1 - april fool!

First of April

All fools day

Knock the door

and run away!

.

Wind hands back

on all the clocks

Tie a knot

in daughters socks!

.

Make the tea

but make it cold

Use some milk

that’s one week old!

.

Dial a friend

and shout ‘surprise -

Its Lotto here

you’ve won a prize!’

.

Tell your son

he’s got a spot

Upon his nose

Although he’s not!

.

Pretend the kids

are late for school

When they rush

shout ‘April Fool!’

'

2 sobbing

sitting

quietly

in a corner

sobbing

tearsflowing

down her cheeks

alone

mindsearching

for a reason

confused

wondering

whydid he leave

suddenly

joy

happiness

now all gone

memories

crying

trembling

curled in a ball

inconsolable

others

ignore

it’s like

she’s

invisible

.

3 bordeaux

Years ago on the slopes of Bordeaux

a harvest in the sun

Plump juicy grapes where flung into crates

and the ritual had begun.

.

Trodden and squeezed

the juice was released

a taste of things to come

Five years to soak in barrels of oak

the vintner’s task was done.

.

Finally bottled and labelled

and corkedboxed and sent away

then opened and poured, savoured, adored

for this was its finest day.

'

4 anonymous

Slipping in and out of the shadows

Hiding in dank doorways

Sliding into view when a car appears'

Dressed to allure, revealed to tempt

She came here on a promise

From her home overseas

Lured by a job, a flat and a future

Little did she know what awaited her

.

Concealed at safe distance

A sinister figure skulks in the shadows

Watching his terrified victim

Plying his loathsome trade

One day she will disappear

Unknown, anonymous, a number

She will be replaced by another

Then another then another and another

.

5 nursery picnic

Pat a cake pate a cake baker’s man

Make me a cake or make me a bun

Or even a muffin or maybe a scone

And give me a call as soon as it’s done

.

As I was going to strawberry fair

I met some people going there

Come along with us they said,

our picnic you can join and share

.

Simple Simon met a pie man

struggling up the hill

Cart piled high with scrummy treats

He bought a sausage roll.

.

The queen of hearts she made some tarts

With jam and fruit and cream

And sandwiches to die for

With cheese and fish and ham

.

Polly put the kettle on

to make a cup of tea

Sukey took it off again

Then hid behind a tree

.

Sing a song of sixpence

A pocket full of sweets

Chockie ones and fruity ones

And lots and lots of treats.

.

Rain rain go away

Come back in half an hour

By then our food will all be gone

And you can have a shower.

.

One two buckle my shoe

It’s time to leave for home

Fold the rugs and grab the chairs

Another picnic done

.

Ri-fol, Ri-fol

Tol-de-riddle-li-doRi-fol,

Ri-fol,

Tol-de-riddle-dee.

'

6 All go!

Alarm clock rings

Jump out of your skin

Hop out of bed

Leap in the shower

Drag on some clothes

Put on some slap

Coffee too hot

Scald your mouth

Burn the toast

Trip over the cat

Rush out the door

Run down the road

Into the station

Squeeze on the train

One hour later

Get off again

Fly to the office

Sit at the desk

Stare at the screen

Answer the phone

Do that and this

Nip out for lunch

Go back to work

Start over again

Time to go home

Stand on the train

Pushed and jostled

Get off again

Open the door

Look at the mail

Pour a large drink

Collapse on the couch

Let out

A deep

Breath

And

'

Relax

.

7 william can't hear

He speaks with his hands

and hears with his eyes

He feels the music

.

His laugh is the loudest

his words just sounds

but we understand.

.

He's a joker, a clown

the ultimate entertainer

spreads joy all around

.

He feels special, unique

Says it's a gift!

We all love William

.

8 - do you?

.

you look do you see?

you touch do you feel?

you taste do you savour?

you listen do you hear?

you exist do you live

'

9 the daffodils demise

The daffodils are dying

but that’s alright by me

All that’s left’s a sea of brown

where yellow used to be

.

The daffodil, an overture

to greater things to come

Longer days and warmer nights

and lazing in the sun.

.

