The Potency of Silence

It’s what you DON’T say, that means most;

Silence is a boat that coasts

Along a stream-of-thought unvoiced

Yet, what you THINK perhaps, is choice!

 

We often pause, or hesitate

When with a friend, or on a date

As spoken words can’t be clawed back …

Take diplomats *– they have the knack!

 

Whether love or politics, the game

Of innuendos stays the same;

One party is confused, perplexed

While we’ve bought time to process text!

 

Drama on the stage is key;

How potent silence proves to be;

What isn’t said, is understood …

Pure genius when the actor’s good!

 

Does silence have a golden touch?

Much chatter can be “double-Dutch”;

Two ears, one mouth (that’s you AND me):

God’s ratio is clear to see!

 

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* i.e. Sir Humphrey Appleby in the BBC's  "Yes Prime Minister"!

i

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 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 ...

Under the Clouds

What shall I write about today?

Terence Stamp* has passed away

A heartthrob of our younger years;

Meanwhile, Alaska** heightens fears.

 

Scattered snippets found on line

Which catch our eye from time to time

As fires*** rage in distant lands

And throw a spanner in our plans.

 

That’s it, you see, the Great Unknown:

Real life beyond our mobile phone

Which gives complacency a shake

With hurricane and strong earthquake.

 

We yearn for peace but invoke war

We try to even up the score…

High level meetings to take place

Where Doves and Hawks come face to face ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

* Terence Stamp (1938 - 17/8/25) who starred in Billy Budd, The Collector and several Pasolini films in the 1960s  - not to mention The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert ...

** Chosen for summit between DJT and VP

*** in Portugal, Spain, Greece and B.C. Canada

A Mixed Palette of News

Let’s think back; in the last few days

We have sweltered in heat haze

Riedlingen train crash – three souls dead

Cambodia/Thailand border – red!

 

Food trucks arrive on Gaza strip

Trump’s trade tariffs take a dip

Satirist Tom Lehrer’s passed

Ozzie Osbourne’s breathed his last…

 

True, friends on holiday, have fun

But for the rest of us, it’s rum

Now heavy rain cleans Monday’s slate

So, what have we to celebrate? 

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

Notes: 27th July: S.W. Germany: Riedlingen train crash caused by overflowing sewage shaft which caused a landslide. 41 people injured.

Tom Lehrer brilliant US satirist, famous in 1950s-1960s (1928 - 26th July, 2025)

John Michael Osbourne, known as Ozzie, leader singer of heavy metal group "Black Sabbath" (1948 - 22nd July, 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,

The Birthday Book

 It happens, as along life’s path we roam

Like now in springtime sunshine all alone,

We let our stressed mind wander on its own

Bringing into focus folks we’ve known.

 

I’ve kept a birthday book which I flip through

Autographed by friends; perhaps by you?

Today, I found a name long lost in mist

Someone I once knew and fondly kissed.

 

The years have rolled on by, he’s eighty-two

If he’s still alive (but I’ve no clue!)

And suddenly my Memory Bank releases

An album, jumbled up, in bits and pieces…

 

I’m stopped in my tracks; it all comes back

Deep conversations – all was white or black

How life seemed so simple - we were young

Long sunny days; careers not yet begun …

 

Life’s telescope now held the other way

Means images grow faint then fade to grey

For a moment through a crack, I saw my past;

How memories recalled long shadows cast …

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

Musing at the Cenotaph

The cenotaph – an empty tomb

In which a Nation’s lost souls bloom

A poignant symbol all agree

Of futile deaths in lands called “free” …

 

Signed Treaties reneged, then unkept;

Countless widows who have wept;

Man’s failure to maintain the peace

Reminds us War is on long-lease…

 

Conflicts blight our news today:

Heartless drones the bold, smart way!

Though pretexts vary down the years

Every time we shed more tears …

 

At stake – vast oil or water deals

Land acquisition, faith ideals.

