Observations

On my last birthday, I calculated that I’ve been on this earth for 2.3 billion seconds 

2.3 billion opportunities for different outcomes 

To get up or not to get up

To turn left or right or stay where I am

To stop, to start, to stay exactly where I am

To talk to someone or not

To touch someone or walk away

To listen to a new song or stick with something familiar 

To write a poem- to read it at the open mic 

To travel or stay at home

To experience different cultures 

To say sorry as many times as necessary 

To learn a language, a musical instrument or run a marathon 

To smile or not to smile

To try new food or stick with what I know 

To kiss someone or regret that I didn’t. 

To fall in love 

Life is made up of millions of opportunities 

Don’t waste them

I am no longer young
but nothing important has changed
My muscles sometimes ache
And my bones creak a little
But I don't look at the world differently
Although I suspect the world doesn't see the me I see

I no longer seek to impress
I simply don't care what other people think of me
They're entitled to their view
But it doesn't create ripples in my pool
I'm free of all that
I guess I have been for a while
but age makes it easier

I look at where I am and how I got here
At the twists and turns in my path
And the choices I made about left or right
And I know there is no wrong or right way
Perhaps some give up or fight way
but it was my way and I have no regrets

So when I look in the mirror
I'm ok with what I see
There's still a twinkle on the wrinkles
And who I see is really me
I don't pretend to be perfect
that doesn't ring my bell
I don't see imperfection as a failure
And if you do then go to hell

They say what they want to say
As long as it suits their purpose
Facts are not within their purview
Stars of their own little circus
Where they’re the clowns that everybody laughs at
But not because they’re funny
Classic clowns with sad faces
Their disposition isn’t sunny

In their own minds, they are legends
In other’s maybe not
A loose connection to the truth
Their impact diddly squat
They’re masters of division
Paranoia fills their heads
Turning allies into foes
As they weave their many threads

We’ve all met them at some stage
With their loose connection to the facts
Legends in their own minds
Even if they’re full of crap
So, choose who you follow with care
Don’t be led and be aware
Check what people tell you
Before you share the information
Don’t spread what you can’t prove
You could be up for defamation
 

The rivers have dried
And the seas are too high
And small islands have disappeared
And the angels cried as they saw what we'd done
Saying this is much worse than we feared

People are dying
Children are crying
In wars over nothing but ego and greed
And the angels cried as they saw what we'd done
Saying this is much worse than we feared

The animals that tripped
Two by two on the ark
Are becoming extinct, left to die in the dark
And the angels cried as they saw what we'd done
Saying this is much worse than we feared

The bankers get richer
The poor get more hungry
Politicians don't listen to the people they serve
And the angels cried as they watched from on high
Saying this is much worse than we feared

Is it too late to fix things
Have we gone too far
Is there time to recover
How high is the bar
And the angels cried as they watched from on high
Saying we don't think that we have an answer

But the time's getting on
And the options are few
If we don't figure it out
Then we won't make it through
It's time to wake up and act
Put our differences aside
Our current approach is just suicide

And the angels cried as they watched from on high
Saying time's running out fast for some action
You must fix it now, there's no time to delay
For the world is approaching destruction

But as they looked down and watched the world fall apart
They knew we'd left it too late, too late to start
Those who thought themselves the intelligent species
Had plundered God's gifts
Let the world fall to pieces
And the angels cried for the very last time
And said we need to find a new challenge

I watched a man blowing leaves from the pathway
on my way into the city
What an exercise in futility
I watched a woman, trying to prevent the ageing process
with a tightening of her skin
What an exercise in futility

I thought I'd focus on the positive
On the things that I can change
Let the leaves fall where they will
And let the wrinkles reflect the changes I have seen

Another Muslim died today
In a terrorist attack
The survivors wait in fear
Because they know they will be back

In the world of social media
Where fake news is the thing
People blame the Muslims
For the state that we are in

But more Muslims die than anyone
So think about what you read
When a bomb goes off the chances are
It's Muslim kids that bleed

The major wars in the last 100 years
Were largely caused by Christian leaders
But the media didn't spread fake news
About Christians to their readers

So why do we blame ALL Muslims
For the actions of a few
The terrorists are the bad guys
The rest are just like me and you

So focus on the terrorists
Not the religion that they claim
There is no excuse for murder
Especially murder in God's name

If you're talking to God
in whatever language you use
And you're looking for something to share
Here's some ideas to bounce off the ultimate power
If you've got a minute to spare

Let's create a list to start of the year
Let's start the list off by not building on fear
Let's show some love and forget about hate
You can leave a small note by the big pearly gates

The poor will be less poor
The young will grow old
People will question what they are told
We will look after our planet
We will not share fake news
We will encourage a wide range of divergent views

Our politicians will do what we pay them to do
run the country not ruin the country
And world leaders will lead rather than tweet
And take the world on a more peaceful journey

We will treat everyone with respect
get what we deserve not what we expect
We'll be kind and not cruel
Send all children to school
Look after our old 'cause we'll be there one day
Practice what we preach and do what we say

Look for reasons to believe not disbelieve
Look for ways to make a bigger contribution
Seek to forgive and to learn from mistakes
Don't waste time seeking retribution

And don't leave it to God to sort out your shit
Stand up and be counted and you do your bit
Don't leave it to chance
Take a stance, a position
Create change for the better
Make this your mission

We've all been taught from little kids
That stranger equals danger
But of course, this isn't always true
How many times have strangers
Changed your view on life
And opened up perspectives new

