Poems On Attitudes To Life

Attitudes to life are often expressed in poetry. My early poems were often about life and attitudes to life of disturbed people. I have chosen this theme to showcase the first of what I hope will be many pages of my poetry on Squidoo. It may depend upon how successful these pages are, but I do have many poems to publish.

Prior to this project, my poems were written purely for my own benefit and have never been published. I did in fact set many of them to music and some of them have seen the light of day; but this is the first time that I have taken steps to make the bulk of them available to interested readers.

Despite the poems here having a common theme, they are about an eclectic collection of people and their attitudes to life. I hope that you enjoy reading them. However they are personal to me and as the copyright holder, I would prefer to know how they might be used. Please respect this and ask me if you want to quote from them.

It is a very new project but I have started a new blog to write about my poetry, Poems and Poetry on Life.

The image is licensed under a Creative Commons licence.

A Poem About Good And Evil

A poem written many years ago when my boys were small. They were talking in the back of the car on a ride to a treat, and kept mentioning "the wicked magician".

I still don't know what or who he was, but whan I sat down that evening to write I kept seeing the picture of this character in my mind. I eventually gave in and wrote this poem, not at all like anything that I have written before or since.

The Wicked Magician

The wicked Magician, he cries in the night.

For the wrongs he has done and the wrongs he can't right.

The wicked Magician knows his way was wrong,

But for power and wealth he was just swept along.

The wicked Magician, he cries in his sleep

For the lies he has told and the vows he can't keep.

For we all have to pay for the black and the white.

The good and the bad that we do in our life.

And so to us all does come a judgement.

If you should believe in life after our death.

And so to us all there comes a choosing,

When at last we meet with the Lord God of wrath.

An original poem by John Dyhouse, the image of a magician is in the public domain

A poem about choice

Far too many people in our society today are far too quick to take a violent way out of situations. This poem (or lyric as it was set to music soon after writing) was written in 1977 but has never been published or even seen the light of day. I almost feel upset about having written it. I have never been in this sort of situation and hope never to be so, but i do find the piece disturbing

The text calls for another way of proceeding without the use of weapons, and a much calmer approach to issues. In the last verse all is explained, well at least partly.

Put Down Your Gun

Put Down your gun, you'd better run,

You can't have it all your own way.

You never know when you might need a friend

So put down your gun today.

Banish all thoughts of vengeance.

"Live and let live", don't they say.

You can't come up number one, every time.

So put down your gun today.

Put Down your gun, you'd better run,

And give yourself time to unwind.

You never know what you're liable to do,

Take the time to make up your mind.

Banish all thoughts of vengeance.

"Live and let live", don't they say.

You have to expect to be put down, sometime.

So put down your gun today.

Put Down your gun, you'd better run,

Some day you might need a friend.

Give me some time, let me change your mind,

Don't bring my poor life to an end.

Banish all thoughts of vengeance.

"Live and let live", don't they say.

You can't come up number one, every time.

So put down your gun today.

An original poem by John Dyhouse, The image is in the public domain

As you are reading this lens, I would like to know if you are a creative writer yourself, or even if you write poetry.

A Poem About How Your Outlook Can Affect Your Life

Change your attitudes and the way that you look at life to be more positive and this could change your life for the better. Or at the very least provide a more positive outlook on life.

This is the message contained within these few stanzas.

Is The Day Too Long?

Is the day too long

To hold to what you're crying for?

Is the day too bright

To see just what you want?

Is the time too fast

To make your mind up anyway?

Is life just a dream,

You cannot hold?

Have you seen the sun,

When up above's a clear blue sky?

Have you felt the rain,

When the sun is beating down?

Can you reach the sky,

"Oh no", this time I hear you say.

Can you really say

You've ever lived?

You've never seen the sun,

The clouds of doubt obscure your mind.

You've never felt the rain

You're too insensitive for that.

You've never touched the sky,

Your crookedness is stopping you.

Oh no, you cannot say,

You've ever lived.

An original poem by John Dyhouse, The image is licensed via Wiki Commons under Creative Commons

I recently saw this book recommended for creative writers and the recommendation was given in very strong terms. If you only read one book on the subject read this one, I was told. Well coming back to creative writing after so many years, I decided that I oought to see for myself. So I bought it. I have been very glad that I did.

A poem about interconnections in life

"No man is an island", words often heard but do we take the meaning on board in our life. I unapologetically incorporated these words into this poem, and used the idea of melting snow on far mountain peaks, feeding a river which in turn creates a waterfall. The spray from the waterfall is felt by this observer.

We should realise that all life is inevitably connected in some way on this small planet of ours.

The Waterfall

By the banks of a waterfall, I hear the roar.

Rushing water fills a pool on the floor,

Of the valley, where the trees are so green

And I sit, let the waterfall carry me away.

Mountain peaks, as the sun rises I see its face.

Snow-capped peaks, far away but disturbing my peace.

Melting snow, fills the streams with its blood

And the streams fill the river which flows past my feet.

No man is an island unto himself

But he's a part of the world all around him.

You don't need to look very far

To understand and believe, what I am saying.

By the banks of a waterfall, I feel the spray.

Rushing water, fills a pool that's so cold for today.

Melted snow, from those mountains afar,

I sit and I think, let the waterfall carry me away

An original poem by John Dyhouse, The image is licensed via wiki under Creative Commons

A Poem About Ageing And Growing Old

Like so many of my poems, this has been set to music but never previously published in any form. In setting these poems to music I usually alter one of the verses to construct a contrasting metre/structure to create a middle eight for the song.

I am unsure what inspired it, I think the words simply appeared as I was writing in my notebook one day. I worked on the first few words and voila ….. there it was! It came to life of it's own accord and I was grateful enough to write it down anad call it my own.

Patterns On My Mind

Patterns on my mind,

Though my eyes seem blind.

I cannot see the world

Through tears of Pain

Red and blue and gold,

It seem's I'm getting old,

The world is fading

Faster everyday

I see Tomorrow,

It's here before today.

I see tomorrow,

and I see yesterday.

Red and blue and green,

I feel that I could scream.

I can't take no more,

I feel I'll lose my mind.

An original poem by John Dyhouse, The image is in the public domain

A Poem About Procrastination

Sometimes I can identify with the main persona in this poem. I drifted into a job in my early twenties and stayed there, content to meander along until I retired. I did take many jobs with the same firm but they never really satisfied me, I shold have had a job with a more creative role. Perhaps I am passing this warning on.

Each of us must find his own place in the world where we can be true to ourselves.

You're In A Rut Boy

You're in a rut boy

Get up and go

Show them what you can do.

Stuck in a rut,

It's no way to be

For somebody like you.

You're in a rut boy

Walking a line

That's without any curves.

Got to stand up and

Shout for yourself,

To get what you deserve.

You're in a rut but,

You've got what it takes

Show them they can't get you down.

Show them you've still got

Enough fight inside,

To go a few more rounds

Don't be afraid,

You'll be amazed

At the things you can do.

Get off your butt, there's

Always a place

For somebody like you.

An original poem by John Dyhouse, The above image is in the public domain

I have collated poems from this article and from a companion, into an e-book which is free to download from Scribd.com.

All the poems contained in these lenses are contained in the e-book.

The image is a pastel painting by the author.

Now that I have taken the plunge and published these poems, I would be grateful for any constructive criticsm of the work. Or perhaps you just want to share any thoughts on your own poetry. Either way, this is your opportunity to speak out. I hope that you will feel able to take the opportunity.