The complete
title listing of the collection by period of
composition is:
The Attack on the World Trade Centre
Of Principles and
Morals (1 through 3)
No Chimney For
Santa - Christmas in Africa,
In memory of my father. Craig D
Smith (March, 2001 )
When I must go, I think of those who must stay;
I wonder if they’ll need me, when I’m far away.
When I must go, I ponder what to take;
My calendar to remind me of my return to make.
When I must go, I think what must remain;
The hope we have to meet someday, again.
When I must go, I wonder what they’ll think;
He left behind his love and memories distinct.
When I must go, I ask the question why;
My heart breaks so suddenly and I begin to cry.
When I must go, and know I can’t return;
Then I must leave behind, what e’er is need to learn.
Craig D Smith (2001)
If
I knew then what I know now
Things would be
different, but maybe not better.
If I knew then
what I know now
I take no chances,
live life to the letter.
If I knew then
what I know now
I may never have
bruises for the times when I fall
But the most
important that I know now
Is that love will
conquer all.
Craig D Smith (2001)
Flashing lights
and holiday music like ‘White Christmas’
Playing loudly in
the mall, it should be a festive mood
Yet through the
lights and song there is a buzz
Of people rushing,
stepping on toes, being rude
Another song
plays, the words speak of a little child
Yet nobody stops
to hear what it is about
Instead a mother
red-faced and perspiring
Tries to control
her child, should hear her shout
The gifts, the
food, the drinks, the party hats
Being loaded in
the trunk, after money’s spent
Yet with all the
happiness that these should bring
I see man and wife
in heated argument
A driver rushing
before the shops will close
Needs goods for
the special Christmas lunch
Tries to steal a
parking space from somebody else
The next I see him
land a Christmas punch
Midnight the music
blares to celebrate
The new day, being
the 25th December
Yet morning dawns
and they are all asleep
The gift of Christ
they did not remember
Craig D Smith (2001)
To have my sorrows, not alone to bear
To have long-suffering, not alone to tarry
To have un-happiness, and know you care
To stumble when weak, and know you will carry
A man of sorrow and acquainted with grief
With love so great, to die for a friend
When parched by the sun, you bring relief
A place prepared, where all tears will end
A home for me, my sisters and brothers
A place of gold, and beauty untold
When lost, you give to me a signpost
In darkness, a light to my path
(A
Parody of Sleeping Beauty by CD Smith, 2001)
The door was
always open
Until one day she
lost the key.
And everyone who knew
her
Loved her, so
sweet was she.
The
village Jack crashed through this door
One happy summer’s
night
And turned this
heart of milk and honey
Into solid
granite.
The village men no
longer smiled
The women wore
long veils
The cats got stuck
up in the trees
And dogs didn’t
wag their tails
The sun was
blackened by dark clouds
The curtains
remained drawn.
‘Til one day
prince Charming came by
And saw the people
mourn.
So swift was he,
leapt off his horse
Brandished the
golden key
So tall, so
handsome, and so bold
Yet smitten by her
beauty
He knelt beside
her lifeless bed
And then began to
sing
So soft so gentle,
so profound
His words new
light did bring
Children singing,
jumping playing
The village filled
with laughter
That sunny day he
took her hand
And lived happily
ever after.
Craig D Smith (2001)
Lifting the
obstacle with all my might,
I sigh with relief
to know it’s gone.
And then I move a
step forward
To find I’m faced
with another one.
Nine years old I
wish I were,
Things aren’t
getting any better here.
Help me move
myself along,
Help me sing a
happy song.
The past has come,
the present now.
I sometimes cannot
see the way
That I am walking.
It’s almost dark -
Give me a lamp and
oil I pray.
I see the children
happy play
Tomorrow is just
another day.
For adults
tomorrow brings new fear
Nine years old I
wish I were.
What to do, Oh!
Where to go.
At the crossroad,
which way to turn.
My Lord can help!
This I know.
So, Why do I
suffer, when will I learn.
Craig D Smith (2001)
Birth
A
cold breeze, a bird singing
The first rays of
sunlight bending through the atmosphere.
Tears and
screaming
Then laughter,
because baby is here
Walking and Talking
The wind blowing
fresh, a dog barks
The sun is dim
through the morning mist.
