Buddha - a Case of Attitude

Old Buddha knew a thing or two;

When minds get cluttered (as they do),

High time to step aside and say

We need to filter thoughts away!

 

Too much ‘stuff’ destroys our peace;

As foreign wars will never cease,

We have to ask ourselves deep down

Why let world worries grind us down?

 

Beset by turmoil every day

Minutiae make emotions sway;

With much ‘out there’ beyond control,

We struggle to let good times roll!

 

Our influence may be but small 

When depression makes us stall,

But simple things we CAN decide:

Each rules his roost from the inside …

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

A propos the Vuylbeek

This scenic Boitsfort brook flows free

Through wooded glade and rocky scree ;

Scheldt affluent via la Woluwe

Where reeds and rushes shelter too.

 

Deep aquifer means water pure*

Both teal and tufted duck breed here ;

In ponds, the crested glebe resides

And salamander deftly hides !

 

Medieval fishponds are no more

But there is still much to explore :

Neolithic camp and tumuli

Remind us what there used to be…

 

Poplars cut down, beech trees grown ;

This ‘zone humide’ we like to roam

Is a well-protected Nature site**

And keen photographers’ delight !

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* It is not a 'dirty brook', despite its name!

** Since 1992

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At the Poetik Bazar

From Rue Royale it isn’t far

To Brussels Poetik Bazar

Where editors (most francophones),

Offer a wide range of tomes…

 

On one stand lay some Tarot cards

With little rhymes by local bards;

I chatted with a Québecoise

En français - that is what one does!

 

Slim volumes spread out on display

From poets foreign-born – hooray!

These mostly in the Gallic tongue;

Skilled adaptations every one!

 

 It’s no small thing to translate rhyme

As puns and idioms take time;

Rhythm often must be kerbed

In the search for the right word!

 

Imaginative, creative flow!

Where thoughts may mingle and then go

In other forms across the seas;

Could it be I’m one of these?

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

At the Halles de Schaerbeek 22 Rue Royale Sainte Marie

The Strasbourg Parley

The E.U.’s outreach goes beyond

Its borders - to the Nouveau Monde;

Will special status be assigned

To Canada ? This blows my mind !

 

Our kaleidoscope of States

Works in union through debates;

Smart politics and trade deals flow,

Laid down by those-in-the-know !

 

Today, it seems we’ve upped the stakes

With Maple Leaf and those Great Lakes;

In Strasbourg, Carney* will discuss

The advantages for all of us.

 

Our leading lady**, Ixelles born,

Envisages a bright new dawn;

If assistant-membership is tried

We’ll have the brown bear on our side !

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* Mark Carney - P.M. of Canada

** Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission)

The Strasbourg Parliament building

The Crux of the Matter

The season turns, but heat stays high!

Lacy-pink clouds delight the sky;

Crinkling underfoot - crisp leaves

Whisked up gently in the breeze…

 

Warm autumn is my favourite time

Where russet palettes royally shine

Above the paths in my beechwood;

Such Baroque artistry is good!

 

But news and media harp on fears;

Think budgets sadly in arrears,

Upset trade, wars of all kinds …

No wonder joie de vivre declines.

 

This isn’t how things ought to be;

A walk in Nature is still free!

Get a grip – switch off your phone

Make magic moments all your own!

 

This hectic malaise is a crime …

Our wounded souls crave more ‘me-time’;

Hence, friends-who-care come top-of-list:

Tea and chats – next thing to bliss! 

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

At the House of European History

In leafy glade by duck-filled pool

A Museum!* Once smart dental school;

In imposing, Nineteen-Thirties chic …

Here Europe’s stories thrive and kick!

 

You reach it up a cobbled way

(Though lunchtime joggers barred my way);

What a fascinating peep inside:

Strong social themes sharp-cut and dried!

 

It’s vast - with stairs and corridors;

Fun facts await us on all floors:

We played a Generation Game;

Opinions voiced showed pride and pain…

 

Each culture validates its view:

Background and era weigh in too;

Our prisms form the way we think:

Our humanity the link...

 

In a select group, with a friend

For lunchtime tour; a happy blend

Of old and young and in-between;

In short, our European dream!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* at 135 Rue Belliard in Parc Léopold - built 1934-5

Wardrobe Worries?

Should we to memories kow-tow?

Pre-loved clothes are clutter now…

Gifts from friends no use somehow

It all piles up;

Keep for a rainy day? No good!

Clothes, too tight to wear, we should

Donate to friends - because they would

With ease close up!

 

We’re richer than we used to be;

But buying garments seems to me

A weak excuse for shopping spree …

Do we need more?

Yet “Make and Mend” is so old hat;

Sew on a button? Who does that?

We just go out and buy more tat

Stop!  Less is more …

 

Wardrobes bursting at the seams;

What to wear?  The stuff of dreams

A daily tough decision means

We’re never sure;

Have we forgotten to take stock

Who remembers what they’ve got?

Must we always go and shop?

