Visiting the Titanic Exhibition

Tour and Taxis esplanade: no clue

Shed Three is hidden from our view

Then modest sign of fabled liner

The pride and joy of its designer*…

 

I speak in riddles? Not at all

The Titanic holds us all in thrall

Its precious artefacts on show

Hauled up by divers from below!

 

Man’s hubris here reached dizzy heights

This ship, with New York in its sights,

Set sail before the first World War

In luxury not seen before.

 

It was Belfast’s pride and joy;

“Iceberg ahead!” from crow’s nest boy

But cumbersome, its turn too slow

Its hull was ripped, it sunk below …

 

Both rich and poor and hapless crew

Watched launch of twenty lifeboats new

Resigned alas to Neptune’s grave

Less than a thousand souls were saved…

 

Jewellery, tools and clothes imparted

Treasures of those who departed

Hoping to fulfil their dreams …

State rooms reveal those who had means.

 

Four-bunk-bed cabins for Third Class;

A microcosm of the past

Menus spoke of their last meal

To give all visitors a feel

 

Of life aboard in untold splendour;

Headlines screamed: Night to Remember!

Though 1912 was long ago

This fateful voyage haunts us so!

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

* Thomas Andrews (1873 - April 15th, 1912)

In Brussels until May 20th, 2024

It's Worrying ...

I cast around in troubled seas

To see what floats in wintry breeze

Take Cork: Irish infections rise

Post-Christmas break – sad, bad surprise.

 

Clause 50 banned, Trump Texas-bound

Impeachment now has louder sound;

In Heysel, there’s no motor show

But sales continue – who will go?

 

Out on a limb, we get chores done:

Each day – some extra rays of sun!

We clutch at straws, connect on Skype

And wonder, will our lives come right?

 

Our minds confused; books our escape!

 Past times recalled; old memories raked …

Life isn’t like it used to be

The future, veiled, seems hard to see …

(c) Poet in the woods 2021

Neologisms Pack a Punch!

Unprecedented how we live

Our normal lives fall through the sieve

We clutch at straws and new words spawn

To help us weather this harsh storm*.

 

Our dictionaries are updated

Some catchwords can’t be overstated:

Think ‘furlough’, ‘lockdown’ and ‘staycation’

Born without an invitation.

 

We’re promised vaccines – that’s good news!

Should we try them? What’s to lose?

‘Flu jabs and/or COVID tests

Will help us safely ride the crest.

 

Asymptomatic? Who’s to know

Through whom the virus will now flow?

We isolate and live in fear

With a “Typhoid Mary” syndrome near...

 

An Irish cook, New York connected

Who 53 poor souls infected …

Such virus-carriers cause a chill;

So ‘Super Spreader’ fits the bill!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

Note: the 4 underlined words are now added to the O.E.D.  (Oxford  English Dictionary).

* The COVID epidemic

Mary Mallon 1869-1938

Snakes Alive near Namur!

The things you hear on local news!

About this item, don't enthuse.

Watch where you walk in Walloon grass

Two lethal rattlesnakes got past

Their enclosure, a deep pit

And slithered near rail tracks a bit

Skulking in tall grass and weeds

How long before this creature breeds?

They're poisonous so have a care!

Fear stalks the routes around Namur ...

Both found (thank God!) by sharp police;

Who had ordered their release?

From Ireland, Patrick chased them out

This early Christian saint had clout

Endeavouring to save each soul

But can he deal with pest control?

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

Summer Spikes Unmasked!

Graphs and statistics are so telling
They signal how Corona's spreading
From a high point back in March
The curve has dipped - but is not past!

Fine weather: masses on the beach
Where masks are flung off – out of reach
«Let us tan while the sun shines
Who wants a face with stripey lines?»

Crowds, t'other side of Pond, are key
In Tulsa, many keen to see
Their President* pronounce his pitch
(What virus, Folks? It's just a hitch ...)

Big cities in Brazil now quake
Another spike is hard to take
But people swarm, still on the go
As the economy is slow ...

Dear Belgium likes to hedge its bets;
While many planned trips have been wrecked
Borders re-open in July
And charter flights are standing by!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

* D.T.

Welcome to Aiden Miles!

Was it the stork's wings that I heard
Near midnight, on the 23rd?
My far-flung family grows apace;
A phone call tells of brand new face!

A goodly weight, proud parents thrilled
Their crib with first born son is filled
Shy of the camera – with eyes closed
But a shock of dark hair clearly shows!

Already worth his weight in gold
Here's Aiden Miles! He's one-day-old
Swaddled tight in pink and blue
By Mummy's side, her dream come true!