There are far more strangers in this world
than friends, as we all know
So there's more than enough to go around
Pick a stranger, make a friend
Might be the best you ever found

Rod McKuen said in a poem once
strangers are just friends waiting to happen
And I've met a few where that applied
Every time I meet someone new
It might be the last one before I die

So while stranger danger makes sense for kids
Because they've still got a lot to learn
And being cautious keeps them out of trouble
Grown-ups must learn to discern

Many of the best people in my life we're strangers once
Before they joined me on my journey
Some stayed for just a little while
Before they moved on their way
Some hopefully will stay forever
Bringing light and shade to disappearing days

But they all left their mark in their own special way
Some gave me little, some gave me much
But they all gave me something
Added their own special touch

So the person you see when you look at me now
Is the product of many connections
The people I've met
The places I've been
The stories I'm woven between

So engage with a stranger next time one comes along
You might be surprised what you find
They might be a problem, dangerous, cruel
But there's a good chance they might also be kind.

I'm not trying to "go somewhere"
But I think I've travelled far
I'm still learning I'm still growing
But I've no wish to be a star

I'm not really good at anything
Except being who I am
But I'm REALLY good at that
And not giving a damn

I don't take life too seriously
But I'm serious about life
We only get once chance at it
So I try to minimise the strife

I wake up smiling every day
And go to sleep the same
Other options I don't contemplate
That's not my kind of game

I like to keep life simple
Although sometimes it can't be done
Other people add complexity
Sometimes blocking out my sun

But I'm satisfied with where I am
I don't need a lot to fill my cup
Especially since I met that special woman
Who shared her bowl from which I sup

Three people died in Boston
Three hundred in Iraq
Boston claimed the headlines
Iraq got buried in the stack

Do some people not get valued
Are their lives not worth the same
Do their parents not still grieve for them
Do they not still feel the pain

There are children dying in Africa
Every single day
What do they need to get in the news
How often do they need to pay

Is it just because they don't look like us
Can we not relate to their pain
Do we feel that it's not real
because they don't look the same

The people who died in Boston
Didn't deserve to die
But did they deserve to live
Any more than those other guys

So spare a thought for the people
Who face death every day
Children, parents, friends & foes
What a price they pay

I'd like to see some stories
That tells it like it is
Without editing or cleansing
Where simple truth's the emphasis

I'd like to hear our outrage
When a thousand people die
Because their government's corrupt
And their politicians lie

I'd like to see us treating
all tragedy the same
Not filtered through our warped perception
Of who should survive the game

Or I'd like us to be honest
And admit that we don't care
If a thousand people die
Because they're from over there

You enter our lives without invitation
Looking to pick up your evil donation
You care not who falls into your net
Seeking out victims you still haven't met

You don't seem to have a means of selection
You choose all & sundry spreading infection
The good and the bad both fall at your feet
The young and the old the weak & elite

You take fathers and mothers
Sisters and brothers
Children and old folk
and some in between

Some they go quickly
Some suffer for longer
Some give up hope
Some are much stronger

But however they respond
We can't wave a magic wand
And make you disappear
So we can wipe away our tears

You are cruel, you make them suffer
Even those who think they're tougher
Still succumb to your evil ways
As they struggle through their final days

And we hate you with a passion
That won't go out of fashion
'till we find a cure that kills you
and not the ones we love

When you're in a conversation
What do you hope to achieve
Do you listen to what's being said
The other's wisdom to receive

Or are you more concerned
With sharing what you know
So you don't learn one thing that's new
Is that where you want to go?

We have one mouth and two ears
And there's a reason why that's so
But if the mouth is always active
The ears work really slow

So when you're in a conversation
Keep the ears in action
You might find that you are
surprised by the reaction

So participate in the conversation
Make it a two way street
Apply this simple practice
With everyone you meet

I'm sure you'll find it beneficial
I'm sure you'll learn things you don't know
You might even get to like it
It's up to you to make it so

I was looking down on the world last night
thinking we've made a mess of this
People were fleeing from unsafe homes
And Trump was taking the piss

With so many people displaced from their homes
He's focussed on building walls
and making America great again
Oh I hate the way he drawls

I gave myself up to the crucifixion
But it didn't help the world's afflictions
Those created in my Father's image
Are behaving in the same old way

It's over two thousand years
Since they took me from the cross
nothing's changed, the world's still cruel
I'm complaining to the boss

I don't want to go back on the cross
It didn't work the last time
I don't want to go back on the cross
Don't send me down again

The holes in my hands and the holes in my feet
Keep telling me it's time to beat a retreat
And the hole in my side oh it aches when it's cold
a constant reminder that even messiahs grow old

I don't want to go back on the cross
It didn't work the last time
Please don't send me down again
I don't want to suffer

Curiosity killed the cat
But would it be a cat if it didn't have that
To be curious is to learn
Knowledge is something we have to earn

If you go through a day
Without adding some new fact
You're just not doing it right
Your potential iscapped

So give your curiosity free rein
Try new things every day
Don't be afraid of what you do not know
That's the road to your decay

It doesn't matter if you're young or old
Set your heart on being bold
Life's an adventure, step out, be brave
The time for caution is when you're lying in your grave

Do I think that CV19
Is the worst thing we've ever seen
No, but you're more dangerous than Trump
And that makes you quite obscene

We all know how to stop you in your tracks
And a commitment to act is all we lack
So you keep on coming down the track
Laying waste to our families and friends

Singing give me your rich
Your poor your huddled masses
I won't differentiate
I'll take everyone that passes