Caveat emptor!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

Internet photo - not my wardrobe!

Our-Lady-of-the-Heavens Chapel

Nothing ever stays the same;

Our modest chapel down the lane

In sprucewood artfully designed,

Has for the Faithful served its time.

 

“Our-Lady-of-the-Heavens”* lies

In Boitsfort - by a gentle rise;

Nearby, the ‘All Saints stream’ ** would flow;

In green valley - lost below…

 

Its congregation is no more;

Since Fifty-Six, they formed a core

Of locals – many now demised;

It ended up desacralized***.

 

Its fragile status made it dire;

In Seventy-Six, it lost its spire;

No more the heart of village buzz

It lost its purpose, as time does!

 

Now, workmen occupy the site;

An upper floor will soon delight

A group of special people who

Are looking for Day Centre new!

 

A pilot scheme**** which may surprise;

The Commune backs this enterprise;

Far cry perhaps from sacred heart;

But twenty souls have brand-new start!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* La Chapelle de Notre-Dame, Reine des Cieux

*** in 2023

****An initiative of the ATIPI asbl (Atelier Inclusif Pilote)

** Heiligenborre 14-16

Taking a Moment ...

We cannot always shout “Hooray!”

As niggles creep in, ruin our day;

Something wrongly put away

And we are lost!

Too busy, we forgot to phone;

A wealth of chores await - we groan!

We can’t do everything alone…

We count the cost…

 

Something breaks, can’t be replaced;

We’re pulled up short by rancid taste

Of expired food in fridge – more waste;

Bad start to day …

We fail to run, so miss our bus;

That trusty trowel shows signs of rust;

Daily pressures mount on us

Nerves start to fray…

 

Then one glance reveals warm sun

Plants seem so joyful, every one;

September’s pageant has begun

And I’m alive!

How is it with you all - out there?

Please make time to stop and stare

A moment’s respite, free-from-care

Helps us survive!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

Does Size Matter?

Eckert IV beats ‘Mercator’!*

Where have I heard this name before?

On new world map all eyes train:

Africa - made great again!

 

With this scale-up, Greenland shrinks;

Most vote in favour; U.S. thinks

That its landmass is down-sized;

A lonely ‘no’ voice; who’s surprised?

 

Let us get land in proportion:

Mercator’s world map caused distortion

So, the U.N. Powers decreed**

This new version fills a need!

 

In what way will our views change?

A smaller Canada is strange;

Why does its Neighbour make a fuss?

As there’s still room for all of us!

 

(c) Poet in the woods 2026 

* Gerardus Mercator was a Flemish geographer, cosmographer and cartographer. He is most renowned for creating the 1569 world map based on a new projection which represented sailing courses of constant bearing as straight lines.

** On September 4th, 2026

Nearly a Disaster!

A simple purchase*, bought by card

(As counting coins out can be hard)!

In a quiet shop at end of day

With all things “couture” on display.

 

At nearly six**, I had a date

With a friend to celebrate;

My mind distracted, Heaven knows

We all have silly days like those…

 

I took my purchase, grabbed the bill

Dropping bank card by the till…

Too late I tipped out bag and purse …

No card to be seen – a first!

 

Quick email to the sewing shop;

Happiness – my card they’d got!

Reunited joyfully once more

My heartfelt thanks to friendly store!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

*  For the curious - a needle threader!

** just before closing time

 Chaussée d'Ixelles 143

Entente Moins Cordiale?

Long-stitch embroidery unrolled

King Harold’s stitched-up death is told

1066 is long ago

But Hastings changed the world we know.

 

French became the Saxons’ tongue

‘Twas, indeed, adroitly done;

William-the-Bastard seized the throne

And all things French became well known…

 

We bear the consequences still!

But BREXIT was a bitter pill

We swallowed - due to flagrant hype;

Can Bayeux’s artwork make things right?

 

Across the channel Macron comes…

He meets King Charles; are they now chums?

Museum visit – moments shared;

New Entente Cordiale* declared?

 

Fly-in-the-ointment: Number Ten

In the shadow of Big Ben

Larry-the-Cat keeps well away

Unimpressed by this display!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* The first one was signed on April 8th, 1904 (under Edward VII) between France and Great Britain to organise colonial interests.

11th century Bayeux Tapestry

Larry - Chief Mouser to N° 10 Downing Street since 2011

A Trip to the Recypark

What is junk but misplaced treasure?

Items we just keep “forever”

Which still function though not new…

De-cluttering is hard to do!

 

You never know when you may need

Much-loved books – for second read?

Wires and plugs may come in handy

Chipped coffee mugs, carafe for brandy…

 

We hoard, we keep for rainy day

But somehow, much gets shoved away

In boxes, bags or under stairs …

One day you think: it’s junk! Who cares?

 

Then joy of joys, September comes

Vast skip appears - which can take tons

Of items we no longer use,

In Commune* car park – we enthuse!

