Haunting Echoes

Sappho wrote her poetic metered stanza,
Lyrics penned for cantillate voices reeling,
Flowing songs from long ago haunting echoes.
Drifting from Greek Isle.

© Jem Farmer 2009, all rights reserved.

Curriculum Vitae

A student of classics that is me
Never intended to write the words
That inspire me to draw and paint
A poet, no not me.

There once was a writer called Jem
The best of her erotica made one ‘ahem’
Much to her shame
She has quit that game
OK she still writes some of them.

A student of classics that is me
Never intended to write the words
That inspire me to draw and paint
A poet, no not me.

Nonsense verse that makes sense.
A love of Lear comes forth.
Dribbles and drabbles so intense
Like winds that bite from the north
Botherswipes that get in the way,
Grumblewits that say grow up now,
An inner child is at her play,
To keep her alive is my vow.

A student of classics that is me
Never intended to write the words
That inspire me to draw and paint
A poet, no not me.

The rule of play now is a beat,
To give poems rhythm and flow,
The meter gives a verse some feet,
And words now glow.

A student of classics that is me
Never intended to write the words
That inspire me to draw and paint
A poet, no not me.

The sonnet, long has been my muse in art
My dearest Shelley now lies in my heart
As paint and I unite with words of love
Like minds in time, a creative team above.

He died before his time in foreign sea,
He comes alive in paint and board with me.
'Though he was born two hundred years ago
In all his work I see my world on show

I paint and try to think as Shelley thought
The rebel of a Lord in Scouser's art
I use my talent and the skills I'm taught
But mostly I just paint a poet's heart

I want to try to paint away my rage
He used a pen to put his on the page.

A student of classics that is me
Never intended to write the words
That inspire me to draw and paint
A poet, no not me.

Words can be art, an image paint,
A poem can set feelings free,
Emotions with colour acquaint
A poet of sorts I will be.

Creation of art on paper,
Arts form a union inside me,
It really is quite a caper
A poet of sorts I will be

I am learning meter and rhyme
As part of classic poetry,
Flowing like paint, I hope, in time
A poet of sorts I will be.

A student of classics that is me
Never intended to write the words
That inspire me to draw and paint
A poet, no not me.

P oetry and art combine
A midst my blood, they entwine.
I magination and creativity
N eeds that make me who I am
T alented, probably not,
I am not conceited that way.
N ow and then inspired
G uess that is nearer the truth.

P eripatetic, with no line limit,
O verview of my poetic
E xperience you want,
T his is it … thus far.

A student of classics that is me
Never intended to write the words
That inspire me to draw and paint
A poet, no not me.

© Jem Farmer 2008, all rights reserved.

Hail Holy Queen

In silver lunar, light divine,
As by the Ancients cast foreseen,
A message I could not decline,
Hail Holy Queen!

In one with Mother Nature’s light
The Balance I have found in You
My trust and fate I give tonight,
May I walk true

To use Your power as a gift
And only ever with Your good will.
For the lives of others to lift
And in free will.

My honour to You and myself
As You dwell deep within my soul,
May I be strong and in good health
In You I’m whole.

Dedicated to share and heal,
A life in Magick now begun.
This is the Truth, I deeply feel
I am Pagan.

May I act in Your love and light,
And let Your grace nurture in me,
So my Inner Spirit takes flight
So it shall be.

Blessed be

© Jem Farmer 2008, all rights reserved.

Summer's Rain

A love found in nature’s glory,
A passion freed me from the pain,
The kiss that started our story
In summer’s rain.

Shelter in the trees’ green cascade,
A warm embrace the waters drain,
As we embarked on love’s crusade,
In summer’s rain.

The damsel in me has a need,
For the knight in you that is plain,
The tender lips that are my feed
In summer’s rain.

Saved from the cloud burst by your touch
Lovers unite in country lane
The tenderness I need so much,
In summer’s rain.

The fingers in my moist hands fall
The loving shoulders take the strain
Our pairing for love stands for all
The summers’ reign.

Purls of dew that taste so sweet,
Forming like new tears on a chain,
Freshness of senses in the heat
In summer’s rain.

In storms we play hide and go seek
The claps of thunder will lay slain
By the power of love that speaks
In summer’s rain.

All through the days of sun we wait
For the first flash in windows pane,
Reach for the peaks of desire’s fate
In summer’s rain.

