Waiting III

Sat in the hospital waiting room
there with Sal for moral support
on a very cold winters' morning
('cos it's the right thing and I ought)

Here for an eyesight inspection
post-op (trust everything's good)
'cos we're not as young as we were
and things don't work quite as they should

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Language of Substance

'For not' or 'not for'
in juxtaposition
two different meanings
for intent or for mission
Language of substance
for writer and poet
who will always exploit
as it's they who will know it

Wednesday Sedoka

Wednesday morning and
midweek meandering brings
the curl of lips and knowing
that the weekend looms
with time for being me and
for not suffering the fools

Indigo

Indigo the darkness clings
though morning apparent is here
Silence exudes its hushed secrets
to a winter daybreak
Movement scant to a waking world
I am discouraged in this warmth
and yet a best foot forward beckons
a step into fading black
as the light spreads from the East

Soon

I have written of winter, the chill and the rain
and the ice and the snow and the shivers again
of the iron cold muster that lingers and bites
finding its way into warmth with a spite
But throughout all of this always I have half a mind
on the warmer days coming I know soon I'll find
For it's January now but soon I'll see May
and the sunshine that'll soon brighten my day

Colourful Brevity

For a brief moment in the sky
a rainbow glowed and caught my eye
but in a moment it was gone
replaced by lovely sun that shone
that briefly dried up all the rain
before the grey clouds came again

Discombobulate

No. 6 in the ‘Colloquy’ series

Is this the last line or the first?
is my syntax back to front?
or is this perhaps the middle
I don't know - it's worth a punt
Perhaps I'm discombobulated?
Maybe you are now as well?
and reaching for the dictionary
(believe me - I can tell)
For actually we're nine lines in
and nearing now the end
of this little series ditty
which I've written for a friend

Redwood gone

In October red I paused beneath
its lofty heights in wonder
at the absolute magnificence
of this redwood tree asunder

So imagine my dismay today
to find that storms with thunder
and a lightning strike reduced it
to a stump and piles of lumber

Yes, there's like still there but
its pride is lost for good
a sad, contrite reminder
of a once proud tall redwood

Angel II

An angel perched close by our side
in the branches of a tree
as there we sat beside the lake
with flapjacks and cup of tea
He tweeted sweet a little song
reminding us in case
we needed that, though it was clear
by his exuded grace
He stayed there just a little while
before fluttering away
an angel on his angel rounds
on this fine winter's day

Steel Grey revisited

9 of 10 in the ‘Brittle 23’ series

Mirrored under morning sky
Steel grey silent waters lie
Cold and motionless are they
Heralding a winter’s day

January’s shivering smile revisited

8 of 10 in the ‘Brittle 23’ series

Tangible this winter chill
In January’s raw intent
As beneath these spectred morning veils
the silent mist is sent

Intrusive to beleaguered calm
Whispers like a shout
I’m a stranger in an iron-clad still
with no one else about

Yet frigid though the air might be
January serves to bring
A shivering smile through chattering teeth
that it will soon be Spring

Bequeathed by Grace revisited

7 of 10 in the ‘Brittle 23’ series

Bereft of foliage great trees stand
proudly gracing England’s land
There amongst the winter green
the rolling landscape clearly seen
And pausing here before this view
we are completely thrilled anew
This is England where we live
where nature has so much to give
And we feel a peace when in this place
bequeathed to us by simple grace

Long mile return revisited

6 of 10 in the ‘Brittle 23’ series from Jemverse

Watching winter setting sun
on the beach from the long mile
A perfect ending to the day
I stayed there for quite a while
An ebbing tide, a lapping sea
with gold reflected there
On the long mile I breathed my thanks
for all this in a prayer

An unwelcome guest revisited

5 of 10 in the ‘Brittle 23’ series from Jemverse

Winter’s overstayed its welcome
and we’d prefer it now to go
‘Cos we’re fed up to the gills with cold
and howling winds and snow
It’s been staying with us now for months
and whereas we didn’t mind at first
We need the room for Springtime
now the former’s done its worst

