Happiness - Brief Encounters!

Who reads my stuff? I’d like to know;

It’s like life - with ebb and flow;

Some days many find my page

As my little thoughts engage …

 

Some news event means I am read

As I hit the nail upon the head!

My readers like a poet’s take:

An alternate piece of cake!

 

Our world’s in turmoil; Man’s neglect

Means storms* do more than make us wet;

They flood our senses and make way

For front page horror scenes each day!

 

The sun shines, though it’s cooling down

Autumn, with its burnished crown,

Means darker evenings by the fire

Where my poems may inspire.

 

But who you are and what you do,

Puzzles me – perhaps you’re new …

Your stopping by my blog means much

As somehow, briefly, we’re in touch!

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

* News flash: Romania, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, southern Germany, and parts of Austria have all been hit by heavy rainfall (Storm Boris) in recent days, with up to 45cm falling in some parts causing devastating floods in many parts of the region.

Celia Johnson in the 1945 film "Brief Encounter"

On Quiet Day - 11th September

 A dedicated day to calm:

A moment claiming to pour balm

On our troubled, noisy lives …

I ponder on this new sunrise …

 

Who, I wonder, thought this up?

Modern life is brash and tough

With constant buzzing of Smart phone;

Are any of us quite alone?

 

In Brussels old trams rumble past

Cars rev angrily and pass,

Aeroplanes growl overhead,

Barking dogs at night I dread.

 

Trucks change gears and blast their horns

In Autumn there are thunderstorms,

High-pitched children’s cries are heard

Their chatter deafening the birds!

 

So, all in all, it seems to me,

A day of peace and quiet should be

Added to our diaries now

As it’s overdue, somehow!

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

Quiet Day is a special occasion dedicated to embracing silence in our noisy world. It encourages us to take a break from the constant buzz of daily life.

 

Rush Hour Reading!

 I sit upon a crowded bus

It’s wet – umbrellas poke at us;

While others hang on tight and frown

Today - Thank God! - I can sit down.

 

The man beside me reads a book

In French (because I had a look):

His novel keeps his mind alight

His battered briefcase out of sight…

 

Both of us soon quite engaged

At devouring each new page!

This art form brings us daily joy;

Why let stress our lives destroy?

 

But many, in love with SMART phone,

Cannot leave the thing alone!

Rain and roadworks slow our pace

I look up, with wry smile on face!

 

As he who shares a seat with me

Is quite content to let things be

Completely lost in his good read

His trip, like mine, blissful indeed!

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

Dealing with The Blues

Is there something you can say or do

When a friend is feeling blue?

The ‘Slough of Despond'* is vast

And many find themselves caught fast.

 

It’s the fate of humans, I’m afraid;

Can new challenges persuade

Those ‘down in the dumps’ to rise

And take new journeys, make new ties?

 

I make no claim to know it all;

At times we rise, at times we fall

The smart trick, so it seems to me,

Is to de-clutter, make minds free.

 

Around us there’s a wealth that’s good;

Reflecting on this surely should

Remind us that the sun still shines

And friends can help us through bad times …

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

* See John Bunyan's 1678 Christian allegory  "The Pilgrim's Progress".

September on the Cusp

September – what a burst of heat!

Sweaty joggers in my street

ADEPS* offers free fun walk!

Neighbours, sun-tanned, stop and talk.

 

The summer lull - lost in the past

Commitments pile up thick and fast;

Though early mists soon dissipate

Roadworks slow down dear tram 8.

 

A glut of berries fills fruit stalls

Now and then a tired leaf falls …

Politics - still in debate

The jury’s out - who’ll lead the State?

The year moves into middle age

With “mellow fruitfulness**” displayed

A new term for all schoolkids starts;

September - glowing - warms our hearts!

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

* Belgian Sporting Association

** memorable line by John Keats in his poem "To Autumn"