Denis Martindale Poems

I know I need a flu jab,
I know they're good as gold.
Better than handkerchiefs to grab
When stuck with a bloody cold...
...

Can I compare my gift with those that dwell in others, too,
and thus compete where talents rose and blessed those hearts in you?
Can I perform beyond your own, when you inspire me
to go beyond the truths I've known, to greater liberty?
...

It is better to be determined than it is to be deterred...
It is better to be thick-skinned than downcast by a word...
It is better to be a hero, once trained in certain things,
Than acting as if a zero, still hiding in the wings...
...

Don't discount poetry.
It's the stuff of legends,
It's the music yet to be played,
It's the sights yet to be seen or imagined…
...

Why do people write poetry? It's just because they can,
Such that they search for harmony, as through their lines they scan,
To find a certain savoir faire, a gentle phrase or two,
A word of wisdom they could share, or some truth that's brand new…
...

The Pastor prayed about the horror stories of the year 2020 when the infamous virus was striking people down and society was becoming distant and antisocial. He had listened to the latest news reports and statistics being explained and even questioned if conspiracy theories were right... or right over the top. After he had prayed, he had a dream. In the dream, he met Jesus and the Saviour explained that Man was his own worst enemy except for the Devil and his angels. Man has done a lot of research in curing diseases yet others have researched how to create bacterial weapons to disable, maim and murder. Man hasn't stopped these horrors, or disarmed the nuclear bombs, or put down the guns, the rifles and the grenades. So why should God do Man any favours at all?

The Pastor was reminded of all the good that Man could do and as an evangelist he had made a thorough list across the years. So he went to his records and read out the list to Jesus. He was as determined as he could be to defend Mankind. Jesus listened patiently. Even so, at the end of the Pastor's words, the Saviour's face was still unchanged... He sighed at the follies of Mankind, then told the Pastor to organise a National Day of Prayer. The Pastor replied that millions were praying already, so why have a National Day of Prayer? Again, Jesus sighed... Even you question Me, here, right now... Is it any wonder that Mankind does his own thing, even when the wisdom of Heaven has spoken? Then the Pastor nodded and he sighed, too.
...

Attend my thoughts of yonder lass,
Her figure and her form,
As if a statue made of glass,
Yet with a heart so warm...
...

When young Vincent was an artist, as yet of no renown,
He soon became a realist, no paintings sold in town.
No cause for him to smile at all, except of course to frown.
Vincent needed a miracle, or life would get him down.
...

Just make your mind up here today, new poetry to write,
Then make a start, without delay, instead of late at night…
Then think of topics close-to-heart, your garden or your home,
Then fancy phrases that impart some wisdom in your poem…
...

When Winter springs upon its prey and darkens every door,
The children shiver every day and find life such a chore...
Yet Christmas beckons all the globe, to play hymns once again,
We count the seconds, wait with hope, until that moment when...
...