So, Injustice furls its banner high

War ignites and brave men die …

 

Global warming’s a rough ride!

“To love one’s neighbour,” we should strive

But sadly, human nature’s flawed

It’s simpler to gird up our sword! 

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London

Lost Connections!

Computers - helpmates good or bad?

A little slip can make you mad!

For each site we require smart codes;

My personal memory bank implodes ...

 

Is this an age thing? I reflect

That I was born before the Net

Dragged us through AI’s deep seas;

For Generation Z – a breeze!

 

Scan, copy or sign your consent?

I’m not always sure what’s meant

Less personal contact is a bind

I sometimes feel quite left behind!

 

Am I alone with this new Angst

Or perhaps, should I give thanks?

We’re told life’s safer with this tool

Which often makes me lose my cool!

 

Gone are the days of lengthy queues

For tickets – so that is good news

But nonetheless I feel regret

Do I Orwell’s oeuvre* detect?

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

* George Orwell published '1984' in 1948.

Thoughts on Another Guy!

November looms - we’re right on track

That cold nip in the air is back!

There’s talk of winter snows quite soon

Crisp evenings brightened by the moon?

 

November 5^th - Guy Fawkes for some

With Catholic plotter lives undone

But politics has moved on since;

Across the Pond, they feel the pinch …

 

‘Puerto Rico’ and ‘trash cans’ confuse

While Swing States Saga fills the news.

Tough game afoot; new voters sign:

But who will cross the winning line?

 

Too close to call, the tension rises

Like with Guy Fawkes, big surprises

America stands on the brink;

This election makes us think!

(C) Poet in the woods 2024

Meditations on 25th October

It’s tough to write when there’s no news;

There is of course: should I enthuse?

Samoa seems a world away

The King and Commonwealth distrait …

 

October this year blessed with sun

And soft rain so the mushrooms come

Their fruiting and intriguing spore

Popping up on woodland floor.

 

Smart drones bring horror on our screens

An endless source of sleepless dreams;

More traffic pile-ups on the Ring …

Décor for Halloween now in!

 

Those witches need to weave their spell

Don’t get me started on Noel!

Garish promotions in-your-face …

As festivals each fight for space!

(c) Poet in the woods 2025

Samoa

R.I.P. Dame Maggie Smith (1934-2024)

Minerva McGonagall is no more!

On Violet Crawley we can’t call

Though Grantham’s pile remains on view

With dialogues which still ring true!

 

Our Maggie sparkled from young age

In no time made her mark on stage

This star was born with humour sharp

Her sense of timing a fine art!

 

Acting royalty – whose roles

Thrilled indeed, so many souls;

Proving when you have a gift

Who cares if your name is Smith!

 

Miss Jean Brodie’s strident tones

As she Spain's Civil War condones

Brought her an Oscar and film fame;

Then a second Oscar* she could claim!

 

Top of the tree, her name in lights

For countless years she us delights;

Now, though I hear she’s passed away

Her spirit soars through wreathes of grey…

(c)  Poet in the woods  2024 

Died on 27th September, 2024, aged 89.    

* For California Suite (1979)

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".

World Class Chess!

 Hurricane Beryl does her worst!

News headlines put Jamaica first:

Trees unrooted, cables down

Storm surges that flood into town ...

 

Elections spring up everywhere:

France totters on the brink, we hear …

With COVID chased to back of mind

Maybe masks now make us blind?

 

This Thursday Brits go out to vote;

Is talk of landslide that remote?

 We think of Uncle Sam’s domain

Which celebrates its Brit-free reign.

 

Let’s not forget Old Father Time

Who jostles for a place in line!

All outcomes up for grabs today

The world’s a chess game that we play.

 

With such upheaval, mental stress

We have to wonder what comes next…

As the pieces move around the board

The tension mounts – no one is bored!

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

Rumours - Royals - Reality

 Great waves of scandal flood the news!

Social media posts confuse

We can’t tell what’s real from fake;

Reflect on trauma of poor Kate!

