2012-01-28T10:16:00.000-08:00

In 2008 I was set a challenge to come up with thirty poems in thirty days. I don't particularly enjoy writing poems but I thought I'd have a go just the same! I look forward to welcoming you at keith's ramblings where I feel far more at home!

.

2008-04-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

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

30 poems in 30 days from keith's ramblings