Between Church and State?

Momentous meet-ups now take place:

Chinese leader at Trump’s place

Where trade agreements are on song

And both First Ladies come along…

 

While Nôtre-Dame, flamboyant, proud

Surrounded by Parisian crowd,

A hearty welcome now extends

To young Pope Leo – they are friends!

 

Both meetings, well planned, go ahead

But we’re not privy to what’s said

As Politics and Faith spark views

Which may cause worry or confuse…

 

The poet treads on thin ice here:

As some agendas aren’t made clear;

These outcomes offer the world’s Press

 The chance to launch a Media-Fest !

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

Pope Leo XIV in Paris

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

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 CATalogue of Events!

On many days I do not write

As inspiration does not strike

My brain or tweak my thought

It’s like stardust – can’t be caught.

 

Mood, emotions, some weird thing

Will sometimes prompt my words to string

Along in natty rhymes;

But I am not a clock that chimes

 

At regular, predictive times;

Muse Calliope still defines!

To play with words, tease with a pun

(Which you all like!), is just such fun!

 

Some factoids echo in my soul:

Larry-the-Mouser - on a roll

True Guardian of Number Ten

This smart and wily cat stays zen!

 

In dried-up Danube - NAZI ship*!

In fire-raged France - munitions pit!**

Even ‘quiet’ August fires my Muse …

My eager fingers tap out news!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* near Prahovo, Serbia, the NAZIs scuttled their Black Sea Fleet in 1944

** Over 400 WWII  unexploded shells found in Le Porge (Gironde)

Larry-the-Cat  - Chief Mouser  at Number 10 - since February 2011.

Cossies and Mozzies!

I would like to think, on barmy* days

We can relax, but fierce fires rage

French holidays involve high risk

La Gironde** burnt to a crisp!

 

So far, Belgium has been spared

Though firemen’s strike has got us scared;

Our social services are let down

Though fires still break out in town!

 

A dip in swimming pool outside

Where we can float or maybe glide

Is just the thing; but I ask where

Such pools exist in open air?

 

Agreed, this summer the sun shines,

But heatwaves promise sweaty times!

Clothes sales are brisk, ripe fruit abounds

Hence damned mosquitoes do the rounds!

 

These pesky insects mar our day;

We spray ourselves to keep at bay

Their greedy, irritating bite;

Our ankles targeted at night!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* or balmy ...

** on the outskirts of the city of Bordeaux

Monkey Business in Gibraltar!

Great Britain on the Rocks again!

The frontier opens wide to Spain*

A kick-back from the BREXIT deal:

Gibraltar joins E.U. for real!

 

Free flow of workers, (Brit food trade?);

How politics can be waylaid!

A double plus for Spain this week;

Their football skills the French team beat!**

 

That life’s a game has oft been said

But changing sides has history led

As wars and conflicts seek new goals

Changed perpectives, focused roles…

 

But will the Monkeys leave the Rock?

This metaphor is now red hot!

Trans-border crossings in fast lane …

Do I talk in riddles once again?

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

The legendary Barbary macaques are Europe's only free-roaming wild monkeys. According to a famous myth, as long as the monkeys remain on the Rock, Gibraltar will stay under British rule. If they ever disappear, the British will leave. 

* on 15th July, 2026

** Spain beat France in World Cup semi-finals on 14th July, 2026

 

Never a Dull Lull!

A lull in sporting news today!

Lawn tennis finals – yesterday;

Huge crowds love to watch who wins -

Adieu strawberries! Adieu Pims!

 

There's more excitement for news reels:

The Tour de France stops spinning wheels

Time to reflect at slower pace

Before the next stage of the race!

 

We leave the best till last, of course;

Without Red Devils, Swiss and Norse …

As World Cup contenders still on side

Promise a nail-biting ride!

 

Now, France and Spain will fight it out;

Will England Argentina rout?

As with all sport, the game’s the thing;

Which anthem will the winners sing?

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

To Bordeaux by Bicycle!

La Tour de France - quelle tour de force!

Now held every year, of course

Exerts strong pressures few can match;

Outcome predictions can be rash!

 

Created in 1903

The sport is tough - believe you me!

Grim test of stamina and grace

Whose ‘maillot jaune’ claims pride of place!

