After the small hours

After the small hours we awaken
and with Wolfgang to Alcampo
Parking in our usual space, he leads the way
for he knows this place well
with coffee and conversation and
dog biscuits in a bowl by the bar

The small hours II

Here in this silence
With the quiet patter of gentle rain
the small hours while
and my pen scratches

Slumber beckons but temporarily eludes
So I with quiet resolve
capture the mood with words
flowing as the night deepens

Sustenance

Dichotomy

Yes, there’s beauty in winter
I’ll give you that
But, no brainer given the choice
As between both of these
Quite opposed to the freeze
it’s the summer in which I rejoice

Sentenced

My first thought
When my daughter was born
Was that I just killed someone.

Her gurgling cries of life
Contrasted with the ominous, death tone
Of her mother’s solemn flatline.

And as the doctors hung their heads,
Declaring my lovely wife dead,
I realized I had just killed again.

No reason to moan

I can tell it is winter
as it’s dark when I leave
and dark when I’m on my way home
As I’m all of a quiver
with a shake and a shiver
from the cold that brings chill to the bone

It’s not a season
I will freely admit
I’d encourage or even condone
Yet there’s reason to sing
as it’s followed by Spring
so I’ve really no reason to moan

Her, Poetry

I do not write poems for her,
true,
she completes the poem.
Words cannot replace
her presence.
Emotions inspired
by our love
told by the twinkling
wealth of night.

Diamonds II

Nature’s hand came calling
in our garden yesterday
Left little diamond clusters
for us as if to say
This was its way of saying
that there’s beauty everywhere
and if we just look around us
we will find it waiting there

Perfect bliss

The autumn carpet
starts to lay
on this fine Lincoln
autumn day
Gold beneath
my crunching feet
as I go walking
life is sweet

Braced people face the sea

The beach with a wind
and the taste of salt
As hair whips from face
and braced people face the sea
looking into spray

The beach with a wind
and the cry of a moan
As breath is caught and taken
and braced people face the sea
chased by falling waves

Bramber

Bramber castle in the rain
just as dusk was falling
walking in the muddy moat
as the night came calling

The tower was quite ethereal
with moonlight shadow cast
An image we’ll remember
as a memory to last

Dormouse

Walking out for coffee
I spied down at my feet
a tiny little dormouse
looking rather sweet
He seemed quite oblivious
to me as I stood there
so I watched him for a little
whilst he was unaware

-13.11.19_00:35-

We all shine

Under the obscuring fog

Split II

12 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

Sitting on deck six
with Split across the way
Picturing all the things
that have made this holiday

It has been all we hoped for
and though we fly home on the morrow
It is with happiness we’re leaving
and not one tinged with sorrow

For we’ve criss-crossed the Adriatic
seen sunshine and some rain
Visited new places and
been back to some again

-07.11.19_00:59-

Bitten by the cold,

Abrupt temperature change,

An unexpected tricycle ride

11 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

Mario on his tricycle
caught us with his grin
Charmed us so much that we
agreed to go with him

Took us up through Marjan Park
round the headland of the bay
Showed us lots of things that
we’d have never seen today

Dreaming of Home

Hope lives here
in these remembered days
beneath the sky, ever blue

Borne of seconds
of red poppies and silvery stars
hope lives here

Rijeka

10 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

In Rijeka in the market
whilst making little fuss
a lovely lady sold us socks
hand-knitted just for us

Yellow painted buildings
suggested that this city
once held a lot more grandeur
now faded more’s the pity

Still, we had a little walkabout
soaked up the local flair
celebrating somewhere different
and simply being there

Venice II

9 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

We wandered Cannaragio
beside the Canale Grande
Over bridges, watching gondalas
heading for Rialto and
when we finally got there
we had pizza and a beer
in the restaurant beneath it
which we went to first last year

Venice (touch n go)

8 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

The fog came down, it was quite thick
and we weren’t moving far
and dropping anchor out at sea
was unspectacular
Then the captain on the tannoy said
Venice was closed today
which as you might imagine
was met with some dismay
But then out there to starboard
a pale sun made a show
and as the pea soup dissipated
the ship prepared to go

Koper

7 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

For our first time in Slovenia
we found Koper on the coast
originally an island
for the day to act as host

I climbed the old bell tower
two hundred steps for the unwary
and though the view was excellent
the drop was really scary

Ancona II

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I sat on the sun deck with a cold beer
in the hot Ancona sun
watching the Superfast ferry unload
until the unloading was done

Hundreds of lorries off on their way
into Italy with cargoes intact
Like a well-oiled machine, facinating to see
from my lofty position, relaxed

So I watched as I waited for an hour or two
as all the time in the world here have I
Before Slovenia bound we disembark
which I think kicks off around five

Heartbeat

some thought it sad
her swiftly failing memory
from this side of dreams
it looked dreary and dark
like rain on a cold November night
caught between the grim and the futile

she was a frail woman
lingering on the edge of golden gates
window-shopping before making a final purchase
living in the space between breaths
against the odds, as if efforts to contradict were futile
inexplicable, strength simmering in an old soul

Ancona Encore

5 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

Ancona encore
with a climb up the hill
to cathedral and Roman remains
The sun shone down bright
on this lovely sight
that Ancona in Italy claims

Ancona encore
for the Trajan gate
viewed from high over the sea
This Italian port
in October sun caught
A highlight for Sally and me

Hoorah for Hvar

4 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

Hoorah for Hvar
so pleased that we came
for it was hotter today that we’d hoped
But walking quite slow
with iced beers on the go
somehow we managed and coped

Hvar

3 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

Climbed up to the castle
overlooking Hvar bay
The views we saw when up there
quite spectacular I’d say
Cool olive trees and standing stones
with cairns on every wall
Balanced and precarious
those standing, still to fall

Willow

I am the willow
stooped and ungainly
from years of solitude and discordant thoughts
They weave together to carve lines in my flesh
but my roots run deep as I seek sweet water
It’s a reckless love, this unquenchable thirst

Dubrovnik Divine

2 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

A really fitting ending
to what has been a perfect day
and as golden sun sinks in the west
Dubrovnik has its say

We wandered ‘neath the city walls
enjoying lovely heat
had cold beers and lovely
giant ice-creams in the street

We discovered lovely places
we had not found before
and took photos to remember
all the wonders that we saw