Soon those golden flowers

make way for colours new

Pansies pink and tulips red

and swathes of brightest blue.

.

The daffodil has done its job

it told us winter’s passed

Now its time to fade away

for spring has sprung at last

'

10 eating by numbers
.
A bowl of Chicken noodle soup

number 24

then I ate a 68

I needed something more

Beef in black bean sauce it was

tender dark and nice

I had it with a 146

special egg fried rice

I also had a seafood dish

a number 47

Great big prawns with cashew nuts

I thought I’d gone to heaven!

Spare ribs and a plate of duck

4 and 87

A tangle of chop suey

number 1 – 11

By then I felt a little full

and so I paid the waiter

Trouble is with Chinese food

You’re hungry two hours later!

So I had a pizza

11 why?

she went

but why?

no warning

no reason

no note

this morning

a kissgoodbye

as usual

quite normal

her possessions

are gone

everythingexcept

her ring

she’s gone

but where?

with whom?

whatwent wrong?'
.'

12 london marathon

It’s marathon day in London town

thousands of athletes running round

Past London Tower and Catherines Dock

timing themselves against the clock

.

Buckingham Palace and past Big Ben

Westminster Abbey, Greenwich, then

Tower Bridge and the Cutty Sark

hoping to finish before it gets dark

.

My preparation’s all been done

I thought this day would never come

Now I feel I’m finally ready

to pull up a chair and watch it on telly!

.

13 flight

Two mighty engines roar

I am pressed against my seat

as the giant silver bird

thunders down the runway

.

A sudden quiet, calm

as we rise into the sky

leaving my stomach

on the ground below

.

We steeply bank,and the plane

stands on its wingtips

I stare down at a monopoly

of tiny streets below

'

Then level flight

higher and higher

Wisps of clouds

rush by my window

'

And then an eerie silence

as fifty shafts

of brilliant sunlight

illuminate the cabin

'

Now we float

above a sea

of undulating

purest white

,

Then I have a gin and tonic!'

.
'
14 lacrimosa

mozart requiem
1791
but timeless
unfinished
benedictus qui venit
in nomine domini.
osanna in excelsis.
.
take 3 minutes out, sit back and close your eyes - Lacrimosa from Requiem

16 - he-he-he

.

He who laughs the last

laughs longest so they say.

Last night I was the last to laugh,

I’m laughing still today'.

17 - my canvas

.

circles of red

splashes of ragged green

strokes of white

floods of deepest brown

orange squares

a scattering of yellow dots

my plate is my canvas

my colours my food

'

18 - I will you wont!
'
I will he said

You won’t said she

I will he said

You wait and see

'

I will he said

you won’t said she

Don’t you dare

climb up that tree

'

You’ll fall she said

I won’t said he

You will she said

Just listen to me

.

You will she said

I won’t said he

'
Ouch!
.

Mum?

'
19 - triumph!

'
Slim tapering shafts of glinting steel

Not one, nor two but three missiles

ready to take flight

in pursuit of their ultimate goal

Just one man with the task

of sending them on their way

Only seconds awayf

rom victory over their foe.

Beads of sweat glisten on his brow

All eyes focus on his hand

as he raises it aloft

Preparing himself for what he must do

The first, the second and third

are launched and seek their target

Flying toward their final destination

piercing the air with deadly accuracy

The target reached, the battle won

A triumphant crowd salutes their hero

as the battle ends

with a perfect one hundred and eighty.

'

There's nothing like a game of darts!

'

20 - inspiration

'

Some days words come easily

On others they float around

Like so many bubbles

that burst with my feeble attempts to catch them

'

Some days my blank screen fills

On others it’s a sea of white

Like the blankest canvas

awaiting brushstrokes of rich colours and rhyme

'

Some days my muse sits beside me

On others she hides from my view

Like a mischievous child

Playing hide and seek between the trees

'

For inspiration is a fickle mistress

One day arms open wide

The next back turned in defiance

Always there to embrace or ignore

let me read it to you!

'

'

21 - how?
'
How does the bluebell know

when it’s timeto peep above the soil?

How to birds know

when it’s timeto cross vast continents?