 

A kind friend drove my ‘junk’ away;

Keen neighbours also joined the fray;

For three days - great chance to unload

And regain space in cramped abode!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* Watermael-Boitsfort

Uncertainty - a Definition!

Often schedules are derailed

With challenges we are assailed;

We try to get the mix just right

But damned change happens overnight!

A death, a sudden accident,

Misunderstanding of intent,

Commitments unplanned, friends in need,

Repairs that must be done – at speed!

 

It happens to us all, we know

Rocks complicate our river flow;

The unexpected looms ahead:

Some days we wish we’d stayed abed!

 

But, as we age, we realise

That every day springs a surprise;

Somehow, we must muddle through;

There’s always such a lot to do!

 

We search for patterns – hen’s-teeth rare

Just sometimes - we succeed with flair!

But just to keep afloat - is key:

Flotsam on life’s sea are we!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

A Watery End!

August bows out, washed in rain

Exhilarating plants again!

Dame Nature brings us to our knees:

Flooded roads - drains blocked with leaves!

 

Without our brolly, we are lost!

While burnt-out Fagnes*-land counts the cost;

Its forlorn landscape, blackened, bleak

Recalls three heatwaves at their peak…

 

But uncertainty is Nature’s way,

She keeps us guessing every day!

To politicians we now turn

Ecology – our top concern.

 

The Army starts recruitment drive

To help dear Belgium to survive;

Budget shortfall, talks intense:

But we need firemen, not Defence…

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

*Les Fagnes, Eastern Belgium

From Nepal to Norway ...

I’m flattered when you find my blog!

The Internet maintains a log

Of all the countries that alight

Perhaps, by chance, on what I write…

 

I keep a handle on world news

But carefully avoid strong views

As you must make up your own mind;

Poets do try to be kind.

 

But it is clear the world’s a mess!

Disasters of all types cause stress;

Witness flooding in Nepal*

Where Man can't take the blame at all!

 

Poor country, where the living’s hard;

Hapless souls now deeply scarred;

Survivors faced with mud display

As fragile homes are washed away…

 

Wars rage on – a truce is sought

But selfish interests lead to nought

Young lives, full of promise, die

While petrol prices leap sky-high!

Death comes to stars** and kings alike;

Norway’s King Harald** *died last night …

The world we loved and knew, departs

Before us now – a new game starts!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* Over 2000 deaths on night of 26-27.8.2026

** i.e. Dolly Parton aged 80, who died on 25.8.2026

*** King Harald V of Norway, aged 89, who died on 27.8.2026

He is succeeded by his son King Haakon VIII

The Repurposed Box!

Though retired, not unemployed;

Auntie is quite overjoyed

When new family photos come …

My photogenic niece is fun!

 

Not jack-in-the-box – but Jill!

A nursery rhyme – a modern thrill

As Isabella is encased

With laptop and a smiling face!

 

You can’t stop progress, come what may

Her office, all-in-one today

Proves imagination thrives

And enhances mundane lives!

 

Fully plugged in, up to date,

The joy upon her face is great

But what she watches, I can’t see

I tiptoe off, and let her be!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

R.I.P. Dolly Parton (1946-2026)

She was no “9 to 5” type girl

Her hair - a forest full of curl

From “dirt poor” down in Tennessee

She made it to top of the tree!

 

Petite but buxom, a live wire

“Jolene” set our hearts on fire!

Mrs. Carl Dean, kind, warm-hearted

A reading scheme for poor kids started.

 

Ebullient on the silver screen

Of Country Music – uncrowned queen!

The public, faithful, loved her stuff

A real trooper, she was tough!

 

Now eighty - she has turned the page:

The footlights dim, she leaves the stage…

But Dolly Parton’s songs survive

And make us glad to be alive!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

Her Imaginative library was founded in 1995

The Possession Obsession

Please don’t try to sell me things!

What I have is quite enough

I dread sales calls when the phone rings

We’re often overwhelmed with stuff!

 

Owning more means living less;

With shelves and cupboards packed jam-tight

Fast fashion causes endless stress;

Too much choice just can’t be right!

 

De-clutter websites flood the Net;

See hoarders burden their own nest!

Which kitchen gadgets to collect?

Perhaps a simpler life is best …

 

I do not judge, but contemplate

This mindset where goods are the goal,

As clearing clutter out is great

And pours warm balm upon the soul…

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

Little Blessings

Do you count your blessings? I dare say

You take for granted life each day;

When things go wrong, as oft they do,

The French phrase - “C’est la vie!”  - rings true…

 

But when something good takes place

You just click on ‘smiley’ face!

I like to think this means I see

Small miracles occur – for free!

 

A book, lent long ago, comes home;

A pal turns up when you’re alone;

A fond track played on radio

Awakens memories – you glow!

 

You realise people mean so much

When long-lost friends get back in touch;

A compliment out-of-the-blue:

Eureka!  Someone esteems you!

 

O.K., We don’t know why we’re here

But when shown signs that friends care,

Our hearts vibrate with a new spark,

And banished are bleak moments dark!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026