The Devil’s War

 

 

When people start killing people

In the name of what they claim is God

Then the Devil is surly in command

And he will never spare the rod . .

 

 

When people try to justify . .

Revengeful cruelty with religion

Then the Devil is in full control

And making their decisions

 

 

There has never been a religion

That has killing as its theme . .

There has never been a Holy Book

That supports . . a murderous regime

 

 

The Devil is riding high today

Tearing holes in all religions . .

As people promote his policies

Preaching sacrilege and derision

 

 

When people start killing people

There can never be an excuse . .

It’s nothing but vengeful hatred

And the Devil is on the loose

 

 

You can blame all the politicians

But then for a moment . . if you pause

You might come to the conclusion

It’s mankind and Devil that’s the cause

 

 

Color, poverty, need, and desperation

Affluence and selfish greed and creed . .

And unless we all realign ourselves

I think the Devil will succeed  

 

 

Albert Gazeley © July 2006

 

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A Pilgrim

Sometime I feel I’m a pilgrim
As I wonder place to place
Not knowing of my reasoning
Or the hardships that I’ll face

Pilgrim is such a kindly word
A friend and samaritan in one
Now because of all my traveling
I feel that’s what I’ve become

I no longer have an axe to grind
There are few places left to see
I hold out a hand of friendship
Amity has become my last decree

I’m not sure where I will end up
And in some ways I don’t care
Just as long as I am welcome
And there’s no feeling of despair

A pilgrim looking for contentment
And I have lots of time to kill
And if you’re at all like-minded
Friend - come join me if you will


Albert Gazeley © October 2005

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This world of mine . . .

Come into this world of mine
Where soul and poetry intertwine
From your earthly world depart
As my poetry cocoons your heart

We will muse on all and sundry things
I’ll take you back to where time begins
We will encounter God - face to face
And state the good and bad of every faith

Debating religion -  every single part
Whether Wiccan Christian or Black Art
Hindu, Jew, Muslim or Buddhist
Are also here and deliberated to the fullest

But I also take pleasure in both Folk and Fairytales
And talk of  endangered tigers and humpback whales
The environment for me is a passionate topic
From the frozen icecaps - to the steamy tropics

We’ll talk of the past and reminisce
Of our tragedies - an of course the bliss
We will watch stunning sunsets beyond your dreams
Travel all the planet and observe the scenes

We’ll walk my orchards on a summers day
Hear the drone of bees as they work away
The scent of blossom will drench the air
As we wander barefoot - without a care . . .

We’ll see rainbows beyond your comprehension
With a million colours of my own invention
So I dare you to come into this world of mine
Where soul and poetry intertwine


Albert Gazeley © October 2005




Stone Angel

Stone Angel - tell me what you see
Looking down on London’s tragedy

With ridged wings and somber face
How do you judge the human race

Are you saddened by what you see
As terrorism becomes our legacy

Though you are stone - and cannot cry
You symbolize - God’s silent sigh

Seraph sentinel high on crumbing plinth
Are you more than just a monolith

A memorial to I know not what - or who
Yet commanding an imposing view

Over the railings and across the street
Where shoppers - and assassins meet

Innocent children – some are also dead
Did you watch the bombers - as they fled

Did you see the red tour bus get ripped apart
By a callous radical - with a murderous heart

In a hundred years will you  still be there
Viewing everything in the thoroughfare

And will the High Street be just the same
With religions doubts and vindictive pain

O Majestic Angel – what are your thoughts
As you look down on me – whilst I’m distraught

Yes - You have no feelings – I’m sure that's true
But there are times Dear Angel - that I envy you




The Majority

I’m not important,
I am - just me
As I go through my day
Geniality is key

I’m just a survivor
I don’t warrant attention
I’m an ordinary guy -
And I mirror convention

I’m always polite -
And don’t give it much thought
When just a kid growing up
It was the way I was taught

I am patient in line
And I stand in the bus
I invariably give way
And I don’t make a fuss

I’m never late for work
And I work hard at my job
I’m not a person to shirk
And I’m far from a slob

I pay my taxes on time
And I look out for my mates
They all know I’ll be there
If they’re in desperate straits

For I’m a regular guy
That doesn’t make waves
The sort that’s called in the Draft
And fills up the graves

Yet if my kind had our own banner -
I’m sure when our flag was unfurled
You’d find our standard would epitomize
Most folk in the world



Albert Gazeley © May 2005



I Wrote this on the day we celebrated the 60th adversary of the end of World War II

Lest We Forget. . .  

