Soul Families

A lunchtime chat with thoughtful friend;
Deep subjects came up for review
How mindfulness and daydreams lend
To jaded palettes colours new.

Our mind records what we don't see
Sometimes the shock is quite intense
We log this as telepathy
Or could it be - coincidence?

A new word learnt and it appears
On posters, book or magazine
We think of friend not seen for years
And there she is - on mobile screen!

So commonplace, yet have you thought
How souls inhabit other spheres
Beyond the reach of this world fraught
With pettiness and mundane cares?

«Old souls» may join us on our way
We all know «déjà vu» is strong
Reborn from past lives, back today
Post mortem singing a new song...

Soul families exist out there
On red alert they feel our pain
They understand us and they care
In subtle ways our minds they train ...

Brief insights then the curtain falls
As our busy lives do not allow
This «otherness» which so enthralls
To tear us from the here and now ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

The Swedish Maiden's Crusade

The talk is all of climate change
As glaciers melt from mountain range
Sea levels rise and tempers too
This is global – what's to do?

Schoolgirl Greta Thunberg flaunts
Accepted wisdom, as she taunts -
For their inaction - Parliament;
Lone voice at first with deep intent!

A personal crusade, now world wide
Indifference brusquely pushed aside
Mass demonstrations, angry voices
Politicians must make choices!

Storms, forest fires, floods and drought
And yet the jury is still out
Nature's balance is disturbed
Has the tipping point occurred?

Scientists oft have aired their views
Reported faintly in the news
That Man's own actions are to blame
Death knell, by another name?

Scaremongering or media hype?
What if the girl-with-plaits is right?
Youth points a finger, bold, distraught;
Actions on all sides are sought!

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

On Loneliness

Man and his world: a complex deal
Perception varies, how we feel
When faced with trauma, shock, despair
Or aching pain – souls need repair...

Take loneliness – a common theme
When we stop to let our minds daydream
We realise that we're quite alone
So we fumble for that damned smartphone ...

We lose ourselves in Facebook posts
Our friends have lives that seem to coast
Along the way, excitements new
And lots of friends – while we feel blue...

Though Autumn in her best attire
Sets the burnished leaves on fire
And blue skies beckon us outside
To see the world – we stay inside ...

In company we hide our fears
But when alone out come the tears
As some days we are at a loss
We see much in our lives as dross...

Are we still real, or are we led
By thoughts that we on screen have read?
One cure for this malaise I know:
«Meet-ups» are the way to go!

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

The Conversion - Heat and Light!

Two trucks spill out new tools and gear
Disruption the whole day I fear
Vibrations felt on kitchen floor
As sand dunes burgeon by front door.

Outside my window in the street
Near sacks of gravel and concrete,
A band of workmen now collect
My cobblestones - once more upset!

All morning I am out of reach
Returning to this sandy «beach»;
Where electric wires and gas pipes hide
Under the rubble just outside.

One workman labours, red in face
As he tamps the sand back into place
Much over this small site is fought
Shades of wartime trench distraught...

Amid the thuds, a whirring drill
Bringing connections up the hill
I hear it said it's one day's task
Its completion cannot come too fast!

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

A Pocketful of Bad News!

Albania pops up in world news
As earthquake* tremors vent their wrath
Singapore has smog-filled views
Fierce forest fires rage strong up North.

Blocked off - the airport in Hong Kong
To keep free thinkers out of reach;
We hear it's Thomas Cook's swan song**
Stranding tourists on the beach!

Elections leave Israel perplexed
And UK politics are grim
I dread what news I shall see next ...
I grab my towel and throw it in!

(c) Poet in the woods 2019



* Albania earthquake on 21st September, 2019 : 5.6 on the Richter scale

** Founded 1841 - now in administration - 22,000 jobs at risk worldwide

Isabella Steps Forth!

Last week - a day we can't forget
Progress and confidence connect
As Isabella on two feet
Decides she'll walk to Granny's seat!

No helping hand from Dad or Mum
At 20 months the time has come
To see the world when on the fly
Crawling is kid's stuff – Goodbye!

Of course she's wobbly on her pins
But what fun to try out her wings
A cheeky angel metaphor
But why stay stuck on carpet floor?

No help for it, she'll need new shoes
Mum's thought ahead, which is good news
Dressed smartly, she takes Dad in tow
Mobility - the way to go!

No stopping her – she's on the move
Her world expands, she's left the groove
Of babyhood and tests her paces;
Next challenge – doing up her laces!

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

The Voice of Many?

Brit politics is such a mess;
Deluge of info laced with stress
Even pundits are outclassed
As media coverage is so vast.

With arguments so convoluted
That certainties have been uprooted
Humour seems the only way
To put this madness on display.

