I’ve had one of those weeks. As I’ve not had time to write a new post, an as it’s Armistice day on Saturday, I’m reposting one I wrote for the100th anniversary of the end of WW1.
Here’s the link.
Category Archives: Poetry
Xenophobia. A poem
There is so much conflict in the world. I don’t mean only the major ones we hear about, like wars, but those smaller ones, not always erupting in violence
Xenophobia
People hate foreigners. I wonder why?
Do they not live, and like us they die?
Imagine you lived somewhere that
A bomb might anytime knock your home flat.
Just think about all the things you would do
If the government thought they would kill you
Just because you disagree with them.
And without a trial you they condemn.
Imagine a place for years without rain.
Your crops have all failed, again and again.
You watch as all your animals die
And, head in your hands, hear your children cry.
You cannot feed them. You have nothing left
To give them, so you feel bereft.
You watch as they get sick and they die.
And wonder, but no one can say why.
But there are lands where there is no war,
Where food is accessible, and there is law.
No one will come in the night and take
Your daughters away with them, to rape.
No bombs will land on your home. If you could
Would you not leave all behind where it stood?
So let us not hate these people who flee
Such terrible lives so they can be free.
This is a poem I’ve not yet published. I am trying to write a poem a day for a year with the hope of publishing it in two parts–January to June, and July to December. I hope to get the first part published in time for Christmas so people can begin to read a poem a day in January.
If you are interested in reading more of my poetry, I have a poetry book already published. It’s called Miscellaneous Thoughts and has poetry of many types and subjects. It can be bought from your favourite store in several formats: ebook, paperback, hardback. Click on the book title to go to your favourite online store to find out more, and buy.
Or you can go to Next Chapter’s Independent bookstore by clicking here.
I Am Earth.
After some protests in Germany in February, over the destruction of a village to make way for the expansion of an open cast coal mine,I thought of a poem I wrote a couple of years ago, called I Am Earth (found in Miscellaneous Thoughts) and decided to write a sequel.
The Ancient Greeks thought that the Earth itself was a goddess called Gaia who, along with Uranus, the sky, created all living things. In I Am Earth, she bemoans what humanity has done, and threatens us with destruction. Here she is telling us what she is doing to bring this about.
I Am Earth (2)
I am Earth.
I am your mother.
I gave you birth.
I told you
What will occur.
And now you will rue.
You ignore me
And take little heed
Of my anxious plea.
So I send you rain
To flood all your homes
And give you pain.
I send the drought
So no crops will grow.
There’s famine, no doubt.
I heat the world
And many will die
From the heat I have hurled.
Winds I will send
In hurricanes now.
Your lands they will rend.
Yet you will not learn.
To me you are deaf
So the world I will burn.
Fires in the summer;
Deep snow in the cold.
You get dumber and dumber.
My skin I do shiver
And make buildings fall
As the ground it does quiver.
I will belch forth fire
From deep in my heart.
Make Earth like a pyre.
Will you now learn?
Don’t exploit my wealth.
Or you I will burn.
I AM DESTROYING YOU.
You can buy my poetry book, Miscellaneous Thoughts, from your favourite retailer, in ebook and physical book form.
The poems are in a variety of styles, some serious and some amusing.
If you purchase it I would be ever indebted to you if you would leave a little honest comment on what you think of it. You can post on any of the retailers.
The FA Cup.
Just finished watching the FA Cup Final. We were beaten by our biggest rivals. *Sigh.*
Here’s a little limerick about it.
United has lost the cup
From it champagne we’ll not sup.
City won the game
And now it’s their aim
To win the treble, like us.
Coronation Day.
Today is Coronation Day. Here’s Haiku.
We have a new king.
Coronation is today.
A new era begins.
And a limerick.
Today my mobile did ring.
When I answered, it was the king.
He said, with a frown,
‘I’ve lost the crown.
A nice hat, instead, will you bring?’
Will you be watching the Coronation, or will you go out somewhere and ignore it?
I might watch a bit, but won’t be watching everything.
Maybe I can get some writing done. I got done none yesterday!
Let us know your thoughts in the comments. I will be interested to know the consensus of people, especially those abroad.
Spring Cleaning–A poem.
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay
Not my favourite job to do, but when the sun shines in, it makes the dust more noticeable. So it’s a job that has to be done.
And the satisfaction at the end makes it all worth while.
Spring Cleaning.
The sun is now shining making everything light
So it’s time to make our homes shiny and bright.
Let’s pick up our dusters and polish all day
Till every speck of dust goes away.
We’ll clean all our paintwork and make it as new
And polish silverware so your face you can view.
Then wash all the curtains and clean all the floors
And see if we need some more paint on our doors.
‘Spiders beware, don’t you build any webs.
