Poetry by Samantha Birkett from London, England e-mail: c/o quikwords@aol.com     ALL THE WORLDLY GOODS All the golds and silvers shining bright encrusted with stones reflecting rays of light could never bring me such delight or outshine the fire of my lifelong plight; All the lushness and purity of the trees or the deepest waters of the bluest seas could never quench my thirst for these: the dreams in life I so wish to sieze; All the softest silks and velvets of the best piled high on the back of their strongest beast could never match this beauty in the least: the beauty of the hope within which has never ceased; All the scents and hues of the rarest rose that has inspired sweet thoughts of countless Romeos could never shadow or that window of hope close nor in my heart the smallest doubt or question pose; Only a feast for the mortal senses not for my soul, would these treasures be never could all the worldly goods satisfy the void which can be filled only by thee.     THE MASK I am so tired of leading this pointless and insignificant life of feeling so small and helpless against the might of the world and all its strife. I begin each day afresh with renewed hopes and fears but only I know of the many which have passed and of all their magnitude, washed away by my tears. I hide my grief within hoping those who love me will never see that I am so frightened of the future, of the things that may or may not be. My pillow is damp and my fingers raw the deep lines beneath my eyes tell the inner story of my ever-present fears, in disguise. I tell the world I am happy and hope they have believed for I need their faith in me as they are all I have achieved. I clothe myself in strength each day to uphold the image I have made but when I rid myself of the mask I think back on the price I have paid. I so wish to lead a happy life and make the most of all I can but already there is so much in the past I know my story has not a short span. I must learn to trust myself to have some faith in me for I wish to live my dream one day when all my fears will behind me be.     CALM AFTER THE STORM Like the branches of a tree I was then Swaying and bending to your tempest; Like leaves of a tree I was then Shaking and bowing to your torrent; Like the fruit of a tree I was then Floating and bobbing to your storm; Like the skin of a tree I was then Cracking and peeling to your blizzard. And yet... Like the roots of a tree I am now Growing and strengthening off your anger; Like the bark of a tree I am now Toughening and thickening off your energy; Like the heart of a tree I am now Beating and living off your power Like the blood of a tree I am now Flowing and quickening off your hate. And so... Like the calm after the storm it will be Clearing and warming to the sun; Never again will I be the victim, the victim of what you have done.     LET THERE BE LIGHT I awoke this morning from a familiar dream; the world was grey and black and you could no longer be seen. I embarked on the journey of today; the sights and faces were bare. I searched for you amongst the crowd, but yet again you were not there. All around me is cold and lonely; my wish is to run far away, get a new life somewhere else but I wouldn't have to, if only you would stay. My fear is that it will never change, that whoever you are, will never come to take me awake from this dark life and to show me where the light is from. My hope is that one day with the morning you will be there, glowing with the strength of the sun come to meet away my fear.     THANK YOU I wanted to thank you for the things you have done, for being my guardian angel when I felt I had none. I wanted to thank you for the love you have shown, for your warmth and affection when I thought I was alone. I wanted to thank you for your gestures and words; you gave me strength when I was in need and helped me trust in my own creed. I wanted to thank you for being there through thick and thin, if not in body, in soul and always believing that I could win. I wanted to thank you for who you are, for your strength and courage, for always shining like the brightest star. And the only way I can thank you and show you how I feel is to utter these words which are written in steel: It's so peaceful to be loved for who I have become than to be resented for the things I have not done.      Samantha's Personal Favorites  HE WISHES FOR THE CLOTHS OF HEAVEN By W.B. YEATS (1865-1959) Had I the heaven's embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread lightly because you tread on my dreams.   A BIRTHDAY By Christina Rossetti My heart is like a singing bird Whose nest is in a watered shoot; My heart is like an apple tree Whose boughs are bent with thick-set fruit; My heart is like a rainbow shell That paddles in a halcyon sea; My heart is gladder than all these Because my love has come to me. Raise me a dais of silk and down; Hang it with rare and purple dyes; Carve it in doves and pomegranates And peacocks with a hundred eyes; Work it in gold and silver grapes In leaves and silver fleur-de-lys; Because the birthday of my life Is come, my love is come to me.     Top | Back to Collected Poems | Back to Main Page