WHO PAINTED THE SKY SO BLUE?
POEMS
BY
THEO TAMMES
CONTENDS
SILENCE PAGE 2
THE DIFFERENCE PAGE 3
OPEN DOORS PAGE 4
THE TRAIL PAGE 5
TIME PAGE 6
THE ANSWER PAGE 7
WINTERSONG PAGE 8
MEMORY PAGE 9
WHO PAGE 10
LET ME BE PAGE 11
AND ALWAYS YOU PAGE 12
CHAINS PAGE 13
NO ROADS PAGE 14
HARVEST PAGE 15
WINDS PAGE 16
AND NEVER FEAR THE DARKEST NIGHT PAGE 17
THE WAY TO OURSELVES PAGE 18
This is a collection of poets reaching back almost fifteen years. Most of them have been included in other publications of my work, some see the light of day here for the first time.
Produced and published in Howmore.
If you are interested in any of my other books or stories, please contact me at
©
Copyright by
Theo Tammes
Casa Azul
Porto do Paul
Pernes
2000-500
Portugal
SILENCE
Where words fail
Let the silence come
Let it fill all the space
Out of the silence
Listening is born
In the depth of our hearts
In the silence therein
Lies all the wisdom
All the beauty
All the love
Love that binds
All together
That is the beginning
Of a never-ending story.
THE DIFFERENCE
Behind the door
And before the door
Is the same world
Yet I make the difference
Within me
And without me
There is the same nature
Yet I make the barriers
Between you and me
There is no difference
Because all is one
Yet I sure make misunderstandings
How foolish I am
But to know I am a fool
Makes me feel better.
OPEN DOORS
I look up to the stars
The stars look down at me
I don’t know who I am anymore
I am with you
The road goes straight into heaven
All doors stand open
Everyone welcomes us.
THE TRAIL
To follow the trail
Even when the track is lost
Erased by the wind
To follow your route
To your destiny
Without knowing where you are
And where you are going
To follow the trail
Without a trace of the right track
To follow the trail
Even when it is lost in the sand.
TIME
Time is a river
It slows down
And speeds up
Time is not static
It never was
Time is flowing
Slower and faster
Live your own time
To be what you are
What you can be
What you want to be
Time is not the master
Of the universe
Time is helpful healer
Of mistakes and hurts.
THE ANSWER
The answer to your questions
Comes in the dark and silence
When night puts on its purple gown
The mystery is born
A song of love and tenderness
Fills the air around
Listen very carefully
And catch the magic sound
The sources of all ancient lores
Open wide in moonlight shadow
Magic touch and sudden dreams
Appear on the threshold of your mind
Now listen to the waving trees
And catch the sound of silence
Of shores unknown and seas far off
The voices of the universe
Tell all the tales
Give all the answers
To questions never raised.
WINTERSONG
Ice-cold winds and frozen windows
Darkness covers it all
Gales and snowstorms, frozen fingers
Winter is around us all
Just creep into the oven
Take plenty of covers at night
Sneak together very closely
Wake up late in the morning light
Trains are stuck and roads are icy
Trees collide on the track
Heaps of snow and frozen fingers
People moving close
Winter is a beautiful time
Coming back home from the cold
If there is someone to hold.
MEMORY
When I wake up
In the first morning light
I know everything is all right
Slowly making my coffee
Smoking a cigarette
Go and lay to wake up
Some more time in my bed
Until the sunlight floods my room
Music in the background
Life is so good
Yes I miss your kisses
I miss your warm embrace
Counting the stars on your back
Seeing the smile on your face
So warm, so wonderful
When your heart opens to mine
Now that is memory
But life is fine
When children play in the park
In warm spring sunshine
When darkness slowly approaches
Covers yet another wonderful day
WHO
Who painted the sky so blue?
Whose brushes placed those clouds
So accurately where they should be
Whose fine lines and thousands shades
Of grey and blue
Comfort my morning eyes
Who mixed those smells?
