dream only of your paradise

I will guard you until your sleep is done

And I know that all of your dreams will be nice

The Moment

The Moment

A million years

Fighting with stones and sticks

Bullets, bombs and missiles

We've waited so long

Patiently watching

Waiting for the world to change

Looking for that one moment

When people don't fight

Could humanity survive that moment

What would the human species do

It could never understand

That moment needs to happen

But it can never happen

Humanity will never let it

Be Careful Of The Rock You Throw

Be Careful Of The Rock You Throw

A rock does not know its own power

Try throwing into the calmest of ponds

Listen for the noise of the splash

Watch the ripples as they travel to the shore

That pond has been changed forever

And it will never be the same again

It is the same with a young child

Say anything either happy or angry

And that child has been changed forever

The splash you hear will be their self-esteem

The ripple that you see will be their pride

So, think of that rock when you speak to a child

Remember that what you do now will make changes

Maybe not today or tomorrow

But the changes will show themselves

Maybe it will be bad or maybe it will be good

So, watch what you say to that young child

Their future is the rock in your hand

All you need to do is throw it to change their world

A Loving Cup Of Coffee

A Loving Cup Of Coffee

By R.e. Taylor

Seriously, I know you

I know you better than you know yourself

You dream about me every night

And I can wake you anytime I wish

All I have to do is just sit back and wait

You do not have any way to get away

You didn’t when you brought me into your life

And you don’t have a choice now

Just look at you shaking and craving me

But know that I will not tease you forever

I am brown, hot and creamy

Just the way you like me

The way you have always liked me

I will always satisfy you

All you have to do is ask

© 2017 Shadowlight Publishing

One Wrong Word

One Wrong Word

A word used in the wrong place

With the wrong inflection

Or with other wrong words

No matter how innocent it was meant

No matter what meaning you thought it had

It can cause pain beyond nightmares

Millions killed at the push of a button

Food and water denied or worse

A word used in the wrong place can destroy a world

But the same word used in the right place

With the right inflection

Or with the right words

It can save the universe

Frozen Heart

Frozen Heart

What happened to you

Why did you change

Your heart was so warm

Your soul was so loving

Someone must have hurt you

To turn you into someone so cold

I still tried to reach out to you

Help you to feel more like you

I tried to touch you

But my fingers froze too quickly

The roses I brought you froze

And I knew then that I could not help

Your heart would have to thaw on its own

I will be there when it starts beating again

I promise you that

Clock With No Hands

Clock With No Hands

There has to be a single place

Where you may just sit

Somewhere between the land and space

Somewhere time does not have a permit

I want just to sit on a shore and think

With the stress of life left far behind

Where reality rests before me on the brink

A life that everyone has always pined

A land where clocks have no hands

There is no reason to know the time

Because the world has no demands

No conflict and only a peacetime

But that land could not exist

It is only a dream that so many dream

Someday that dream will be missed

And the peace will be farther away than it seems

The House Up On The Hill

The House Up On The Hill

So many stories

So much mystery

The House Up On The Hill

Said to be a murder house

Owned by a mass murderer

But, it may have been a school

Teaching children their lessons

Or it may have been a family home

With children playing in the yard

But it has been empty for so long

The truth long ago died away

Replaced by legends which became truth

The myths of The House Up On The Hill

Will live long after we have all left

And that is something they deserve

Milord Mighty Oak

Milord Mighty Oak

Milord Mighty Oak

How many seasons have you seen

How much beauty have you shared

You see the children searching for your leaves

Collecting them as they would a treasure

To them you are a true miracle

You are as strong as a lion

As beautiful as a goddess

Milord Mighty Oak

Please stay as you are

There are countless children coming

They will all know of you

And they too will want a single leaf

So, they can see the magic you share

During so many season past

And so many seasons to come

© 2017 Shadowlight Publishing

10/31

10/31

By R.e. Taylor

On the most unholy of days

Her name is Batibat and she waits for you

You will not find her in your closet

She will not be hiding under your bed

She is more cunning than that

Whenever you close your eyes

To sleep or just to rest

She will be in your dreams

Terrorizing your spirit

Forcing to face fear that you have never known

Making you afraid to stay asleep

Making you more afraid to awaken

Just remember when you see her

Tomorrow is another day

A holy day

Remember too that you will be safe for another year

Maybe

© 2017 Shadowlight Publishing

Train To Auschwitz

Train To Auschwitz

By R.e. Taylor

How many

How many men, women and children

How many were herded onto those trains

Packed in like worthless hunks of meat

No food or water

Nowhere to sleep or sit

No cool air to breathe

They had no idea where they were going

No idea how long they would be there

But they all had hopes that it would be better

They would be able to at least live

But there were other plans

A megalomaniac decided for them

They were hated for so many reasons

Not one made any sense

But they were condemned for them anyway

Beaten, raped and murdered they had no chance

They were burned or buried in mass unmarked graves

Today, the tracks still remain

As do the memories of so many who were killed

Wings Of A Butterfly

Wings Of A Butterfly

By R.e. Taylor

If I could get one wish

I would ask for a pair of wings

They wouldn’t have to be an eagle’s

I would not want anything so grandiose

The wings of a butterfly would be perfect

Just enough to lift me off of the ground

High enough to fly through the heavens

Looking down on the Earth below

Thinking not of the troubles of everyday life

Just taking the time to admire the beauty

Then I would land once again

Place my wings back into my memories

But, just until I can wish again

And then let me fly for another day

© 2017 Shadowlight Publishing

Light & Dark

Light & Dark

By R.e. Taylor

I live on the edge of dark and light

It is not by my choice

The fates have cast the dice

And my life is what they rolled

Watching the sparkling eyes of a child

When they feel a puppy kiss their cheek

Seeing the deaths of a hundred innocents

Caused by cowardly men in black costumes

Where did the middle ground go

Did the fates hide it from me

Replacing it with the beauty of evening clouds

And a landscape of desolate rocks

I will remain here between light and darkness

Desolation and beauty until they free me

Whenever that may be

The Extinct Word

The Extinct Word

If you a poet or writer

And you have lived a long life

You know the special word

That kids no longer know

Like the dodo the word has become extinct

Our teachers knew about it

And taught us how to use it

Even if we didn’t know how to spell the word

We knew Oxford, Webster, and even Scrabble

Names we learned over so many, many years

They were friends who helped us so often

We all owe our lives to them

It is too bad that kids have to just push a few buttons

Look at a screen to find out a spelling

Or what a word means

The printed dictionary may be extinct

But we will always keep it in our hearts

And we will praise Mirriam-Webster as long as we live