A fleeting dismal look at
Forty Million Crosses
Sparing scant thought
For all those losses

Then off to the shops
You’ve done your bit for the day
The tourists have their photos
And have gone on their way

But then think of all those suffering
With Cancer and AIDS
For the World’s busy digging
Forty Million more Graves

What is the answer ?
I’m sure I don’t really know
For we won’t honor these dead
They won’t be buried in rows

Kings and Queens won’t come -
Generals won’t stand and salute
Yet it’s a real World Wide War
But so few give a hoot  
       
Gone is the war
That was to end all the wars
Yet terrorists and army’s
Are still settling old scores

So why should we reflect  
On the dead and the dying
Why waste a silent moment
When Governments aren’t really trying

Yet tomorrow God will send us -
Another new day
So for his sake – and ours
We must find a way

Yes – remember the dead
But don’t forget the dying
We should all die with honor
To justify the crying


Albert Gazeley © May 2005


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Parallel thought . . .

I close my eyes and fall backwards into my mind
as my thoughts accustom themselves to the blackness
I can sense the rush of excitement as I fall -
down and down – or am I falling sideways
there is no gravity in my brain – falling upwards
is a distinct possibility – but as I apply focused thought
things began to slow – direction is irrelevant
behind my dropped lids - I can float, swim, twist or spin
just one split second from a moment ago – and I am in utopia

what should I dream onto my black velvet page –
a tropical beach, beautiful maidens, an arena
for my epic exploits waiting in line to be imagined
shall I be Zeus or Apollo – an astronaut or a king
perhaps I should let my hand fall over the side of
an imaginary boat leaving a trail in the swirling waters
Oh the coolness of the lake – but what lake – just the thought
of coolness sends comfort flooding through my entire body – like spring rain
on a hot evening in July – how fantasy can comfort
it seems daydreams or realities are the same in a trance –

and I can be here every time I close my eyes and wish myself here
or I can open my eyes and somersault back into the real world
perhaps that is really what life is – a process of dreaming
on different levels and parallels – are we real or is reality –
just an advanced level of our subconscious – how is it that
we can travel through space at thousands of miles per minute
gyrating and spinning, looping around the sun – whilst sitting here
and never once spilling our cup of tea – is that reality –
I open my eyes and wonder - do we really know what is real


Albert Gazeley (c) February 2005

This is me and William . . a few years ago.

My Hideaway

Today I’m staying deep within my brain
For outside the world has gone insane
Who would think men would kill for oil
Does immoral profit make them royal

Inside my head I feel quite safe
Whilst hiding from the human race
Here I have tranquility peace and calm
And confidence - I won’t come to harm

For I control all that I think - or write
And I shut cruelty and evil from my sight
I create my domain as artist of my vision
Only fools rely on others - supposition

Here deep in the recess of my brain
I conjure situations far from mundane
Joy and emotion beyond compare
Come share with me – yes come and share

Come run and stumble through my thought
And I’ll ensure that you - are not distraught
Come Share with me the dreams that I invent
For they are pure thoughts - all heaven sent

Feast on the ambrosia of my verse and prose
Just relax and linger - whilst I compose
For in the outside world treachery abounds
But here – yes here . . . contentment’s found


Albert Gazeley © November 2004



I wrote the following poem some years ago but in view of what is happening in the World today I thought it is well worth a second look – but not everyone will agree with it of course – Albert

God's Crying . .

The devil devised religion
It makes sound sense to me
He must have had a leering grin
As they nailed Jesus to a tree.

Its time that we got wise to him
And changed the world around
Got rid of all the temples
And pulled churches to the ground

I’m sure God must be crying
For all the harm religion’s done
It’s not what he intended
When Earth exploded from the Sun

The Crusades and the IRA
The swords and now the guns
They have all assembled armies
As soon as they had funds

I wish I could tear down the Weeping Wall
And plant flowers where it stood
I’d flatten all Jerusalem
And plant olives if I could

From Saladin to Rasputin,
From King Henry to Pope John
They fracture every moral rule
How did they interpret "God" so wrong?