How does the sun know

when it’s timeto sink beneath the sea?

How do rainclouds know

when it’s timefor me to light my barbecue?

.

22 - snapshot

'

one moment a split second
captured with the press of a finger
frozen in time for posterity
,

23 - faith hope and charity
'

Triplet sisters I once wooed

but one I wanted more

I think I fell in love with Hope

or was it Faith?

I never was quite sure

'

One day I spoke to Charity

At least I think I did

I said I lovedher sister Hope

and this is what I said

'

'Hope will never love me

I think she’s heaven sent’

‘Have faith’ she said

I'm still not sure

exactly what she meant

'

24 - because
'
She was staring into space

focusing on nothing at all

I asked her why

She said because

'

Her eyes were filled with tears

Which trickled down her cheeks

I asked her why

She said because

'

Her brow was heavy with sadness

Her face etched with sorrow

I asked her why

She said because

'

She knew that I was leaving

She knew it broke my heart

She asked me why

I said because
.
let me read it to you

'

.

25 - for karen

.

Eleven thousand four hundred and six miles

separate us

A friend I’ve never seen nor spoken to

yet know so well

I fill my glass with wine of richest red

and raise it

in the hope that she is thinking of me

and raising hers too

I dream of the day we finally meet

Crazy I know

Eleven thousand four hundred and six miles

so far to go

'

26- I'm not so sure
'

The sun shone brightly today

It was warm, unseasonably warm

They blamed it on my car.

'

Yesterday it blew a gale

It was windy, unusually windy

I forgot to recycle a jar

'

There was a flood last week

Homes were ruined, totally ruined

‘cos I used a plastic bag

'

Another forest disappeared

Trees felled, millions of trees

So I could read a book

'

There’s another drought in Africa

Thousands dying, dying for want of water

because I had a bath

'

Using up the worlds resources.

Poisoning the atmosphere

Global warming, greenhouse gasses

I should live my life in fear

'

Every day I’m told it’s my fault

my greed, my insatiable greed

But I’m not so sure.

.

27 - I'm lost for words
' '
Got to write a poem tonight

Don’t know what to say

I promised, so I have to pen

A poem every day

'

What shall I do, what shall I say

I don’t know what to utter

The only thing that rhymes with that

Is mutter flutter butter

'

Scratch my head, stare at the walls

Muse why have you left?

Gaze out the window, scratch my – errr - knee

My mind, it’s all bereft

'

Today’s the day I say with sorrow

I cannot write a verse

I’ll have another go tomorrow

It can’t get any worse.

'

28 - sorry?
.
him

'
Don’t tell me that you’re sorry

how dare you say you care

I’m fed up with your platitudes

Don’t tell me it’s unfair

'

You really think that I could live

with your constant lying?

Don’t look at me with tear filled eyes

It’s me that should be crying

'

I’ve tried my best to understand

I’ve searched my aching heart

You’ll never know how much this hurts

But now it’s time for us to part

'

her

I didn’t mean to hurt you so

I made a small mistake

I beg of you don’t make me go

How much pleading does it take?

'

I didn’t want to lie to you

But things just went far too fast

Can’t you see it’s you I need?

It truly wasn’t meant to last

'

You know I love you, you love me

But now I’ll walk away

I broke your heart, you’re breaking mine

In time we’ll both regret this day.

'
friend

'
Come here you two idiots

Sort this out or I’m banging your heads together

She only did it because she thought it would make you happy

Ok, he should have told you sooner

But she didn't want to spoil the surprise

It's not as if she was having an affair!

'

29 - overture

'
Bluebells chime

with vivid colour

Blossom falls

like soft pink snow

on a fragile carpet

of nodding cowslips

'

A new sound echoes

at days dawn

A choir of songbirds

sing their song

An overture to

the opera of summer

'

The first act has begun.

'

let me read it to you.

.

30 - joy
'
'
a comfortable life is a life filled with contentment
a contented life carries happiness on its back

a happy life is as much as we can hope for
yet there is one higher plane that just the lucky few attain

a joyful life, for joy transcends happiness
and embraces comfort and contentment

.

THE END