Category Archives: Poetry

christmas, Holidays, Poetry

The Littlest Christmas Tree. A Poem

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This is from the second book in my 2 book series of poems, ‘One Poem a Day.’ The first one is called ‘From January to June’ and the second ‘From July to December.

This poem is from Book 2 and is today’s poem.

Image by V.M.Sang and Bing AI

December 16th.

As it gets nearer to Christmas, Christmas trees are going up everywhere. Yes, I know some have been up since November! Here’s a poem about one.

The Littlest Christmas Tree.

The other trees looked oh, so tall
To him, who was so very small.
And now it is the time of year
When everyone is filled with cheer.

Some men came for the tallest tree.
They took him with them, full of glee.
He was going into town.
In Market Square he’d wear a crown.

The littlest tree watched on as folk
Bought others. He was full of hope
That soon he would be picked to go
To a home to put on a show.

But people passed him by and said,
“That one’s too small. That one instead.”
His branches drooped. He felt so sad,
Until a man came, with a lad.

Most other trees had long been sold.
The little tree stood in the cold.
“Look, there’s a small one,” said the lad
As he turned towards his dad.

“It will just fit in our hall.
We can’t have one that is too tall.”
And so they came with spade and dug
Around his roots, all in the mud.

The littlest tree went home with them.
The lights and baubles gleamed like a gem.
He was so happy in that home
With all the love around him shown.

But Christmas passes soon away.
Then there came that dreaded day.
They took away the lights and balls.
“What happens now?” was all his thoughts.

He saw the tall trees passing by
On lorries, going off to die.
Their needles withering and brown
On their proud branches, drooping down.

Fear now filled the littlest tree.
“Is that what’s going to happen to me?”
But then the Dad came with a spade.
“I’ll not throw that for which we’ve paid.”

He dug a deep hole for the roots
And tamped it down with his big boots.
“We’ll let him grow, and then next year
We’ll bring him in again. Don’t fear.

And so the littlest tree was glad
That he’d been bought by this kind dad.
For now he has nothing to fear.
He’s decorated every year.

If you enjoyed this poem, and would like to read more, you can buy from the online store of your choice by clicking the cover below or in the side bar.

The books are available as ebook, hard back or paperback.

Here is the blurb for book 1

Take a lyrical journey through the first half of the year with V.M. Sang’s FROM JANUARY TO JUNE.

This anthology captures the essence of everyday life, nature, and the world around us through the versatile medium of poetry. From haiku to narrative poems, and the humor found in limericks, From January To June is a diverse collection of poetry.

A calendar in creativity, a diary in verse; this collection is the perfect companion for daily reflection and inspiration, providing a poem for each day that resonates with the diverse experiences of life.

And the blurb for book 2

The second book of poetry in V.M. Sang’s One Poem A Day Series takes us through summer to midwinter.

Each day there is a poem to read. These poems are often related to the season, for example, Harvest, or the first flight by the Montgolfier brothers, and of course, Christmas.

The poems are varied in type and length. There are haiku, haibun and tanka, limericks, sonnets, odes and narrative poems among the collection. Some poems are comments on serious subjects, while others are amusing and entertaining.

Many of the poems in this collection are in the traditional vein, so if you enjoy this type of poetry, this book is for you.

history, Poetry

We Will Remember Them: Reflecting on WW1’s Legacy

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Today is Armistice Day. World War 1 ended at 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

I wrote a poem to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1. I’ve published it before on Dragons Rule OK, and make no apologies for re-publishing it now.

For those of you who haven’t seen it before, I hope you enjoy it and that it makes you think of the futility of war. And to those of you who remember it, similarly.

War is evil and should never happen. It’s always a result of greed and/or hatred; two emotions that should be relegated to the deepest depths of Hell. And as all wars end in talks, why not begin there?

Here’s my poem.

We Will Remember Them.

I’ll never truly understand
How World War I began.
The death of Archduke Ferdinand
Started the deaths of many more,
The young, the old, the rich, the poor.
All died with guns in hand.

    My Grandad went with Uncle Jim 
    And Our Poor Willie, too.
    They sent them off, singing a hymn.
    Grandad went to Gallipoli,
    Uncle Jim left his love, Polly.
    Gas in trenches did kill him.

    I cannot see, in my mind’s eye
    Grandad with gun in hand.
    A peaceful man, sent out to die.
    He fought for us, for you and me
    So we can live and so that we
    Safely in our beds may lie.