We’ll knock them all down with our brushes,’ I said.
Sweeping and polishing all of the day
Until the last smidgen of dirt’s gone away.
Now stand back and look at all we have done.
A shiny and perfect home. We have won.
Have you done any spring cleaning yet? I’ve washed my dining room curtains and cleaned out my kitchen cupboards. Still a lot more to do!
British Wild Flowers. The Lesser Celandine.
Lesser celandines are one of the earliest wild flowers to appear, blooming from late January until the end of April.
They are small, growing to a mere 2-3 inches, but form masses of flowers. They look gorgeous when in bloom. A veritable carpet of yellow stars.
They are found on banks, at the edges of woods and paths, in grassland. In fact, almost everywhere. One might be tempted to put some in the garden, but think twice. Although they are lovely little flowers and bloom when there isn’t much else, they can be invasive.
They spread from tiny tubers which grow in the leaf axels. Rooting them out can be a problem as it can help them to spread! My suggestion is to enjoy them where they are. I did see some for sale in a local garden centre. They were lovely with unusual dark, reddish leaves. Very tempting.
I understand, from reading on the net, that their leaves are a rich source of vitamin C. Useful at a time when, in past ages people hadn’t had much green vegetables during the winter months and may have been suffering from scurvy as a result. I have no experience of eating these leaves, and so cannot recommend them as a salad vegetable. ALWAYS CHECK FOR TOXICITY BEFORE EATING ANYTHING GATHERED FROM THE WILD.
Here’s a little poem to the celandine.
Celandines
Little stars litter the grass.
Have they fallen from the sky?
They are shining when I pass
Reflecting sun’s rays from on high.
Celandines are here to say
Winter’s gloom is nearly past.
Spring is really on the way;
Warmth will soon be here, at last.
Bright and cheerful little flowers
Covering the woods and banks
Creating lovely yellow bowers.
We should all be giving thanks.
I hope you enjoyed this little post about one of our early spring flowers. Feel free to share it with anyone you think might find it interesting, but please link back to this blog if you do.
If you want to read more of my poetry, you can buy my first poetry anthology, Miscellaneous Thoughts, by clicking on the book cover in the side bar or the title in this paragraph.
I just looked at my poem on the preview, and the breaks between the verses does not appear even though I added them when writing. this always happens and I wonder why. Does anyone know why?
Please leave your comments in the comments box. I love hearing from you.
Pettic. A poem
This is not a poem that appears in a book, but it’s about a character in the Elemental Worlds duo.
Pettic
Pettic was a farmer’s son who loved to plough the land
Until one day his life did change in a dramatic way.
He was chosen from many lads to obey Prince’s command
And go to live in the palace, far, far away.
He was to be companion, confidant and friend
To Prince Torren, the Crown Prince, the king’s son and heir.
And with the Prince, his lessons he also would attend.
But then the Prince disappeared, nobody knew where.
So Pettic chose to go in search of his dear friend.
He visited strange worlds like nothing he had seen
And faced great dangers, helped the folk, their lives he did defend.
And found what he was looking for when he did intervene.
For in four lands he had to find four gems that were the key.
Will young Pettic find all that is required
To find Prince Torren and set him free?
If you wish to know the answer to the last question, you can find out by reading The Stones of Earth and Air, which is free as an ebook on Amazon, and The Stones of Fire and Water. Follow these links to buy at your favourite store.
St Patrick’s Day
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Today is St Patrick’s Day. Here’s a poem in tribute to him. I’m a bit late posting, I know, but I had to write it first! Of course, he didn’t really banish the snakes from Ireland, but it’s a good story.
St Patrick
A boy was captured and taken for a slave
Across the sea, but he remained brave.
A shepherd in Ireland for six long years
He escaped and ran home to family cheers.
A Christian he was, and hearing God’s call
Was ordained as a priest to the joy of all.
God called once again that he should go
Back to Ireland to preach, and so
He sailed once more across the sea.
And converted many to Christianity
And with his staff he gave a command
And all the snakes left that land.
On March seventeenth, in the year four sixty
He passed into Heaven on that isle so misty.
He’s remembered still by the Irish folk
On the isle of Ireland where he spoke
And all round the world where Irish dwell
They still remember, and his story they tell.
WAR. A Poem.
It is a year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Can’t understand it. Here’s a poem. !
WAR
Why must humans go to war?
What do they hope to gain?
I think that most of us deplore
That it started again.
Why do the leaders think it’s right
For many folk to die?
And make people resort to flight
And bid their homes goodby?
Two world wars in years long past
Brought much pain and grief.
The numbers dead were so vast
It is beyond belief
That it could all begin again
With Russia entering Ukraine
Dragons Rule OK. V.M.Sang (author) 