A Selection of Poetry and Photographs by Darren Cartwright
Shifting Sands
The raging sea
Says much to me
If I had no fear
I'd go down on one knee
My bare feet fall upon the sand
As I reach out to touch her hand
The blood red sky
The rugged hills and trees
Where the birds fly high
On the rising breeze
If I could kiss that girl
Just one more time
It would breathe back life
Into this heart of mine
Her deep blue eyes
So full of surprise
As I confess to her
my many lies
I can't believe
She wants to stay
Without her here
Life would be grey
I miss that young girl
I see her now
I loved her then
And I love her now
I can't believe
She's still with me
The touch of her skin
Makes me feel free
If I could go back
I'd take her there now
I don't know when
And I don't know how
I touch her face
And see her tears
I'll wipe them away
and all of her fears
Copyright Darren Cartwright
Says much to me
If I had no fear
I'd go down on one knee
My bare feet fall upon the sand
As I reach out to touch her hand
The blood red sky
The rugged hills and trees
Where the birds fly high
On the rising breeze
If I could kiss that girl
Just one more time
It would breathe back life
Into this heart of mine
Her deep blue eyes
So full of surprise
As I confess to her
my many lies
I can't believe
She wants to stay
Without her here
Life would be grey
I miss that young girl
I see her now
I loved her then
And I love her now
I can't believe
She's still with me
The touch of her skin
Makes me feel free
If I could go back
I'd take her there now
I don't know when
And I don't know how
I touch her face
And see her tears
I'll wipe them away
and all of her fears
Copyright Darren Cartwright
To War
The Autumn sky above
It seems so very blue
I still can't believe
That I'm standing here with you
The silhouettes of warships
Upon the cobalt seas
Your timeless youthful beauty
That brings me to my knees
The evening sun it sparkles
Upon the shimmering shore
Dipping slowly down
As the Navy sails to war
I trace my calloused fingers
Down your velvet robes
And watch your doe like eyes
As they slowly close
I touch your rising chest
With my finger tips
As my eyes cloud over
And the pain slowly hits
I scoop your frightened face
Into my dirty hands
As flocks of seabirds land
upon the golden sands
I look up at the sky
It seems so very blue
Every single day
I will always dream of you
Copyright Darren Cartwright
It seems so very blue
I still can't believe
That I'm standing here with you
The silhouettes of warships
Upon the cobalt seas
Your timeless youthful beauty
That brings me to my knees
The evening sun it sparkles
Upon the shimmering shore
Dipping slowly down
As the Navy sails to war
I trace my calloused fingers
Down your velvet robes
And watch your doe like eyes
As they slowly close
I touch your rising chest
With my finger tips
As my eyes cloud over
And the pain slowly hits
I scoop your frightened face
Into my dirty hands
As flocks of seabirds land
upon the golden sands
I look up at the sky
It seems so very blue
Every single day
I will always dream of you
Copyright Darren Cartwright
The Harbour Tavern
As I sit inside the tavern
The evening light is fading
The smell of ale and smoke
Is rank and all pervading
I push the drink towads her
Her cleavage lit by candles
The crowd they lift their drinks
It's more than they can handle
The Naval Press Gang are in early
They scan the Rose & Crown
The poor, the drunk, the surly
The dregs of the old town
She places her hand upon the table
Her palm towards the ceiling
She looks me in the eye
There is no hidden meaning
There's a commotion at the bar
the Press Gang take away
Half a dozen young men
A Kings shilling for their pay
The mood is dark and sombre
No laughter to be heard
I place a coin into her hand
As it trembles like a bird
Copyright Darren Cartwright
The evening light is fading
The smell of ale and smoke
Is rank and all pervading
I push the drink towads her
Her cleavage lit by candles
The crowd they lift their drinks
It's more than they can handle
The Naval Press Gang are in early
They scan the Rose & Crown
The poor, the drunk, the surly
The dregs of the old town
She places her hand upon the table
Her palm towards the ceiling
She looks me in the eye
There is no hidden meaning
There's a commotion at the bar
the Press Gang take away
Half a dozen young men
A Kings shilling for their pay
The mood is dark and sombre
No laughter to be heard
I place a coin into her hand
As it trembles like a bird
Copyright Darren Cartwright
The Cottage
She arrived at my Cottage one Christmas
