This vivid poem came to me in the early hours before sunrise. I lay there for some time thinking about each scene trying to analyse it, and soon after before dawn put it to paper.

Time to Come

It was early in the morning, and the sun was not yet up.

It was full daylight, the sky was clear,

The trees were green, and all seemed well.

We were traveling along on unmade roads.

We had been traveling for hours with nary a local in sight,

From time to time, we could see a compound almost a fortress in the distance,

but not a soul would respond to our hail.

We pulled up near a stream to spend a night in this fair land,

lit a fire, had our supper, and sang some songs,

We turned in and slept under the stars, what a beauty it was on this clear night.

Next morning, we continued on our journey in this foreign land,

We had hoped to meet some of the local inhabitants,

 but none did answer our call.

It was early afternoon when we started to see some animals,

Then we noticed more and more of them,

They seemed to be following us in greater and great numbers.

Animals of all sorts, both herbivores and carnivores,

They were keeping up with us at pace,

Some were even throwing themselves at our vehicles.

We were beginning to be concerned for our safety,

 and not sure how much longer we could stay ahead of the pack.

We were forced to stop and soon we were surrounded by these menacing creatures.

It is now light outside, and the sun is almost up.

What could this dream mean?

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

20 October 2023. 4.45am

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I was walking in the gardens appreciating the surroundings. I have always liked the fresh new morning air, the bird calls, and the peacefulness of that time of day. While meandering there this vision, this thought, started to percolate and inspired me to write this piece.

The call of Dawn

Dawn is such a glorious time of day,

The bird calls,

The fresh morning air,

The dew on the grass.

Dawn is when things are made new,

We see things with fresh new eyes,

We go about the things we do with a new zeal,

It is my favourite time of day.

In the world there is also such a thing as a new beginning,

It could be when a new government is elected,

or after a big storm or cyclone,

When the things from before are swept away.

New things and new ways need to be established,

New systems are put in place,

While the old is dismantled, a new one is growing,

A new perspective of possibilities is showing through.

A new era is being built,

The mechanisms we don’t quite understand,

But the blueprints set down by the Architect are being followed,

And now the foundations have been laid.

A new structure is being constructed,

We can see it all around the world,

With many thousands of people assisting,

This mammoth project is becoming increasingly visible to all.

People working together,

All with a common goal

Sharing the vision without hesitation

Those new to this project are trained and soon become effective collaborators.

We are the children of the half-light.

That dawning of a new era,

That period just after and just before,

This is that time.

Can you see the glimmerings of those structures,

Of those new systems,

Of those new ways of doing things,

It is a new light.

It is a new time, a new day,

It is that dawn just before the sun comes into full brilliance,

It is not a time to relax,

It is a time to step out and step up.

It is a time to be and do,

To collaborate with others, to share your passion,

Let us all work together shoulder to shoulder,

Let us all together in serried lines be a part of this mammoth project.

The unification of all the peoples of the world,

I can see this new structure in my mind’s eye,

I can see the beauty and its magnificence,

How it unites and combines.

Can you see it, too?

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

13 August 2023. 10.30am

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At the time my wife was at a choral rehearsal, while I was there keeping the dogs company and hearing the songs as they floated through the open doorway, this poem came to mind.

Making Harmony

Singing songs,

Working in harmony,

Feeling the energy,

Keeping the rhythm.

Singing songs,

New melodies to experience,

Feeling the energy,

Adjusting the tones.

Voices coming together,

Making beautiful music,

Working together,

Towards a common vision.

All have a role,

Some sing high,

Others fill in sounds and rhythm,

The combined effect is the goal.

It’s like the synergy of things,

Together we can make beautiful music,

Together many more things are possible,

Together we can all create a unified world.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

28 June 2023 6.30pm

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Sometime visions come to me, and this time was no exception. To see it, is as if I were actually there and experiencing as it happened, was very impressive.

If I could, for a moment, ask you to still your mind of external cares and issues, and encourage you to close your eyes and imagine this scene after you have read this poem or while it is being read to you, you may experience this vision. I hope you do.

If I could but Travel

This story starts but has no end.

I was traveling to some place.

To get there it was necessary to go through the usual steps.

Luggage was packed.

I had arrived near to the terminus.

Getting to the departure lounge entailed going down some distance.

There was no elevator as we know them now.

There was another type of transit system.

I would step on to the threshold.