    Granddad came home, and Willie too,
    But millions more did not.
    Their duty they all had to do.
    They died in fear, in noise, in blood.
    Everything was caked in mud.
    Yet in those fields the poppies grew.

    The War to end all wars, they said,
    So terrible were the deaths.
    The youth of Europe all lay dead.
    Yet 21 short years to come
    Another war. Once more a gun
    In young men’s hands brought death.

    One hundred years have passed since then.
    What have we learned? Not much!
    Too many men are killing men. 
    Wars still abound around the world.
    Bombs and missiles still are hurled
    At those who disagree with them.

    Uncle Jim was my Grandfather’s brother. I never knew him as I wasn’t born when he died.

    ‘Our poor Willie’ was what my grandmother said when referring to her brother. No one ever knew why he was ‘Our poor Willie’, except that she didn’t get on with his wife and thought she made his life difficult.

    I hope you enjoyed my poem. I wish I thought it might make a difference to the terrible wars going on at the moment, but I’m just a teeny drop in a vast ocean. Sadly, my voice is only heard by a very few people.

    Please let me know what you think in the comments box.

    You can read more of my poetry by clicking on the cover in the side bar. This one comes from Miscellaneous Thoughts.

    Halloween, Holidays, Poetry

    Celebrating Halloween with Poetic Fun

    10 Comments

    Image by ApplesPC from Pixabay

    As it’s Halloween today, I thought I’d write a little poem to celebrate it. We don’t do as much for Halloween in the U.K. as the people of the US do, but it’s beginning to creep in here. This year I’ve noticed a few people have decorated their houses.

    Halloween

    Witches gather their broomsticks
    Putting on pointy hats.
    Devils creep out from hell
    As spiders build their webs.
    Ghosts walk the streets
    And skeletons leave their graves
    Jack O’Lanterns grin
    With fiery eyes that glow   

    A cold wind blows the leaves
    As we shiver in our homes.
    The darkness seems to creep
    Beneath the gap below the door.
    Ghostly sounds are heard.
    And the doorbell rings
    We huddle together in fear.
    What horrors await outside?

    We creep towards the door
    And open it with care.
    The ghosts and skeletons jump
    Towards us with a screech.
    The witches cackle loudly,
    Jack O’Lantern held up high.
    Then come the words we know


    Image by Nisse Andersson from Pixabay

    This is a new poem, but if you enjoyed it and would like to read more. simply click on the image in the side bar.

    Currently, Next Chapter, my publisher, has discounts for people who buy 2 or more books in a series from Google Play Store

    • 2 books: 20% discount
    • 3 books: 30% discount
    • 4 or more books: 40% discount

    No coupon code is needed for these discounts: all customers who find Next Chapter books in the Google Play Store are able to use these discounts (as long as they buy 2 or more books in any one series at the same time).

    Here’s a link to my One Poem a Day series if you are interested.

    Click to buy.

    Poetry

    Woodland Inspiration: A Free Verse Poem

    11 Comments

    Rebecca Cunningham has challenged us to write a poem about a favourite place with alliteration.

    It is to be free verse and no more than 50 words. So here’s my offering.

    Woodland ways
    Wend past flowers.
    Winding paths walked
    Without worry.
    Wind whispers to willows
    Waving branches.
    White wood anemones 
    Water at the heart of the wood
    With wavelets kissing the shore.
    Woodpecker, willow warbler
    Wing through trees.
    Wonderful. 

    And here’s a link to Rebecca’s website so you can view the other poems.

    Click here

    nature, Poetry

    National Poetry Day.

    12 Comments

    Today is National Poetry Day in the UK. I. Its honour, I decided to add a poem as an extra post.

    I wrote a poem for each day of the year, and thought that the one I wrote for October 3rd would be the obvious one. I hoped it would be one of the longer ones, but it’s a tanka. Still, I must go with it. It’s today’s poem, after all.

    Created with AI

    Stars

    Clear the sky above

    The moon has not yet risen

    Many stars twinkle

    The Milky Way curves above.

    Infinity stretched on high.

    This is from my One Poem a Day book, July to December.

    Last year I wrote one poem each day. It was hard going. I can’t say I didn’t have the occasional lapse, but managed to make up in the next few days.

    The poems are very varied. There are tanka and haiku, like this one, lyrical poems, limericks, some rhyming poetry (well, quite a lot, actually) and some non-rhyming. I think there’s something for everyone.