Baby talk and
little footsteps
Tantrum, pounding
walls with little fist.
Education
The wind blows
hard, the clouds threaten to burst
I cannot see the
silver lining.
Everything moving
so fast
Books and homework
the time defining
Social Interaction
The rain falls
hard, but suddenly stops
The sun’s rays
bring colour to the moist sky.
A bloody nose,
school shirt torn
Get home, as
friends and can’t remember why.
Decisions
High noon, shaded
sun, partial eclipse
Smell of grass
burning, veld fire.
Know what’s right
and wrong
Must weigh against
desire
Self Responsibility
Clear sky, light
breeze
Can see the
horizon in the far distance.
Yet the salesman
asks me to sell,
My soul for a mere
pittance
Accountability
Trees bending in
the strong wind
But after they
return to upright
So the salesman I
push away from
And resist him
with all my might.
Maturity
Springtime brings
new life with it
Colourful flowers
and boats in the lake
Singing of birds,
barking of dogs
Baby crying, and
laughing, keeping us awake
Falling, getting
up seeking new paths
Experience and
learning from my mistakes.
Death
Winter comes again
this time so severe
It is so dark and
stormy, I can’t see nor hear
Lightning and
thunder fill the blackened sky
I know that the
time has come for me to die
The storm
dissipates, and calm fills the air
The clock on the
wall says, there is no time to spare
I look back and
count the thousands of hours
How many growing
thorns, how many flowers
I look back at the
clock, there is still a minute left
To share some joy
and peace and bridge the open cleft
And now I close my
eyes but to darkness more
But see instead
the sunshine on the crystal shore.
Craig D Smith (2001)
Going along the
road
Oblivious to
obstacles
Hearing children
laughing
Seeing them eating
Popsicles
Going along the
long road
Not knowing where
it ends
Hearing people
working the fields
Turning when the
road bends
Going along the
long steep road
Climbing hard and
fast to reach the top
Hearing birds
singing from the trees
Wondering, when
will the climbing stop
Going along the
long steep winding road
Can’t see in the
distance, the rain is hard
Hearing how fast
the water rushes past
Wishes this
journey, you could discard
Going through life
not knowing why
Going through
trials and temptations
Going where you’ve
never been
Going for the big
vibrations.
Craig D Smith (2001)
Strange places
Different faces
A story to be told
Whether young or old
Sunken eyed, and worn out
Like death lurking about
Exciting, bright and gleaming
Like the midday sun, beaming
Embittered and hardened
Like one never been pardoned
Lonely, morose, weak and scared
Like a clouded moon, when night is dead
Contemplative, thoughtful, praying
Like a tree in the wind not swaying
Much to see in strange places
But more in the different faces
What story does yours tell
Are you bleak or well.
Craig D Smith (11 September 2001)
Sunshine bright, new day dawns
Hustle and Bustle, nobody warns
Trees blowing, flowers showing
Laughing, glowing, nothing knowing
No clouds, but darkness
No thunder, but rain
No storm winds blowing
No lightning, just pain
Boom, Gloom, Doom
Crying, Dying, Lying, Denying
Frown, Down, Groun’
Screaming, tears streaming
Shocked people expatiate in their doom
Then anger sets in and there appears a reversed gloom
Darkness and night prevails
Winds of destruction with forces of gales
Why? Who? How?
Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but now!
Armageddon – Is that you?
Just what are you going to do?
Craig D Smith (15 September 2001)
How I woke this morning, happy as could be
You were standing next to me and smiled a smile for me
My heart was lost in joyous mood
I’d never felt so good.
Reality then told me, I had only dreamt
Darkness filled the room and the mood was spent.
I cried aloud because my heart
Just could not understand
That suddenly one day we’d part
No more I’ll hold your hand.
Not true I say – it cannot be
I cannot be alone
I started hearing things, you see
Like ringing of the phone.
I lift the phone, it isn’t you
I feel they’ve done me wrong
I tell myself it isn’t true
I wish the dream went on.
I know that time will heal my hurt
But I’ll still shed a tear
When I think of that sky of smoke and dirt
And know that you’re not here.
