Selfish Pursuits

There was a dying man on the ground with his eyes to the sky.
His wife knelt beside him with tears of sorrow ready to cry.
Time had travelled past them eroding away their roots,
As mankind was absorbed in purely selfish pursuits.

An old woman now stands alone unable to carry on.
A radio blasts from a car with a deafening song.
Never ending traffic take the breath from her lungs,
As children run past with foul swearing tongues.

Another age has just died and past backward into time.
A newer one pushes forward eager to be the first in line.
Old values are abandoned along with old-fashioned truths,
As mankind is absorbed in purely selfish pursuits.

© 2018 Daniel Kemp All rights reserved

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About Daniel Kemp

At the age of seventy-six, Daniel Kemp has started his second year of studying the science of Psychology at the Open University. He is a member of The Society of Authors and also a bestselling writer. However, in early September 2025, he was diagnosed with cancer. He is now in palliative care at home, being looked after by his ex-wife. When he was writing his novels, he enjoyed writing stories that appealed to those who liked challenging themselves to solve mysteries that were set out before their eyes, but they couldn't. His introduction to the world of espionage and mystery happened at an early age when his father was employed by the War Office in Whitehall, London, at the end of WWII. However, it wasn’t until after his father died that he showed any interest in anything other than himself! On leaving academia he took on many roles in his working life: a London police officer, mini-cab business owner, pub tenant and licensed London taxi driver, but never did he plan to become a writer. Nevertheless, after a road traffic incident left him suffering from PTSD and effectively—out of paid work for four years, he wrote and self-published his first novel —The Desolate Garden. Within three months of publication, that book was under a paid option to become a $30 million film. The option lasted for six years until distribution became an insurmountable problem for the production company. All ten of his novels are now published by Next Chapter Publishing Company which has added an edition titled The Heirs And Descendants Collection, which holds all four books of that series, alongside an edition titled The Lies And Consequences Collection which contains all four volumes of that series. He is the recipient of rave reviews from a prestigious Manhattan publication and described as—the new Graham Green—by a highly placed executive of Waterstones Books, for whom he did a countrywide tour of book signing events. He has also appeared on 'live' television in the UK publicising his first novel. Less
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4 Responses to Selfish Pursuits

  1. beth's avatar ksbeth says:

    this is beautiful and sad

  2. Daniel Kemp's avatar Daniel Kemp says:

    I tried to capture that feeling.

  3. gippyhenry7's avatar gippyhenry7 says:

    This is beautiful, true, and it’s a breath of fresh air to hear a rhyme again! I grew up with writing rhymed poetry and taught the kids in our family rhymes. But there are not many today who write from the heart in rhymes. So thank you, Daniel. I look forward to many more.

  4. Daniel Kemp's avatar Daniel Kemp says:

    That’s a very kind comment and I thank you for it, Gippy! 🙂

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