Why do we respect tradition?
When much of it is bad
Why should we cherish history?
When much of it is sad

Can’t we have a Universal Creed?
That the entire world could heed
Full of everlasting love
Focused on "One God" above

Let Hindus, Moslems and Buddhists too
Join Jews and Christians in one point of view
And let happiness rule throughout the Earth
That’s what I think – for what its worth.


Albert Gazeley (c) 2002

This poem was written a year later and focused on a slightly different area, the afterlife.  – I have written many more poems about religious and racial confrontations such as these that have now been going on for around 6,000 years – and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of them coming to an end in the next 6,000 years – we can only hope; But greed and creed make a volatile combination – If only religious people of all dominations practiced what they preached and politicians were true to their promises – But I am just a poet not a magician.

God’s Soldier

I am not bothered by the enemy
The Bullets or the Bombs
For I am marching up to Heaven
For me the battle has been won

It little matters from what side I came
From the left or from the right
God’s not bothered if I’m Christian
Moslem, Jew or black or white

I was in an “Earthly” quarrel
The war is of no importance now
Because I’m marching up to Heaven
I’ve turned my back on Hell

I am linking arms with comrades
As we march from either side
We are marching up to heaven
On a staircase miles wide

God has no “Denominations”
And he does not appreciate the fight
But he will care for all the war fatalities
It doesn’t matter who’s in the right

“God” is really so - Omnipotent
He doesn’t have a name
You can call him “God” or “Allah”
He will answer just the same

When I was surrounded by explosions
And gripped by panic laced with fear
There was a “Multilingual” Angel
That I knew was always near

And then the smell of death just vanished
No more the fear that turned to hate
Gone the thoughts that “I must kill him first!”
Or death will be my fate

These dreadful “earthly” thoughts are history
The pain and suffering gone at last
Now my peace is everlasting
And my fear of “DEATH” has past

All the things that I was taught on earth
Are now superfluous and no longer will apply
And my “Soul” will be replenished
When I’m blessed by “God” on high

No! Death is not the ending -
It’s the “Beginning” of my “Victory Parade”
Yes – I’m marching up to Heaven
So there’s no need to be afraid

Albert Gazeley © March 2003

Hello!  I am Albert Gazeley -  
I am currently back in Hong Kong

I am a retired industrialist - Over the past 40 years I have spent most of my time in the Far East. I have a home in both Hong Kong and England – but since I am retired I travel extensively . . . I enjoy cruising and have visited many countries in most parts of the world.

Although I have written poetry since I was a small boy I have never regarded myself as an accomplished poet – and having grown up through the second world war and left school at 14 years of age, I am strong on experience and emotion and weak on spelling and grammar.

For many years I devoted much of my time writing letters to the Editors of newspapers around the world – and my poetry sometimes reflects the same style and concerns . . Mostly philosophy and comments on current events  

I have sat on many Boards and Committees for both the UK and HK Governments – I have also taken part in UN Conferences on Labour, Climate Change and Health & Safety in the Workplace. I have a reasonably good feel of what is happening ( or not happening ) in the world. Although I regard myself as retired I am still a Company Director of several different companies from Computers to Property and I also get involved in charities relating to special situations – I sat on the board of a children’s hospital for many years and am a Life Member of the Disabled Children’s Association.



My wife is Thai/Chinese and I have two grown children and three Grandchildren.

My hobbies are Writing, Wood Carving, Stained Glass Pictures, Cathedral Windows, and pottery – I Collect Books and Chess Sets. I am reasonably knowledgeable on English Antiques – have some knowledge on Chinese Antiques.   I regard myself as an accomplished photographer from Black & White through to Digital.

Although I was born in London – I grew up in Cambridge (England) – which was the home of many famous poets of the past – the City of Cambridge and the surrounding villages are steeped in poetic history and the ghosts and spirits of the “Golden Age of Poetry” still wonder about the countryside.

.    

Thought for the year:
God, grant me the senility,
To forget the people I never liked anyway,
The good fortune To run into the ones I do,
And the eyesight to tell the difference.
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