In this fresh morning breeze
Who touched my lips in
Half-forgotten ecstasy
Who spread that blanket of forgetfulness
Over the remnants of the night
Who dried those unshed tears
And returned the unseen smiles
Who painted my dreams
So vivid and real
In either world
Who is always there
Is it you?
LET ME BE
Let me be like the sea
Coming and going, resting in itself
Just being
Let my love be like that
Flowing everywhere, just being
Let me be like the wind
Strong and soft, always changing
Just being
Flowing around everywhere
Let my love be like the wind
Let me be like a tree
Strong and beautiful, rooted in the earth
Growing into the heavens
Just being, resting in itself
Being part of everything
Let my love be without boundaries
Strong and soft, everywhere
Resting in itself
Let me just be me
Strong and weak, resting in myself
Giving and receiving
Being part of all.
AND ALWAYS YOU
Observing without wanting
Sharing without desiring
Feeling without the pain
Being in the fullness of time
Giving and receiving
Advising without misleading
Creating without disturbing
Healing
Moving with the flow
Dancing in the rain
And always you
Somewhere in me
Deep and hidden
Or clear and fast
Always you
Dreaming and wanting
Longing yet not desperate
Giving pain the space
To leave and disappear
And always you
Deep in my being
Welcomed and kept
In loving memory
The ocean of time
Compressed in a single moment
And always you.
CHAINS
Wishes can be like chains
We should free ourselves
From them
And love life like it comes
Always wish for the best
And be light and happy.
Memories of Holland
NO ROADS
No roads to carry you down
So thin, so flat
-the tamed delta-
exploding painting
of the clouds
the fresh silence
after the rains
but too
the chilling cold
entering shivering bones
maybe the lack of heights
sharpens the eye
to see the obvious
oh watery country
caught in the molars
of the tide.
HARVEST
In winter cold and rain and wet
We like to sleep and stay in bed
When spring returns to us once again
We plant and dig and trim and drain
In summer light the pace slows down
We study hard if all has grown
But autumn is the king of all
With nature’s help we reap and call:
Harvest is the best of all.
WINDS
When the winds are resting
The lochs turn into mirrors
Reflecting mountains far and near
Birds a-flying, an otter, a deer
The golden light floods the land
Magic under such a blue sky
No stirrings, shout or cry
And then again that same peace
Can disappear in moments
When the winds blow the rain
Over our wild wild island again.
AND NEVER FEAR THE DARKEST NIGHT
The darkened shadows on the floor
The clicking of a closing door
The winds so fierce and yet so free
Much too dark for me to see
The waves come crashing on the beach
The tune they sing is within reach
The gales are here to roam this day and night
The place to be is now inside
And never fear the darkest night
Everything will turn out right
When the morning sun is shining bright
And the stars are wonderful tonight
Never fear the winds so wild
Tomorrow it will be so mild
Get the fire stoked red hot
Forget to worry about the lot
Morning bright will come again
You will be a newborn man
Travel where you have to go
Through mountains high and desert snow
All tracks lead to the same place
All you do is place your ace
Happiness it is inside
And so is the eternal light
Love and life will carry on
till the end of time has come
never worry never fear
life is laughter and a tear
but happiness it is so near
like a whisper in your ear.
THE WAY TO OURSELVES
We have lain like this together
Under the Spanish moon
Curled up in speechless exhaustion
Holding each other in comfort
To rest throughout the night
We have slept on the plains together
Under the cover of a million stars
We have been wakened by the morning breeze
To watch the sunrise from the distant mists
And eagerly start a brand-new day
We have eaten the bread together
And drank the good red wine
On misty hillsides and on mountains
We have answered the stranger’s greetings
And stopped for many talks
We have found peace together
In watching the cows walk past
And hearing the church bells ring
We watched the landscape change
Chewing the fruits of the glittering vine
We have walked the trail together
Pilgrims on the “Camino the Santiago”
Walking forever to please ourselves and praise God
For the walk was the way to ourselves.