My Friend Joe.

        Friendship is a strange thing, while living it you never think of missing it, it's something that is there on tap, and as they say, "You never miss the water until the well runs dry". More than 40 years of friendship with the last 16 or so years meeting once a week in some pub for a soup, coffee and a good old blether, where nothing was off the agenda. Everything from natural disasters to the latest medical advances, some weird recipe to political corruption, wild life to music, it didn't matter, we always had something to say about it. Joe's stories from his very varied and at times very hard life, were material for a multitude of movies and books, some tragic and other hilarious, sadly they were never recorded. Even yet, things come into my mind, and I think "Oh, I must tell Joe about that", but of course I can't. Joe died from prostrate cancer February 7th 2019, and it left a very large hole in my life. Like some old mine shaft that just can't be filled. Joe, a well known folk singer, but that was just a fragment of the man.

Friendship.

True friendship has many things
anger, annoyance, even squabbles,
there are times, now and again
it falters, wavers, even wobbles
but sure as fate, up it gets
with a smile on it hobbles:
with it comes comfort, warmth, love,
laughter at its foibles.
the longer it lasts the stronger it gets,
any flaw it finds it cobbles.

         This was filmed in his sister's home, a couple of weeks before Joe died, he moved to his sister house as he could no longer make the stairs of his own flat.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk  

It's My Birthday, ---So What??

 

     I never really celebrate my birthdays, to me they are just another day in a long journey. I sometimes say that if there has to be a celebration on that particular day, it should be for my mother, after all she done all the work, I just popped into her life.

     This year was a wee bit different, my partner Stasia and my family, sort of railroaded me into having a get-together in the house, and I have to admit I had a wonderful time.

     So this old grumpy man thanks all those well-wishers who sent greetings, I'm humbled, and a special thanks to Stasia, my two grand kids and family, who made it a very memorable occasion. 

       Fortunately they didn't put the correct number of candles on the cake, as it would probably used up all the oxygen in the room. 

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk

Farewell To Joe.

      Just lost a dear friend of more than 40 years, my mate Joe, aged 82, died of prostrate cancer February 7th. Joe was known to many, many people, a folk singer, he had sang in pubs, clubs, gigs and festivals across the country, including Ireland. Always friendly, always with a smile, if you walked with him through the city it was only a matter of time before someone came by with “Hi Joe”, his reply was usual “Good to see you m’man.”. To the thousands that knew Joe he was a folk singer and a friend, to me he was much much more. After the death a mutual friend Ian who died of mesothelioma, Joe suggested that we meet for “a bite and a blether” at lunch time, this we done every week for the next sixteen years. It was during those soup and coffee lunches that I really got to know Joe, and found the folk singer’s range of interests spanned the world. An expert of Scottish and Irish history, and folklore, and a considerable knowledge about Scotland’s wild life. However his interests spanned much more than that. During these soup episodes we would discuss everything from politics to climate change, from natural disasters to world conflicts, the latest financial crisis, poverty and corruption. He had a fascination for nature studies and wild life videos and articles. He was eager to discus the latest science and medical advances, engineering, astronomy and inventions, nothing was outside his span of interest.
      Joe also had a very colourful and at times very harsh life, it dealt him many vicious blows, but he always come through and kept his friendly personality. On one occasion in the Scotia, he was asked to come up and sing, as he got up I said, "Joe, sing an angry song", he just smiled, of course he didn't, Joe was never an angry man. During his life he mixed with the “good and the bad” but none of it taint that loyal, friendly personality. Naturally with that very mixed and colourful life he had a wealth of stories, some sad, but most outrageously hilarious that had us laughing out loud over our soup. I used to say, “Joe we need to get these stories down on record, they are a book in them selves”, it is now a deep regret that we didn’t. He could mix in any company and be welcomed back.
     So Joe the folk singer, to me is a rather weak description of the man, in my life he was a unique. wonderfully loyal, considerate and fascinating friend. There is now a large hole in my life.
Recorded at his sister Margaret's house about week or so before he died. He stayed at Margaret's as he could no longer make the stairs at his own flat.

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk

Buried Treasure.

As life glides on, what do we really value?

Buried Treasure.

Rich,     man I'm rich.

this life, this treasure chest of mine,

crammed full.

Those moments of ecstasy with forgotten names,

burning loves that broke the rules,

quiet meetings that burst into flames,

short lived loves

sealed with brittle vows.

Passions that sparked and flashed

bring warmth,    even now.

Ruby red anguish that shaped my heart

diamond friendships this world can't part,

a son that changed this world to gold

adding pride to my treasure chest.

A daughter brought radiance beyond compare,

of precious gems,    they gave the best.

These jewels, these precious stones

this bounty beyond belief

all mine,

outshine a prince's throne.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Once Upon A Time.

        Looking around the world plagued with war, violence, greed, corruption and natural disasters, can sometimes put one in a depressing frame of mind.

Our Future.

Once upon a time,

in our not so distant past

stood a beautiful, a unique world,

laden with promise,

a world where our future was open,

our potential vast.

Now, seduced by glinting tinsel of the mad

our reason quivers

on the edge of a dark abyss.

We have created a world

where wastelands abound,

where we

the many, the marginalised, the ordinary,

struggle to survive in voracity that astounds,

are seduced

to create wastelands in our minds,

slowly accepting chaos

in a world of insanity.

Here corporate monsters

of hypocrisy, contradictions,

sever the fragile cord

that unites being with being.

But hope and friendship usually disperse the fog.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

A Needless Sea of Tears.

And today's poem is:

A NEEDLESS SEA OF TEARS.

Though we live in a world of callous commerce

and know justice

is an altar where the caring are sacrificed,

see freedom as a river that runs parched

in the fierce desert of poverty,

our thoughts cannot be chained

our dreams will not be caged.

 We will think beyond the profit race

dream beyond the market place

in friendship clasp each human hand

with compassion try to understand

our differences, our hopes, our fears,

dragging this world from its needless sea of tears.

ann arky's home.