Sea Watch (reprise)

4 of 12 in ‘The Fading Days’ series from Jemverse

I watched the sea, it did me proud
I smiled at it and laughed out loud
The waves they roared, I roared right back
As I wasn’t having any of that

Alone on the stone with sun and spray
On a fine and perfect Autumn day
On the shoreline with the crashing sounds
That filled the air and shook the ground

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Environment

For the UK’s National Poetry Day 2022

We withered brittle ozone, tantamount to crime
witnessed the long summers getting warmer over time
Staycations in fair England with seldom days of rain
the norm in post-pandemic swiftly then became

And no-one paused to wonder of the squander we had spent
callous the abandoning of our environment
as if we had we'd realise that reversal could become
something real with purpose if we acted all as one

Red (reprise)

3 of 12 in ‘The fading days’ series from Jemverse

The creeper and the honeysuckle
Both are turning red
Just one more show of colour
Before off to winter bed

Red glow after sunset
Still heralds warming rays
But the sun is now more distant
So we’re set for cooler days

Start 2

2 of 12 in the Jemverse series ’12 month VI’

It's the first day of October
my, the year has flown
twenty twenty-two, month ten
the sixty-third I've known

It's cooler now, the autumn looms
as read and brown and gold
take the place of summer green
with riches to behold

When I’m free

Friday comes and here I find
myself in pensive mood
so it would be a sacrilege
and bordering on the rude
not to seize advantage of 
a day when I'm not working
and use it to fulfilment
not of squander or of shirking

Mapping the past

No. 15 in the ‘Past to Present’ series from Jemverse

Found an old map in Emmaus
worn and dusty and old
thought to myself 'I'm having that'
went out of the shop with it sold

Familiar but different
there are things long gone away
a past the history books have claimed
from our quaint yesterday

The morning after the mourning

It's the morning after the mourning
the official period done
and though not forgetting Majesty
she's now radiant in the sun

Her long reign now is over
and with Phillip and the rest
she's Queen now where in heaven
everything is just the best

Of oak leaves, glass and talented soulmates

Fresh out the kiln for autumn
oak leave inspired glass
bound for the stall in Lewes
purchased by those who pass

All crafted by my soulmate's hand
I'm hoping one will find
its way into my study
as I am that way inclined

Juxtaposition

We found it there neglected
and sadly overgrown
bindweed and brambles covered it
forlorn and on its own

But that did not take long to go
and banish it for good
the thing to do and done because
we really knew we should

Good cheer

I've probably said it and written it down
in a poem I've crafted before
Repetition aside though, I'll say it again
as this is what writing is for
A message in words with a syntax to flow
off the tongue as one reads it aloud
which as poet and wordsmith fills me with a joy
of which (I might add) I am proud

Stopham Bridge IV

At Stopham Bridge, late summer
with cool waters down below
as the Arun slowly trickles
on a turning tide quite slow

Sitting on the decking of the
White Hart across the way
this view is quite breathtaking
on this peaceful summer day

This place

Sat down at the allotment
in late summer sun
with a welcome can of ale
the weeding here all done
The no dog plots are looking good
and our labour is well spent
as everything is looking great
almost as if with intent

For an ear (reprise)

Concluding the Jemverse series ‘Music II’ [10 of 10]

I am music and pleasure
for those with an ear
Hours of contentment
for freedom and cheer

Early hours radio (reprise)

7 of 10 in the Jemverse series ‘Music II’

Radio in the early hours
heard whilst half asleep
Subliminal soft whispers
just enough to keep
Songs that come the daybreak
are still inside my head
So I’ll look them up on Youtube
and watch the video instead

Dancing to life (reprise)

5 of 10 in the ‘Music II’ series from Jemverse

I danced on a quay at Emsworth
playing a really big drum
The crowds from the town all following us
and everyone having fun

I danced with Pride in Brighton
‘neath a rainbow coloured flag
The crowds of people partying
in the sun made me feel glad

Bringing Happiness (reprise)

4 of 10 in the ‘Music II’ series from Jemverse

Listening to music, anything will mostly do
But my spine will always tingle with some solid 12-bar blues

Lots of things bring happiness, this is just for starters
And mostly not a day goes by without finding what I'm after

Tipple (reprise)

3 of 10 in the ‘Music II’ series from Jemverse

In these fragile days of Autumn
When I am flustered by strong gales
There’s something to look forward to
The partaking of fine ales

A tipple of an evening
When the weather is like this
Gives a little taste of summer
With its happiness and bliss

Constant (reprise)

2 of 10 in the ‘Music II’ series from Jemverse

Music knows no boundaries
It cares not how I feel
It has but one sole purpose
To cure all and to heal.

It will lift me and console me
It will always be a friend
It will surprise me and amaze me
For its wisdom knows no end.

Lifting (reprise)

1 of 10 in the ‘Music II’ series from Jemverse

Like a strong hand to lift my soul
Music comes again
And as my rock begins to roll
Sunshine comes to play

Like a fishing net to catch my blues
Music drains away
All the cobwebs which have gathered
In the corridors of grey

Four spans across the Adur

Part of the ‘Past to Present’ series from Jemverse

Four spans across the Adur
at its mouth at Shoreham town
on the road on into Lancing
at the foot of Sussex Down

Four spans of steel construction
admired for sixty years
'til Norfolk Bridge mark II's demise
'midst many local tears

Something about

Something about the hand of the sea
and the tactile nature of things
it leaves in its wake for people to find
to pull at many heart strings

Something about the smooth of the feel
and the salt blended into the grain
that brings inspiration to a poet's mind
for words that will always remain

Start 1

1 of 12 in the ’12 months VI’ series from Jemverse

It's the first of September
and here for the starting
a new Jemverse series
with the old just departing

Twelve poems each as
the first day arrives
will start every month
if my writing survives

Rainfall

When the rain came at last
it was long overdue
not that the sunshine
we'd ever eschew
But the ground was so parched
and the water was low
so the need was profound
for the reservoir flow

Raison d’être

In my solace and respite
with the sun streaming in
I'm at home in my room
as you'll see from my grin
for all that is in here
is here to bring joy
with things I've collected
since I was a boy

Vinyl Revival

Who'd have thought it in the eighties
when vinyl was slipping
that we'd see all the usurpers fade
to crown again the king

Compact cassettes and eight-track
DAT, mini-disc, CD
all claimed to be the next best thing
to set the vinyl free

Complete II

In my garden at nightfall
when the sun has just set
and the heat of the day still remains
I find solace and respite
as on my bench with repose
I appreciate all of life's gains

Summer knows (reprise)

9 of 10 in ‘The Lavender series’ from Jemverse

Purple fields
fragrance high
sunshine bright
deep a sigh
Lavender
in perfect rows
ripe for harvest
summer knows

A place in the sun (reprise)

7 of 10 in ‘The lavender series’ from Jemverse

Our new bench sun trap captures the sun
right at the end of the day
Surrounded by lavender, it’s just what we need
for a rest from the frack and the fray