But of course you can defeat me
You all know what to do
Just wash your fucking hands
And stay indoors until I'm through

But if you choose not to apply
These simple rules to save your life
Then I'll be coming down your street
For your husband, child or wife

Singing give me your rich
Your poor your huddled masses
I won't differentiate
I'll take everyone that passes

And when I've done my damage
And I've taken good and bad
When I've taken old and young
The happy and the sad

I hope you've learned a lesson
And in future you'll be kinder
And the world will be a better place
With CV19 the reminder

That we are a global network
As we've never been before
And what happens somewhere else
Can still land on your front door

So plan for a better future
Where we're dependent on each other
Treat everyone you meet
As if you were their father or their mother

Yes plan for a better future
Where we're dependent on each other
Treat everyone you meet
As if you were their father or their mother

Don't send me bombs send me peace
Don't send me soldiers send me teachers
Don't tell me what to do listen to my needs
Don't take what is mine to satisfy your greed

Don't be surprised if I don't like you
If I think you have no right to be in this land
I didn't invite you to come here
I didn't offer you my hand

Don't be annoyed when I don't welcome you
When I say go back where you belong
You're not interested in my problems
You just think I've got it wrong

If you can truly tell me that you've got everything resolved
Inthe country that you live in
I'll be surprised but I might just go along
But I know that there's no evidence
In fact, I'm sure it's not the case
So why don't you leave my country
And just go on back to base

You're not listening you're still talking
You're not listening you're still talking
How do you expect to understand
Anything about my land

When things are getting tough
And you're struggling to survive
Find someone to sit with you
That's the way to stay alive

Don't try to do it on your own
Being strong is not the answer
It's like trying to do a samba
When you're the only dancer

Sometimes we need someone to lean on
To ease the pressure for a while
Feel the strength of someone else
Someone who can help you smile

It's not weakness to reach out
In fact, it needs a special kind of strength
To put your trust in someone else
Don't keep your friends at arm's length

So find someone to sit with you
Find someone to hold your hand
Find someone to listen
Find someone who understands

When things are getting tough
And you're struggling to survive
Find someone to sit with you
That's the way to stay alive

If you have too much drama in your life consider gardening
Working with the soil is therapeutic
Dig your hands into the soil
Have a day of honest toil
And your dramas will soon be dissipated

Seeing something grow from a seed into a plant
Has a calming effect upon the soul
And when it’s finished growing and you pluck it from the ground
It will add a taste sensation to your bowl

So get yourself a garden
It doesn’t have to be that big
Just big enough to grow something
And somewhere calm to sit
To contemplate the joys of nature
And the changing of the seasons
It’s really not that complicated
You don’t need no other reasons

(Inspired by Pierre Sparks comment “anyone who has time for drama is not gardening enough”)

I answered the question with wisdom galore
The words with such brilliance
From my mouth they did pour
If there had been music
It would have been a hit song
And all she said was
I even love you when you're wrong

We were out for a walk and got somewhat confused
I said turn left, she said right
In a voice not amused
So we turned to the right
And I tagged along
And all I said was
I even love you when you're wrong

Being right isn't all it's cracked up to be
Being wrong isn't perfect it's true
Right or wrong, it doesn't matter to me
I've been both but I'll give you a clue
If it's important dig in your heels
If it's not, let it go and see how that feels

If you love someone tell them now
Don't wait
If you're sorry just say it
Tomorrow may be too late

Sometimes we only get one chance
Don't assume you'll get another
Be it friend, parent, sister, brother, child, or lover
Don't let your pride get in the way
Don't think because you're right
You don't have to say
I'm sorry

I'm sorry I hurt you
I'm sorry I didn't listen
I'm sorry I lied
I'm sorry I didn't try hard enough
I'm sorry I wasn't there for you
I'm sorry I didn't understand
I'm sorry ...

Whatever your sorry is, say it
Don't delay it
Just say it

You have nothing to lose but your pride
And you know you'll feel better inside
And you know you'll regret
If they're not there to get
What you felt in your heart
And they're falling apart
'cause you left it too late
So just DO IT - don't wait

If you love someone
and you've done the wrong thing
say you're sorry
and fix what was wrong
Do it now, don't delay
Make things ok
'cause the world has gone crazy
It's no time to be lazy
Say you're sorry
It may be your last chance

Where do you come from
I mean down in your genes
Did you travel far to get here
It's not always as it seems

If you live in the west
Chances are your genes are not pure
You're an immigrant from somewhere
Of that, I am quite sure

Take me, for example
I'm Scottish-born and - bred
But one part of me at least
Was created in an Irish bed

I've lived in three countries
In my 72 years on earth
And I've given to them all
something of worth

But I don't think I'm an immigrant
because I wasn't born in OZ
I don't think the year you got here
should make a difference under the law

We get caught up in this immigration crap
Saying we shouldn't let these people in
But most of us were immigrants at some point
Where did we all begin

So is an immigrant defined
By how long ago we arrived
Or perhaps by where we came from
If we came by choice or to survive

Most immigrants leave their country
To get a better life
Often leaving friends and family
To get away from strife

And having made that big decision
They want to make it work
They're not here looking for a handout
Hard work they do not shirk

So as a country built on immigration
let's not have a heavy heart
when people are escaping
let's help them get a start

Let's help them build a new life
let's help them give their best
just because they arrived after us
Doesn't make them less

Let's welcome them with open arms
Let them come and make their contribution
This escape from terror war and strife
Is just a part of natural evolution