Craig D Smith (2001)
When I see the wonder of the Creation;
I tremble to think of a Creator so Great.
When I perceive the endless Patience
Of my Lord; His Grace I cannot rate.
When I am lonely and grieved;
I know He Loves the Disconsolate.
When I consider the Promise He made;
For the new Kingdom, I cannot wait.
Craig D Smith (2001)
Night and Day
Who's to say
When dark, it's night
It's day, when light.
2 Billion or Six?
We are in a mix.
Was it counted by the setting sun?
Where our Creator is, there has been
not one!
by
CRAIG D SMITH
Listen to the song
Strain to hear above the gong
The words are all wrong
Of Principles and Morals (2)
Knocking will persist
You continue to resist
And move from subsist
Of Principles and Morals (3)
Shooting in the dark
No light not even a spark
Will not hit the mark
When dark is the night
Don’t complain be filled with fright
Make the candle light
A trip undertake
Before the first step you take
Objective must make
This section contains those poems that somehow ended up on paper.
Craig D Smith (2001)
Summertime, and the living is
easy
People in Durban all wet and
breezy
While here in Gauteng, with
rain pounding hard
Nothing
to do, our brains turn to retard
Staring blank, no desire to
achieve
Can’t even yawn, carbonation
relieve
Awake with a fright, hear a
scary sound
Only to find it’s the heart’s
slow, slow pound
A petal breeze brushes across
my face
Forms dancing patterns with
the window lace
Dog laying outside looks dead
by the door
Cat lying next to him,
licking its paw
Craig D Smith (200~ and something)
On the first day of Christmas
I had to go and buy
A frozen turkey and a loaf of
rye.
On the second day of
Christmas the shops and malls were full
I bought a pair of ray-bans
that made me look so cool
On the third day of Christmas
we invited everyone
I had to buy some wine for
all to have fun
On the fourth day of
Christmas I used my credit card
No more cash because the
“times were hard”
On the fifth day of Christmas
the children wanted toys
Bicycles,
dolls and drummer boys
On the sixth day of Christmas
I had to phone the bank
Increase the limit so that I
can fill my tank
On the seventh day of
Christmas I went to buy new threads
For the children, and linen
for the beds
On the eight day of Christmas
my best friend telephoned
When will you pay the money
loaned
On the ninth day of Christmas
I bought a hind-quarter
Lots of ice-cream for friends
of my daughter
On the tenth day of Christmas
they said I cannot buy
The balance on my card was
way too high
On the ‘leventh day of
Christmas I checked my bank balance
I must sell my car at the first
chance
On the last day of Christmas
I was totally bent
Couldn’t believe how I had
spent.
by C.D.Smith
Twas the night before
Christmas, and all through the flat
Not a sound could be heard,
not even a rat.
When
all of a sudden I heard sleeping Jack
Who started to snore, 'cos he
rolled onto his back.
I woke all the family and
told them to hide,
But young Kleintjie, the babe
was miserable and cried.
For Santa I put out the
brandy and coke
Mother-in-law drank it and
thought it a joke.
Two bales of hay for Rudolph
and Prancer
The springboks who pulled
Santa together with Chancer.
Some 'vetkoek' and mince, and
some 'pap' and steak
After Santa 'vreets' it all
his stomach will shake.
Now all I can do, is hide and
be still
And hope that the puppies,
their water won't spill
For I can hear Santa out on
the roof
Can't find no chimney, now
he's making a spoof.
I stick my head out of my top
floor flat window
And see the flying
'springbokke' make a big shadow
'My China' I shout, use the
door it is open
But Santa can't hear, looks
like he's been dopin'.
The neighbours are angry and
they begin to shout
What the heck's goin' on,
what's the racket about?
Santa is feeling 'lekker'
mellow and light,
He takes off his red jacket,
ready to fight.
I get out my sjambok, ready
to defend
Ol' Santa, I'll fight for you
to the bitter end.
Rudolph with the red nose
drank all Santa's 'dop'
He falls asleep and the whole
reindeer starts to drop.
Crashes on my building, now
Christmas is a flop.
©2001, c.d.s.
Copyright Notice: All material on this website is
owned by Craig D Smith. (c) Craig D
Smith, 1999 - 2004