Same

More than fifty years on
and the smell on the air
is the same to me now
as it was way back there
That of sea and the tar
and the pitch and the oil
and the sweat and the grime
from the long days of toil

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Bliss II

Across wet sand
as evening falls
the sea a whisper
silence calls
And here stand I
to witness this
exquisite moment
born of bliss

These Streets…

These streets are mine
a thousand times I tread them every day
I know them well, I hold them dear
with words I cannot say

These streets are mine
Familiar, I know them every one
be that when cold and raining
or brighter in the sun

On built up embankments

Standing on built up embankments
for a moment or two at midday
It’s a pleasure to see the old oyster beds
and seabirds out there at play

Sheep may safely graze

Bach, three hundred years ago
wrote an aria for some sheep
with words by Salomon Frank
full of meaning, rich and deep

Sheep may safely graze and pasture
and they do still to this day
as we approach the roundabout
down here round Shoreham way

Seagulls Passing (reprise)

2 of 6 in the Jemverse ‘Seagulls’ series

Sitting in the sunshine
by the river at high tide
A seagull came and perched
on the railings by my side
We had a little chat
as it seemed the thing to do
Passing a few pleasantries
before away he flew

Pleasure to bring

Went for a walk
in the town where I live
It’s still got attraction
and plenty to give

And I sill get a buzz
when I’m walking down here
It brings a warm feeling
and plenty of cheer

It’s a gull’s life

“So, this wall in the sun
makes a great place to view
this town where we live
don’t you think, just us two?”

“You’re not wrong my friend
it’s a great place to be
down here by the river
not far from the sea”

At Twilight…

Two figures on a darkened shore
down by the glistening sand
Out there in the distance
walking hand in hand

This is a time for lovers
with a new moon in the sky
As, on a turning tide, the waves
whisper with a sigh

To grin or not to grin

And there out to the distant West
Gold fades across the sea
As twilight swiftly passes
and the night time comes to me

Silhouette

At twilight down on Shoreham Beach
When the light is fading fast
And the whisper of the turning tide
Is dark as we walk past

The rising moon out to the East
Glistens on wet sand
Bright just like the sunshine
In the shadows where we stand

St Mary of the Harbour

So, there’s already some words written
about me as I am today
But there’s more to make the story
complete in every way
For once I was much bigger
cruciform in shape
Part of Shoreham’s presence
on the Sussex south landscape

Church

5 of 6 in the Jemverse ‘Shoreham’ series

Nine hundred years I’ve been here
in Shoreham’s ancient port
A Catholic church turned Anglican
the parish to support
My cruciform original has
crumbled over time
But what is left still standing
is still within its prime

Shingle

4 of 6 in the Jemverse ‘Shoreham’ series

The shingle covered beaches
mightn’t be your cup of tea
But they’re all a part of Sussex
so that’s good enough for me
You might prefer the feel of sand
Well Shoreham has that too
For at low tide there’s great expanse
extending from the land

Quirky

3 of 6 in the Jemverse ‘Shoreham’ series

And I am a community
fascination here to pique
All along the river bank
quirky and unique
Houseboats here in residence
tradition to bizarre
Conformity is alien
I’m not particular

Convenient

2 of 6 in the Jemverse ‘Shoreham’ series

There’s a house whose walls were green
but now they’re painted grey
Where for quarter of a century
we have been every day
It’s positioned in a little street
just up from Shoreham station
Fifteen minutes from the beach
if you’ve the inclination

At Home

Part 6 of 6 in the Jemverse ‘At Home’ series

At home this little series
concludes today when I
get back there from the Midlands
late this evening, by and by
Still a few hours travelling
but the further south I go
the closer home it takes me
which is wonderful to know

Shoreham

Part 5 of 6 in the Jemverse ‘At Home’ series

At home for me is Shoreham
by the sea down Sussex way
Nestled underneath the Downs
in a wide sweeping bay

Mother Nature’s Gifting

With yellow sky, the sunset
was something to behold
A panoramic spectacle
tinged with flecks of gold

Ocean of Everything

3 of 3 in the Jemverse ‘Ocean’ trilogy

It’s the ocean of everything
I know and hold dear
And I’m part of its essence
That much remains clear

But explaining just why
is a difficult thing
There are words and a voice
and a mystery to bring

Ocean of Senses

2 of 3 in the Jemverse ‘Ocean’ trilogy

Sensory perception
a fragrance on the breeze
Carried in the air across
the wild and raging seas
Heard and felt and witnessed
in my blood and in my bones
Appealing to my senses
and a love I’ve always known

Ocean of Me

1 of 3 in the Jemverse ‘Ocean’ trilogy

A whisper carried on the breeze
heard across the air
Like an echo over many years
of me still walking there

The Welly

The feet upon the wooden floor
Are moving to the beat
as conversation struggles
for those who’ve found a seat
The man up on the microphone
is getting really loud
But the music’s really throbbing
and is pleasing to the crowd

The morning moon

October morning
chill in air
with harvest moon
in blue sky there
Commuters with
their i-phones out
capture it
so there’s no doubt

Contrasts, a big pond & an affinity

As a rule you will find me
surrounded by green
I’m often the nicest place
you’ll have seen

The winter skies are
blue/grey and bright
The reflection of snow
glimmers by night

Allotment IV (aka ‘A certain pleasure’)

There is a certain pleasure
at the end of a long day
to pop to the allotment
and have a little play

I might do some watering
or strim the grass a bit
or do a little weeding
or in the sunshine, sit

Seagulls passing

Sitting in the sunshine
by the river at high tide
A seagull came and perched
on the railings by my side
We had a little chat
as it seemed the thing to do
Passing a few pleasantries
before away he flew

Because we can

We’ll walk on the beach
at low tide on the sand
as dusk descends swiftly
and everything’s grand
With the lights from the city
out there to the East
Shining bright like a beacon
for a visual feast