Another Year, Another Breath
By Tony DeLorger © 2015

A shallow breeze teases the summer morn,
and birds speak to day with bright expectancy,
sun blessed, the world moves in time,
and another year has passed, another breath taken.

How the past lingers, felt yet fallen behind,
and the path entreats a forward step,
unknown and profoundly rich in possibility,
and the wheels turn with subtle hum.

Filled with purpose we move into the new year,
mind filled with anticipation, a blind faith,
to greet day fresh and unencumbered,
a passenger on this ever-turning, churning ride.

Burgeoning plans and promises made,
hover like an umbrella,
and faces clean and free from yesterday,
forge the valleys and climbs to come.

I love the smell of expectancy in the morning,
like blossoms unfurling to a beckoning sun,
and whatever awaits is righteous,
in this dream of growth and being.

And I thank life for its acceptance,
I, like a pebble in the rapid flow,
glad to be here, for yet another year,
my heart ever-open, my mind willing to grow.

Gym Junkies Unite
By Tony DeLorger © 2014

Been going to the gym now for over twelve months, have lost 15kg, have got some level of cardio fitness and feel 10 years younger (just wish I looked it). There is no doubt, that no matter your age, exercise is a good think and feeling healthy like no other feeling. If we don't go to the gym, we feel guilty, and have to make up for it. We really get obsessed with it, because of all those endorphins I guess, but it is a good thing and although I go through much pain doing it, I wouldn't stop for anything. The following poem I wrote for my son Ben, who tales gym many steps farther than I do; hell he squatted 200kg the other day, that's two of me on his back. I'll leave that to him. I hope you like my little poem about us older gym junkies.

I Think I'm Falling To Pieces

My body is racked with pain,
my joints screaming for respite,
every muscle is trembling, in spasm,
every sinew feels alight,
that burning lactic acid,
is searing me to cooked,
and another minute or too should do it,
medium rare I'd say if I looked,
but I can't look at what I done to me,
I'm bulging, veiny and statuesque it seems,
swollen and hurting from all that pain,
the pressure is too much now for my minute brain,
my body has just taken over,
rep after rep after rep,
and my elbows and knees now are squeaking,
I can't take another step,
I'll just lay here with my tonne and a half of flesh,
glistening in the afternoon breeze,
I think perhaps I've broken my back,
I'm numb from my neck to my knees,
I'll be OK though, this is normal,
I'll rest tomorrow and be fine,
cause its back to the gym then the next day,
all that pumping and lifting of iron,
but it's fine, this old heart can take it,
its just a marathon on the bike,
and if I finish early, some shrugs or quad presses will do,
before they have to carry me out with a fight,
you see they're frightened that I'll sue,
but no, that's just ridiculous,
I'm hear for my health and self-esteem,
until I herniate a disk, or is it a discus?
Anyway, just need the day to recover,
and intake a cow for protein,
a few dozen eggs and the odd kilo of veg,
and I'll be right as rain and all keen,
so don't listen to my constant moaning,
just a momentary organ shut down,
a good nights sleep and I'll be raring to go,
back to my gym if I'm allowed.

By Tony DeLorger © 2014

I hear so many stories about grown up children abandoning their parents, and I don't just mean those with dementia in care facilities, but parents still fending for themselves at home. It saddens me to think that after bringing a child into the world, nurturing them, feeding and educating them, and grounding them with a sense of morality, and wisdom, so they will have a productive and happy life, someone could then turn their back on their parents.

But it happens all the time, after all the parents sacrifice, when the child grows up, they have no time for the parent, even when they are in need. So many older couples are basically destitute, not being able to maintain their lives without help and with perhaps no money to get into a care facility. I know many children become focused on inheritance and just wait for their parents to go so they can get their greedy hands on their life's savings. This is just so abhorrent to me, and I can't believe any person could feel like that with their own parents.

Imaging turning your back, out of choice, on those who gave you life. How shallow would you have to be to have no feelings for your parents. I think I must live in another world. Our parents and the elderly deserve everything from us. We inherited the world from them, and what we have is because of them. So where is the respect, where is compassion and love?

I'll never understand this kind of behavior, but it has to be addressed, because we hold such little value with the elderly, those who have lived, loved and fought for our future. We must appreciate the wisdom of age, and those who have delivered us to life, surely?

Oh Why...
By Tony DeLorger © 2014

Why do storms preempt fine weather and arguments end in peace?
Why is pain the greatest teacher and love a soul's release?
Why is strife just one more challenge in a world of serenity rarely seen, and hurt accepts its passage, what falls apart is dreams?
Why does my heart ever long for love, when heartache is all that ends, and friendship so it appears to be, is lost my heart transcends?
And why am I awake at night the stars a burden to hold, their endless distant light of past, too much for a mind be told?
Why do I cry at advertisements, with babies, kittens and the old, when I am man and unbreakable, a stoic steel-like mold?
And why is grass greener on the other side, where feet have not dared to tread, and challenge the scale of dizzy heights unwilling to be met.?
Why is disaster always come in numbers, to beat us to the ground, when ass-holes find the pathway smooth, their gain too much, astound?
Why are baby feet so perfect and grown ups gnarled and irksome, why is beauty all we ever want, when a heart reveals the person?
Why do birds sing in the morning, and dogs howl at night, why do drunks stumble in alleyways, their families a horrid plight?
Why is luck a thing of fancy, when losing is commonly felt, but winning a thing of destiny, a meant to be result?
And why do I sleep alone at night time, all marriages gone to heaven, yet other men bald and ugly, find sex and pleasures given?
Why do I enrich my life with morality straight and true, when reckless men with ill-intent rule the world anew?
And why do trees affect me so, I hug them all the time, yet strangle weeds in my back lawn, my conscience not sublime?
Why do I love those that I do, when frustration often stings, and in the end I forgive them all, and give my love some wings?
Why is the world so harsh and cruel, to those of softer nature, when those of tough and leathery hides, live easy lives with stature?
Why do I continue to write so much, my thoughts in hope of learning, when life itself does beckon me, put down your pen your burning?
And why do I wallow in my unpleasant past, when a clean and inviting future, screams for me to accept it's path and forgive my past illusions?
Why do I ask so many questions, on a minute to minute basis, it's because I know so little, and I want to die sublimated.
And why is life so complex, when we humans are so dumb, I guess if we knew the truth of it, we'd explode or in madness succumb. 

By Tony DeLorger © 2014

How much further must we go into the abyss,
before peace is found,
before fear and hatred cease to consume minds,
before greed is proven shallow.

Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism,
are filled with notions of love, brotherhood and acceptance,
yet somewhere purpose has become lost,
the pure words of truth are but echoes falling to distance.

I believe not in any doctrine of dogma,
but I do believe in love and the potential of peace,
and in that pursuit I see nothing but contention,
the squabbling of children over pointless rights.

I dream of countless blessings,
and wake to endless war,
in minds, in words, in battles and oppression,
the sounds of silent screaming resounding in hearts.

How much further must we bend morality,
justify the decimation of our earth,
and the destruction of all life sacred,
for the appeasement of systems we've created.

How much pain can we inflict without guilt,
without the consciousness of a open and giving heart,
and how will we sleep knowing what we do to one another,
in the name of self-gain.

How much further can I go without breaking,
knowing all this and seeing no change,
no serenity only struggle,
no contentment just self-inflicted pain.

How much further is it to home.