Safely asleep

The dawn’s not yet broken
and I’m travelling again
on the road for one more business trip
With birds still asleep
as the night is yet deep
I tip toe up the road lest I slip

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finding Summer

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

We’re off to find the summer
for a little while at least
and from now til mid-November
all working has now ceased

Yet we shiver in our shirtsleeves
beneath cold English skies
before towards the summer
our big jet plane it flies

Dubrovnik in Croatia
awaits us basking in the sun
beginning here our autumn break
with eight more days to come

First III (tanka)

3 of 12 in the Jemverse ’12 months III’ series

And so November
Colder days have taken hold
As wrapped up people shiver
into the winter
with the swansong of Autumn
for the year-end’s curtain call

Two Days

Two days to go
until summer returns
for eight days for Sally and I
As packing our bags
to Dubrovnik we’re bound
on Thursday morning to fly

Luvvies

The luvvies at the Dome last night
were out in force and loud
But when the man came out on stage
were silenced by the crowd
He made us smile, he made us laugh
and tears were rolling free
the sold out house in unison
for this hilarity
A tour de force in every way
this swan song to the game
before he treads a different board
to give politics a name

Atmospheric 3

3 of 3 in a Jemverse mini-series

Looking eastwards cross the raging sea
grey clouds above the green
The beach at Lancing here today
amongst the best I’ve seen
That is, I’d say, for quite a while
so fortunate am I
as I can come and witness when
wind blows and waves are high
This beach, this shore in Sussex
wonderful throughout the year
Its glory never lost on me
when I am standing here

Atmospheric 2

2 of 3 in a Jemverse mini-series

The seventh wave was building
I watched it gather height
Like a monster lurking out there
with teeth and awesome might

The breakers just before it
when they broke upon the shore
slipped quickly back into the mire
before coming back once more

Atmospheric 1

1 of 3 in a Jemverse mini-series

Atmospheric was the sea today
with grey above the green
The waves in wind tumultuous
amongst the biggest seen
The sun shone like a diamond
painting silver ‘neath the grey
as on the beach we wandered
on this very windy day

Joy to share II

So here beneath the leafy green
Another day in Kew
I stand beside the River Thames
and see this lovely view
The tide is high, the water deep
The sky with promise there
As through the trees the sun appears
and I have joy to share

Poetic Licence

And here I am again
with a pint at Ye Olde Trippe
Waxing lyrical I write
as rain goes ‘drip, drip, drip’
Poetic license there you say
well yes, I quite agree
but as it rhymes I added it
with (I’ll admit) a ‘tee tee hee’

Pitter Patter

It’s weather for the ducks up here
in Nottingham today
Been raining hard since Sussex
as to here I’ve made my way

And though cats and dogs may feature
it’s the ducks I’ll mention now
as they don’t seem to mind a bit
and enjoy it here somehow

Tri-Tanka V (coffee)

Fussy? Yes perhaps
but for me there’s no excuse
for tasteless coffee
made carelessly without soul
Listless, dull and moribund

The call of the sea

A beach is a beach
be that where it may
and the sea is always a friend
So I’ll find one
whenever I’m close to a coast
On that you can always depend

Starsun II

Leigh-on-Sea here in Essex
At the end of the day
The sun setting low in the West
Sitting with friends
On which one depends
This time of day is the best