In Irish - he's a «little fire»
In time perhaps a real live wire?
This name is written many ways
Each promises new trails to blaze ...

There's a Punk Rock Band from Washington,
An exile - lost in Babylon ...
'Harry Potter' has an Aiden too
And football fans cheer quite a few!

'Attractive', 'handsome': treasured joy
An exciting life awaits this boy
Such fun it is to contemplate
What Aiden will write on his slate!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020



Born  23rd May, 2020 at 23h 5min!!



Home sweet home!

Flying the Flag!

As February dawns this year,
Its arrival makes the message clear
Our little Island breaks away
From the E.U. - from today!

Democracy demands its rights!
Cameron’s* referendum bites
Three PMs hold the reins then go
But nothing stops the BREXIT flow…

Campaigns for ‘in’ and ‘out’ on trade
Are over, as the choice is made
Eleven months to iron out knots
Opportunity now knocks!

Brits are divided, rifts run deep
The red tape nightmare haunts our sleep
Ireland’s border won’t set hard
But the nitty-gritty is ill-starred.

End of an era or new dawn?
We Euro-Brits now feel forsworn
Our Island nation breaks the link
So, will we float or will we sink?

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

* David Cameron British P.M. 2010 - 2016

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)

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 PM Edward Heath  (!)

** PM = Boris Johnson

Out like a Lamb?

Storm Freya chases March this week
Floods and destruction as I speak
So the lion roars as this month starts
And BREXIT shakes the stoutest hearts.

A metaphor for Britain's plight
Uncertainties make knuckles white
Should Clause 50 be revoked?
Did the British understand the vote?

Backstop dilemma, Irish quirk?
How will decisions shape our work?
Foreign nationals seek solutions
We've lost the plot – unknown conclusions...

We're in or out – like football team;
Is joined-up Europe a mad dream?
Should we listen to the people's voice
Or drift towards an awkward choice?

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

To Rack and Ruin?

More Brussels summits rise and fall;
Sometimes I think that less is more ...
An acronym takes wing – absurd
BREXIT - now a full-blown word!

With «post Troubles» should May* fiddle?
Is the Irish border a mere quibble?
«Remainers» won't lie down and die
So is the whole thing «pie-in-sky»?

What of generations yet unborn -
Will they see this as media storm?
Customs clearance, queues at ports
Work permits, visas of all sorts...

If we take the long view – down the track
Will Brits still be on the rack?
The future wreathed in mists and smoke:
May* wants a BREXIT that's «bespoke»!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

* Theresa May - British P.M. (2016-19)

More talks: 2023

Heading for Disaster?

How was it, when we went away
To foreign lands on holiday
It seemed that world news was on hold
Nothing happened – presses cold?

A sort of «news fast» was imposed
As we ran to beaches, wore less clothes ...
But this year Mother Nature's mad
Drought plagues Europe just a tad!

A cut-price airline* goes on strike
As cabin crews feel it's not right
To work for peanuts and long hours
Cancelled flights their plight empowers!

Has climate change reached tipping point?
Extremes put noses out of joint
Are selfish politics to blame?
Excuses for non-action, lame.

We're gambling recklessly with life!
As greed and carelessness are rife;
If he treats his planet as he should
Man has much power to do good ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2018



* Ryanair

A Song Sung Blue

For life's long melody we search
But singing birds fall from their perch
Despite grand tours and world wide fame
Many, still a household name,

Are now departing from the scene
Their lives take flight in a new dream.
Think Elton John and Princess Di
The candle burning in the sky ...

At 70 his* last world tour
As two small boys mean so much more;
And the mellow, easy listening sound
Of Neil Diamond all around

Now quiet before the microphone;
Parkinson's claims him for its own ...
The Cranberries' Dolores** departs
A haunting loss in Irish hearts.

Recordings keep our memories fast
As present changes into past
But the thrill of seeing them on stage
Is henceforth of a bygone age...

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

* Sir Elton John - born Reginald Dwight in 1941

** : Dolores O'Riordan  (1971-2018) lead singer of The Cranberries
Title taken from a 1972 Neil Diamond song ...

Bordering on the Ridiculous

The Irish make the going hard;
The Border crossing is ill-starred
The Emerald Isle has made its choice
There is no single «BREXIT» voice.

Talks rumble on, sands trickle through
Time's on the run but what's to do?
New power bases rise and fall
If all else fails – the crystal ball!

The body politic perplexed
We wonder what will happen next...
Financial markets feel the brunt
Perhaps it's just a media stunt?