    Why not give poetry a chance by reading one a day? Take a look at the books by clicking on the cover in the side bar.

    Did you enjoy my tanka? What kind of poetry do you enjoy? Let me know in the comments.

    Poetry, Uncategorized

    Ode to Rain. A poem

    4 Comments


    In response to Rebecca Cunningham’s s poetry challenge to write an ode in praise of rain, I came up with this.

    We’ve had such a lot of rain during winter, spring and summer.

    Ode to Rain.

    Sweet and gentle rain does fall
    Giving flowers what they need
    To bloom beneath the garden walls
    Making nectar, bees to feed.

    Dusty, dry, the desert sleeps
    Waiting for the rain to come
    Now the thunder, downpour seeps
    Desert blooms and insects hum.

    Rain fills rivers, lakes and streams
    Essential for all life to live.
    Be grateful for the sunlight beams
    But also thanks for rain, we give.

    announcement, Poetry

    IT’S HERE!

    17 Comments

    The second part of my One Poem a Day series is now available. It was actually published a couple of weeks ago, but as I was on holiday I couldn’t announce it!

    Here is the blurb.

    The second book of poetry in V.M. Sang’s One Poem A Day Series takes us through summer to midwinter.

    Each day there is a poem to read. These poems are often related to the season, for example, Harvest, or the first flight by the Montgolfier brothers, and of course, Christmas.

    The poems are varied in type and length. There are haiku, haibun and tanka, limericks, sonnets, odes and narrative poems among the collection. Some poems are comments on serious subjects, while others are amusing and entertaining.

    Many of the poems in this collection are in the traditional vein, so if you enjoy this type of poetry, this book is for you.

    An example of two of the poems.

    July 4th

    We recently had family to stay. Here’s a poem about families.

    Family

    Brothers, sisters, cousins too
    Some of whom we barely knew
    As one by one the family grew.

    Family feuds, we all fell out
    Little sister, she did pout.
    Cousin Johnny started to shout.

    Susie said ‘I hate you all.
    And I hope that you might fall
    And get caught out in a squall.’

    Brother Robert raised his fist.
    ‘Don’t you speak to us like this.’
    Narrowed eyes, voice like a hiss.

    Sister Jane came rushing in.
    ‘They have started bullying Jim.’
    Quarrel stopped. He’s our kin.

    So we went to sort them out.
    When they saw us, ’twas a rout.
    They will run away, no doubt.

    We fall out, of that it’s true.
    And we say things that we rue.
    But family is strong. We knew.

    “All for One and One for All.”
    We stand together or we fall.
    Petty quarrels, they will pall.

    July 5th.

    A small bumble bee has been pollinating our raspberry plants all by herself. At least, I didn’t see any other insects around them. Here’s a Haiku.

    Little bee.

    She sips sweet nectar.
    Proboscis deep in the flower.
    Raspberries will come.

    The book is available from the following retailers, currently priced at 1.99

    Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Google, Apple, and Amazon

    Book 1, From January to June is available by clicking the book title. It’s free, so you can get both books for 1.99

    The blurb

    Take a lyrical journey through the first half of the year with V.M. Sang’s FROM JANUARY TO JUNE.

    This anthology captures the essence of everyday life, nature, and the world around us through the versatile medium of poetry. From haiku to narrative poems, and the humour found in limericks, From January To June is a diverse collection of poetry.

    A calendar in creativity, a diary in verse; this collection is the perfect companion for daily reflection and inspiration, providing a poem for each day that resonates with the diverse experiences of life.

    And a review.

    Sashadoo

    5.0 out of 5 stars Clever and unusual, a unique blend of poetic styles

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 December 2023

    Verified Purchase

    I thoroughly enjoyed this unique collection of poetry from V M Sang. I say unique because it’s rare to find such an eclective collection of different styles, forms and subjects in one one book, all by the same author. From Haiku to full length poetic pieces, covering a wide range of topics from the weather to personal feelings and the rare beauty found in the morr mundane, everyday events in the poet’s life. Definitely something for everyone and I have no hesitation in recommending the book and giving it a 5 star review.

    Current Amazon ranking, June 4th 2024

    announcement, book release, Cover Reveal, Poetry

    Cover Reveal

    18 Comments

    I was going to post some pictures from my recent holiday today, but I received the preview cover from my publisher this morning and so decided to run with that. Hence the delay in posting.

