I wrote this poem whilst on holiday in Newquay in the early 1960s. It was mislaid/forgotten until June 2025 when Marjory found it in some old papers. memories returned and I initially recall walking along a coastal path with notepad and pencil initially inspired by the sound of the tide. On return to the hotel it was finalised and rewritten and not changed since
COASTAL EVENING
The gentle ripple of the evening tide
The lighthouse beam that searches wide
A sun that’s disappeared from view
And a cloudy sky that’s no longer blue
The cry of lone gull that’s going to rest
In the gaunt black rocks that hold its nest
A ship drifts by in silhouette
It may go on for ever, and yet
Such a thing cannot immortal be
Unlike the vast eternal sea
The lights that were across the bay
Are devoured in some haphazard way
And finally there is nothing left to be seen
Save the night, that’s peaceful and serene
With the gentle ripple of the tide
------------------------------------
In 2023 I put into verse form some of my occasional payers adding one that that I originated in verse. I have only recently shared with others.
In Your Way
When I am confused, just seeming to be lost
I turn to you Lord, who matters to me most
I ask so much but, in you I put my trust
Tell me not what I want to know
Just tell me what I need to know
You are the Potter
I am the clay
Mould me
Shape me
In your way
I pray
Times I am unsure and cannot see ahead
I look to you Lord for certainty instead
Clarity and vision to see and be lead
Show me not what I want to see
Just show me what I need to see
You are the Potter
I am the clay
Mould me
Shape me
In your way
I pray
I want to speak out but words fail me often
Yours is the voice Lord to whom I will listen
Sharpen each ear so I can hear more within
Don’t say the words I want to speak
Just say the words I need to speak
You are the Potter
I am the clay
Mould me
Shape me
In your way
I pray.