My weight and height would be automatically measured.

Then I would move forward.

With the vast expanse in front of me and open to view.

I would take the next step.

I entered what could be interpreted as a slide specifically shaped for me.

My rate of decent was controlled by gentle pressure on my sides.

I could slow this decent by pushing outwards with my arms and legs.

The sleeve that I travelled down was smooth and hard yet comfortable.

As I descended many hundreds of meters to the floor below,

I could see it coming up fast to meet me.

I was thinking, “how do I slow down”?.

And as I thought this, my rate of decent slowed,

and as I pushed outwards, I slowed even more.

Then upon reaching the floor I stepped out,

as if nothing out of the ordinary had transpired.

It was like having a comfortable hug all the way down.

I walked on to my departure point.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

8 April 2023 4.00am

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This story came to me is a half wake and sleep state. It is almost as if I was traveling to this far of place.

Girl in Red

I was sailing across the wind very fast in a shallow boat, not much more than a plank, Weaving left and right as if to keep balance, but all the time being pulled along at speed, At times, as if skating on this plank at the water’s edge, weaving my way along this water course.

Without even noticing, I then realised, I was on a road dusty and dry, still traveling at speed. After some time, the road became paved, and my speed slowed right down.

Soon I noticed a small village up ahead, buildings built of rock or stone in shapes regular like blocks, Now driving through the street, at one point, there were many people outside, some of these were wearing all black clothing, with and enormous head dresses some two or three feet high, I thought, it must have been cumbersome to support.

I was beckoned inside a large room, where a table was set for three, I sat and was encouraged to eat, and did so with pleasure. Another person sat next to me, looked at the food, and said, “This is just dry corn bread”, and as if insulted left the table.

I overheard another person near to the table make some negative comment, I piped in, and said something like, “let deeds not words be your adorning”, and, “let him who is without sin cast the first stone”.

Almost immediately a young girl wearing a red dress walked across the table and sat on my lap. I asked her how old she was, she replied looking into my eyes, holding up three fingers. I asked, “Where is your mum?” and she pointed to a woman with another child in hand across the room. “Where is your dad”? and she shook her head.

This young girl was happy to stay in my arms as I spoke to others and walked around, I thought this young girl was very mature for her age.

The crowd was dwindling, and the mother and two children were ushered into a barred room in one corner of the courtyard. I asked to another person, “What is this place?”, he said “It is the mother and baby room”.

They were locked in the room.

Looking through the small, frosted window I could see them inside.

After people had left, I conspired to release them from their prison.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

14 March 2023 4.30am

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This next item is a snapshot of a day in my life.

One day in my life

Today was an average sort of day,

I got up at the crack of dawn- sleeping in for at least 10 minutes,

I put some clothes on and went for a walk outside,

I noticed the potatoes needed to be harvested so with fork and trowel I started.

Coming inside with a bucket of potatoes, it was time for breakfast,

Cereal with fruit and nuts topped with a dollop of yoghurt,

Sitting on the back veranda watching the rainbow lorikeets having their breakfast,

In amongst the blossoms in the tree tops tall.

I ponder the upcoming task of installing a new water line to the house,

The route that it would take,

The parts required, I draw up a list and consider the work involved,

Do I contract a ditch witch or do I attempt this task by hand.

It is 24 meters long with pipes and paths to navigate under and across,

And then the unknown pipes, I choose the more labour-intensive method,

I see it as the least chance of accidently breaking a pipe,

I think it’s a job for another day.

The grass is very high and needs to be cut,

So, I get the brush cutter all fuelled up and head down all geared up,

After about two hours I come in saturated in sweat on this sultry day,

I come in for a cool drink of homemade lemon cordial and carbonated water.

I step out of my sweat saturated cloths and jump into the pool for a cool reprieve,

The sun is hot, and the air is still,

I stay a while to enjoy and linger a little longer,

In my mind I hear a voice, there is work to be done.

I take a three-hour break and go inside to respond to messages and emails,

While at my desk I consider other projects, concepts and ideas

that are wanting to come into fruition flow through my mind,

I make some notes on scraps of paper,

Draw out designs and make a list of hardware that may be required,

Thinking about design, how will it come together,

Will it be glued, screwed, doweled, or nailed.

The time is moving on and the temperature is dropping below thirty,

so, I venture out again to consider what was not completed earlier.

By six thirty I am inside, and my darling wife has created a delicious meal.

