Oh I do like to be beside the seaside........

Dreams of a holiday, warm golden sands
Waves marking time for the playing of brass bands
Deckchairs once bright, now faded and scarred
Ripple in the breeze on the vast promenade.
Sweet fluffy candyfloss, matching pink rock
Bikinis and sun hats and sandals with socks!
Cheap buckets and spades with windmills and flags
Flipflops and suncream in carrier bags,
pedestrian crossings and CCTV
Open topped buses and clotted cream teas.
Unruly children, old ladies on scooters
kids on their skateboards and girls with their suitors
kisses and cuddles and "kiss me quick" hats
hotels and wine bars and self catering flats.
Ice cream to die for, too many to choose
melting and dripping on sandals and shoes
popcorn and do-nuts and hot dogs and chips
grease on your fingers and salt on your lips
Old balding men and fat wobbling ladies
Pierced belly buttons, teenagers with babies.
The funfair, the pier lit up now with lights
The scavenging seagulls as day turns to night
The deckchairs vacated, collected and stacked
The beach slowly empties, the pubs become packed.
And that's how the great British holiday goes
We've salt in our hair and sand in our toes
We're sticky with suncream as the beach we depart
But a day at the seaside has gladdened our heart.

Karen Holmes
date unknown.

Regrets

How I wish I'd spoken sooner
To spare you years of pain
I would reach out and embrace you
If I had my time again
But it's easy to be wise now
For the moment has long passed
Even though our words were clumsy
Truth was understood at last.

Karen Holmes
Date unknown.

Words

I wish I hadn't spoken all the words that just poured forth
Now thinking back I realise they didn't hold much worth
I felt I had to say or write the things I thought I knew
But now I wish that I'd reached out and taken hold of you.
I wish I'd had the courage, which was hidden all along
Instead of using clumsy words and risking being wrong,
To throw all caution to the wind, it would have been okay
To let my hugs and love express the things I tried to say.

xxx

Karen Holmes
Date unknown.

The Railway Station

Somehow you've managed to absorb, the farewells, the goodbyes
You've heard the promises we've made and known them to be lies
You've witnessed broken hearted pain
lives fated not to meet again
You've watched the young grow old and slow
You've welcomed us then let us go
You've dragged us from those we've held so tight
Observed our sad tears once out of their sight
For just an old building, you've had more than your share
Of drama and passion enacted out there.

And surely often there have been
Joyful reunions you have seen
Babies paraded by parents so proud
Excited children, voices loud
Expectations, hopeful hearts
Newly weds - a brand new start...

Intrigue too which you could tell
Secret loves and more as well,
tender smiles, illicit kisses,
Narrow escapes and near misses
Crimes of passion, anguished cries
Lost souls wandering with empty eyes
drunken stumblings, drug crazed rage
All of life on one large stage

The screech of brakes, the tannoy's drone
then finally you're all alone
From being the corridor of nations
You're just an empty railway station.

Karen Holmes
Date unknown.

Simply Beautiful

You are simply beautiful
God's special design
His wonderful masterpiece
Splendid and fine
A work of perfection
You bring him delight
You are cherished and loved
and He thrills at the sight
of your dancing, your praising
You're truly unique
And He hears your heart's whisper
Each word that you speak

You're so special, so lovely
the work of his hands
Your very existence
By Jesus was planned
He smiles as he watches 
his own work of art
your name is engraved 
on his hands and his heart

Please grasp today
You're a jewel in his crown
He knows how you feel
and he won't let you down
He is pleased with you
thrilled with you
longs that you'd know
That he'll never leave you
He won't let you go
He sees the full picture
Has plans just for you
You are safe in his keeping
He is faithful and true.


Karen Holmes
2007