Glacier Visitation!

Vaud alpine glacier loses grip

As fate decreed that it should hit

A sleepy haven quite deserted:

Thus, human death toll is averted.

Nine million tons of rocks and snow

Engulf a village far below!

 Grim disaster* caught on screen

Turns muddy brown Swiss valley green…

 

One person unaccounted for…

Swelling lake on valley floor…

With debris its river dammed …

Global warming threat to hand!

 

Blatten – most of it destroyed;

Act of God? Insurance void?

Such avalanches shadows cast

Authorities must now act fast!

 

New homeless left to count the cost

As Mother Nature wins the toss;

A metaphor both apt and harsh

On tragedy in mountain pass …

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* on 28th May, 2025

Aerial view of Blatten after the landslide

showing flooded Lonza river ...

La Monnaie - Behind the Scenes

Rare peep behind those deep-red drapes!

Our Sunday morning chic guide takes

A select group on this May day

To see what ticks at La Monnaie*.

 

Huge edifice - Rue Leopold

Where Belgium ‘s history will unfold!

Intriguing workshops on all floors

Up giant lift, down corridors…

 

Haute Couture has pride of place

Elaborate costume storage space,

Shoes, custom-made, stacked neat on racks;

 Outlandish wigs, wild stylish hats!

 

Fake regalia - flashy feel

Workshop craftsmen – the real deal!

Polystyrene statues for next set

Fake marble backdrops, paint looks wet…

 

Though each production is sublime

Décor assembly can take time!

On the first balcony we sit

With chandeliers brightly lit

 

And learn an Opera set us free**

« La Muette de Portici »;

People spilled out in the street;

Soon the Dutch were in retreat!

 

Destroyed by fire, site soon rebuilt;

Baroque interiors in gilt,

Smart foyer where tall mirrors gleam…

A brief encounter - but a dream!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* La Monnaie/De Munt is the Brussels Opera House

** in September, 1830 

This opera in 5 acts was created by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber

on 29th February, 1828.

The costume workshop

The Opera stage

Thoughts on the Wing

Hot coffee buzz - the day begins

Without it, inspiration dims;

It activates our brains cells grey

A drug perhaps - but not Class A!

 

And how is it for you “out there”?

World politics makes us despair

To cope with strife, we take to drink

These daily pleasures help us think!

 

Brief days of sun give way to chill

I contemplate how I shall fill

The weekday hours that stretch ahead

So, coffee lures me out of bed!

 

There’s talk of pension pots depleted

Budgets for defence - untreated

Finances – a wild mare’s nest;

Do politicians know what’s best?

 

So, how to tie all threads together

With projects on the Never-Never?

Against the early morning light

A chattering of birds takes flight…

 

Not for them Affairs of State

Their raison d’être – warm nest and mate

In a word – simplicity

This surely, is how we should be … 

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

Cornucopia on May 23rd

On this day: Ramilles* was won

Brave Joan of Arc’s **ideals undone

Tibet by China was invaded***

And plants by Linnaeus **** upgraded!

 

May 23^rd – short trivia list;

What other events have I missed?

The Internet fills knowledge gaps

And makes us wiser, Folks – perhaps!

 

Facts learned at school are now on line;

For today’s youth that is fine

But nothing beats our Memory Banks

No need for laptop check – but thanks! 

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

Cornucopia - or the Horn of Plenty!

* 1706 - where the Duke of Malborough beat the French

** 1430 - Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians 

*** 1951

**** 1707 - Carolus Linnaeus Swedish botanist and explorer  was the first to frame principles for defining genera and species of organisms and to create a uniform system for naming them,

International Tea Day!

Seen on a Facebook post today:

A much-loved brew on proud display;

I speak in riddles once again

But do read on, and I’ll explain…

 

The International Day of Tea!

A May date* that will surely be

Commemorated round the clock;

Put on the kettle – make a pot!

 

Whether Indian or Chinese

Marco Polo** tried both these

The Silk Road traders brought it west

The “cup that cheers” remains the best!

 

Tea-clippers conveyed vast supplies

Soon fashionable, it still survives!

But British customs were ignored

So, Boston threw it overboard!***

 

In looseleaf form or square sachet

Aficionados love their thé

In mugs or dainty Chinese bowls

How it invigorates our souls!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* 21st May

** Venetian Marco Polo (1254-1324) - Grand voyager: 1271-1295

***The so-called Boston Tea party took place on December 16th, 1773

Grabbing Our Attention!

This tale by dear friend told to me;

Personal safety seems to be

No longer guaranteed, I fear

A word of warning – do take care!

 

“A stroll where local artists meet

Just weekend neighbours, happy feet

Until - attired in black with mask -

A thief emerged and held me fast.

 

From crowd he grabbed me unawares

I felt alone despite the stares

Of passers-by who stood their ground;

It happened fast, without a sound…

 

He tugged my necklace, but it held;

Shocked and startled, how I yelled!”

Report filed with Boitsfort Police;

Now commonplace – on the increase! 