Most Facebook friends are up in arms
Cryptic comments sound alarms
Should we stay or just opt out?
Either way, no need to shout...

The referendum – a mistake;
What prompted Cameron to take
This half-baked thought and follow through?
Just 2% want something new ...

Irish borders in despair
Still BREXIT looms in autumn air;
Proroguing Parliament – what next?
The rest of Europe is perplexed...

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

PM Boris Johnson and Jean-Claude Juncker (EU Commission President)

Apéro-Urbain - Place Wiener

The saxophonist struts round the square
The Rolling Stones' old hits now blare
Above the high-perched tables where
The «Gratin» meets
Fake frosted goblets soon are filled
(A Euro caution, carefully billed!)
No snacky things - we're under-thrilled
But friends bring treats!

A glass of rosé warms the heart
Vive Fridays where the weekends start
And juicy gossip brings a spark
To jaded eyes
The heat has dropped a few degrees
But Boitsfort buzzes through the trees
As get-togethers such as these
Forge brand new ties.

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

Streaming is Music in our Ears!

Each day some high-tech advance;
In terms of getting known, a chance
To share with millions round the globe
One's music, not just «on the road».

Streaming once meant swollen eyes
Red with weeping, sobbing cries
But now it's quite the latest craze
CDs? ... all our yesterdays!

We're wired for sound, earplugs in place
Our choice of music – happy face!
As old and new tracks come on stream
We create our music scene!

Playlists are the way to go
Keen musicians in the know
Ensure their places in the charts
On line and not in shopping carts!

Illicit downloads caught the mood
We wanted personalised soul food
Now the listener makes his choice
No tears as streaming finds its voice!

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

Is this a Fair Deal?

I scan the news and soon despair
It seems our leaders do not care
To do what's right; quite au contraire
The outlook's bleak
Blonde-headed maybe, they're not fair
Fed up perhaps with wear and tear
What if Parliament's not there
As from this week?

BREXIT, back stop - Irish mist
Remainers, angry, shake a fist
Another deadline to be missed?
Who stirs the pot?
Like witches on that blasted Heath*
Murky happenings underneath
Who's got the bit between their teeth?
We're in – or not?

Viewed by the cameras in uproar
MPs quickly take the floor
Clause Fifty – never tried before;
They're all at pains
To get a new deal, come what may
Plans proposed now start to fray
As Boris cannot get his way
So chaos reigns ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

* Macbeth not Edward (!)

A Snapshot of Vancouver

The skytrain views are a must-see
Vancouver city – place to be?
Though beautiful, its heart is cold
Food costs a fortune, so I'm told.

Mountains, snow-capped, woodland glades
Where modern man has cut huge swathes...
Boat-filled marina, mass high rise
Red and blue roofs a surprise.

A tiny touch of Hong Kong peak ...
Is that why in down town street
The rich Chinese make business hum
With real-estate costs next to none?

Many to its ski slopes come
And camping out in woods is fun
Bears roam - beware! I've heard they're tough
When hungry, they can cut up rough!

Yes, Canada is loved by most
Best of all on western coast
Glitzy lifestyle - source of pride
But at its base - a deep divide...

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

The Pettiness of Politics

It's all too hard to understand
Flames real and metaphoric fanned
In all directions; our hopes burn
Much goes up in smoke we learn.

Resources, natural or man-made
Are being squandered, I'm afraid
This wastage makes the angels weep
But politicians only bleat ...

Injustice, poverty and greed:
Have all our values gone to seed?
The «I'm alright, Jack» suits top brass
But fails to help the working class -

That's YOU and ME who foot the bill
In terms of altruism – nil
With the «Haves» and Have-nots» wide apart
Business booms but has no heart...

At least no war adds to our joys
But BREXIT is an ugly noise
With two blonde generals centre stage
The scene is set for a new phase!

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

Beyond the Mundane

How often do our thoughts invade?
Should we call a spade, a spade?
Why do we let our lives take flight
Keep in the flow and do what's «right»?

What happened to our thinking mind?
The Powers-that-Be are tough, unkind
We work for peanuts, pay for wars
Fail Nature, spending time indoors ...

Watching sci-fi videos,
Or oft-repeated TV shows
Our minds are drugged with silliness
It's 1984* – no less!

We're stopped from thinking – this is cruel
Banned is the 'spirit molecule'**
Our world reduced to cash and tax
Rare beings those who can relax ...

Is this the way to go, my friends
Following material trends?
Our screaming souls cannot be stilled
Truth is - greed leaves Man unfulfilled...

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

* Book by George Orwell
** This drug is called DMT di-methyl-tryptamine



Nuts to peanuts!