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