As a country, we are changing
Once white and European-based
But now we're far more cosmopolitan
More aligned with the human race

And as the world grows smaller
as the boundaries collapse
Surely this is how we must be
as the cultures overlap

So let's welcome all the immigrants
as we've done since we were formed
Don't let the bigots and the scaremongers
force us to be misinformed

Let us welcome anyone
With the potential to contribute
So that all is good about Australia
we can redistribute

But with all this, there is a caveat
These people who come in
Must adhere to the laws we live by
That's where it all begins

If we welcome them with open arms
They must live by the rules we have in place
Whilst contributing the richness
They bring from their own birthplace

And with all things involving change
we must do it at a measured pace
Because with that comes understanding
and not fear of another race

And let us think awhile
if we were in their place
Would we not want Australians
To spare a little of our space

I'm not concerned about the colour of your skin
I'm not concerned about what God you pray to
I'm not concerned what kind of food you eat
I'm not concerned what clothes you wear

I am concerned about how you behave
I am concerned about how you treat other people
I am concerned about how you look after this world we get to live in for a short time
I am concerned about how you coexist with everything else on this planet

So I won't judge you on what I read in the papers or see on CNN
I'll judge you on how I see you behave
I'll judge you on how you treat the homeless person in the street
I'll judge you on what image you leave behind when you visit someone else's country

If you smile at me
I'll smile back at you
If you scowl at me
I'll smile back at you
I won't let your attitude influence mine

Treat people as you find them
Don't take on other people's prejudices
Make up your own mind about what you believe
Give people the benefit of the doubt
Allow them to make mistakes
Nobody's perfect. We're all still evolving
And if you wake up today knowing only what you knew yesterday it's time to sort your shit out

Go out and do something nice for someone and see what happens - you might just be surprised

He had everything to live for
He had so much more to do
But the darkness folded over him
And he bade his sad adieu

I never saw it coming
I didn't have a clue
He didn't speak about his problems
I guess he thought I knew

He was only 21 years old
He was the smartest of the bunch
But he couldn't face the pressure
When it came down to the crunch

He had such high expectations
Of the things he would achieve
But the stars would not align for him
So he felt he had to leave

I never saw it coming
I didn't have a clue
He didn't speak about his problems
I guess he thought I knew

I think about him every day
Asking what I could have done
But I never found the answer
And so the blackness won

Watch out for the ones you love
All may not be as it seems
The person who's in pain
May not be the one that screams

I was sad today

but that's ok

I've been sad before

It's a fleeting thing

It's just life's way of creating colour

Providing contrast, adding shade

We can't always wear our coat of many colours

That's just not the way we're made

Sad is just one outcome

Of life's many, many skins

Just don't be sad forever

Find yourself some grins

Like we need the cold

to appreciate the sun

We need a little sadness

To appreciate the fun

We just need to get the balance right

Life rarely goes as planned

A little darkness in between the light

They both go hand in hand

So don't worry if you're sad today

Or even if you're sad tomorrow

But if it persists for a bit too long

Reach out - don't drown in sorrow

Please keep your distance
You know it's safer if you do
But don't let yourself get isolated
You need contact - we all do

Take the time to read a book
Or brush up some neglected skills
Keep in touch with loved ones
Because it's not love that kills

Check in on some neighbours
Just to see that they're ok
Don't get caught up in the bubble
Be nice each and every day

There's some basic stuff we have to do
And if we ALL do it we'll get through
But don't think that you are different
Or CV19 will get you too

Just take advice from those who know
What to do to beat this thing
It's inconvenient but so is dying
This is the mantra we must sing

Wash your hands and stay indoors
Unless you have no choice but to go out
Reduce all physical contact
But still spread your love about

Phone a friend or send a message
Let them know that you're ok
And check if they need help
As you go about your day

I think we're in a new place
Somewhere we've never been
We all need some adjusting
To this CV19 scene

And hopefully we will see an end
to all this madness before long
And the world will be a better place
In a post CV19 dawn

As I was traveling here and there 

I saw a common sight

And it wasn’t for the tourists 

And it really wasn’t right

The sight of people sleeping 

Under trees on cold cold nights

On benches and in bus shelters 

It was such a common sight

And they all had things in common

Though they came from different lands

Bare feet and miss-matched shoes 

And nothing in their hands

And it made me sad and angry

When there’s money spent on wars 

Because some people think that they should own

What really isn’t theirs 

Nobody should go hungry 

In two thousand twenty-four

And sleep out in the cold cold wind

When some have more and more

And it troubled me indeed 

That I could afford to travel

When some others slept on benches 

And bit by bit unravelled 

And it didn’t matter where I went

They all looked cold & hungry

The young, the old

and not surprisingly the angry

So if you see someone sleeping rough 

Don’t walk past and ignore them

Ask if you can help with a little act of kindness

Don’t look the other way in some wilful act of blindness 

Chances are they’re not sleeping rough by choice

But because they used up all their luck 

And they could use a friendly voice

When you look in the mirror each morning
Be proud of who you are
If you don't like yourself, you won't like anyone else
It's no more complicated than that

Wake up every morning with a smile on your face
And show respect for your fellow man
Don't let the arseholes get to you
Just do the best you can

Show respect and compassion for your fellow man
And they will reciprocate
Don't believe the bullshit
You have to give before you can take

Wake up every morning with a smile on your face
And show respect for your fellow man
Don't let the arseholes get to you
Just do the best you can

There are people out there spreading negativity
Don't let them spread it to you
Keep that smile on your face, and do your own thing
Cos they really don't have a clue