    Here it is, alongside the first book.

    These books have one poem to be read each day for a year. Here is the blurb about Book 1.

    Take a lyrical journey through the first half of the year with V.M. Sang’s FROM JANUARY TO JUNE.

    This anthology captures the essence of everyday life, nature, and the world around us through the versatile medium of poetry. From haiku to narrative poems, and the humour found in limericks, From January To June is a diverse collection of poetry.

    A calendar in creativity, a diary in verse; this collection is the perfect companion for daily reflection and inspiration, providing a poem for each day that resonates with the diverse experiences of life.

    And a review from Amazon.

    Sashadoo

    5.0 out of 5 stars Clever and unusual, a unique blend of poetic styles.

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 December 2023

    Verified Purchase

    I thoroughly enjoyed this unique collection of poetry from V M Sang. I say unique because it’s rare to find such an eclective collection of different styles, forms and subjects in one one book, all by the same author. From Haiku to full length poetic pieces, covering a wide range of topics from the weather to personal feelings and the rare beauty found in the more mundane, everyday events in the poet’s life. Definitely something for everyone and I have no hesitation in recommending the book and giving it a 5 star review.

    Here is a poem from Book 2 to whet your appetite. It is the first poem in the book, dated July 1st.

    It’s deep into peach season, so I wrote this in honour of that delicious fruit.

    Peaches

    A peach with skin so soft.
    Breathe in the sweet scent
    As to my nose it wafts.
    Made just to tempt.

    Bite into the flesh.
    That scent did not lie
    The flavour is so fresh.
    That I cannot deny.

    Juice runs down my chin.
    The peach is so sweet
    It must be a sin
    To enjoy such a treat.

    The book contains many poems of different types, like the first one. I will keep you informed as to when it will be released. It should be sometime next month.

    If you can’t wait, then you can get the first book by clicking on this link, or to get my previous poetry book, Miscellaneous Thoughts, you can click here.

    Or click on the book cover in the sidebar.

    Do you like the cover? Does it tie in with the first book, to show they are linked?

    Poetry, The Arts

    Happy New Year, and some news

    9 Comments

    I have just submitted the second part of my poetry anthology, One Poem a Day. This one goes from July to December.

    Book 1, January to June was released just before Christmas.

    My daughter had a book when she was very little which comprised one story of poem to read every day of the year. It was great as each poem or story was short, and at bedtime we could say, “That’s the end of today’s story.” No arguments about going to sleep.

    I thought how nice it would be if an adult could have something similar. One poem to read each day for a year. So I set about, December 2022, to writing one poem every day. At times I thought I’d never do it, but eventually, I succeeded.

    I decided to release the book in two halves so that people could begin to read on January 1st. Book 1 came out just before Christmas and has received a glowing review already.

    Here is the review from Amazon.

    Sashadoo

    VINE VOICE

    5.0 out of 5 stars 

    Clever and unusual, a unique blend of poetic styles

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 December 2023

    Verified Purchase

    I thoroughly enjoyed this unique collection of poetry from V M Sang. I say unique because it’s rare to find such an eclective collection of different styles, forms and subjects in one one book, all by the same author. From Haiku to full length poetic pieces, covering a wide range of topics from the weather to personal feelings and the rare beauty found in the more mundane, everyday events in the poet’s life. Definitely something for everyone and I have no hesitation in recommending the book and giving it a 5 star review.

    If you are interested in my poetry, you can buy by clicking here when you will be able to buy from your favourite store.

    announcement, book release, Poetry

    Released at last

    16 Comments

    The first part of One Poem a Day has now been released. It would make an amazing Christmas present for someone.

    Take a lyrical journey through the first half of the year with V.M. Sang’s FROM JANUARY TO JUNE.

    This anthology captures the essence of everyday life, nature, and the world around us through the versatile medium of poetry.  From haiku to narrative poems, and the humor found in limericks, From January To June is a diverse collection of poetry.

    A calendar in creativity, a diary in verse; this collection is the perfect companion for daily reflection and inspiration, providing a poem for each day that resonates with the diverse experiences of life.

    You can get your copy by clicking on the book cover in the sidebar or clicking the button below.

    Get my copy of From January to June

    Watch out for the next volume, From July to December, which I hope will be released early next year.

    Do you enjoy reading poetry? Let us know in the comments box.