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

Note: this aggression made the Press!

New Age - with a Difference!

That life’s a mystery we know

Subtle changes tell us so;

We lose our hair, or teeth, or worse;

Perhaps one day we 'll need a nurse...

We start to lose friends near and dear

Sweet memories may disappear

Recalled too late, though hard we try,

Important diary dates pass by.

 

Our bodies which obeyed commands

Effortlessly, without qualms

Rebel with irksome aches and pains

And our enthusiasm drains.

 

Gone west our lust for weekly binge

Now we feel like creaking hinge …

We ask ourselves: "What has gone wrong"?

Each generation sings this song!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

Movers and Shakers?

Our world seems such a busy place

With millions swarming in rat race

That though retired, I sense the strain:

Politics runs on tight rein!

 

A certain chap, I name no names,

A slew of tariffs now proclaims:

Unease leaks onto Internet;

Our fragile status quo is wrecked…

 

Trips across The Pond are fraught

Vespucci* tourists are distraught;

The wind of change kicks up a storm

Harbinger of a darker dawn …

 

It’s hellish hard to keep on track

As life moves on – no turning back…

In Rome – behold! A leader new

A chance for Virgin points of view? 

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

*  Amerigo Vespucci (born 1454?, Florence, Italy - died 1512, Sevilla, Spain) was a merchant and explorer-navigator who took part in early voyages to the New World (1499 -1500 and 1501 - 02).

TikToK Censureship?

To forbid young kids to go on line

And enjoy some TikTok time

Before they reach ripe old fifteen?

This smacks of nightmare or pipe dream!

 

Ubiquitous - the mobile phone

(Great company when all alone)

Has penetrated modern lives …

I muse; without it who survives?

 

The Establishment is up in arms

Deep Fake and A.I. cause alarms

Young minds have need of common sense

Away from all on-line pretence.

 

But pervasive knowledge flows unchecked

Who knows what clickbait to select?

How should we staunch this  endless flow

Of nonsense? This, I’d like to know!

 

Yet Pandora’s box is open wide

So everyone delves deep inside;

But sans a filter, we are lost

As young ones may find to their cost!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

On my Upstairs Terrace

I feel a buzz each day at dawn

Almost mid-May and it’s warm!

People shed their winter clothes

Yes, it’s true! We’re in the throes

Of a heatwave (Belgian style);

Winter banished for a while!

 

Far be it from me to complain

But plants will wither without rain

So, watering each day is key

Flowers perk up – they love me!

I meditate on terrace chair

And let my thoughts freewheel in air!

 

There comes a time; for me it’s now

When pushing on a workday plough

No longer seems the thing to do

Retirement helps see life anew!

There’s no place I would rather be

Than on my terrace, sipping tea!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

White Smoke Aftermath!

Let’s mix our metaphors again

Cardinals shuffle in fast lane

Black smoke from Sistine chapel rises …

Ballot votes can bring surprises.

 

All under eighty, 1-3-3

Scarlet-robed play wait-and-see

But in a mere two days ‘tis done

Robert Prevost is the one!

 

Post Francis no one had a clue

The winner spent time in Peru

Appointed to this sacred rank

We have common sense to thank.

 

In Chicago born and bred

Well-travelled, Augustinian-led

As Leo XIV he will reign

Bearing a reforming name!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

Heaven-Scent!

A perfumed garden now is mine

Wisteria petals hide the grime

My pansies glisten in a row

A host of insects come and go.

 

Seedlings poke their wee heads out

Chives and thyme begin to sprout;

It’s so exciting … now in May

I’m treated to a rich display!

 

Friends* bring plants to grace my deck:

Begonia blooms on slender neck;

While two geraniums deep red

Stand on guard by door instead.

 

Gold-buttoned dandelions grow;

Why they’re weeds, I’ll never know!

Speedwells tinged in shades of blue

Dance the light fandango too!

 

Nature’s book has many pages;

Throughout the year in easy stages

Each season paints a palette new

This, social media cannot do!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* Fiona, Rena and Val

Germander speedwell

Excursion to Knokke

Knokke station; end-of-line

Down Lippenslaan - the height of class

Those fashion shops absorb much time;

We sip our coffee, minutes pass…

 

The huge chameleon*– a surprise!

Children slide down bright-red tongue;

The sea awaits beyond the rise

Beware kids cycling in warm sun!

 

Smart villas – not for rank and file;

High rise apartments with sea view

Unending wall - post-modern style

Tall cranes now modernize a few.

 

The Surf Club has a jaunty air

Seagulls swoop just out of reach

Sun lizard spotted on deck chair

Dotted cabins on the beach…

 

Limp windsock – a light breeze today

Though restaurants have panelled glass

To keep the rain and wind at bay;

A daily challenge and big ask!

 

Along the digue we take a walk

Our minds in neutral, so we dream

Then put the world to rights and talk

While indulging in ice cream!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* Chameleon artwork in Van Bunnenlaan Square by Jeremy Deller

(Part of the Beaufort 21 Installation)