 

The cyclists speed towards Bordeaux*

Once in English hands, you know,

When the Black Prince held the reins;

Now known for wine and rolling plains…

 

His son, ill-fated Richard II

Is famed for being born here too;

So, this city, now UNESCO site,

Still haunts us with medieval might!

 

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* 7th étape - 175 km

Held between July 4th - 26th, 2026

A Peace of Luck?

Hope at Versailles blooms again;

He signed for peace with thick felt pen;

Europa held her breath and sighed ...

A temporary truce is tried.

 

Meanwhile, a fresh new wave of drones

Brings destruction of more homes

Will ships, once blocked, now make their way

Through the troubled Strait today?

 

It matters how you bait your hook;

The stakes are high, the game’s afoot*;

All try to keep their powder dry

But sadly, vagrant sparks may fly …

 

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* from Shakespeare's Henry V.

Scary - and All that Jazz!

A quiet day – in blazing sun

With city buzz toned down to hum

Where thirsty plants, quite cowed, await

Relief from heat – Vive Watergate!

 

Such lethargy - perhaps new phase?

We’re so unused to scorching rays;

With many people overheated,

“Get-up-and-go” stores are depleted!

 

Film festival in Cannes delights

As Belgian films attain new heights;

Miles Davis, jazzman with great flair,

Would have hit his century this year!

 

 While Bram Stoker’s brainchild: Dracula*

Has lived 130 years – so far!

These disparate facts – caught on the run

Are what make my writing fun!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* "Dracula" first published May 26th 1897

Miles Davis 26.5.1926 - 28.9.1991

While Sipping Tea

The cuckoo clock chimes in the hall

Dark shadows play on kitchen wall

Children’s voices heard in street

Echoes of excited feet…

 

Inside, I sip my cup of tea

The radio burbles near to me

My calendar says it’s December

A clean slate – bye, bye, November!

  

The twelfth month dawns in silver sky

Timidly, the time goes by

While lives burst at the seams with stress;

Many want more, but need less.

In winter darkness, I take stock;

 As peace, desired by all, is not …

Talks drag on, strong hopes expressed

But none with foresight has been blessed …

 

We’re in the dark, in every sense

France wants to bolster its defence

Some Belgian nuclear plants* will close

How will it all end? Who knows?

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* Doel-1 and Tihange-1

Heist at the Louvre!

 Eight pieces - or pieces-of-eight*?

Jewellery heist starts fierce debate

Priceless oeuvres again are stolen

Created for who else? Napoleon!

 

Erstwhile fortress of King’s realm,

The Louvre has French State at the helm;

With its proud heritage on show

No wonder hordes of people go!

 

But safety measures were not tight

Thieves break glass in broad daylight

Apollon gallery – despoiled!

Macron, once again is roiled!

 

L’Elysée, shocked, has a red face

Swift hue and cry is put in place;

The perpetrators still unknown …

Shades of Arsène Lupin** roam!

 

It’s not the first time or the last

That burglars' greedy eyes have cast

On treasures which they deftly steal;

Their capture will make top newsreel!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* The "piece of eight" originated from the Spanish silver dollar, a coin worth eight reales, minted from the late 15th century. It was cut into eight smaller pieces to make change for smaller transactions, giving it the name "piece of eight". 

 ** Note for the curious: Maurice Marie Émile Leblanc was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsène Lupin, often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes.

On Failure and Success

If you don’t succeed: Try!  Try again!

Think Robert-the-Bruce (of spider fame)*;

Success cannot come soon enough

We live and learn as life is tough.

 

Think of small kid who tries to walk

Towards his parent, but distraught,

He can’t manage it first go

Lacking balance, down he’ll go!

 

His little legs won’t take the strain …

He wobbles and falls down – again

Until one day he gets the knack

Sure-footed now – no turning back!

 

Failure breeds success we’re told

Through repetition, we grow bold

Such lessons echo down the years;

The Black Prince had to earn his spurs!**

 

This callow youth, heir to the throne,

Found himself in battle thrown

Learning first hand in the fight

How to be a perfect knight!

 

Being patient is the key

No one’s lives are error-free

Determination makes us strong

And some extremists earn a gong! 

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* 14th century legend of the King's perseverance watching a spider at work....

* * Aged 16, the Prince fought bravely in the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

The black prince so named aftet the colour of his armour!

He did not become king because he died a year before Edward III in 1376 ...