From you, my love, I never part,
My eternity, you remain,
Forever reigning in my heart
And summer’s rain.

© Jem Farmer 2008, all rights reserved.

Duality

At dawn the first rays of sun light,
That chase the shadows of the night
To keep the joyful spirits bright

This Solstice day.

The Henge’s, are the sacred place,
That music brings a smiling face
Fill with magic and Pagan grace.

Gather and play

By ritual, we celebrate
A marriage commemorate
Lift the chalice, intoxicate

Where the stones lay

The God and Goddess on this dawn
Do embrace the height of the morn
By Oath solemn that in love sworn

At sun’s first ray

The Earth mother in floral dress
A moment in time to assess
An answer to Pagan request

To dance and sway

© Jem Farmer 2008, all rights reserved.

Remorse

For all those years you sat in pose,
your love endured to meet my art.
My muse you were, I saw no rose,
Just shapes in heart.

Your curves that drive my mind to paint,
To capture all the eye can see..
To hang on walls without a taint,
In joyful glee.

The names I use are not your own,
As homage is not paid to you.
The seeds of pain that I have sown,
Unjust and true.

My brush betrayed my muse and heart,
The longing lost in ev'ry stroke
The cold inside, controls my art,
I should revoke?.

My muse is sullied with my ink,
The hurt has gone beyond her care.
I wish I had the time to think,
My soul lay bare.

Just once I want to say three words

I am sorry.

© Jem Farmer 2008, all rights reserved.

At the Deep End of the Ocean

At the deep end of the ocean,
Where the golden haired mermaids dwell
Waiting for ships on the tides motion
And the sea’s swell.

Their voices sing over the waves
Carried by the breeze to the ear.
As each one of them swims and bathes
What is to fear?

Enchanted they go to the tune,
Sailors follow with captured heart
To the sirens who sit and croon
Music their art.

Like a baited trap, it is sprung
As rats to the pied piper’s flute
Led by the music that they sung
Played like a lute.

These sirens are luring them in.
Once caught there is no freedom left.
Like flies on web by spider spun
It is soul theft.

Vampyric mermaids suck you dry,
Snaring the mind with music sweet.
Stolen spirits are left to die
They have their meat.

At the deep end of the blue sea
Death waits for all that fall in trance.
Ignore the sirens, set sail and flee
Avoid their dance.

© Jem Farmer 2008, all rights reserved.

He Came

He came to the dark shores that night,
A hero to be on his quest.
A mere boy is he, no brave knight
To do his best.

The tales of old, the only clue,
To the task he has set upon.
This is something he has to do.
Stories undone.

Sat on the pebbles, there he waits,
For a sign of that certain ship.
To travel the mystery straits,
A worthy trip.

Tall is he and full of brave will,
On a journey into despair,
Against the ocean’s endless chill
A fool’s affair?

What makes Philip, such a young lad,
Take up an impossible ask?
Duty, maybe he is quite mad?
Is it a mask?

No turning back his ship has come,
With his knapsack he steps on board.
The adventure has now begun
Cross the seas broad.

© Jem Farmer 2008, all rights reserved.

Sapphic Sirens

Legends tell tales from the past,
Of oceans deep that secrets keep.
Enigmas of the ancients’ cast.
Why does she weep?

It’s at the fall of dusk to night,
The maidens of the sea come sing.
Radiant pale in the moon’s light
Their voices ring.

Their songs work magic on the mind
Enchanting those that lend their ears.
The quest, those sweet beauties to find
And spare her tears.

Be warned! They are not such a dream
Danger lurks beneath ladies fair.
Beauty is not all it would seem.
Brave heart takes care.

Journey starts at the island’s stone shore
Await the ship with the golden mast.
Take safe passage and nothing more,
Cross oceans vast.

Sail the sea to the west, it’s said,
To the lands of the Elfin King.
Succeed so his daughter may wed,
Search for the ring.

Then onwards to the rising sun
To the secret isle where they sing.
Golden hair sways, with the night fun
That moonlight bring.

© Jem Farmer 2008, all rights reserved.

Forbidden Love

From behind closed curtains eyes peer,
Watching as innocents learn love.
Whispers of loose tongues they all hear,
Unhidden love.

Furtive meetings far from the eyes
Shrouded as a hand in a glove,
They keep hearts to their discreet sighs
Forbidden love.

© Jem Farmer 2008, all rights reserved.