Work in Progress

One thing they don't tell you
is that Chemo's pretty shite
If they did no one would do it
and there'd never be the fight
at least not one where poison
is pumped into your body
followed by three weeks of drugs
insidious and shoddy

And yet still here with cancer
it's a choice which must remain
as you're always in the driving seat
and the most to lose or gain
I made the choice to leave it
two infusions; six weeks in
as it took away the best of me
stopped me being; stopped my grin

I am the one in four revisited

I am the one in four
leaping through the years
my letters match my value
unique, so it appears
I'm the plus-one to the three six five
my invitation rare
tagged on as February twenty-nine
a tetrad seldom there.

Christmas day music

Christmas day music, boiler room classics
rhythm into the night
The sound so cathartic
Healing me there
Loud and uplifting and bright

Two paths

There were two paths in front of me
I could have taken with my pen
In the small hours of quiet and still
when silence reigns and when
both would have served an eloquence
and given substance to the prose
But one was bright, the other dull
so it was the former that I chose
For though an honesty in words
I need in these raw times
when faced with choice of paths to take
it's to the brighter I'm inclined

Better than a poke in the eye

Since my diagnosis my humour's got dark
so no apologies here
But today in Oncology I asked of the Doc
to make things perfectly clear

"If I don't have Chemo it's three months at most
with no more summers for me
but with it, quite possibly, twelve months or more
though of course, there's no guarantee!"

She nodded at that, concern at the truth
as I struggled in vain not to cry
But then gave a wry smirk as I thanked her and said
That it was better than a poke in the eye!

Innovation writing

Gold watch a misnomer, none of that here
But I did get a pen to bring me some cheer
'Innovation' - a hybrid - it writes like a dream
a fountain/cross roller (if you get what I mean)
My choice on retirement to remember them by
an extravagance yes, but boy does this fly
a pen like no other that I've ever had
which I'll use as a writer - it won't be a fad
Proof of pudding right here as I write these lines down
with a black and gold dream to dispel any frown

Solstice III

Once again the longest day
Solstice mystery endowed
as pilgrims gather on the hills
to sing the ancient song aloud
June twenty-first in summertime
the jubilant throng proclaim
lambasting solstice to the fore
and calling out its name

Four

4 of 7 in the ‘Seven Haikus 22 series’ from Jemverse

I'll write a haiku
most days to capture what life
shows me of itself

Underneath Blackfriars Bridge

Perched on railings on Southbank
herring gulls they gather
with an interloper in between
absorbing all the blather
He really doesn't mind of course
although the language of the others
is hard sometimes to understand
he regards them as his brothers
Underneath Blackfriars Bridge
they wait beside the Thames
resting from a day of flight
these feathered seagull friends

Lamp stand lovely

Bought a new lampshade
it's small and petite
but on the old lamp stand
it looks nice and sweet
The lamp stand we've had
two score years and some
since we were first wed
and the two became one

Charmouth Jurassic

No.5 in the Jemverse series ‘Down in Dorset’

So we wandered down to Charmouth
beside the River Char
bathed in October sunshine
with views spectacular
around about three miles
so it didn't take us long
and it was really rather warm
as the sunshine was quite strong

Courthouse Farm

No.2 in the Jemverse series ‘Down in Dorset’

In Whitchurch Canonicorum
here at Courthouse Farm
we six came for adventure
in a big converted barn
Deep in the Dorset countryside
but not far from the coast
for a week of fun and frolics
of which we'll make the most

Travelling again

Last week I braved the train because I had to
and it wasn't all that nice
seemed the people had forgotten
and were content to pay the price

But today was a different matter
and I felt more at ease
travelling in for pleasure
with just myself to please

It rained

It rained and then
it rained some more
and the more it rained
the more I saw
as water trickled
here and there
and got in
almost everywhere

September sun heat

September sun heat
no denial of fact
twenty-five degrees celsius
attesting to that
So it was back to the beach
to sit in the sun
at Saturday teatime
til evening was come

A Senior Sex Limerick

I was watching a program of “classic” Jewish comedians and I turned it on in the middle of an old Borscht Belt routine being performed by Myron Cohen. He was telling a joke about one of my favorite subjects, Senior Sex, and I was riveted.

It Would Be A Wonderful Life Event In America Limerick

My inspiration….

A National Hot Dog Day Limerick

I am a firm believer that the hot dog was made for watching sports and I have knocked down many a tube steak in front of the tube watching a game. My personal preference for a dog is Hebrew National 1/4 pounders, however, I am good with any dog that doesn’t bite me first.

Anticipation (revisited)

7 of 10 in the Jemverse series ‘Summer 21’

There are moments in soft summer days
when a whisper to the world
is all that’s needed when I wake
and the morning is unfurled

The sweet refrain of birdsong there
as the sunshine filters through
is enough for me to welcome
another day of something new

Anticipation breathes content
there’s a promise with the sun
and I venture out with purpose
as though my life had just begun

Beginning XI

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

July the first and summer continues
warming up just a tad I presume
Cos with May the rain
in bucketloads came
which continued cool into June

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

And then came the rain

And then came the rain
close after the sun
a deluge which lasted
for days on the run

The gardeners and farmers
were over the moon
but all the sunbathers
said it was too soon

For the weatherman said
that the heatwave would last
but all of a sudden
it's forgotten and past

A Trump Will Flip Limerick…like a pancake cook at IHOP

HUFFPOST 5/20/201
Michael Cohen, former personal attorney and “fixer” to Donald Trump, delivered a blunt warning Wednesday to the former president’s closest associates and even his own family.

“I think Donald Trump is going to flip on all of them,” he warned, “including his children.”

A Senior Man With A Menopausal Wife’s Perspective Limerick

Points of Departure

Down on the docks this evening
as the day turned into night
we had the special privilege
of a truly lovely sight
Part of the Brighton Festival
an experience to share
called 'Points of Departure'
to entertain us there

A Couple Time To Do Time Limericks

Congressional hearings on the insurrection today

A N.I.C.E. Limerick

N.I.C.E. – Notice, Invite, Challenge, Empower

A Weird In A Good Way Limerick

I am proud to call that a self-description