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,

April Fool's Day - News!

Huge earthquake shattered Myanmar:

Two thousand deaths at least so far

Its cry for help is quickly known

Aid rushes to disaster zone…

 

Meanwhile in France, the Far-Right flails

Embezzlement Le Pen* derails

And in the film world we deplore

Dr. Kildare – now no more…

 

While Greenland, rarely in the news

Feels proud, defiant and abused!

From Outer Space, two souls romp home

From a nine-month stint – alone!

 

On social media: Belgian law

Means cigarettes now hide in store;

Perhaps when they are out of sight

The urge to smoke will not ignite?

 

Once more  - a pot pourri of news

On which you may hold trenchant views!

But this is how life is today

No April Fool, I’m sad to say!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* Jean-Marie Le Pen, (1928-7th January, 2025) - French politician who founded the Far Right National Front Party in 1972.

Richard Chamberlain as Dr. Kildare

(31.3.34  - 29.3.25)

The Political Seesaw ...

Protection and free trade ignite

Polemics worldwide; we sit tight

As worried Macron holds the reins

All this, our nervousness explains.

 

A new riddle by this Bard

(Who finds that politics are hard;)

The stakes are high – we’re on the fence

Must we now finance our defence?

 

War is such an ugly word

But given now what has occurred

There is a joker in the pack

So sadly, there’s no turning back…

 

“If you want peace, prepare for war”!

Old Julius Caesar knew the score;

Each generation finds it tough

Once more, our ball rolls in the rough…

 

Will the power of words persuade?

We’re crisis-ridden and afraid;

Uncle Sam and Russian Bear

Flex their muscles – so beware!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

January 9th - Snippets

Brussels – under snow and frost

While those in L.A. count the cost

Of fires that rage through trailer park

Inferno caused by tiny spark …

 

Yes, Nature rules! While Man looks on

Trees and homes flare up, soon gone

But there is good news around

An Aussie hiker lost – is found!*

 

Parkes’ ** Elvis festival takes place

Massed look-alikes put on brave face;

Though Elvis died at forty-two

His legacy stays green and new!

 

Extreme Right – Jean-Marie Le Pen

Recalls a certain France back when;

At ninety-six, he quits the stage

With mixed reviews on printed page!

 

Odd snippets gleaned from world-wide news

There is so much that I could choose

But these needs must suffice today

Variety is the spice, they say!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

*  in Kosciuszko National Park, NSW after missing 2 weeks

** Elvis look-alike Festival in Parkes, NSW

Quick on the Draw?

Poignant cartoons flood the net:

Statue of Liberty shows regret;

As hands to face she now sits down

Hiding from our gaze her frown!

 

Or she wades right back to France*

As Atlantic waves around her dance

And, affected by this ocean spray,

The Democrats with grace give way.

 

Such playful humour keeps us sane!

The trump card clearly won the game

So, leaders of the world’s strong nations

Offer their congratulations.

 

Will voters’ choice more lives enhance?

To this tune, we all must dance;

Tariffs, tax and tribulation

Weigh down the red train in the station!

 

New inmates for White House detected

As the top team is selected;

What lies ahead? Up for debate

But someone has piled high his plate!

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

* The Statue of Liberty inaugurated in 1886, was designed by French sculptor Fréderic Auguste Bartoldi (1834-1904).

R.I.P. Alain Delon (1935-2024)

 French heartthrob - Sixties generation!

Young Alain Delon tried the patience

Of parents – so was fostered out;

His life was restless, plagued with doubt…

 

Raw talent – saved from life of crime

Lured by the Movies just in time

Courted, loved, admired, respected

Soon by Louis Malle directed.

 

Then Jean-Luc Goddard, Antonioni

Propelled to fame this one and only!

See Visconti’s: “Rocco and his brothers”

And a kaleidoscope of others!

 

Although untrained, his star soon rose

A whirl of actresses he knows!

He throws his love-net ever wider

But none compares with Romy Schneider!

 

“Un Flic”, “The Leopard”, “Purple Moon”,

 For this sex symbol – ladies swoon!

A long career, a household name;

Then age took its toll – a shame…

 

Failing health, Légion d’Honneur;

In the background - always there

Until his death* at eighty-eight;

Let’s sum him up in one word: great!

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

 * on 18th August, 2024 at Douchy-Montcorbon, France.