How blessed am I, how fortunate am I to be alive today.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

13 March 2023

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My mum had passed over some months earlier, and as I was thinking of her this came to mind. It is a thought that I will always keep close. She was such an inspiration as a gardener, painter and cook.

In Mums Memory

You were there when I came to this world,

You helped me up when I fell,

You bandaged my scrapes,

You cared for me in so many ways.

You never shied away from hard work,

From early times, clearing the land,

Later, planting row upon row of seedlings,

Then again manually pulling out grasses that invaded the seedlings,

Whether it was working on the farm, or making delightful dinners,

Making preparations for celebrating festivities, or helping with homework,

You were there to help us, to guide us, a shining lamp,

The glue that kept it all together.

You expanded your experiences by travelling to far off lands,

You were a pathfinder,

When you came home you shared your experiences,

We all drank deep of your experiences.

Life without you was inconceivable,

You created beautiful gardens,

Gardens with vistas, fragrant blossoms,

Plants of different colours and textures.

You turned your hand to paints and oils,

Created as you did in the garden beautiful imagery,

Paintings both mystical and imaginative,

Of real places and from memory.

You were the matriarch with care and love.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

28 February 2023

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I was reflecting on my time in Haifa, Israel and what I saw and felt as I walked the paths in the gardens and a special visit to the Shrine of The Báb.

Sacred Moments

I walked the path of red,

I saw the hedges, so low on either side,

I saw the gardens, with geraniums blossoming red,

I looked around and noticed the beauty in it all.

In front of me, the structure so majestic,

The arches; the colonnades,

And mounted on top: the golden dome,

In the sounds of the day, nothing but the beating of my heart.

Leaving my shoes outside, I enter through the heavy steel door,

To be greeted by a sense of peace,

The carpet under foot, so soft and welcoming,

Stepping forward, not sure where to look.

Another step forward,

My gaze fixed on the arched opening in front of me,

An opening to another room,

Almost like looking into another dimension.

Another step forward,

My mind goes numb,

I cannot see, what I can see, that is in front of me,

I keep looking, and all I can hear, is my heart thumping.

The threshold in front of me,

So beautifully decorated, with rose petals,

The fragrance so stunning, it will be remembered,

I prostrate in reverence, in memory of the Gate.

The Gate whose life was cut short,

I wished I lingered longer, in this sacred place,

But I can, I can, but through the memory of this moment,

And so, I treasure this sacred moment.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

23 February 2023 10.30pm

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Sometimes thoughts whizz through my mind, which could be seen as a light bulb moment that we all have from time to time. Well, this poem came to me and the words just flowed.

Justice is right action

When we hear the word ‘justice’ we think of the law,

But justice is more than the law,

It is, what is right,

It is how each of us would like to be treated,

In the balance of things neither too much here or there,

When it is all in my favour, is that justice?

When it is in another’s favour, is that justice?

Justice is about finding common ground.

For rich and poor, for tall and short,

for men and for women, for black and white,

It does not matter how we see ourselves,

Justice applies to all,

There are no favourites,

no special privileges,

no one sidesteps the law.

Justice is for you,

Justice is for me,

It is an agreement between all,

On how we will live our days,

With justice, is how we will live our lives.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

22 February 2023

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As humans we can love, or we can hurt others. Sometimes it is done unintentionally, but occasionally by misunderstanding we hurt others. This problem can be deeply encrusted in us through generations of misinformation and abuse. It is time to change this, to do the right thing, and look at how I, we, can do things better.

What is Equality?

If my schooling is different to yours,

If my health care support is different to yours,

If my privileges are different to yours,

If my rights as a human are different yours,

Is this justice? Is this equality?

Without gender equality, humanity misses out,

Without racial inclusion, humanity misses out,

Without education equality, humanity misses out,

Without equality, we all lose out,

We need equality.

Equality is when we all have access to clean water,

Equality is when we all have food to nourish our bodies,

Equality is when we all have access to education,

Equality is when each of us include all others,

This is equality.

We all can see the beauty of things around us,

We all can smell the fragrance rose,

We all can hear the twitter of the birds,

We all can walk and move in nature,

This is equality.

For humanity to grow we all need equality,

Justice cannot be achieved until we have equality,

Freedom cannot be administered until we have equality,

Can you help to bring about equality in all spheres of life?

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

16 December 2022

Revised 21 Feb 2023

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