And can the Brits «go it alone»
Abandoning the Eurozone?
Full separation ... I don't think
With the Eurotunnel a fixed link!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

On an Engagement

We need a lift; my thoughts I mull
Monday – grey skies – business lull
The blank screen quite defies my muse
On what theme can I now enthuse?

Bored, at Facebook posts I gaze
A brief encounter on most days
Weird new compulsion we've acquired
So much is silly, uninspired ..

Then – happiness! A smiling pair
I don't know him, but do know her
Announce that they will tie the knot
Good news is rare so this is hot!

In a business climate off the rails
Two people now have wind in sails
I tap into this golden seam
And all the greyness turns to green!

(c) Poet in the woods 2016

for my friend Sinéad ...

A World Poet?

The Internet keeps a full log
So every time I'm on my blog
I see people are on line;
This is happiness – big time!

Who's looking at my blog right now?
I've had Mozambique and Curaçao
Ghana, Germany, Japan,
China, Russia, Kazakhstan

Oman, Jamaica, Singapore,
Denmark, Chile, Ecuador
Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan
Israel, Egypt, Switzerland

Morocco, Ukraine and Slovenia,
Latvia, Laos, Greece and Kenya
Barbados, Belgium, Venezuela,
El Salvador, Brazil, Australia

Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait
United Arab Emirates
Belize, Spain, Sweden, Myanmar
Finland, Fiji, Panama

Malta, Norway, Argentina
Paraguay and Costa Rica
Zimbabwe, Zambia, USA
Peru, Tunisia, the UK

Malawi, Ireland, Macedonia
Turkey, France, Macao, Mongolia,
S.A., Sri Lanka, Netherlands
India, Seychelles and Thailand

Mexico, Philippines, Albania
Italy, Syria, Romania
Canada, Jersey, Hungary,
Bangladesh and Burundi

Vietnam, Palestine, Hong Kong
Saudi Arabia, Lebanon
And many others I've left out
Bad rhyming patterns, I've no doubt...

(c) Poet in the woods 2016

Note: January 2023 - 151 countries to date!

R.I.P. Sir Terry Wogan (1938-2016)

Another star falls from the skies
An Irish icon – sad surprise;
Just one more victim of “Big C”,
Sir Terry, as he came to be,

Celebrity extraordinaire
Whose cheeky voice boomed everywhere
For well nigh fifty years, is gone
But great memories will linger on.

A morning spark, gift of the gab
Who encouraged us to “Fight the Flab”
Whose stock-in-trade was repartee
On old Auntie BBC.

Breakfast chatter, Eurovision
A smattering of self-derision
“Children in need” - a brand new start
Wogan touched the Nation’s heart.

The Limerick lilt caused us to smile
And banish dreariness a while;
Great mainstay and a household name
We shall not see his like again.

(c) Poet in the woods 2016

(3rd August, 1938 - 31st January, 2016)

Explaining Murphy's Law!

At this time of year an Irish theme
Springs to mind, deep emerald green;
The four-leaved clover is a token
Of St. Patrick we have spoken.

What of James Joyce and Seamus Heaney
Powerful authors and both “greeny”
And celebrated Oscar Wilde
A brilliant writer, but defiled?

Who tops this modest list of mine?
Your friends have met him, so have mine
He spans the centuries unscathed
His Law survives beyond the grave!

Old Murphy realised long ago
How human plans are flawed and slow
No air-tight project can we spawn
But is foiled by Murphy's Leprechaun!

(c) Poet in the woods 2015

For an Irish friend - on Retirement

Fair maiden of the Emerald Isle
With gentle voice and winning smile
You’ve reached a watershed today
42 years on - you’re on your way

To another life without routine
You can switch off your computer screen!
Forget the rush hour, rat race hell
Spend time with family – friends as well.

Take mini-trips at off-peak rate
Dawdle over breakfast plate
Enjoy your garden, watch it grow
In other words just take life slow.

They say the best in life is free;
And it won’t take long before you’ll be
Taking retirement in your stride
The world’s a big place – step outside!

(c) Poet in the woods 2014

Mark - My Words!

You never know whom you will meet
At over thirty thousand feet,
But on a trip to Darwin sun
Mark, the banker, was the one!

We flipped through magazines awhile
The meal came: meatballs, Aussie style.
He chose the wine from Wirra Wirra.
Once in a while won't hurt the liver.

Who is this guy? He lost his Mum
When young, an immigrant, Irish son.
We passed the time of day in skies
Quite clouded. That is a surprise.

Full blooded sun, full blooded wine
My ears attune to Southern 'Strine,
On a hop to Darwin's sunshine coast
Where he will have a friend as host.

(on a flight from Adelaide to Darwin)

(c) Poet in the woods 2014



Darwin Airport