to what end

to what end

this path?

does it matter so long as we enjoy the steps?

Choosing What to Wear

 I awoke to a fine sunny morning

in early July

but, this being Scotland,

I didn't know whether it was warm sunny

or deceptively cold

so I pondered what to wear

as so many Scots do every day.

I chose a not-quite-olive green gym top

but fearing the cold

- as I was going for a short walk -

I also took a zip-up fleece,

sort of Sherwood green

like the ones the local rangers wear at Chatelherault Park.

Then I heard the sound of sweet music in the distance,

flutes,

and I realised what it was,

confirmed by the louder bangs of a big drum.

Och it'll be nothing, I thought,

thinking of my choice of clothing.

I changed to my trusty old slightly-grey blue jumper

and it was fine.

And yet.

The Complainant

They complain in their head

and complain in their bed

when really they should

do something better instead

but they're wired to moan

and they all love a groan

when they're with their good friends

or when they're alone

They're happy with this

a complaint brings them bliss

and all things considered

they don't know what they miss.

They Blah

they blah the blah

to sound profound

but all that comes

is blah and blah

they blah the blah

but blah too hard

and all that comes

is fake blah blah

they blah the blah

for reputation

but all that comes

is blah dumb dumb

all these books

 all these books

on the overfilled shelves,

a vast, restless search for answers

for meaning and purpose and how to live

when all they contain

is a vast, restless fumbling for answers

no one ever getting there

well, not quite no one

but very few

and no novelists

no poets

no history books

lots of clues

but rarely the one that stands out

so clearly to me just now

stop buying books

if you're looking for answers

in them.

Mindful the Observer

The observer observes the object

absorbs it whole

becomes the object

replacing the observer

with the observed

and then the observer returns

to observe its next experience

Three Poems: Ghalib Mix Experiment

 the fragrance of a rose

better to live the life we know

take the world by storm

beautified by emerald tints

enjoyment of the view

itself enough to fire

you will not treat me unkindly

a want of things to grieve about

before it can become a pearl