Wake up every morning with a smile on your face
And show respect for your fellow man
Don't let the arseholes get to you
Just do the best you can

I stole this line from a movie I saw
No one raindrop thinks it caused the flood
And it made me think that everything we do has an impact on something or someone
And no matter how hard we try
We can't avoid that fact
So think about your raindrops folks
In the way, you live and act

Even one raindrop can make a difference
But even better - be the flood and not the drop
Make a difference with what you do
Keep on trying, never stop

The worst you can do is get a little wet
But with a little effort, you can make your mark
Make your contribution to the flood
Throw some light into the dark

But even if you see yourself as just a raindrop
Make that raindrop count
Join up with other raindrops
Open a raindrop bank account

Accrue lots of raindrop interest
And put it to good use
Some people never feel a raindrop
Some people never get to choose

No one raindrop ever thought it caused the flood
No one raindrop ever thought it caused the flood
Never underestimate what you can do
No one rainbow ever thought it caused the flood

People ask me why nothing ever seems a problem
That's because it isn't is always my reply
I find most things are simple
at least through my old eyes

I havetime for negativity
I have no time for people who complicate my life
Life is what you make of it
Go somewhere else with all your strife

The sun comes up every morning
And slips back over the edge each night
In between is full of opportunity
To get it wrong or get it right

The one you choose is the one you get
Don't blame the outcome on some other dude
Get off your arse sort out your shit
If with success you want to be imbued

It's not that I don't have problems
I'm just like any other man
But I leave them lying on the floor when I get out of bed
So they don't interfere with my life plan

And with an open heart and an open mind
I go about my day
Dealing with what life delivers
And sending all the crap away

It's just as easy to be positive
And put a smile on my face
As it is to go through life griping
That I'm worse off than the rest of the human race

So when I don't appear to have no problems
It's my attitude that makes it so
I don't make my problem your problem
I've just learned to go with the flow

So smile at your fellow human beings
And look life directly in the eye
Deal with whatever it throws at you
Live life to the max before you die

Because die you will
now or sometime later
Better to live with a smile on your face
Be a lover not a hater

I hear a lot of songs that say “You’re mine” or “You belong to me”
I find that all quite strange, it sounds a bit like slavery
I’d rather think of you enhancing who I am
Of adding to me, part of me yet quite distinct
Like the words in a book not the ingredients in jam

Possession’s not the answer
If it’s a partner that you seek
Be a sharer, not an owner
Your relationship to keep
If it all comes together
And you count up all the parts
They’ll be greater than you started with
like paint and canvas making art
Or the parts that make an engine which without them wouldn’t start

The beauty of relationships
is not for one to own the other
But to add and not detract
To grow and not to smother
To know you’re better when together
Than you ever were apart
That you complement each other
like two bodies with one heart

So if you want your relationship to grow
Don’t control and don’t restrict
Both your souls can blossom
That’s the best of it
Keep your core strong & straight
but let the branches grow wild & free
I think you’ll find that’s a pretty good way to be
 

65 and still alive

Fit to jive

Not quite ready to take a dive

Got too much weight

But it's not too late

To trim it back

Get back on track

Got a cruisy life

With a wonderful wife

Life is cool

Get to play the fool

Feeling good about the past

Fair to say I've had a blast

Future's looking very cool

Hope I still get to play the fool

Don't have a care

Don't have a worry

Just strolling along not in a hurry

I smiled at a man as I was walking down the street
He scowled back at me from the darkness of his heart
It made me sad
Not for me but for him
It didn't change me one bit
I still smiled at everyone else
But I just thought If he had mirrored my smile
And reflected it back at me, his day might have been better

Maybe I overestimate the power of my smile but I don't think I do
I smile at everyone and I think that sometimes at least my smile makes a difference
It maybe changes someone's day
Maybe just moves them from the shitty to the not so shitty
Maybe from the "this is too hard" to the "I can do this"
Maybe from "I'm feeling really angry" to "I feel calm and I can face this day"

And my smiles don't cost me anything
And I have more than enough to spare
I can smile all day and never run out

I don't have a quota that I use up and then I'm sad
Those smiles just keep on coming
So spread your smiles around folks
Give them to the saddest person you see
They need them more than you
Just smile - you know it makes sense

Sometimes you have to listen if you want to hear
Sometimes you have to be brave when all you feel is fear
Sometimes you have to trust yourself that you’re doing what is right
Sometimes you have to silence those little voices deep down inside

Sometimes you have to try your best even when you’re tired
Sometimes you have to sit back and relax even when you’re wired
Sometimes you have to listen to advice even when you think you’re right
Sometimes you just have to do the right thing so you can sleep at night

But do it for yourself don’t follow someone else’s map
Don’t force yourself out walking
When you really need a nap
Set you goals and make them realistic
Even if your guru thinks they’re too simplistic

And even if you slip back once in a while
Face your setbacks with a smile
Don’t regard them as a failure
Don’t let these things derail ya
Just get back on your bike – chances are you’ll  get it right
 

Why do you have to worry
About how others lead their lives
Should gays be allowed to marry
Are tattooed bodies right
I'm sure you must have
more important things to do
Get your own house in order
Don't worry 'bout what I should do
But when you're filled with self- importance
Thinking that you're the centre of the globe
I guess you just don't recognise
Your diminished frontal lobe
But everyone who hears you
Knows exactly what you are
A self-indulgent piece of nothing
A would be fucking czar
So when you've sorted out your shit
And you're beyond reproach
Come along and talk to me
You sad indulgent little roach
But until then leave the rest of us
To live our lives in peace
When we're not hurting anybody
You don't have to play police
If everybody was the same
The world would be a bore
If everyone was just like you
Life would be a chore
So chill and let the world spin
What will be will be
Don't get your nickers in a twist
Over who you think I should be

