Rain or shine

It rained and it rained
and it rained and it rained
and then it just kept on raining
But although we got wet
‘most all of the time
there was seldom any complaining

This town of mine

Someone sent a photograph
of how it used to be
Shoreham when I was a lad
Evoked a memory

How many words?

How many words written
goodness only knows
It must be in the millions
with the poems and the prose
that all these years I’ve written
ever since I was a lad
Some words to cover sadness
but most to cover ‘glad’

First IV

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

December is here and as the first arrives
I am content for Christmas
to make its annual entrance
November’s too early or course
But this year there were ads in October
which borders on a step too far.

Four haikus IV

Which brings me to four
and the whim has carried me
with words to this point

Four haikus III

Which you won’t have got
in the haiku yesterday
as there was no space

Four haikus II

This is the second
but I don’t want to waste words
So straight to the point

Four haikus I

Felt the need to write
Three lines to cover four days
No reason, just whim

Life

I love what I do
don’t get me wrong
I’m in quite a lovely position
As forty years done
with the grief and the fun
I enjoy in this time of transition

I put in the hours
use my mind to the full
enthusiastically driven
For the passion is there
as all are aware
from the help that I’ve often given

What of me now?

So now I am sixty
what of me now?
Do I wither, slip slowly away
Do I hold up a hand
resolute to my lot
to let youth in its turn have a say?

Far from it I cry
for I have a voice
and it’s louder than ever before
I’ve put in the years
shed blood, sweat and tears
and still I am ready for more

Mysterious

Starting to appear now
mysterious boxes
their fragrance filling the room
A promise of something
that’s getting quite close
in mid-December quite soon

What’s in the box?
my immediate question
unanswered of course for a while
The mystery continues
as excitement grows
coupled with winks and a smile

Winter III

And now the iron chill
shouts loud with brutality
as if we didn’t know it
with absolute totality
Winter’s here, no doubt of that
November takes firm hold
with battle grey the colour
reminiscent of this cold
We wrap up warm in winter coats
for what is waiting there
Resigned against the onslaught
we face the brittle air

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

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

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

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

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