We were young then
We were young then, when the bright light of our soul lit the way
We were young then, when the night was brighter than the day
We were young then, when our dreams outshone our fears
We were young then, when our laughs were longer than our tears
We were young then, when our lives were new, our hopes on song
We were young then, when memory was short and life was long
The Oystercatcher and the Eagle
To be by the sea, gay galore, like the oystercatcher on the shore
Picking, dancing, taking to the sky; it’s such a thrill, I could cry
To be on the hill and hear the shrill, the cry of an eagle in flight
Soaring, diving, gliding so high; it’s such a sight, it makes me sigh.
The sea talks
The sea talks, listen, hear it.
It whispers, it shushes,
Go on in, it pulls and it pushes
It cries and sighs, it lives and dies
It lifts and falls, it beckons and calls
It washes and wishes and caresses and kisses
Unleash your soul
Fill your mind with beauty, let your thoughts go free
Follow your dreams, vigorously
Find a place within you, where your love should be
Give it others, vicariously
Stop the self-deprecating, you don’t need to agree
Unleash your soul, blissfully
The warmth of the night
The warmth of the night follows the coldness of the day
The tender moon moves the clouds away
The hustle and bustle of the city throng
Gives way to the night ‘s sweet song
The shrieking starlings, the squawking gulls
Are no match for the wise owl’s calls
The constant chatter, the shouts and cries
Are softer now, in evening lullabies
A harsh word, a piercing rebuke
Are but an echo of a mellowed look
The push and pull in mindless race
Are all but now a warm embrace
Tom O. Keenan Jan 2022