 

All world leaders suffer flak

And Royals, targeted – hit back…

While Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram

Stir the pot chez Uncle Sam…

 

Checking facts is a skilled art;

Hard-pressed journalists impart

Such info as they hope is true

Providing a more measured view.

 

But as we’re all linked up on-line

Often, they run out of time

To sift and serve in byte-sized pieces;

The rumour mill, well fed, increases…

 

We lap up horrors every day

Our human minds are wired that way!

Today we’re spoiled – there’s such a glut;

So, good news rarely makes the cut!

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

Musing on Fifty Years!

I did not know in Seventy-Three

When I flew to Brussels, fancy-free

To work in Europe, my new home

And speak French on the telephone…

 

That fifty years would roll on by

Under an - often rainy – sky;

 I’ve grown deep roots and changed a lot

But Brussels stays my own sweet spot!

 

Edward Heath had signed us in

The Eurotunnel could begin

Thatcher met with Mitterrand

“Splendid isolation” – gone!

 

The dream went sour; alas! Alack!

“Our sovereignty, we want it back!”

David's* referendum all hope steals;

Stranded, Brits create new deals!

 

My thoughts on this I won’t express

But, being Belgian, I protest

Food, style and culture win my vote

As BREXIT UK seems remote

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

* 2016 Referendum under PM David Cameron

An April Date Remembered ...

You turn the page; a date jumps out

Desk diary jolts your mind, you pause

You look again – there is no doubt

Vows exchanged - both his and yours …

 

What happened? It was long ago

Those fragrant freesias you recall

That day in April had a glow;

You really thought you had it all.

 

Alas, it was not meant to be

A clash of cultures proved too much

You decided therefore to break free

As new horizons promised much…

 

The dream dissolved and life moved on

Time saw the parting of the ways

But at that moment the sun shone

And even now - the memory stays …

(c) Poet in the woods 2024

A bunch of beautiful freesias!

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

A Royal Bench Mark

Alone, upon a bench in jeans,

With springtime flowers right behind

Catherine*, poised and calm it seems

To her sad truth is inclined.

 

Poignant, with a touching grace

She says it “like it is” at last

Some tabloids now have mud on face!

To take it all in - a hard task…

 

School holidays mean kids at home;

That they must be told is raw

Gently these facts are made known;

Hope fights - but no one knows the score…

 

Hence as springtime comes in leaf

Mist and shadows shield the sun

As Mother Courage hides her grief

And prays for summer yet to come …

(c) Poets in the woods 2024

* Princess Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and  wife of Prince William

 

It's a Steal!

Sharp nip in air breeds chilly fingers

Frost snaps off each leaf that lingers

Cold evenings in the gloom extend…

I wear suede gloves, gift of dear friend.

 

Small dogs sport jackets neat and smart

On grey pavements they impart

In today’s world, proof supreme

That their owners’ hearts stay green!

 

The homeless, with no place to go

Skulk in corners, fearing snow

Their desperate plight on daily view

For Brussels shelters are too few…

 

Sales of winter thermals soar

But must one venture out the door?

Sub-zero chill makes wreathes of mist,

Coats our windscreens, snowflake-kissed.

 

Around enticing mulled wine stalls

The presence of police recalls

Old Fagin’s* would-be protégés;

As wallets find new homes today!

(c) Poet in the woods (023

* Pickpocket "King" in Charles Dickens'  novel "David Copperfield".

Mike - In Memoriam

Memories surface – I recall

His lilting voice, its rise and fall;

Generous to a fault, he’d share

His time and wine; my man had flair!

 

With French and German quite at home

His diplomatic skills - well honed

His travel schedule – often tight

But presence on stage - a delight!

 

A Scorpio optimist with charm

Proud to have me on his arm

On this, his birthday, I recall

For twenty years we had a ball…

(c) Poet in the woods 2023

MC: 16th November, 1937 - 4th January, 2005