I'm a believer,
a believer in people
I don't care where you pray
Under minaret or steeple

People got a right to believe what they want
I don't want to flaunt what I think is right
Who's to say if I'm right or I'm wrong
Who's to say if this is a bloody stupid song

You may think my rap is crap
You're entitled to your view
But I'm writing this for me
I'm not writing it for you
I think we worry far too much
About stuff that isn't ours
I can't believe the crap out there
That causes such a bloody fuss

Like straight people telling gays how to live their lives
But it doesn't work the other way straights get to pick their wives
Some say we're all born equal
Try telling that to some kid in Senegal
Yes sure we're all born equal
But she ain't going to no ball

There's so many people in this world today
We're fast approaching 8 billion souls
The rich are getting richer
And the poor are getting poorer
And it ain't because they failed to set their goals

We've got 70 million refugees
From one conflict or another
We understand their problem
but we don't want to share it brother
we're sympathetic to their plight
We just don't want to have them in our sight
We want to save their souls
As long as they're not feeding from our bowls

We're living in an instant world
Where everything's a Facebook thrill
And it's easier to tweet
Than get homeless people off the street
So with our heads firmly in the sand
Despite solutions close to hand
We turn our thoughts to lighter things
Like what new cat pics Facebook brings

And our government tightens up the screws
Filling the media with more fake news
And a few more regulations
To control us just a little more
And even though we know the score
Because they play the ISIS card
And they say it's just a small safeguard
we give up a little more freedom

Although I have to say that when we display
our intimate details on Facebook each day
It's hard to argue the privacy card
And compared with the people escaping the bombs
Our lives really aren't that hard

So let's focus our thoughts in this year coming up
On ways to improve the outcomes
Let's be tolerant and kind
And let's see if we can find Some solutions
to the poverty and slums

I was talking with God the other night
And he said Benny Boy it's not working out right
This human race I've created has got me frustrated
and I think something's going to need changing

I had a great plan and I'd thought it all through
But it seems evolution's gone somewhat askew
And the human race hasn't achieved its potential
And what I thought was finished is still developmental

The plan I developed had humans right at the top
Much more refined, the cream of the crop
But the way they're behaving makes me sick to the core
With the free will I gave them, they do things I deplore

But I see many examples of what I tried to create
Love and understanding, not bigotry and hate
And the children start out well but as they mature
They learn from their elders to be no longer pure

I might make some changes, restrict this free will
Create some kinds of points system, no power until
They can prove that they're worthy of dealing with power
Keep them locked up in their ivory tower

I didn't envisage how unequal they'd be
I didn't envisage how few would be free
I thought those who good fortune had blessed
Would reach out and help those who had less

What I am seeing doesn't fit my design
The spec's been corrupted, it's been redefined
Free will's been distorted to mean do what you like
With no thought of the impact on other folk's lives

The world I created is being destroyed every day
So many creations extinct, no more role to play
And it's all being done in the name of free will
If I get what I want then it's OK to kill

But I'm telling you Benny boy this has to stop
The behaviour I'm seeing is over the top
Politicians are not doing what they're paid to do
And game show hosts are taking over the zoo

So I'm going to give them one more chance
To sort this nonsense out for good
But if Trump gets in on November eight
I'll assume they haven't understood

I'll pull the plug and restart the clock
I'll clean the board, issue new sticks of chalk
And those who come with the best ideas
Will win the keys to the kingdom

I rarely get the blues

It's not a colour that I use

And I don't wish for what other people have

So green is not a favourite hue

My bank balance rarely favours black

And cash is something that I lack

But it's not something that I stress about

I can usually stay on track

I wake up with a smile

And it stays with me all day

So I guess that mellow yellow

Would describe me quite okay

I'm usually in the pink

Pink reflects the way I think

It's a state of mind I've worked quite hard on

There's not much that makes me sink

But sometimes I see red

Caused by something stupid someone said

And it's often politicians

Spewing out of empty heads

But when it comes to people

For colour I don't give a jot

I've found it doesn't make a difference

Pigment tells me not a lot

So with my coat of many colours

I wander through my day

Just wishing politicians

Would think first before they say

The things that create friction

The things that create hate

And focus on the things that make all human beings great

Children dying
People crying
Politicians and leaders always lying

What's the value of this land they fight over
How can it be worth the pain & suffering
How can it be worth the blood and tears
How can it be worth the children's fears
How many people need to die before they accept that this is just a piece of land where people want to live in peace
To do their jobs to love their wives
To feed their children, live their lives
To watch a movie dance through the night

This murder surely can't be right
How can Israel claim this land when others have an equal claim
Did they learn nothing from the Holocaust
Do they not care how many lives are lost
Why can't they just agree to share this land
This Gaza Strip - walk hand in hand
And let children grow up without this war
That serves no purpose and has gone on too long
Can they not figure out after all these years
That their stupidity can only end in tears
That there can be no winners from the bombs and missiles
Why can't they sit around the table while they're still able
Why can't they make this place stable
So that children can grow up knowing something other than war and death
Knowing there are some things that are not worth fighting for
They call this the holy land
But it sure doesn't fit anything I understand about holiness
Let the children grow and let them know
That Palestinian and Israeli can both go
Along the same roads and though their God may have a different name, in reality, he is the same
And he would rather they lived in peace than killed each other in his name

The bible says that the meek shall inherit the earth
I don't agree and I hope this doesn't happen
I'd rather the kind inherited the earth
Because they bring light where there's darkness
I'd rather the tenacious inherited the earth
Because they don't give up when things get tough
I'd rather the thoughtful inherited the earth
Because we need to think about the impact on others of what we do
I'd rather the smiling inherit the earth because people who smile spread warmth wherever they go
I'd rather the happy inherit the earth because there are enough miserable buggers out there and we don't want them having any say in our future
So let's not be meek
Let's be pugnacious and stand up for what we believe in.
Do good stuff, help people in need and do what you would like done to you
If we get all that right the world will be worth inheriting and passing onto to future generations and if we don't ........

