He gently laid down his knife and fork.

Why the thought had suddenly occurred
he had no real idea, nor did he ponder
Stopping only to tie his shoes
he headed for the door, and yonder.

The evening was as cold as it was dark.

He cared not a bit, he barely noticed
as he strode off purposefully to where?
To no one he spoke, nor wave his hand
for he himself knew not till he was there.

He walked for miles across fields and hills.

It was quite some time before he slowed
and when he stopped he was thinking.
For he’d forgotten why he’d left his home,
he just stood there weeping, sadly, blinking.

JoeW – Lost…2021(amended from2016)

Curiosity had always drawn him
To the edge of the wood
The edge of the farm
The edge of the cliff.

More than once as a child
He’d been found beyond his limits
In the middle of a forest once
Half way down a rock face too.
They called it then a wanderlust
As if it was some awful failing
Which wasn’t really so at all
He always knew his heading.

Today most folk call him a nomad
Much closer now to the truth
For he had never stopped in his travelling
Having journeyed through his entire life.
There was so little he found of no interest
It had always been like this
He would keep along on his journey
Till they finally placed him in the earth.

For if a man can take the time in life
To see what the good earth has to give
By giving in to his inner nomad
What magnificent bounty he’ll receive.

©Joe Wilson – The nomad…

And even now I feel her loving kiss
From times of childhood filled with this.
Yet days as those are so long gone
As now in aging I think the best
Of days of fun and play-filled zest
Such love felt by a mother’s son.
When Mother came and bid goodnight
And blessed us with a tender hug
That never was cast with a shrug
As final switch turned out the light.

©JoeW – A young boy…
(Inspired by ‘Childhood by Washington Allston 1799-1843)

Would that I could lift a heart
That’s fallen to the floor
That I could love and cherish it
For now and evermore.

Would that I could do that small thing
Before my frail heart breaks
Please let me do that caring thing
In love for both our sakes.

No words you need to utter here
Yet silent you’re torn apart
So I will bend and pick it up
And mend your broken heart.

©JoeW – It can be mended…

It still seems strange walking into the living room
And seeing that there is nobody there
It isn’t really a living room in this house anymore
Just a space through which I sometimes veer.
A log fire that I never now light for just myself
And a basket of logs sits waiting – just waiting
It’s an lifeless room just like the rest are
We often sat in there just – debating.

A kitchen we’d just had renewed last year
Yet no-one to cook for anymore
Barely a pan gets dirty these days
Unused I just wipe off dust haze.
There’s an almost empty fridge there too
The food keeps getting thrown out
I haven’t got used yet to buying less
My mind is just so full of doubt.

And a bed that now feels so empty
Where once she lay in my arms
A wardrobe of clothes I can’t yet remove
And jewellery and bracelets with charms.
Though fifty years is a long time to love
Not a second of it would I give up
And I would live every second again
For mine was an always filled cup.

©JoeW – Recollections…2025

In reaching this point I knew I could carry on, so here goes 🌹😎

If I see another man
Who seems as lonely as I
I’ll put my arms around him
As we both have a tiny cry
And then we’ll part
Our separate ways
As we’ll face the days new climbs
We all need a shoulder to lean on
When we go through desperate times.

©JoeW 2025