Sometimes II

Sometimes a biplane
will fly overhead
some of them yellow
and some of them red
Sometimes a seagull
will call on the breeze
as I sit in the sunshine
its warmth on my knees
Sometimes the sea
I will many hours view
for this vista has charm
and always feels new

Beginning XII

12 of 12 in the Jemverse ’12 months IV’ series

Forty-eight beginnings later
first of August twenty-one
the last one in this series
now twelve months since begun
But not (you will be pleased to hear)
the last one here for good
for I'll begin a brand new series 
next month here (you knew I would)

Idyllic II

And in this patch of England
idyllic by the lake
a little slice of heaven
on this evening we will make
Sunshine setting, shadows long
with stillness to the air
we stand and simply marvel
whilst a nightingale sings there

The plan (part VI)

No. 6 in the continuing Jemverse ‘allotment’ series

For the first time I sat back
and knew that 'we'd done good'
at our allotment established
as we'd hoped that it would

And now we can harvest
the produce and fayre
of the things we have laboured
for and groom right there

And keep up the momentum
to see it prosper and grow
and keep on producing
with grandeur to show

Ubi Sunt

As a boy these docks, this harbour
was a playground for adventure
fascination for a mystery
with no interest in debenture
Freedom then to roam and play
in summers with no ending
gave birth to a long love affair
with Sussex there befriending

But that was a long time ago
and though docklands here remain
the yearning for adventure
I have long learned to refrain
Transitory was that time
yet still there's vestige here
with sun-bleached memories of my youth
rekindled by the year

Hedged Hedonia

hatched hens, hemmed heaven
harps, hooves, hatched haunts
halved howls, honed hymns

Two Swans

Two swans down by the waterside
of the River Ouse
as it flows north of Lewes
cold water there to use
Preening their white feathers
so pleasing to the eye
as on our way back to the car
Sal and I walk by

42

Things have changed a little
here in Worthing over time
as there was no big wheel here
back in nineteen seventy-nine

Forty-two years passed since then
yet we two still are here
soulmates then and soulmates now
in our forty-second year

Hopeful

A young chap perched upon the wall
looking fairly hopeful
and yet alas
there was the glass
twixt us and tasty mouthful

Something Jack said

"Are you still writing each day"
Jack said and I grinned
for when wouldn't I
like the blow of the wind
For winds are like breathing
I need them to live
and craft them to lines
the syntax to give
The writing my solace
my 'raison d'être'
and the rest you all know
with my poems right there

A week off

And now I am on holiday
no working for a week
the precious time all of us need
and starting as I speak

I suspect there'll be some sunshine
and some days down on the beach
relaxing at the beach hut
as it is in easy reach

And I'll take in the six-miler
on the hills above my home
as I've not done that in quite a while
so walking skills I'll hone

Tri-sedoka VII (Thursday)

And so it's Thursday
another week almost gone
but not to wish time away
I still live each day
to its complete fulfilment
for every day is precious

Trees have feelings too

A tree jumped out as I walked by
surprise upon its face
I laughed and smile right back at him
as I passed close by his space

He seemed quite pleased to see me
when the shock had passed away
so we had a conversation
on this lovely sunny day

He said it was polite of me
to stop and give him time
as most just passed and never paused
which borders on a crime

Sunshine VII

Thought I'd missed the sunshine
but thank goodness there it was
the sunspot in the garden
in full sun still there because
although we are north-facing
the setting in the West
gives sunshine in the garden
until six o'clock at best

Born to the sun V

Back in the fifties
and born to the sun
a Thursday's child
knew he had begun

Growing up in the sixties
never sun to eschew
this Thursday's child 
was still nearly new

And then cam the seventies
formative years
a teen to his twenties
with joy and yes, tears

The man in the mirror

The man in the mirror
looks back at me
he is a lot older now
He's seen a few things
but still his heart sings
despite the lines on his brow

Maybe he's wiser
and maybe he's not
it's something I'd not really know
but he'll never leave
his own joie de vivre
so he's happy to go with the flow

Al fresco dining

In Shoreham town al fresco
dining now seems to be the norm
which is lovely in the summer
when days are mostly warm
but when they're overcast
or quite windy like today
it's not without a smirk
to see the faces there portray
something of discomfort
as they put on a brave face
yet shiver as they eat their meals
this climate to embrace

In my room

In my room of a morning
when all around's still
and the world's waking up
and the birdsong is shrill
I can find inspiration
in the solitude here
to write words of wisdom
erudite and clear
and craft them to lines
to retain for a while
and maybe to publish
with the curl of a smile

New book, nice pen

I have a new book
to write poems in
it'll last me three months or so
as I scribble away
writing words by the day
to capture what life has to show

And I have a nice pen
which does well for me
so I ensure I have refills to spare
as although contribution
it's no substitution
to write with a pen without care

Tri-haiku XXXIII (Heaven)

Afternoon sunshine
in June, deliciously hot
I am in heaven

But it is a place
on earth, as Belinda said
and she was quite right

Nowhere else I would
further be this afternoon
than right here right now

Googolplex

gargantuan grass
germane gnomes
gossamer goblins
grounded grace

Monday lunchtimes

Monday lunchtimes at Al Campo
watching life go past
the windows open to the world
with summer here at last

The sunshine's really hot out there
but no one is complaining
as the start of summers' overdue
from all the Maytime raining

Through the trees

Evening sunshine through the trees
the Warren shaded now
but I still feel the sunshine
so warm upon my brow

It has been one of those balmy days
that only summer brings
and conjures up those feelings
that pull at old heart strings

Chillin

There's a ship sailing by
and a gull on the wing
and the sun in the sky
gives a reason to sing

And there's really no reason
to move for a while
as we can sit here
with a beer and a smile

And just watch the sea
and soak up the vibe
at this place on the beach
by the blue ocean wide

Soulshine II

Soul searchings' sometimes painful
as thoughts they come and go
but if the end result is such
to bring a warming glow
then you've done yourself a favour
as soulshine's what you need
to bring about a joie de vivre
and happiness indeed

We Are

a composite of all that came before us

collective memory of the ancients

often revealed when least expected

our ancestors blood surges

through ours and

we are the old way

combined with the new ways

still seeking answers:

Why are we here?

O’Prunty

5/27/2021

Radishes

Had a bumper crop of radishes
from our allotment, pleased to say
filled a big sack with them
when I picked them yesterday
They have a lovely pepper taste
and they'll make a tasty lunch
and I'm pretty sure they'll soon be gone
not certain, just a hunch

Painting Poetry

The poet wrote a poem
to capture what he saw
just a few lines of simple verse
to have and hold in store

As there will be those moments
when as Wordsworth said
vacant or a pensive mood
will be the thing instead

And then there is the pleasure
to recollect those lines
and rekindle just a little
of the moment and these times