A decade or more ago
She stood shivering in the doorway
Covered in ice and snow
She said she had lost her home
And all of her possessions within
Her husband had sold up
It would be the last she would see of him
She said that he had bought a passage
And sailed to a land far away
She looked down at her feet
And asked if she could stay
I took her in that morning
And gave her my late wife's clothes
She sat there on the sofa
Crying and blowing her nose
Many years have passed since then
Since I took in that sorrowful girl
And many times I have stood and watched
Her beautiful dress unfurl
Now I stand beside the window
As she brings in our flock of sheep
Soon it will be dark
And together we both shall sleep
Copyright Darren Cartwright
A decade or more ago
She stood shivering in the doorway
Covered in ice and snow
She said she had lost her home
And all of her possessions within
Her husband had sold up
It would be the last she would see of him
She said that he had bought a passage
And sailed to a land far away
She looked down at her feet
And asked if she could stay
I took her in that morning
And gave her my late wife's clothes
She sat there on the sofa
Crying and blowing her nose
Many years have passed since then
Since I took in that sorrowful girl
And many times I have stood and watched
Her beautiful dress unfurl
Now I stand beside the window
As she brings in our flock of sheep
Soon it will be dark
And together we both shall sleep
Copyright Darren Cartwright
Prisoner
Under Azure skies
Her heart it dies
She fears for her lover
And his demise
In his gaol cell
he does rot
As he awaits
the hangman's knot
And as for him
he does not care
But he will never again kiss
her golden hair
Copyright Darren Cartwright
Her heart it dies
She fears for her lover
And his demise
In his gaol cell
he does rot
As he awaits
the hangman's knot
And as for him
he does not care
But he will never again kiss
her golden hair
Copyright Darren Cartwright
The Virgin
The clock it ticks
Upon the wall
If it had eyes
It would see it all
The satin sheets lay
In disarray
She pats the bed
and beckons him to stay
The sunlight sparkles
On the crystal vase
It reveals his back
And it's many scars
His powerful hands
Run through her hair
The crumpled sheets
Her chest laid bare
As for him
A man empowered
As for her
A girl deflowered
Copyright Darren Cartwright
Upon the wall
If it had eyes
It would see it all
The satin sheets lay
In disarray
She pats the bed
and beckons him to stay
The sunlight sparkles
On the crystal vase
It reveals his back
And it's many scars
His powerful hands
Run through her hair
The crumpled sheets
Her chest laid bare
As for him
A man empowered
As for her
A girl deflowered
Copyright Darren Cartwright
Condemned
The raven soars
in a dark laden sky
As a crowd gathers
to watch a man die
The rope it moves
in the morning breeze
And rustles the leaves
Of the nearby trees
The man stands alone
With the hangman standing back
As the trapdoor opens
The rope tightens with a crack
The crowd it sighs
As the young man dies
Another highwayman dead
With a price on his head
Copyright Darren Cartwright
in a dark laden sky
As a crowd gathers
to watch a man die
The rope it moves
in the morning breeze
And rustles the leaves
Of the nearby trees
The man stands alone
With the hangman standing back
As the trapdoor opens
The rope tightens with a crack
The crowd it sighs
As the young man dies
Another highwayman dead
With a price on his head
Copyright Darren Cartwright
The Master's Daughter
The bitter wind
Bites into her face
She trudges the moors
In disgrace
How could a girl
So refined and free
Give herself up
To a farm hand like me
The rain it lashes her
On the coastal path
Back at the Manor House
She faces their wrath
For spending her days
Laying with me
Under the old
Cherry blossom tree
I don't know what
I feel for her
Her father now treats her
like a cur
As for me
My life may get shorter
For laying with
The Devil's daughter
Copyright Darren Cartwright
Bites into her face
She trudges the moors
In disgrace
How could a girl
So refined and free
Give herself up
To a farm hand like me
The rain it lashes her
On the coastal path
Back at the Manor House
She faces their wrath
For spending her days
Laying with me
Under the old
Cherry blossom tree
I don't know what
I feel for her
Her father now treats her
like a cur
As for me
My life may get shorter
For laying with
The Devil's daughter
Copyright Darren Cartwright
Gallery
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