A treasure revisited

4 of 10 in the ‘Brittle 23’ series from Jemverse

Winter greyness seldom sun
Brittle chill for everyone
Daylight precious shorter now
Nighttime lingers on somehow
Yet still to find and bring some cheer
Despite the chill a beauty here
As winter hides but brings to fore
a treasure kept for us in store

Pea Soup Days revisited

3 of 10 in the ‘Brittle 23’ series from Jemverse

The wonder of this winter view
as it fell to minus seven
with clouded breath escaping gave
a little glimpse of heaven
White on fields and white on trees
on verge and hedgerow too
As if with one cold overnight
the world was formed anew

White revisited

2 of 10 in the ‘Brittle 23’ series from Jemverse

As shorter days draw in
with colder climes and
a pale sun often hiding,
a white rose of Spring
reminds me that,
behind the curtain of winter
waiting there with bated breath
comfort awaits, next in line.
And it is only the shadow
of the winter chill that
keeps its warmth away from me

Dichotomy revisited

1 of 10 in the ‘Brittle 23’ series from Jemverse

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

Erf

No.5 in the ‘Colloquy’ series

This twenty rod* plot, our 'erf', our realm
our saving grace, our haven
is such to bring a 'joie de vivre'
and oft a cause for 'pavan'*
As though each year we toil for long
to dig and plant and sow
the reward of produce that it brings
gives reason more to grow

Beeching’s Blunder III

Forlorn now this iron leads to nowhere
save to a shortsighted whim
synonymous to abandoned towns
where Beeching's blunder echos still

Yet testament still here they lie
as memory fades with brittle truth reminder
tracking to long lost connections
and a politician's gain

Circumstance

The circumstance of words
from a pen there to flow
is something which only
a thought comes to know
But when committed to paper
as ink passes through
these words take on meaning
as they come into view
And the curl of a smile
from the poet reveals
the wisdom he shares
from the thoughts that he feels

Resolve

In the silent refraction of a New Year sun
as slowly in the thin Eastern sky
its distant yellow rays struggled,
January arrived to a silent world

Almost as if in slow motion, life passed
as through my window with early eyes
a perception of a whispered promise
echoed across a vacant sky

And the curl of a smile gathered pace
calming like a summer breeze
spoke long vicissitudes
with wisdom to a sleepy morning

Puzzlegate

Framed by aging iron posts
the ancient steps behind
the padlocked gate lead nowhere
(least no place I could find)

Mysterious the setting
with the undergrowth and tree
left me puzzled and a-wondering
at what it all could mean

Coddiwomple

No. 4 in the ‘Colloquy’ series

We coddiwompled in the mud
up at Barcombe Mills
all eight of us together
amidst the Sussex hills

The rain held off but underfoot
the mud was thick and wet
but we all had the best of times
so never cause to fret

The thick and the thin

Around a table with Cluedo and Red Leicester cheese
with good conversation, precious days these
Laughter and merriment the six of us here
these are the days for which we all cheer
As it's all about family and closeness together
for the bad times and good, the known and whatever
For we all are as one, best of friends and of kin
arms linked with a smile through the thick and the thin

Start V

5 of 12 in the Jemverse series ’12 months VI’

January first of twenty-three
hip hip hip hooray
a brand new year to celebrate
right here on New Year's Day
And we welcome it together
with anticipated hope
the fortitude of eons
mechanism there to cope
The resilience of humankind
to rise above and prosper
whatever this year brings our way
a happiness to foster

Last Day II

So to thirty first December and
the last day of the year
Twenty two has been and gone
as twenty three appears

There have been many moments
with emotions running rife
as is the wont of passing time
this c'est la vie, this life

But there are still remaining hours
to finish it for good
so on this New Years' Eve we will
enjoy it as we should

Winter V

And this morning sheen replacing white
as winter's iron grip with softer hands
takes ice away with rain.
And we welcomed that. Not quite yet
the warmth we clamour for
in these long months of hibernation,
bit still enough to ebb the chill
and bring semblance of a curl
to downward facing lips