When I look in the mirror, what do I see?
Someone much older, but vaguely like me
He has a nice smile and he looks kinda cute
I reckon he'd look pretty good in a suit

He looks like he's done a few things in his life
Had a mortgage, some kids and maybe a wife
I reckon he's travelled and learned a few things
He looks free as a bird and he don't want no rings

He gives the impression he don't have no strife
He looks like he's really enjoying his life
He's got more twinkles than wrinkles, more ups than downs
He's big on the smiles, less so on the frowns

He sings the blues because he's happy, not because he's sad
He's firmly of the view that life should not make you feel bad
He's a fan of saying yes, rather than saying no
Doesn't like to stop, much prefers to go

The rains never came
And the crops never grew
And the cattle went thirsty
Just like me and you

And the fires they burned
And the trees were laid waste
Some houses were caught
In the fires, that blazed

But the people they came
From all over the place
They acted with kindness
They acted with grace

But the people who came
From all over the place
Acted with kindness
Acted with grace

We can't make it rain
And the fires will return
But we can stick together
And show our concern

For those who've suffered
For those that have lost
The fruits of their labour
Who've borne many costs

And the people they came
From all over the place
Acting with kindness
Acting with grace

And the people they came
From all over the place
Acting with kindness
Acting with grace

When asked how old I am
By some impudent young buck
I say I'm old enough to know better
And young enough not to give a fuck

It's taken me some time
To get to this point in life
When the fuck I do not give
Doesn't give me any strife

But don't confuse not giving a fuck with not caring
For that is not the case
There are many things I give a fuck about
Many good things I embrace

Like my wife, my son, my family,
the whole damn human race
But I don't give a fuck what you think of me
I'm happy with who I am
I simply don't need your approval
I honestly don't give a damn

So think about what fucks you give
And focus on what really matters
Don't waste energy on the flotsam
That leaves your life in tatters

Never be mean.

Never be false.

Never be cruel.

Above all else

Try to be happy

Try to be kind

Try to be thoughtful

And make someone smile

You only get one shot at this life

So don’t stuff it up be you husband or wife

Live by example teach your kids well

There’s no need to shout and there’s no need to yell

You don’t have to be perfect

You won’t always be right

But give it your best shot

You’ll sleep better at night

But most important of all

Be true to who you are

Don’t be a phony

And you’ll win the cigar

She wasn't much to look at
Until she smiled
And then she shimmered and shone
And I was just a shadow to her sun

It was like opening the bland cover of a book
To find it full of linguistic delights
That took me down paths as yet untrodden
And I couldn't believe how good it could be

When she smiled, everything seemed better
Brighter, happier, softer, warmer
It was a gift she didn't know she had
So she didn't use it as often as she should have
Which was a pity

I said there's no better way to brighten up a day
Than to share a smile or two
It's like an echo bouncing off a wall
It will come right back to you

I told her she should smile more often
That it really made a difference
She just smiled and walked away
And I whispered to her back - what did I tell you

As I walk through the valley
In the early A.M hours
And I see the people sleeping there
In the cold winter showers
I'm ashamed to say I'm glad
it's them not me that's on the streets
I consider myself lucky yes I do
And I listen to the passers by
Say why don't they get a job
And I wonder what planet they are on
They don't have a fucking clue
What those people are going through
And I wonder how they'd deal with it
if they had to share that pew
People find themselves on the streets
For many different reasons
But you can bet your boots they don't plan to be there
in the cold & rainy seasons
So don't be so quick to judge them
Just because they don't look like you
If you'd had to deal with what they've had to deal with
You'd be looking pretty crazy too
Don't get me wrong folks
I'm not some bleeding heart
I'm not saying I'm a saint
And of this problem I want no part
All I ask is have some pity
Don't look on these people with disdain
You don't have to get down there with them
But just try to feel their pain
Just try and get some understanding
Of how they may have gotten to this place
Another time under different circumstances
This might have been your face
Peering out of a worn old blanket
In the middle of the night
Worrying that someone next to you
was going to start a fight
So don't get all holier than thou
Don't be a stupid cow
People don't choose to live this way
It's not something they aspire to
It's not the kind of life
people should grow old & retire to
And it's not the kind of life
Young people should have to bear
It really doesn't matter
what they did to get them there
I hope that you've been lucky with a mother and a dad
That didn't beat or humiliate you or something just as bad
I hope you didn't have to leave
Because you couldn't stand it anymore
I hope your life is full of love and promises of more
But there's many people out there not as fortunate as you
Who if life had gone another way
could have been looking down at you
So please don't make assumptions
Please don't judge who you don't know
Please just thank the world that you
were not delivered the same blow
And next time you walk on through the valley
And someone asks you for a buck
Don't judge them and think they're going to spend it on booze or drugs
just put your hand down in your pocket and be grateful for your luck

