Understanding

Do we understand

                        anything?

When soy products are promoted

                        as healthy

yet growing soya destroys

                        carbon sinks

Do we understand

                        anything?

When cyclones and blizzards

                        storm surges

destroy people’s homes

and livelihoods

Do we understand

                        anything?

As extreme weather events

                        continue

and we footsie around

                        the real issues

Do we understand

                        anything?

© Peter Bean

Getting Old

I once thought

            turning 30

was getting old

sore back

            teenage years

long gone

but today

            my brother

turns 70

while I remain

            a sprightly

13 years younger

So, what’s old

            and, how do we

define it?

Is it

in

the eyes of the beholder?

Old and decrepit

hair turning grey

past it

are all phrases

            used

to describe

anyone

            older

than oneself

which suggests to me

            that

getting older

is much more

            a state of mind

than

what actually

            and invariably

happens

© Peter Bean

On Death And Grieving

Tears flow

As they must

Laughter shared

Through stories told

Questions asked

Reveal no answer

Except in faith

And hope and love

Music soars

In voice and sound

Emotions heightened

Via violin

Saxophone, piano

Memories abound

The past

Is for giving thanks

The future

Is uncertain

But held together

By the present

As friends

And family

Grieve and rejoice

At the same time

United

In hope

And belief

And memory

©Peter Bean