I don't need your rules
Leave them for the fools
Who can't evaluate the risks
And make their own decisions

I don't need your false sense of precision
Where everything fits into a predetermined space
I want to stretch and sometimes feel the pain
of being in an unknown space that wasn't built to hold me
That wasn't designed to enfold me

I want to feel the fear that perhaps I got it wrong
I want to sing out loud even when I don't quite know all the words of the song
I don't need anyone telling me how to live my life
I'm old enough to get myself in and out of strife
Old enough make up my own mind
Old enough to make my own mistakes and deal with the consequences

I don't need some bureaucrat working towards his pension,
who sharpens his pencils every morning before deciding who to impale on his useless mind-numbing rules, before the tea trolley comes round, and who thinks a good day is one where more new rules were created to prevent people from making poor decisions about their lives,
like drinking or smoking or deciding to give up the rat race in favour of exploring the world on the back of a motorcycle

This is not government for the people by the people.
This is "stick it to the people" government
This is "we know what's best for you government" even though they know it isn't what's best for anyone except the rule makers, the pencil sharpeners; the "line their own nest" politicians.

So don't bullshit me with your rules and your legislation.
Invest in education.
Teach people to think;
to solve problems;
to be creative;
to not be blinded by the hate makers;
to hold each other by the hand and look each other in the eye and ask each other to explain why we do the things others don't understand.

Search for knowledge and understanding so that we can find peace among the ruins that the rule makers have created in their bid to make us all the same, to feed their money machines.
We don't need the rule makers;
We just need each other and with open hearts and open minds, we can fix this world before it's too late.

When love knocks at your door
Welcome it in
Don't worry that you're not good enough
That would be a sin

Don't worry you're not beautiful
Believe that someone thinks you are
Just accept love when it beckons you
And believe that you're a star

Because if we keep on thinking
We're not good enough the way we are
Life and love will pass us by
Just like a shooting star

But if we value who we are
reach out and grab what's there
And give it everything we've got
There's love and more to spare

So don't worry about perfection
Because it really doesn't exist
Just look at your reflection
And think how can they resist

And once you believe you're worthy
Of a love that's true and fair
You'll find the one you're looking for
Will be waiting there

It's not hard to imagine
There are a thousand souls out there
Who if they met you they could love you
If they just knew you were there

So keep your eyes and your heart open
Reflect the beauty from your heart
Your soulmate may just be waiting
For you to accept your part

I read in the paper that somebody died
He was famous they said and everyone cried
But what of the people that die every day
Who don't get a mention, don't get a say

They were somebody's daughter or somebody's son
They touched someone's life In more ways than one
But they won't be around when you wake up today
If you could talk to their loved ones what would you say

If you could talk to the children whose mother's no longer there
Because someone dropped bombs as they knelt down in prayer
What would you say, how would you feel
Would the fact that she wasn't famous make their pain any less real

So as we grieve for our heroes and regret that they've gone
Spare a thought for the families who face a new dawn
Knowing no more will they see their loved ones again
No more will they hear them sing, speak or complain

So as we wake up each day in this cyberspace world
Where the news hits us instantly as actions unfurl
And we think the loss of some souls is greater than others
Just think of the brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers

Their pain is no less because their loved ones weren't well known
Their futures are different, they're now on their own
No more will they share how they each spent their day
No more chance to say what they wished they had said

So grieve for your idols It's ok to cry
They've earned a place in your heart there's no need to deny
But spare a thought for those whose loss is tangible & real
And try to imagine how they might feel.

I saw a young girl walk down the street
And take some food from a garbage bin
No girl should be that hungry
She looked so bloody thin

And I think perhaps she questioned
As she fumbled around inside that bin
If this really was the lucky country
That she was living in

How could this horror happen
in a land as rich as this
That life should be so cruel
To give her such a deadly kiss

She may have been a junkie
She was maybe on the game
But she shouldn't have to do this
It's such a dreadful shame

And we tend to turn a blind eye
Because we don't like what we see
But in a different paradigm
Could this be you or me

Could we have walked a different journey
Could we have shared her fate
Could the cards have been dealt out differently
I wonder what it would take

Is the difference between the life you lead
And the cards that she's been dealt
Education, love or nurturing
Did she not get any help

Because I'm sure she didn't want
To get her dinner from a bin
I'm sure she'd rather be somewhere
Other than the place that she is in

So please don't judge her harshly
I think she's suffering enough
She didn't choose this kind of life
She didn't choose to live it rough

And as you travel through your day
Show gratitude for every breath
And think how differently you might have traveled
Had your life not been so blessed

Young girls, given up walking like giraffes in six-inch heels
Walk down the street with shoes in hand
Finding their way back home by banging their shoes on the wall to keep themselves heading straight and not always succeeding
Makeup not quite as good as when they left but memories of a great night still strong in their heads
Lipstick ...

They're barely clothed some of them - they've got their nets out hoping to catch someone worthy of their time
Some will be lucky - most won't because there's a lot of duds out there
But hey we all have to learn that for ourselves and next week not much wiser and just as drunk they'll cast their nets again
But when you're young and gorgeous half the fun is in the chase, not the catch and even the good ones you probably want to throw back for another time

So party on girls - there's plenty time for serious fishing
Don't take life too seriously - it will get serious soon enough.
You don't want to regret not taking your opportunities and the world wouldn't be the same without the sound and sights of young women in their prime walking the streets in search of a good time